"Here here" Texas My State

The author of the blog Texas My State posted on April 30, 2010 a commentary entitled "Taxpayers money going to an unworthy cause." Anyone who is anti-Perry or leaning against the Governor's reelection would enjoy this posting as well as be able to "here here!" the overall tone and statements. I happen to be one of those who would agree with the overall feeling of the post. Our politicians are elected by the people to be leaders for our state and our nation. As the highest ranking public official in the State, Rick Perry should be leading by example not rolling in the benefits. It may not be as devastatingly apparent in our state, but, this country is going through a huge economic melt down. We're trying to recover as best we can but all around, everyone is cutting back and trying to salvage their lives and families. It pains me to see that something as easy as leading by example, a moral value that most are taught in their wonder and formative years, is difficult for one of the most powerful figures in our state.

In my opinion, Governor Perry has proved more than once that his interests are not in the State of Texas but in his personal ventures and future. It's not a crime to look out for yourself but when you step into politics, you are stepping into the role of a public servant and to me, it looks like he can afford to hire "the help" with the life he is living. Personally, I'm ready for change. Time will tell if Texas, as a whole, is ready; but, I would like to see someone else try the governorship on for size. I'll have my say later this year and I hope, if anything, my classmates and the people in my life, will take initiative and put their two cents in my voting. I'll take a moment to say that this class has reintroduced me to my civic and personal duty to make my voice heard. I intend to explain the importance of trying to make a difference and getting involved, as best I can, to my loved ones, past, present and future. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion (even if I didn't want to), and I wish everyone luck in their future endeavors. Let's make a difference Texas, I know we can.

Low Teachers Pay: No End In Sight?

The question of whether or not our teachers get paid enough has been an ongoing issue. I remember first encountering this issue in 1995 as a freshman in high school. (Even in writing that stings a little.) The teachers in our district were in negotiations with the district and threatening to strike. Though that is not the case here in Austin at this time, it is not an unfamiliar tale for teachers across the nation.

Unfortunately, Texas is used to being ranked at the bottom of most nationwide polls on education. For being such a proud state, this was a surprise to me. A recent article in the Austin Chronicle, We’re 49^th! ... Or Just Seventh out of 10, takes a look at an internal state poll that ranks Austin Independent School District (AISD) at the bottom ranking 49^th out of the 50 top districts in Texas for basic teacher pay. With Austin being a major city in Texas, not to mention the capital, I expected more. AISD issued a statement arguing that the statistics were unfair and out of the top 10 districts in the state, AISD was ranked 7^th. In my opinion, that is bending numbers to make yourself look better in a nasty situation. The worth of a teacher is not measured by how many people are in the district. But, looking at the other districts in comparison, Northside in San Antonio has a starting salary at $47,000 with an average teacher salary at $51,976. Houston has a starting teachers salary at $44,987 with an average teacher salary at $52,912. Austin has the starting salary at $42,025 with an average teacher salary at $44,987. The numbers have spoken. Shouldn’t it mean something, to the districts, that we put elected officials (themselves included) in charge of making sure that the people teaching the future of our state and country are paid competitively?

The Austin Chronicle article also mentions that twenty years ago, firefighters and teachers in Austin earned similar salaries; and now the average firefighter earns $61,000 while the average teacher makes $45,000. Money is not everything but it is necessary to survive. It has become a common awareness and understanding that if you become a teacher, you will be underappreciated and underpaid. Most people would look for the best situation for themselves and/or their family. It is common for AISD to loose teachers to surrounding school districts because of better pay with similar benefits.

Teachers help students develop their skills, test their limits and encourage their growth. Teachers are a key factor. Education is a key factor. This should be a nonissue. Pay our teachers more because more likely than not, they helped you get where you are today.

A Look Into the "Obesity Craze"

I find myself agreeing with Nick’s blog post, Obesity Craze. I hope that all restaurants are required to post their menu item’s calories, but I would go a step further. I recently visited a friend in New York City. She was born and raised in Austin and, like most women, has struggled in the past with dieting. She’s currently a personal trainer who is very heath conscious about what she eats. In 2005, the New York City Board of Health passed a law requiring some restaurants to post calorie counts. It was met, as most ideas of change, with some resistance. Some restaurants didn’t want to post and found loopholes around it. Also, some consumers were unappreciative and didn’t want to see or know how many calories they were consuming. Well, whether you want to see it or not, we as a society have a responsibility to ourselves, our children, and even each other to take control and responsibility of a huge problem in this nation. With all of the negative consequences of not taking care of yourself, most importantly disease and death, there’s no excuse to fight this law. I support it wholly and am excited about the possibility of a positive change. I believe New York has added more nutritional facts to their menus as well, going beyond just listing calories so that consumers can keep track of sodium, carbs and fats consumed throughout the day.

At the end of his blog, Nick posed the question: why is the government addressing this issue now? The way I see it, Americans have been trying various kinds of diets for decades. Television shows like The Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution shine a light on what many of us strive for. Many people I’ve spoken to would like to be healthier, in general, to sustain longevity in life. As for the government involvement, requests from constituents who have been inspired by these shows, or something like it, could be a factor. Personally, when times get dark or tough for me, I like to focus on the things I can control. With our economy and the government in an unstable, reconstructive state, the time for change is now and it will be a positive addition to our state and our country.

I will end by quoting Nick’s ending statement “I think more cities and counties in Texas should jump on the healthy bandwagon and encourage their citizens to make a change in their lives.” Here here!

Run-Off Election: Montford vs Sage

The Travis County website states that Criminal District Courts "preside over felony cases and all misdemeanors involving official misconduct. Once a felony case is indicted by a grand jury, the case is assigned to one of the seven District Courts." The 299th Criminal District Court is one of these seven courts. The current judge of the 299th, the Honorable Charlie Baird, will not seek re-election at the end of his current term. Hours after this was announced, Assistant District Attorney Karen Sage decided to make it public that she wanted to be his successor. The following day Mindy Montford tentatively announced her candidacy.

Today, April 13, 2010, the polls close for the run-off election between Democratic candidates Karen Sage and Mindy Montford. Looking more closely into these candidates, both are experienced inside and outside of the courtroom. Graduating from the University of Minnesota in 1988 and the University of Minnesota Law School in 1991, Karen Sage is currently an Assistant District Attorney for Travis County. According to her website, Sage has "prosecuted hundreds of important and high-profile felony cases, with crimes ranging form sexual assault to manslaughter...murder cases...narcotics, human trafficking, insurance fraud, and securities fraud." She has also served as Counsel to the Mayor of Los Angeles, and, worked as a prosecutor in the United States Attorney's Office in New York before coming to Austin in the District Attorney's office in 2006. On the other side of the ballot, Mindy Montford graduated from the University of Texas where she interned for Governor Ann Richards and attended the University of Texas for law school. According to her website, Montford "has handled thousands of cases including robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, sexual assault, child abuse, family violence and murder" and "has tried over 100 jury trials." Montford started as a misdemeanor prosecutor in Harris County, worked as the General Counsel to a Democratic Sate Senator and then returned to prosecution as a Travis County Assistant District Attorney.

In my opinion, both candidates are extremely qualified and we would benefit from either holding the seat. It is difficult to pick one because one accomplishment does not outshine another. Both have achieved great things for the legal system and the State of Texas. Sage has been appointed to the Mental Health Court Docket and is the sole prosecutor handling those cases and is committed to decriminalizing mental illness. Montford also can be applauded for her work on the Travis County Child Protection Team where she has no doubt been exposed to some horrific things.

The Burnt Orange Report actually helps make my point about both candidates. They issued a dual-endorsement of both Karen Sage and Mindy Montford during the March primary. On April 5, 2010 Phillip Martin wrote an article entitled "Why I Support Karen Sage for the 299th District Court." I should mention that it had a disclaimer stating that this article was not an endorsement from the Burnt Orange Report. It was a very positive and flattering article about Karen Sage and her commitment to a life of public service. Then, on April 8, 2010, the Burnt Orange Report officially picked a side endorsing Mindy Montford as the best candidate to serve Travis County. In the end, even though I love the experience in various counties across the country, I must agree and place my vote with Mindy Montford.

A Rant Gone Sour

On March 31, 2010, UrbanGrounds covered the announcement of Kay Baily Hutchinson's press conference where it was expected she would announce her decision to stay in her Senate seat until 2012. Along with various other news media outlets, UrbanGrounds published a commentary titled Kay Baily Hutchinson (RINO-TX) to Admit to Her Big Fat Lie. The author, Robbie Cooper, started the blog UrbanGrounds in 2004. Mr. Cooper is a native Texan and self-proclaimed opinionated, conservative, Veteran, professional writer and biker living in "uber-Liberal Austin, Texas." He was a Combat Medic in the U.S. Army with a strong respect for the men and women serving our country today. Since then, Mr. Cooper obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Professional Writing, and has been working as "a technical writer in the software and Defense industry for the last 12 years."

The commentary starts off by grabbing the readers attention with a humorous fact that 2010 is "The year where stuff that everybody already knew is considered news." It also pushed me to read the rest of the blog in more of a dark and sarcastic tone. The title alone embraces the negative connotation. Mr. Cooper goes on to use quotes from the Austin American-Statesman's Liberal Government and Politics blogger, Jason Embry, to begin the source of his outrage. Coming from a conservative blogger, I would have expected more support for republicans in general. Instead, if you are against Kay Baily Hutchenson representing Texas in the Senate, along with any other republican considered to be a "RINO," you would probably enjoy this rant of a commentary.

Mr. Cooper strongly believes that Kay Baily Hutchenson has lied to constituents from the beginning about her plans to leave the Senate. He doesn't believe that Texans are satisfied with how she has handled her seat; or, think that she is a valuable asset to have in Washington D.C. Mr. Cooper's support to these claims was Kay Baily Hutchenson's lack of success and support from Texans in the Gubernational primary.

With a background in professional and technical writing I expected more from this commentary. Instead, I was left with the feeling that I read a rant with very little supportive material. On the other hand, if you are against Kay Baily Hutchenson, it will probably make you throw a fist in the air and yell "Yeah! You tell 'em Robbie Cooper!"

Less Gripe, More Insight

On March 23, 2010, San Antonio Express News published an article by former San Antonio city councilman Glen Hartman entitled Time to consolidate school districts. Hartman has been involved in public service for almost 20 years. He has served, as mentioned, as a City Councilman for San Antonio, as Executive Director of the Texas Public Finance, Mayor of Lago Vista, and Commissioner of the Travis County Emergency Services District 1. In education, his credentials claim a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and completed coursework at Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

After the first time of reading the article, I was so appalled at the amounts of money being spent on one administrative aspect of the school districts. In reality, so much more needs to be dispersed throughout the system to the teachers, principals and children. I believe my initial reaction was Hartman's desired effect. As a fellow Texan unsatisfied with the amount of money given to educators and educational programs, I was almost to the point of looking for a nearby pitchfork and charging the nearest administrative office.

My second read offered a bit more perspective. Former Councilman Hartman used multiple dollar amounts and various numbers as the source of his strong opinion of the stated education system. The problem I have with this, is that not once was there mention of where he obtained this information from. Though I doubt he made these numbers up, it would have been helpful to have links to other sites or articles where he obtained his information.

Looking past the lack of references, on my third run through the article, I could see that Hartman's overall point was that the principals and teachers in our school districts are grossly underpaid. Millions of dollars a year are spent on the salaries of superintendents and their staff tied up in the politics of the education system. Hartman made many good points to persuade readers to be on his side but in the end, it was more of a rant than a way out. He did offer one solution. Consolidate the numerous school districts [in the greater San Antonio area (17)] into 2 or 3 and fire the rest of the superintendents and their staff. It may be a quick fix and an influx of money for educators, but, if this was implemented statewide, it could lead to an ugly and expensive unemployment issue.

Overall, I think Hartman is bringing light to an interesting issue that needs to be addressed and would benefit from further research and publicity.

The Beginning of a Journey: Perry vs. White

After the primary election on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, the Texas Tribune published several articles covering the election and offered some insight into what’s to come. One of those articles, Game On: It’s Perry vs. White, by Ross Ramsey, Brian Thevenot and Ben Philpott collectively, did a great job of staying politically neutral in tone.

The article begins by stating Governor Rick Perry’s win over U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson for the Repbulican nomination, as well as former Houston Mayor Bill White’s win over Farouk Shami for the Democratic nomination. After touching on quotes from both winners in the primary, we are shown a glimpse of what it costs to run a campaign, with Farouk Shami crossing the $11 million mark while running for the Democratic nomination. Coverage of the Republicans was more in depth , mainly because of the public mudslinging between Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchinson during the campaign. Throughout the article there are links to more information about the candidates, audio clips from the candidates as well as links to Texas Tribune’s Primary 2010 page, where you can find their rundown of political races and full election results.

To view the full article, click on either the title of this blog "The Beginning of a Journey: Perry vs. White" or the name of the article "Game On: It's Perry vs. White" in the text.