Tuesday, August 20, 2013

If his mother had a C-section, then he isn't natural born

And it doesn't matter whether his head hit the dirt in Canada, Cuba, the United States, or in outer space.  That ain't "natural".

The Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship,” Cruz, a freshman Republican from Texas, said in a statement. “Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship. Nothing against Canada, but I’m an American by birth and as a U.S. Senator, I believe I should be only an American.”

And if he doesn't renounce Satan, then it don't matter what the "boarders" of the country were.

(I'm finally understanding why this birther BS is so much fun.)

Calgary Carnival Poop Cruz, real name Teodoro Rafael Osama Adolf Fidel Jose Tom, has some 'splainin' to do. We better get Donald Trump and Orly Taitz on the case.

And I want to see his college transcripts, too.

Update: Nice try, Rafael Edward.

Monday, August 19, 2013

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is also wondering...


...as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff is there with the early news that Sen. Wendy Davis is leaning toward the governor's race next year.

Despairing about the sorry state of Houston's mayoral contest, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs seems to be suggesting a vote for Nobody. But not if Nobody is a Dick.

Horwitz at Texpatriate notes that paybacks are hell as a special prosecutor is appointed against Rick Perry to investigate coercion and abuse of office complaints.

Rick Perlstein reminds us that the right wing is playing the long con. WCNews at Eye on Williamson has the details in There is nothing new under the wingnut sun.

Neil at All People Have Value wrote that he is donating 25 cents to Amnesty International for every negative attack e-mail he gets from the Ben Hall and Annise Parker campaigns for mayor of Houston. Neil, who previously wrote Texas Liberal, now has the website NeilAquino.com. All People Have Value can be found at NeilAquino.com.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Rick Perry hurting Texas children once again. Perry wants to privatize public education.

=========================

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

Better Texas examines the effects of the 2011 budget cuts to family planning.

Greg Wythe looks at the national backlash against standardized testing.

New Media Texas breaks out the wrestling analogies for the Houston mayor's race.

The TSTA Blog discusses the changes made to the process for approving charter schools.

Texas Vox points out the double standards in Texas' water laws.

Texas Water Solutions analyzes the Legislature's plans for water infrastructure.

Grits for Breakfast reports on another Texas official making taxpayers fund an extravagant security detail for himself.

Letters From Texas eagerly awaits the prospect of Rush Limbaugh moderating a GOP presidential debate.

BOR reports on racial disparities in drug arrests in East Texas.

Concerned Citizens condemns the homophobic remarks made by a San Antonio city council member and some of her staff while discussing that city's proposed non-discrimination ordinance.

Egberto Willies interviewed 2012 Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, but remains skeptical of third parties' influence on the American political system.

TXSharon at BlueDaze notes that a Texas Railroad Commission employee who blew the whistle on his supervisor was fired and now he's suing the state.

Lastly, attorney Paul Kennedy reviews Rise of the Warrior Cop, a new book about the militarization of America's police forces.

Wheelchair Ken

Turnabout is fair play, amirite?


If things were really going to get evened up, however, "Crippled Ken" would be the hashtag. And Senator Davis should not be thanking me for my support, either. (I'm positive she's smart enough not to do that.)


Let's not get bunched up over who's being more insensitive or politically incorrect either, shall we?

Among other things, Barbie taught compassion to my friends and me. When our dolls' bendable knee joints gave out, they were not thrown away but treated as physically challenged Barbies, whereupon we made make-shift wheelchairs for them. When Ken's arm was chewed off by the dog, we tried to convince our Barbies they should see beyond his disability.

Look what I found on e-Bay.


So -- again -- this isn't my creation. This isn't the invention of a sick mind. This is historical fact: Barbie had a friend in a wheelchair but not a blind one; certainly no mention of one that had a mental disability or with obvious opinions on women's reproductive freedoms (despite what you may infer).

That's obviously a contrivance intended to belittle.

Greg Abbott's got a real problem on his hands to start the week, and I don't think he can safely ignore it. It looks as if he has pushed himself right out of the frying pan and into the fire, and he may need a couple of his right-wing pals to get ahold of his chair and pull him out. He absolutely possesses the requisite conservative hypocrisy immunity gene, but even he is smart enough to see that this road he is rolling down is a less-traveled one for a reason.

It's not like he's the second coming of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, after all.


Update: This is not sufficient. Abbott must renounce the slur... or else continue to own it.

Update II: I learned a new word today.

Friday, August 16, 2013

The Dome is going to come down

As bad as the city's managers are, they look like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos compared to the county's.

I realize now what I should have realized back then: Ed Emmett and the Harris County commissioners don't want to save repurpose the Astrodome, they just want to avoid taking the blame for destroying it.

The Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously voted to place a bond election for up to $217 million to convert the iconic stadium into a massive, street-level convention hall and exhibit space, saying residents should take part in deciding the historic structure's fate.

Should voters reject the bonds, County Judge Ed Emmett and Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman said Tuesday they see no other alternative than to demolish the former "Eighth Wonder of the World," which has sat vacant since city inspectors declared it unfit for occupancy in 2009. The Reliant Astrodome has not housed a professional sports team since the Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000.

"If it does not pass in November, then that should be the death knell for the Dome," Morman said.

This has been their intention all along, and I just refused to see it. The scales have fallen from my eyes.

While the vote to put the measure on the ballot was unanimous, court members' personal support for the project is not.

Only Emmett and Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee said they definitely will cast a vote in favor of the bond referendum. Both, however, said they have no plans to launch - or, in Emmett's case, participate in - campaigns to get the measure passed.

"There needs to be some plans made to do it, if it's going to be a success," Lee, who wants to save the Dome, said of a campaign. "The judge is our leadership, so we'll just see what occurs from there."

The Dome suffered benign neglect for decades at the hands of most of these characters already, but this new tack is nothing but passive aggressive demolition in advance of the actual implosion. It is amazing to me that the only one making some sense here is Steve Radack.

If the bond fails in November, Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said it "would make no sense to me at all" to spend millions of dollars demolishing the structure.

"There's another day to have another election," he said. "Why are you going to spend $8 million and then tear it down?"

The vote to call the bond election was made with one condition championed by Radack: That the ballot language explicitly say that the project would require an increase to the county property tax rate, which has not been raised in 17 years.

Increasing the tax rate by as much as half a cent in 2015, if the bonds are approved, is the recommendation of county budget chief Bill Jackson, who still is looking at ways to offset some of the $217 million price tag.

A half-cent hike would mean an $8 increase to the annual tax bill for a $200,000 home with a 20 percent homestead exemption, Jackson told court members Tuesday.

It will cost 8 bucks a year to save an icon. Eight bucks -- barely one day's lunch money -- to the TeaBaggers who live in the far flung exurbs of the city. How do YOU think they will vote?

Lastly, from Charles...

The big question at this point is who lines up to oppose this. The Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, whose renovation plan is what the Court approved for the ballot, will take the lead in communicating the referendum and the reasons to vote for it to the public. I have no idea how much money they’ll have to mount a real campaign, however. It’s certainly possible that some deep-pocketed types could show up to fund a campaign in favor of this, or in opposition to it. It’s also possible that there will be little more than earned media and some online presence to inform the voters.

... and the HCSCC's chairman, Edgar Colón.

Colón said he plans to actively campaign for the referendum, describing it as the sports corporation's "homework" to host town hall meetings and give presentations on the project it has proposed. "We're going to now go into the community and we're going to educate the voters as to the importance of this project, its importance to the region and why they should support this proposition..."

Go into the community with what? PowerPoint presentations? Brochures? Thirty-minute talks at Democratic club meetings?

Let's cut to the chase: what's your budget for the marketing campaign? Most efforts of this type include television, radio, and direct mail advertising. That would put you up to a million bucks right out of the gate, maybe a couple. You're also down to about 75 days remaining to execute your strategy.

Call me skeptimistic, but I don't foresee success. Hell, I don't even see a good faith effort. Can you at least pull out an "old college try"?

Say so long to the Astrodome, everybody. The Party of No wins again because nobody -- and I mean nobody in this case -- has the balls to stand up to them.

Update: OK, there's this...

Reliant Park management officials pitched their plan to turn the Astrodome into a massive convention and exhibition venue to a sympathetic crowd on Thursday: the hospitality industry, mostly hotel owners and managers who are understandably keen on seeing Houston attract more large events that lure out-of-towners who need a place to stay.

[...]

During the Q&A, Colón also revealed that plans are in the works to form a political action committee that will raise money to promote the Dome referendum. ...

“There is going to be a more organized political campaign, a political action committee, to which I’m sure you all of you can donate funds,” Colón said, eliciting some hearty laughter.

Still not encouraged.

Still waiting for a little shame to seep in

To the Houston mayoral contest.

Mayor Annise Parker and challenger Ben Hall are debating the meaning of "debate."

Hall two weeks ago called on Parker to join him in six televised debates. Parker said one was enough.

Then on Thursday, Parker tweeted: "Looking forward to the first of many campaign debates this weekend, as well as more forums like last night. Plenty of chances to see us."

Hall's chief strategist John Weaver, also on Twitter, replied, "Phony post Ms. Parker. No 'debates' this weekend. There are forums, but no debates. (Hall) and Houston still waiting."

Parker's tweet referred to a Saturday event hosted by the Baptist Ministers' Association of Houston & Vicinity at 6 p.m. at J.J. Roberson Family Life Center, 4810 Redbud.

A June 5 post on the ministers' Facebook page referred to the event as a forum. So did ads for the event and the candidates' written invitations, said Hall press secretary Julia Smekalina. Parker spokeswoman Sue Davis said she has not seen written materials for the event but said it was referred to as a debate in her conversations with the ministers' group. A member of the group did not return a call Thursday.

There's more at the first link, but I just can't take any more. I've listened to a better exchange of competing ideas at Cub Scout den mothers' meetings. Really; I was a Cub Scout, and those women could throw down with my mom. This geek fighting on Twitter is like watching Dumb and Dumber play checkers.

Maybe some day we'll see some healthy democratic leadership demonstrated in this town, but it doesn't look like it's going to show up in 2013.

Update: With a tip of the chapeau to the Democratic Underground.


From the latest Gallup Poll this guy is gaining. Something like an 80/20 spread...

And all apologies to Sylvia.



Your nobody called today
He hung up when I asked his name
Well I wonder
if he thinks he's being clever
You say nobody tells the truth
The fact is what you say is true
but I can govern like nobody can