Monday, December 22, 2014

Three Shopping Days Left Wrangle

With the passage of the winter solstice, the Texas Progressive Alliance hopes that all your days are getting merrier and brighter as they bring you this week's holiday roundup.


Off the Kuff looks at the pro-discrimination bills that Republicans will be pushing in the Legislature next year.

Libby Shaw, writing for Texas Kaos and Daily Kos, insists that Texas will continue to have foxes guarding the public hen houses as long as the Republican culture of kleptocracy and crony capitalism persists. Texas investigates Medicaid fraud detection firm for corruption.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is proud of Corpus Christi police chief Floyd Simpson for disciplining officers for use of excessive force. When officers act inappropriately, all too often there are no consequences.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson points out that as oil prices plummet, we're reminded of Texas oil busts past and the reality of the so-called "Texas Miracle". It looks like things are about to change.

Houston's city council gave a $17 million sloppy kiss to Valero as a Christmas present, and city attorney David Feldman left a flaming bag of poo on Mayor Annise Parker's doorstep. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has suddenly realized that 2015's municipal elections can't come soon enough.

Neil at All People Have Value wrote about peace with Cuba. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

Texas Leftist takes a look at the rapid growth of the Houston Area Pastor Council. If Houstonians think think the fight over the Equal Rights Ordinance is over, they better think again. One of the country's most powerful hate groups is now in our back yard.

Bluedaze observes that the impact of fracking was glossed over at the Eagle Ford Shale Legislative Caucus meeting.

Some thoughts on Viernes from Stace at Dos Centavos included Valero's Christmas bonus.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Juanita Jean got in some snark on Texas A&M, Rick Perry, and the building to be named after him just before they called the whole thing off.

Grits for Breakfast acknowledges a sad statistic: deaths of Texas detainees in the Department of Corrections skyrocketed after the Lege cut healthcare benefits in 2011.

Socratic Gadfly posted about the normalization of relations with Cuba, and the reaction from the Havana Ham, Ted Cruz.

Texas Watch introduces its Safe Texas agenda.

Dwight Silverman suggests that kids today will do just fine without "tech timeouts".

Andrea Grimes criticizes that Texas Monthly "Bum Steer Award" cover illustration of Wendy Davis.

The Texas Living Waters Project forecasts the 2015 oyster season in Galveston Bay.

Keep Austin Wonky summarizes the homestead exemption debate.

The Lunch Tray celebrates the exclusion of Chinese-processed chicken in school food and other child nutrition programs.

The Bloggess is running her annual Christmas gift and charity drive.

Fascist Dyke Motors teases her forthcoming novel, Vagilante Justice.

Swamplot revisits some of the old haunts and re-tells the tales of Fidel Castro's Houston-area gunrunner, Robert Ray McKeown.

Finally, and in the spirit of the season, we're including Republican blogger Big Jolly's call for a special prosecutor to investigate the vast corruption of Harris County GOP kingmaker Gary Polland.  If only Santa Claus could bring us this one gift...

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