It's hard not to have death penalty doubts

Death Penalty-Austin American Statesman
Editorial Board
The commentary about Perry and the death penalty gives insight into what motivates Perry to support the death penalty, and it’s not justice. Realistically, Perry has to make a choice. If Perry’s financial backers and political allies support the death penalty then he will, too.

Perry answered honestly that he doesn’t lose sleep at night about innocents put to death because that’s not his concern. His concern is taking the simplest road to the presidency. Texas’ Judicial system and law enforcement agencies are all the evidence needed to back this up with the mishandling of rape kits and withholding evidence by Prosecutor Ken Anderson to name a few. Wrongful charges have implicated many suspects for crimes ranging from murder to arson on such grounds as mishandled DNA or misidentification. This is such a problem in the Texas judicial system that the Senate has passed legislation to approve easing restrictions on previously limited DNA regulations and formed a commission to investigate wrongful convictions. 

Here's an idea how about prioritizing suspect's proof of innocence before proven guilty?  How about demanding state agencies properly analyze data, investigate, and prosecute suspects according to the Judicial system.  Instead of asking Perry about his feelings about the Death Penalty, why not ask instead his feelings about the complete disregard of state police agencies and prosecutors have for due process?

Vets deserve more than benefits cuts

Editorial: Vets-Austin American Statesman

While celebrating Vets once a year is commendable, ensuring that vets (and their families) receive substantial benefits should be a year round endeavor.  Veterans have learned to accept that their benefits are contingent on the current economy and not on their level of achievement during their military careers, as they have been wrongly informed by their recruiters. 

Over the years troops have endured combat all over the world and in life threatening environments.  The injuries soldiers have endured during war have become more serious due to technical and strategic advances in war.  Doctors are better able to treat serious mental and physical injuries, but military officials are still a long way from preventing them.  From PTSD to loss of appendages, the cost of treating these injuries has increased yet the amount of benefits for veterans consistently decreases. 

Instead, politicians cut funding for this population to balance their budgets.  During recruitment, enlistees are molded to perform at their best and to give their all.  The message sent to veterans after their service is that their rewards were only conditional upon their ability to stay in the military.  The reward for sacrificing their body and minds are only valuable if they are able to dodge life threatening combat and remain unscathed emotionally from the horror they have faced. 

They can easily be discarded into the Veteran’s Affair system where they haggle with Physicians and Psychiatrist that their wounds are not imaginary and worthy of receiving compensation.  Their military achievements are broken down in to percentages which takes months to calcualte.  How much compensation should be given for seeing death?  For dodging it?  For volunteering to get up every day and face it all over again for the rest of their lives?

How do we as a nation explain to these vets that providing adequate healthcare is more important for lawmakers than healing their wounds from the battlefields?

Military Recruitment

VA Compensation

Texas Bidness

The editorial article in the Austin American Statesman, Again, education woes fall to courts, recognizes the detriment to public education caused by Texas’ 82^nd legislature resulting in school districts suing the State of Texas.  The $4 million tax cut to education is supposed to cut public school spending now, in order to provide for students in the future.  The author points out that previously a “Democratic controlled legislature” failed to provide for school districts.  Today, a Republican legislature is to blame.  According to statistics listed on the Legislative Reference Library, there are 101 Republican House members to only 49 Democratic members and the speaker of the house is also Republican.  These cuts also come at a time when Texas’ fiscal budget will be called into question for Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign for the presidency. 

In the bill, Revising financing of public schools, students are referred to as business investments where “initial investments are expensive, but the costs eventually decrease.”  An increase in business means an increase in jobs, families, and students.  Higher student enrollment means less spending per student.  The plan for the future is to decrease the amount of spending per student each year.  What the author doesn’t discuss are the affects property taxes have on the inequities of public education.  This money is what funds our schools, yet the discrepancy between rich and poor schools continues.  This business is about producing quantity not quality.

Texas schools are ranked the lowest in the nation.  Then lawmakers cut the spending used to educate these students or so called investments.  The author implies that an uncooperative legislature, failed property tax increment financing, and $4 million budget cuts are to blame for loss of funding to public schools.  Where is the urgency to provide a quality education whether or not the state is able to finance their budget?  There is also one more faction to blame for the cuts, Texas voters.

Making Texas Behave

Again, Education Woes Fall to Courts, Austin American Statesman Editorial Board Oct 12, 2011

 Public schools are suing the state of Texas regarding funding inequalities due to the $4 billion budget cut.  This editorial article reminds taxpayers and parents that the state can be held accountable with due process of the law.  The courts can implore the state to reevaluate the massive financial cuts which have resulted in inequalities between school districts.  Public schools attempting to protect and give their students an acceptable education are suing the state to demand funding.  This tactic by public schools is not new.  Law suits against the state by public schools occurred even in the 60’s.   In addition to the $4 billion cuts, the state cuts eliminated state education grants, and programs like full-day pre-k.  

Law makers stated these budgets were necessary to maintain a balanced budget, but at what cost to students and teachers?  Forget about a quality education, taxpayers would be happy with just an adequate one or at least an education that includes a future job and an equal opportunity to succeed for both male and female students.  This year, according to James Embry Political Blog, Texas unemployment rates “have increased again at 8.5%” including the loss of “19,000 government jobs.”  How many teachers do you think this figure included?  In addition, teen pregnancies are the “third highest in the country.”  In an editorial by David Wiley about teen pregnancy, Wily talks about the responsibility placed on public schools to teach sex education by tax payers and the state.  Inaccurate curriculum and unskilled teachers are causes for the “miserable failure and public health disaster” which is Texas’ teen pregnancy rate.  Yet, law makers cut $4 billion from public schools. 

 James Embry, Texas Unemployment Rate

David Wiley, Teen pregnancy a Texas public health emergency 

Your Texas Budget

How the Budget Got Cut

Texas Observer 

The budget has been a highly publicized and controversial topic this past year.  There are no politicians claiming fiscal responsibility for why Texas is experiencing the worst budget cuts since, well ever.  The Nation should pay close attention to why Texas Politicians are so desperately trying to find money to support and protect education, social services, and Medicaid.  Texas Senators and Representatives did not destroy financial aid for public schools, mental health services, and cut enormous public jobs in one session.  Discussed are many reasons why "the frail, the young, and the elderly” will suffer the most from the 82^nd Legislature’s budget. 

Rick Perry ain't whistlin' Dixie ... or is he?!