Rick Perry’s High Homeowner’s Insurance Premiums

Yes, when you pay your homeowner’s insurance, if you are like me, you pay it through your mortgage company in monthly installments.

That way you don’t really see the bill. You see it once a year. But because you pay it in 12 monthly installments along with interest, taxes and pay down of the principle, you don’t realize that the amounts you are paying for homeowner’s insurance are among the highest in the nation.

But this installment option keeps it all nearly invisible unless you are willing to dissect your yearly mortgage statement.

Yes, here in Texas where our homes are mainly built by immigrant labor and we have among the lowest $ per square footage building costs as a result, we pay the highest premiums and most people are unaware of that.

Thank your governor, Rick Perry for that.

Back to Basics has a new video that exposes Rick Perry and his campaign contributors for letting the home insurance industry become virtual kleptomaniacs on the legit.

Texans can’t afford high insurance rates. Texas can’t afford Rick Perry.

Bill White for Texas.

Bill White for Governor.

Petraeus: Qur'an Burning Puts Soldiers at Risk

This is not a reach. When Americans announce that they will commemorate 9/11 this weekend by hosting a Qu’ran bonfire, Muslims are going to be a little offended.

Muslim extremists, being extremists, will go to extreme means to lodge their protests. And this gives General Petraeus, commander of American troops in Afghanistan, troops that are presently in harm’s way, good reason to be concerned.

So concerned that he would personally take this otherwise innocuous Christian group’s planned activity to task from half a world away and suggest that in carrying out their promise, American troops could be targeted for retaliation.

So what do we get in response to the general’s concern?

They’ll “pray on it.”

Pray on it to what end, I ask. If it wasn’t clear to them that Jesus wouldn’t want His flock to defile the holy scriptures of an organized religion before Petraeus made his opinion known, how will they understand His wishes after?

Former Governor Howard Dean was on “Countdown” tonight discussing this, and I heard him say that America is a great country that does not lower itself to mimic the actions of religious extremists. And to that I call BS.

Because some of us do mimic the actions of religious extremists. The only difference is in the “lowering” aspect of this. You know, these Islamophobic Christians down there in Florida (why, O God, did You give us Florida?) are not lowering themselves to the level of the terrorists who destroyed buildings and erased lives.

They are already there.

It’s Labor Day

On Labor Day we celebrate the social achievements of workers. Not how many cars they built, certainly not how many bushels of grapes they picked. But how many rights they have won through the Labor Movement.

Because of the Labor Movement we have the 8-hour day, the 40-hour work week. We have overtime. We have healthcare benefits through our employers. We have those things and so much more.

All of this because of that dreaded concept here in Texas: labor unions.

Texas, like other socially repressive states, is a “right to work” state. This is a euphemism for a “right to fire you” state. Because in Texas, like all “right to work” states, workers have fewer rights and no power to fight for them.

But here we are in Texas, on Labor Day with the flags flying (even the Teabaggers down the street have their flag out) and barbecues fired up. Because here in Texas, Labor Day has lost its original meaning everywhere but at the union picnics that are taking place today. In Texas, like most other parts of America, Labor Day has come to mean these things:

The end of summer (although Earth has not yet reached equinox)

The beginning of school (although it has been in session for 2 weeks now)

The day when sailors exchange their white uniform for their blue uniform.

I think that last one actually does take place.

Anyway, in honor of Labor Day and the state of the labor movement here in the United States, I give you the unique wit and talent of Stuart Carson.

The Politics of Burned Up Voting Machines

It takes a one-off event like burning up every eSlate voting machine in Harris County to reveal how Republicans and Democrats differ in the whole issue of voter fraud and voter suppression.

As it turns out if you are a Republican, you are in favor of voter fraud despite the length of time you take wailing about it, and you are also in favor of vote suppression – something that they don’t really strive to deny to any real extent.

If you are a Democrat, you are against both voter fraud and vote suppression.

Nothing could be more clear after reading this article in the Houston Chronicle about the measures being taken to avoid complete chaos in the November election.

Harris County, as it turns out, will be able to replace 2,325 of its 10,000 burned up eSlate voting machines, and will be able to have 4 of them in operation at each and every one of its 736 polling places.

Anyone who has voted with eSlate knows that 4 per polling place is not enough. So as a result, Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman, a Republican by the way, has adopted a “hybrid system” wherein a voter who wishes to use a voting machine will have to stand in line for that, but voters will also have the option of using a paper ballot.

They plan on printing up 1.4 million paper ballots.

“I don't think we need to be stingy with them,” Kaufman is quoted as having said.

Now come to find out, this does not sit well with Republican County Chair Jared Woodfill. Woodfill, as it turns out would have preferred to stay with a 100% voting machine system because of voter fraud.

I kid you not.

“It prevents fraud at the ballot box," Woodfill said. "If you revert back to paper, you have a lot of the issues involving voter fraud.”

County Democratic Party Chair Jerry Birnberg, by contrast, couldn’t be happier with the hybrid system, and paper ballots.

“Paper ballots are less vulnerable to fraud, Birnberg said.”

“‘In a paper ballot situation, you can always go back and manually recount,’ Birnberg said. ‘How do you recount an electronic voting machine?’”

How indeed?Like say, not being able to change the vote numbers in the little cartridges that are loaded into the vote counter. Like having a “paper trail.”

The contrast couldn’t be clearer. Republicans prefer voting machines because paper ballots are more vulnerable to voter fraud. Democrats prefer paper ballots because voting machines are more vulnerable to voter fraud.

That and the fact that a 100% voting machine environment in Harris County would mean long lines and frustrated voters all across Harris County, something that Republicans not only look forward to, but actually count on.

The verdict is still not in on how the fire at the Harris County warehouse got started. I have my suspicions, but that is neither here nor there. What is important now is to realize that whoever conceived of this failed to realize that when news hits the streets that Harris County, the most populous voter concentration in the state lost each and every one of their voting machines in a fire at a warehouse where a Republican was responsible for their storage – keeping all of their eggs in one basket, as it were – it is obvious that the Republican County Clerk will bend over backwards to alleviate the situation That she will go into panic mode to do it. And in doing so, go against the express wishes of her party chair.

Because not to do this practically invites the Justice Department to take over the whole election process in Harris County.

I guess they should have thought of that before striking that match.

State Board of Ed.: Why Republicans Take Cover

The League of Women Voters have invited local (to Austin) candidates for all levels of state office to debate the issues. A debate that will be aired from the studios of KLRU on the UT campus.

Judy Jennings

Both Rebecca Bell-Metereau and Judy Jennings, candidates for State Board of Education seats in District 5 and 10, respectively, have accepted their invitation to debate.

Rebecca Bell-Metereau

As they should. All candidates for public office owe their participation in debate to the voters so they can make informed decisions on the issues and the candidates they have before them in the November election. The League of Women Voters, an organization founded in 1920 to allow newly enfranchised American women to make more educated decisions on their newly won responsibility, has always been, to my mind, a group that has always produced impartial political forums for the candidates.

No one, up to now that is, has ever questioned the integrity of this organization.

But now the integrity of the Austin-area LWV has been questioned, no really the word is indicted, by Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri.

From the Austin American-Statesman:

“In Austin, the League of Women Voters should really be called the 'League of Women Democrats,'" Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri said, explaining why he advised Ken Mercer and Marsha Farney — Republican candidates for the State Board of Education in Districts 5 and 10, respectively — to skip the debate, which is scheduled to be taped Sept. 28 at KLRU studios at the University of Texas.” 

“Munisteri said the league's leaders have ties to the Democratic Party, and he provided a list showing that all six of the league's elected officers have voted in Democratic primaries in recent years and other leaders have contributed money to Democrats, including the ones in the debate. (In Texas, voters do not register a party affiliation but indicate it when they vote in a party's primary.)”

Now granted the data that Munisteri had was no doubt true, that is all in records that anyone with access to the databases can access. And frankly, it does not surprise me that the Austin-area leaders have Democratic leanings simply because they are interested in hearing both sides and letting both sides show the true differences between them.

It doesn’t surprise me because this year more than anything else it will be up to Republicans to keep voters in the dark over their positions and simply use the smoke and mirrors that have become their trademark to deflect attention away from themselves. Directing attention instead toward that Black, racist Nazi, communist, Kenyan Muslim sleeping in a bed in the White House that only white men should sleep in.

So it makes sense to me that the forum organizers be Democrats. What doesn’t make sense to me is that in being Democrats these people then by definition possess such a low degree of integrity that they will fashion a forum for debate exclusively in order to ambush the Republican debaters.

Munisteri provided ample evidence that they are Democrats, but not one shred of evidence that the debate organizers are artful, deceiving liars.

My guess, therefore, is that he arrived at this rather unearned accusation because he knows that if Republicans were organizing a debate forum like this, that this is exactly what they would do: lay an ambush for the Democrats.

There is no other explanation.

Either that, or Munisteri is simply conjuring up a reason for Republican SBOE candidates not to debate because to do so allows Texans to make informed decisions on Republican candidates, and that, in the end, is the last thing he wants them to do.

Michelle Bachmann is on the Ropes

Teabagger caucus leader Congresscreep Michelle Bachmann is in deep, deep trouble. The news finally got through to her when Howard Dean’s Democracy for America announced that it had collected $22,000 in donations to the campaign of Democratic opponent Minnesota State Senator Tarryl Clark.

In twenty-four hours.

In the middle of the slow recovery from the Recession of 2008-09.

When the unemployment rate hit 9.6%, Tarryl Clark’s campaign got a cash infusion from an internet-based fundraiser.

People are sick and tired of seeing the crazed face of Michelle Bachmann. Sick of hearing her crazed rants.

Sick to death of Michelle Bachmann.

Minnesotans, I hear, are becoming very disenchanted with their congressperson. Someone who is all about getting her face on the national scene. Someone who sees herself as another Sarah Palin.

So Bachmann is using the DFA to get more money out of her Teabagger base, not realizing that getting money from Teabaggers, people who are notorious for not wanting to give their money to anyone, is very much like trying to get blood out of a turnip.

From her latest fundraiser letter:

“His [Howard Dean’s] far-left liberal organization, "Democracy for America" raised $22,000 in 24 hours to defeat me and have bragged about it to media outlets. They're using this as an example of how much liberals like Dean want to see me defeated. Let's show them we're not going anywhere. I need your immediate support to fight back against this liberal surge of money in my race.”

I never thought I’d ever say this, but poor Michelle Bachmann. A woman so deluded as to ask a bunch of overweight, deluded, old white people (aka her base) for more money.

Shouldn’t she, at this point, be turning her face upward to Jesus? Jesus, to her mind, would never allow Tarryl Clark to usurp her from her congressional seat. So maybe she should just go “all in” as we say in Texas Hold-Em, and stop the whining. And for heaven’s sake, stop asking Teabaggers for more money.

That’s just embarrassing.

Hawking: God Is Not a Factor

I am a noncombatant in this battle between science and religion. As such I think I can be fair-minded and not hold a biased view in the relationship that each has to mankind.

For this reason, I am somewhat struck by Stephen Hawking’s latest assertion in a new book to be released next week, “The Grand Design,” not that God doesn’t exist, but that God was not a factor in the creation of the universe.

I guess by that line of thinking, though, one could argue that if God had nothing to do with the creation of the universe, that God is indeed not The Creator, then what role does God play in the scheme of things?

Hawking relies on a unification of four superstring theories, that they are simply dualities of each other, a theory called M-theory (the M stands for Membrane) for making his bold assertion that given the very existence of the field force known as gravity

“…the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going.”

The universe, and existence, Hawking says, are inevitable consequences of the laws of physics.

As a noncombatant I was interested to see what the religious community would say about Hawking’s assertion and they did not fail to react.

Said Fraser Watts, an Anglican priest:

“A creator God provides a reasonable and credible explanation of why there is a universe, and ... it is somewhat more likely that there is a God than that there is not. That view is not undermined by what Hawking has said.”

Said Denis Alexander, director of the Faraday Institute of Science and Religion:

“Science provides us with a wonderful narrative as to how [existence] may happen, but theology addresses the meaning of the narrative.”

Said Imam Ibrahim Mogra, committee chairman at the Muslim Council of Britain

“If we look at the Universe and all that has been created, it indicates that somebody has been here to bring it into existence. That somebody is the almighty conqueror.”

And finally, said Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks:

“Science is about explanation. Religion is about interpretation ... The Bible simply isn't interested in how the Universe came into being.”

Interesting, huh?

It seems that religion cedes to science every aspect of explanation but one: why do we exist? Hawking seems to be saying that there isn’t a “why.” There is no “why do we exist,” we simply are.

But really that question is one of the first ones that pops into the head of a sentient being: why am I here?

And then all of a sudden it dawned on me that religion occupies that niche rather well. The one burning question that science cannot deliver on is handled very nicely by religion thank you very much.

And then I realized that this is a matter upon which money is a huge factor. Religion in all of its incarnations is worth trillions worldwide. What Stephen Hawking seems to be saying is that all of these trillions of dollars are being mis-spent.

What a calamity. If what Stephen Hawking asserts is true, that there is no grand design and no creator, that there is no “why,” only an “is” then what are we going to do with all of those out of work clerics? What happens to all of the churches, mosques, synogogues and temples? All of the artwork? All of the literature?

That’s right. Stephen Hawking’s idea hasn’t a snowball’s chance in H-E-double-hockey-sticks of general acceptance now or in the immediate future.

It would cost too much.

Stay Classy Fort Bend Republicans

The Republicans in Fort Bend County seem to be pretty self-assured of a massive victory this fall. They are starting to believe their own hype.

Forget the fact that President Obama’s popularity is flagging of late. Not only has he been crucified by racist neoconservatives, we on the left have lost some of our regard for him because he simply won’t go on the offensive and call their lies . . . well, lies.

Forget that because we have one and only one federal office holder on the ballot here in Fort Bend, Pete Olson. His opponent is a laughable Tinfoil Hat-wearing LaRouche Democrat. Olson’s going to win and win big time.

Olson will win. Period.

The other office holders on the ballot? Republicans, all of them Republicans. Well all Republicans except for Democrats in safe Democratic districts.

Toss out the incumbents is the battle cry of Teabaggers everywhere.

Well, in Texas, the incumbents are Republicans.

But Fort Bend Republicans are very, very primed for victory in November. So primed that some very unsavory types among them have all sent in this flyer to the Fort Bend County Democratic Headquarters in Richmond.

Yes, I had to airbrush out the profanity. This is a PG rated website after all.

So that is what the Republicans are spending their time doing. Sending profane flyers to the Democratic Party.

Not block walking.

Not phone banking.

Not putting out campaign signs.

Not opening up a campaign headquarters.

And that’s all fine with me. And the literature they do send out? Isn’t it nice to see your basest suspicions of the moral compass of these people confirmed in spades?

Stay classy, Fort Bend Republicans.

Brain Fart for Arizona Governor Brewer

The way Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona shoots off her racist neoconservative mouth whenever she is placed in front of a microphone, it is a singular event to see the governor placed in front of a television camera at a formal debate and watch her go through the equivalent of flatulence of the brain. Here is the brain fart at 00:35 that extended to 00:51 but a precursor to the whole thing can be seen at 00:11.

The governor claimed later in an interview that she was “only human,” neglecting to acknowledge that one needs to set one’s humanity on the shelf whilst engaged in a formal televised debate. It absolutely made Gerald Ford’s slowly growing nasal drip pale in comparison.

Remember that? Engaged in formal debate with Jimmy Carter, Ford’s head was in a tight shot as clear fluid appeared below his right nostril and slowly rolled down his upper lip. No one knows what he said just then because everyone was watching the nasal drip wondering what kinds of things were going through his mind as he studiously ignored what everyone in the country was watching with rapt attention.

Likewise Brewer. One wonders what Arizona voters came away with. Surely they spent lots of time mulling over what brought on that 16 second lapse in which she started to sound like Miss Teen South Carolina in her ramble about “the Iraq” and “such as.” Incipient Alzheimer’s? Something she saw on the paper she was reading? Mental shutdown equivalent to when she decided that it was a grand idea to usurp federal authority?

Arizonans will probably send Brewer back to the governor’s office, but now they have to wonder whether the woman possesses all of her mental faculties.

TEA Not Concerned With the Lives of Students

It’s not what you say, but what you do that counts. A friend told me that recently and its truth keeps on echoing around me.

In the last legislative session, the State House and State Senate, in reacting to the tragic loss of life when a Beaumont chartered school bus overturned on the way to a soccer match, passed a law that allocated $10 million to reimburse school districts who pay for the equipping of new school buses with seat belts.

There’s something that I have been wondering about for years. It is state law to belt yourself in, in an automobile, but children are free to bounce off of walls and ceilings when a school bus has an accident. This law was a no-brainer and way past due.

But yesterday the Texas Education Agency pared that $10 million allocation to $3.6 million because they are under a mandate to reduce their budget by 5%.

Now by my math that is a reduction of 64%, not 5%. Obviously they are not going at this budget reduction in a 5% across the board approach.

In other words, in exchange for the health and safety of children who ride the bus every day, the TEA is enabling itself to keep the same funding in other programs. Or maybe even raise the funding.

The TEA spends billions of dollars every year on testing. Billions. Ten million dollars to ensure the safety of our school children is a drop in the bucket in comparison.

Rick Perry’s words when he signed the bill into law included this: “[this law] will not only save lives, it will give parents peace of mind every morning their children leave their home for school and climb aboard a bus.”

Peace of mind? As Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say on SNL, “Never mind.”

Just in Time for Mid-Term Elections

They want your money.

At the box office.

For the cost of just one theater ticket, oh and some popcorn and Coke for 8 bucks, you can go and see I Want Your Money at the picture show this fall.

Just in time for mid-term elections.

Gee, do you think they had that planned?

The movie is written and directed by Ray Griggs, apparently Teabagger’s answer to Michael Moore. Except Moore knows satire and how to spin some irony like no one else. Griggs’ idea of humor is as stale as the moldering sour dough bread in my fridge.

Griggs is also known for making an 8 minute movie short about Satan and his battle with the Archangel Michael.

He also produced the “I must be a racist” ad that ran in the run up to the healthcare reform bill’s passing in the House.

All I can say is, yep.

America’s Got Thinking

Don’t forget about Paris Hilton.

The poor girl got herself locked up in the slammer in Vegas for cocaine possession. Her lawyer even anticipated human interest and advised fans not to jump to conclusions.

Nope, not me. No jumpin’ goin’ on here.

The Texas Tribune’s 21 House Races to Watch

Friday saw the appearance on the Texas Tribune’s website a list of 21 state house races to watch. Ones where an incumbent was at risk to some extent or another. It’s an interesting read.

It breaks down 21 races into 3 categories, one where an incumbent being beat is likely, ones where it’s a toss-up, and ones where unseating an incumbent is possible.

It would seem that the governing rule in their analysis is that Texans are predisposed to be anti-incumbent or anti-Democrat. Their analysis shows that if they hit 100% of their predictions Republicans stand to gain 7 House seats among just those 21 races. And among Republican incumbents, just about all of them are at-risk of losing their seats because they fell afoul of ethics this year.

As if Republicans would vote for a Democrat because their candidate is ethically challenged. Something I tend to doubt.

At least that’s the way it goes around these parts.

I beg to differ from the Texas Tribune in just this one way. While Democrats are in charge in DC, and they are the incumbents that Americans are going to have trouble with, the problem we have with incumbents in Austin is very much because the Republicans have been in charge for 7 years now.

Republicans are the incumbents, not Democrats.

And yes, all politics are local, so looking at how a district votes based on what they did in 2008 when they voted for McCain does not in and of itself say anything about who people vote for in local races. This is reflected in their “possible” turnover pick of Pati Jacobs in her run against Tim “La-Z-Boy” Kleinschmidt in HD-17. The district has slowly tilted toward Republican but the guy they elected in ’08 has been a total washout. I suspect the Texas Tribune underestimates Jacobs’ race.

And finally, the analysis was written before the fire in Houston that destroyed all 10,000 of Harris County’s voting machines. What this does in the HD-133 and HD-138, two districts entirely within Harris County has not been factored in. Nor has, at this writing, the cause of the fire (as if that was in doubt).

When All Else Fails . . .

Burn up the voting machines.

It really can’t get more obvious than this, can it? 52 days before Early Voting starts for this pivotal 2010 midterm election, Harris County, one of the most populous counties in the state of Texas, representing 15% of those who vote in elections, lost each and every one of their Hart InterCivic eSlate voting machines in a warehouse fire on Friday.

The fire was first reported in the wee small hours of the morning.

But Houston’s arson investigators still don’t have a clue as to how the fire was started.

Hart InterCivic doesn’t have a clue either. They just don’t know how many new and used eSlate machines they have in their current inventory. Gosh darn it all, no one keeps a count, it seems.

Now there has been a lot made of the fact that Harris County, which encompasses most of the City of Houston is a Bill White stronghold, and that a voter suppression effort on the part of Republicans, you know, like burning up all the voting machines, would most probably help Rick Perry retain the Governor’s office. But I’m not so sure that this was the intent here. There is so much more at stake in 2010.

Like 3 State House seats.

With Democrats holding 73 House District seats, Democrats are just 3 seats away from taking control of the State House in 2011. Need I remind you of the fact that 2011 will be the year that Texas redraws its congressional boundaries? Need I also remind you of the fact that Texas stands to gain 3 additional Congressional seats as a result of population growth recorded by the 2010 census?

This is a huge, huge year. That we stand a good chance of replacing a rightwing reactionary Republican governor with someone who actually knows how to get things done is really beside the point.

Look at local state house races for instance. Dwayne Bohac of HD 138, entirely within Harris County is an ethics-challenged candidate who has lots of experience in voter suppression. If Dwayne Bohac can be turned out of office by Kendra Yarbrough Camarena we are a third of the way toward the goal of retaking the State House.

Likewise Kristi Thibault. Thibault took HD 133, also entirely within Harris County, away from Republican Jim Murphy in 2008 by a mere 497 votes and is set for a rematch with Murphy this fall. A loss there could offset a possible win by Camarena.

Want a formula on how to hijack an election, arguably in a local sense, an election that is actually more important than the one in 2008? First, go paperless. Have voting machines where there is no paper trail to record who actually won the election.

Then burn them all up.

Why Republican Governors are Faultless

Republican New Jersey Governor Lou Christie, upon hearing that his state failed to garner Race to the Top federal grants because his state did not submit an application with the required data, information on the 2008-09 school year, took the blame like a man, that “as governor, he is “ultimately responsible for everything that happens here”

Then he walked that one back. No one was to blame, nope, it was just how the cookie crumbles.

From The Star-Ledger:

“Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for Christie, confirmed today that an "error" was made on the application but did not say who was responsible. Education Commissioner Bret Schundler and other officials from his department learned of the error when they made an in-person presentation in Washington two weeks ago, she said.”

Then Lou Christie seemed to blame his $400 million edge-out by Ohio to the fact that the application was so thick. Who can have time to read all of that, one would ask. Or hope.

Then as we find out later, Christie effected a last-minute switcheroo and included in his proposal a bunch of Republican concepts that were opposed by the New Jersey Education Association, stuff like merit pay, tenure reform and school choice. When the grant failed to meet the mark everyone ran for cover, it seems, because of the proposal’s inclusion of Republican “reforms.” Such was not the case, however. Obama likes that stuff, you know. Merit pay, school choice.

Nobody’s perfect.

No, as it turns out the proposal lost points because it failed to meet one of the requirements stipulated by the Department of Education.

Then, recovering, Low Christie blamed the Obama Administration, whose bureaucrats were “checking boxes like mindless drones”. They were just being too picky and it’s all about the fact that he is a Republican.

Tell that to Sonny Perdue of Georgia, a state with a Republican governor that got a RTTT grant.

OK, then Christie leveled his accusatory finger at his education commissioner, and today gave him the sack.

Blame, it seems, is hard to take on oneself.

Tell that one to Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Perry is poised to kiss off Texas’ share of $10 billion, some $830 million in federal education stimulation funds from the $26 billion package recently voted into law. And who is to blame for this fiasco?

Perry?

Heck no. The blame lays squarely on the shoulders of Congressman Lloyd Doggett who put language in that bill that requires Texas to promise that it will use education funds for education rather than to balance a budget shortfall.

Don’t blame the Governor. Despite the fact that he has a track record for putting all federal stimulation funding into a huge shell game. Hey presto, now you see it, now you don’t.

So the lesson is this, governors who lose out on federal education dollars are blameless. There are far too many people around them to point their fingers at. Blame the governor? Who is kidding whom?

And really, they are absolutely right, these two governors are absolutely blameless. They are only doing what they say that they are going to do, and that is follow the Republican agenda.

No, when states lose federal dollars to save their education systems, you don’t blame their governors.

You blame the people who elected them.

King’s Dream, Beck’s Scheme

On August 28th it will be the 47th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s landmark “I Have a Dream” speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC in front of a throng of two hundred thousand supporters who participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

History tells us that this event was a turning point in the long climb to racial equality as it placed new pressures on the Kennedy Administration to take stronger action.

And in honor of this event, the Teabaggers have decided to usurp the day in order to allow Fox News Comedian Glen Beck to sell his wares.

From King’s “I Have a Dream,” we now have Beck’s “I Have a Scheme.”

Glen Beck would be a joke if it weren’t for the fact that he is a) listened to and viewed by a throng of ignorant white people who feel threatened, and b) is so blatantly in it for himself that selling God and selling Gold, to Beck, is one and the same thing, except for the addition of that bothersome little “l.”

Glen Beck dishes out fear, then cashes in by touting gold sales, something everyone wants to buy in these very uncertain times (thanks to that racist African-American Kenyan Muslim President, Barack Hussein Obama).

These days it is good to be Beck. It’s good because Beck can be a mediocre man yet pull down millions for himself. Beck can attract supporters despite the fact that his speeches are amateurish and insipid where King’s were polished and educated, where Beck's inspire fear while King’s inspired hope.

And yes, there will be a counter rally at the same time. I just heard that TrueMajority and USAction will be there with a 4 story tall sculpture to celebrate Dr. King’s triumphal speech. Learn about it here at Celebrate the Dream.

Texas School Districts Won’t Appeal Their Grading Lawsuit

As I had predicted here, the eleven Houston-area school districts that brought suit against the Texas Education Commissioner over their unwillingness to accede to the will of the state legislature  have caved in and will not seek an appeal of Judge Triana-Doyal ‘s decision last June that their reading of the law was diagnostic of their lack of 9th grade reading comprehension skills.

Judge Gisela Triana-Doyal of the 200th Judicial District Civil Court, on the other hand, had no problem reading the meaning of SB 2033, a bill written by Republican State Senator Jane Nelson (R – Flower Mound) in response to teacher complaints of district grading rules, requiring them not to assign a grade to a student of less than 50. She ruled that the language in the bill was unambiguous, as claimed by the eleven districts.

Texas AFT president Linda Bridges noted their lack of follow-through in this way.

“All Texas school districts should implement this law as intended, with no more unearned minimum grades but with reasonable opportunities for students to redo assignments or exams in order to earn a passing grade.”

Alief ISD Trustee Sarah Winkler noted that it would have cost her district another $15,000 to appeal the decision (assuming all of the other districts were in, I would imagine). Taxpayers, already irate over the handing out of undeserved grades, would have made their lives miserable, I imagine.

But cost aside, Clear Creek ISD was philosophical in their statement, saying that no matter what the outcome of an appeal, the 2011 legislature would simply do an end-around to any end-around that they could divine.

“‘While we fundamentally disagree with the judge's ruling, we're not appealing because any successful appeal would likely be readjusted during the legislative session,’ spokeswoman Elaina Polsen said.”

All fundamental disagreement aside, this is clearly a win for teachers. Teachers are not heartless souls – well mostly not. Most teachers weigh each and every case independently rather than apply a broad brush to students and their grades. Students who exhibit willingness or incentive to improve have a better chance of passing a class than ones who simply occupy space and use up the classroom’s air.

The outlawed policy was clearly created because districts have no faith in the professionalism of their teachers. SB 2033 corrected that attitude.

It’s too bad that economics and failed lawsuits have to bring sanity back to the school districts, but as they say, a win is a win.

Rick Perry is a . . .

Oh this is too funny.

The Back to Basics people who are behind lots of the Bill White for Governor internet effort have developed another attack on the Texas governor who refuses to talk to media editorial boards let alone participate in an open and honest debate on the issues that affect Texans.

They have a new website.

A new website simply entitled “Perry is a Coward.”

Go there. The first thing you see is Rick Perry standing in an opaque background.

A background as opaque as his campaign. As opaque as the lens that he allows Texas voters to examine his record by.

But don’t be fooled. Just scroll down to see the ad that Back to Basics is going to run in 24 Texas media outlets.

In thinking about this, I considered the utter brilliance of this tack. All you need is a few bucks to buy unique website names, all of them beginning with “Perry is a.” Then you fill in the blank.

All you really need is a thesaurus to make more.

Paid Political Hack to Direct Fort Bend County Coordinated Campaign

When do you become aware that a sleepy backwater suburban county Democratic Party apparatus has suddenly shaken awake? The answer is the moment when an all-volunteer effort hires a paid political hack to oversee its coordinated campaign. We all knew that this would happen once County Chair Steve Brown was elected and sworn into office, but it’s nice to see it when the change that is promised becomes the change that is delivered.

Today, in a news release, the Fort Bend County Democratic Party announced its new Executive Director.

Quoting from the release:

The Fort Bend County Democratic Party has named political campaign veteran Nick Hellyar as Executive Director of the party's Coordinated Campaign, party Chair Steve Brown announced.

Hellyar, who has managed and worked on campaigns for a variety of Fort Bend and Houston-area Democratic candidates, will be responsible for all aspects of the Blue Fort Bend in 2010 local candidate campaign.

"As Executive Director, I'll be responsible for turning out the Democratic vote in the upcoming November elections," Hellyar said."That means working to provide essential support, resources and training to promote our candidates and agenda. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be block-walking, phone-banking, registering voters and hosting a series of rallies aimed at informing and exciting Fort Bend’s Democratic base."

Said County Chair Steve Brown of Hellyar’s hiring:

"I think Nick's hiring further demonstrates how committed we are to turning out Democrats in upcoming elections. His background is a perfect mix of campaign experience along with a familiarity with Fort Bend County. Both of these attributes are essential to our overall success."

Hellyar will maintain an office at the county party’s coordinated campaign headquarters at 31 E. Highway 90A in Richmond (right next to Baytown Seafood). These are some digs that, curiously, lacks a leaky roof and water-stained ceiling tiles that have marked campaign headquarters of the past.

So first, no leaky roof and now a paid director. To say that things are looking up for a Democratic presence in Fort Bend County would be an understatement.

Israel, Palestine and Baraq O’Bamah

It was announced this past Friday that there would be renewed direct negotiations – or “talks” – between the Israeli government and Palestinian leaders.

From BBC:

“Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are to resume for the first time since they broke down over the conflict in Gaza more than a year and a half ago.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Israeli and Palestinian leaders had agreed to meet in Washington within days. She warned the parties not to be defeated by what she called ‘the enemies of peace’.”

This is a big coup for President Obama who had this very thing on his agenda since taking office last year. There are lots of people, though, who have serious doubts that any real progress is possible. Both sides seem intractable and have positions that are directly opposite to each other. Positions that are more about national and cultural pride and religion than anything else.

A recipe for failure if ever there was one.

And on top of all of that, there is that whole Antichrist thing going on in America. The Antichrist thing is being fanned by some truly triple Z Crazzzy Christian Evangelicals who think that Barack Obama, or really Baraq O’Bamah, is the Antichrist.

This little gem is from a viral You Tube video that attempts to translate His words into Aramaic. Hence when Jesus said “I saw Satan as lightening falling from the heights” the partial translation would be “I saw Satan as baraq o'bamah.”

Crazy, huh?

And how does all of this relate to Israel and Palestine? Well if you are to believe the trio that were interviewed at the Christians United for Israel conference that took place in DC in July 2007 the thing that Barack Obama’s administration has just committed to is seemingly the work of the Antichrist.

Endtimes, here we come.

These are all followers of Texas’ own Reverend John Hagee. These are Hagee’s own thoughts, thoughts that he has written in his book.

So what does Hagee think about this whole notion that Barack Obama is the Antichrist?

Whew. Another bullet dodged.