God, Dollars and Dirt

(ARCHIVES - June 15, 2006) A Guide to the political parties of Texas circa 2006

In the rollicking days of yesterday, the game of Texas politics was all about dirt…and water. The goal was to make as much mud as possible and sling it back and forth with your opponent.

While this type of activity might not sit well with ladies and gentlemen wearing finery, it was perfectly suited for a state where most folks earned a living working the land.

Then, as Texas became wealthy, money became the dominant force. During the past few decades hundreds of millions of dollars has been spent on politics in Texas. And tens of millions is contributed by Texans each year to national races.

A newer phenomenon is the use of God in politics…as if it were football game where the Supreme Deity places bets on one side or another. That view is challenged by Texans of faith who believe that God (or Allah, The Divine, etc.) wants to see everyone win and doesn't play favorites. Others still see it all as a cosmic crapshoot.

As we head into another election season, will it be another year of course and debase arguments? Will religious extremism turn Texans into Talibans? Or, will we stay true to time-honored principals of fairness, honesty and neighborly good will? Will we manage to keep our sense of humor?

To promote political participation, Texans for Peace encourages all Texans to become informed about issues, study the platforms and policies of political parties and candidates, and discuss viewpoints in public settings. We know that, regardless of the outcome of elections, there will be plenty of need for all of us to work with one another after Election Day.

Building a better and more just society isn't something that's ever finished….and something that all political parties share in common. Read on to get a sampling of some of the hot issues of the day and what political parties in Texas have to say.

Church and State

God "is the chairman of this party," said Tina Benkiser the head of the Texas Republican Party at the recent statewide convention in San Antonio. While affirming the right to worship as one chooses, the Texas Republican Party once again declares "America is a Christian nation" and pledges to dispel the "myth" of the separation of church and state.

Reading through to the state platform (download the GOP Plaform.pdf) , it often appears that Republicans are strict constructionists who believe, "the family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training," etc. and believe that government and schools should stay out of moral issues … except when it comes to the issues of marriage and divorce, public displays of the Decalogue (Ten Commandments), homosexuality, pornography, and gambling.

Republicans take pride in religious association, invoking the name of God twelve times to the Democrat's two in their platform. The convention made history by electing the Republican Party of Texas' first black vice chairman since Reconstruction. The convention elected Dr. Robin Armstrong of Dickinson, a young physician who said he joined the Republican Party at age 19 after he became a born-again Christian.

Texas Democrats, on the other hand, appear to cling to the liberal notion that government shouldn't get between a person and their relationship to God (read the Democratic Platform). At the same time they say that government is morally responsible to be involved in areas that have long been the domain of the church. "Caring for the poor is a religious issue," said Rev. Brett Young of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth. "Feeding the hungry, watching out for the indigent, standing up for people who are hurting - from a religious perspective, the way we respond to poverty is a litmus test of true morality."

The Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP), an interfaith movement that is critical of both the Religious Right and anti-religious liberals, attended the Texas Democratic Convention. "People say we don't stand for anything, but I don't think that's true," said state Rep. Donna Howard (D) of Austin. "We stand for fairness, inclusiveness, for generosity of spirit and resources. We stand for individual rights and the collective good."

Greens apparently don't feel the need to invoke God in their speeches (or perhaps the Green Party of Texas doesn't feel the need for religious pandering). The party does call immoral the giving to corporations more rights and freedoms than human persons and the usurpation of the sovereignty of Texas.

The Libertarian Party of Texas says that societies should be organized by political viewpoint, not as a system of morality.

The Socialist party focuses on secular ethics while the Constitution Party proclaims, "the blessing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the Universe and of these United States."

Education and Texas' future

Education is always a hot issue, particularly because of booming enrollment and issues of state financing of schools only partially resolved.

Both the Democrat and Republican parties devote a great deal of their platform to the issues of education and providing for the children of Texas but have very different ideas about priorities.

Democrats call public education "essential to American democracy and economic freedom." Their platform calls public education more than just a constitution obligation but a "moral imperative". It calls for improved statewide funding a guaranteed of 2-years of college for every high school graduate.

Republicans call for the abolishment of the U.S. Department of Education and focus much of their platform on private education and parental rights. They also call for the abolition of bilingual programs and support teaching "Intelligent Design" as a scientific theory.

Libertarians support the privatization of education and making it voluntary, not compulsory. They are opposed to all tax support for education, at any level.

Greens regard "education as the basic requirement of a democracy based on an informed, responsible, and active citizenry," and call for increased government spending in this area.

Socialists call for "free, quality education in a safe and supportive environment."

Texas Bid-ness

With one of the world's greatest economies, Texas likes to support its businesses. Issues of dollars and cents are major areas for all parties. All have something to say on the topics of taxes, business, workers and the economy.

The Republican platform calls for a repeal of minimum wage laws, making Worker's Compensation voluntary, and protections "from" labor unions. The Republican Party calls for the abolition of state property taxes and the IRS, repeal of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing income taxes) while at the same time calling for tax deductions for private, parochial, and home schooling. It strongly opposes the creation of a state income or statewide property tax, " - even to pay for education." They also favor keeping the Internet tax-free.

The Democratic platform calls for taxes and fees to be spent for the specific purpose they were collected. It calls for public tax dollars, when spent, to go to small businesses and not to "companies that export our jobs to foreign countries or organize their corporations to utilize tax loopholes specifically intended to avoid state or federal taxes. The platform also calls for increases in the minimum wage and more regulation of banks, utilities and insurance carriers.

The Green Party platform supports economic development with a focus on small business, conservation and new forms of energy, and a "living wage" for all workers.

The Libertarian Party platform advocates elimination of anti-trust laws, removal of government regulation of business, and call for the abolition of the Texas Railroad Commission.

The Socialist Party platform calls for transformation from capitalism to democratic socialism and provides specific plans to do so.

Messin' with the World

International relations, immigration, overseas wars are all part of the platforms of the various political parties. While both the Democrats and Republicans voice support for the U.S. military personnel, each has different approaches to dealing with today's world.

Democrats call for a foreign policy that "addresses urgent needs of the world community and minimizes the potential for hatred and conflict," and demand the development of a plan "for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in the most rapid manner possible" while stopping short of calling for an outright withdrawal.

Democrat plans on immigration require support for more border security and greater emphasis on economic development in countries south of the border.

Republicans evoke much of the language used by the Bush administration in discussing international relations from the "Axis of Evil" to the "continuation of economic and security assistance" for Iraq. They also speak specifically about US-Sino relations.

The Republican line on immigration says it all, "No Amnesty! No how. No way"

Just the opposite, the Libertarian Party calls for removal of all restrictions on immigrants and abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service the Border Patrol.

Greens take on GATT and NAFTA trade agreements and have consistently viewed war as fundamentally undemocratic, destructive of the environment, and an assault on civil liberties.

Socialists call for withdrawal of U.S. troops from most foreign countries and disbanding of NATO.

Red, White and Blue, Mom, and Apple Pie

Each party appears to try and outdo the other with patriotic flourishes and appeals.

"Throughout the world people dare to dream of freedom, of opportunity, of a beautiful country in which to grow, to raise their family, to worship God in their own way without fear. And within America, people dare to dream of achieving…not encumbered by government, constantly nourished by faith and family, thriving in a free market, and helping others through charity of giving and serving. The embodiment of the Conservative Dream in America is Texas," reads the preamble to the Republican platform.

We "believe that our government can be as good as the people. We have faith that democracy, built on the sacred values of family, freedom and fairness, can afford every Texan, without exception, the opportunity to achieve their God-given potential," begins the Democrats'. We "recommend specific policy goals based on the beliefs and principals that are the foundation of government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

"Understanding that our actions will be judged by future generations, we work together in order to build a safer world for everyone," writes the Green Party. "Looking to the future with hope and optimism, (we) believe we can truly create a beautiful, lasting future, that together we can make a real difference in the quality of our lives and environment. Our common destiny brings us together across our state, our nation, and around the globe. It is up to us to choose how we will be remembered. It is for us to choose the future we are creating today."

"To be free we must create new patterns for our lives and live in new ways in the midst of a society that does not understand and is often hostile to new, better modes of life. Our aim is the creation of a new social order, a society in which the commanding value is the infinite preciousness of every woman, man and child," from the Socialist Party.

"We seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their lives, and no individuals are forced to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others. We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be eliminated from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest," reads the Libertarian platform.
Texas politics, a contact sport.

It's all good

Taken as a whole the ideals and plans of all of the parties that Texans belong to help provide an insight to thoughts across our state. While there are differences, to be sure, there are many commonalities as well.

Texans can take pride at their individual and collective involvement in the political process as we head into the Fall election season. We know that what happens in Texas politics can have global significance.

This year, as always, we can expect lots of disagreement and mudslinging as candidates for office criss-cross the state. But then, we should also look forward to 2007 in the hope that statesmen, community leaders, and Texans everywhere will put aside (some) of their differences and work for the best of their neighbors.

Afterall, dirt washes off.

Texans for Peace is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As such it is non-partisan and non-sectarian and does not endorse candidates or political parties.

Texans celebrate Juneteenth

Across the state, Texas celebrate June 19th - Juneteenth - the date when official word of the end of slavery reached Texas. Today people of all races can come together freely "as God intended," remarked one festival organizer. .

While most Texas slaves knew that the Civil War had ended, they were kept in bondage an additional two years following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln.

What began as a Texas tradition has now become an unofficial holiday across America. In 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday here in Texas.

Iraqis are fathers too

Abu, the respectful name for 'father of" is used throughout Iraq as a sign of admiration for those men who provide leadership for the younger generation. However, it has become increasingly difficult for fathers in that country as the war drags on.

Abu Omar, an electrician who lives in the Baghdad neighborhood of Saydiyah -- a Sunni Arab enclave where insurgents move freely -- said he returns from work in the late afternoon and stays up until well past midnight hoping the explosions and firefights remain at a safe distance from his son and other family members.

Texans for peace continues efforts to provide up-to-date information on what is happening in the war in Iraq. We invite you to visit the End the War in Iraq website each day and stay informed.

Texas ranchers offer immigrants a step up.

Some ranchers along the border with Mexico, have turned to an easier way to cross fences: ladders.

While most have installed these ladders as a way to protect their fences from being cut and torn down, others see it as a neighborly guesture of welcome for those seeking entry to the U.S. across their lands. Others think that electrified fencing is more appropriate.

Opposition to Texas mega-highways growing

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) plans for the Trans-Texas corridor - toll rolls on steriod - is facing growing opposition around the state.

"We are opposed to TxDOT's vision" said leaders in Dallas and Fort Worth when presented with plans for the route of TTC-35, a privately financed toll road that would relieve much of I-35 traffic.

Bush in Crawford; Drag Queens in Waco

While President Bush enjoyed the Father's Day weekend at his ranch in Crawford, a quite different event was being held in Waco...the crowning of the "Empress" of Texas.

"The president loves everything about Texas," says White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. Why not, with such a diverse and interesting state full of many things to see and do?.

(ARCHIVES - June 1, 2006) Iraq is Hell and the Devil is running free

Iraq has become a man-made Hell and many of the devils there are on the U.S. payroll. Our soldiers are caught in a kill-and-cash policy by the actions of an Administration that does not care the young men and women from Texas have become the damned.

General Peter Schoomaker, current chief of staff for the U.S. Army, famously said "There's got to be a certain appetite for the hell we exist for" in his description of the military's experience in Iraq. He recites with precision the Way-Of-The-Sword and is a leader in continuing war in iraq. The General has seen the inferno and will command living corpses, if compelled, all the way to the abyss.

Those under his command have increasingly come under scrutiny for actions that have been variously described as "mass murder" and "genocide". While the soldiers in Iraq represent the "gun" it is their leaders in Washington who pull the trigger.

Too often, Iraqi residents are killed by troops who claim accidental fire or in incidents similar to Mai Lai in Vietnam. These killings join those by insurgents and terrorists - both mercenary and home grown - who wreak havoc and destruction in that country every day.

Especially troubling, for Americans, is the growing evidence that many U.S. soldiers may be participating in henious acts of wanton killing. The deaths of Iraqis is not the random act of a few rouge soldiers, but the result of explicit commands and attitudes of those who have turned Iraq into a pit of fire.

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot…. It's fun to shoot some people," said Marine Lieutenant General James Mattis regarding his experience leading troops in Iraq. This blunt-talking former Camp Pendleton general has just been promoted to assume the reins of the 20,000-member I Marine Expeditionary Force in the Anbar province of Iraq.

With leaders like these in charge of US forces, is it any wonder that things have gotten so far out of control?

The systematic and wanton killings in Haditha, and the earlier abuses in Abu Ghraib, are only the tip of the iceburg of what can only be called a callous disregard for life and liberty of the Iraqis. The recent situation in Haditha is further corroborated by incidents in the village of Al-Jazeer Abouasaaf, Samarra, Hamandiya and elsewhere.

Harum-scarum in Haditha

Haditha has recently erupted into the consciousness of Americans after alleged reports of the massacre of 24 civilians by U.S. Marines last November. Credible eyewitness accounts say that the killings of the mostly women and children in that village began after Marines were attacked on their way to Haditha and retaliated on helpless villagers.

According to Lance Cpl. Roel Ryan Briones Shortly after 7 a.m. on Nov. 19, he and his team of five men was called to respond to a roadside bomb explosion about 300 yards outside Kilo Company's Firm Base Sparta, located in an abandoned school.

When they arrived about 10 minutes later at the smoky, chaotic scene in a residential neighborhood, he said he saw the remains of his best friend, Lance Cpl. Miguel "T.J." Terrazas, a 20-year-old Texan, resting in the destroyed Humvee in which he had been riding.

Then the killing began.

When the Marines failed to find those responsible for the bomb they began to deliberately and indiscriminately massacred 24 Iraqi civilians in the Subhani district of Haditha. The victims "range from little babies to adult males and females." Initially, the U.S. Marines alleged that 15 "insurgents" and civilians were killed in "cross fire." It was a video of an Iraqi journalism student from Haditha which prompted Time magazine to investigate the massacre.

Eman Waleed, a 9-year-old girl who survived the massacre told the told Time: "First, they went into my father's room, where he was reading the Koran, and we heard shots. Then, the soldiers came back into the living room. I couldn't see their faces very well -- only their guns sticking into the doorway. I watched them shoot my grandfather, first in the chest and then in the head. Then they killed my granny." Safa Younis Salim, a 13-year old girl, who in an interview said she lived by faking her death. "I pretended that I was dead when my brother's body fell on me and he was bleeding like a faucet," she said. She said that she saw American troops kick her family members and that one American shouted in the face of one relative before he was killed.

According to NBC News reports, photos taken immediately after the incident "show many of the victims were shot at close range, in the head and chest, execution-style. One heart-breaking photo shows a mother and young child bent over on the floor as if in prayer, shot dead." A video, shot by a Haditha journalism student confirmed the residents' accounts.

Newsweek reported "The entire citywas in an uproar,” says Scott Jepson, who was monitoring the radio back at Kilo Company’s base in Haditha. Jepson, who is now a sheriff in New Jersey, was on a team sent to do a damage assessment of Iraqi homes. The team later paid out money to civilians who had lost family members. It is common practice to compensate civilians or their families wounded or killed by American fire, up to $2,500 per civilian; at Haditha, the Marines handed out a total of $38,000 to relatives of 15 victims.” Kill-and-cash policy.

Accursed in Al-Jazeer Abouasaaf

In December 2003 members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams (this author among them) were taken to the small village of Al-Jazeer Abouasaaf, near the town of Najaf, by members of an Iraqi human rights organization. They asked CPT to investigate killings that had occurred there a week prior. According to village residents, on the evening of November 22, 2003 a prominent lawyer, his son-in-law and a guest were returning home at dusk when they were detained outside of their house by U.S. forces.

The three men were hog tied and told to kneel on the ground beside their car while U.S. troops searched their home. The soldiers split into two groups, one going around back and the other entering the front of the home. All was dark since the electricity was off. The women and children were in the kitchen preparing the Ramadan break-fast by lamplight.

Then things went haywire.

As the soldiers were entering the home from either side, they apparently began firing on each other thinking the other was an insurgent. The result was 4 dead soldiers.

Angry at their mistake, the hyped-up patrol then went outside and summarily executed the three men while calling in a helicopter strike on the house. In the melee the mother was seriously injured by shrapnel. One person reported a soldier saying (for the festivities that were being prepared), "would you like cake with that?" to the injured mother.

The walls were pocketed from bullets with holes in the roof. Shell casings were strewn nearby and the tracks of armored vehicles could still be seen in the yard along with the bloodstains where the men were killed.

The local residents said that the military came back the next day and apologized for the accident. However, upon later questioning by the CPT, the military denied ever having been in the town during that week.

Satan in Samarra

Samarra has also been the location of several incidents including new accusations that soldiers killed unarmed civilians in their home last month.

Iraqi army and police officers and several people who said they were witnesses and relatives of the dead said U.S. soldiers killed two women and a mentally handicapped man in their home on May 4 after insurgents fired on the troops.

In his family home in the Sikaak district of Samarra, Zedan Khalaf Habib told a Reuters reporter that the soldiers killed his 60-year-old wife, Khairiya Nisiyif Jassim, his son Khaled Zedan Khalaf, 40, who was mentally handicapped, and daughter Anaam Zedan Khalaf, 20.

Habib, 66, said he was hit in the arm when soldiers fired from a doorway into a room where 15 people had taken refuge in his house after a gunfight broke out nearby. Another daughter said soldiers placed a rifle next to her brother's body and took photographs to suggest he had been armed when killed. "I was sitting next to my house when clashes erupted between gunmen and U.S. forces," said Habib, sitting in his home three weeks later. "I went indoors with my family to a safe room."

In another incident in Samarra just this week, a pregnant Iraqi pregnant Iraqi woman was reportedly shot dead by US troops, along with her cousin, as she was rushing to give birth in that city.

The women entered a "prohibited area" and refused to stop when US troops asked to do so. Regardless if she understood English, or if she was in labor and unable to stop, she was shot dead. She is survived by her husband and two children, aged two and one.

Toast in Tal Afar

"Toasting" of Iraqi civilians occurs on a weekly basis when their cars get too close to Americans on patrol. One such incident was captured by professional photographer Chris Hondros in January 2005 in "A Shooting After Nightfall".

On that evening, a patrol opened fire on a family as their car approached their location. In graphic detail, the photographer shows how the car was fired upon, and the results of a family killed and bloody, screaming children.

"The sound of children crying came from the car. I walked up to the car and a teenage girl with her head covered emerged from the back, wailing and gesturing wildly," said Hondros. "After her came a boy, tumbling onto the ground from the seat, already leaving a pool of blood"

Beelzebub in Baghdad

It used to be said by Iraqis that there was only one Satan, Saddam Hussein, the murderous thug who turned their once modern country into a purgatory of war and embargos. While Saddam rots in prison, a host of new occupiers - both foreign military and insurgents - lays waste to their country.

Terrorists daily behead their victims and leave their corpses behind as macabre warnings. Insurgents and freedom fighters explode bombs and send mortars crashing into areas filled with innocent Iraqis. Mercenaries and foreign soldiers, paid by the U.S., descend and join the dark forces as well.

Tal Afar, Al-Jazeer Abouasaaf, and Haditha are just a few examples of the numerous stories of the hell of the war in Iraq. It has created devils out of ordinary people who, in other circumstances, might never think about killing a fellow human.

Some have become used to it.

"When I got here I found out that pulling the trigger wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," shrugs 21 year-old Specialist Michael Auton of Lenore, North Carolina. "It was wow, I just killed a man," he says, "you start thinking he coulda been a guy just protecting his family. But then you think, ok he's running around out here with an AK-47 shooting at us--then you just get over it. Move on."

Others use it as an outlet for their own anger.

Ray Hernandez says it's anger that allows him to kill, "The only thing I think about when I go out there and pull the trigger is revenge--for every guy that fell down doing the same thing I was doing. I'm not going to let him die in vain. The object of this fucking war is to let the other guy die for his country, because I'm not dying for mine."

In either case, young men and women from America are becoming blooded killers. At some point they will return home to their families, forever changed by what they have been forced to participate in.

Most soldiers start out as good, dedicated people, who try to give their lives to the ideals that drive our nation.

But when they become trapped in an immoral policy where the wrongful death of a civilian leads not to a change in policy, but to a hastily written check thrown at the feet of the corpse, they too become victim's of evil.

The suffering in Iraq - both that of Iraqis and Texas soldiers - will not be relieved until Congress and the President reverse their course.

“He that preaches war is the devil's chaplain," noted English naturalist John Ray. Those who continue to support this war corrupt themselves and the world. It is an ill omen for us all.

Iraq has gone from the dark secret cells of dictatorship to the red-hot embers of chaos. It has become a Hell where the Devil runs freely.

Charlie Jackson

AIDS turns 25, still growing

This year marks the 25th year since the discovery of HIV/AIDS and the problem continues to grow. In the Third World, AIDS has exploded into a plague of historic proportions. It must be stopped.

While 500,000 Americans have died in the past 25 years, that many children worldwide perished in 2005 alone; and the vast majority lived in poor countries. Indeed, of the current total of 40 million infected people -- an all-time high -- two-thirds are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Called the "Worst Epidimic Ever Known," AIDS impact Texas families as well and demands energy and thoughts if its impacts are to be lessened, both here and abroad.

Mexican economy expanding

Mexico's economy is expanding at a robust rate, a plus for Texas in many ways. The first quarter of this year, Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5.50 percent, driven by advances in all of the economy's sectors, said the Finance Secretariat (SHCP).

In the first three months of this year, Mexico's industrial sector (mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity, gas and water) posted a an advance of 7 percent, compared to the same period in 2005. The increases by sector were: construction 8.3 percent, manufacturing 7.1 percent, mining 5.9 percent and electricity, gas and water 4.1 percent.

Republican peace activists

During the Texas Republiican Convention, last week, many delegates voiced their support for peace and ending the war in Iraq.

Texans for Peace was on hand at the convention hall in San Antonio with petitions to End the War in Iraq. Delegates and passing tourists rushed to sign the petition. One delegate, a veteran of the war, wore his "End the War in Iraq" t-shirt inside the main convention hall.

Texans for Peace volunteers plan to collect signatures at the Texas Democratic Convention in Fort Worth this week.

Militarization of Texas border begins July 1

A contingent of about 500 National Guard troops will head for Texas' border with Mexico by July 1 in the first phase of the Bush administration's plan to buttress the U.S. Border Patrol as part of "Operation Jump Start".

Most of the initial troops will be sent to the El-Paso area with additional military personnel sent to other areas of the state, said David Aguilar, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. Governor Perry has Perry authorized the use of up to 2,300 Guard troops in Texas by August.

(ARCHIVES - May 13, 2006) Politics of Greed: Oil companies get BIG gift

Greed is good
Yeah that's what they say
It's just misunderstood
Hey, don't blame me
I didn't make it that way
from the song "Race You to the Bottom" by Billy Dean

"Greed is good" shout today's plutocrats and their minions. Apparently our local politicians agree.

The Texas Legislature just concluded a "special" session to address the issue of school funding. Who was the the biggest winner? Big oil.

In their attempt to improve financing and business taxes, the Leg showed that they're just as crooked as the Brazos. The breakdown below is evidence enough:

Industries that are expected to see their taxes reduced in 2008 include:

- Mining, including oil and gas production, by 12.1 percent.
- Finance, insurance and real estate, by 9.8 percent.
- Wholesale and retail trade, by 3.8 percent.
- Utilities and transportation, which includes the state's three big airlines, 2.5 percent.

Other industries - from manufacturing to services - will see significant increases in their taxes. However, many of those same industries paid little or no taxes in the past. Source: Texas Tax Reform Commission

Legislative leaders like to use the term "revenue neutral" to describe the sleight of handiwork, but the end result is the same. They gave a gift of as much as $1 Billion in the short term and much more in the future to their friends down at the Petroleum Club.

Now this is all really only chump change for companies with revenues in the hundreds of billions. Heck, it wouldn't cover the costs of a handful of executives.

But this was money that would have otherwise gone to improve schools, many which have never been on the gravy train in the first place. The youth of Texas will go hungry while their biscuits go to feed the fat cats of the oilgopoly.

Now I don't have a particular beef with oil or wealth creation.

As a child growing up in Baytown east of Houston, I benefited from the riches generated by petroleum. "That's the smell of money," my grandfather sagely grinned when I complained about the odor from the refinery outside the back porch. I've attended great public schools which gained much of their value from oilfield revenues.

The fortunes from oil has helped transform Texas from a largely agriculture state to one of the wealthiest places on earth….but it's not always shared.

The Legislature's tax cut made little economic sense and will only serve the interests of a few, rather than be a broad platform for improvement. The "Big as Texas" vision of the likes of Hugh Roy Cullen, Amon Carter, and Bob Bullock is being replaced by pint-sized economists.

Big Oil today is no longer run by aging roughnecks or men with degrees in geology and petroleum engineering. Today they are driven by those with finance degrees whose only interest is on "maximized yield." Their children are already assured of a quality education, so why be concerned with those of their neighbors?

Along with their selected officials (democratic elections in Texas have gone the way of The Last Picture Show) these denizens of profit pray to the golden bull of Wall Street. Instead of listening to the needs of the people - and taxing the stratospheric profits rolling into the oil companies of the state - they only add more gilding.

They, and their compadres, also financed the politicians that led to war in Iraq....thereby further increasing their profits. This was done without a fair contribution to paying for the costs of the war - one already exceeding $250 billion.

Oil has been very good our state, even for those who don't directly own oil stocks.

Texas has many diverse industries, but oil continues to play a large role in the economy overall. Oil still accounts for more than 10% of the state's GDP.

Texas also has the second largest crude oil proved reserves (including Federal Offshore) in the nation with 4,613 million barrels and refines as many as 4.6 million barrels of oil per day.

Forget about Iraq, there's a reason why the biggest oil companies in the world are all headquartered in the Lone Star State. Today Texas is a very, very good place for business. But, it hasn't always been that way.

During the Great Depression of the 1930's, when food was scarce, many Texans resorted to eating Armadillos, also called "Hoover Hawgs". Then, as now, there was disparity across the state. We have an opportunity before us to improve on the past.

At a time when many Texans live like Croesus, too many still struggle daily to feed, clothe, and shelter their families. If the measure of a truly rich society is one in which all have dignity, Texas has a ways to go yet.

Let's ask the oil industry to invest more, not less, in Texas. Pay more taxes, not fewer, while they reap windfall profits. Contribute their fair of the public welfare as Americans.

Those with the greatest wealth can invest more in the needs of today and tomorrow, and the benefits will only accrue (that's for the bean-counters out there).

Let's pass the biscuits all around. Save our children...and the armdadillos!

Charlie Jackson, Texans for Peace

For a different opinion see:, Oil Companies Repond "We just want our voices heard, too", compliments of TheOnion.com

Dallas Muslims first Charity Day

Reaching out to help needy Americans, Dallas Muslims are organizing their first annual Islamic Charity Day next Saturday, May 20.

Organized by the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Islamic Association, the event will include handing out food, clothing, toys and hygiene items to needy American families, Muslims and non-Muslims, according to the website of the relief group.

Lobbyists continue Capitol buying

Professional lobbyists spend millions of dollars in Austin to persuade the Legislature to adopt laws favorable to their business. Between 1,300-1,700 paid lobbyists swoo down on the Capitol and work their magic. The recent "tax overhaul" is a case in point.

Groups like Campaigns for People , Clean Up Texas , and Clean Money San Antonio, ave been leading efforts to reform the system of lobbying and payments in an attempt to restore democracy to Texas.

Texan world oldest' person

Oberie Coffin could be the world's oldest living person. Ms. Coffin is an astonishing 123 years old making her possibly the oldest living person in the world.

Born in 1883, Ms. Coffin is a resident of the Sunny Acres nursing home in DeKalb in East Texas. "For 123 years old, she`s in excellent condition," Carol English director of nursing at Sunny Acres said.

No one is quite sure how Coffin lived so long. She has no living relatives and is blind and unable to speak.

Blowing in the wind

Texas officials announced plans Thursday for the nation's largest offshore wind farm (everything is bigger in Texas), consisting of as many as 170 windmills out in the Gulf of Mexico.

Houston-based Superior Renewable Energy will build and operate the project, which will be situated within about 10 miles of Padre Island. It is expected to cost $1 billion to $2 billion and should be ready in five years.

The offshore farm is the second announced in less than a year for the Texas coast, joining 50 wind turbines planned off Galveston. Jerome Collins of the Sierra Club said his and other groups support wind energy and hoped to work with energy producers to prevent bird deaths and protect the scenic landscape.

More Texas fall in iraq

During the months of April and May, more than XX sons and daughters of Texas died in the war in Iraq:

May 9 Army Spc. Aaron P. Latimer, 26, of Ennis
May 5 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Eric W. Totten, 34, of Dallas
May 5 Sgt. Jeffery S. Wiekamp, 23, of Utopia
April 26 Staff Sergeant Bryant A. Herlem, 37 of Copperas Cove
April 23 Cpl. Jason Daniel, 21, of Crowley
April 13 Lance Cpl. Stephen J. Perez, of San Antonio<
April 7 Cpl. Richard P. Waller,22, of Fort Worth
April 1 Cpl. Andres Aguilar Jr., 21, of Victoria

Both Texas Senators Hutchison and Cornyn continue to support the war. Sen. John Cornyn and his wife Sandra have two daughters in their 20's.

(ARCHIVES: May 1, 2006) Katrina Followup: Activists, Faith Groups Carry On

While much of the country has grown weary of stories about Hurricane Katrina, churches, congregations, liberal activists, and others continue to help out their neighbors along the Gulf Coast.

Rallying from near and far

Methodists church congregations - from throughout the U.S. - are sending dozens of delegations to hurricane-ravaged areas this June to help with the clean up. Carole Vaughan, spokeswoman for the Virginia United Methodist Conference in Richmond, said about 200 Volunteers in Mission teams from Virginia have worked in the Gulf states since the Aug. 29 hurricane.

Students from the University of Iowa just returned from a trip to help out with cleaning in New Orleans. They joined 1,400 other volunteers at Camp Premiere, one of the camps set up for workers by FEMA.

Younger children are helping as well. "I can't wait to go down," Bilski, a 10th-grader at Horace Greeley High School, said before leaving for Louisiana "I know it's going to be scary, but I'm hoping we'll make a difference." Bilski is part of the Northern Westchester, NY, J-Teen Leadership Program, which is under the auspices of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York that sent 44 people, including 23 high school students, to help with relief.

Assisting in many ways

Muslims and Baptists in Houston teamed together to call on volunteers to help with relief. In three days 3,000 Muslim men, women and youth registered to work as relief volunteers. This tremendous show of humanitarian concern on the part of Muslim community caught many non-Muslims by surprise, as the visual impact of hundreds of elderly and young Muslims selflessly volunteering to help the needy posed a stark contradiction to the media stereotyping of the Muslims.

Lutheran Social Services & Disaster Response is training volunteers to travel to the South to conduct camps - Camp Noah - for children who have experienced disaster. Using Bible stories - particularly the story of Noah and the flood - and recreational activities, Camp Noah is designed to help children cope with their experiences while strengthening their faith.

More than 6,000 Presbyterian volunteers have logged nearly 300,000 hours since Katrina came ashore on Aug. 29. Rotary, Lions, and Optimist clubs have raised millions of dollars for relief.

The United Jewish Communities and the Federations of North America have raised more than $28 million for disaster relief for the Jewish and general communities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

From the ground up

Sometimes the volunteers are just individual Americans, concerned about their fellow citizen. Such was the case for Sister Doretta D'Albero, a teacher at Our Lady of Pompeii School in New York who, along with two friends drove south on a weeklong volunteer relief mission that turned into much more. She is representative of thousands of individuals who have go to stricken areas and provided their own energies, talents, and resources to help out.

Community workers, musicians, peace activists, environmentalists and others have been instrumental in providing services where the government has not. Plenty International - a grassroots organization - teamed up with Veterans for Peace to get supplies in quickly.

Food not Bombs has been traveling back and forth setting up temporary kitchens while Common Ground and independent media groups have focused primarily on the hard-hit 9th Ward area of New Orleans. They have also fought for the rights of returning evacuees, particular low income and people of color.

[Note: FBI agent, G. Charles Rasner, at a presentation at the UT Law School, has accused the Austin branches of Indymedia and Food Not Bombs as potential terrorist threats as part of an ongoing effort to shut down alternative, independent activist groups.]

Much is still needed

The main charity hospital in New Orleans is a tent. Eight months after the hurricane, medical care looks like a scene from M*A*S*H. Of the 16 hospitals that once provided acute care in New Orleans, only nine have reopened since Hurricane Katrina.

Throughout the rest of the Gulf Coast region hit by hurricanes, the need is great. Willing hands, money, and materials are needed. Thousands are still without homes to return to and businesses in the region continue to struggle to get back on their feet. From Florida to Texas there are plenty of activities to become involved in.

In Newton County a judge cajoled a Mennonite church group into staying in East Texas rather than going to the coast as it had originally planned. Before long, Methodists, Baptists and even a Hindu group were pitching in. Now they are repairing about 20 roofs a week. "Before Rita, I can tell you no one in Newton County knew what a Mennonite was," Holbert said. "This is Deep East Texas. They were just as likely to confuse them with a Shiite or a Hittite from the Bible."

How you can help

1. Use your hands - travel to the region and provide you sweat equity.

North American Mission Board (Baptist) and Mercy Corps

2. Support the volunteers - provide much needed supplies or resources to the many organizations who have "boots on the ground".

Common Ground Relief and Mississippi Worker's Center

3. Donate money - there is much that still needs to be purchased to help out, even small amounts of money can go a long way, particularly when combined with the donations of others.

Catholic Charities and Louisiana ACORN Recovery & Building Fund

4. Hold public leaders responsible - Ensure that your taxes are used wisely and appropriately to assist those in need.

There are many ways, great and small, that you can become involved in the ongoing effort to help those who were victims of Katrina. Join your fellow Texans. Get involved this summer!

Charlie Jackson, Texans for Peace

Hon. Jackson Lee, others arrested in Darfur protest

Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and four other congressmen, were arrested this week outside of the Sudanes Embassy of Chad in Washington D.C.

"The slaughter of the people of Darfur must end," Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., a Holocaust survivor who founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, said from the embassy steps before his arrest. James McGovern and John Olver of Massachusetts, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas and Jim Moran of Virginia — were among 11 protesters arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, a misdemeanor subject.

The protesting members of congress ignored police warnings to leave the Sudan embassy steps and were taken away in a police van.

FEMA wants $1.26M back from Texans

The federal government is asking 625 people in Texas to pay back a total of $1.26 million in recovery aid they shouldn't have received after Hurricane Rita.

Texas families have received more than $592 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the September storm, but the agency is sending out letters asking for money back.

Most of the money FEMA wants, $1.14 million, was incorrectly paid for damage to homes that were not the owners' primary residences, FEMA spokeswoman Hannah Vick said. Damages to secondary residences are ineligible for FEMA money under federal law.

Federal auditors have faulted FEMA for much of the benefit abuse after last fall's hurricanes, citing an inadequate accounting system. The federal Government Accountability Office has said thousands of inappropriate payments were made because people could repeatedly apply for and collect benefits.

TX Electrical plant sold to UK

The Carlyle Group of Houston is selling a Texas power plant, located in Goliad County, to UK investors (International Power). IPR said it's agreed to buy the 632 megawatt, coal-fired Coleto Creek power plant from Topaz Power Group for $1.14 billion.

IPC said said the acquisition, which is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2006, will provide an immediate boost to earnings and cash flow. "Texas power prices have doubled since early 2004 and this is a key driver of the value in this transaction," said Bobby Chada, an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

The Carlyle group is a private company headed by Frank Carlucci, former CIA director and defense secretary under Ronald Reagan and lifelong friend of George Bush Sr. Bush and James Baker III.

Among its investors are the Bush family and the Bin Laden family.

Texas gas prices rise for 8th week

Texas gas prices continue to rise. For the 8th week in a row, gasoline prices at the pump have rise. The average throughout the state is near $3 per gallon and expected to go much higher.

The war in Iraq is cited as a direct cause for rising fuel costs, along with marketplace fears that the U.S. will launch a war with Iran - the world's fourth largest oil exporter. Others credit the increased profits to ruthless financial discipline.

Meanwhile, in Texas oil exploration and refining companies continue to report record revenues. Exxon-Mobile reported first-quarter net income increased 14% to $8.4 billion on revenues of $89 billion. Chevron report $4 billion net on 54.6 in revenues.