Monday, May 17, 2010

The Weekly Wrangle (from the streets of Las Vegas)

Really. I'm on the patio of the Starbucks outside the Golden Nugget, on Fremont and 2nd. I observe that the Associated Press has picked up the story of Rick Perry's ten-grand-a-month rental house, while Rassmublican pushes back with their poll. (Update: Phillip Martin at BOR has more on these ridiculous numbers.)

Distracted though I may have been by our gambling winnings (over $300 on the Preakness which produced a nice dinner at Vic and Anthony's) I'm staying on task long enough on get-back-to-H-Town-day to bring you the blog roundup.

This week at Left of College Station, the spring semester ends and Teddy has made it through another twelve hours of classes. He wasn't too busy to take a look at the developments in the campaign for TX-17, and how the Republicans are attempting to nationalize the midterm elections.

TXsharon of BLUEDAZE: Drilling Reform for Texas took some EPA officials from D.C. on a Barnett Shale tour last week.

Bay Area Houston says Arizona's Governor Brewer is the new Face of the GOP.

Off the Kuff interviewed Democratic candidate for Lt. Gov. Linda Chavez-Thompson about Arizona's immigration law and what comprehensive immigration reform would look like.

WhosPlayin has the final results from the Texas DSHS investigation of blood and urine for residents of Dish, TX; the conclusions are not by any means an exoneration for the industry because of significant limitations to the investigation.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme notes the futility of Cornyn and Perry saying they want the Hispanic vote while Republicans simultaneously rev up the Tea Party racists.

Sarah Palin decides to release another book and McBlogger had just a few comments.

At TexasKaos, Libby Shaw has a question: Is Rick Perry's 2006 Business Tax an Income Tax? According to a pretty sharp legal student, the answer is yes. Who would have thought it, Rick Perry pulling a fast one so he could continue his lower property tax bait and switch scam.....

Announcing the planned City of Houston budget for the year ahead Houston Mayor Annise Parker said Houston has an economy "better than that in any other part of the country." She said this despite Houston's high poverty rate, high dropout rate and large number of people without health insurance. These issues, however, don't seem to be part of Parker's agenda for the future of Houston. Neal at Texas Liberal elaborates.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson observes that as taxes receipts ebb and budget troubles hit Williamson County, the poor and middle class are most likely to pay for it: Changes to indigent health care in Williamson County.

A slow post week at Brains and Eggs as PDiddie slid out to Sin City to help his nephew celebrate his 21st birthday. There's a great old pic of the Golden Nugget -- now under the ownership of Tilman Fertitta -- from 1946, when PDiddie's grandfather used to frequent the gambling hall.