Celebrating Country Doctors

Serving rural Texans with distinction.

By:Sen. John Cornyn

Over the past several decades, Texas’ reputation for quality medical facilities has been growing. Nationally acclaimed hospitals and care centers like the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the Baylor University Medical Center, and the Texas Children’s Hospital – to name just a few – have delivered Texas into the forefront of medical research and care.

While these facilities provide excellent care to millions of patients each year, there is another kind of doctor that has for generations been an icon of Texas medicine: the country doctor. Throughout our great state country doctors serve some of Texas’ most hard to reach citizens – often traveling hundreds of miles to make house calls.

These doctors treat underserved communities with far sprawling populations long distances from larger clinics and hospitals. But despite these difficult conditions, Texas’ country doctors continue to provide their invaluable services, developing lasting relationships with each of their patients – often having been the doctor at their birth. While these country doctors seem almost antiquated in contrast to the enormous medical centers across the state, their service remains an integral part of our commitment to give every Texan access to quality health care.

Last December, one of Texas’ many dedicated country doctors even earned national distinction, being named “Staff Care’s Country Doctor of the Year.” For more than half a century, Dr. David Watson has been the primary doctor for the residents of Yoakum, Texas.

A graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Watson says he never wanted to be anything more than a family doctor. Over his years of service to Yoakum, he’s become much more. He’s served as physician, surgeon and obstetrician. On Friday nights, he walks the sidelines of the high school football games to treat any injured players and in his spare time volunteers with abused children at the Bluebonnet Youth Ranch.

Dr. Watson’s recognition as Country Doctor of the Year comes as little surprise to the families that have for so long depended on him. And while much has changed in medicine since he first opened doors offering $5 house calls, Dr. Watson’s dedication to the community has not. His service to the people of Yoakum has made him a staple of the community and an example to doctors throughout our state and across the country.

As Texas continues to grow and foster an even greater medical community, we should take the time to recognize the men and women who have pioneered Texas medicine and brought care to families living even in the remotest of Texas towns. Doctors like David Watson remind us of an older time in Texas, before the advent of large hospitals and medical research centers. But today’s country doctors remain a primary source of care for rural Texans.

I congratulate Dr. Watson on this much-deserved recognition, and I thank the many doctors like him who attend to rural communities throughout Texas. As we work to improve Texas’ medical community, we must remember our country doctors and the important work they do.

Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

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GALA Board Members Sound Off

In a letter to the Editor, Glenwood Acres Landowners Association Board Secretary Billy Sipes and At-Large Member A.C. Floyd express their shared views on the ongoing tension between the board and unhappy landowners.

By:Billy Sipes and A.C. Floyd

The time has now come for we two Glenwood Acres Landowners Association board members to make a statement. It appears that Mr. Tim Cariker is trying to make his statements as if they were the ideas, thoughts and views of all board members. We would like to set that record straight.

We believe that the board is, and should be held accountable for its actions. In the past, as well as now, it seems that things have gotten out of control insofar as what the true, legal and just actions and duties of this board consist of. We are the caretakers for the monies for the Association, and as such, we should be ever mindful that wasteful, careless and unnecessary spending should stop. We owe it to the people to spend their money wisely and for good reason. We further believe that the people have a right to see with their own eyes what is being done with the monies. What has happened recently is that monies have been spent without board approval and other directives have been carried forth, also without the complete board membership being involved in the decisions.

We should never lose sight of our duties nor our goals. When any money is spent, it should be carefully considered and weighed before such action is taken. The people who pay their dues have a right to know where and for what their dues money is spent. A full accounting should be made to the people. The idea of ruling any board with the concurrence of a select few is not acceptable in any way. We are entrusted with the duties of making certain that whatever we do is for the betterment of Glenwood Acres and at the same time it is not infringing on the rights of others.

If one will look back in history, they will find that any attempt at controlling a group of people with tyranny and total disregard for their constitutional and civil rights will only serve to cause a justifiable uprising of the people. This is what is now occurring here at Glenwood Acres. The voices of the people are crying out for equality, justice and a desire to be heard. But these same voices are being silenced by a few board members who feel that the people have no say-so and should just let the few continue with their actions.

The situation of allowing a paid employee to dictate who can and who cannot remain on Glenwood Acres property is not acceptable either. This paid employee could use a course in attitude, as well as a course on how to treat others who enter the office of this association. If you owned a business, it would be beneficial and profitable, not to mention imperative, that you greet your customers with a warm and friendly dialogue upon their entering your establishment and not make them feel as though you are doing them a favor to see to their needs.

The validation of the petition to impeach board president Jason Lundy was a farce. There were names who were stricken because their dues were not paid by January 12, 2009. We find it not only improper, but very strange that this was done. It appeared to us that the paid employee was seeking to discredit and invalidate as many signatures as she possibly could in order that the petition would fall short of the needed number. We also find it appalling that a target number was never provided in order that the person who was directing the impeachment drive would have no idea what the actual number of valid signatures he would need to bring the matter to full vote actually was. The request was made several times for the total number of members in good standing, but that number was never provided.

We hold steadfast in our beliefs that the board does need some changes and that those who are not willing to serve the citizenry with faithfulness, honesty and with compassion should resign their respective positions and then they could be replaced by others who are willing to be a voice for the people without regard to their financial, political or personal beliefs. It is also our belief that a mockery should be made of no one because of their disabilities or impairments.

This association is supposed to be for the people and by the people and certainly not the wishes of any one board member or select group of board members. Sadly, what is now happening is that if you are not in favor of the old business-as-usual group, without any accountability, then you are considered as "against the board". That is not the way it is, at all, because we both know that it can be done with the interest of the people at the heart of all matters and that the old business-as-usual tactics are not in the best interest of the people nor the association.

We are both willing to be representatives of the people and will insure that the rights of the people, as well as the voices of these same people be heard and not silenced. At present, that is hard to do because of a certain few who do not wish to do the will of the people.

The time has now come for those who wish to serve honestly to step forth and be recognized and those who do not wish to do the same should vacate their respective seats in order that someone who will work for the benefit of the members and the association can then be placed in that capacity.

We would like to thank Mr. DeWayne Spell of the Upshur Advocate for his honest and unbiased coverage of the matters at hand concerning Glenwood Acres.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read this open letter and if we can be of assistance we are available to give you our undivided attention.

Respectfully,

Billy G. Sipes
A.C. Floyd

Editors note: The Upshur Advocate will gladly publish opposing viewpoints on this issue, or any other. Letters may be submitted by fax or email. See our Contacts page for submission information.

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The Brink, The Brim, The Cusp

Inaugural poetess Elizabeth Alexander's words left me wondering the same question I had on Nov. 3rd: The cusp of what?

Far be it from the humble editor of a fledgling new-media product to critique poetry, since my meager attempts at rhyming usually involve slang or other unseemly language. But, if the purpose of the Inaugural Poem is to inspire, then Ms. Alexander can claim a success in my listening.

What she inspired, though, was a re-awakening of the same questions I had about Barak Obama throughout his two year campaign. What does he believe, and what will he do?

The mantra of 'Change", so often invoked by our new President, was just vague enough to be captivating without requiring any substance.

As a political tool, it worked perfectly to allow every Obama listener to project what he or she wanted to hear on a blank screen. The only problem with it's use is that it is bound to lead to a reality induced hangover sooner or later. And it won't just be an American morning after.

People the world over are hanging hope and aspirations of all sizes on our new President, who is now saddled with the reality of managing expectations on a global scale.

Sarah Palin made of joke of Obama's healing the planet and turning back the waters during the campaign. Sadly, there are some who expect just those kinds of miracles from him.

Take the economy, for instance, since it is the largest elephant in the room right now. A recent poll found that almost 70% of respondents expect Obama to mend our ailing markets. One has to wonder what they are basing those hopes on?

Surely not more bail-outs and spending packages. Evidence of how well that is working came just today, when the Dow plunged over three hundred points as Obama took the oath of office.

If he keeps his pledges of transparency and straight talk, President Obama will sooner or later have to tell a country and a world that the solution is to suck it up, suffer the pain, abandon the failing constructs of governmental charity, and to deal with the difficulties of allowing a truly free market to adjust freely.

If he does that, then we are on the cusp of a real opportunity to right some bad policy decisions forty years in the making. And he will be on the brink of a popularity plunge that will make Bush 43 look like a shining star.

If, on the other hand, he chooses to 'spend his way out', as the cliche goes, he stands a chance of maintaining his current global popularity while pushing this country over the brim, and into a pit of debt so deep we might never climb out.

Consider that to spend what you don't have, you have to borrow. That's plain kitchen table Economics 101. With that concept, so illusive to the DC crowd, firmly in mind, ask yourself who the banker might be.

China? Saudi Arabia?

No matter where you find your credit, the banker doesn't have our best interest at heart. And if our children can't make the note, who suffers when the repo notice arrives?

And that's one home ownership we simply can not afford to default on.

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Revenue Estimate: Texas Has Seen Worse

Writing for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, James Quintero says Texas has the right formula to weather our economic woes.

By: James Quintero

One week ago, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs released her Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) – a projection of how much legislators can spend in the next budget – which predicted flat state revenues and a worsening economic outlook.

Just how tough do things look? Well, according to the Comptroller’s BRE, lawmakers will only have $77.1 billion in General Revenue (GR) to spend this session whereas last session’s lawmakers had $86.2 billion in GR – a $9 billion difference.

The state’s economy is also predicted to lose as many as 111,000 jobs during the first three quarters of next year and the growth in personal income is expected to slow to an average 3.7 percent during 2010 and 2011, according to the Comptroller’s estimate.

Yet, even in spite of all the bad economic news, Texas still fares remarkably well when compared to other states.

Texas is among the rare states not reporting a budget shortfall this biennium. Combs’ revenue estimate also projects a $9.1 billion balance in the “rainy day” fund by 2011, and the return of job creation by the fourth quarter of 2009.

Times may be tough, but the state has seen much worse and come out on top – just ask the legislators of the 2003 session. Using Texas’ tried-and-true policies of low taxes and limited government, the state has little to fear.

TPPF article

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Arts – A Smart Investment in the Texas Economy

By Billye Proctor Shaw, Chair
Texas Commission on the Arts

If you ask your next-door neighbors, they will tell you the arts enrich our lives, our schools and our communities. But, if you ask them how arts impact our economy, they might not have an answer.

As the Chair of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA), I lead a 17-member board that provides grants to arts organizations across the state. We promote the arts and play a leadership role in the arts and cultural industries in Texas – and those industries have a major impact on our state’s economy.

Arts are big business. They are one of the top factors corporations and businesses cite in deciding where to locate, stay and expand. Arts attract cultural tourists that will spend nearly twice the time and money as the average visitor and return more often. The arts are a major contributor in reversing the trend of outflight by bringing populations back to city centers.

The economic impact of the arts in Texas is staggering. Organizations that receive support from TCA report total audiences of more than 35 million attendees each year. Those patrons will spend more than twice the cost of their tickets in the local economy. In Austin alone, the cultural sector contributes over $2.2 billion to the economy annually and creates 44,000 permanent jobs. The arts are good business and artists are powerful creative capital.

Arts are smart business. Arts are essential to a well-rounded education. The arts not only encourage self-expression and teamwork but are great complements to a strong education in math, science and literacy. Every dollar and each minute spent on arts education is an investment, paying us back with improved student performance, a more vibrant economy and a richer American culture. The research is overwhelming – students involved in the arts do better in school, score higher on tests and are more likely to graduate.

Texas is the number one state for Fortune 500 company headquarters. These companies require a strong and capable workforce. A recent study revealed that among the top ten concerns of CEOs are employees that demonstrate creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving skills. Both CEOs and school superintendents rank arts study and experience in performing arts and entertainment as the top factors for instilling these qualities.

TCA is your arts “voice” in the Capitol, and as the Chair of TCA, I am asking for your help.

Texas currently ranks 49th out of 50 states in arts funding at 22 cents per person. TCA is asking our state leaders, as leaders who care about community and economic development, to invest $1 per person per year in the arts. This $20 million dollar request is but .0002 percent of the state’s $167.8 billion budget – a small investment with a priceless return.

Chambers of Commerce and City Councils in cities throughout Texas have already endorsed this request and will present this endorsement to their legislators. But, the arts also need the support of Texans all across the state. Contact your city and state officials and tell your friends and neighbors. Be a part of this grassroots appeal to elected officials.

When tough budget choices are required, our legislators should be reminded that arts can help prevent crime; arts education contributes to academic achievement, particularly for low-income students; arts programs in corrections facilities result in lower recidivism and less crime; and arts programs engage disadvantaged youth more effectively than other programs.

Not only do arts bring beauty and meaning to life, arts are big business, good business, and smart business. “One generation plants a tree, the next sits in its shade,” says the Chinese proverb. An investment of $1 per year per Texan is an investment in our economy and an investment in the future of Texas.

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Cornyn On Martin Luther King

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today issued the following statement in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“Today, our nation commemorates a great hero whose powerful message has inspired countless Americans and speaks forcefully of the importance of equality and opportunity. As the United States prepares to swear in our first African American president tomorrow, we are reminded of the noble cause for which Dr. King fought and died. We remember the dream he so passionately spoke of and pursued – and the progress our country has made since he first spoke of that dream over 40 years ago. I join my fellow Americans in celebrating the life and contributions of this great man, and the honorable legacy he left behind, which is still alive and well today.”

Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

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Tackling Washington Challenges the Texas Way

Senator Cornyn advocates some common sense in Washington.

By: Senator John Cornyn

As the New Year begins, I want to start by thanking Texans for sending me back to Washington for another six years. Together we can make the great state of Texas an even more prosperous and peaceful place to raise our families, work, and plan for the future.

I couldn’t be prouder to represent a state where folks value hard work, family, faith and freedom; it’s what makes Texas a land of opportunity. From business to education; energy to medicine—Texas leads the way with its spirit of independence and legacy of accomplishment.

That’s why I find that many of the best ideas and solutions I take to Washington come from Texas. As I roll up my sleeves to start work in the 111th Congress, I do so with confidence, knowing that so many Texans stand ready to help me make a difference in Washington.

At the top of my list this year is the state of our nation’s economy. While Texas has fared better than most, we are not immune to the recession. Last year brought layoffs and salary cuts, and thousands lost their homes. But with a combination of pro-growth policies on the federal level and ingenuity on the local level, we can turn the economic tide back in our favor.

I will oppose any effort to increase taxes on working families and small businesses—the backbone of our economy. Instead, I will push for significant tax relief that will keep more of the hard-earned money in your pocket. Our first step should be to permanently extend tax relief that will soon expire; otherwise Americans will be hit with the largest tax increase in history. Things like small business investment incentives and individual tax relief will help grow jobs, expand opportunity here at home, and make us more competitive. In other words, these efforts will bring a little Texas common sense to Washington.

Another Texas hallmark that has been missing in Washington is government transparency. I have and will continue to make open government a top priority. I have worked to shed light on the federal government for all Americans to see their tax dollars at work. My goal is to create a federal sunset commission, based on the successful Texas model, to comb through and weed out ineffective or wasteful government programs. With the new Administration intent on passing a more-than $700 billion stimulus package, we need this commission now more than ever.

Equally important is the need to finally pass a comprehensive energy plan. Last year, with gasoline above $4, energy independence was the popular pledge. But as quickly as gas prices dropped, the topic also disappeared from the political spotlight. Today we are no closer to reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. I will push for new domestic production and refining capacity. Texas already leads the nation in energy production, but we can do more. We must cut through the red tape and allow Texas producers to tap into our rich natural resources while fully developing clean energy alternatives like wind, solar and biomass.

Also on my agenda are enhanced benefits for our troops and veterans. These fine citizens have made tremendous sacrifices for our protection; we owe them the best benefits and care possible. We need additional resources to research post-traumatic stress disorder and other “invisible wounds” from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a solemn obligation to help our wounded warriors make a successful transition back to civilian life or return to military service, if they so choose.

I will not give up on achieving broad immigration reform that until now has been blocked by partisanship. Continued inaction is a serious risk to our national security. I am committed to fixing our flawed system while enforcing the rule of law and securing our borders. I will continue to work with Texas law enforcement, Border Patrol, and community leaders to learn firsthand the challenges that face our border.

This year will also bring opportunities to make real differences in health care and education—especially for low-income Texas children who need more affordable preventive health care and college tuition.

In Texas, when a problem arises, we don’t wait for someone else to fix it, we tackle it. I hope all Texans will join me in tackling this year’s challenges by sending me your ideas, your concerns and your priorities. Together we can take Texas to new levels and help the rest of the nation get back on the right track.

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The Japanese Experience With Fiscal Stimulus

Japan's past suggest that our government's economic recovery plan may be flawed.

from the Texas Public Policy Foundation - Speaking Freely
The last couple of days I’ve been examining the muddled thinking that is driving the debate over how to get us out of our current economic funk. The solution de jure seems to be more government intervention in the economy, such as the economic stimulus package being worked on by President-elect Barack Obama.

Dr. Arthur Laffer, the author of our Thinking Economically series, recently sent me an email commending a December 16th Wall Street Journal editorial (subscription required) on the efforts to create a stimulus package as “the single best editorial I’ve ever read.” The editorial outlines stimulus package after stimulus package passed by the Japanese Kokkai, or Diet, as their parliament is called in English. Here is a brief excerpt:

“In 1992, Japanese Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa faced falling property prices and a stock market that had sunk 60% in three years. Mr. Miyazawa’s Liberal Democratic Party won re-election promising that Japan would spend its way to becoming a "lifestyle superpower." The country embarked on a great Keynesian experiment.”

Here is a listing of what Japan did over the decade: August 1992: 10.7 trillion yen ($85 billion); April 1993: 13.2 trillion yen ($117 billion); September 1993: 6.2 trillion yen ($59 billion); February 1994: 15.3 trillion yen; September 1995: 14.2 trillion yen ($137 billion); April 1998: 16.7 trillion yen ($128 billion); November 1998: 23.9 trillion yen ($195 billion); November 1999: 18 trillion yen.

What did Japan get for all this? Well, mainly a lot of government debt. Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio started out this period at about 63%. By the time all this spending was through, it had reached 128.3%. It finally peaked in 2006 at 180%. Compare this to the U.S. level that has hovered between 35% and 40% for most of this decade.

What Japan didn’t get was an improved economy. Its economy grew anemically during the 1990s; all of the “stimulus” and negative interest rates didn’t help a bit. As the WSJ said, “Only in this decade, with a monetary reflation and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s decision to privatize state assets and force banks to acknowledge their bad debts, did the economy recover.”

We face the same situation today in the U.S., and may also have to deal with this in Texas if our economy starts to falter because of the drop in oil prices. Our only hope for a turnaround is turning to the market – rather than the government – to lead us back to prosperity. Our paper, The Economy, part of our Influential Issues series, offers some thoughts and ideas about how to do this in Texas.

- Bill Peacock

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In Remembrance Of Common Sense

An Obituary that arrived by email from a mournful reader:

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

• Knowing when to come in out of the rain
• Why the early bird gets the worm
• Life isn't always fair
• Maybe it was my fault.

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense really started downhill when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

He declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion, his daughter, Responsibility, and his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Editors Note: Submitters name withheld by request, for fear of reprisal by Common Sense's worst enemy, the Politically Correct Police.

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Carrying Guns In Texas Parks

Jerry Patterson defends his pro-gun stance on carrying guns in Texas parks.

Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office

Recent exhibitions of my Second Amendment rights have earned some harsh words from editorial writers at some of Texas’ big city newspapers, including the San Antonio Express-News.

Specifically, I’ve been criticized for acknowledging I carried a concealed handgun, as is my right, on recent visits to Big Bend National Park. A National Park Service rule prohibits carrying a loaded, concealed handgun.

“Evidently, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson was absent from school the day the Constitution was covered,” wrote the San Antonio Express-News.

While that’s an awfully cute jab, the reality is I’ve learned the Constitution over the course of a lifetime – not just one day. As a matter of fact, I’ve taken oaths to uphold and protect our Constitution – as a U.S. Marine and as a state elected official.

So let’s get past the sophmorisms and look at the facts.

The ban on loaded firearms in National Park is not a law. It is a rule. A rule enacted by unelected bureaucrats deep in the recesses of the National Park Service. There was no legislative process involved -- these bureaucrats arbitrarily terminated this Constitutional right.

Fortunately, the clearly unconstitutional National Park Service rules on possessing firearms in federal parks are changing. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently proposed new rules that would respect state firearm laws and the Second Amendment.

Nonetheless, some editorial boards are opposed to allowing citizens the right to self-defense. Lawabiding Texans, they say, can’t be trusted with guns and don’t need them in the park anyway because no one else can have a gun.

On a recent hike in Big Bend National Park, I found two expended 9mm shell casings, along with a discarded pack of Mexican cigarettes. The Texas Department of Public Safety ballistics lab confirmed two different weapons fired these casings. How could this be? There are no guns in Big Bend, because that’s the rule, right?

Tell that to the rafters who were ambushed and killed several years ago in an area adjacent to the Big Bend known as Colorado Canyon. Tell that to the woman whose body, suffering from blunt force trauma to the head, was found floating in five feet of water at Amistad National Recreation Area.

In 2006, the most recent year available for statistics, the National Park Service says there were 116,588 reported offenses in national parks. That includes 11 killings, 35 rapes or attempted rapes, 61 robberies, 16 kidnappings and 261 aggravated assaults.

With the increasingly violent criminal activity along the Texas-Mexico border, carrying a firearm in remote areas along the border, including Big Bend National Park, is a choice every citizen should have.

Editorial writers at the Express-News assert the current proposal to rescind the ban on lawfully carried firearms in National Parks is a “solution in search of a problem.” But the problem is very real.

We as Americans are guaranteed our right to keep and bear arms. Whether it is for hunting, personal protection or a defense against a tyrannical government, that right is unassailable and inviolate. To rescind that right when one crosses an arbitrary boundary into an 800,000-acre national park is an unconstitutional act no different than rescinding our Fourth Amendment protection against unlawful search and seizure.
As an elected official, I take an oath of office “to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this State, so help me God.”

I do not regard such affirmations as mere anachronistic formalities. I guess you can just call an old-fashioned believer in the wisdom of those who penned the Bill of Rights and not much a believer in the wisdom of editorial boards.

JERRY PATTERSON was elected Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office in 2002 and again in 2006. A former Marine and Vietnam Veteran, Patterson is the author of Senate Bill 6, the Concealed Handgun Law.

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New Law Creates Opportunities for Student Free Speech

The following article is reprinted with permission from the Education Reporter, a publication of the Texas Association of School Boards.

The topic of religion in public schools received a great deal of attention during the recent Texas legislative session. Whenever that emotional topic is part of a public debate, we are likely to hear some people claim that courts have “kicked religion out of school.”

In fact, the expression of religious viewpoints is still very much permitted in
public schools.

Constitutional Principles

The United States Constitution protects the right of individual students to express personal religious viewpoints. School districts, however, cannot endorse religious views or establish a preference for or against religion. In the words of the United States Supreme Court, “There is a crucial difference between government speech endorsing religion, which the Establishment Clause forbids, and private speech endorsing religion, which the Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses protect.”

Both the constitutionally protected freedom of individuals to express their own private religious views and the prohibition on government endorsed messages for or against religion work together to offer Americans the greatest possible religious liberty. Nowhere is that powerful balance more dynamic than in our public schools, where the interests of students, parents, religious and community leaders, and school officials intersect.

The freedom of individual students to express their own religious views in private conversations and to pray alone or in groups is well established. Questions remain, however, about students’ rights to express their individual views or pray when they are speaking publicly at school-sponsored events.

New Texas Law

Hoping to clarify this point, the Texas Legislature has passed a new law about student religious expression. House Bill 3678, also called the Religious Viewpoints Anti-discrimination Act (RVAA), addresses four general areas:
freedom of religious expression, student speakers, religious expression in class assignments, and freedom of association. The RVAA takes effect with the 2007–2008 school year.

No viewpoint discrimination:

The law requires districts to treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious
viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on the same topic. This section prohibits discrimination against a student based on the student’s religious viewpoint.

Student speakers:

The law also requires districts to adopt a policy that establishes a limited public
forum for student speakers at all school events at which a student is to publicly speak. The policy must also:

• require the district to provide the forum in a manner that does not discriminate based on religious viewpoint;
• provide a method, based on neutral criteria, for the selection of student speakers at school events and graduation;
• ensure that a student speaker does not engage in obscene, vulgar, offensively lewd, or indecent speech; and
• state that the student’s speech does not reflect the endorsement, sponsorship, position, or expression of the district. The disclaimer must be provided at all graduation ceremonies and at any other event at which a student speaks for as long as necessary to dispel confusion over the district’s “nonsponsorship” of student speech.

Expression in class assignments:

The law states that students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments. Homework and other assignments must be judged by
ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the district. Districts may not penalize or reward students based on the religious content of their work.

Freedom of association:

The law states that students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, “see you at the pole” gatherings, and other religious gatherings before, during, and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups. Districts must give religious groups the same access to facilities as given to other non-curricular groups, without discrimination based on the religious content of the group.

Similarly, groups that meet for prayer or religious speech must be permitted to advertise or announce their meetings to the same extent as nonreligious groups. A district may disclaim sponsorship of non-curricular groups in a manner that neither favors nor disfavors groups that meet to engage in prayer or religious speech.

Required Local Policy

The law specifically requires districts to adopt a local policy establishing a limited public forum and protecting voluntary student expression of religious viewpoints. The law includes a model policy, and a district that adopts and follows this policy is deemed to be in compliance with the
other provisions of the RVAA.

The model policy provides for student speakers at football games; any other athletic events designed by the district; opening announcements and greeting for the school day; and any additional event designated by the district, such as assemblies and pep rallies.

For each of these events, the district must select a student speaker from the highest two grade levels at the school who holds one of the following positions of honor: student council officers, class officers of the highest grade level of the school, captains of the football team, and other positions of honor designated by the district. Students from these groups may volunteer for selection and are then selected randomly by drawing names. Each student selected speaks for a week, or on another schedule designated by the district.

The model policy states that the subject of the student introductions must be related to the purpose of the event, honoring the occasion, the participants, and those in attendance, bringing the audience to order, and focusing the audience on the purpose of the event. The student must stay on the subject and may not engage in obscene, vulgar, offensively lewd, or indecent speech.

The model policy prohibits discrimination based on a secular or religious viewpoint and provides for a disclaimer of school sponsorship of the speech. The model policy contains similar provisions for speeches by sports team captains, homecoming kings and queens, and the like, and provisions relating to graduation speeches.

From the Law Books to the Campus Loudspeaker

For many, the implementation of this new law will create more, often welcome opportunities for students to express their personal views on a variety of topics, including religion. But school officials also will face challenges in implementing this new law. During the legislative session,
TASB did not oppose this bill but did express concerns about the challenges it would create in the public school environment.

What Are the Possible Challenges?

Discipline: The constitutional foundation of this new state law is that students, not the school district, will decide what to say within a limited public forum. Students may say whatever they wish, including expressing religious views and praying. If, however, the student speaker expresses a minority religious viewpoint, that speech may provoke controversy. Moreover, students are not limited to expressing religious views; they may express any viewpoint on the designated topic without fearing disciplinary consequences. The law says the district must prohibit speech that is obscene or offensively lewd, which are concepts defined in Supreme Court cases. Short of this high standard, however, student speech must be tolerated.

Discrimination: In light of this open opportunity for free speech, even offensive speech, opponents of the new law express concern that hate speech and other discriminatory speech will now have a forum in public schools.

Dollars: Finally, no matter how school officials feel about the opportunities and challenges created by this new law, trustees will not be able to ignore the bottom line. Introducing
controversial speech into the public school setting raises the possibility of legal challenges from all sides: minority-view families who feel student speeches are too one-sided; majority-view families offended by hearing a minority view; citizens who object to the law itself; and citizens
who claim the district has not gone far enough in implementing the law.

The legal and financial risks generated in this emotional environment will naturally be of concern to all school officials as they seek to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to their school districts

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Union Card Checks Defeat The Protection Of A Secret Ballot

As flawed as our election system is, one of the things it does right is to allow voters to cast their ballot in private.

When it comes to organizing unions, Big Labor doesn't think workers deserve that protection.

You can bet that President Obama will be called on to pay back some election favors he owes to Big Union interest very early in his first year in office.

And he has already signaled, by announcing that Hilda Solis would be his nominee for Secretary of Labor, that he intends to square his debt.

Solis has been a vocal supporter of the Card Check bill, cosmetically called the "Employee Free Choice Act", a piece of proposed legislation that union bosses are drooling to push through Congress, and onto Obama's desk. The legislation would end the practice of workers voting to unionize by secret ballot, instead forcing companies to recognize unions once a majority workers signed membership cards.

While that doesn't sound like a big change, the potential for organizers to publicly pressure or harass workers to sign cards and join unions is huge.

Being pressured in the break room at work is bad enough, but imagine sitting in a cafe after work, and having organizers harangue you for not wanting to sign up. Or maybe they caught you at the gas station, or in the grocery store. Maybe they even talk to your spouse, and attempt to get at you that way.

And the time period to apply that sort of public pressure would not be limited by a voting deadline. Organizers would simply continue to work on the hold-outs until they had a majority.

Even worse, if someone in a position of authority, say a foreman, is in favor of the union, and one his subordinates isn't, the possibility of that foreman applying far more serious pressure than embarrassment is very real. Would you swap a vote to keep your job? For many, that might be the choice the have to make.

Free choice? Hardly.

Pro business groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are preparing to spend millions in opposition to the legislation. They will face an uphill battle, with Democrat majorities in both houses of Congress, and a President favorable to the bill in command of a bully pulpit.

You can expect to see our new president give a lot speeches about the bill, and portray it as being good for the American worker, the middle class, baseball, hot dogs and apple pie.

He won't say it's good for Chevrolet, though. Big Business will be cast as the evil empire in the fight, and their opposition to the bill will be likened to Darth Vader warming up the death ray as he circles the rebel moon.

Opponents of the bill will largely be forced to wage a nationwide grass roots campaign designed to bring voter pressure on Democrat representatives. That means the bulk of their money and time will be spent in democratic districts, attempting to sway pro union voters with an appeal to their basic fairness.

Seasoned political operatives working for the unions realize that, and that will be the reason to push the legislation through early and quickly. The quicker they can move the bill through Congress, the less media attention it will receive. And the earlier they can get it done, the longer voters will have to forget about it.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will know that as well. The pair have shown their willingness many times to shut down debate and twist a few arms, and this will be no different.

Couple that effort with a biased national press corp openly infatuated with all things Obama, and it spells disaster for the time honored fairness of the secret union ballot.

The battle will be an early test of how well Republican Senators can play the minority party game. If they can muster a cohesive, enduring filibuster, then business groups will have a shot at spotlighting the vote, and swaying enough public sentiment to stop the charge.

The last thing Obama and company want to do is give the GOP a wedge issue for the midterm 2010 elections. They well remember the Health Care debacle, and what it did to President Clinton's first term.

Business leaders have no choice but to start the local media campaigns early, and hope there are still a few reporters at the national level who are willing to explore both sides of the issue.

And if that exploration is honest, the crux of the matter is plain to see. The issue is fairness.

This legislation is about nothing more complicated than giving Big Labor an open door to bully and strong-arm workers into swelling their membership ranks, and therefore their coffers. It will do that by ripping away the simplest protection that American voters enjoy, the secret ballot.

It is an understatement to call Card Check pro union. The reality is, it's anti-worker.

It's wrong, and for the sake of workers everywhere, it needs to be stopped.

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Ron Paul On Detroit

Maybe the most succinct argument against congressional bail-outs came from Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Speaking from the U.S. House Floor about the automobile maker bail-out on Dec. 10th of this year.

I rise in opposition to the rule and the underlying legislation. It doesn't take a whole lot to convince me that we are on the wrong track with this type of legislation. And at great risk of being marginalized, I want to bring up a couple of issues. One is that if one were to look for guidance in the Constitution, there's no evidence that we have the authority to take funds from one group of Americans and transfer it to another group who happen to need something.

And the moral argument is it's not right to do so. Why should successful Americans be obligated to take care of those who have made mistakes?

But those two arguments in this Chamber are rather weak arguments, so I will try to talk a little bit about economics. I think what we're doing here today and what we've done here for the last week has been, essentially, a distraction. We're talking about transferring funds around, $15 billion that's been authorized. It's been designated to do some other interventions that were unnecessary in the car industry. And in a way, this legislation probably could have been done by unanimous consent, but there's been a lot of talk and a lot of publicity and a lot of arguments going back and forth about the bailout for the car companies; and it is, of course, very important.

But in the scheme of things, you know, what's $15 billion mean anymore, especially since it's been authorized?

The big thing is the big bailout, the $8 trillion, the unlimited amount the Federal Reserve has invested and what we've been doing for the past 6 months. We are on the road to nationalization. In many ways, we're in the midst of nationalization without a whimper.

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Teaching Kids To Talk The Talk, The Old School Way

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) won a victory last week at the expense of taxpayer dollars and common sense.

A judge has told the state of Texas that the English as a Second Language (ESL) program is not working for Hispanic secondary students, and ordered the state to fix the problem before the start of school next year.

In a rare bit of legal irony, the judge who issued the ruling last Thursday is the same judge who started the whole mess to begin with.

35 years ago, Judge William Justice ruled that the Texas educational system had a legal obligation to provide bilingual education to secondary level students who didn't speak English proficiently.

That ruling, which flew in the face of what had worked before, set our state on the costly road to ESL curriculums that simply don't work.

Before his ridiculous decision, immigrants learned English the old fashioned way, through immersion. Immersion simply means that they were surrounded by written and spoken English every day, and had no choice but to learn the language.

That method may have been old school and hard-nosed, but it had one thing going for it: It worked. It worked every time, and it worked at no additional cost.

Disregarding all that, Justice ruled way back then that Texas educators had to re-tool their approach to non-English speaking students, and bilingual education was born.

The approach, as most government approaches are, was costly and counter-productive.

Its concept was to teach core subjects in the student's native language, while teaching them to speak and write English concurrently.

The program not only required the hiring or training of bilingual teachers, and duplicating curriculum materials in both English and Spanish, it also birthed brand new monitoring requirements, and brand new bureaucrats to oversee them.

Over the ensuing 35 years, those new bureaucrats, now firmly entrenched in our school systems, determined that the programs weren't working.

While some progress was being made with elementary grade students, secondary level pupils were failing and dropping out in droves.

A twist in the concept was introduced to target those students, English as a Second Language. ESL provides core instruction with limited use of the student's native language, combined with a heavier focus on English immersion.

While all that was going on, the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) testing was started in 2003. And as TAKS scores of ESL students are analyzed, it has become apparent that the ESL model isn't working.

Those results, and that analysis, was fodder for a lawsuit, which brings us back to Judge Justice and his latest ruling.

The lawsuit was filed in 2007 by MALDEF on behalf of about 145,000 middle and high school students who are considered deficient in English. TAKS test scores show far below average scores for those students in core subjects.

Justice first ruled in 2007 that Texas was meeting its legal obligations to students with limited English proficiency, and said other factors besides a failure of ESL programs might be to blame.

But in July of this year, he reversed himself and ruled that the state was not complying with federal law that requires students to get equal education opportunities. That failure to comply, he said, violated the civil rights of Spanish-speaking students under the federal Equal Education Opportunity Act.

He then ordered that improvements had to be in place by the start of the 2009-10 school year, and required the state submit a preliminary plan for the improvements by Jan. 31, 2009.

The state appealed the ruling on the grounds it has not received funding or authority from the legislature to revamp the programs. Texas requested Justice delay the order, while they appealed the ruling.

Judge Justice, in a new order release Friday, denied the request and reaffirmed the deadlines. The state, he said, could requests for additional funding from Legislature when it convenes in January.

Offering educators no quarter, his ruling said "The time has come to put a halt to the failed secondary English as a Second Language program and monitoring system".

The state can, and probably will, appeal the ruling and request a stay from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but the die seems cast to spend more money on the problem.

Education committees in both the Texas House and Senate have already said that they are working on the problem. Typically, that is code language for opening the checkbook.

And while no one has gone on the record with a price tag, some knowledgeable observers have guessed that remedial education for the 140,000 secondary students could cost $500 more per student, or $70 million a year. Add another $30 million in new monitoring programs, and the cost hovers around $100 million per year.

In a way, the judge was correct. The time has come to put an end to ESL. The time has also come to end bilingual education entirely.

The fix, however, will not come from piles of money being thrown into "new think" teaching programs. What we need, is some old school thought.

What we need, is the intestinal fortitude to address the problem forthrightly.

Students who don't speak English are entering Texas schools. They are disadvantaged to begin with, yet still expected to meet the norms of English speaking students.

And while this lawsuit, and the vast majority of bilingual and ESL programs focus on Hispanic children, we can't ignore children who come from Asian and European countries.

Do we need coursebooks in Japaneese, Chinese and Russian as well?

No, we don't. The solution is not to attempt core teaching in every language under the sun.

The solution is to intercept those students at the door, and put them into classes that do nothing but teach English. All day, every day.

When they are proficient in reading, speaking and writing English, and able to succeed in an English based educational system. Then, and only then, do we advance them to core classes. That would be real, old school immersion, and that would really work.

Yes, it might take a year or two. Yes, they might graduate a couple of years late.
But the benefit of truly knowing the language of their new country would serve them for a lifetime.

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Shoe Bomber Excercises Freedom To Bear Arms... Err.. Bare Feet

Loafer hurling reporter unwittingly highlights new Iraqi freedoms.

Muntazer al-Zaidi fired the shoe heard 'round the world Sunday. Bush was graceful in his dodge and response, The Iraqi government was embarrassed, and YouTube was enriched. The incident sparked protest over al-Zaidi's subsequent arrest, and provided fodder for countless columns, videos, and even games.

The reporter intended to insult our President, and in that corner of the world, he might have succeeded. But it can be argued that he succeeded, as well, in underscoring the tangible freedoms now enjoyed by the people of Iraq because of the leadership of the man he attacked.

Before Saddam Husein's ouster, Iraqi press conferences consisted of a madman telling a fearful press what to write. Who could forget Baghdad Bob denying the American military's presence, even as our shells whistled through the windows of his office in the Ministry of Information.

And in the face of incontrovertible evidence, the Iraqi press were too cowed to challenge him. Things are different now.

Not only does Iraq have a newly resurgent and hard-nosed press corps, they also have citizens willing to rally in the streets against their own government, which in the long run is a good thing.

True, the incident gave rise to some tongue-in-cheek commentary too witty to pass up, such as this passage from the American Spectator:

Bush acquitted himself well during the incident. He has crashed on his mountain bike a few times and choked on a pretzel, but even reluctant historians will have to acknowledge that his athletic side has proven helpful at several crucial moments during the war on terror. Before the eyes of the world, as Mark Steyn has written, he was able to throw out first pitches at baseball games effectively and now he has calmly dodged Zaidi's pair of shoes.

The Secret Service, however, looked pretty leaden. What happens to an agent who fails to take a shoe for the president? A kernel of a Clint Eastwood-style movie might be contained in this. Zaidi was screened, according to the Secret Service, but perhaps a more astute team would have looked into his eyes and seen his sole. That he managed to get two throws in, with only Maliki's hand to protect Bush, is astonishing.

Heretofore Helen Thomas and Adam Clymer had posed the greatest threats to Bush. But how could he have anticipated this burst of media bias? An administration famous for requiring passengers to take off shoes before boarding planes will now have to ask reporters to do the same before asking questions.

It is funny, but that humor is in stark contrast to what the story would have been had a reporter thrown a shoe at Saddam. That transgression would have resulted in the eradication of the home village of the reporter, not merely his arrest.

We have made progress over there, and the peoples of the world are better off for it.

Future administrations will enjoy a relationship with Iraq Bush couldn't have dreamed of, and history will judge him far better than the shoe bomber does.

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The Spark of Invention --- Sen. John Cornyn

Texas Senator John Cornyn celebrates the inventiveness of our state in a posted-for-release piece.

“If only I had thought of that first.” How many times have you heard that statement? Maybe you have said it yourself. The dream of inventing fascinates many Americans, and Texans have contributed greatly to America’s renowned tradition of invention.

Over the years, Texans have put their stamp on the world through products ranging from condensed milk to electric typewriters to cutting edge computer and medical components, even cheerleader pompons. It began early in our history with Gail Borden, Jr., newspaper publisher and public official in the Republic of Texas, who invented condensed milk and started the famous dairy company that still bears his name.

A key inventor in the development of the Texas energy industry was Houston’s Howard Hughes – not the aviator or film producer, but his father. Howard Sr. designed an oil drilling bit that cut through hard rock 10 times faster than any other. It helped create Baker Hughes, a global oilfield service company with more than 35,000 employees.

Terrell native and Southern Methodist University graduate Robert Dennard of IBM patented one-transistor Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). Now used in virtually every computer, it provides more memory at a lower cost.

An invention patented in1988 by Dr. Julio C. Palmaz of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio transformed cardiac care. The Palmaz Stent, a tiny tube used to treat clogged arteries, sharply reduced the need for open-heart surgeries.

Ned Eastman Barnes overcame obstacles facing African-Americans in the early 20th century and received patents for his invention of significant pieces of railroad equipment. Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer wanted to help cheerleaders fire up the fans, so he invented the pompon to attract attention. The success of the pompon helped build a national corporation of cheerleader camps, equipment and supplies.

Texans continue to respond to the challenges of emerging or rapidly changing technologies. Texas Instruments engineer Jack Kilby was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2000 for his invention of the integrated circuit. It facilitated development of the microprocessor and helped launch the computer age.

Borden, Dennard, Palmaz and Kilby are among several Texans named to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Several Texans have even received the Nobel Prize, the National Medal of Technology or the National Medal of Science.

And just last year, Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey of Houston was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the legislative branch’s highest civilian award for his revolutionary contributions to cardiovascular medicine, including the roller pump and the DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, an apparatus implanted into the heart to increase blood flow.

Inventors are at work throughout Texas today. Last year, Texas residents filed nearly 16,000 patent applications, second only to California. One may be coming soon from UT Dallas doctoral student Harvey Liu. He was a finalist in the 2008 College Inventors Competition. Harvey developed a bandage the university described as “a wonder-cloth that helps preserve transplant organs, improve circulation and heal wounds.”

The desire to explore, discover, invent, build and expand is ingrained in the character of Texas. It can be traced back to our pioneers. Living on farms or ranches at the edge of the frontier, their existence depended on learning self-sufficiency and solving their own problems. Today that spirit of invention lives on. There’s no telling what revolutionary products Texans will come up with next.


Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee's Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee's Airland subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

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When Will The Senate-Mobile Roll Out Of Detroit?

If it weren't so serious, watching a few senators who don't have enough sense to run a shoe-shine stand tell auto executives how to make cars and trucks would be downright funny.

In my lifetime, The almighty US Congress has dabbled in a lot of things that they had no business dabbling in. Of those, I would say it's a clean sweep the number that they managed to make worse.

Take education, which should be the purview of local and state bodies. The Washington solution is always to protect teachers unions, and throw more money at the problem. Ask any common sense individual, and they'll tell you the solution to our education problem is real discipline in the classroom, real world teaching methods that don't involve student esteem concerns, and getting rid of tenure protected teachers who can't or won't do their jobs.

Health Care is another D.C. success story. Between lawyers running around exploiting every loophole to sue doctors and medical facilities, and insurance regulations so convoluted that competition has died, it's a mess only politicians could have created. Obama's solution will be to nationalize and socialize medicine. The confusion won't lessen, but the quality and extent of services you can hope for will.

The Congress has also "fixed" welfare a number of times, with every repair involving a lessening of benefits, esoteric book-keeping methods, and a denial of the fact the the system is not self sustaining, and must somehow be ended.

They also solved Major League Baseball's steroid problem, only a few years after they liberated Afghanistan from Russia, and created Osama Bin Ladin in the process.

In short, our glorious representatives, for the most part, are a bunch of pompous have-done-nothings with no real hope of ever doing anything meaningful.

It is this august body who will now, with a wave of their checkbook, "fix" Detroit.

Will they use the model of Toyota, who is operating factories on our soil quite profitably?

No, they'll go back to Plan A. They'll protect the UAW, throw money at businesses that don't make profits, and demand Detroit become "Green". By the way, "Green" is a code word that means "Al Gore would approve".

They will create a few agencies, a new "Car Czar", and enough regulations and bureaucrats to insure that every Obama campaign worker will have a government job for life.

In short, they'll do the only thing they really know how to do.

How does that old saying go? If the only tool you know how to use is a hammer, the whole world looks like a nail.

In Washington's case, the whole world seems in need of regulating.

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Reasons To Be Thankful

This year has been tough, and the next promises to be tougher. Why do we gather to give thanks?

With today's news constantly warning of dire economic time ahead, and a culture that sometimes looks to be unraveling at the seams, it must seem strange to residents of other countries that Americans still pause and find reason to give thanks to God for blessings that seem to be evaporating.

But those blessings are not all material, and the most important have proven to be quite durable and constant. The Pilgrims who started the tradition of Thanksgiving were not giving thanks for riches. They gathered to simply celebrate survival in a new land, and a new freedom to worship and prosper as they wished, without fear of persecution.

With a little thought, one can find several of the most important of these blessings listed in the preamble to our enduring Constitution:

'A more perfect union' - America may have stumbled, and we might have some rocky roads ahead, but we are still a better place to live than anywhere else in the world. Through the protections of our constitutional rights, Americans enjoy more freedom and opportunity than any other citizenry, and we are still that shining city on the hill that Ronald Reagan spoke of.

'Establish justice' - Can anyone argue that we, as Americans, don't enjoy a far better chance for a fair trial by jury, and rights of appeal equaled by none?

'Domestic tranquility' - Sure, we might argue among ourselves, but no one expects Rhode Island to call up their militia and attack Massachusetts. And as bad as 9-11 was, Britain, Ireland and Pakistan all have long histories of internal terrorism that we have managed to avoid.

'The common defense' - Our military troops are the bravest, best equipped and best trained force in the world. By bringing the battle to terrorists on their soil, they prevent those battles from being fought here. And not to be forgotten, the men and women of our law enforcement agencies fight a quiet, often unheralded war of their own, succeeding in alleyways and boardrooms to keep the lawless from preying on the defenseless'.

'The general welfare' - While the cradling arms of our welfare system may seem too extensive to many, starvation, pestilence and plague have been virtually eliminated within our borders.

'The blessings of liberty' - The freedom to speak out and question our elected leaders is one few people realize the power of. In many places of the world, the debate and dissent we enjoy are cause for mass executions. When we vote, we exercise the power to change the directions and policies of a nation from a curtained booth. This is an awesome privilege few have, and many hunger for.

And lastly, 'Our posterity' - All that we do as citizens and parents can be summed up in a few words: "To make things better for our children than they were for ourselves." And there is, and never has been, another place like America to make that a reality.

This year, while we offer praise, prayers and thanks for health and wealth, let's remember the underlying reasons we enjoy these things, and give thanks for those as well.

Happy Thanksgiving, and God bless!

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Are Failing Auto Makers The New Katrina?

New Orleans sat paralyzed while it's levees broke, and the rising tide of sludge and apathy ruined thousands. Have politicians and Detroit's automakers taken the same approach?

Just as New Orleans was warned before Katrina struck and the levees collapsed, the rising tide of red ink surrounding the big three automakers has caused numerous alarm bells in Detroit and Washington, and no one listened.

The unions have a stranglehold on the auto companies, and refused to relinquish it even when management turned blue in the face. The issues for years have been wages and health care. The unions, of course, want both increased.

Management is trapped between the threat of massive labor strikes, and a new global market that chugs merrily along, happily cutting it's competitors throats with the sharp edge of market based wages.

The Big Three are paying their workers $20 more per hour than Toyota, and losing $500 for every car they turn out.

Auto prices rose, lining the pockets of foreign manufacturers with easy profits. Despite the increase, American companies were losing money on every car they built, and the unions chose to ignore that in contract talks. While politicians who could have broken the death grip fiddled, the storm tide began to rise...

Gas prices shot up and stayed there, the housing bubble burst, consumer confidence ebbed, and new car dealers began noticing some rust on their inventory. Higher still, the waters rose...

Fanny Mae, Freddy Mac and Lehmans all toppled. We all learned what a collateralized debt obligation was, AIG wobbled and credit seized up. Even people wanting to buy cars were having trouble getting loans. Dealers laid of salesmen, and finally the waters crested against the weakened levees of Detroit's capital reserves.

Stockholders finally took notice of the money leaks, and bailed themselves out by dumping stock. Washington doled out $25 billion, but it was like sending Ray Nagle a couple of boats. Nothing remained to halt the disaster.

Well, the levees are broken, and automakers are busted. As with AIG, it isn't just a case of large companies folding. The problems are much deeper than that.

Faced with a massive surge of laid off workers, the state of Michigan sees itself unable to cover the potential unemployment cost in an area that is far from labor-hungry. The state would also be saddled with the health care of millions of retired union workers whose insurance plans will collapse when union dues stop funding them.

A perfect storm has hit, and the rising cries from the rooftops begin. It will be taxpayers who are expected, once more, to break out the life rafts and row in a boatload of rescue funds. Only the nagging question of Washington agreeing to a bail-out remains.

Be serious.

The Democratic party is neck deep in debt to Big Labor. Even Obama, who raised enough money to single-handedly bail out Ford, relied heavilly on Labor for the grass roots work of his campaign.

And Republicans, who should be the party decrying the government's involvement in any capital enterprise, remember all to well the political damage inflicted on them for appearing unable or unwilling to help suffering Americans during Katrina.

They won't risk long unemployment lines appearing nightly on the news, while Wolf Blitzer wonders how the minority party could ignore such suffering on the part of middle class, blue collar Americans.

Upshot is, politicians in both parties can be relied on to reach into the back pockets of taxpayers for the pay-off. All the debates, posturing and committee meetings at this point are purely for show.

After much public angst, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will pass a bail-out bill. They will pretend to pressure Bush to sign it, and whether he does or not, its a win-win for the Dems.

If Bush signs, the automakers and unions will have been 'saved' due to congressional action and pressure.

If Bush veto's the thing, then it will languish until January, when Obama will ride into Washington, sign the check, and save the day.

We citizens don't have a lot of say in the matter. Calling our Congressmen will do no good. Already short on numbers in a lame duck session, the Republicans who represent our neck of the woods are essentially powerless.

So the question is not should we shore up an industry based on a failing business model with no hope of recovery. The question is when will it happen.

So break out those checkbooks, folks. Higher taxes are coming, and coming fast.

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How Long Do We Have?

This is a reprint, in italics, of an email I received a few days ago. It had been forwarded so many times, I have no idea who to give the credit for authorship to.

I have always heard about this democracy countdown. It is interesting to see it in print.

God help us, not that we deserve it.


How Long Do We Have?

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh , had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government."

"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury."

"From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years"

"During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hemline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:
Number of States won by: Democrats: 19 - Republicans: 29

Square miles of land won by: Democrats: 580,000 - Republicans: 2,427,000

Population of counties won by: Democrats: 127 million - Republicans: 143 million

Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Democrats: 13.2 - Republicans: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Republican won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Democrat territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..." Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase. That would be step 7.

Will Obama put us into step 8?

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegal's and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

If you are not in favor of this, then pass this along to help everyone realize just how much is at stake, knowing that apathy is the greatest danger to our freedom.

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

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