RE: Border problems still need fixing

                In a recent posting from one of my colleagues, Border problems still need fixing, my colleague proceeded to explain that the drug cartels along the border have discouraged many people from the border despite the security. She states that this immigration problem has gone too far and that there are rules set in place for a reason and they should be followed. It is also recorded that the Mexican government should aid Texas in this fight against the drug cartel. She also asks why anyone would even want to come illegally. Well I will answer this.

                First, Mexico has an entire different government than Texas. When the government is corrupted with the drug cartel, it is hard to fight against it. The Mexican government is not going to aid Texas in this fight. Second, Mexican citizens have plenty of reasons to want to cross illegally. They live in a poverty-stricken area, their government is corrupt, they don’t have jobs, and they have families to provide for.  If someone is desperate for money to provide for their family, they will do just about anything; including dangerously crossing over illegally to the United States.

                I do agree with my colleague in one area, Texas cannot fight this drug cartel issue alone. The Mexican government is not going to help, so we need to call in our Federal Government for aid. It is obvious that Texas cannot handle this issue alone.

Air Pollution and Texas Goverment

                I find that the Texas Government is not regulating air pollution as closely as they should be.  I understand that the immigration issues seem to be a big issue right now but, the government should not overlook air pollution. This earth is disintegrating and we only get one; our health and livelihood should be important to our government.

                In the article by in the Chemical & Engineering News it is discovered that the Texas government has been slacking in their regulation of the air pollution. The federal government, under the clean air act, made it the state government’s responsibility to regulate the air pollution emissions from industries. It is stated in this article that the state government was given several reminders under the Bush administration, and once Obama came into office; EPA took control.

                I find it appalling that, after several reminders and warnings were given, our state government still failed to regulate air pollution. Although it is not the top issue, it should have never gotten to the point where the EPA had to step in. This article states that the EPA invalidated over 122 facilities permits; this all could have been avoided if our government just addressed these issues when they were originally warned.

                Our health is an important issue that should not continue to be put on the back burner. Our state government should make a driven effort to regulate air pollution.  They should not have to be forced by the Federal government to protect our health. Overall, I find that our state government is not putting enough effort into regulating air pollution.

RE: Abdallah's Law

            A college of mine recently posted an article about passing the “Abdallah’s Law”. This law will allow DWI convictions to be admissible in Texas. This law was inspired by the tragic story of the Khader family. They were rear ended a man under the influence and were all injured, and their son suffered %8o brain damage. This law would allow people with misdemeanors in other states to classify as a felony if they are caught again in Texas. Currently if someone has a misdemeanor DWI in say Florida and they come to Texas, they start another DWI record here and the previous does not apply.

            I completely agree that the government should pass this law.  I find it appalling that they are not able to take into account someone’s DWI convictions if it is within a different state. It should not matter what state they are in, the law is the same.

            The story of this family is tragic, but I am sure it is not the only one of its kind. If the government cannot take use a person’s DWI record from other states, they can just remain on the run. They can drink and drive wherever they please killing and injuring innocent people along the way. It is absurd, and DWI convictions SHOULD be admissible in Texas as well as every other state.

               

            Abdallah’s law or laws similar should be passed. I don’t believe there is a reason not to pass such laws. The government should try to protect us from those who choose to live precariously. Those who are convicted of DWI should be punished no matter what state it was in, we are all one country. This should not just be about Texas making DWI conviction admissible, but all other states as well. The government should not stand by and allow people to run and break laws that hard innocent family’s such as Khader’s.

Texas Government on Immigration: Blog Stage 5

                I believe that the Texas government spends a lot of their energy on immigration laws. This is an important issue that definitely needs to be addressed, but I believe they are going about it all wrong. Passing stricter immigration laws will cause Texas economy to drop significantly; there are other alternative ways to address this issue.

                Texas should not be spending all of their effort trying to deport people who are helping are economy; they should be making the process to gain citizenship easier. By working to shorten the processes to become a citizen, or gain a work permit, the government can help our economy other than harming it. Now a lot of people say that having too many immigrants will reduce the amount of jobs for native citizens and ultimately harm our economy. However, how is this possible when most immigrants are taking jobs Americans don’t want?

                Making this process easier will encourage immigrants to process their papers correctly instead of bypassing it due to it time consuming difficulty. I know there will be a lot of people who disagree with me, but I am not saying they should not completely withdraw stricter immigration laws. All immigrants do not seek citizenship, but that does not mean we shouldn’t try to make it easier for those who strive to be an American citizen. Along with some stricter immigration laws the Texas government should work to amend the process of citizenship.

The Grey Haired Brigade

      I thought this article had very few positive attributes. The Texas Fred Blog is obviously against socialism and younger generations.  Fred has a very demanding and “all-knowing” tone. He makes the elderly seem high and mighty, and portrays the younger generation as incompetent. He did have some very true arguments supporting his cause, but the way he presented them will make a lot of people angry.
     He clearly explains that the young people need to be saved; therefore The Grey Haired Brigade is on their way. Who’s to say that we need to be saved? Every economy has its ups and downs, were just on a down. Each generation will make their own decisions, and we will never agree on everything. Someone will always have a criticism. The decisions we make are based upon what is happening now. Fred’s past conditions differ from our current conditions, so our decisions inevitably are very different.
     Although I am on his side as a conservative, I do think that he went about this post all wrong. He should be trying to influence the younger generation’s decisions positively, not negatively. He will only anger the younger generations, causing them to object even more.  I do agree that younger generations do not always respect our country the way they should. This can be affected by influence and knowledge, not criticisms.
     This blog does not benefit anyone; it only shows how stupid Fred thinks young people are. He should be trying to give them knowledge about why it is important to respect our country and know all of the words to the pledge of allegiance. If Fred really cared about our country, he wouldn’t complain about how the younger generations are messing up, he would influence them to make better decisions. There will be no one to save us once The Grey Haired Brigade is gone but ourselves. He should be teaching us, not saving us.

Eddie Bernice Johnson Vs. Stephen Broden

The Author of this editorial is The Dallas Morning News. Their credibility is high as they are a major mainstream news media outlet. Their argument is for Stephen Broden for U.S House District 30 versus Eddie Bernice Johnson. Throughout the article the author clearly establishes all of Johnson’s faults and praises Broden. They bluntly establish that Johnson has avoided admitting her mistakes and continues to be caught in a lie. It is apparent that they do not want her reelected; she is favoring her own family and breaking rules. The public knows she is lying, yet she still will not admit that she broke the ruled. Although Broden has not held this position, the author quickly uplifts him stating that he is a pastor of the church and has reached out to the district even on the lowest level. It is clear that this news paper is fairly conservative as they had no problem using religion to support their candidate. He wants to create jobs that are closer to home for many southern Dallas inhabitants. Broden has high hopes for Social Security that will need some hard work, but according to The Dallas Morning News, is just what we need in this position. It is very clear that The Dallas Morning News supports Broden, they are not afraid to establish who and what their news paper stands for. I do somewhat agree with the author, Johnson is no longer a suitable candidate due to her bias scholarship grants.  I do not know very much about the third candidate so I cannot fairly create my own opinion.  The author gave very little information on the third candidate with the hope of pushing him under the rug so that they can have more supporters of Borden. I think they will succeed with most people who read this.

Texas Attorney General Fights Back

    In this article, found in The Dallas Morning News, Texas Attorney General speaks out against the Federal governments rulings for green house gas standards.This article is worth reading, because it proves that Texas government is not afraid to step up to the Federal government. Abbott believes that these new rules will affect our economy negatively and add more damage to what we already have. Abbott is not afraid to argue with the Federal Government. His office claims that the EPA is using false climate data for their new regulations; this is a bold statement to make. This article proves that Texans, as well as our government, are willing to do whatever it takes to protect our great state.  Although I do not agree with fighting new regulations on green house gases, Abbott does make a firm argument. Now the main issue is whether our economy is more important than our earth. I personally believe we only get one world, and we need to take care of it; if that means our economy suffers a little longer, then so be it.