Letters from our Readers - June 2005

Smoking ban article wrong 
I enjoy reading your paper and agree with a lot of the articles, but you are dead wrong on this one. You only gave one side--the side of smokers (obviously smokers wrote this). You asked why we don't ban skydiving, bacon, auto racing, and running with scissors. The comparison is ludicrous and misleading. It's very clear that if you do these four activities, it is your choice and you only hurt yourself--not someone who did not choose to participate in these activities. When non-smokers are in a closed area with smokers, we have no choice but to inhale the smoke that the smoker has swallowed (into their sometimes diseased and dirty airways) and blows out on us. It goes into our bodies and we can't stop it and have no choice. You talk about choices! Incidentally, it can give us cancer and other fatal diseases (emphysema, etc.) and we have no choice over this. The smoker chooses for us and we die or become very ill because of YOUR choice. There are also numerous people with allergies to cigarette smoke, who get minor illnesses (allergies, infections, etc etc etc) and can't function. I don't believe the ones who wrote this article are ignorant of all this research on how smoking affects those who don't smoke. I am surprised that you would print an article with information that you know is inaccurate. Your rights stop with your physical body and my rights begin with my physical body. If your breath and smoke enter my body, I should have a choice in the matter! It's just as easy for the smoker to go outside and blow as it is for the non-smoker to have to stay away from some establishments who allow the nasty habit which affects EVERYONE in the room.
Betty Killbuck 

CEO Pay 
Thank you for your courage to put out this article on CEO pay. Every word, every perspective, every editorial helps get the word out about how the upper management at most big companies are taking advantage of the working men and women who work to help make a company competitive and profitable. As your article points out, even when the company performs poorly, the CEO is STILL overpaid. If the average employee did not perform well, he or she would be fired or " let go". I can promise you that the CEO's of these companies that are cutting payments to their employees pension and retirement funds, these people will be retiring in grand style. 
Thank you again. 
Steve Niswonger 

Card Sharks 
I am amazed that I keep reading these stories about the way the credit card companies are screwing the public. Here is a website that EVERYONE who is thinking about getting a credit card or a mortgage or has one or both with certain companies should check out...they are all unscripted opinions and events from actual people that are being systematically screwed. uspeakout.com for credit cards and mortgages, try the products and services page. If you are having a problem with the post office, the government and politics section will at best piss you off, at worst make you laugh. This is a very informative spot on the net that gives the public a place to voice their opinions, concerns, stories, praises and compliments. 
Some of the information here may prompt you to check your past bank and credit card statements and lead you to battle with these companies to get back money you may not have even realized they took from you, like homeworks plus...Dell...CitiCorp...you get the picture. The information here should be enough to start an inquiry into certain companies questionable business tactics. 
Heather 
Cleaveland, TX

8 Liners 
I feel the only way the legalization of VLT's would not contribute to some sort of corruption in society would be if the gaming halls had certain standards that each one had to follow, such as a set payout percentage. That percentage being high enough that some of that money went back into the pockets of the patrons, and probably spent in other area business's boosting the economy. And, making each employee of these game rooms be licensed by the state with background checks, so the 'shady' people are weeded out and have a penalty of some sort for any illegal activity by an employee and the owners to help keep it honest. Have a certain number of game rooms that can operate per county and make them stay outside city limits. Maybe even make there be a dress code or something along that line so any low life cant just wonder in off the street. I know of one of these places around town that is open 24/7 and some of the people that hang out there are just plain scary. My point is this...if you make it certain stipulations that the owners have to follow, and set the rules for the patrons as well, they wont be quite as likely to breed corruption. 
Tanya

What is Kay Smoking??? 
I was simply amazed to read in the Villager "Guest Column" of May 19 that our US Senator , Kay Bailey Hutchison, pronounced the huge Bush tax cuts to the rich not only a success, but such a success that she crowed loudly, "Told you so". 
Well, where to begin? Let's start with the Bush budget deficit. It is now well over 500 billion dollars and counting. Hutchinson and the Bush crew have taken the Clinton surpluses and in a few short years made the budget deficits of Ronnie Reagan and his daddy, Poppy Bush, look like chump change! 
My Republican friends have told me for years that our government should balance its check book as average Americans do. Never spend more than you have was the consistent refrain of bedrock Republicans. Good advice. Too bad Republican politicians such as Ms. Hutchinson don't take it! They'd much rather talk the talk and then give a free lunch to their political friends (You got it; rich ones!). 
Next, all of these Bush tax cuts are suppose to stimulate the economy and produce good paying jobs and prosperity for all in our "ownership" society. Well, that did happen under JFK's leadership due to the fact that his fiscal policy included a minimum wage that helped the lowest wage earners (Minimum wage has not increased in 10 years, yet Ms. Hutchinson and the Republican Congress has given themselves five (5) separate pay increases during the same period, to the tune of $28,000 dollars each! And these are representatives of the "moral values" party!!??!!) and fair and equitable tax cuts that helped the middle class, not just the rich among us! 
Our present economy languishes in the doldrums. The Bush tax cuts have done nothing to assist in this regard in spite of Ms. Hutchinson's "blue smoke and mirrors" puff piece. 
Lastly, since federal revenue has not trickled down to the states as a result of federal short falls in tax collection, most states, ours included, are struggling with providing adequate health, education and general services (Fire, police, etc.) to its citizens. 
Senator Hutchinson is not only looking at our economy through rose colored glasses, she, frankly, appears to be delusional! Whatever she is smoking or drinking, I hope she passes it on to us. We will need it to numb the pain of her party's fiscal irresponsibility. 
Jim Farrell 
Oak Ridge North

Smoking Bad Times 
Your article indicates you are a smoker. I am not nor have I ever smoked. I am 66 years old and until 1990 I was forced to work in offices where smoking was allowed. 
In the 1980's I had a physical and a nurse looking at my xrays could not believe I had never smoked. My lungs were those of a smoker. A few years later another xray revealed I had a quarter lesion on my lungs. The same as John Wayne when he discovered he had lung cancer. 
The doctor said he was going to prescribe a strong anti-biotic and if the lesion grew smaller or disappeared it was not cancer BUT if it was cancer the lesion would stay the same size or grow. The antibiotic made me so sick I had to have it changed twice before finding one my body could take. 
I was fortunate, it was not cancer. You blame left leaning liberals for banning smoking. You say they are selfish and self righteous. This is not a liberal or conservative issue, it is a health issue. Most of the people I know who are against smoking are ex-smokers who are far right conservatives. 
Selfish? Before smoke free offices I endured smoke blowing into my face and had to inhale second hand smoke, yet the smokers would get terribly upset if you asked them not to smoke next to you. They would place their ash trays so the smoke would not rise into their face but into mine. The only hope you had was to have a sympathetic supervisor to let you move. 
No, there is no one more selfish than a smoker. I do not care if as person wants to commit suicide by smoking, that is his business. However, he has no right to murder me or others. 
You call that self-righteous, I call it survival. I do not choose to get lung cancer or emphysema by inhaling some one else's smoke. 
Many young people have to work at whatever job they can get, they are unaware of the danger of second hand smoke and at their age consider themselves too healthy to get sick. 
However, extended exposure to second hand smoke will make them ill. 
Every worker deserves a healthy workplace. Only government can assure them that right. 
So smoke all you want in your home, just do not force it on others with little or no choice. I do not care if you want to commit suicide by smoking or any other drug in the privacy of your home but you have no right to make others sick. 
Talk about self righteous, the smokers who drink are the same ones who insist marijuana should be illegal even for medical purposes. I do not use marijuana, smoke or drink so I could care less if the bars are smoke free or not. I do believe the people have the right, through their elected representatives, to pass laws against dangerous practices that create unhealthy public places. However, I believe a person should be able to do as he pleases in the privacy of his own home, especially if his doctor feels marijuana could be beneficial. 
I am not self righteous, I believe a person should be able to do any thing he wishes, as long as he does not harm someone else. 
Bill Talley 
Houston, TX 
P.S. Thanks for a very interesting paper. I have just discovered you. I live in Houston but drive miles to get a copy each weekend. I have even advertized in your paper. 
Keep up the good work. I may not always agree with you but appreciate your independent voice.

Are They Sorry or Not Sorry?
In a completely backwards effort to appease the wounded and families of the dead, BP issued an apology and blamed the March 2005 Texas City refinery explosion on failure to follow safety guidelines and absence of supervision. Now, about a week later, BP is saying that they spoke in error when they said they were sorry. According to the Houston Chronicle (May 25, 2005) BP spokesman Hugh Deplan said, "We simply used the wrong language to describe the report's findings," he said, "Our fault." And then he continued to say that they have yet to identify what really caused the explosion.
15 people are dead and over 170 others were injured in this explosion at their refinery in Texas City. Initially BP cited failure to follow procedures and failure of supervision as the cause of this tragedy. Then they fired some of their operators and supervisors, but now it seems they were incorrect and are pointing fingers at lower and middle level workers.
With an apology as convoluted as this one can only wonder if BP has any sort of operational plan, safety procedure or anything solid in place. Apparently at this point they do not have a crisis public relations plan in which they would know how to handle the public after a horrible explosion such as this.
It seems that the inexcusable truth is that BP is not prepared for much of anything.
Jim S. Adler
USA Legal Help Center

Review of Cinderella Man 
Interesting comments. 
But may I point out a couple of things? 
Firstly, the title of the movie is taken from the actual nickname given to Braddock by the press at the time. I think it was the writer Runyon who first coined the phrase. 
Second....contrary to what you say....Russell Crowe did NOT win an Oscar for his role in A Beautiful Mind. (And I agree with you, the whole thing, Crowe included was overblown.) He in fact won the oscar for his (still critically underrated) delicately nuanced performance as Maximus in Gladiator. 
In light of the rather abysmal subsequent attempts of the likes of Pitt and Farrell to pull off the same kind of role, I think the actual achievement says more than anything about his talent (holding together a huge epic and not becoming part of the wallpaper, fleshing out a 2 dimensional character so that audiences came to care, speaking lines of over-blown archaic diialogue in a way that had us believing not giggling, creating an Iconic movie character etc etc).
Janet Mozelewski 

US gains nothing unless Iraq adopts freedom of religion
What does the US gain if Iraq establishes a government with Islam as the official state religion? This would mean that atrocities could continue indefinitely in Iraq, sanctioned by the state, for it is the creation of Islam as a state religion that is the cause of conflict in the region.
As soon as the new government of Iraq makes it official that Islam is the state religion, then freedom of religion flies out the window! This means Iraq's can continue to cry fowl when someone desecrates the Koran, and praise Allah when they burn the Holy Bible!
In the United States we cherish freedom of religion. Ironically this means people cannot be thrown in jail for desecration of either the Holy Bible or the Koran. Yet if Islam is made the state religion in Iraq as it is in other Muslim nations, then Christians and Jews may be locked up or even executed for speaking out against Islam.
Should the United States continue to aid the people of Iraq if the state of Iraq does not adopt freedom of religion in its constitution? I think not! The US should get out of Iraq and make it clear that we will do exactly that unless Iraq adopts freedom of religion in its new constitution.
American soldiers and those of our allies are fighting and dying in Iraq. Over 1,657 American forces have already been killed in Iraq, many by terrorists. What are we fighting for if not to make the people of Iraq free? How are they free if there is no freedom of religion in Iraq?
Although the majority of people in Iraq are of the Islamic faith, there are Christians in Iraq. How can we justify the deaths of a single American soldier in Iraq if we leave those Christians held prisoners to a state which sets itself up with Islam as the official government religion?
This represents a grave error of how the Bush administration has conducted affairs in Iraq. The US should have demanded that freedom of religion be a requirement of any new government; that US aid would not be given to any new government that does not embrace freedom of religion in its constitution.
It is not right that a single US soldier should die, being told the lie that they are dying to make the people of Iraq free, only to have the new government of Iraq adopt Islam as the official state religion. Certainly the War on Terrorism justifies any action to take the conflict to the front door of the terrorist, but in this war the US must also stand up for those values which have made our nation great. Freedom of religion is one such value we must never let be swept under the carpet or cloaked behind the black veil of Islamic prejudice and hatred toward people of other faiths.
Terry Lynch
Montgomery, AL

Smoking Ban Article 
I just have read your article on banning smoking and had the displeasure of reading letters that was sent to you. Yes smoking is bad and unhealthy but when did this become a newsflash? how long have you been living under that rock? yes, we all know it is unhealthy. But please dont assume that the ban on smoking at the state levels is an indication that the federal goverment will ban smoking, this is something that will never happen. What I am worried about that no one else seems to be is the increasing loss of personal freedoms and liberties without any say in the matter. Some people such as non-smokers they are all to eager to see smoking bans, but are they so ignorant not to see that is just another freedom that is lost, do they really think more and more freedoms will not be taken away? The goverment for years have attempted to take away several of our freedoms to test the waters, and they see we do nothing about it, so do you think a smoking ban is where they will stop? 
What is so ironic is the people that wrote letters about protecting the health of the patrons and employee's to these establishments. They drive there cars and suv's that spew out killer toxins which is far more fatal to the entire world then the smokers they are complaining about. You dont see a ban on the number of automobiles someone can have, additives being placed in foods that have been proven to cause cancer and many other illeness. Destruction of the ozone layer caused by aerosol cans, carbon monoxide caused by automobiles, poisons being pumped into the land that destroys our water systems and creates serious illness and deasese for future generations. If you want to stand on a pedistal and shout you are doing something to protect society from dangers of smoking, be prepared to stay up there and shout about many other ailments of society. If you wish to run a crusade fine, but stop this ranting how you are concerned with the wellbeing of the people. This actually should fall under the grandfather law, which basically says that the way things was previously being ran is allowed to remain doing business as they have always done business and if want to now change it, it can only be changed for future establishments of the new law, all pre-exsisting establishments are protected under the grandfather law. 
So yes the article is 100% correct, it is selfish, self rightious people that seek to protect people by not allowing them to make there own choices. And you can sit there with your age old argument how the non smokers dont have a choice in being infected by 2nd hand smoke. So you have the right to demand for a ban on smoking. But lets take this one step further. There is many of us iffected by other things, our children didnt ask to be at risk of skin cancer by you driving your cars, or using hair spray, or global warming. A good example is the Amish community they dont used automobiles, they have no say over you spewing toxins that they are forced to breath in, does your crusade to protect people cover them or is your crusade a selective crusade? If its something you need, want or use its ok and if it harms someone that is just the price of progress and we only want to ban things that we dont use, need or want? That is how we can say this is a selfish, self rightous ban!!! 
On a final note you can look foward to your state passing a smoking ban, but do you really think they will ever place a federal ban? Can you fathom the revenue provided by smokers, the programs that are funded by the taxes that smokers generate. Look at your taxes right now and multiply that by 10 and you will not even be close to how high they would need to raise your taxes to compensate the loss of tax revenue generated by the smokers. What product or service could you think of where they could come up with the loss of tax dollars? Guess what there is none, we are so far in debt do you really think they can afford the loss of the smokers tax revenue? and the answer is a huge booming NO! 
Shawn 

Serving Corporations as Treason 
What is the essence of America? How does one describe the typical American? 
Americans come in many forms. America is much more than a specific geographic area. We were still America and American when the nation had only 13 states stretching along the Eastern seaboard. We are many races. We hold many different political views. We engage in many types of economic activities to earn a living. We have many religions. We come from ancestors arriving from all over the world. We are rural, suburban and urban dwellers. America and American are bonded together by a set of ideas that I call the great American experiment. 
The basic ideas of the great American experiment come from our Founding Fathers. They have been added to by the Jacksonian expansion of American Democracy, by the end of slavery, by granting women the right to vote, by the New Deal and by the civil rights movement. Collectively, these ideas are America and define being American. America is a nation ruled by the people of America with a government organized to serve the needs of those citizens. Anything that serves to further that goal is good and patriotic. Anything that seriously threatens that goal is potentially treasonous. 
American law recognizes corporations as being citizens in many ways. Our Founding Fathers would have been appalled at this legal status for corporations. 
Essentially, corporations are merely collections of money organized with the sole purpose of making more money. They are entities that are almost always un-democratic in structure and increasingly international in character. They are seldom patriotic. Good patriotic corporations would not be sending the economic strength of our nation aboard and destroying our manufacturing base just to increase short-term profits! 
Huge international corporations are increasingly dominating our politics and government. They largely control our media. This corporate media control is the result of changes in law and government regulation resulting from corporate political influence. It is time to reverse these political decisions and break-up media concentrations by government action. Media concentration gives corporations excessive control of America politics and threatens or American Democracy! 
Excessive corporate political power has created changes in law and government that favors an ever-growing concentration of wealth into fewer and fewer hands. Often these hands are not even those of American citizens. Foreign 
wealth has gained a foothold in American politics by using large international corporations to influence our politics. This influence is not good for the American nation. It threatens our standard of living, our economic health and our long-term national security. 
The Republican Party in this writer’s opinion is more than 95% under large corporate control. The Bush Republicans seem little more than Corporate Power in American politics. Every aspect of their agenda seems blatantly designed to promote corporate interests over those of the average citizen. The Democratic Party seems to be about 50% under corporate control. Democrats are battling for control of their Party with the outcome uncertain. Democrats are fighting for the political soul of their Party. The Republicans have already lost that battle. 
Republicans wishing to curb runaway Corporate Power in American politics should become Democrats and help win the battle. In our current Two Party System, we need at least one Party to fight for the interests of American citizens 
over those of international Big Money. Our only chance is the Democratic Party. 
Stephen Crockett
Co-Host, Democratic Talk Radio 

Smokey Joe
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex), alias “Smokey Joe”, again shows his true colors and lack of respect for the men and women that fly our colors (our troops). Barton typically votes with and supports corporate needs and wants rather than for the needs and protection of the individual. Last weeks, “HOW THEY VOTED” shows that Barton voted not to qualify active National Guard and Reserve personnel for TRICARE, the main military health plan; against the requirement for plan to pull our troops out of Iraq; and against Veterans' medical care for our returning troops.
Great timing! Apparently Barton has forgotten the purpose of Memorial Day.
Funny, he never forgets to support the tobacco industry.
Leonard Jensen
Fort Worth, Texas 

Demanding a Downing Explanation
The Downing Street Memo demands an explanation. According to a secret memo released in England last month, Bush had secret plans to invade Iraq as early as July 2002, "fixing" the intelligence to justify the invasion.
Bush lied to us for a year before the invasion. Remember the mobile biological labs, aerial spray attack planes held together with duct tape? Rice even invoked 
the mushroom cloud to scare us sufficiently
to support this mess we're in. Blair claimed
chemicals weapons within 45 minutes.
Whether you are a conservative or a liberal or anyplace in between, aren't we entitled to some answers? This has cost thousands of lives and unimaginable pain with no end in sight.
Call your congressman.
Dan Lavielle
Seattle, Washington 

Where was the support?
As a fourth-grade teacher and an elected officer of the state's largest educator association, I am very concerned about the current support (or lack thereof) for public education.
The problem is that we have just experienced 140 days of lackluster performance by the state Legislature, and for the most part, the leaders showed little evidence of their desire to improve education or support our state's teachers. From their attempts to create incentive-based pay for teachers that tied student performance to standardized testing and their strong consideration to school privatization, key members of the Legislature revealed their true lack of commitment to bolstering our public education system.
This shouldn't be a surprise to most Texas citizens. According to the Scripps Howard Texas Poll from the spring of this year, 53 percent of Texans lacked confidence that the Legislature could handle the job of addressing school finance. Unfortunately for our schoolchildren, these Texans were right.
Another poll by Scripps Howard completed prior to the start of the session illustrated that 76 percent of Texans believed the state should provide more funding to public schools. This means lawmakers had an obligation as well as the backing to make a strong statement on behalf of our schools, but they failed to do so. There were some noble efforts made, and even some bills that we at Association of Texas Professional Educators supported, but the leadership, particularly in the House, could not reach a compromise.
I've heard too many educators mention that the myriad rules and student tests have significantly hindered their ability to focus on teaching. I'm an experienced. I'm good at what I do and believe my students benefit from my years in the classroom. Yet, I know what those educators are talking about when they say that so much of their job duties are out of their control.
The problems are due in large part to a small ideological minority controlling the lower chamber. Our frustration with that fact is obvious, as is the disappointment felt from broken promises. Once again, the Legislature failed to keep its collective word. They didn't restore healthcare dollars. They didn't come through to provide teachers with pay raises that meet the national average. They increased the amount that active teachers pay into the retirement system but didn't allocate a cost-of-living increase for retired teachers.
This is what lack of support looks and feels like. As an educator, I don't have confidence that a special session of the Legislature will provide additional opportunity for garnering support for our teachers and students. And it's no wonder Texas teachers find the profession less appealing than it should be. Our teachers deserve better, and so do our children. 
Melodye Pinson
ATPE State President 

Med Mari 
The recent Supreme Court decision concerning medical marijuana comports
nicely with the Bush policy denying stem cell research. Both are cruel and backward.
I have a friend who suffers wasting syndrome and epilepsy from a brain aneurysm in August of 1991. Her insurance company spent $80,000 on two hospital stays to regain strength and weight through tube feeding. Since beginning medical marijuana she has gained weight, strength and has avoided the hospital.
Stem cell research holds such hope for many in our population, especially as we age. I'm puzzled the insurance companies don't insist on both medical marijuana and stem cell research.
Maybe Bush and his uncious group went to the same business school as our insurance
executives.
Write or call your representative and ask them where they stand on these two compassion issues.
Jim Kane'ala
Seattle, Washington 

Nixon's Revenge 
I was reading this weeks BULLPEN column in the local Bulletin, Nixon's Revenge. Exceptionally good article with important info in the last few paragraphs (damned shame that wasn't put in front of voters before the first and/or last Bush election). I'd like to share the Bulletin web address for that article with some people, but discovered the article is not in your online site. 
Are you going to put it on your site? 
Online Reader

Perry’s an Embarrassment
As a child of the military and an American, I am embarrassed to be a resident of Texas today. Governor Rick Perry's recent suggestion that gay veterans should leave the state of Texas is some of the most hateful and inappropriate rhetoric I have ever heard from a Texas politician. He should apologize and resign from office.
There are over 66,000 gay and lesbian veterans living in Texas, according to Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. These people protect and defend our nation with integrity and honor, despite a growing a lack of human rights in the state of Texas. These veterans deserve our respect and gratitude, not a callous suggestion to leave their homes.
Texas is better off with diversity, not bigotry. Close mindedness and hate are not values that represent the majority of Texans.
Governor Rick Perry is an affront to human dignity and should not be allowed 
to remain in office.
Ken Seifert
Conroe, TX

Perry and Dewhurst Have Broken Faith with the Elderly 
The Governor and legislature have broken faith with the elderly Texans this session. The nursing home industry came to the legislature with a partial solution to the terrible funding problem by proposing a quality assurance fee that would have had the effect of increasing funding without costing either the State of Texas or any consumer a dime. In a last minute dirty deed Governor Perry and Lt Governor Dewhurst conspired to kill that funding proposal. And a cowardly legislature allowed them to get away with it. How is it that a win/win solution is bad policy. Come on Governor Perry… Come on Lt. Governor Dewhurst… use your heads. This is good for everyone.
If you are watching the news all you are seeing is the disappointment regarding school finance and property taxes. But the citizens of Texas need to know that a disaster looms just ahead for Texas most frail seniors. By the time we see another legislative session to have an opportunity to fix this, we will have gone six years without an increase. In fact, we took a 1.75% decrease in 2003. The nursing home industry has worked diligently with the legislature and the governor’s office. Now they need to step up to the plate. I am asking your readers to urge their elected representatives to do their job and protect our elders.
Bill Jacobson
Arlington, Tx 

My First Dance
Around 1960, I went to my first dancehall. It was in Seguin, Texas; it featured Roy Head and the Traits and Jimmy Bazar/Big Foot Wallace and the Moods. It was billed a battle dance. This was an unforgettable moment of my life. These groups played to 1,000 to 1,500 patrons that came from Yoakum, Shiner, Hallettsville, Gonzales, Luling, etc. 
These moments left very significant roots to my life. I still continue to find a weekend dance to go to with my wife of 37 years. She said one of the key factors in her decision to marry me was that I loved to dance.
One of these days I want to write an article on " 30 miles from Smalltown , Texas" were I could relive the weekend dances.
Enjoyed your article; and still remember Roy doing the splits.
Bill Peterek

Michael Jackson
It's upsetting reading articles like yours regarding Jackson. It seems no matter what this person does, he will be hounded by the media for eternity - even when he is cleared of all charges. I don't neccessarily blame you, but you should try and be more open minded and read into the facts. 
If you knew the whole facts of the case, you would not have come to the conclusions you did in that piece. 
It's weak and sensationalist journalism.
Peter Papas

(Editor’s Note: It's not journalism, it's an opinion.)

It's All About The Money! 
THE UNITED STATES is a PROSTITUTE for MONEY! 
No way should this Creep get away with molesting children all because he has MONEY to Buy his demonized addiction! 
What has the LEGAL SYSTEM Reduced itself too ?
What has HUMANITY Reduced itself to? 
If this was YOUR CHILD.......How would you feel? 
JUDGES.....D.A.'s, COURTS, ATTORNEYS, what.....if this was YOUR CHILD or GRANDCHILD? 
People should RISE UP like the OLD DAYS and Take it into their own hands! 
If People like this were HANGED ......on the COUNTY SQUARE and it was TELEVISED........We might have less Crime! 
I am.
Laresa Turnbow 
Daughter of a Minister 

Decisionmaking --- Legislators versus Citizens
Legislators have more time and interest for lawmaking than Citizens. How is it then -- that the decisions of Ordinary Citizens make 
more sense than those of Legislators?
It is because Citizens have major advantages over legislators that keep them more closely connected to common sense. 
1) Legislators live in a world where they get to spend tens of billions of dollars each year of other people's money --- money that they never have to pay back. 
This is enormous ego gratifying power. Citizens live in a world where the money they spend is their own.
2) Legislators pass every issue through a test "how does it affect my next election?" 
Most Citizens need only weigh "is this a good idea or a bad idea?”
3) Legislators are impacted each session by $200 million (over a million dollars per legislator) of special interest influence. 
4) Legislators vote on thousands of bills each session (only a few of which are important to them). 
They actually pass 1,300 - 1,700 new laws each session. 
Citizens limit themselves to the issues of importance and interest to them. 
5) Texas Legislators vote during 140 frenzied days of session where the wording of each bill is frequently changing. Citizens decide unhurriedly over time. 
All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. There is only one way to make sure big issues are decided by Citizens. 
That way is Initiative and Referendum (I & R). Texans do not have I & R rights. We need them. 
Learn how to get I & R --- www.InitiativeForTexas.org  
Mike Ford
Austin, Texas

Democratic Litmus Test 
Social Security's financial insolvency needs to be fixed. No one doubts that 
However, Private Accounts in any shape or form can not be allowed. And … that means even if they are wrapped up pretty in a box of pork with a bow on top. 
Make no mistake. Killing Private Accounts is a Democratic Litmus test. Any Democrat who falls for this Republican maneuver will be held accountable. 
Now is not the time to cut some ridiculous short-term deal. Now is the time to continue to hold ideological loyalty. Solidarity has power. It is the only power that has stunted the Republicans' mad rush to dismantle the New Deal. We shall overcome is the theme song of today. 
And we will overcome too. Americans are beginning to see that the Republican Party has been taken over by extremists. Their support is waning as people begin to understand that these guys don't have the same priorities as the rest of us do. 
So … Thomas, go ahead and craft a bill with all of your Republican cronies. Go ahead and bake a pie with Private Accounts buried in the middle. Know that Democrats will not fall for it. Know that it is actually the Republican Party that will face a backlash at this tactic.
Angie Pratt
http://www.politicalposts.com 

Balancing Needed Roads, Public Safety and Property Rights
This year, the Texas Legislature successfully addressed two emotional and sometimes controversial issues - the Trans-Texas Corridor and toll roads. Thanks to House Bill 2702, just signed into law, Texas has stronger protections for private property and water rights, local tax revenue and road access, and business development opportunities along the Trans-Texas Corridor. 
The Legislature listened to all sides, including the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers and other agricultural groups and addressed concerns about the new Trans-Texas Corridor road project. We protected the rights of local citizens against converting existing roads into toll roads. For urban and suburban drivers, we insured toll revenues will be spent in the area where they are created. And we created a blueprint for improving railroad safety and efficiency. 
The Trans-Texas Corridor allows needed roads to be completed and opened years sooner, without massive new state spending or higher gasoline taxes for consumers. 
In previous generations, the farm-to-market road and federal interstate highway systems both sparked stiff and emotional opposition. Today, the Trans-Texas Corridor is generating significant controversy, some justified, some not. HB 2702 addresses the criticism, especially issues of concern to rural Texas. 
Legislators protected local tax rolls, safety regulations, and access and development rights. HB 2702 requires private Trans-Texas Corridor operators of commercial facilities to pay local property taxes and abide by local zoning and building regulations. Private contractors may not develop commercial businesses, such as hotels or restaurants, in the Corridor right-of-way. Local landowners do have the specific right to develop property and businesses adjacent to the Corridor and within the Corridor in cases where developmental rights have been retained.
Easy access on and off the Trans-Texas Corridor is important to local communities. Texas law now requires each segment of the Trans-Texas Corridor to provide ready on and off ramps for federal and state highways and consideration of access to major farm-to-market, county and local roads where feasible and with the input of local officials. 
The final Corridor route has not been determined. But for private property owners along the eventual route, the state will be required to pay the fair market value for acquired property and any damaged property. Property owners can choose to sell their property outright, or receive royalty payments from revenues attributable to a segment of a toll project. This innovative solution treats land along the Corridor like oil and gas lands, allowing property owners to receive ongoing royalty payments for the use of their land. 
State officials will remain accountable and in-charge of toll rates and collections. We mandated that the State of Texas, not private operators, oversee toll rates, plans for collection, penalties and any changes to rates and policies. 
HB 2702 helps end the controversy over converting existing non-tolled roads into toll roads. State law now prohibits converting existing roadways to toll roads unless local county commissioners and voters approve. The construction of additional tolled lanes along existing roadways is allowed, so long as motorists have access to the same or greater number of non-tolled lanes after a project is completed.
We strengthened the environmental review process for the Trans-Texas Corridor, and ensured that federal and state governments maintain complete environmental oversight. Once federal environmental approval is granted, TxDOT must post the final Environmental Impact Statement on its website, and provide notice to each state legislator and county commissioner representing an impacted area.
The protection of water rights and water quality is always a priority in Texas. Any Trans-Texas Corridor proposal involving the transport of groundwater must provide written notice to local county commissioners and water districts. Pumping groundwater from the Corridor right-of-way for private purposes is strictly prohibited. 
HB 2702 also responds to the rash of railroad accidents in Texas, and the need for improving freight rail systems in Texas. TxDOT now has the authority to acquire, finance, construct, maintain and operate freight or passenger rail and administer most federal rail dollars coming into Texas. This move allows rail relocations and safety improvements to be planned and implemented by a single state agency. 
The one thing everyone can agree on is that Texas needs new roads and transportation solutions. Twenty-two million people live here now, and another 13 million are expected by 2040. The number of vehicles traveling our roads is up 61 percent since 1980 and growing. 
New roads and toll roads have always been controversial. HB 2702 shows that reasonable rural, urban and suburban citizens can work together to protect local and private property rights and get needed transportation infrastructure built years sooner. Better transportation is on the way, and that’s good news for public safety, commuter convenience and economic opportunity in every region of our state. 
Senator Todd Staples, 
R-Palestine

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