NYTimes Op-Ed
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: January 6, 2011
These are tough times for state governments. Huge deficits loom almost everywhere, from California to New York, from New Jersey to Texas.
Wait — Texas? Wasn’t Texas supposed to be thriving even as the rest of America suffered? Didn’t its governor declare, during his re-election campaign, that “we have billions in surplus”? Yes, it was, and yes, he did. But reality has now intruded, in the form of a deficit expected to run as high as $25 billion over the next two years.
And that reality has implications for the nation as a whole. For Texas is where the modern conservative theory of budgeting — the belief that you should never raise taxes under any circumstances, that you can always balance the budget by cutting wasteful spending — has been implemented most completely. If the theory can’t make it there, it can’t make it anywhere.
How bad is the Texas deficit?
--- Click here for REST OF STORY!... ---
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Friday, January 7, 2011
MOMocrats Blog Talk Radio - 01/05/2011
| Listen to internet radio with MOMocrats on Blog Talk Radio Freewheeling discussion by a panel of MOMocrats and special guests - This week talking about how conservatives have taken over Internet social media channels to promote their propaganda about health care, liberals and more... |
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Texas Welcomes Nuclear Waste Dump Over The Ogallala Aquifer
  The Ogallala Aquifer holds as much water as Lake Huron, but spreads over an area seven times the area. The Ogallala aquifer, one of the most vital water sources for American agriculture, is the single water source for residential and agricultural communities across eight Midwestern states. |
The new rules pave the way for another 35 states states to export low-level radioactive waste to a remote 1,340-acre Andrews County landfill in West Texas along the Texas-New Mexico border. The landfill is owned by Dallas-based Waste Control Specialists, LLC.
Under the new rules the site will permanently store low-level radioactive waste—contaminated materials and equipment from nuclear plants, research laboratories and hospitals. The material includes everything from parts from dismantled nuclear-energy plants to booties worn by scientists working in labs where radioactive materials are present.
In 2007, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) staff recommended denying the radioactive waste license, saying that "groundwater is likely to intrude into the proposed disposal units and contact the waste from either or both of two water tables near the proposed facility." Radioactive contamination of water could result.
The West Texas dump, which will be the fourth such storage site in the US, is mired in controversy, in part because the dump, set to open by year's end, was conceived and built to take waste from only two states—Texas and Vermont, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Texas Commissioner Bob Wilson has opposed the radioactive waste dumping plans and the rules for some time. He voted against the rules on Tuesday, but largely because he fears the commission is unprepared to deal with the enormity of the task once the 1,340-acre site begins accepting waste from other states. The commission, he said, is largely unfunded, getting $25,000 a year from Vermont and money from Texas only to cover meeting and travel costs. In addition, he fears expanding the importation of waste will interfere with the site's capacity. He also questions whether it will be as profitable as is being predicted. "I thought it was premature," Wilson said.
Trevor Lovell, a spokesman for Public Citizen, one of the most outspoken opponents of the plan, said his group will meet Wednesday to decide the next step, but he said a lawsuit was possible. "The commission that is moving forward on this has no staff, has no bylaws, and yet they are attempting to make very substantial changes and rules that would allow in radioactive waste from the entire country," Lovell said.
Lovell also noted that the landfill is over the Ogallala aquifer that provides water to one-quarter of the country's irrigated land as well as drinking water to thousands of people. "We don't feel that it's been demonstrated that the landfill is safe," Lovell said. Critics of the new radioactive waste dumping rule say that while Simmons will rake billions of dollars from the waste dump operation over the next 15 years, Texans will get the financial burden of managing dump for 10,000 years.
Opponents charge the TLLRWDCC's rule change process and vote to allow Waste Control Specialists to dump radioactive waste from 36 states at the West Texas landfill demonstrates a conflict of interest between the TLLRWDCC, most of whose members were appointed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and the site's owner, Waste Control Specialists LLC, whose main investor, Harold Simmons, is a Governor Perry's 2nd largest individual donor at almost $900,000. The Commission is comprised of 8 members, 6 of whom are Perry appointees. Opponents also charge the commission rigged the 30 day comment period to transpire during the holidays, when most people are too busy to pay much attention to matters of civic engagement, to avoid a repeat of the 2,000 comments from Texans opposed to the rule that the commission received when the rule was first proposed in 2010.
Gov. Perry nuke waste "czar" appointee Michael Ford, chairman of the TLLRWDCC, first proposed a new rule making Texas a 36 state radioactive waste dump site nearly a year ago, but polls showed a majority of Texans didn’t like the proposal. When Bill White made it an election issue, accusing Governor Perry of making the state a radioactive waste dump to benefit his donor, Waste Control Specialists owner Harold Simmons, Ford tabled the proposal.
The day after election day the TLLRWDCC voted 5-2 to repost a rule allowing out-of-state radioactive waste generators – primarily nuclear power plants from 36 states on the coasts and in the Midwest – to dump their waste at the West Texas landfill. The TLLRWDCC officially reposted the 36 state radioactive waste dumping rule the day after Thanksgiving, ensuring the 30 day comment would end the day after Christmas day.
Waste Control Specialists owner Harold Simmons stands to earn billions of dollars from his radioactive waste business at his 1,340-acre Andrews County landfill. After Simmons lost $1.4 billion from 2008 to 2009 he told Forbes he was “planning to make it back with Valhi’s [parent of Waste Control Specialists] radioactive waste disposal license.” Simmons is listed as #176 on the 2010 Forbes list of richest people on the planet, and the 55th richest in the US, with a net worth of $5 billion.
Simmons said in a February 2010 D Magazine interview, “It took us six years to get legislation on this passed in Austin, but now we’ve got it all passed. We first had to change the law to where a private company can own a license [to handle radioactive waste], and we did that. Then we got another law passed that said they can only issue one license. Of course, we were the only ones that applied.”
The D Magazine story observed: “If things go as planned, Simmons’ nuclear waste dump in West Texas will exist on a scale that is hard to imagine. Waste Control Specialists is currently licensed by the state of Texas to accept up to 57 million cubic feet of low-level radioactive waste from federal sources. Waste Control Specialists has the space to expand its facility to more than 20 square miles.”
Gov. Rick Perry's big donors fare well in Texas; Many of his mega-donors have won hefty contracts or appointments.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
One Huge State Budget Crisis That Everyone Refuses To Talk About
You know the conservative storyline that "liberal states" like Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and California are supposed to be in huge financial trouble thanks to bloated governments, business-unfriendly regulations, and strong public sector unions.But there's one state, which is high up on the list of financially troubled states, that neither conservatives nor the "liberally biased press" are talking about. The reason no one is talking about it is that it doesn't fit the conservative storyline.
The state is Texas.
A budget shortfall as high as $25 billion is projected for the $95 billion 2012-2013 state budget as lawmakers head into the 2011 biennial legislative session, according to estimates from economists and the comptroller's office.
Leadership in the Texas Legislature, which has been dominated by conservative Republicans for a decade, is not expected to support any discussion about raising taxes to fill the multi-billion dollar hole. The state's Republican leadership has already ordered state agencies to cut their budgets by 5%-10% several several years running, and those agencies are currently under a new order to cut their budgets one more time. Most state agencies are already operating on a bare bones budget and if much more is cut from their budgets they will not be able to deliver the services they are mandated to deliver.
Gov. Perry and some conservative Texas lawmakers have advocated "opting out" of Medicaid altogether and closing or privatizing state schools to save money. If you think the cost of sending your kids to a state college is high now, think what "privatized" colleges will cost. Or, if mom suffers from Alzheimer's disease and needs to be in an Alzheimer's care home, the kids will have to pay mom's entire $6,000 per month care bill out of their own pocket, because there will be no Medicaid. (Opting out of Medicaid would actually be a one-two punch to Texas' economy -- Medicaid and the Lege: Throw 'Em in the Street)So why haven't we heard more about Texas, one of the most important economy's in America? Well, it's because it doesn't fit the conservative script; It's a pro-business, lean-spending, low tax, no-union state, so the state government's budget should be in great shape.
But if you want to make comparisons between US states and ailing European countries, think of Texas as being like America's Ireland. Ireland was once praised as a model for economic growth: conservatives loved it for its pro-business, anti-tax, low-spending strategy, and hailed it as the way forward for all of Europe. Then it blew up.
This is the sleeper state budget crisis of 2011, and it conservatives will continue to praise the state's conservative government, right up until the moment before it blows up.
Read more:
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Four New U.S. House Seats For Texas in 2012 - Will Collin Co. Get One?
The U.S. Census Bureau announced on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 that the 2010 Census showed the population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538 -- an increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 U.S. population of 281,421,906. The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626). The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561) and the state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada (up 35.1% to 2,700,551). Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew: 1,722,862 and 2,534,225, respectively. U.S. Census Bureau Director Bob Groves says that since 1940, 79 congressional seats have shifted from the Midwest and Northeast to the South and West. "Texas gained the most seats this decade, a total of four — and indeed that state has gained seats for seven consecutive decades," Groves says.
Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution calls for a census of the nation's population every 10 years to apportion the U.S. House of Representatives seats among the states. The 2010 apportionment winner is Texas with four additional House seats. Texas also gains four more presidential electoral votes and will be eligible for a greater share of federal money for various services. Florida will have two new U.S. House seats, giving that state a total of 27 representatives -- the same as New York. States receiving one additional seat each are: Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington. The biggest congressional losers are New York and Ohio, both losing two House seats, with Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey and Pennsylvania each losing just one House seat. California still has the most representatives at 53, but for the first time in its history it did not gain a House seat.
The decennial census for Texas totaled to 25,145,561 people living in the state in the first half of 2010 for a 20.6% increase over the number of people living in the state in 2000. While the recently completed 2010 Census documented a marked slowdown in the growth of the U.S. population at 9.7 percent, Texas more than doubled that rate, courtesy of the burgeoning Texas Hispanic and black populations. While the Texas Anglo population increased at a rate less than the national average, Texas Hispanics increased by 33 percent and African-Americans by 16 percent. If these demographic trends continue, Hispanics should become the largest ethnic group in Texas within five years and become a majority of the state population by 2029. Thus, the fuel entitling the state to 36 rather than 32 seats in the reconfigured 435-member U.S. House of Representatives came entirely from minority communities that traditional vote Democratic. The U.S. House Texas delegation currently stands at 32, with 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
Most of the Texas growth was in the urban areas and in South Texas -- areas where Democrats traditionally draw the largest share of votes. That sets up an explosive situation when the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature formulates a redistricting plan during its 140-day session that convenes on January 11, 2011. The 150 member Texas House of Representatives will be made up of 49 Democrats and 101 Republicans when it convenes in January. (State Rep. Allan Ritter and State. Rep. Aaron Pena switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in December 2010.) A fair redrawing of the new congressional lines must allow the minority populations whose growth created the additional seats the opportunity to choose their representatives. Should the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature gerrymander the new districts to disenfranchise the larger minority populations, the gerrymandered congressional map would likely be challenged by the Obama Administration Justice Department, which under the Voting Rights Act must approve any changes affecting minority representation.
The last Texas redistricting plan, championed by former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in 2003, tilted the numbers in favor of the GOP by packing minorities into fewer districts while scattering the rest in districts dominated by Republicans. As a result, only two Texas Democratic representatives, Houston's Gene Green and Austin's Lloyd Doggett, are Anglo. Neither Houston or Dallas, both of which have large concentrations of Hispanics, have Hispanic congressional representatives.
Based on the 2010 Census count of 25,145,561 people living in Texas, the ideal population of a Texas congressional district is 698,488, the ideal senate district is 811,147, the ideal state house district is 167,637, and the ideal State Board of Education district is 1,676,371. While the Texas legislature goes into session on January 11th, serious redistricting efforts can't take place until the Census Bureau releases its detailed census breakdown. The Census Bureau expects to release the detailed county and block level population data needed to redistrict in late February or early March. (Census data release schedule - Texas redistricting information)
Three of the new congressional seats will probably land in areas that have seen the greatest population growth. Using county growth numbers taken from Nielsen Claritas market estimates for 2010, Collin County's population grew 64.5% to 808,727 residents in the ten years since the 2000 census. That compares to U.S. Census estimated population growth through 2009 of 19.7% for Harris County, 57.1% for Fort Bend County and 10.5% for Dallas County. Keep in mind that the largest counties are (state) constitutionally mandated to have all districts nested within county lines. Democratic political consultant Matt Angle predicts new Hispanic districts for the San Antonio and Dallas areas and a new Republican district will likely go into northwest Harris County.
Given Collin County's population growth over the last ten years it seem likely the county will see some adjustment to some or all of the various district lines, including for the Congressional, Texas House, Texas Senate and State Board of Education districts. Some interesting demographic analysis from a 2010 Nielsen Claritas market report for Collin County shows the county:
Collin County currently holds most of Texas Congressional District 3, represented by Republican Sam Johnson since he first won election in 1991. The 3rd congressional district includes the county's densely populated southwest quadrant and a small corner of northern Dallas county. The demographic makeup of Collin County's portion of the 3rd district has changed greatly since Johnson was first elected to office in the early 1990's.
The 1990 census listed over 80% of Collin County's citizens as "White," non-Hispanic. U.S. census estimates for 2009 show the non-Hispanic white portion of the population had dropped to only 65.4% of the county's population. According to 2009 Census estimates, 14.5% of the county is Hispanic-American, 10.2% of the county is Asian-American and not quite 8.2% of the population is African-American.
A December 2009 National Journal Online article detailing the growth of minority populations in congressional districts across the nation shows that non-Hispanic white Americans have decreased in Johnson's district (that currently includes a portion of Dallas Co.) to 54.9 percent while the district's minority American makeup has increased 8.4 percent to 45 percent, according to the National Journal report. (pie chart right)
The remaining three quarters of Collin County's geographic area is included in Texas Congressional District 4, currently represented by Republican Ralph Hall. Hall's District 4 geographic area includes all or parts of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Farnklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River and Rockwall counties., so the district's demographic numbers mask the true makeup for Collin County's portion of the 4th congressional district. The detailed 2010 Census data will give the current demographic break down for all sections of Collin Co. (Census data release schedule)
U.S. Census Interactive Map |
The decennial census for Texas totaled to 25,145,561 people living in the state in the first half of 2010 for a 20.6% increase over the number of people living in the state in 2000. While the recently completed 2010 Census documented a marked slowdown in the growth of the U.S. population at 9.7 percent, Texas more than doubled that rate, courtesy of the burgeoning Texas Hispanic and black populations. While the Texas Anglo population increased at a rate less than the national average, Texas Hispanics increased by 33 percent and African-Americans by 16 percent. If these demographic trends continue, Hispanics should become the largest ethnic group in Texas within five years and become a majority of the state population by 2029. Thus, the fuel entitling the state to 36 rather than 32 seats in the reconfigured 435-member U.S. House of Representatives came entirely from minority communities that traditional vote Democratic. The U.S. House Texas delegation currently stands at 32, with 23 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
Most of the Texas growth was in the urban areas and in South Texas -- areas where Democrats traditionally draw the largest share of votes. That sets up an explosive situation when the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature formulates a redistricting plan during its 140-day session that convenes on January 11, 2011. The 150 member Texas House of Representatives will be made up of 49 Democrats and 101 Republicans when it convenes in January. (State Rep. Allan Ritter and State. Rep. Aaron Pena switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in December 2010.) A fair redrawing of the new congressional lines must allow the minority populations whose growth created the additional seats the opportunity to choose their representatives. Should the Republican-dominated Texas Legislature gerrymander the new districts to disenfranchise the larger minority populations, the gerrymandered congressional map would likely be challenged by the Obama Administration Justice Department, which under the Voting Rights Act must approve any changes affecting minority representation.
The last Texas redistricting plan, championed by former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in 2003, tilted the numbers in favor of the GOP by packing minorities into fewer districts while scattering the rest in districts dominated by Republicans. As a result, only two Texas Democratic representatives, Houston's Gene Green and Austin's Lloyd Doggett, are Anglo. Neither Houston or Dallas, both of which have large concentrations of Hispanics, have Hispanic congressional representatives.
Based on the 2010 Census count of 25,145,561 people living in Texas, the ideal population of a Texas congressional district is 698,488, the ideal senate district is 811,147, the ideal state house district is 167,637, and the ideal State Board of Education district is 1,676,371. While the Texas legislature goes into session on January 11th, serious redistricting efforts can't take place until the Census Bureau releases its detailed census breakdown. The Census Bureau expects to release the detailed county and block level population data needed to redistrict in late February or early March. (Census data release schedule - Texas redistricting information)
Three of the new congressional seats will probably land in areas that have seen the greatest population growth. Using county growth numbers taken from Nielsen Claritas market estimates for 2010, Collin County's population grew 64.5% to 808,727 residents in the ten years since the 2000 census. That compares to U.S. Census estimated population growth through 2009 of 19.7% for Harris County, 57.1% for Fort Bend County and 10.5% for Dallas County. Keep in mind that the largest counties are (state) constitutionally mandated to have all districts nested within county lines. Democratic political consultant Matt Angle predicts new Hispanic districts for the San Antonio and Dallas areas and a new Republican district will likely go into northwest Harris County.
Given Collin County's population growth over the last ten years it seem likely the county will see some adjustment to some or all of the various district lines, including for the Congressional, Texas House, Texas Senate and State Board of Education districts. Some interesting demographic analysis from a 2010 Nielsen Claritas market report for Collin County shows the county:
- is the 6th most populous and fastest growing county in Texas;
- is one of the fastest growing counties in the U.S.;
- has a relatively young population with 28% of the residents under 18 years, 5% of the residents over 65 years and a median resident age of 34 years;
- will likely reach an estimated population count of 1.2 million people by 2030;
- is among the few Texas counties with more than a half-million people;
- had the highest sustained growth rate (64.5%) of Texas counties since the 2000 Census; and
- had a median Household Income in 2010 of $83,040, making it the wealthiest county in Texas.
 Data for Collin Co. - 2009  Data for TX Congressional Dist. 3 - 2009  Data for TX Congressional Dist. 4 - 2009 |
The 1990 census listed over 80% of Collin County's citizens as "White," non-Hispanic. U.S. census estimates for 2009 show the non-Hispanic white portion of the population had dropped to only 65.4% of the county's population. According to 2009 Census estimates, 14.5% of the county is Hispanic-American, 10.2% of the county is Asian-American and not quite 8.2% of the population is African-American.
A December 2009 National Journal Online article detailing the growth of minority populations in congressional districts across the nation shows that non-Hispanic white Americans have decreased in Johnson's district (that currently includes a portion of Dallas Co.) to 54.9 percent while the district's minority American makeup has increased 8.4 percent to 45 percent, according to the National Journal report. (pie chart right)
The remaining three quarters of Collin County's geographic area is included in Texas Congressional District 4, currently represented by Republican Ralph Hall. Hall's District 4 geographic area includes all or parts of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Collin, Delta, Fannin, Farnklin, Grayson, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Morris, Rains, Red River and Rockwall counties., so the district's demographic numbers mask the true makeup for Collin County's portion of the 4th congressional district. The detailed 2010 Census data will give the current demographic break down for all sections of Collin Co. (Census data release schedule)
 Current Dist. 3 in Yellow and Dist. 4 in Pink |
2011 Texas Legislative Session To Call For Constitutional Amendment To Enforce States’ Sovereignty
Several Texas Republicans have filed legislation aimed at reaffirming states’ rights and providing a constitutional mechanism to annul federal laws and regulations. The calls for amending the U.S. Constitution go a step beyond the ‘sovereignty’ resolutions pushed for in 2009.
Last session, Texas Rep. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) led the way on legislation to reaffirm the Tenth Amendment, which says powers not provided to the federal government in the Constitution are explicitly reserved to the states. Out of five pieces of legislation introduced on the topic, only Creighton’s House Concurrent Resolution 50 made it out of committee. HCR 50 passed the House by a margin of 99-36 (with all of the ‘nay’ votes belonging to Democrats) before dying in the Senate.
This session, Creighton has introduced the similar HCR 16. Additionally, state Sens. Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville) have introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 toward the same end. Hegar introduced the similar SCR 39 in 2009. Those ‘sovereignty’ resolutions basically would send a message to members of Congress requesting they repeal federal laws that Texas lawmakers think are unconstitutional.
For the upcoming session, Creighton is going further — his HCR 17 and House Joint Resolution 50 urges Congress to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of proposing and ratifying a constitutional amendment allowing any federal law to be repealed by consensus of two-thirds of the individual states’ legislatures.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Vicki Truitt (R-Keller) proposed HCR 19 for the same purpose. Truitt’s resolution specifically cites the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments as creating a “constitutional imbalance” in favor of the federal government against the states. The Sixteenth Amendment enabled the federal income tax, while the Seventeenth Amendment provided for direct election of U.S. senators, rather than having the state legislatures choose them. In a news release, Truitt said the federal health care reform law is “an example and the greatest episode” in unfunded mandates of the states. According to the news release, Truitt was inspired to file the resolution after reading an editorial in the Wall Street Journal written by Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett and Virginia state House Speaker William J. Howell.
For the 2011 session, Vice-chair of the Texas House Appropriations Committee, State Rep. Richard Raymond (D-San Antonio), has filed two resolutions urging the federal government to eliminate deficit spending and balance the budget from year to year. He has authored similar legislation regularly since at least 1995, none of which has passed the committee stage.
Raymond’s House Concurrent Resolution 23 asks Congress to “propose and submit to the states for ratification an amendment to the United States Constitution to provide for a federal balanced budget.” His House Joint Resolution 34 would put Texas legislators on record as supporting a proposed Constitutional amendment for a balanced federal budget. In 2009, Raymond’s HCR 73 and HJR 71 attracted two co-authors, state Reps. Diana Maldonado, D-Austin, and Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg. State. Rep. Aaron Pena switched to become affiliated to the Republican Party in December 2010.
The appeals for a constitutional convention of the states have also appeared in legislation aimed at creating a balanced federal budget amendment to the Constitution. There are two ways to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution: a two-thirds majority vote in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate; or by a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures, according to the National Archives.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
2011 Predictions
From the Panhandle Blog Jobsanger:This is the time of year when a lot of crazy people think they can predict what the future will bring. I must have lost my mind because I've decided to join them and make some political predictions of my own this year. I must have purchased a defective crystal ball though, because I'm not seeing too many good things happening this year. Here's what I see happening in 2011:
* The outsourcing of good American jobs to other countries will continue unabated this year. Any attempts by progressive Democrats to stop or slow it down will be killed by the Republican majority in the House of Representatives.
* The lie that Social Security is in trouble will continue to grow (even though it is fully funded through 2027, and elimination of the tax cap would fund it for decades to come). Attempts will be made to cut benefits and raise the retirement age.
* Unemployment will remain high and no serious job stimulation effort will be passed by Congress (although the Republicans will try to further cut taxes using job creation as their excuse -- in spite of the fact that tax cuts do not create jobs).
* The housing market will not recover in 2011 (and can't recover until the jobless situation is fixed). Foreclosures will remain at all-time highs, and if Congress takes any action at all it will be to make it easier for banks to foreclose.
* The Republicans will not repeal the new health care reform law, but they will defund it (and that's pretty much the same thing).
* Private insurance companies will continue to raise the price of their premiums (and continue to refuse to pay for expensive treatments even for those with that high-priced insurance).
* Millions of Americans will continue to be unable to afford any health insurance coverage.
* Medicare and Medicaid will be cut by Republicans and Blue Dogs, causing even more doctors to refuse to treat elderly and poor patients.
* The huge gap in wealth and income between the richest 1-2% of Americans and the rest of America will grow even wider.
* America's transportation infrastructure will continue to crumble, because the Republican House would rather give the rich more money than put ordinary Americans to work fixing it.
* Global climate change will grow worse as Congress refuses to do anything about it. Taking their lead from America, other countries will also fail to find a solution.
* Toward the end of the year, Michele Bachmann will announce she's running for the senate seat currently held by Senator Amy Klobuchar.
* President Obama's approval ratings will remain in the upper 40's, setting him up for a possible re-election in 2012.
* Texas Republicans will raise taxes and then deny that they did it (claiming it was just an expansion of the "tax base" or the raise involved fees instead of taxes).
* Texas Republicans will pass a "voter ID" bill making voters present a picture ID to be allowed to vote (in addition to their voter registration card), claiming this will prevent voter fraud (although there is no evidence that fraud even exists).
* The Texas legislature will not approve casino-style gambling in the state (and the gambling money and taxes from it will continue to leave the state and go to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Nevada).
Actually, I would love to be wrong about most of the above predictions, but I don't think I am. 2011 is going to be a tough year for America. What do you think?
2011 Election Calendar
| The more detailed May 14, 2011 Election Law Calendar is available on the Elections homepage and on the “Conducting Your Elections” pages. | |
| **First Day to File for Place on Ballot (for cities and schools ONLY)(filing deadline for other political subdivisions may vary) | Saturday, February 12, 2011 (first day to file does not move forward) |
|---|---|
| **Last Day to File for Place on Ballot, Local General Election | Monday, March 14, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. (deadline is extended to next business day) ***Friday, March 18, 2011 (see note below relating to four-year terms) |
| Last Day to Order General Election | Monday, March 14, 2011 (deadline is extended to next business day) |
| First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail | Tuesday, March 15, 2011 (does not apply to FPCA) |
| Last Day to Register to Vote | Thursday, April 14, 2011 |
| First Day of Early Voting By Personal Appearance | Monday, May 2, 2011 |
| Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked) | Friday, May 6, 2011 (May 7, 2011 is the seventh day, but deadline moves back to preceding business day, Friday) |
| Last Day of Early Voting By Personal Appearance | Tuesday, May 10, 2011 |
| These dates are subject to changes from the 2011 legislative session. | |
|---|---|
| **First Day to File for Place on General Election Ballot (for cities and schools ONLY) (filing deadline for other political subdivisions may vary) | Monday, August 8, 2011 |
| Last Day to Order General Election | Wednesday, September 7, 2011 |
| **Last Day to File for Place on General Election Ballot (for local political subdivisions ONLY) | Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. |
| First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail | Friday, September 9, 2011 (does not apply to FPCA) |
| Last Day to Register to Vote | Tuesday, October 11, 2011 (deadline is extended to next business day after Columbus Day) |
| First Day of Early Voting | Monday, October 24, 2011 (17th day before election day falls on a Saturday, first day moves to next business day) |
| Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (Received, not Postmarked) | Tuesday, November 1, 2011 |
| Last Day of Early Voting | Friday, November 4, 2011 |
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Seasons Greetings With A Christmas Carol
As a holiday offering to all our readers, again, here are the 1938 and 1939 Campbell Playhouse radio broadcast productions of "A Christmas Carol" featuring Orson Welles and Lionel Barrymore. [Mercury Theatre Info]1938 version featuring Orson Welles as Scrooge. Play starts at 5:30 minutes [MP3] 1939 version featuring Lionel Barrymore as Scrooge (My favorite) Play starts at 3:00 minutes [MP3] |
 Scrooge Gets A Tax Cut Political Cartoon by Mike Luckovich in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. |
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