Home of Today’s Common Sense

Submitted 6/23/2004 Published Brownsville Herald
I noted in the June 23 report on the BISD Board meeting in the Herald that the Board now feels that students who do not go to school or sleep through classes deserve a grade of 50 for their non-activity.
As I understand it they are telling me that the student knows 50% of what they need, to be fully knowledgeable in the class, whether they attend or not. Another way of looking at it is that a 50 is now equal to a “0”. So will we need grades of 150 in the future?
This is just another, well intentioned, action that will cause more problems than it will solve.

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Submitted 6/11/2004
I read the Letter entitled “Accountability needed before taxes are raised” moments ago. My first thought was that “someone was writing my sentiments.” After I completed it, I was very appalled at the manner in which very worthwhile issues were addressed. This was from an individual who has sought public office as a conservative!
The good points Mr. Ahumada made were lost in the unsubstantiated allegations of blackmail and favoritism and others. The allegation was made that $500,000 was being spent on two unneeded administration positions without specification or substantiation. Another attack was made as to the incompetence of another area administrator without valid specification, apparently only because he has an advanced degree and may have not addressed a traffic problem to Mr. Ahumada’s satisfaction, still with no example nor valid support. Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted 6/8/2004
IIn a recent article in the Herald relating to the rejection of the Bond Issue the BISD Financial officer is reported as predicting doom for the district because the bond issue referendum failed. I don’t know where he gets the idea that there will be less money to run the district; as that is just false and anyone who has looked at their tax appraisals can appreciate it.
Just a few months ago BISD again raised its rates to collect an additional $6,000,000 or more for which they could not demonstrate a rational use. At the same time thousands of new homes and businesses have been built, Brownsville construction growth is among the highest in the Valley which has increased the value of taxable property enormously. Additionally, this year most property owners faced substantial increases in the appraised value of there homes which further increases the tax revenues. All of this translates into very large revenue increases. The bond issue failed not only by the small margin in votes, but also by a large mandate, given by the folks who voted against the bond issue by staying home. They just could not trust what they were being told by the Trustees and the BISD administration Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted 6/8/2004 Published Brownsville Herald
In the last few days Dr. Z announced the elimination of 65 administrative positions and the addition of 1 Assistant Superintendent. I applaud the effort at fiscal responsibility demonstrated by the elimination of the positions. I hope they are indeed real positions and not just an attempt to reduce a needed service to apply pressure to get added money by extortion, as the city attempted to do in the wrangling over police salaries.
Dr. Z has earned a big Kudo; because in a bureaucracy of this size there are so many interest groups pulling at the purse strings, to protect their kingdoms, it can be an almost insurmountable task to remove or even reassign a position. Well done Dr. Z!
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Submitted 5/26/2004
I read Mr. Navarrette’s article in The Herald of May 26 and agree with much of what he has to say about the importance of Latinos and I believe that most Americans are also aware of the importance of all immigrants who have respected American law and immigrated legally.
The problem is that undocumented immigrants have not respected the rule of law and in fact are criminals. They create serious problems for other immigrants attempting to find the dream of “American Freedom”.
Just as there are other immigrants of Latin descent aside from Mexicans, (Asian Hispanics, Carribean Hispanics, South American Hispanics) there are undocumented immigrants of other nationalities that have failed to respect our laws in there arrival here. If the first act of an individual upon arriving in a new land is a criminal one, albeit one driven by survival, can a nation that depends on the rule of law expect more from them?
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Submitted 5/12/2004 Published Brwonsville Herald
I just read the heart tearing article in the Herald of May 12, entitled “Veteran’s Troubles stir up memories”. That is perhaps the best articulated portrayal of the situation I have ever heard about outside of some other Vets venting in private. The description of being branded as some kind of monsters when we returned and; because “unless you experienced the terror, you could not begin to understand”, most suffered in silence. I still have friends, I served with, that still after 30 years, live the war every night when they try to sleep or drown it with alcohol or other substances. The society of the day would not let them be the heroes they were. Now society pays. So many of the warriors in uniforms and the shadow warriors abandoned during the President Carter period, did not return - they worked as mercenaries for a while and those that survive, live in enclaves in Central America, Thailand, the Philippines etc. They didn’t do this to themselves; a country that wants to quit when the going gets tough has done this to them.
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Submitted 5/7/2004
I just read the Dan McNeely column entitled “State Senator makes case for income tax” with disgust at how our “elected professional rulers” choose to not deal with the real issues.
The impression is conveyed that unlimited amounts of tax money will make our children well educated and productive. This is patently false and is demonstrated by the fact that the Washington, D.C. schools where the highest per child spending occurs, has one of the worst education results in the nation.
The issue is not how much is spent; it is how it is spent. Money should be spent primarily and in order of importance on teachers, books, supplies, training teachers, and classrooms. After you have adequately funded those things then if there is money left (the operable word is if) fund things like minimal supervision and administration. Read the rest of this entry »

I had the privilege of being in the stands in Corpus Christi last Saturday when the Lopez Lobos seized the Texas “futbol” championship from favored Brenham in the first eight minutes of the game; when our Lobos surprised the opposition with two great goals and cracked their confidence. The rest of the game was superb tactics and great defense that prevented the bigger Brenham team from becoming a serious threat until late in the game when a shot on goal was helped by the wind and found the net.
To me the bigger story is the way these young folks represented Brownsville before, during and after the game. Even though the frustration on the part of the Brenham resulting from not being able to mount any kind of meaningful attack, precipitated some unsportsmanlike conduct such as kicking our goalie, discrete punches in the clinches on the field, and racial epithets in the stands and on the field; our young folks just kept their cool and played an outstanding game.
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Submitted 4/4/2004
During the week I read about the coming bond issue to extort more money from us. The story mentioned that 50% of the bond issue would go towards a specific purpose and didn’t say what other purposes it would be used for.
After taking into consideration, the recent tax increase that was foisted on us “just because they could” and where no rational explanation was ever proffered, and the fact that substantial increases in tax money have resulted from a rise in assessed valuation, how can there possibly be the requirement for a new bond issue/tax increase just popping up at the last minute. It would appear that the BISD Administration and Trustees are either incredibly incompetent or they are not honest with those of us who must pay the bills.
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Submitted 4/4/2004
During the week, The Herald printed a story describing a new attempt on the part of BISD to extort more money from us, “so that we wouldn’t lose some other money from the state”. The story mentioned that 50% of the bond issue would go towards that purpose and didn’t say what other purposes it would be used for. I was looking for a more detailed story over the weekend and didn’t see one. I certainly hope the Herald has plans for a more complete story as the only protection regular folks have from “the government” is an informed voting public and the Herald is our first line of defense.
Please get us the facts!!
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Submitted 4/2/2004 Published Brownsville Herald
I have recently read in the Herald a number of calls for new public expenditures to build this facility or provide that service to get Brownsville on the “Map”. Certainly some of these things are necessary to maintain the quality of life but I submit that Brownsville is indeed on the “Map” and not because of any edifice or service.
Last fall I returned to the town where I was born, a small “bordertown” in Northern New York for my 40th high school reunion. As is the case with many “transplanted Texians”, I fell in love with the place, the people and the mystique that is Texas; and unabashedly brag about its many wonders. (I am still impressed that there are still real people that normally wear cowboy boots and hats.)
My two best friends from high school, now partly retired, normally escape the severe winters in Kissimmee, Fla. were persuaded to visit us in Brownsville for two weeks. They are now considering changing their destination.
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Submitted 4/1/2004 Published Brownsville Herald
I have some serious issues relating to the impact of the World Court Decision concerning the adjudged violations of consular notification when a foreign national is arrested described in the lead article in the April 1, Herald.
What really concerns me is that we are beginning a process where we will be revising our immigration policies that will result in a substantial number of temporary worker/residents where this consular notification will indeed become serious.
In looking at the issue we must focus on the specifics and ignore the legalities of jurisdiction, procedures and time frames of filing memorandums and such.
The issue in this case, is that a number of individuals were arrested and convicted of a variety of serious crimes. The government of Mexico claims that they were citizens of Mexico and that sufficient information was available to determine that these individuals were citizens of Mexico. Because of the fact of nationality the nearest consul of Mexico should have been notified in a timely manner of the fact of the detention.
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Submitted 3/10/2004
On March 9, I read Mr. Marchan’s very understandable article debunking the rhetoric surrounding the “exporting our jobs” and on the same page E.L. Mason’s assertions that Bush is to blame for sending jobs to India, China and Mexico. Perhaps some of the readers will remember my article of Jan. 18 on the same issue. (Available on my personal Website www.the-drews.com).
The truth is that no President can create or send jobs anywhere by himself. He can create some influences such as how import requirements are enforced, the increase or decrease of tariffs etc.
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