Perry has not overburdened the collection plate

“He's going to have a hard time with this,” Lindsay said. “While that may be acceptable for someone who does not aspire to leadership, evangelicals get very concerned when their leaders don't walk the talk.”

– Michael Lindsay “Faith in the Halls of Power”

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Update, 4:03pm – Texas GOP Vote | Sonja Harris's Blog: "I just received a phone call from a trusted Conservative In Action, RED FRED letting me know that Governor Rick Perry will make a big announcement this coming Tuesday, June 14. He also told me that Governor Perry has decided to make a run for the presidency."

___________________

By Gary Scharrer and Abe Levy
g.scharrer@express-news.net

Read the complete story

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has never been shy about putting his faith on display, from speeches at prayer breakfasts to his 2005 signing of abortion restrictions into law at a church school's gym to inviting the nation's governors to a prayer meeting at Houston's Reliant Stadium that some are calling “Prayer-a-palooza.”

But when it comes time to giving, the governor doesn't come close to the biblical guidance of tithing.

From 2000, when Perry became governor, through 2009, he earned a total of $2.68 million according to his tax records. Of that amount, he gave half a percent to churches and religious organizations, or $14,243.

By comparison, Americans averaged gifts of nearly 1.2 percent of their income to churches and religious groups from 2004 to 2008, according to Empty Tomb Inc., an Illinois-based research firm specializing in U.S. church-giving trends.

Law enforcement, business, political and religious leaders to speak on Anti-Hispanic agenda in Texas Legislature

Delegations of RITA community members from every corner of Texas will deliver thousands of letters from constituents asking lawmakers to show leadership, common-sense and compassion when considering anti-immigrant proposals. They want to remind lawmakers of the shame and cost Arizona lawmakers brought upon their state after passing SB1070

Press conference Monday June 13, 2011 1 pm, hallway outside of Texas Senate chamber (second floor)

Rio Grande Guardian | June 9, 2011 | By Steve Taylor | Police chiefs reaffirm opposition to sanctuary cities legislation

The Pew Hispanic Center | Demographic profile of Hispanics in Texas and Hays County in 2009 – According to the report, about 51,000 Hispanics reside in Hays County and 9.1 million in Texas.

Note: Like it or not, Texas is a border state with big border state immigration issues confronting us. What to do about it is not so clear cut as some want to believe. Illegal immigrants are everywhere in Texas and Hays County, working, living, attending church, spending money and interacting daily with legal residents and employers. No magic wand will make them disappear. Mexican residents have been crossing the Rio Grande to work, trade, invest, visit and do business since before Texas won its independence. And we must remember that we invited Mexican laborers in the first place. Modern day immigration traces its roots back to the Bracero Program implemented during WWII to recruit Mexican laborers as American men went to war. Old habits die hard.

Since the Great Depression, our government has swung from one extreme to the other, instituting mass deportations to open invitations for Mexican labor. These days, the Mexican drug cartels are the most fearsome complicating factor. All diplomatic niceties aside, the US should do to the cartel leaders and their soldiers what we did to bin Laden and are now doing to the Taliban leadership in Pakistan – exterminate them, one by one. By and large, reaction to illegal immigration has been a manifestation of the American/Texas public's paranoia (and domestic economic conditions) at any given time. Lately, Perry and his enablers have been working overtime to again whip Texans up into a frenzy. Their motives are transparently political and will accomplish nothing on the ground. Perry's gambit would overwhelm local law enforcement without adding a red cent of funding, forcing local taxpayers to pick up the tab. Raise your hand if you're ready to pony up.

Meanwhile you might want contact your local state rep and senator to ask for their position on these two bills in the Legislature: SB 9 (bill analysis) and HB 9.

Send your comments and questions to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to State Rep. Jason Isaac at jason.isaac@house.state.tx.us, to State Sen. Jeff Wentworth at jeff.wentworth@senate.state.tx.us, to Gov. Perry at http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/ or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

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AUSTIN, Texas. June 10, 2011 — In April of 2010, Gov. Rick Perry said that Arizona’s extremist anti-immigrant law wouldn’t be the right direction for Texas. But by the time the 82nd session was upon us just a few months later, Gov. Perry had reversed.

In a nod to the right-wing myth of “sanctuary cities,” he declared the elimination of these imaginary places an “emergency.”

During the regular session, after intense opposition from law enforcement executives, business owners, faith leaders, workers, families and human rights advocates, this so-called emergency item was rightfully voted down. And Texans celebrated.

But as it became obvious that a special session would be coming, Perry revived his threat in the media and earlier this week put not only “sanctuary cities,” but the failing federal S-Comm program, currently under investigation, and unprecedented driver’s license restrictions on the call.

It is now obvious to Texas voters that these measures are based on politics, not policy. And on Monday June 13, a diverse coalition of community leaders will express their disappointment with Governor Perry’s decision to push this anti-Hispanic, anti-immigrant agenda and will explain why proposals such as SB9 and HB9 are out of touch with Texas.

Law enforcement leaders from Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, among others, will explain how these anti-immigrant proposals will decimate the capacity of local law enforcement to shape appropriate policies to make their communities safe and how they will impose an unfunded mandate that will only promote racial profiling.

Business leaders such as the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) will speak to the chilling effect these proposals will have on our state economy.

Religious leaders, including evangelical and Methodist pastors and representatives of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops will remind us of the immorality of dividing human beings and pitting them against each other.

Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA) is a multi-sector statewide network dedicated to building support for comprehensive immigration reform.

House votes to cut school funds

The House bill will return to the Senate for consideration of the changes made to SB 1 the Senate approved last week. Lawmakers also will consider legislation giving school districts flexibility to absorb the funding cuts by allowing teacher pay cuts, furlough days and larger class sizes.

Hays County's State Rep. Jason Isaac voted AYE for the bill and the cuts

Note: From the Texas Tribune – (Not including the $800 million in federal education stimulus money allocated to Texas) here are the amounts expected to be cut from Hays County school districts – more than $13 million total – under the House and Senate plans . . . In the first year of the biennium, $2 billion of the $4 billion reduction is reached through what amounts to about a 6 percent across-the-board cut to all school districts. In the second year, $1.5 billion of the remaining $2 billion comes from cutting property-wealthy districts.

Hays CISD: Expected FY 2012 $119,321,911 | New $112,239,186 | Reduction -$7,082,725 -5.94%
San Marcos CISD: Expected $54,131,694 | New $51,164,371 | Reduction -$2,967,323 -5.48%
Dripping Springs ISD: $32,815,896 | $30,696,820 | -$2,119,076 | -6.46%
Wimberley ISD: $15,825,322 | $14,859,754 | -$965,568 | -6.10%
Katherine Anne Porter School: $1,164,504 | $1,102,514 | -$61,990 | -5.32%

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By Gary Scharrer
gscharrer@express-news.net
San Antonio Express News

AUSTIN – The Texas House tentatively approved legislation early Friday morning that would allow the state to spend $4 billion less on public schools than what current law requires.

Only Republicans voted for SB 1 in the 81-62 tally.

Public school supporters plan to rally the public in next year's elections against legislators who supported the public education cuts.

Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston made a passionate appeal before the vote. “I don't know what's going on that we are not willing to invest in public education. Maybe we are looking at the schools and not liking what we see,” he said.

Texans will get the final say about school closings and consolidation and the end of some magnate schools, he said. “If people don't like what we have done, if teachers don't like it, if educators don't like it, if the business community does not like it, they must have the final say, and I hope they will speak loud and clear,” Turner said.

School cuts can't be avoided because of the state's massive budget shortfall, Republican leaders said of overall funding for the next two years that is some $15 billion less than the current budget.

“The voters told us it's a bad economy, but you have to live within your means. Texas is doing that,” House Public Education Chairman Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, said.

House Democrats emphasized that public education should be the state's top priority and warned cuts would hurt neighborhood schools and anger parents once they see fewer teachers and larger class sizes.

Surprise, surprise – Perry serious about White House bid

Note: Here's a related and very interesting report posted this afternoon by the Texas Tribune about some Texas Republican heavy hitters who say Perry made a big mistake in introducing the Sanctuary Cities legislation (SB9) on immigration in the special session after it failed in the regular session . . . “If you want to find out if we can actually survive deporting these people, go look at what has happened in Arizona. They are in the biggest economic collapse of history,” he said. “Apartments are empty, houses are being repossessed and strip centers are half empty. It’s terrible.”

Houston Chronicle | Texas Politics Blog

Texas Governor Rick Perry is “serious” about making a run for the White House, sources close to Perry tell CBS News.

Perry has been talking with financial backers for the past week on a possible bid and even held a conference call earlier in the week to discuss the matter, the sources told CBS’ Jan Crawford. But Perry was reluctant to run for the nomination without key advisers, including his former campaign manager Rob Johnson and his top political consultant Dave Carney, both of whom were working on the presidential campaign of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Dear Texas legislators: A few reminders, like, quit acting so snooty

Today I was told after a discussion with a staffer for Rep. Paul Workman (in whose district I work) that I was “lucky” that the staffer even took the time to explain the Representative’s stand on an issue with me, and that the staffer could have just “blown me off.” (direct quote)

Note: Somewhere in first term State Rep. Workman's House District 47 (Briarcliff, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Sunset Valley in south Travis County) works an upset school librarian – upset about the disrespectful treatment s/he has personally received from some Texas lawmakers and their aides. Workman is in the commercial building construction business – retail centers, banks, churches, schools. The librarian's open letter serves to remind that the Republican-dominated Legislature may have public schools, kids, teachers and administrators over a barrel, but its members don't have to be big asses about it. Then again, over the years we've run across a fair number of stuffed-shirt educators and school board members.

By the way, the Lake Travis ISD school board last month voted unanimously to order a $158.4 million bond election for November 2011 to pay for two new schools and other expansions, upgrades and improvements. Maybe some potential new business there for Workman.

Other Note: The House convenes today at 10 a.m. (livestream here), takes up school finance, SB 1. More here from The Texas Tribune – Most of the attention will be on school finance, but an amendment from Rep. Mark Shelton, R-Fort Worth, that would require the Texas Education Agency to develop accountability standards for pre-K programs will likely generate some heat, pitting House members’ regard for efficiency against their disdain for bureaucracy.

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to the librarian (link below, Not So Distant Future), to Rep. Workman at paul.workman@house.state.tx.us or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

Click on map to enlarge

Published June 8th, 2011 | Not So Distant Future Edu Blog

As a librarian and educator, I sometimes have to deal with unhappy parents. One of the first pieces of advice you learn as a librarian is that people just want to be heard. So when people have a complaint, your job is first to just listen. Listening alleviates the situation, because most of all, people just want to be heard.

In my experience the past few months interacting with legislative aides and legislators in Texas, it has become clear some legislative staffers and legislators could use a dose of this advice. And after some very unpleasant dealings with a few legislative aides, I feel compelled to write this reminder.

Dear Texas legislators and staff members:

I’m a voter, a parent, and an educator. When I call your office or drop by, please:

1. Treat me with courtesy, not hostility or boredom. I’m a voter. And voters often just want to be heard.

2. Listen to my concerns. Ask a few questions. Don’t assume you know everything about an issue either. Perhaps I have something unique to share.

3. If I am passionate about an issue, it’s because it’s important to me. Again, #1, people just want to be heard.

4. Treat me with respect. Don’t patronize me from the beginning of the conversation by assuming I am uninformed on the issues or that I have no idea what I am talking about. And don’t start off the conversation being defensive, please.

5. Remember that you are not entitled. Today I was told after a discussion with a staffer for Rep. Paul Workman (in whose district I work) that I was “lucky” that the staffer even took the time to explain the Representative’s stand on an issue with me, and that the staffer could have just “blown me off.” (direct quote).

You all are elected to serve the people of this state, and those you hire also represent you. The keyword there being “serve.” Not just the organizations, lobbyists, etc., but the people – the parents, grandparents, children, and voters of all kinds. As a public servant, your responsibility is to serve the public with professionalism, respect, and courtesy. Teachers are public servants and we know that. I would have probably been fired had I spoken to a parent the way I was spoken to today. (Imagine as an educator telling a parent that they are “lucky” that you bothered to explain your grading policy to them because you could have just “blown them off?”)

6. Treat every person who walks into your office with equal respect. We are people who care enough to drive down to the Capitol, or take the time to pick up the phone to call you.

7. Don’t just listen to the lobbyists. If you are hearing from many voters on an issue, especially individuals who are not part of an organized lobby, then there probably is a real concern with that issue. It might be worth it to listen. Again, people want to be heard.

8. And to legislators – what I expect from you as a voter is that you find creative solutions. We expect our students (despite the restraints of testing which encourages them to do otherwise) to innovate, to lead, to create, and to think outside of the box. We know even when we box them in with rules, there will always be students who creatively dare to think outside the confinement of those rules.

9. And by the way, we also expect students to be respectful to their teachers. Perhaps a few of you could learn a lesson from them.

I know this post doesn’t apply to every legislative aide, nor every legislator and I apologize ahead of time to those who have been beyond helpful (Representative Donna Howard’s staff, for example, and Representative John Frullo’s staffer, among many others).

But after enduring a session where aides have been defensive from the moment they answered the phone, spoken disdainfully, insulted my intelligence, been rude to me either over the phone or face to face, and where educators have been disparaged by word and deed by the governor and many legislators in speeches and media interviews and where the “party line” has been one of shifting the blame to local school districts as though this budget shortfall were somehow their fault, I feel like it’s time for you to remember that you work for ALL the voters of this state.

You are public servants, and your behavior should reflect the best of those words.

And to Representative Todd Smith’s aide who told me that educators don’t traditionally vote, I have this to say: We will be voting. And so will parents around the state. And the treatment educators have received at the hands of this governor and legislature have made us even more determined.

Perry making a bad call on sanctuary cities

But what happens if a police chief has a rogue officer who decides to hassle every dark-skinned person in his patrol area by asking for their papers? Under the proposal Perry supports, the chief, short of firing the officer, wouldn't be able to rein in the bad cop

Update 3:10pm: Live streaming of House Floor debate now on, health care legislation, requires basic RealPlayer.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Perry adds immigration legislation to special session By Chris Tomlinson/AP – Gov. Rick Perry added immigration legislation to the Legislature's special session Tuesday, including a measure that would require local law enforcement agencies to make immigration violations a high priority.

By Scott Stroud | San Antonio Express-News
jstroud@express-news.net
Published 12:14 a.m., Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Read the complete story

Gov. Rick Perry passed on a chance to strike a blow for moderation on Tuesday when he added “sanctuary cities” and other immigration measures to the special session agenda.

He also gave send-them-back lawmakers another chance to make 2011 a terrible year for public policy on immigration, not to mention Republican sensitivity to the Latino citizens of Texas.

Given the political dynamics at work here, I guess it's no surprise that exploitation of a red-meat political issue won the day. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was among those who'd been urging the governor to add immigration to the agenda. Coincidentally, he'll be running for another major office soon.

Perry's decision is one more hint that he might be, too.

The problem is, other bills floating around the House and Senate go way beyond the governor's request. Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, has thrown in three bad ones all by herself.

Riddle, who learned during the regular session that camping out to file bills early isn't the key to getting them passed, now wants to make being in the U.S. illegally a state trespassing offense; make it a felony to knowingly hire a person who doesn't have permission to work in the United States; and require state agencies to report to the Legislature on how much state money is spent on illegal immigrants, including by local governments.

Update: Perry's 'Day of Prayer' revival is catching hell

AFA president Tim Wildmon said Jews, Muslims, atheists or any other non-Christian would "go to hell" unless they accepted Jesus Christ as their savior

From the Texas Tribune | By Jay Root and Morgan Smith | Read the complete story

Gov. Rick Perry, who has made economic populism the cornerstone of his political ambition in Texas, has jumped headfirst into America’s culture war as he ponders whether to run for president of the United States.

Perry has asked one of the nation’s leading anti-gay groups, the American Family Association, to sponsor a “Day of Prayer and Fasting” in Houston later this summer. It’s billed as an “apolitical Christian prayer meeting,” but on Tuesday the event drew heated rebukes from the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Sparking the controversy are the group's views on Christianity, its staunchly anti-gay platform and the inflammatory statements of one its executives, Bryan Fischer. In an interview with The Texas Tribune on Tuesday, AFA president Tim Wildmon said Jews, Muslims, atheists or any other non-Christian would "go to hell" unless they accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Wildmon's father, Don, who famously took on iconic television programs like Three's Company for promoting what he saw as an immoral lifestyle, is listed as one of the event's chief organizers.

Perry spokesman Mark Miner said the governor had been planning the event since December and was comfortable with the Tupelo, Miss.-based AFA as a host of the social conservative extravaganza. AFA is picking up the tab for the event, including the rental of Reliant Stadium in Houston, home to the NFL's Houston Texans.

There's gonna be a revival!

Gov. Perry wants everyone to pray and fast for the nation

Note: Perry's revival stunt no doubt will steal the Best Groveler Award for the Christian vote in the primaries, should he decide to enter the race for God's top political apostle. Problem for Perry is, poll after poll is showing that the country's voters (those on the ground, that is) are suffering from presidents-from-Texas fatigue.

Send your comments and news tips to the roundup.editor@gmail.com, to The First Word (link below) or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

Houston Chronicle – San Antonio Express News Austin Bureau | The First Word

Posted June 7, 6am | Read the entire post at The First Word

Photo by LM Otero / Associated Press

There’s Gonna’ Be a Revival — the religious revival was Perry’s brainchild say the event’s organizers. A spokesman for the American Family Association, the group putting on the massive August revival at Reliant Stadium (in Houston), says the AFA began planning for such an event in December at Gov. Rick Perry’s behest. Which is all sorta strange because the Governor has insisted for months (before he changed his answer to — I’m too busy with the Lege to think about it) that he absolutely, positively, wasn’t running for President.

Houston Chronicle religion reporter Kate Shellnutt and Austin Bureau Chief Peggy Fikac report on Perry’ latest bid to build his profile with evangelical Christians, a key block in Republican presidential primary politics: “It’s a continuation of his so-far successful effort to keep his name in the papers. He’s been maintaining a high profile — some think to run for president, others think for different reasons. This is surely that,” said Bruce Buchanan, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, whose specialties include presidential politics. “It also bespeaks the kind of constituency that he wants to reach and address — what he thinks his base is, for whatever purposes he may have.”

Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, called the rally “an obvious appeal to fundamentalist Christians, who comprise 60 percent of the turnout in the Iowa caucuses. It could be even higher in South Carolina, another early primary.”

Sarah Posner, author of God’s Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, said she understood how some Republican Christians may be holding out hope for Perry to join the race, particularly after Mike Huckabee announced he would not run in 2012.

Huckabee, who also used the restoration movement during his campaign, had been a favorite in Texas. “A lot of religious activists are looking at the field right now and wondering if there’s a candidate for them,” Posner said.

Senate passes congressional redistricting bill in special session

Click on map to enlarge or super zoom

at this link: http://gis1.tlc.state.tx.us/ (Plan C141)

Note: Bruce Davidson, editorial page editor of the San Antonio Express-News, reports that Congressman Lloyd Doggett expects to run in the new District 35 that takes in a slice of eastern Hays County and San Marcos and runs south where the district picks up the eastern edge of San Antonio. Doggett represents U. S. House District 25 that currently includes all of Hays County.

Voting 18-12 along party lines earlier this afternoon, the Texas Senate passed a state redistricting bill (SB 4) and map with minor changes from the original bill but still leaves Hays County split three ways and Travis County divided into five congressional districts.

The cities of Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Wimberley and Woodcreek all are affected under the new map. Wimberley and Woodcreek each would be in a different congressional district and Buda, Kyle and San Marcos would be split in half or by varying degrees into 2 districts. The map obviously does not bode well for residents and voters who believe in preserving their "communities of interest."

The bill and map now goes to the House where it is expected to pass easily. The Senate is adjourned until Thursday.

Texas' redistricting must be reviewed by the U. S. Justice Department to ensure it meets requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act. And as has been the case with other past redistricting schemes in Texas, this one is likely to wind up in federal court where a new and final map will be produced.

How the U.S., on the road to surplus, detoured to massive debt

Updates . . . special session, report your dry well

3:18pm – Live streaming now on the Texas Senate Floor, requires basic RealMedia

1:20pm – Senate Committee on Education (now recessed) takes up Shapiro bill (SB 31 – analysis) extending bond guarantees from Permanent School Fund to Charter Schools

Special session today | Statesman | By Jason Embry – First Reading: Votes on redistricting, teacher furloughs likely in Senate today: Afternoon sessions in the Legislature today, Perry invites governors to pray and HOA reformers say they got much of what they wanted. House is in at 1. Senate is in at 3. The Senate, which passed a few bills on Friday, will come in at 3 today and could take up two more: the bill that would allow school districts to furlough teachers and the one that redraws congressional districts.

From the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District: As you are aware, the drought is upon all of western Hays County. The District is encouraging anyone to document their “dry well” or “lowering of their pump” by filling out the Dry Well Reporting Form on our website. The District would like to keep a record of this scientific data for future drought condition scenarios. If you should have questions or concerns, please contact the District office, 512.858.9253.

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

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Reprinted from the Washington Post | Read the complete story

By Lori Montgomery, Published: April 30

Graphic: Politico.com

The nation’s unnerving descent into debt began a decade ago with a choice, not a crisis.

In January 2001, with the budget balanced and clear sailing ahead, the Congressional Budget Office forecast ever-larger annual surpluses indefinitely. The outlook was so rosy, the CBO said, that Washington would have enough money by the end of the decade to pay off everything it owed.

• Treasury quietly plans for failure to raise debt ceiling
• What’s the debt ceiling and why do people care?

Voices of caution were swept aside in the rush to take advantage of the apparent bounty. Political leaders chose to cut taxes, jack up spending and, for the first time in U.S. history, wage two wars solely with borrowed funds. “In the end, the floodgates opened,” said former senator Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), who chaired the Senate Budget Committee when the first tax-cut bill hit Capitol Hill in early 2001.

Now, instead of tending a nest egg of more than $2 trillion, the federal government expects to owe more than $10 trillion to outside investors by the end of this year. The national debt is larger, as a percentage of the economy, than at any time in U.S. history except for the period shortly after World War II.

Polls show that a large majority of Americans blame wasteful or unnecessary federal programs for the nation’s budget problems. But routine increases in defense and domestic spending account for only about 15 percent of the financial deterioration, according to a new analysis of CBO data.

The biggest culprit, by far, has been an erosion of tax revenue triggered largely by two recessions and multiple rounds of tax cuts. Together, the economy and the tax bills enacted under former president George W. Bush, and to a lesser extent by President Obama, wiped out $6.3 trillion in anticipated revenue. That’s nearly half of the $12.7 trillion swing from projected surpluses to real debt. Federal tax collections now stand at their lowest level as a percentage of the economy in 60 years.

Big-ticket spending initiated by the Bush administration accounts for 12 percent of the shift. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have added $1.3 trillion in new borrowing. A new prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients contributed another $272 billion. The Troubled Assets Relief Program bank bailout, which infuriated voters and led to the defeat of several legislators in 2010, added just $16 billion — and TARP may eventually cost nothing as financial institutions repay the Treasury.

Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus, a favorite target of Republicans who blame Democrats for the mounting debt, has added $719 billion — 6 percent of the total shift, according to the new analysis of CBO data by the nonprofit Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative. All told, Obama-era choices account for about $1.7 trillion in new debt, according to a separate Washington Post analysis of CBO data over the past decade. Bush-era policies, meanwhile, account for more than $7 trillion and are a major contributor to the trillion-dollar annual budget deficits that are dominating the political debate.

Very serious drought and record heat persist over Central Texas

Over the next few weeks, the sun will be reaching its highest point into the sky and the days will be the longest of the entire year. If rain and clouds stay away from our area, it’s very likely we’ll see more triple-digit heat and record-breaking temperatures




LCRA Weather Update | Read the complete story

In Austin, rainfall from October through the end of April was only 5.3 inches, the third driest on record since 1856. Rainfall from February 1 through the end of April has been less than an inch, by far the driest February through April period on record for Austin. It was also the warmest April on record for Austin.

The recent storm on May 12 brought some very welcome rainfall to portions of the Colorado River basin, but no real relief from the ongoing drought. Lake Buchanan rose a few inches. The storm had no noticeable effect on Lake Travis. Increased runoff in the river below Lake Travis allowed LCRA to reduce scheduled releases downstream by about 1,200 acre-feet. This saved enough water to supply the City of Austin for less than three days.

With very little rain and frequent periods of strong winds, drought conditions continue to strengthen. According to the National Drought Monitor, on May 10 almost all of the Colorado River basin was in extreme or exceptional drought. All of Bastrop, Fayette, Lee, Colorado and Travis County are in exceptional drought, the most severe drought category. Ditto for Hays County. Along with the lack of rain, temperatures this spring have been running much warmer than normal. Soil moisture is very low, stock pond levels are dropping fast and evaporation rates are high.

This extended period of very dry weather has also seriously impacted inflows to the Highland Lakes. Inflows to the Highland Lakes for the seven month period of October through April are similar to inflows during the worst drought on record, which occurred 1947 to 1957. Inflows for this seven-month period are the fourth lowest on record since 1942. Worse conditions for the same seven months were experienced only in 1951, 1955 and 2000. Inflows in April were the second lowest on record for that month.

True free market conservatives should demand an end to Big Oil corporate welfare

Solar-energy-generation costs, for example, fall around 8% each year as technologies improve and capacity expands. Imagine how much faster the gap could close if the fossil fuel competition wasn't on government-prescribed steroids, i.e., shameful corporate welfare largesse

Note: Maybe one day in the distant future, a president of the United States will announce to the nation, "The era of big government big oil welfare is over."

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Rocky at arrowbiz@texasorp.com or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

By Rocky Boschert
Financial Editor

To hear some tell it, we have lost our appreciation for free markets in America. For example, CNBC’s corporate supplicant Joe Kernan in his new book about American business says we need to be "defending our kids from the liberal assault on capitalism." Or how about former BB&T banking CEO John Allison, who is no stranger to corporate bailouts, offering $2 million grants to colleges that create "courses in capitalism."

Well, I agree with Joe and John. And thank God some others of the Wall Street elite still believe in a free market economy that allows businesses, especially big businesses that have been hugely profitable for decades, to feign for themselves and not take government handouts. Apparently we seem to have forgotten one of capitalism's most fundamental premises: New and small companies deserve the opportunity to succeed.

So I assume all you Republican free markets purists – who still remember (or understand) what a free markets economy is – must be furious with US Senate Republicans for recently defeating a Democratic proposal to end billions of dollars in tax breaks for the hugely profitable American oil companies.

To be sure, the reality TV-like D.C. debate over big oil fossil fuel handouts was framed within the typically manipulative political prism. Democrats hoped to blunt criticism that they don't care about deficits, while Republicans wanted to rally their anti-government tax-phobic base who think green energy is some sort of socialist program.

But ending oil and gas subsidies should be about something much larger: creating a marketplace in which renewable-energy companies can compete fairly with fossil-fuel incumbents. For too long we've heard petroleum advocates say that solar, wind, and biofuel are failed experiments. They've had their chance, but have been unable to demonstrate cost-effectiveness.

What this ignores, of course, is that American oil and gas companies have had a century of built-in advantages. For example, they are allowed to deduct "intangible drilling costs," including labor and drilling fluids, the moment a well is tapped (even if it proves to be dry).

And then there's the "depletion allowance," which allows certain extractors to shelter around 15% of a well's production from the IRS. And deductions for “bribery” royalties paid to foreign governments. And the oil and gas disaster liability cap that remains at just $75 million, more than a year after the BP (BP) rig explosion. Then there's Section 199, which allows profitable oil and gas companies to deduct 6% of net income.

To be sure, there also are tax breaks for green-energy companies. But most of those government handouts are temporary, including low-interest loans from the 2009 stimulus, with renewables receiving only around 5% of some $20 billion worth of federal energy tax breaks, excluding subsidy-rich ethanol, which is a separate but equal taxpayer travesty.

Some of these subsidies are very important to individual companies, but the renewable-energy industry's best long term play is to support the elimination of all federal energy handouts. If the playing field is truly leveled by a good-faith proposal to eliminate all subsidies for fossil fuels AND renewables, renewable energy competition will have a much better chance to win the energy supply race.

Solar-energy-generation costs, for example, fall around 8% each year as technologies improve and capacity expands. Imagine how much faster the gap could close if the fossil fuel competition wasn't on government-prescribed steroids, i.e., shameful corporate welfare largesse.

The fossil fuel PR hustlers claim that the elimination, or even reduction, of its unnecessary federal corporate welfare will cost both production and jobs. This is a shameful lie. U.S. oil companies drill domestically for one reason: Their product can be found here. And that will continue as long as there is local supply and global demand.

What the fat and lazy oil companies truly fear is competitive innovation – and the inevitable loss of market share. So rather than try to outsmart and out-innovate the renewable upstarts, the oil companies spend their time trying to scare US citizens with bogus economic threats while trying to instill the false belief that they exemplify energy supremacy.

A few weeks ago when the big oil CEOs appeared at another one of those meaningless sham DC hearings, the ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva said that a Senate proposal to end $4 billion of oil subsidies was "un-American." So apparently Mr. Mulva must be “patriotic” since he flew to the hearing in his private jet while earning millions of dollars a year during a time when we have 10% unemployment and the average American is struggling to afford $4.00 a gallon gasoline.

Isn’t it time the mindless fiscal conservatives stop defending wasteful corporate welfare in the name of some stubborn distorted view of free markets capitalism? By the way, the big oil corporate welfare comes from your tax dollars.

Wimberley Valley Watershed Association files suit against Hays Trinity groundwater district

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to the HTGCD at manager2@haysgroundwater.com, to the WVWA at mail@jacobswellspring.org or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

Board president Jimmy Skipton
says lawsuit "is a waste of time."
RoundUp|photo

* HTGCD website

By Bob Ochoa
Editor

The Wimberley Valley Watershed Association, joined by a number of private parties, has filed a lawsuit against the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District claiming the district acted illegally in granting a long-delayed groundwater permit to developer Wimberley Springs Partners in February.

The suit (Cause No. 11-1086) was filed May 27 in Judge Jack Robison's 207th State District Court in Hays County. It seeks to reverse the decision by the groundwater district's 5-member board of directors granting a permit to Wimberley Springs and reversal of a related decision by the board denying parties a contested hearing over the permit.

Directors, at a Feb. 21 meeting, voted 3-2 to grant Wimberley Springs a 3-year permit with access to 81.5 million gallons of groundwater annually, plus a 1-year "rebuild" permit of 81.5 million gallons dependent upon sufficient rainfall.

The decision drew immediate criticism from Wimberley area residents who feared the groundwater would be wasted on a golf course and future unsustainable development at Wimberley Springs, located a few miles west of Wimberley on FM 2325. Pleas for a contested case by residents were later turned down by the District board.

The other plaintiffs joining the suit from the Wimberley area are Johanna L. Smith, H. K. Acord and Janet Acord, James R. McMeans and David H. Glenn.

All of the parties say they have been adversely affected by the District's actions.

"Ms. Smith had an interest not common to members of the public . . . she would be directly affected by the Board's action," the lawsuit states. "Her property is located approximately 2000 feet from the permitted Maintenance 1 and Maintenance Well 2 wells. There are two groundwater wells on her property she uses to furnish water to two residences, as well as livestock and wildlife. The property was then, and is still used as a working cattle ranch . . . Cypress Creek also runs through her property, which is located downstream from Jacob's Well, so that any impact of the proposed pumping on Jacob's Well will impact her ability to use Cypress Creek."

The WVWA, a non-profit organization that oversees the management of the natural artesian spring at Jacob's Well and the Jacob's Well Natural Area near Wimberley, said in the lawsuit, "The flow of groundwater from Jacob's Well will be reduced by the pumpage allowed by the (WSP) permit that will occur at the six Permitted wells encircling Jacob's Well. WVWA is adversely affected by the Defendant's decision to deny WVWA's hearing request, and issue the permit to WSP."

Plaintiffs also claim the groundwater district board issued the permit to WSP without a state-approved groundwater management plan.

The lawsuit by WVWA is believed to be the first brought against the District in its ten-year history. The HTGCD was created by the Legislature in 2001 to manage the groundwater resources in western Hays County.

District Board President Jimmy Skipton (western Dripping Springs-Henly) and the District's General Manager Rick Broun both said today they had not received notice of the lawsuit. "If we're being served then we're going to have to put some money in for a lawyer, that's up to the board," said Skipton. "Once I see it, do I think it's a waste of time, yes."

A discussion and possible action regarding the lawsuit may be on the board's Thursday June 16 meeting agenda, scheduled 6pm at the Wimberley Community Center.

Ethics group links homebuilder funding with demise of major HOA bill

Running the numbers, Lobby Watch found a persuasive correlation between the amount of money that members took from these lobby powerhouses and how they voted on HOA reform

Note: Homeowner associations and homeowners have carried on a love-hate relationship for years, and efforts to loosen associations' tight grip over homeowners have for years gone down in flames in the Texas Legislature. Here's a story from Jessica Meyers of the Dallas Morning News describing how a tough HOA reform bill failed in the House. Other bills ultimately prevailed, including SB 101.

The report by Texans for Public Justice mentioned in the article (a worthwhile read/click on Lobby Watch link in the TPJ website) shows that State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs-Belterra, voted NO for the tougher House bill by State Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton. Isaac received a combined $37,500 from Homebuilder Bob Perry of Houston, Texans for Lawsuit Reform and HillCo Partners (Perry's lobby firm).

Quoting from the Public Justice report: "Last Tuesday House members put their mouths where their money is—killing reform of anti-consumer Homeowners Associations (HOAs). As Carrollton Rep. Burt Solomons tried to pass his reforms (CSSB 142), Weatherford Rep. Phil King proposed the wholesale gutting of Solomons reforms to replace them with a spineless Senate alternative. With 14 members not voting, 73 representatives backed King's motion to eviscerate, overruling the 63 who backed Solomons' reforms.

"Running the numbers, Lobby Watch found a persuasive correlation between the amount of money that members took from these lobby powerhouses and how they voted on HOA reform.

" . . . Although the big-three contributors backed House members who supported and opposed HOA reform, the two camps are noticeably different. The more than $6 million that the big three gave to the 73 members who voted to gut HOA reform accounted for a remarkable 22 percent of all the money that those anti-reformers raised in the 2010 cycle."

____________________

By Jessica Meyers/Reporter
jmeyers@dallasnews.com | Trail Blazers Blog
Wed., Jun. 1, 2011

Rep. Burt Solomon's cries of blame over the demise of a major Senate HOA bill have spurred both echoes and investigations.

Solomons, R-Carrollton, accused Houston home builder Bob Perry of attempting to stall reform efforts by killing his revisions to the bill. He pulled the bill when the House agreed to advance an amendment that would restore the Senate version, considered more palatable to builders and HOA representatives.

Perry's spokesman said only that Perry Homes joined a number of other shareholders to support the Senate's original bill.

Texans for Public Justice, a nonprofit liberal advocacy group, came out with a report today that links money from Perry and two other closely-tied lobbying groups with votes for the amendment.

The group found those lawmakers received five times as much money during their campaigns from Perry, Perry's HillCo Partners lobby firm and Texans for Lawsuit Reform. (Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Texans for Public Justice have a tense relationship. The former says the later fronts as a non-partisan watchdog but is funded by trial lawyers with agendas. TPJ calls the lawsuit reform organization a "home builder front group.")

Members who voted to go forward with the amendment collected on average $82,356 from the three groups, said the government ethics group, compared to an average $15,968 from the 63 who voted against it.

Solomons also lashed out at the Texas Conservative Coalition, which does not dish out campaign funds but did send out an email before the vote raging against Solomon's revisions. Two-thirds of the House members who signed the coalition's "Pledge with Texans" voted to proceed with the amendment, according to the report.

Take that for what you will.

Although Texans for Public Justice calls the death of the major HOA bill "murder," both Solomons and Senate bill author, Royce West, D-Dallas, said this session brought the most significant reforms in years.

A number of bills passed that will require HOAs to obtain a court order before foreclosing, establish payment plans that help prevent foreclosure, restrict HOAs from banning solar panels, enhance voting rights and increase transparency with open records and meetings.

Updates

MSNBC: Perry, Huntsman meet for dinner in Texas

According to Empower Texans: Texans now spend more than $11,000 (per student) per year – with less than half going toward instructional expenses. "Of the $11,084 spent per pupil on public education in 2009, only $4,831 went for anything that could even remotely be considered "instructional" expenses as defined by the Texas Education Agency."

From Twitter (special session): @tasanet TASAnet

First person testifying is in favor of including HB 33 (voucher program) in SB 1 (Budget bill). Parent from San Marcos who home schools his kids. #txlege

Redistricting (special session): @vedo Richie Escovedo

Heh RT @startelegram Columnist says proposed redistricting map resembles ET's finger & Yoda's head http://bit.ly/k2XlVv #txpolitics #txlege

School Finance: @haaspolicy Haas Policy

Sen Finance testimony "it's not appropriate for state to take (federal) EduJobs funds to make up for cuts made by the state of Texas". #txlege

School Finance: @robertmcmurrey Robert McMurrey

Sen Education committee now meeting & discussing giving ISDs the option to use furloughs & salary cuts. #txlege yfrog.com/h8hdtjrj

PEC launches "Beat the Peak" program to help reduce energy cost & bills

If every member shifts two kilowatt-hours of electric use to an off-peak time every day, PEC estimates it can save more than $2 million between June and September

Demond/Statesmam

Update Note: In case you missed it, Walter Demond, the former attorney for the Pedernales Electric Cooperative, was found guilty Tuesday of this week "on all counts of theft, money laundering and misapplication of fiduciary property just before noon in Kendall County." Read the story by the Statesman's Patrick George – State District Judge Dan Mills imposed $212,000 in restitution, which will be paid to Demond’s former law firm Clark, Thomas & Winters. Mills also gave Demond 500 days of jail, which will be served with 100 days a year for five years.

_____________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2011 TO: All PEC-area newspapers
MEDIA CONTACT: Anne Harvey, (830) 868-4933; Austin line, (512) 219-2602

PEC encourages members to join new “Beat the Peak” program As part of Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s ongoing effort to reduce costs, PEC is starting a program called Together We Can Beat the Peak.

Through this voluntary program, the Cooperative will work with its members to establish a clear understanding of how the price PEC pays for electricity fluctuates and peaks between 2-6 p.m. from June through September. This is when demand for electricity is greatest, and PEC encourages members to help reduce power costs.

PEC has been taking successful steps to lower costs and reduced operating expenses by 10 percent in 2010. PEC is also looking to lower costs by working to reduce what the Co-op spends on power; last year the cost of power accounted for 68 percent of PEC’s total operating expenses. A large portion of the power supply cost is determined by the amount of energy used and maximum level of power required during peak periods, when members are using the greatest amount of power and when electricity costs the most.

By working together, PEC and its members can Beat the Peak by reducing the power consumed during peak periods, which for PEC is from 2-6 p.m. and consequently reduce power supply costs with simple steps such as:

– Raise the thermostat in your home by 3 degrees.
– Shift your use of hot water away from the peak-demand hours.
– Avoid using major appliances between the peak hours of 2-6 p.m.

The Beat the Peak program serves as an opportunity to reduce PEC’s costs while educating members about the Co-op’s peak times of electric use. If every member shifts two kilowatt-hours of electric use to an off-peak time every day, PEC estimates it can save more than $2 million between June and September. If together, the membership and the Co-op succeed in reducing its power costs, PEC can pass these savings on to members.

“PEC has a special partnership with its members-owners because they hold a financial interest with the Co-op,” said PEC’s Chief Executive Officer RB Sloan. “I encourage our members to join the Beat the Peak team and help us reduce our costs. When we save, our members save too, because this is their Co-op.” The Beat the Peak program began June 1, and members who are interested in being a part of the Beat the Peak team can join online, over the phone or at any PEC office. More detailed information about the Beat the Peak program is available at www.pec.coop.

The HB 1 Apostates Explain Themselves

" [T]he budget still preserves about $500 million of pork for special interests including film and music makers, video games, and commercials for Fortune 500 companies . . . "

Here's an interesting read on why 5 Republicans and 1 Democrat voted against their parties on the House Budget Bill (Appropriations), HB 1, in the closing days of the regular session. State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs/Belterra, voted AYE, with his party's majority.

Isaac posted the note below on Twitter around 9:30am today in special session, after the tweet from Moorhead. At this point, it is looking like the special session will result in no real changes to the state budget and school finance.

@ISAACforTexas Jason Isaac

Appropriations will go to 4PM today/tomorrow and 3PM Saturday. Bills will be voted out on Saturday. #txlege

@BeeMoorhead Bee Moorhead

Many Ds say they won't be avail on Sat to vote out HB1 and HB2 because of pre-existing commitments. Pitts says sorry, but. #txlege

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. Smith at esmith@texastribune.org or click on the "comments" at the bottom of the story

Speaker Joe Strauss, center, sits
near the House vote-tote board / AP Photo

By Evan Smith | Texas Tribune
Published May 30, 2011

Given the Republican supermajority in the Texas House, the outcome of Saturday night's vote on House Bill 1 — the 2012-2013 state budget — was inevitable. But the breakdown of the vote itself, apparently, was not. Five Republicans in the lower chamber of the Legislature voted against the bill, and one Democrat voted for it, resulting in a final tally of 97 for and 53 against. Over in the Texas Senate, the final vote was 20-11, with one Democrat voting for it.

That's seven apostates in all. What led them to buck their parties? Some explained themselves in press releases, which are excerpted below; others made no public statements, but the Tribune chased nearly all of them down, as it were, and their comments are reprinted here.

State Rep. Craig Eiland, D-Galveston, YES:

“The budget that is passed by this Legislature in HB1 and HB4 will be widely criticized for the cuts that it makes in our schools, colleges, nursing homes, health care and many other vital areas across this state," he said in a statement emailed to the Tribune. "I believe that voting for this budget might play a significant role in defeating many of the members of the Legislature. I voted for both of these bills. "Those votes might get me beat as well. However, I had no choice except to do what I could to finish the job of helping to rebuild and secure UTMB, the biggest employer in my district.”

State Rep. Will Hartnett, R-Dallas, NO:

"I'm very disappointed," he told the Dallas Morning News. "That just adds to the frustration of not spending a penny of the Rainy Day Fund for the next biennium. Most of my colleagues would privately acknowledge we're gonna end up spending quite a bit."

State Sen Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, YES:

"As vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance," he told the Tribune, "I worked very hard to minimize the negative impact that the House budget would have on health care, education and public safety. This budget is 99 percent of what the Senate put out."

State Rep. Aaron Peña, R-Edinburgh, NO:

"I voted my district," he texted the Tribune, then amplified his reasons in a blog post published Sunday night: "Based on the interests and circumstances of the population I serve, the education funding in the budget contained in House Bill 1 was inadequate. Education for many in my district, is the one road out of difficult circumstances. The budget additionally contains spending that could be used for other priorities like education. This budget also unwisely shifts the cost burden to local governments and school districts. In addition, the accounting manipulations used to approve the budget may lead to additional problems for the 2014-2015 budget. Lastly, and most importantly, the overwhelming majority of citizens and leaders that have communicated with me and my office have asked that I vote against the legislation."

State Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, NO:

"Despite conservative boasts of cost cutting, not raising taxes, and not using the Economic Stabilization Fund or Rainy Day Fund," he wrote in a blog post, "the budget still preserves about $500 million of pork for special interests including film and music makers, video games, and commercials for Fortune 500 companies. Of course this is deemed economic development, but in reality it is a handout to concentrated special interests. These funds could be used for other priorities that promote the general welfare, such as education and care for the weak, or just cut from the budget and returned to the people. The 'conservative' budget also defers about $4 billion in payments, which is just one of several accounting gimmicks used. Another trick: the budget does not fund the whole biennium. Funds for Medicaid run out in February 2013 and the next Legislature likely will be forced to use the Economic Stabilization Fund to cover the anticipated shortfall."

State Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, NO:

Rep. Taylor's office was unable to track him down to explain his no vote, and he declined to speak to a Tribune reporter on the House floor Sunday night. If he decides to provide one, we'll update this post.

State Rep. Raul Torres, R-Corpus Christi, NO:

“I voted against HB 1 because voters sent me to Austin to make spending cuts that get our financial house in order and this budget fails to do that,” Torres said in a statement, also citing concerns about the constitutionality of HB 1 and the deferred funding of public and higher ed. “The accounting methods used in HB 1 appear to violate the Texas Constitution by in effect backdating expenses and forcing the next legislature to pick up the tab. Additionally, the funding contained in the budget for our public and higher education systems is inadequate and its deferment to the next legislature will only worsen the budget crisis facing Texas in the 2013-14 budget cycle.”