Response to Lone Star State of Crazy's Blog about abortion

One of the saddest topics to discuss. Here's my response

Friends, Countryman ! Give MeYour Earmark!

Earmarks are often viewed by most of us as Pork barrel politics, also known as wasteful irrelevant spending. In 2008 Congress earmarked over 17.2 billion dollars for earmarks. (If you think about it 535 representatives so about 32 million per person. That's way too much power and influence in the hands of so few people. Et Tu Brutus?)I'm trying to force myself to except that this practice is just business as usual. That this is "the way politics are done."It is in fact the preservation of earmarks seems to be the one thing that seems to bring about party unity. I have been trying to following up on the results of some of the earmarked projects approved for Texas last year. I found one Project that I am actually am glad they funded. It is was 300,000 for Texas height Modernization. The link is a rather boring update on the way the money was actually spent on this project. Interestingly enough it was used by McCain to make a point about useless earmark spending.(I like McCain) He was wrong in this instance. It just sounds stupid to most of us who aren't geology nerds. This Funding helps to up date topographical information that is crucial to disaster planning,construction, and conservation efforts. So I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I'm not for earmarks but it is a little more encouraging to see some worthwhile projects thrown in there with all the waste. This is just Brutus's attempt to be a little more open minded. Something I've been working on .....

How Many Governement Students does it take to change a Light Bulb?

Hopefully just one! Gee whiz read my comments to We be Bloggin' s Commentary.

Small Town Politics-The Real Influence

I am Vice-Chairman of Leander's Public Art Committee. I helped invent the confounded thing and it amazes me what it means to be a Public Servant. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by what is going on Politically in Texas. Sometimes, for those of us who care, you should narrow your focus and look at the politics of your very own town, it is here that the politics will have the most personal effect on your life and what you value as important.

On the Art committee we have to make choices that will effect not only the residents but the developers, businessman, economics and tax base not just for now but for generations to come. City boards and committees make decisions for major issues such as: If you will have potable water to drink in 10 years, and everything from noise, traffic, building, and zoning ordinances that will improve or hinder your quality of life.

These committees are not that difficult to become a part of. They are made up of members that are appointed,elected, or volunteer.I know it's easier to Blog or complain or just not care, but the truest way to influence your life is to get involved in your local politics. The average person truly misses an opportunity to shape their life by skipping out on this involvement.

Small town political scandals are what we commonly read about. The decisions and votes that happen everyday by small groups of your neighbors have more impact on your day to day life than you know about. They will effect what happens to your money, your land, your children's school, and so much more. Local politics need to be pushed into the center of what is on every one's mind. In Local elections your one vote actully can determine the outcome of an election here in Texas(becuase so few people vote in them). More on this at Texas Politics :Voting,Campaign and elections . Change Change Change, you don't need the President to do that geez. Get Involved!

Hello Rick, Would You Like Some Humble Pie?

You Tell'm Gov. Perry !(Tell'm what?) is an example of everything that is wrong with what the republicans are doing right now. This blog was off of "a voice in the wilderness." But the link takes you to "the taxpayers voice." I was trying to find out what qualified this blog, and this Americans for prosperity org as "a voice in the wilderness," or"a taxpayer's voice" and I found this. Most of the staff and directors are business owners. CEO's who have a lot at stake if the government and economy are unfriendly to them. So with that established I do not feel like the have adequate expertise to address Gov. Perry's show-boaty response to the stimulus money. What the heck? It seem like grown people cheering for their Governor to be embarrassingly childish in his unreasoned response to stimulus funds. What I gather is Perry says Texas doesn't really need this money and we won't be using it to establish new programs or encourage dependence on programs that these funds go to. How about the statistics of our uninsured children? Or children in poverty? Research for our water problem(we d border the gulf what about desalination?)Or the fact that more people will be applying for these state services whet er they want to or not? That isn't going to be fixed anytime soon. The blog was baseless, no facts or resources that pointed to the logic in his approach. I may not want government all up in my business, but I also don't want the governor making me looking like a you know what and saying he represents all of us. What is he going to do with it instead should be the focus. How will his plan work? Does he have a plan? Is doing nothing really the answer? I can't find any substance in the rhetoric. This is the Governor. even if he said I don't want this money So I'm dispersing it in a payout equally to all the citizens of Texas. Now that would be an idea.

Capital Metro 's Creative Money Scheme

The writer of this article Stacy is president of T. Stacy & Associates and chairman of the Downtown Austin Alliance board of directors. So I feel that her position is a credible one. Stacy feels that using federal grants to close a short-term operational gap at the expense of long-term capital improvements is irresponsible. The Downtown Austin Alliance, her organization asks the Capital Metro board to invest in the long-term health of the region's transit system by using federal stimulus dollars to fund capital improvements, as they committed to doing when applying for the grants.
It seems very simple and cut and dry but Capital metro wants to divert part of this funding and use it in a way that it was unintended for;as opposed to rate hikes. I feel this diversion of funds from their original intentions has America on a slippery slope. It is the whole buy now pay later reasoning. The rate increase has become a hot topic and people are balking over the prospect of fares going up a quarter. What about the problem of the millions of dollars put into the red line that isn't even operational? The amount of ridership that line could produce when it's finished should help close the gap. Capital metro will continue to be plagued by problems as long as they keep making decisions like this.
Although I support the writers opinion I thought the article was rather weak in it's basis to support the argument. The writer could have used examples how this approach has failed in other circumstances. Also, many readers are unfamiliar with the way government grants work. She could have given a brief explanation on the type of grant they received and why they were able to divert the funding from it's original intentions.

Aborted fetal material used in Anti-Wrinkle Creams!

Ok they've gone too far. That's just gross, and plain wrong. This is truly a "brave new world." People thought the expriments by the Nazis were crazy, what do you think of this? I feel like we are on the slippery slope.

http://www.prolifeblogs.com/articles/archives/2009/10/aborted_fetal_m.php