Epic failure of GOP outsourcing.

The failed attempt at privatizing CHIP here in Texas which cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of tax dollars and was eventually scrapped, is now being being challenged by the privatization of the Texas Department of Transportation. According to the Waco Tribune:

An internal analysis comparing the cost of in-house engineering work with contract engineers on nearly $10 billion-worth of road projects between December 2005 and November 2008 shows that private engineers charged about three times what the state employees cost, as a percentage of the total contract.

When will we learn? Beginning with the Governor in 1995 TXDOT was required to increase their outsourcing of services previously performed by civil service employees. In 2003 under Republican rule, the outsourcing increased. The result? Less service and higher cost. Imagine that.

With millions available to lobby with by the contractors receiving the TXDOTS contracts, look for nothing to happen to reverse this trend in the 2009 legislature. You would think our elected officials would be outraged just as much as they are about Voter ID.

Who is funding Fort Bend Sheriffs?

The elected officials in Fort Bend must be affected by the water. According to the Houston Chronicle Sheriff Milton Wright gave a $1000 bonus to each of his deputy sheriffs. That in itself isn't bad, but the Sheriff had to admit the $250,000 came from an anonymous donor and would not reveal the source. Huh? What the Fox?

Could it be that a good, rich. Samaritan had $250,000 burning a hole in his pocket looking for a do-gooder act of gratefulness? Giving a $1000 bonus to anyone, especially a Sheriff is a great act of goodness, but, what if it wasn't a do-gooder?

What if the anonymous donation came from a drug dealer looking for a little help from the Sheriff, to look the other way when needed, or to pick up the phone with a much needed timely tip, or to help carry a bit of product across county lines? Huh? Huh? HUH?

This would be just as bad as a wealthy home builder giving unlimited donations to our elected officials in Austin to get support for a bloated, bureaucratic, $10M friendly commission to oversee his industry. (oh wait......we've done that already. Never mind)

Besides the fact that the Sheriff has broken the law if the donor is within Fort Bend County, the appearance of this raises ethical questions. And it should.

Even though the checks likely were given and received in good faith, such a large donation could create the appearance of impropriety in the eyes of the public, said Geoffrey Corn, associate professor at the South Texas College of Law.

“The reason the public pays a public servant is so that their loyalty is exclusively to the public, and I do think this raises some ethical concerns,” he said.

There is a right way and wrong way to accept the cash. The Sheriff did something extremely stupid and accepted it the wrong way. Seriously, what idiot would think this was OK to do?

Republicans offer a prayer for the 81st session

Offered by the Ways to be Mean Committee:

Oh lord, let us prey.

Let us prey on the small business owner as we raise their taxes, insurance and electricity costs.

Let us prey on the elderly as we deplete their fixed income.

Let us prey on the poor, sick children as we cut their health insurance.

Let us prey on the college bound students, as we increase college tuition.

Let us prey on the homeowners, as we raise their insurance and electricity rates.

And let us prey on the voters of the state, for they know not what we are doing to them.

In your name we will continue to prey.

What Rick Perry really said

From Perry's State of the State Address:

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the House and Senate, Senator Hutchinson. Our State is faced with significant challenges this legislation session. Our insurance rates have tripled. Electricity rates are some of the highest rates in the nation, and college tuition has soared leaving many with no chance to attend college.

Our financial shortsightedness has resulted in lost revenue from Federal tax dollars and moving some of the most vulnerable off the rolls of CHIP. Our elderly are faced with rising cost of utilities while living on a fixed income. Many have returned to work flipping burgers or greeting the poor at the local Walmart.

To those who are looking to Texas as a place to call home, I say this to you: don't get old, don't get sick, and don't get poor, cuz there is no place in Texas for you. [loud applause]

Over the next 6 months, nothing will be done about the high cost of electricity, or insurance, or college tuition besides a bunch of talk. Instead we will focus on the real issues facing Texas families, lowering the business tax that I created in 2007, making sure the Mexicans can't vote in elections or steal our wives, making it harder for the old people to vote, and continuing the corporate welfare that I call the Enterprise fund giving millions of tax dollars to corporations.

These are the priorities of those who we represent, those who put us here, Bob Perry, the insurance industry, electricity lobbyists, and lots of right wing, Mexican hating republicans who are scared shit less of losing again in 2010. These are the people who brought us to the dance, so it is time to hike up the dress, grab a hand full of butt, and get down to bid-ness.

For all of Texas, in God's name we prey.

Mexican Cam

Well chalk up another failure when it comes to border security, Rick Perry's "Mexican Cam". Over $2 million of your tax dollars has been spent installing cameras on the border allowing right wing nuts, with nothing to do, to surf the Mexican Cam for illegal border crossings. This $2 million and the help of the big eared hillbillies resulted in 3 arrests. That is $1 million per arrest, not counting the ears.

This is the third installment of stupidity by the State following the $3 million spent on drug screening in high school resulting in 2 violations, and $3.5 million in voter ID investigations resulting in 3 violations. And yet the stupidity continues.

Look for Perry to do something brilliant like call for $3 million to study whether young men like sex.

More hackery at KTRH.

It is going to be a long long 8 years for the right wing hacks at KTRH (Keep The Rightwingers Here).

By chance I was listening to someone new at KTRH on a Sunday afternoon, Lores Rizkalla. I rarely turn on KTRH since it became right wing all the time, but I was channel surfing in the car. What started out as what I thought would be an interesting change for KTRH, quickly turned into yet another right wing hack using the same old methods of cutting off the caller, changing the subject, and not allowing any an intelligent conversation. Another Bill Orielly wanna be.

Here in Houston we have no other options for talk radio. You have right wing, then you Radio Mojo, which makes Pat Buchanan look like a liberal. (Radio Mojo. Who the hell thought of that lame name?)

Lores is clearly a right wing hack and will fit right in with Glenn Beck, Hannity, and other wingers. Her website notes:

Born and raised in Los Angeles to parents who left Egypt to escape jihadist attacks, Lores Rizkalla writes and speaks on political, social and gender issues, with particular emphasis on Islamofascist war on the West.

Yes, she said "Islamofascist". I thought that talking point went out with tax cuts for the rich to fix the economy. But it clealy shows her state of mind and what we can expect from her.

Luckily she is on only on Sundays when everyone is doing something more important than listening to KTRH, like painting the inside of the attic, with the lights off.

It's going to be a long 8 years for right wingers

Heh righties, here is a tip: try Prozac.

Raising campaign cash from Bob Perry in 2008

Home builder, Bob Perry, who was the biggest political contributor in the nation in 2004, donated $3.6 million in 2008 to Texas candidates and organizations. $272,000 to Democrats and $3,339,250 to republicans and republican organizations. The $3.6 Million is donations to Texas candidates and organizations only according to the Texas Ethics Commission. This is short of his $4.6 million he donated in 2006.

$266,000 was donated in the last two months of 2008, after the elections. Locally he donated $57,000 to State Representative John Davis, $62,000 to Senator Mike "Missing in Action" Jackson, and $45,000 to Representative Legler.

Aaron Pena tops the Democrats with $85,000. His largest donation is to his PAC, Texans for Lawsuit Reform of $250,000 followed by Senator Joan Huffman at $175,000. $50,000 to Senator Brimer, who lost. $60,000 to Representative Al Edwards who is lost. $60,000 to Dee Margo who also lost. And $80,000 to Timothy A. Kleinschmidt who, again, lost.

Lots of losers in Texas. This will continue until there is some common sense campaign finance reform, but don't look for those who finance their campaigns from Perry to call for it.

From lapdog to pit bull.

Leave it to a Texas Senator to be the first big wuss of the new Congress. In his first major move John Cornyn, was the lone ranger in delaying a voice vote to confirm Senator Clinton as the Secretary of State. It takes only one Senator to block a voice vote to confirm.

And then when the time came for a vote on the floor, Cornyn wussed out and voted to confirm leaving "I did her" Vitter looking for another hooker, and another unknown Senator alone in opposition.

Cornyn without a lap to sit on is now nothing but a mean, old, chihuahua yapping at anything that comes his way. From lap dog to killer chihuahua. Look for this to continue for the next 4 years.

By the way, after being confirmed the new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was greeted like a rock star at the State Department.

Legislation Watch: Ethics bills.

A couple of bills concerning the Texas Ethics Commission were filed this week, HB756 by Martinez Fisher and HB677 by Hartnett.

HB677
Relating to liability for a respondent's attorney's fees and costs incurred in defending against a sworn complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. This bill would attempt to stop a PAC or a campaign from filing an ethics complaint for political purposes. If after the investigation the complaint is dismissed by the TEC the PAC or campaign would have to pay the legal expenses of the person being filed against.

Unfortunately this will not stop complaints filed prior to an election since a PAC or campaign can ask someone not affiliated with the PAC or campaign to file the bill and this person would not come under this bill. If this bill was modified to include everyone, it will pretty much stop anyone from filing a complaint.

If this bill gets a hearing, dirty laundry will be aired to show the faults of this bill.

HB756
Relating to the making or acceptance of political contributions in a building owned by or leased to the state. Current law prohibits political donations in the capitol. This bill will expand this to include all buildings owned or leased by the State.

Can't complain about this. Sounds like common cents.

The Ark wasn't intelligent or designed.

The State Bored of Education had a very interesting public hearing on whether to keep wording which, in short, supported inserting "intelligent design" into science classes in Texas public schools. Luckily, this failed, but it reminded me of a great experiment that every child in public school should do, as I did in high school.

As a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, I wrote a paper on whether the biblical story of the Ark was true or not. After much research, I concluded the bible story of the Ark was just that, a story. It was not possible to built it, collect 2 of each species, contain them, feed them, and spread them across the land to populate the planet.

Needless to say this was disturbed me, being a Catholic and all. The argument against my conclusion was deep into scientific evidence with statements like "God did it" and "God made the animals walk inline and in step into the Ark", and "Damn you to hell you *&^%ing idiot".

Maybe those on the SBOE who believe in intelligent discussion should do some intelligent experiments.

Foot fetish by tort reformers

OK, this is a bit strange.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which is really Insurance Companies for Lawsuit Reform, or Home builders Who Build Crappy Homes who don't Want to get Sued, has invited the women of the Legislature for "manicure, pedicures, chair massages and more". You have to love this "update" from Alise Hu's political blog:

UPDATE 5:15pm: TLR called to make clear they support candidates of both parties and this is something special they wanted to do for women, because they there arent a lot of women-specific events around the capitol. Also, that the "and more" part of the invite just meant food, nothing else.

TLR will support anyone who will take a load of money and keep their happy asses from being held accountable for selling crappy homes, not taking responsibility for their actions, and causing harm to families. And they will also give foot massages to the woman of the Texas Legislature to satisfy their fetish while screwing Joe Family..

Something about this just rubs me the wrong way.

Ellington Air Force Base name change

The Houston City Council has voted to rename Ellington Air Force Base to Ellington Airport to appeal to more business organizations. From the press release:

“The name change will enhance our efforts to market this aviation asset to general aviation and commercial developers who want to operate at an airport with unlimited possibilities.”

A few years ago the Base Realignment Commission reduced the number of F16s in the 147th Fighter Wing to 2 and has proposed to bring unmanned aerial vehicles (Predators) to Ellington for training and homeland security. The Predators have not been in the news lately and could be on the way out before they are deployed here.

Also there are more restrictions on land use around Ellington which can affect homeowners in the Clear Lake area due to renovation restrictions and sound/noise disclosure when a home is sold. More can be found at the Houston Airport System.

Why do I find this to be uncomfortable? Hum.....more later.

I hope.

We have a new President and a lot of challenges ahead. Let's hope for the best for this country.

It is over.

8 years of incompetence has come to an end. 8 years of ruin. Dead or Alive. Either with us or against us. I don't recall. Mushroom cloud. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Yellow Cake. 911. Terrorists. Torture. Spying. Anthrax. Saddam. Bin Laden. Political capital. Sarah Palin. Alberto Gonzales. Donald Rumsfeld. Dick Chaney. Scooter Libby. Katrina. Bailouts. Privatization. Tax cuts. It's your money. Failure. Iraq war. And Mission Accomplished.

The nightmare called George W. Bush and the republican party is over.

Thank God Almighty.

Countdown to an end of an error

See you at the end of an error 01/20/09

Texas newspapers on voter ID

The Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express, Austin Statesman and the Dallas Morning News has some pretty strong opinions when it comes to the Voter Suppression Bill of the Texas GOP. For those with little thinking ability it is a hard read because it has some nasty hard concepts to understand called "facts".

From Rick Casey of the Chronicle:

In 2007, Straus’s fellow Bexar County Republican, Disrict Attorney Attorney Susan Reed, joined federal officials in announcing an investigation into voting by non-citizens. Suspicions began when the feds found that some potential jurors called from voter registration rolls notified the court clerk that they weren’t citizens.

A 16-month joint probe found that over the previous 10 years, 41 non-citizens had cast votes — out of more than 800,000 registered voters.

From the San Antonio Express

And for what? There is no evidence that unauthorized immigrants are voting even in a trickle in Texas.

Last year, the Bexar County district attorney's office completed a 16-month investigation into illegal voting. It resulted in misdemeanor perjury charges against two people — both of whom are U.S. citizens.

To boot, their cases had nothing to do with voting, but rather lying about citizenship status to get out of jury duty.

From the Dallas Morning News

Mr. Carona, the lone senator to cross party lines on the vote, said that although he supports a new voter ID law, he could not back the special exemption, which he called "foolhardy."

"This sends a terrible message when, after the recent election showed, this country is crying out for bipartisan cooperation," he said. "We are going in the wrong direction. It is time to stop the partisan gamesmanship and deal with issues of importance."

From the Austin Statesman

Williams said voter ID has become such a partisan issue that it could not be resolved without bypassing the two-thirds rule. But voter fraud is not actually a problem, so there was no issue to resolve. For most Senate Republicans, party first, Texas second.

You betcha! And from the Houston Chronicle

In a shortsighted gambit, Senate Republicans have displayed unseemly partisanship, shattered a legislative tradition and potentially antagonized the growing Hispanic voter bloc in the state. That’s neither good governance nor smart politics.

Now if the Hispanics and elderly will come out and vote in 2010...

What he said about Bush

Jon Stewart reviews Bush's legacy speech. It is a must see.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Six Days Seven Nights

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

It's official. Bush worst president ever.

His final approval rating by CBS is just 22%. This means that 22% of the American people are frickin idiots. How bad does it have to get before they pull their heads out of their 401K and realize that George Bush was nothing but a huge mistake. A mistake that has cost 78% of us dearly, and some even more.

Mr. Bush's final approval rating is the lowest final rating for an outgoing president since Gallup began asking about presidential approval more than 70 years ago.

Good riddance Bush. Enjoy your damn pretzels.

Meteorite shower on voter ID

Rick Casey of the Houston Chronicle said it best concerning the voter ID flap in his column "Senate flap will flop in new House"

It is likely that Straus is aware that the voter ID effort is a solution without a problem.

In 2007, Straus’s fellow Bexar County Republican, Disrict Attorney Attorney Susan Reed, joined federal officials in announcing an investigation into voting by non-citizens. Suspicions began when the feds found that some potential jurors called from voter registration rolls notified the court clerk that they weren’t citizens.

A 16-month joint probe found that over the previous 10 years, 41 non-citizens had cast votes — out of more than 800,000 registered voters.

41 over a 10 year period. If the republicans were so concerned about protecting the sanctity of voting in Texas, they would demand a verifiable paper ballot. Or maybe they should work to build a dome over Texas to protect those in the voting line from being hit by a meteorite.

Voter ID or a meteorite. Both are based upon stupidity. Thanks to Rick Casey for writing about this.

Thank you President Bush!

Now get the hell out of my White House!

Even drywall is made in China.

This is a scary story. Homeowners in Florida are having a battle with Lennar Homes concerning the use of drywall made in China. Turns out the drywall imported from China is out gassing and causing health problems as well as damage to metal in the house including electrical wiring and electronic components.

Residents of Montauk Point have seen their air-conditioners fail on a regular basis -- so often that the presence of a white HVAC repair truck became a running joke in the neighborhood. Metal within their homes corroded and turned black: piping, electrical wiring, even silver jewelry.

Electronics also began to fail and short-circuit. Residents say they have gone through multiple televisions, computers and cable boxes. Light switches stopped working altogether, or only intermittently.

MSNBC has a more extensive story and with a possible impact to the gulf coast:

Doug Hoffman, executive director of the Louisiana-based National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors, wonders whether the Chinese drywall found its way into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast for post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding.

Or post-Ike? Read the article. If this happens in Texas, you can bet homeowners will be completely out of luck since drywall is only warranted for 1 year [on edit] and out gassing of chemicals is an exclusion in most warranties offered by Texas homebuilders.

Bush now listing his accomplishments

Bush is giving his last speech on prime time TV and is just about to list his accomplishments over the last 8 years. Since no one has been able to list anything he has done, it is up to him. So let's wait.....

waiting......

waiting......

waiting......

waiting......

waiting.....

oh hell. Forget it.

Craddick LIVES!

Just when you thought that the State of Texas made a huge bipartisan leap forward by removing Tom Craddick as Speaker of the House, he is reincarnated as David Dewhurst, Lt Governor of the Senate.

The Texas Senate has a long, long history of being the Statesmen of the State, working to achieve a consensus and overlooking the partisanship of the House, but yesterday Senator Dan Patrick passed a gut full of gas in a crowded elevator on his way to the Senate floor. Patrick called for an end to the so-called "blocker bill" that requires a 2/3 vote to move legislation to a full Senate vote. And Craddick/Dewhurst supported it.

Much like the 60 vote rule in the US Senate, it is designed to keep the majority party from ramming through legislation, especially bad legislation. It fosters bipartisanship, and helps to build consensus on legislation. It is not a very demanding bill, requiring 21 votes out of 32 to move legislation forward. Rarely has legislation been blocked. So what does Craddick/Dewhurst do? They change the rules.

The exception will allow a simple majority of 16 senators to start debate on that single issue only, which requires voters to show government-issued photo identification before casting ballots at the polls. The change was supported by 18 senators, all Republicans, and opposed by 12 Democrats and one Republican.

The single most important issue facing Texas families today, besides paying outrageous rates for insurance, electricity, college, finding a job in this lousy economy, adequately funding our schools, and looking for a safe place to raise a family, is keeping illegal Mexicans from voting with a voter-ID bill. Even though the Texas Attorney General has not found any voter fraud worth spending any money or time on, besides the 6 months and the $3Million he spent investigating the non-issue, Craddick/Dewhurst and the republican party are hell bent on passing it anyway.

Maybe the United States Senate needs to change the 60 vote rule to the 58 vote rule. But don't look for the Democrats to do that. They have much more important things to do besides passing gas.

Ethics bills filed in Austin

This is a good start. Two bills have been filed to address the flaws of the Texas Ethics Commission, with another expected to be filed by State Representative Senfronia Thompson.

HB477 by Geren. This bill would require all fines issued by the Ethics Commission to be paid from the office holders personal funds. Currently fines can be paid with their donors money. This is a good start. What we also need is for the Ethics Commission demand repayment of any donors money used for personal use. Case in point, Representative Goodman who used $60,000 of his donors money to buy a condo. The Ethics Commission fined him $10,000, which he paid with his donors money, but didn't require him to return the $60,000! Crime seems to pay in Texas. Let's see who will vote against this bill.

HB485 by Gonzales. This bill will require 3 hours of ethics training for all elected officials and staff every two years. A similiar bill was filed by Representative Truitt last session, but failed. Many elected officials would have learned that using your donors money to buy a condo (Truitt, Goodman, Brimer, Nelson) was against the law.

Let's see if the Legislature is willing to pass these common sense bills.

After 8 years what has Bush accomplished? Anyone?

According to the Houston Chronicle, there are some scholars who are skeptical about history redeeming President Bush for his 8 years of failure. Maybe these scholars are looking at the glass half empty, overlooking the great accomplishments of Bush and the Republican party over the last 8 full years.

So, besides listing "he kept us safe" after 9/11 (when actually we needed to be kept safe on 9/11) what has Bush and the Republican party accomplished over the last 8 years? This is your opportunity to toot the Republican party's horn and to list the successes of the party based upon their conservative values.

Just a quick rule, don't list anything like "I got a job", instead focus on the status of our country as a whole, such as how low is the unemployment rate. Enjoy! Let's see the list! I will start it off:

Increased spending for AIDS prevention and treatment in Africa.

The incredible failures of George W. Bush

Public Integrity has issued a report, Broken Government, on the failures of our Government over the last 8 years. Their website allows the public to rate the failures from 1-10. Here is the list as of this morning:

• False Premise for Going to War
• 45 Million Americans Without Health Insurance
• Skyrocketing Deficit
• Too Close to the Edge on Torture
• Controversial Assertion of Executive Power
• Hurricanes Expose FEMA Woes
• No Robust, Sustained Alternative Energy Policy
• Politicization of Department of Justice
• SEC Allows Investment Banks To Go Unregulated
• No Child Left Behind: A Few Bumps in the Road

I found the section on the Skyrocketing Deficit very interesting:

In historic terms, the deficit [455 Billion in 2008] remains a comparatively modest 3.2 percent of gross domestic product — as opposed to the deficits of the mid-1980s, which hit a record 6 percent of GDP after President Reagan’s tax cuts.

But they have now posted an update:

Follow-up:
In October 2008, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the deficit for FY 2009 could reach up to $700 billion. But that was before the full impact of the slumping economy and the financial bailout became clear; now some experts say the deficit may rise to a staggering $1 trillion in 2009. That sort of deficit could reach a record-breaking 7 percent of GDP. And it could well constrain the scope of President-Elect Barack Obama’s ambitious agenda.

Hell of a job W!

Thank God for Mississippi!

And Alaska.

ATLANTA (AP) — Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen birth rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, a new federal report says. Mississippi's rate was more than 60 percent higher than the national average in 2006, according to new state statistics released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The teen birth rate for that year in Texas and New Mexico was more than 50 percent higher.

We should be so proud.

Galveston whines about Ike

Galveston residents had a chance to whine to State officials yesterday concerning hurricane Ike relief looking for another handout from the government this time from the State.

He asked that the state refund all or part of the sales tax revenues generated on the island for two years and provide a long-term, low-interest loan from an emergency fund that's now empty.

I remember a talking point from local republican leaders about how Texans don't look for handouts from the government like those in New Orleans. The talking point was "We take care of our own". Well, I guess that Galveston residents didn't get that memo. Maybe because it is a pretty simple minded statement with little or nothing to back it up.

Sure, after Ike we helped each other by cleaning up, rebuilding fences, sharing food, and such, but we are not capable of rebuilding a small business, a commercial district, or the city of Galveston or Shore Acres. They can't give small interest loans to rebuild the infrastructure, or rebuild subdivisions. This is when you rely on an effective government.

But, those in Galveston, who have elected Congressman Ron Paul, Dr No, over and over again continue to hold their hands out for more government help. This is the same government help that Ron Paul voted against. This same help he does not believe in. And it is the same help Galveston therefore does not deserve.

It sure is strange how everyone yells and screams about a smaller government and no taxes, but then become the first to the microphone to voice their opinion about the underfunded, small government, or the first to apply to the underfunded FEMA for help.

Ask Cheryl Johnson, Galveston County Tax Collector or Congressman Ron Paul.

Personally I hope Galveston can get the help they need from the Government, but maybe they need to get their noses rubbed into their simple minded concepts about tax cuts and small government. Now more than ever we need an effective government, one that is there when you need it and not when you don't.

And I hope they remember to vote in 2010.

If Richardson was a Republican

Governor Richardson has removed his name from consideration for Secretary of Commerce due to an on going investigation into campaign contributions.

Richardson withdrew his name from nomination as commerce secretary on Sunday, saying a federal investigation of a state contract that has reached into his office could last months and was certain to bog down his confirmation. He intends to remain governor.

Richardson was a good choice for our current situation, but he is right about the confirmation process. If Richardson had been a republican it would have been different.

Instead of stepping aside, he would have stayed to the bitter end. His confirmation hearing would be liberally sprinkled with "due to the nature of the ongoing investigation I cannot comment" when questioned about the investigation. And the hearing would be in the headlines for weeks. Bush would say something lame in his defense like "he's a good man" while poking his head toward the reporters with his trademark smirk. Biden would defend his vote to allow his nomination to go to the full Senate with "I have to give the benefit of the doubt to the President".

And then just before the full vote in the Senate, he would remove his name from consideration.

Luckily, Richardson is not a republican and should be thanked for stepping aside. It is the right thing to do given the current economic situation. As he said:

But, he added, "I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process. Given the gravity of the economic situation the nation is facing, I could not in good conscience ask the president-elect and his administration to delay for one day the important work that needs to be done."

This is why Texas sucks.

Our great state ranks toward the bottom of almost every category, and after being promised lower rates through deregulation our rates for insurance, electricity, and college tuition have soared. We are the laughing stock of the country, second to Illinois, for corruption and ethics. And most of our so-called "Commissions" have been turned into protection agencies for the very corporations they are suppose to be monitoring.

But this story "State of Neglect" by the Dallas Morning News just shows how incredibly screwed up our State really is.

Brown first registered as a lobbyist just one month after leaving the
state Senate on Aug. 29, 2002, following 22 years as one of the state's
most powerful politicians. In the remainder of 2002, five clients paid
the Lake Jackson Republican between $400,000 and $650,000 to lobby on
energy and water – topics that had been under his purview just weeks
earlier as chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee – as well
as on shipping and Indian gambling.

This is what is called the "revolving door" where an elected official can be a lobbyist immediately after leaving office. There is no "pause" or cooling off period. The one I remember is Senator Sibley who left office and immediately became a lobbyist for electricity deregulation and we all know the results of that. The worst part about this is that our elected officials will not stop the practice. It is wrong yet it is supported by the republican leadership and therefore will never be stopped as long as they are in power.

This is a long article and one in a series for the DMN and it is well worth reading.

For the weak and the vulnerable, Texas has long been an especially hard
place. Year after year, national surveys place the state at or near the
bottom in such categories as assistance to poor children and the
malnourished, treatment of the mentally ill and care of the disabled.
This story is part of The Dallas Morning News' 'State of Neglect' series
examining how the state determines whom it protects and whom it excludes
– and how special interests and their lobbyists strongly influence the
writing of laws and the workings of state government.

We should be embarrassed, we aren't. The republicans should be proud, and they are.

Power Watch: It is time to switch now!

Because of the failure of electricity deregulation to bring competition and lower rates, consumers have to carefully research their options to minimize high rates for electricity. Over the last year I have posted a monthly series (Power Watch) tracking the cost of electricity and has determined that January is a great month to change electricity providers even if you have to pay a termination fee. I have also posted my own personal a recommendation below.

It makes cents to switch now.

1. The rates available in January are relatively low, relatively because the lowest is still 50% higher than pre-deregulation rates. You can blame our Texas Legislature for this.
2. Based upon historical data, January is the month with the lowest offers.
   
3. If you lock-in in January to a 12 month contract, when your contract expires, you will be able to lock into another 12 month rate, again in the month of January therefore keeping your rates relatively low again.

The risks of switching

1. If your new provider goes out of business you will be transferred to a "provider of last resort" and may end up with much higher rates. You can thank your elected officials for not providing any protections for consumer for this situation. Last year 3 electricity providers went out of business.
   
2. You may have to pay a termination fee. You will have to do some math to see when you will recoup your fee from locking into a lower rate. (In my case it would take a warm month of May to recoup my termination fee of $69) Remember that switching in January is a long term switch to lock in your rates into a month of historically lower rates.
3. Some of the lowest rates are provided by companies with the highest complaint records. Amigo is second to last with the Public Utility Commission and has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB. Gexa is ranked better but also has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB. Both of these companies offer relatively low rates.
4. Some companies have restrictions. Some require an automatic withdrawal from your checking account. Some require a deposit, although this is rare. Some also have a monthly fee. And most have a termination fee of $150 - $300, but this shouldn't be a concern since you will lock into a 12 month plan in January.

Recommendation:
Based upon all of the above, I would recommend StarTex Power at 12.6 cents per kWh for a 12 month period. StarTex has a Satisfactory rating with the Houston Better Business Bureau, which seems to be a challenge with electric companies, and is rated 3 out of 5 with the Public Utility Commission with 5 being the worst for consumer satisfaction.

Another to consider:
Dynowatt at 12.4 (it was 12.2 yesterday, and posted at 12.9 on the Power to Choose website which is not alwasy accurate) for a 12 month period. They also will allow you to reset your rate if the price goes down in the next 90 days. (Of course there are restrictions. Look closely.) Dynowatt has an A rating with the Houston Better Business Bureau, which seems to be a challenge with electric companies, but is rated 5 out of 5 with the Public Utility Commission with 5 being the worst for consumer satisfaction. It also has a monthly service charge of $4.95.

Conclusion:
Make no mistake about it. Electricity deregulation has been a complete failure in Texas and the only thing consumers can do is to switch to a relatively low rate at the optimal time and then call your elected officials.

January is optimal. Now pick up the phone.

What's the difference between Truitt and Craddick?

Lipstick. Lots of it. From a previous post on Vicki Truitt who the Star-Telegram claims is interested in running for speaker:

State Representative Vicki Truitt has been cleared by the Texas Ethics Commission for giving $99,000 of her donors money to her husband to purchase a condo. Since 2001 Truitt used $99,359.80 of her donors money and paid her husband, James Truitt, for "Rent" and "Austin Housing" as well as providing lodging for her staff during special sessions.

Due to the 2 year statute of limitations the TEC was only able to address $29,500 of the $99,359.80. The complaint SC-2707163 was filed over a year ago and was formally dismissed August of 2008.

In the settlement, Truitt claims that she has absolutely no financial interest in the property and the profit from the sale, using her donors money.

The most interesting part of this settlement, which can be read here, is her claim that the one document that would absolutely prove she had no interest in her husband's condo was "misplaced" by the mortgage company. (How many times has this happened?) She might have also said that the dingo ate her documents. Maybe this excuse, uh... argument is what $6800 in payments to an ethics lawyer bought her.

Whatever the case, Truitt was cleared and it might clear the way for Senator Brimer and Senator Nelson who also have a complaint pending on their own rent to own schemes.

Also Truitt has been fined $5300 in Oct of 2007 (SC-2612245) for hiding over $50,000 in campaign expenditures.

Ding Dong the Dick is Done!

Tom Craddick has been ousted as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives leaving behind 6 full years of selling out our government to every special interest known to Texas and 2 $1000 toilets in the Speakers apartment, paid for with lobbyist money.

During Craddicks 6 year ruin, he sold out to the insurance industry allowing rates to triple. He ushered in electricity deregulation on behalf of Ken Lay and Enron and our rates soared. He allowed college tuition deregulation that resulted in dramatic increases. He supported tort reform that has done little to lower insurance rates or increase health care as promised. He cut thousands of low income kids off of the Child Health Insurance Program allowing millions of dollars of matching federal funds to go to other states. He helped create the biggest, most liberal, commission in Texas designed to protect his home building industry from taking advantage of hard working Texans.

Craddick was wrong for Texas families but right for special interests. So Tom, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Palin's daughter on safe sex

Sarah Palin's daughter, a 18 year old, unmarried, mother, is claiming that teenage pregnancy is not "ideal":

Bristol said, "Teenagers need to prevent pregnancy to begin with -- this isn't ideal.

Like and/or duh! I mean what's next? Teaching a Leisure Learning class on how to have safe sex? Or how to put on a condom? Or birth control methods for sexually active teenagers especially if they are the daughter of the Governor of Alaska? And she could bring her soon to be husband, who can teach a class on how not to have sex with the daughter of the Governor of Alaska. (What the hell was he thinking? Seriously, what the hell was he thinking having unprotected sex with the Governor of Alaska?)

Or how about a class for her parents? If your children are sexually active then you should teach them about birth control, instead of sticking your head in the bible praying it won't happen, especially when your conservative bible thumping republican party picks you as the vice presidential candidate.

Commentators have said that having a pregnant teenager shows that Palin is just like other Americans, the very same Americans that the conservative republican party has demonized for having pregnant teenagers. (Britney Spears sister)

Bristol is going to learn alot about parenting in a very short time at a very young age because of her mistake. She will need the support of her family and should reconsider taking parenting advice from her parents. Levi will be long gone in a couple of years enough time for most to have forgotten about him in 2016.

Then Palin can run for President as one of the most liberal conservatives in the history of the republican party with her new family members in tow. (minus Levi)

Texas Newspapers call to flush Craddick

Two newspapers have called to flush Craddick as Speaker of the House, the Corpus Christi Times and the El Paso Times and the Houston Chronicle has what appears to be a strong leaning towards someone new:

Interjecting a more progressive agenda may well hinge on representatives electing a speaker who is open to dialogue, to considering more than one vision and who isn't tied to an ideology at the expense of a wide spectrum of issues.

That doesn't sound like last session's Tom Craddick.

The El Paso Times is a bit more direct in their editorial "Ditch Craddick":

Embattled Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick has not been a friend to El Paso. In fact, he has been too control-oriented to be good for the overall well-being of this state.

El Paso's five state representatives, all Democrats, should be unified in voting against his re-election.

And from the Corpus Christi Times "The Texas House needs to replace Craddick":

Texas needs a new House speaker, a speaker who recognizes that the state has become heavily urban, that uses pragmatism to find common ground between Democrats and Republicans, rather than one who uses ideology to divide legislators. The divisions in state politics are deep enough, given the diversity of the state's needs, without the drag of a House speaker whose only goal is to retain a grip on power for power's sake.

As the Chronicle has stated, every Texan has a stake in this election for the Speaker of the House. Do you want our state to be run by the same individuals who brought you the highest insurance rates in the nation, high electricity rates, and college tuition that has doubled? Do you want our state to be run by an individual who has 2 toilets that cost $1000 each, paid for by his lobbyist buddies inside of our capitol? Or do you want to be represented by someone. Anyone.

It's time for Craddick to go.

January is the month to change electricity providers

If you are locked into a relatively high rate for your electricity, you should consider switching this month and paying your termination fee if you have one. Historically, January is the month of the lowest rates and consumers should take advantage of this by locking in a 12 month rate for a couple of reasons.

1. Obviously the rates are low, although still 50% higher than pre-deregulation rates.
   
2. When your 12 month contract expires, you will be able to lock into another 12 month rate in the month of January therefore keeping your rates relatively low again.

Last years rates
Last year at this time, rates dipped for a 12 month plan to 11.4 by Cirro Energy with Reliant Energy at 13.8 and TXU at 13.9. You can expect something near 11 cents per kWh towards the middle of the month. Currently StarTex is at 12.6 for a 12 month plan and 13.7 for a 24 month plan. Reliant has returned with a 12 month plan at a bloated rate of 15.6 and TXU is higher at 15.9 for 24 months.

Pitfalls of switching
Unfortunately because of deregulation there are a number of pitfalls of switching. Including:

1. If your new provider goes out of business you will be stuck with a very high rate from your "provider of last resort" and may be locked into a new plan during the months of high rates. You can thank your elected officials for this and there is really nothing you can do about it.
   
2. You will have to pay a termination fee. You will have to do some math to see when you will recoup your fee from locking into a lower rate. (In my case it would take a warm month of May to recoup my termination fee of $69) Remember that switching in January is a long term switch to lock in your rates into a month of lower rates.
3. Some of the lowest rates are provided by companies with the highest complaint records. Amigo is second to last with the Public Utility Commission and has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB. Gexa is ranked better but also has an unsatisfactory rating with the BBB. Both of these companies offer relatively low rates.
4. Some companies have restrictions. Some require an automatic withdrawal from your checking account. Some require a deposit, although this is rare. And most have a termination fee of $150 - $300, but this shouldnt be a concern since you will lock into a 12 month plan in January.
   

Recommendation:
In the coming weeks I will be posting a couple of recommendations with prices, restrictions, ratings, etc. Before deregulation Houston Lighting and Power was providing electricity service at 8 cents per kWh year round. It was easy to sign up and you rarely, if ever, needed to call their customer support line. With deregulation, that has all changed.

And you are paying for it.