Illegals obtaining driver's licenses..legally?

I read a blog written by Local in Texas this evening and learned their thoughts on illegals gaining driver's licenses. Local in Texas believes illegals ought to be able to obtain a driver's license. By allowing them this privilege, they would be held to the same standards as everyone else. This would force them to pay all the same costs (insurance, fees, and fines).

I agree with Local in Texas, that everyone should be forced to be held accountable and have to pay the same costs. Where I seem to have run into a slight problem was the idea of allowing illegals to obtain drivers licenses legally. I think the state's first priority ought to be forcing illegals to become US citizens. If they are not willing to do this, like many aren't, they ought to be sent packing.

Mother's Choice

Abortion. This is an extremely touchy subject no matter what part of the world you live in. Texas laws are as follows:

There have been 3 major abortion laws passed in Texas since Roe v Wade. In 1987 3rd trimester abortions were banned, thus closing a loophole left by this historic decision. The next step after Roe v Wade was the establishment of legislation in 1977 that protected the right of medical personnel who either refused to participate in abortion procedures or those who did participate. Private hospitals or health care facilities were not legally obligated to perform abortions unless the life of the mother was immediately threatened. Following in 1985 the Texas Abortion Facility Reporting and Licensing Act stipulated that all abortion facilities must report the following information about each patient in a yearly report: the license status of the facility; patient's year of birth, race, marital status, state and country of residence; type of abortion procedure; date abortion was performed; post-operative status of patient and cause of death when applicable; period of gestation at time of procedure; date of patient's last menstrual cycle; number of previous live births to patient; number of previous abortions performed on patient. Further; all abortion facilities not under the jurisdiction of the Texas Hospital Licensing Law or a physician's office must be licensed. This includes physician's offices where 51% or more of the patients receive an abortion.

Unlike many, I think these are all acceptable laws. I'm one of the few Texans that believe that an abortion is the choice of the mother. Many protest that if the woman was ready for sex, than they ought to be ready to have a child. Yes, I agree that people should take accountability for their actions, but in this case, it is different. I mean there is a big difference between getting drunk and having to deal with a hangover, and getting pregnant and having to care for a child. A child requires time and energy, not to mention money. Depending on your financial situation, a child can cost from $143,790 to $289,380. I believe it is more important for the mother to care for herself, than be forced to try to care for a child when she is unprepared. I mean is it really worth a child to be brought into this world at the risk of them not receiving the appropriate care, and in turn end up wishing they were dead anyway?

Developers = Deception

On November 11th, 2008, Uniformed Texas wrote a blog describing the recently voted upon Proposition 2. Tax subsidies regulation for developers would be created if Proposition 2 was passed. This all came to light because of the development of the Domain, a modern shopping center.

What took part in the formation of the Domain? A foreign developer approached the city of Austin with a proposal, I can only describe as, utopian. All projections equaled benefits for Austin, money and growth. They promised space, jobs, and affordability. The developer was really a wolf in sheep's clothing. All the calculations were exaggerated. The developer promised the City of Austin would only have to pay a little over 37 million dollars, when they ended up having to pay over 64 million. They said they would utilize over 4 acres of land, when they only used 1.4 acres. And finally, they vowed the retail jobs would average a salary of 35 thousand dollars a year, when the average salary is only 22 thousand dollars a year. The deception is overwhelming. Yes, there was growth for the city, but not even close to the claims of this developer who took advantage of our city. The rich continued to get richer, while the City of Austin developed a fiscal nightmare.

The City Council only deliberated for a week and approved the proposal. They failed to educate Austinites of the possibility of a mini mall going up. I believe if Austin residents were aware of the dirty deal about to go down, they would have protested. At the very least they would have asked questions and might have gotten the City Council to evaluate the figures the developer was proposing.

Uniformed Texan spoke of how, "the proposition would also force the city to break contracts already made with developers in the middle of projects. The resulting lawsuits and legal fees would have to be absorbed by the tax payer." When, "the legal fees they say we’re going to suffer -- we have a compromise agreement that says the city can walk away at anytime with no recourse and no damages so the fact is there is no grounds for a law suite."

Honestly, I can not place sole blame on the developer. I think they were aware of their deception, but the City of Austin did not verify their projections before approving the proposal. Unfortunately, Proposition 2 failed and the city will still be able to make payments to the Domain and offer tax incentives to future projects containing retail. I think Austin should have learned from its first mistake. But instead, they are going to continue to be taken advantage of at the tax payers expense.

When does quality of life end?

When does quality of life end? Are we all to be taken care of until the day we die? Do the elderly have the same rights as their younger counterparts? I believe that from the moment you are born to the moment that you die, you ought to receive the required amount of care to not just survive, but to lead a happy, healthy life.

Unfortunately, we all reach an age where we can not necessarily care for ourselves anymore. Many look to nursing homes to look after their mental and physical health. Although many nursing home employees are compassionate, others are only there to take advantage of aging residents. According to a 2001 Congressional report, one-third of the United States' 1,600 nursing homes were cited for an abuse violation. This abuse ranges from dehydration to death. Sexual, physical, and verbal abuses were all reported. This figure is projected to double, with the addition of the baby boomer group now being subject to assisted living facilities.

This abuse must end. Human quality of life is far too precious for selfish individuals to exploit. Luckily, on November 3rd, 2008, along with many other bills, a bill has been submitted to make stricter requirements for the hiring of employees for care giving facilities. Potential workers must undergo fingerprint-based background checks and criminal background checks. I really hope that the House and the Senate will realize that it is imperative to have the appropriate staff to ensure the health, safety, and happiness of our elderly.

Contraband...Effects Prisoners AND Guards

Prisoners get severely punished for possessing contraband, but how do the items even get into the facility to begin with? Yes, some inmates manage to smuggle banned items, but we all know there is a much more direct route, security guards. I recently read a blog from Grits for Breakfast, updating us on the current contraband issues in our state prisons.

According to the blog, currently everyone coming in and out, including staff, must be searched when entering and exiting prison facilities, because certain contraband are on the rise. Employees are disgruntled about the requirements. They feel as though, "pat searches are triggering dozens of grievances and formal complaints." Also, employees, "have complained they are not being allowed to bring in lunches and other personal items." Through one of the websites included in the blog, it spoke about how cell phones are making their way beyond bars. In this article, it reveals how some inmates bring cell phones into the prison system. Some get through security by placing the cell phone and charger in their own rectums. Not every visitor was screened on visits. Security guards found it easy to take bribes because they do not feel like they have a high enough salary. The officers did not get as sever of sentences as prisoners caught with contraband.

I believe this blog was written for audiences of all ages. The vocabulary is not all too sophisticated. Although, it depends on who might actually be interested in the contraband problem within the prison system. In that case, I would say this article was written for ages 25 and up. I feel as though this blog is solely informative. The author did not seem to be biased in any way about contraband, merely informing audiences of the current situation. Personally, I think the security guards should not complain about the extra security sweeps. Yes, they may not be able to bring some of their personal items with them to work, but they ought to know that is the requirements of being a security guard. It comes with the territory. Also, the new policies probably would have never come to light if employees would not have taken bribes and brought contraband in to begin with. I think it is completely unfair that prisoners caught with banned items were sentenced from 2 to 40 years, whereas guards only served 8 days.

Judges: The Unkown Law Makers

What do you think of when you think of a judge? Typically, the image of a man with a powdered, curled wig and gavel comes to mind. There is much more to a judge than this sterotypical image. I read a commentary in the Austin American Statesman called, "Why Electing Good Judges Matters," by Craig Enoch. With his help, I will tell you why every citizen should be well informed when it comes to electing judges.

Judges have more power and responsibility than many citizens realize. As Enoch so appropriately wrote, "The Legislature is charged with writing laws. Judges are empowered to interpret and apply them." Through their interpretations, judges can create laws concerning every aspect of the average citizen's life. Thus, as Enoch believes and I completely agree with, citizens must take care when it comes to voting for judges because their influence, like so many other political offices, can change our lives.

I believe Craig Enoch, an Austin lawyer and former Texas Supreme Court justice, wrote his commentary with the intention of reaching older indiviuals. He writes, "most Texans make sure they know their children's teachers before sending them to school. Most learn about their doctors before entrusting their health to them." This indicates to me that he is addressing an older audience, because most youth do not have children or worry about doctors. I believe that we need to not only reach the older generation, but the younger as well. Yes, the older generation may have the ability to vote, but if we do not keep our youth informed, when they reach voting age, they will not use their new right wisely.

Is beauty worth $87 million?

Is beauty worth $87 million? How much would you pay to improve roads and develop park lands? If you believe in beautifying a city, how would you propose financing such a venture? The following summary of an article I read in the Austin American Statesman (http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/09/1009georgetownbond.html) will reveal how Georgetown is attempting to further develop and adorn their city.
On the November 4th ballot, citizens will find an $87 million bond, consisting of two propositions, that would create a large new park, restore existing park buildings, and expand roads. One proposition, for road projects, will cost $44.2 million. Parks and recreation projects, the other proposition, will cost $36.5 million. Issuing the bonds will cost $6.3 million. The mayor, George Garver, thinks the bond propositions will pass considering recent surveys reveal that citizens believe the improvements will better their city. The bonds will be funded through higher property taxes, ranging from a 3 cent to an 8 cent increase annually.
I believe it is important for readers, particularly Georgetown inhabitants, to read this article to be better informed about local news. By ignoring current events, people are in jeopardy of undergoing critical changes that might have been prevented. Personally, I like the idea behind the bond. Cities will continue to require some form of restoration and improvement. But I think the city officers ought to find a different way to fund such projects. By being uneducated about this bond, Georgetown citizens may end up paying higher property taxes and not even know why.