Response to Unemployment Benefits...No problem

In the blog "Unemployment Benefits...No problem," the downsides of unemployment benefits are discussed. The author expresses sympathy to those that are unable to find work in the tough United States economy, and talks about the highly discussed unemployment rates of the country, state and city.  The author then goes on to talk about the circumstances that qualify people for unemployment. The author expresses disdain for the current processes of unemployment as well as employment. She brings up the point that if it wasn't such a difficult process to hire someone, employers might be able to utilize more workers on a temporary basis, bringing some back into the work force if only for a while. She also talks about how unemployment benefits can be more comfortable for an individual than going out and looking for a job.

I definitely agree with the author that the criteria for unemployment should be revised, and that there should be a tighter monitoring system on those that are receiving them. I have a family member that works as a bouncer at a bar on call, making more than two hundred dollars three times a week tax free. This family member also receives unemployment benefits. This hardly seems like a fair situation when you consider the fact that tax dollars of hard working Americans are funding this lifestyle. I commend the authors use of personal experience to make her argument more compelling.

Exercise Your Rights!

The article "Have Your Say on State Propositions," written by the editorial board for the Austin American Statesman, discusses a recent ballot for still more amendments to the Texas constitution. It was written to help inform the general Texas citizen that there were elections being held and what they were for. The tone of the article was a bit cynical, as the author stated amending such an important document should be a “pretty big deal,” but that it generates little public interest. In fact, according to the article, statewide voter turnout for the last constitutional election was only 8.2%. This is a strikingly low number when you take in to consideration the possible daily impact that this could have on all Texans, yet only a small fraction are making the decisions for us all. 

The article then goes on to discuss the colorful history of Texas’ constitution, including the to date 497 amendments that it includes. In short, this article implies that due to the large amount of amendments already included in the Texas constitution, and the frequency with which new amendments are proposed, these elections have become no big deal to everyday Texans.

The authors recognize and acknowledge the flaws in our system and attribute them to our flawed constitution. The article closes with a summary of local bills that would be voted on in said election, and encourages citizens to use their right to vote. The main argument that was voiced very clearly was that although our system may be flawed, we must make the best of it, and hopefully our diligence will pay off eventually in the form of a new, more efficient Texas constitution.

Response to "Affairs of the City"

The recent post from the blog "Affairs of the City" titled "Out of ideas? Try the Texas state budget on for size this Halloween," offered and excellent summary
of the facts contained in the original article it was citing. I felt that
I gleaned the critical information from the blog without even having to
read the actual article it referenced which was greatly appreciated, but at the same time I was enticed to read the article by what the author presented. I think that is a great balance.

I aggree with many of the points put forward in the blog, as I do strongly agree with andbelieve that there is little room to cut money from Texas education. I do however think that as the author strongly focused on education, it is important to consider all the needs of the budget and realize that although it will be hard to sacrifice funds from education, it will be neccesary to some extent. The reason behind this is simple, in the current budget crises, budgets need to be cut EVERYWHERE until we resume a balanced economy. If Texas as a whole does not stop living beyond it means, there will soon be no means left. I think that the amount of cuts to education should be revised in the current plan, but we also have to accept the fact that cuts will need to made across the board.

I agree with the author that  we need to start voting as a society to make things happen.

Texas Consitution? Hit the Road.

Texas should adopt a new constitution. Continuing to use the current one is like driving your Chevrolet Silverado with a doughnut spare. Sure, you might get where you're going on the short term, but unless you update to a full size replacement, you'll soon be stuck with a flat. The Texas constitution is outdated, especially as it was written with a reactionary state of mind, attempting to go against many of the values set forth by previous constitution. It would make much more sense to have a constitution based on real values and needs of a vibrant and moving community, rather than biased opinions of the day that it was written.

The Texas constitution has been amended 467 times, making it evermore complicated and lengthy. Although these amendment are made with the intent to fix wrongs within the existing constitution, it is more like adding patches to the afore mentioned doughnut spare. In reality, these patches just end up making the constitution weaker. Texas needs a constitution that addresses broad issues that affect it today, and will continue to affect it in the future, like education, taxes, social welfare etc. Without a strong base of four full size tires, the classic Texas truck is going no place fast.

Now, the hard question.

The article "Now, the hard question," from the blog "Big Jolly Politics, was written in August of this year, and discusses the current state of our country and states that we have lost sight of the main principles and beliefs that have gotten the United States this far. The author, Ed Hubbard, discusses the original desires of our founding fathers and the original citizens of our country. He mentions that what was wanted originally was the freedom and liberty to create our own communities and infrastructures with the protection and backing of government. He says that now however, we have allowed government to over step its boundaries and have allowed it to create the infrastructure rather than simply supporting it. Hubbard strongly believes that the key to solving many of our countries main issues, including the growing divide between the rich and poor and huge budget deficits is to go back to our roots. He believes that we need to be involved members of our communities, and that it should be the role of the individual and community to help lift up those less fortunate, rather allowing the government to do so.

This article is written in hopes to inspire change within our community. It was written in hopes of influencing a reader from the general public to want to change the way our current government is heading. It explains the past values that our country held and how they have changed today. This is a very strong and valuable comparison because of the high levels of prosperity that existed in the past, and the current low and dismal levels. The correlation is sure to stand out to any member of our society. Another reinforcing argument that the author uses is to reference the work of Alexis de Tocqueville. The writings of de Tocqueville provide a basis for Hubbard’s ideas. De Tocqueville strongly emphasized the need of government to remain uninvolved in the equality of our society, that as long as the members of society remained united in purpose, there would be no need for government to intervene on such a high level. Hubbard concludes that the best way to get our country out of our current slump is for us to return to the original values that we held dear.

I think that idealogically, Hubbard has good idea. However I think that it would be impossible to involve everyone in the country on such a broad scale. We can’t seem to even agree on a budget, much less and entire idealogical set of values.

Texas School Funding

  The article “Politics aside, school funding is a real plight,” begins by referencing a lawsuit being made by over 100 Texas school districts that claims that the funding for public schools is so unequal, that it is unconstitutional. It then continues to give specific examples and numbers that reinforce the claims. This article is intended to inform and persuade the general public of Texas to be more informed and proactive about the school funding policies of the state.  It was definitely written with the general public in mind, with informative facts and even a brief summary of past events. 

The author claims that there is a unfairness in the way that Texas public schools are funded. School funding, he states, is based heavily on local property taxes. He cites the differences in funding between the Round Rock school district and the Pflugerville district. Even thought they are only a few miles apart, Round Rock is given $700 more per student. The author concludes from the lack of action by Texas’ current governer and legislator that nothing will really be done about the issue until 2013, when a new government is elected in. In closing, he states that the everyday citizen may begin to feel the effects of this unequal funding a hopefully place pressure on the legislature to solve the funding issue, so that a judge is not forced to do it in conclusion to the afore mentioned lawsuit. 

Based on the evidence provided, and my personal knowledge of the dismal state of the Texas education system, I agree that something needs to be done about school finances and that if the average citizen doesn’t put any pressure on the legislature, this very important issue will continue to be put off.

Capitol Punishment in Texas

 A Texas man was spared from the death penalty due to claims of an unfair and racially influenced sentencing. This article from the Austin American Statesman http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/execution-on-hold-while-supreme-court-decides-1861286.html, details the U.S. Supreme Court decision to halt the execution of Duane Buck, a 48 year old man convicted of shooting his ex-girlfriend and a man with her in 1995. Appeals made to the sentencing referenced a testimony by a psychologist that stated that black people were more likely to commit violence.

This article is important simply for its highly sensitive and debated subject matter; the use of capitol punishment is always noteworthy and should never be taken lightly. The deeper relevance in this article is revealed when it discusses Governor Perry’s support of capitol punishment and that his decisions regarding the matter are now being viewed on a national stage due to his current campaign for the presidency. Because the U.S. Supreme Court made the decision, Perry was not required to make a decision to use his thirty day one time pardon in this highly sensitive case, saving him from possible scrutiny from ends of the political spectrum. This article really puts into perspective how Texas politics can affect politics on the national level.