August 22, 2013

I Just Can't Get a Date

By Dr. Brian Carr
President, Behavioral Health Associates, Lubbock, Texas, 1991-Present
Chairman, City of Lubbock Board of Health, 2013
Submitted on August 22, 2013 - 12:47pm

I just can’t get an invitation no matter what I offer. I have stated my commitment to a fair debate and have offered to let the other side pick the location, advertise as they desire, and bring all the forces they can for their viewpoint.

Despite this effort to entice I get no takers. Those on the extreme right don’t want a fair debate.

Our own Congressman has held “listening sessions” across the 19th District for the last two weeks. I guess by listening he meant that we are to listen to his distortions and outright lies. No verbal exchange has been allowed and questions from the audience had to be written down and then screened by his minions. Oddly, those questions that might be difficult to answer simply disappear.

Long-standing KFYO 790 radio has become a parrot of the pre-determined view of the closed minded, championed by former councilman Paul Beane and rabid Robert Pratt. Dissenting views are screened out and only the faithful followers of neo-conservatism are included.

At the state and national level the extreme right carefully constructs their public venues. Attempts to literally “smear” the opposition result in such non-events as the recent “poop-gate” where allegations of pro-choice supporters bringing in jars of urine and feces are claimed but no one can be found who actually saw the evidence.

Tall tales have always had their place in the West but usually the storyteller would admit to the exaggeration in the moment. Surrounded by their supporters the Extreme Right claims victory and relishes that no opposition exists (primarily because it has been denied entry).

I was recently informed that I had been considered for a panel discussion to be hosted by Covenant Health Systems regarding the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) but that this was vetoed because of a concern that I might want to debate the other panel members (including State Rep Charles Perry).

And they were right to be concerned as that is exactly what I would do if information is given that is untrue and a lie. I have no problem in an honest dissemination of information but will not stand for the twists and turns that are seen almost every day by those who attempt political gain.

So, much like the 40 times that our Republican Congress has taken a vote to repeal Obamacare, I continue to issue my challenge to debate. I’ll split the cost and help make the arrangements. If the oppose side would like to come armed (as was the case in a debate I participated in several years ago) I have no problem with that. I’ll even jump for the refreshments (lemonade sounds good).

My only requirement is that questions not be screened and anything is fair game.

If the Extreme Right wants to posture and say they are ready to fight then I’m ready to give them one! No violence but I suggest they watch their hat.

TAGS:

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no soup for you
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http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2013-08-22/i-just-cant-get-date

August 22, 2013

Texas Gov. Perry backs Missouri income tax cut

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry waded into Missouri’s political battle over taxes Thursday, endorsing an uphill effort by Republican legislators to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of an income tax cut.

Perry’s backing of the proposed tax cut came on the same day that a Texas marketing group began running a radio ad in Missouri criticizing Nixon’s veto and encouraging Missouri businesses to consider moving to Texas.

The Texas Republican plans to make a personal appearance Aug. 29 in Missouri to tout Texas’ business-friendly environment during events sponsored by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a coalition of groups backing the veto override attempt.

Perry said he also plans to meet with specific Missouri businesses as part of a Texas recruitment effort, though he declined to identify them.

More at http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-08-22/texas-gov-perry-backs-mo-income-tax-cut .

[font color=green]It looks like the governor is out there poaching more jobs.[/font]

August 22, 2013

Texas Gov. Perry backs Missouri income tax cut

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry waded into Missouri’s political battle over taxes Thursday, endorsing an uphill effort by Republican legislators to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of an income tax cut.

Perry’s backing of the proposed tax cut came on the same day that a Texas marketing group began running a radio ad in Missouri criticizing Nixon’s veto and encouraging Missouri businesses to consider moving to Texas.

The Texas Republican plans to make a personal appearance Aug. 29 in Missouri to tout Texas’ business-friendly environment during events sponsored by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a coalition of groups backing the veto override attempt.

Perry said he also plans to meet with specific Missouri businesses as part of a Texas recruitment effort, though he declined to identify them.

More at http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-08-22/texas-gov-perry-backs-mo-income-tax-cut .

[font color=green]It looks like the governor is out there poaching more jobs.[/font]

August 22, 2013

Dan Patrick slams David Dewhurst over phone call to release relative from jail

State Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston said:

The complete story is at http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Dewhurst-sought-release-of-jailed-relative-4750630.php?cmpid=hpbn .

Related thread: Dewhurst calls Allen Police Department to get family member out of jail
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107811451

[font color=green]Nothing is sweeter to my ears than the sound of Republicans attacking one another. Keep up the good work boys! [/font]

August 22, 2013

Dewhurst calls Allen Police Department to get family member out of jail

Lt. Gov. Dewhurst gave Allen police a call to get a family member out of jail earlier in the month in a recording released Wednesday by the department.

Dewhurst said his family member — a schoolteacher — was arrested after walking out of a Kroger with $57 worth of items she didn’t pay for. The offense for theft of more than $50 and less than $500 is a class B misdemeanor.

“I intend to jump into this and see what can be done to prevent this very nice lady, through a miscarriage of justice, from spending the night in jail,” he says at the end of the call. “Now, I may not be able to do anything, but it’s whatever the law says.”

During the call, Dewhurst mentioned several times that he is the lieutenant governor and name-dropped Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and DPS Lt. Brad Weatherford.

More at http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/08/audio-dewhurst-calls-allen-police-department-to-get-sister-in-law-out-of-jail.html/ .

[font color=green]I can understand Dewhurst being concerned about his relative being in jail and trying to assist in her release. However, the question arises as to whether he broke the following statute:[/font]

August 21, 2013

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul Loses Top Spot For Wealthiest Congressman; Issa Surges Ahead

Anyone who calls Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas' 10th Congressional District the wealthiest member of Congress is a liar and a knave. He's the second wealthiest, according to a report yesterday by The Hill. According to the piece in The Hill and a related article on The Atlantic Wire, McCaul lost his top spot to now-infamous IRS witch hunter Rep. Darrell Issa of California. However, the sting remains when the average household income in McCaul's district is a mere $58,080.

To his credit, McCaul is not necessarily responsible for his jaw-dropping wealth. As The Atlantic Wire reported yesterday and Roll Call reported two years ago, the enormity of McCaul's wealth actually comes from his wife and her family.

While McCaul was no pauper entering Congress, Roll Call had this to say in August 2011:

Reports like this, which also note the holdings of various members of Congress in trusts, limited liability companies, and partnerships, give the lie to their rhetoric and reinforce several truths about public office holders, which burn, especially given the stances of Republican office holders.

More at http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/13972/texas-rep-michael-mccaul-loses-top-spot-for-wealthiest-congressman-issa-surges-ahead .

[font color=green]McCaul: I'm #2, I'm #2!

Shit!!!

I live in your district so I already knew that.[/font]

August 21, 2013

In Salado, the Tea Party Contemplates the Nation’s Future — and Rep. John Carter’s Not in It

John Carter’s no squish. The portly 72-year old congressman cuts a figure straight out of Republican central casting. The first Republican elected in Williamson County since Reconstruction, Carter’s been slowly entrenching himself in the GOP establishment for three decades. Last year, the National Journal rated Carter the 11th most conservative member of the House.

But since Carter started indicating an openness to work on some kind of immigration legislation, he’s been getting pushback from his district. Pushback might be too gentle a term for what happened at a town hall meeting last night in Salado. Organized by the Central Texas & Williamson County tea parties, it was one of the congressman’s only publicized town halls of the August recess. Carter ate dinner with more than a hundred tea partiers, and sat with them to watch the quasi-documentary They Come to America II: The Cost of Amnesty.

But during the public town hall that followed, Carter faced a barrage of criticism for his willingness to consider immigration legislation.

In a microcosm of a political dynamic across the country, the conservative grassroots of his district don’t just oppose moving forward with immigration reform: They want the country to move fast in the opposite direction. The end of birthright citizenship. Mass deportations. More walls. Time and again, Carter told the room that he couldn’t get them what they wanted.

More at http://www.texasobserver.org/in-salado-the-tea-party-contemplates-the-nations-future-and-rep-john-carters-not-in-it/ .

[font color=green]Somebody is about to be primaried...[/font]

August 21, 2013

Parents: Store policy discriminates against diabetics

The clerk picked Trenton Preite, a shy and lanky 15-year-old, out from the group of boys.

"You'll have to leave your bag at the front of the (Hastings Records) store," Trenton remembered the clerk instructing.

"I told him I was diabetic. 'OK, but still you need to put your bag at the front of the store,'" Trenton recalled.

The bag - containing a snack, blood sugar meter, log book, insulin pen and needles - isn't something you leave lying around, said Trenton's step-mom, Michelle Preite.

More at http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2013/aug/20/hastings_bag_mc_081713_217331/?business .

[font color=green]As a diabetic, I know that when my blood sugar gets low I need to have quick access to glucose or my heart will be begin to race. In addition, the cost of insulin is expensive and I'd be wary that someone else might inadvertently claim a backpack when they leave the store. While the store might have legitimate concerns about shoplifting, I believe that most of their goods are already electronically tagged to prevent those losses. If they have questions about the young man carrying a weapon, then they should request to inspect the backpack as a compromise. The medical concerns of the shopper outweigh store policy and the accommodation requested is reasonable so I think the parents have a legitimate complaint.[/font]

August 21, 2013

Traffic alert for weekend: Avoid US 281 on northside of San Antonio

Avoiding U.S. 281 completely may be the best advice for anyone planning on driving on the city's North Side this weekend, as crews will shut down a quarter-mile section of all north and southbound lanes near the Henderson Pass bridge from Friday night through Monday morning.

The closure — from Donella Drive to Loop 1604 — is necessary to repair damage to the Henderson Pass overpass.

“The beam we're replacing is a single-span beam, meaning it spans over north and southbound traffic,” said Josh Donat, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation. “In order to safely remove that, we're going to need to shut down all lanes of traffic in both directions.”

The beam was damaged Aug. 14 when a partially raised dump truck trailer being pulled by a truck hit the bridge, ripping pieces from it.

More at http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Total-closure-of-U-S-281-planned-for-weekend-4749627.php .

August 21, 2013

Residents inquire developers about Energy Tower at Midland town hall

Facing a mixed audience of about 125 supporters and protesters, the developers of the proposed Energy Tower at City Center answered nearly every question they were asked Tuesday evening at Midland Center in an attempt to dispel all rumors and mitigate any fears residents may have.

Along the way, they revealed the most that Energy Related Properties will request from taxpayers is $75 million to help make the $450 million project a reality downtown. Officials also said an alternate project if taxpayer funds were not available would be to create Energy Campus in West Midland.

The town hall addressed a full range of hot topics the public has been concerned about, such as city abatements, construction time, downtown traffic and downtown events. The Reporter-Telegram facilitated the meeting, and ERP officials fielded questions from the audience and online.

Not every question as answerable, though, as ERP was unable to give specific construction start dates or a list of tenants, citing their status as a private developer. ERP President William Meyer II noted it is not their intent to be secretive, but rather that negotiations are very serious and it would not make business sense to release certain information publicly at this point.

More at http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_40e17c5c-0a1b-11e3-92ce-0019bb2963f4.html .

[font color=green]Why would any project related to energy-related businesses need a taxpayer subsidy; particularly, building 53 story tower in a town of 115,000 that already has plenty of vacant properties? If the project is viable, let the developers risk their own money instead of begging for a handout.[/font]