Home of Today’s Common Sense

Published Brownsville Herald 10/3/2004
Recently, my wife and I followed the cattle trails north to Wichita and Dodge City, Kansas, much as the early cowboys and charros, possibly (great) grandparents of many in the Valley, did 130 years ago or so. We were much more comfortable, however. On the way we stopped in Oklahoma City at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
The historical displays and extraordinary art work in this remarkable place brought me face to face with the reality of what and why America is!
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Submitted 9/22
In a recent column I asserted that a message was being sent “that we are paying enough tax or too much and government must live with the amounts that are there” and “all of the taxing authorities are in competition for the available tax dollars”. Now the courts have entered the fray declaring that some education funding methods are unconstitutional.
I submit that the results of the new state education legislation will impact enormously on all government funding not just education and everyone should take an active interest in it.
I suggest that it is now crucial that we look at our priorities as to what taxes ought to be used for and fund the most critical fully, first without fail. There should never be a flap over funding things like law enforcement and emergency services or teachers fully, as they make everything else possible.
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Sent 9/15/2004 Published 9/19
I attended the presentation that University and Texas Soutmost College officals provided at St. Marys Church on September 14 and was impressed with the candor that permeated the meeting. I went there with preconceived notions that were dispelled to some extent and forced me to rethink the whole thing.
The event began with Dr. Tony Zavaleta’s imposing presence that transmitted the sense that you are in good hands here and we are going to be straight with you. Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted 9/6 Published Brownsville Herald 9/10
I read the Herald editorial relating to the City Charter election and Mr. Oscar Garcia’s comments entitled “Not all information about charter election correct”. I also took Mr. Garcia’s invitation and went to the PUB Web site “to learn more”. Unfortunately the Web site did not provide “more to learn” as it was badly out of date. Most information was only accurate as of 2002 and there was no new financial information after that date. So it would appear right away that “something is not right at PUB.” PUB chooses not maintain current information available to their owners and customers and the Chairman either knows nothing about it, or is intentionally trying to mislead the community.
The fact the City Charter election is being held at a time separate from other elections some just recently held and another in just two months or so further suggests that there is an attempt to just push this through with as few finding out about it as possible.
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Submitted 8/25
I noted a “Letter to the Editor” from Jacinta Rodgers dated in the Herald dated 8/26 asserting that George Bush passed new labor laws taking away the right of overtime from up to 6 million people middle class Americans. That assertion is patently wrong in almost all parts. George Bush cannot pass any laws only Congress can do that. Thechange in overtime rules is not a change in law but a change in regulation that defines specifically, who is covered by an exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (amended frequently thru 10/27/1990), already provided for in the law. Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted 8/25
In an article in the Brownsville Herald dated August 19, 2004, I read that The University of Texas and Texas Southmost College will be asked to vote on a smaller version of the $97 million dollar bond proposal that was sneaked into a special election two years ago.
The University of Texas at Brownsville wants the taxpayers of Brownsville to shell out a 38% increase in the taxes that we pay to the Southern Union Jr. College District to pay for a larger University library, more University classrooms, a Day Care Center, the establishment of a University workforce training center, expanding University campus parking, and funding for University research for Diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.
All of the uses mentioned are admirable and valuable goals and would certainly improve the University. Read the rest of this entry »

Submitted 8/25
While surfing the Cable Channels recently I came across Congressman D. Hastert speaking, on one of the talk shows, about a national Sales Tax with certain rebates to lower income groups as an alternative to the income tax.
The idea of tax reform has been with us since the time of the Boston Tea Party and in effect “Tax Reform” is a large reason for the birth of the United States.
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Submitted 8/25 Published Brownsville Herald 8/29
Like everyone the attack ads and claims and counter claims have excited my emotions like little else has done in many years.
I served in Vietnam for several tours between 1963 and 1969. My experiences while there and afterward led me to conclude that the communists could not win the war but the anti-war activists caused them to believe that the U.S. could lose, if they just held on and directed their propaganda to play on the sympathies of the new generations. They were correct! Not only did we lose but many more of our soldiers died as a result, not to mention the many thousands killed in the aftermath, including thousands of Hmung tribal people, some I knew personally.
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