State and local politics are dominating the week. The Legislature convenes, the Houston City Council debates ethics, the new Commissioners Court convened and Tom Delay was sentenced to 3 years in prison. What more could a political junkie want? It’s just so overwhelming, I can’t decide which topic to focus on or write about. Thus, […]
Continue reading →Welcome to Austin and the 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature. You are embarking on a great adventure. You will ride waves of joy and of deep sadness. You will experience concepts and ideas that you never knew before. And, you are part of a privileged team, entrusted by the voters of Texas, to address […]
Continue reading →2011 is a City of Houston election year and the pundits are all abuzz. Will Mayor Parker have an opponent? Where will the new Council Districts be and who will seek those seats? What about the term-limited seats? People are lining up for those too. Fundraising for the 2011 elections officially begins on February 1. […]
Continue reading →On Saturday, a Member of Congress took to a neighborhood grocery store to visit with her constituents. Unfortnately, this simple exercise in democracy brought death and damage to the Member of Congress, her staff, a Federal Judge and other innocent people. In the world of governing, when any one person is injured, partisanship quickly fades […]
Continue reading →We can thank organized labor for the concept of the weekend in America. Dating back to the early 1900’s, labor began pushing for 5 day work weeks. By 1940, the concept had penetrated the workforce and Americans now consider it a right to have the weekend off from work. Yet, technology has changed this. When […]
Continue reading →The Texas Legislature convenes next week. Better fasten your seat belts for this wild ride. Republicans have complete control of the House and the Senate as well as all State officeholders. Democrats can sit on the side line and watch the fun. Of course, most of them will be fighting for programs as draconian budget […]
Continue reading →As I mentioned, this Blog is not just about politics but about my life. And in my life, I care for my Dad who is not in the best of health. Through this caregiving process, I spend countless hours at the VA Hospital in Houston – our country’s own version of “socialized” medicine. We clearly […]
Continue reading →The 112th Session of the U.S. Congress convenes today. Republicans dominate the House while Democrats control the Senate (without a 2/3 majority). The rhetoric is in high-gear as the partisan split becomes a dominant topic of the day. Republicans are more conservative this year with the election of a number of Tea Party affiliates. The […]
Continue reading →I read this article from the Business Insider with great interest yesterday. If you know me, then you know that I have a strong relationship with Ireland. For this reason, I took this article with a serious grain of salt. At the same time, I found it interesting that business media is seriously viewing our […]
Continue reading →The Houston Chronicle has an article about potential expansion of the Board of Directors of Metro due to population changes. This is another discussion related to redistricting. Population changes brought about by the 2010 Census will affect so much of our governing structures that we are only beginning to grasp the magnitude of change. If […]
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