Home of Today's Common Sense

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 Unfortunately the Web site did not provide “more to learn” as it was badly out of date.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. More »

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. More »

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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