Thursday, May 31, 2012

Texas’s House Delegation Likely Won’t Reflect Hispanic Boom

TPM

After intense infighting and multiple delays, Tuesday’s Texas primaries proceeded under a compromise map intended to hand two of the state’s four new House districts to Latinos. It now appears as if neither of the new Hispanic-majority districts will send one of their own to Washington.

Texas’s population ballooned over the last decade due to the state’s rapidly growing Hispanic population. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of Hispanics grew by 2.8 million in the state; the group now comprises almost 40 percent of the population. But they make up less than one-fifth of its congressional delegation — and after November, that contingent could shrink, even after advocates fought tooth and nail to open the doors for Latino candidates with the state’s redistricting map.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Collin County Primary Results

By the end of primary election day the 435,397 registered voters in Collin County had cast 54,901 ballots in the Democratic and Republican primaries for a 12.6% voter turnout.

5,676 of those ballots were cast in the Democratic Primary and 49,225 Republican Primary ballots were cast. 22,644 Republican ballots and 2,645 Democratic ballots were counted for Election Day - including vote by mail ballots. Between both parties a total of 1,640 vote by mail ballots were cast with the majority being cast for the Republican primary.

The primary took place under interim district maps ordered by a San Antonio federal district court earlier this year while the maps passed by the 2011 Texas legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Perry continue under "preclearance" review by a Washington, D.C. District Court.

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, Texas is one of eight states with a history of discrimination that submit congressional redistricting proposals to either the Justice Department or a D.C. court preclearance before they can take effect.

Texas Republicans are threatening redraw the redistricting maps during the 2013 Texas legislative session. GOP Primary voters approved their party's Primary Ballot Proposition #5 that reads, "Redistricting - The Texas Legislature should redraw the court-imposed lines for Congress and State legislative districts in its upcoming session in order to remedy inequities.

As did the rest of Texas, Collin County voters split their votes for the U.S. Senate candidates listed on the Democratic and Republican ballots.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Remember Why We Honor This Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May.

It is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.

By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars.

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service.

Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.

We should also remember "The Other Forgotten Soldier," military service dogs.

Find out about The Other Forgotten Soldier at:

Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Orleans' Times-Picayune Newspaper Going Digital

New Orleans learned last week that one of its bedrock institutions will undergo a major makeover: The Times-Picayune, the city's daily newspaper with a 175-year history, announced it will cut back its newsprint version to three days a week and expand its digital news publications. This change, which was taken because of declining print revenues in a digital age, is scheduled to take effect sometime this fall. When it happens, New Orleans will be the biggest city in the country without a daily newspaper.

A new company - the NOLA Media Group, which will include The Times-Picayune and its affiliated web site NOLA.com - will reshape how the New Orleans area's dominant news organization delivers local news, sports and entertainment coverage in an increasingly digital age. NOLA Media Group will significantly increase its online news reporting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while offering enhanced printed newspapers on a schedule of three days a week. The newspaper will be home-delivered and sold in stores on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays only.

The decision to form a new company signals a change in the way news is delivered to an increasingly wired New Orleans area audience. As printed newspaper circulation declines, online readership is surging. The internet is slowly closing in on television as America's main source of national and international news. The rapid adoption of cell phones and, especially, the spread of internet-connected smartphones and iPad-like devices are changing the way people communicate with others, find information and read the news.