I've Stood In That Line....More Will Too

In a recent blog entry in The Huffington post, Ed Schultz made an emotional plea and call for those deciding the policies of health reform to actually get out there and truly see the faces and meet the people whom those policies would affect. This plea really spoke to me since I am one of those people who has stood in line for free healthcare. I am one of the people who have found themselves without health insurance and cannot afford to purchase it on my own. I am one of the people who will endure an illness, like the sinus infection I KNEW I had, for three weeks because I also knew that the doctor visit and generic presription, that is, IF, one was available, would cost me at least $100.I finally caved because my employer insisted that she would help cover the costs, probably to ensure that her children, whom I nanny, would not catch anything I might develop secondary to the sinus infection. I can also relate to one of those politicians who is completely insulated from understanding, not to mention, experience, what it means to be without healthcare insurance. For many years, I had full-coverage health insurance. It was great coverage and I was so accustomed to the coverage and manageable costs of healthcare that when I would hear of people having such a difficult time getting medical care, it was seriously beyond my scope of comprehension. The only way I have come to really appreciate this "healthcare" dilemna? It was to be in the trenches, standing in line for hours, and I mean sometimes, four or five hours, to even see a practicioner. I believe that it's only when our politicians hit the streets and visit the free clinics throughout our country, that they will come to appreciate what the faces of this population really looks like. With the present situation, many more people are going to know about this experience and believe me, the ripple effect it will have on business and missed productivity, will be felt.

Whose laughing now, Senora Nickless?

The firing of state elections official Melinda Nickless over offensive comments made at a pre-primary seminar was just and is exactly the kind of swift action needed to rattle the cages of complacent, ill-behaving good old boy (and girl) politicians. Nickless was the assistant director of the secretary of state's elections division. After reading the article posted by W. Gardner Selby (read the article here),I began to wonder if someone like Nickless, in such a high profile position that deals with voter registration and training could be so blatantly discriminatory, what deeply rooted racist and discriminatory practices could be found in the voting system of our fair state. I suspect many citizens, myself included, often see the voting system and process in many ways like we view going to see a doctor. We have a very high level of faith, and often, an absence of questioning the diagnosis or practice of our medical professional. Something as small as requesting a second opinion can sometimes cause a shaking in one's boots. Could it be that questioning the status quo and the authority of the establishment might be the very thing that is necessary to improve what is wrong with a forty-five minute delay in getting in for a scheduled appointment. Maybe this questioning could also prompt "elected" or "appointed" officials to fully understand that this state is no longer a community of white, Anglo citizens with visiting brown people to clean their homes, build their fences and take out their trash. Rather the state is a current population that includes millions of Hispanic voters who, when ridiculed and patronized will reflect their influence and power when they enter the voting booths. Voting booths that will be absent of the likes of Melinda Nickless.

Cyclist Attack In North Austin

Cycling attacker is more about disregard for people, than a disregard for cyclists. Read my comment here.

UT,Education, Human Rights and The King......of Saudi

Did you know the University of Texas has partnered, and when I say partnered I mean, given an unholy amount of money to, with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology? The institution is located in Saudi Arabia and opened it's doors to the inaugural class in September of this year. And when I say money, I mean millions upon millions of dollars. Ok, so the theory behind this is that KAUST, as it's called, will be the epicenter of education the likes of which the country has never seen. Well, I hope that is true. While the supporters of this university say it will be groundbreaking for the advances in science and technology education, there still seems to be a question of whether this college will be groundbreaking enough to carry through with equal education rights for women and be a campus that truly supports diversity and open discussion for controversial topics. This just goes to show that a private institution without federal or state government regulation can use its funds how it sees fit. Ok, I get that whole private enterprise thing. However, what does it mean when a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States is allocating money to a program in a country who still has a seriously disturbing travel advisory. Published by Crosstalk: A Publication of The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education recently stated"...the State Department's advisory on travel to Saudi Arabia contains this paragragh."Saudi authorities do not allow criticism of Islam or the royal family. The government prohibits the public practice of religions other than Islam. Non-Muslims suspected of violating these restrictions have been jailed." The article explores the question of whether women will be granted actual physical access to the school, as universites do not allow women in the same classrooms as men. This all seems to fall under the catagory of human rights issues and the fact that there is not a guarantee of these "rights and freedoms" attached to an enormous amount of money from a democratic based college seems a little on the absurd side. What ever happened to dissenting voices? The idea that this college could be the one to break new ground is awesome but it seems that UT could have put some caveats into the allotment, especially considering the history of such inequalities. If it's successful, great! It just seems that with the educational crisis looming in the state of Texas, UT could have perhaps allocated some of those millions of dollars to scholarships for women majoring in science and technology or even into funding science and technology programs in the public high schools. On a more national level, shouldn't the government have some kind of restriction on institutions of higher learning that funds other country's enterprises, when the country has adhered to equality and human rights standards?

Perry's Race to Mediocrity

Your points are well taken. It's disappointing that our state has a chance to finally make some incredible strides in improving all multiple areas of our educational system, but due to our current governor's attitude, public education, once again, could be falling short of true accountability. Federal standards of public education would mean that dismal rankings of low-achieving schools would be front and center, possibly bloodying the nose of the political leadership that espouses serious resolutions to education issues in our state. When one ponders the idea of "Texas exceptionalism", Perry's statement reiterating his opposition to the federal funds for the "Race To The Top " program says it all. It's difficult to see any stellar progress this leadership has made in the area of education and while I appreciate the desire to handle this situation on a state level, it seems entirely appropriate that the time has come to add more accountability to the fixing the problem. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-perryed_25met.ART.State.Edition1.4b932bf.html

Tis the Season for Mudslinging and Political Ads

So as we approach Thanksgiving, the one thing I will be grateful for is not having television. Why? Well, this week marks the kick-off of the political ads candidates will be running for their govenorship campaigns. Not only will the public be spoon-fed highly calculated images of said political candidates, we will also be forced to try to figure out candidates positions on issues, that will no doubt, be hidden among all the mudslinging. While research has shown that the use of mass media, specifically television, is a requirement for any candidate to have a viable chance at winning his or her race, I personally feel that there is little, if any, truth in the ads. Regardless of party, there is so much glossing over and "airbrushing" of the candidate that no-one can really know if this is the 'real" person that will be making gubenatorial decisions. The mudslinging and taking down of the opponent usually is derived from an offensive position that points out all flaws. If an ad is really picked apart, most viewers gain absolutely no definite information about the politician or his or views on specific issues. Once the campaign begins to come to a close, say within the last two to three weeks, the public is forced to view an on-slot of these ads that truly just take up air time and costs millions of dollars in campaign funds. Instead of ads, the citizens of Texas would be far greater served by using all airtime to broadcast more televised debates, highlighting various issues important to the public at large. Those issues could include healthcare and education in our state. And who knows, if there were some actual campaign finance reform, additional funds not used for useless television ads could be funneled back through to some kind of voter education program. Until big changes happen in political ads, Texans will encounter the status quo for campaign ads and forced to watch televised "slick-imagery". For all the things I miss about television, they pale in comparison to the annoyance political ads cause me and for that I am truly grateful to be TV-free this govenor's race.



http://www.kvue.com/home/Hutchison-Perry-air-first-campaign-TV-ads-70699237.html

HB 873....Lights, Camera, Action?

Pretty much the only information I have had about the film industry in our city is the "glamour' part of it. I spotted Sandra Bullock running on Town lake several years ago, recommended a novel to Micheal Caine in Book People a couple of years back and did an overnight nanny gig for the folks who own a multi-million dollar mansion that is one of the location shoots for the television series Friday Night Lights. Reading the "Take Three" article by Richard Whittaker in the Austin Chronicle educated me on the enormous amounts of money that the industry can potentially bring into our city. Though film garners most of the attention, the real cash cow it seems could be the video gaming companies, another lucrative industry that if lured to the city with the right incentives could provide serious full-time jobs for qualified developers. The article highlights the incentive programs beginnings and what challenges have been brought about due to lack of funds actually being made available for grants. It's an interesting article, worth reading for its valuable information about one of the city's more high-profile, interesting industries.