(ARCHIVES: December 23, 2008) In the silent, darkest night

The tree branches are bare and cold winds whistle outside - literally and figuratively.

In the dark night many live in fear of the twin wolves of poverty and hunger that they imagine they hear howling from "Wall Street to Main Street". Others look outside their window and see the spectre of unending war and violence and a dystopian future robed in black. The cynics only see confirmation of their Malthusian views.

And yet, there are those who even in the darkness see the starlight.

These wait silently through the dark night for the coming day, secure in knowledge that there will always be enough - if we share - and the howling is only the wind. Their doors are ready to be opened at the presence of the first warm breeze and they know that green lies beneath the snow.

This later sort is all around us every day. They are the ones who seem to be calm amidst the frenzy of holiday preparations, concerns of unemployment and anxiousness of political events. While others huddle vainly and cling to meagerness of winter, they are hurrying towards spring.

Yesterday, while walking down a busy sidewalk filled with shoppers I noticed one man who was quietly handing out something. He appeared to be selecting people who looked tired or hungry and slipping them money with whispered words. I sauntered closer and heard him asking "could you use some help?" Most just nodded and he would hand them a ten or twenty dollar bill.

As he continued down the sidewalk I stopped him and asked why he was doing this. "Did you just win the Lottery," I joked? He turned to me with a grin on his face and remarked that he was just an ordinary wage earner but that he'd been saving up during the warm times of the year to be able to help people once the weather turned cold.

He said he did it to give people "hope" to carry them through the winter. Like the child who threw starfish back into the ocean, he knew that he couldn't help everyone but that it matters to "this one" whom he gave a few bucks. I could see in the faces of those who received the money that he was indeed right.

Once again I was reminded that not only are many people filled with goodness and kindness towards one another but there are the rare souls who see past the barren and bleak times of the moment and recognize that the seasons will revolve and soon again the fields will be carpeted with verdant life.

Another friend sent the following poetic lament that echoes the thoughts that many have:

When people wanted peace, they prepared us for war.

When people wanted clean air, they kept on polluting.

When people wanted health care free and for all, they said wait.

When people wanted public transportation, they urged more cars and freeways.

When people wanted the ingredients of factory made food listed on labels, they resisted.

When people wanted lead out of gasoline so kids could breathe free of brain damage, they dragged their feet.

When will we stop wanting and start organizing for control of the controllers and power to the people?

Tom Keene (San Antonio)

Although his words might sound dreary, Tom also knows that it sometimes seems darkest just before daybreak. He also knows how to store up for the long road of peace and justice.

Wintertime may seem long and lonely and the deepest night cold and still, but embrace the dark. Listen to the silence and know that the turning of the year will bring a new realm of possibilities - for yourself and our world.

Dallas Muslims and Jews grow closer

A young assistant Rabbi at Temple Shalom (peace) in Dallas has become a force to bring together Jews and Muslims in that city. Jeremy Schneider has been busy standing against "Islamophobia" and telling Jews "We must learn what Islam truly stands for, not from politicians, not from e-mail forwards, and not from the media, but from Muslims themselves by engaging in dialogue."

A UT grad, Rabbi Schneider traces his passion for interfaith efforts to growing up in the predominantly liberal Christian suburbs of Houston. He launched right into interfaith work soon after joining the staff at Temple Shalom in 2006. Rabbi Schneider will be honored Jan. 10 by the National Peace Foundation for his interfaith work, including a class on Islam at Temple Shalom.

Tx cities make their "wish lists"

Across the state, local elected officials are putting together their "wish list" of projects they would like to see during the next year - if only funding was available. These cities hope that the new Obama Administration will provide assistance towards local infrastructure and economic development.

San Antonio wants to plant 200,000 trees and provide for environmental restoration of the San Antonio River’s southern reach. In Austin, officials have a plan to create their own "river walk" along Waller Creek. Arlington wants to expand trails and parks, among other projects. Del Rio wants more public housing . Fort Worth is looking at new fire stations and libraries. Laredo wants youth recreation centers. Let's hope that Santa makes their wishes come true in the coming year.

War resisters need holiday support

While many Texans will enjoy the holidays with friends and family, PFC Tony Anderson, PFC Robin Long, and Pvt. Daniel Sandate will be spending the New
Year in military prison. Anderson and Long were jailed for 14 and 15 months respectively for their refusal to deploy to Iraq. Sandate was sentenced to 8 months in military prison after going AWOL when his repeated attempts to receive mental health care for his PTSD were denied.

Benji Lewis and SPC Blake Ivey are publicly taking bold stands against the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan and could face eventual court martial. SPC Andre Shepherd is the first U.S. soldier to seek asylum in Germany after refusing to deploy to Iraq.

All could use cards or letters to let them know they haven't been forgotten for their courage to resist:

Anthony Michael Anderson
PO Box 305
Fort Sill, OK 73503-5305

Robin Long
PO Box 452136
San Diego, CA 92145-2136

Benji Lewis, Blake Ivey, and Daniel Sandate c/o Courage to Resist
484 Lake Park Ave #41
Oakland, CA 94610

Andre Shepherd
c/o Military Counseling Network (MCN)
Hauptstrasse 1, D-69245 Bammental
Germany
($.94 USPS postage required)

(ARCHIVES: November 15, 2008) Hope for change, in DC and Texas

"YOU must be the change you want to see in the world.” – M.K. Gandhi

What gives you hope? What really gives you hope, and why?

America has always been a hope-filled land and daily I read comments “this gives me hope” by people who are plugged into what is going on and are motivated by the actions of others. Increasingly this hope is felt in politics as well, by liberals and progressives who are celebrating the end of the Bush era and a hopeful return to sound and responsive government.

In its endorsement of presidential candidate Barak Obama, the Houston Chronicle wrote:

“The presidency of the United States is a powerful bully pulpit. The occupant of the White House must not only issue orders, but also inspire and advocate for all Americans.”

The newspaper also noted that as son of a Kenyan father and a Midwestern mother that his election epitomizes the American Dream for much of the world.

But change, real change, requires much more than inspiring leadership and ideals – it requires work, by you and me.

At the national level, that means we not only need to think through the policies that will best serve America, but also be ready to work together to change partisan rhetoric and address corruption – of both political parties – by monied interests who don’t necessarily represent The People. Listed below are just a few items for consideration in the political sphere:

Economy and Jobs – The global economy is in utter disarray, much of it due to the failed religion of “free markets”, investment in non-productive enterprises such as financial instruments and consumerism, and accumulated debt and taxes. As a result tens of millions face joblessness or work earning near-slave wages unable to pay for college, healthcare or, for too many, basic necessities like food and shelter. The solution to this does not lie in giving away the national treasury in the form of corporate welfare to those few who already own the bulk of all assets in this country (as we are currently seeing). Instead, prudent investments and basic economic development in primary industries, basic infrastructure, healthcare and education would not only create jobs but also build towards a better future.

“Defense” and Militarism – It has been estimated that more than $25 Trillion has been spent by the U.S. since the end of WWII on the military and security. Every dollar that has been spent on this area represents children who did not receive a college education, families without homes, and a world on the edge of poverty, to paraphrase former president Eisenhower. Nearly one third of today’s federal budget goes directly to defense and “homeland security” expenditures (on and off book) and an increasing number of Americans are directly dependent on a government check from the Department of War. The solution to real “security” is a radical change in how we approach the world, from increased diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, to calling for significant reductions in wasteful military programs such as skyrocketing costs for the F-22 plane ($300 Million each with total development and procurement costs) which has “not performed a single mission” in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Energy and Environment – Both of these issues are closely linked since much of the degradation of the environment is directly attributable to our consumption of energy. Global warming is a significant threat to the health of our planet while at the same time consumption of energy continues to escalate worldwide. “Drill Here! Drill Now!” might be a catchy slogan for some, but it does little to address energy supply and demand while certainly nothing to sustain our planet. The solution is realistic approaches to energy production – such as wind and solar – while reducing consumption. During the oil embargo of the 1970’s then president Jimmy Carter war ridiculed for suggesting that Americans turn down their heaters and “drive 55”. We need to do those things, and many more, if we are to have a sustainable and livable world.

Education and Healthcare – Each person’s quality of life is affected by available education and access to healthcare. One’s “Life” and “Liberty” are directly tied to the ability to be as productive as one chooses and to enjoy the exercise of our minds and limbs. However, too often we are limited by in our educational choices and healthcare needs. The solution is to consider education, including university degrees, and healthcare as basic human “rights” and to enact programs, at the federal and state level, that ensure access for all.

Social Reform – The areas of social justice are many. From countering discrimination in the workplace to ensuring that ever child grows up in a safe and loving environment, there is much still to do. Our systems of justice should not only be protective for society, but also rational and fair to all concerned. While government cannot take sole, even primary, responsibility in making social change, it can provide an environment and protections to help reforms grow. In Texas this means working for the benefit of individual families of all types, protecting the innocent and powerless and reminding one another of principals of fairness, dignity and peacefulness.

In The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama wrote, "I hope my daughters (and your sons) will have read about the history of this country and will recognize that they have been given something precious. America is big enough to accomodate all of their dreams."

There is a lot of hope for change and each of us has the potential to impact our world in ways large and small. It’s up to us to demand more of one another, and our elected officials and governmental institutions, if we are to turn hope into reality. In the years ahead, BE the change.

What gives you hope?

Jobs outlook mixed

Firs the good news: despite job loses in other parts of the U.S. Texas employers actually added 23,000 jobs in October, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. "I know the Texas economy is doing better than the rest of the country, but against a backdrop of very sizable job loss nationally, I'm really surprised we added 23,000 jobs in October," said Bernard Weinstein, an economist at the University of North Texas.

But, there was bad news as well: In October, the state's unemployment hit 5.6 percent, compared to 5.1 percent in September and 4.3 percent in October 2007. "This is not going to be a pleasant situation over the next few months," said Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission. "We've had good times. But that's going to change, even here in Texas."

Perry blasts FEMA

Governor Rick Perry has leveled charges against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for their response in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Perry said he was outraged that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had told local officials that Texas wouldn't get the same level of reimbursement for debris removal as Louisiana received after Hurricane Katrina because Texas has a budget surplus. Perry said he will appeal directly to President Bush for more aid to cities and towns still dealing with the cleanup.

Perry also had sharp criticism for FEMA's housing efforts in Texas, saying the agency has been slow to distribute mobile homes desperately needed by displaced families. "This is unacceptable when we have people sleeping in tents next to trailers with locks on them," Perry said.

Texans tell TEA to stick to science

Dozens of groups, from science teachers to preachers and rabbis, descended on Austin where the Texas State Board of Education was considering weakening science education by requiring the teaching of the "strengths and weaknesses" of scientific "theories" such as evolution.

“On the surface, teaching about the ‘strengths and limitations of scientific explanations’… may not seem like teaching religious beliefs. Yet…when science teachers answer questions about evolution and origins of life by pointing to the divine or supernatural, they are incorporating religion into science classrooms," testified Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, assistant director for education at the Union of Reform Judaism’s Greene Family Camp.The Texas board is scheduled to vote on the curriculum in January.

Walmart commits to wind power

Wal-Mart has signed a contract to help power 360 of its stores in Texas using wind energy. Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. has vowed that the retailer will eventually be completely supplied by renewable energy.

The four-year agreement with Duke Energy is expected to provide up to 226 million kilowatt-hours of power each year in Texas, about 15 percent of the total electricity used. The company said the purchase will result in the reduction of about 139,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of what 25,000 cars would emit.

(ARCHIVES: October 20, 2008) Downshift and live richly

"Downshifting", "rightsizing", "conscious living" and "slow movement" are various terms for the economic concept of living responsibly, yet fully, in relation to the world. Downshifting is as old as the Quaker concept of voluntary simplicity and as new as environmental sustainability and anti-consumerism. At its core, this "art" of simple living is a choice to live outwardly more simply while focusing inwardly on authentic riches - love, community, peace.

Contrast this to the very public angst during the past weeks regarding the Wall Street "crisis" and the economic meltdown of many public institutions. In a short period of time, trillions of dollars in paper "wealth" evaporated and millions of people feel that they are suddenly poorer.

The economic calamity is certainly not over and there are clear indications that the collective economic decline may be severe and disruptive - the chickens are coming home to roost for those who invested in the "irrational" exuberance of recent decades. But it will also affect most severely those at the bottom of the economic ladder who had little to do with this mess. Indeed, many families have already felt the impact of external financial markets on their lives- rising interest rates, foreclosures, layoffs.

Bailouts are for "Whiners"

Former U.S. Senator Phil Graham, of Texas, says we're all just a "nation of whiners" and that we're living in a "mental recession". What his words fail to address is how people earning $6.55 (the minimum wage) or even $12 per hour are ever supposed to be able to afford basic necessities - housing, healthcare, food, utilities, education, transportation and retirement - when the costs of these items rises faster than wages.

While in theory, prudent managers of the family purse would be able to save up for college, to buy a car and perhaps a home, the American economic system is geared towards financial subservience, consumerism and taxes citizens without providing assistance in most of these areas except for those who are extremely poor.

Too many then fall prey to the shysters of Wall Street and loan sharks of Main Street due to their inability to finance, without credit, some of these basics. Other families, those in the "middle" (or what some refer to as the "Prius" class) find that they are able to save a little, use their education and knowledge to consciously make lifestyle changes. The poor have little choice, their "downshifting" is involuntary. However, their plight can be somewhat alleviated by knowing that their neighbors are acting responsibly, not ostentatiously, while working towards more equitable distribution of wealth.

Simple Living

Living simply is both a personally rewarding and socially responsible thing to consider. In a world where millions earn less than $2 per day and children die from preventable diseases because of poverty, there is little need for some families to own multiple homes or to live like Kings and Queens. But many still haven't gotten the message that their actions directly affect someone else.

Candy Spelling, widow of the television producer Aaron Spelling, recently downsized her home in Los Angeles. She moved from her 56,500-square-foot home to a more modest 16,500-square-foot condominium. Hey, it's a start.

Thank goodness a growing number of Texans are beginning to rethink their McMansion choice, large homes that consume great amounts of energy to house increasingly smaller families, and turn to housing that provides for more sustainable lifestyles, greater green areas, smaller streets, improved efficiency.

Just as in housing, many are turning to better transportation alternatives, smaller cars, public transit, and bicycling. The long-range impact of downsizing will be the need for fewer new roads, less congestion and improved health. However, we have a long way to go before we even come close to countries like The Netherlands or Japan.

Food is another area where people are making more conscious lifestyle choices. Noting that the production of one pound of beef takes results in more greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution than driving a car for 3 hours while leaving all the lights at home, many are reducing meat consumption or going vegetarian for ethical, in addition to religious, reasons. M.K. Gandhi, concerned about how to feed the millions of fellow Indians, formulated recommendations which were environmentally acceptable, based on economical (low-cost) products and healthy. Today's nutrition experts find that this "Gandhi-diet" is very healthy and to fits perfectly with the (USDA) food-pyramid.

Government for "The People"

Downshifting isn't just a personal choice, but can be considered for entire societies - including the U.S. government. Until recently political conservatives have long cried for reductions in government spending and waste. Some go so far as to want to shrink the federal government entirely. Such plans would fit well into the practice of simple living so long as efficient programs that encourage or support individual simplicity - public transportation, education and health, aren't cut.

However, a significant portion of federal expenditures lead to little in public services and either are "payoffs" to big corporations, interest on accumulated deficits, or bloated budgets for future wars and imperial policies (let's not pretend it is for "defense" any longer!). More than 50% of the $3 Trillion federal budget is spent in these areas and there's plenty of room for "downsizing" or reallocation in those areas.

At the local level, most governments do a relatively good job providing basic goods and services in a relatively efficient manner. Whether it's in the area of public utilities, transportation, education or health clinics, there are many programs where taxpayer subsidies goes to provide effective human services. But there is always room for improvement.

British economist E. F. Schumacher's 1973 of essays, Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered, provides delightful insights into ways that we can reorganize the social economics of our cities and state. Schumacher's philosophy is one of "enoughness," appreciating both human needs, limitations and appropriate use of technology.

Living Richly

"All that we need, we have," is a concept that is related to both Hindu and Buddhist-inspired economic and social thought. Like its counterparts in the Abrahamic religions, it counsels that one can live fully and "richly" by attention to inner happiness and transcendence rather than the acquisition of external goods. Sages throughout history have offered this advice to those who pray to the altars of bullion (like Wall Street's golden bull).

Those who are developing "SANE economics", like James Robertson, envision a world in which people are more empowered, resources are conserved and sustained, and ethics and qualitative values are restored in economic life. His groups provides an example for all of us - how we might downsize and live more richly in the "new economy".

Senior going Green

More and more retirees are turning "green'. Throughout Texas and the U.S., more seniors than ever before are working for the environment, downshifting, and using green materials in their homes. "There is an ever-increasing awareness among seniors," says Charles Brewer, president and CEO of Senior Quality Lifestyles Corp., a non-profit that built and operates Iburg's development and other upper-end retirement communities throughout Texas. "The tail-end Depression-era children remember the idea of saving and recycling from the war years," says Perkins Eastman. "But they're very attuned to how their actions affect the world at large, their grandchildren, their legacy."

Seniors are willing to pay more for energy-saving features and environmentally sound designs. Cities and towns are rewriting zoning and regulatory codes to provide incentives to developers who institute green measures.

Record voter turnouts

A record number of Texans are registered to vote - 13.5 million - and they turned out in record numbers as early voting began. Dallas County has broken the record for the most votes cast on the first day of early voting with more than 35,000 votes on the first day. “It’s going to be a good turnout,” said Bruce Sherbet, Dallas County elections administrator. Heavy turnout led to long lines in Houston, while it was smooth sailing in San Antonio and Austin.

$260K for Meals on Wheels

Thousands of West Texas joined in a Texas-sized garage sale in Midland last weekend to help raise money for the local Meals on Wheels program. More than $260,000 was raised by local residents for a great cause. "For the money to go to these people to take people meals to make sure that people eat everyday is a real good thing", said Nona Green.

Layoffs growing in Texas

Layoffs are all ready growing throughout the Lone Star state even as the effects of the economic-depression-to-come are largely unknown. From teachers to pipefitters, more Texans are losing their jobs.

Dallas ISD laid off up ot 375 teachers, Tyler Pipe, in East Texas, is laying off 185. Alcoa, in Rockdale plans to layoff 660. FedEx 100 in N. Texas. Even the technology sector has been hit. Dell continues to cut back, along with AMD, Texas Instruments and gamemakers Midway and NCsoft (on't even begin to ask about the financial and retail sectors!).

Despite Texas' woes, the economic situation is worse in many other parts of the U.S. As factories close and with the onset of winter, Texas can expect many 'permanent' new guests to cross in from the state's northern border.

End executions in Texas

Texans from throughout the state will join together in Houston on October 25 for the 9th Annual March to Stop Executions. The goal of this march is to demonstrate that Texans want an end to death penalities - a mockery of justice - that only authoritarian regimes still permit.

More citizens of Texas are put to death each year, than all but in China, Saudia Arabia, Pakistan and Iran.

The march, starting at the S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, 3815 Live Oak, is supported by a host of organizations including Houston Center for Peace & Justice, Texans for Peace and the Texas Moratorium Network.

(ARCHIVES: September 16, 2008) H'Ike hits: Texans reach out

"If you can, reach out to your neighbor," began the Houston Chronicle's main editorial on September 13, 2008 on the day after Hurricane Ike descended upon Southeast Texas. "If you escaped serious harm, take a deep breath, count your blessings and share your good fortune - reach out to someone who really got pummeled. Ask around your neighborhood if someone needs help. Check on the elderly, the sick, the cranky recluse down the block. Take it upon yourself to keep an eye on the home of a nearby neighbor who evacuated. Offer to help residents who need you to take photos of their damage for insurance purposes."

Later that day, Martha Ferguson, 65, died when a generator powering her oxygen equipment failed. She was the first "official" death of the storm.

The eye of the hurricane passed over Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Walker and San Jacinto counties, and flooded Brazoria and Fort Bend counties as well, but some of the hardest hit areas - in addition to the Galveston area - were to the East. Liberty, Chambers, Orange and Jefferson counties were still filled with high water days after the storm. This same area was hit by hurricane Rita three years ago.

Galveston survivors were being urged to leave that city. As the media focused on the terrible destruction in Galveston and wind-ravaged buildings of downtown Houston, less attention was given to the unfolding tragedy in much smaller communities - many cut off completely from the outside world with mandatory evacuations and curfews still in effect.

Authorities warned the 250,000 people of Jefferson and Orange counties that they are on their own if they choose to remain here as there may be no water or power for several weeks. "The problem is the people who did not leave and the people who try to come back here," Jefferson County Judge Ron Walker said. "They are only tripling the problem because we cannot feed or house them."

As residents of East Texas reacted with horror at the devastation left by such a strong natural storm, their neighbors commented with hearts filled with heavy - and sometimes angry - emotions.

In that same newspaper readers wrote such comments as "I have no sympathy for those idiot who refused to leave," and "It is sad that people will probably die or be seriously injured by Ike but they put themselves in danger," "IKE is going to be a wake-up call for personal responsibility," challenged one conservative.

"You had your warning well in advance (to evacuate) and u chose to stay so anyone who need a chopper to pick them up PAY FOR IT!" was the sentiment of more than a few as was "People who's homes were not lost, why are you looking for food and water, you were told days before this hurricane to stock up on food and water. Always looking for a government handout!"

Others were more empathetic and expressed kindness. "Let's just pray for the best instead of heaping scorn on them while they're fighting for their lives," said one W. Houston resident. "Stupidity is not a reason for cruelty and evil," wrote another. "I pray those of you throwing stones at these victims don't ever have to eat your hatefulness, 'Love' is the answer", period," reminded a discerning soul.

Meanwhile in Texas cities largely unaffected by the storm, Texans turned their attention as their neighbors to the east cried out.

On Saturday in Bridge City, just East of Port Arthur, the mayor called out for help to rescue stranded residents when city dump trucks couldn't navigate the high waters. Fishermen and women took to the street in boats to aid their neighbors.

Refugees from the Houston area began to make their way to points west. In San Antonio, a "flood" of volunteers inundated the local food bank with offers of support for evacuees.

DFW residents fretting over friends and family along the Gulf Coast. Grace Community Church in Arlington, opened their doors to scores of people fleeing the storm. Volunteers turned over church buildings to rows of cots to "shelter the homeless" and "feed those who are hungry." Many Dallas-area faith-based groups are providing assistance to evacuees here, along the Gulf Coast and elsewhere in the state. They include including Jewish Family Service, Southern Baptists of Texas and Catholic Charities of Dallas.

Hospitals in Austin were busy with hundreds of medical evacuees from Baytown, Beaumont and Galveston. Barsana Dham, a Hindu ashram just south of the capital opened its doors to Hurricane Ike refugees.

Politicians were busy too. In east Texas, majors, councilmembers, county officials and others put aside their partisan rhetoric to deal with the crises. However, federal officeholders and Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) came under criticism for running operations out of Austin and staging supplies in Fort Worth. "FEMA and other so-called "important" figure heads had a whole year sitting in a desk and collecting a robust check! At the last minute can't get anything up and running to save Americans," wrote one citizen after four days without electricity or water service." "(US Rep.) John Culberson, (TX Senator) Mario Gallegos, etc...shut up and hand out some ice!!!" wrote another. Private companies like HEB, Kroger, Target and others had some of their stores open within 48 hours.

At the federal level, some officials seemed more concerned about gas supplies. "The Houston Ship Channel, Port of Houston and our refineries avoided the type of catastrophic hit that could have devastated our economy," wrote Congressman Mike McCaul in his first message on the hurricane to constituents. Senator John Cornyn commented from Austin "We need more energy. Government should get out of the way, let the free market work and allow more domestic energy production. This would reduce gas prices even in the near-term, expand job opportunities in Texas-a world energy leader-and reduce our dependence on foreign oil." Texas native President Bush remained in Washington throughout the storm and immediate aftermath. Many school districts are expected to remain closed for days due to lack of electricity.

In the days after the hurricane, most of Southeast Texas remained in the dark, residents preparing themselves for another day of cutting trees, patching holes and wondering if they would have jobs or schools to return to - and when. Electricity in that part of the state is entirely provided by "free market" companies that have used state deregulation to charge rates higher than municipally-owned utilities. As a result, roughly 5 million people were without electricity.

"We sustained a massive hit," said CenterPoint Energy spokesman Floyd LeBlanc, noting that 2.1 million customers out of 2.26 million are without power. Entergy spokesman David Caplan confirmed "more than 99 percent" of its 395,000 customers are offline, including parts of Navasota, most of The Woodlands, Huntsville, Bolivar Peninsula, Orange, Port Arthur and Beaumont. Entergy spokesman David Caplan confirmed "more than 99 percent" of its 395,000 customers are offline, including parts of Navasota, most of The Woodlands, Huntsville, Bolivar Peninsula, Orange, Port Arthur and Beaumont.

The devastation and recovery from Hurricane Ike will take weeks, or longer, to recover from. Once again, it's time for Texans to reach out to one another and take to heart Houston Mayor Bill White's words written during the days after the storm, "let the saga of Ike be remembered as a tale of true community effort."

Listed below are a selection of ways that you can help:

$$ DONATIONS:

American Red Cross
Save the Children - Hurricane Ike Relief

DALLAS AREA

North Texas Volunteer Center
University of North Texas Drop off

SAN ANTONIO AREA

Good Samaritan Relief Project
San Antonio Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (SAVOAD)

CENTRAL TEXAS AREA

Mobile Loaves and Fishes
Hands ON Central Texas
Central Texas Red Cross

Galveston: Health crisis and tiger, too

As if the destruction of most of their city wasn't enough, Galveston residents now have to endure a worsening health crisis - and even a loose tiger - in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

A lack of sanitation, clean water and an infestation of mosquitoes are making the health situation in the city of Galveston dire. "This community is challenged right now on the health and medical side," says Texas State Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey. "We do not have an outbreak right now, but there have been a few cases. When you are unable to flush your toilet and you cannot wash your hands, when you do not have electricity to keep a refrigerator running and you cannot boil your water, that is a prime setup to have an infectious disease event."

Galveston County Judge James Yarbrough says a tiger has been on the loose since Hurricane Ike tore through the coastal community of Crystal Beach, Texas. "It's an issue we are dealing with," he tells reporters. "When you think you've seen everything you find something else."

Faith groups wade in

Churches, temples and mosque "waded" into relief effors for the Gulf Coast.

United Methodist and Southern Baptist leaders have already sent rapid-response teams into the disaster zone and churches around Texas opened their doors to evacuees. Around the country religious leaders are calling for a better response than what happened during Katrina. Food banks have been set up by Catholic Charities and Muslim groups. Austin's Mobile Loaves and Fishes, who usually provides food to the homeless of that city, set out for Houston as well. In cities large and small, faith groups are doing what they are called to do, providing gasoline, food, shelter, clothing, medicine and other basic necessities.

From the oldest to the young, people of faith and goodwill throughout Texas are helping their neighbors in need. "Supporting Human Rights in Gulf Coast Recovery Is a Moral Priority," reads an Interfaith call. “Our God is a God of justice, of humanity and of healing, and this moral injustice calls each of us to bold action in support of the common good,” reads the statement by the religious leaders.

SE Texas schools closed

Many school districts throughout Southeast Texas will be closed for days - or even weeks - due to Hurricane Ike. In the hardest hit areas, electricity isn't expected to be turned on for quite some time and many schools were flooded. “We have quite a bit of roof panels and debris and superficial damage, but it looks like the buildings themselves are in good shape,” said Scott Campbell, superintendent of the East Chambers ISD.

In Orange and Bridge City, officials are still trying to assess the damage. Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is looking into a waiver that would allow Ike-affected districts to have a shorter school year, but nothing had been finalized. Many evacuee families may have to enroll students in their "neighbor" districts.

Several offshore oil platforms toppled

Huge waves and howling winds from Hurricane Ike damaged several offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, a sign that the full recovery of oil and natural gas production in the region could be a long way off and worsening the alread polluted Gulf Coast environment. "There appears to be some long-term damage in the Gulf of Mexico which is going to make a mark on inventories," said Peter Beutel, president of Cameron Hanover in New Canaan. Chevron Corp said that reconnaissance flights revealed several of its platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were toppled by Hurricane Ike

Liberty among hardest hit

Hurricane Ike left a path of destruction as it passed through Liberty County. "The damage is unbelievable," said Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Brach. "This is one of the strangest hurricanes I have ever seen." The county's power grid was decimated. Entergy Texas says it is working quickly to restore power but that it could be early October before electricity is fully restored in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

(ARCHIVES: August 14, 2008) Families matter to Texans

Texans share strong bonds when it comes to supporting families, in good times and bad. We join our hands when faced with adversity and open our hearts to one another's triumphs. Collectively, we share each other's triumphs. Alone, we cry out for help.

During August, Texans are challenged to stand with the many families who are unable to speak for themselves: those facing economic hardship, imprisoned by their neighbors, and struggling to keep their bonds in the face of violence and prejudice.

On August 16, Texans will once again gather outside the T. Don Hutto prison camp in Taylor where the federal government has imprisoned entire families while checking their immigration status. Detention programs for families should be the last alternative and not the first, but instead men, women and their children are locked away in lonely cells in concrete and steel barred prisons.

Texas is now home to the largest detention of families since the internment camps of WWII when families of Japanese, German, and Italian descent were locked up. "There is a travesty happening in our own backyard," says 18-year-old Ashley Turner from Houston and others. The 512-bed Hutto prison camp is one of the worst examples of governmental abuse.

Instead of letting families live at home while they await their status hearings, or apply for visas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrest them and put them in privately-run prisons where they can languish for months and years. ICE now detains more than 200,000 people annually at more than 300 sites.

As word of the incarceration of "noncriminal alien families" (ICE's term) has spread, outraged Texans have mobilized to take action. Lawsuits by the Texas Civil Rights Project and the ACLU have drawn attention to lack of education, recreational facilities and access to medical care in the prison in Taylor. Their lawyers are still fighting to get children released from the nightmare of prison. Activists regularly hold vigils outside the prison walls to let those inside know they haven't been forgotten

Not only are families taken from their homes and businesses, children from their schools and playmates, but they are also treated like criminals by being locked up. Prison is no place for peaceful families who may only lack proper documentation. Several of the family's only "crime" was to flee dictators in foreign countries. They never know when they will be freed. One new mother asks "what am I to do with a newborn here?".

She doesn't expect much from Congressman John Carter who represents the area county where she is imprisoned. Carter, who apparently thinks it is appropriate to put little children in prison, says he thinks the Hutto facility "offers the optimal solution to our nation's growing illegal immigration problem."

To make matter worse, Hutto is run by a private company, whose only objective is to make a profit from incarcerations. CCA (NYSE: CXW) (also known as Concentration Camps of America), is the largest private prison firm in the country with over 69,000 prisoners and operating in 19 states.

Texans who care about peace and social justice will meet at 12:00 noon, August 16, at Heritage Park in Taylor where we will rally and then proceed in a walk for the children to the T. Don Hutto detention center. There we will vigil and witness against the incarceration of our brothers and sisters.

Later in August, further west, Texans are joining together in a Peace and Unity March against the border wall. On August 27, marchers will gather at Ft. Hancock for a cultural event and rally, then on August 28, the participants begin a 4-day walk to El Paso, traveling through Tornillo, Fabens, San Elizario and Ysleta along the way. Texans are invited to help in a number of ways: participate in the march, donate food, water or transportation, or help with publicity on the issue of the border wall.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to bulid a wall and fence along Texas' 1,255-mile border with Mexico from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico. President Bush signed a 2007 Congresssional measure that would cost $1.2 billion project, and cut through back yards, farmlands, historic districts and even a college campus (UT Brownsville) - all while taking land away from private proptery owners.

The federal government's wall along the Texas-Mexico border is opposed on many fronts. It will cut off access to tens of thousands of acres of land and habitat, hurt local economies and create a climate of fear and distrust between the families and neighbors of adjoining states. "We're against it, let's put it that way," one said. "I think, we don't need no walls here," say Hector and Enrique Mendiola - two brothers who grew up in the Texas border town of Eagle Pass.

Mayors and cities councils of all political types, universities, business and civic leaders have risen to oppose the wall. "I think when you build a wall, it's a wall of shame," says Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas. The wall is being compared to ones in Germany and Israel.

It was not many years ago that we called an "*iron curtain*" something immoral and inhumane, something that only cruel and hateful people would do to their fellow man, a product of a totalitarian enemy.

So, from the Pacific Coast to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, from both sides of the border we invite all citizens of good will, organizations, faiths and media to join us in this peaceful and united protest against the border wall. Of any city along the US-Mexico border, El Paso is the one with the deepest and longest history, some four centuries of human struggle and quest to preserve peace and unity. We must join them in solidarity to oppose this assault against their
community.

Whether it's prison camps that hold children or border walls that cut families in two, Texans who genuinely care about building stronger and better families say ¡Ya basta! (enough is enough).

Choosing action over protest

High school and college students are as active as during their parents' day, but show it in new ways today. While students during the 1990's and 80's focused more on paychecks, today's students are more likely to be involved in a local activity - cleaning the environment, working in a homeless shelter, investigating conditions at a Brazilian factory.

In Houston, Murray Myers, a student at the University of St. Thomas, sifts through recycled cans and bottles. Myers runs the campus recycling program and could have graduated in May, but he wants to find his replacement first. Other students in the area are setting a great example by focusing on equity, justice and peace issues.

Recruiting'em early

Not content with declining army recruitment of high school students, the military is trying to engage children at a much earlier age by holding summer "camps" that mimic boot camp. Children in throughout Texas have recently participated in activities that include mock gun battles and simulated deployment to Iraq.

In its third year, Operation JET (which stands for Junior Expeditionary Team) in San Antonio involves navigating an obstacle course, running at full speed next to a line of sandbags and dropping to their stomachs to drag themselves through a low crawl, and other activities. The military is also using propaganda to train kids with SOMK "to Spread Word About Military Family Issues". Just what Texas doesn't need, more militarism.

In related news, a Texas army recruiter was recently suspended and brought a strong reaction from Texas congressmen for telling a teenager he would be sent to jail if he chose college over the military.

Tulia remembered

A massive sting operation in 1999 in the tiny farming town of Tulia in the Texas panhandle. Of the 46 people charged with selling drugs, 39 were black. After investigation of the motives of the undercover narcotics officer, most were eventually released.

The story of Tulia is a sordid piece of modren Texas history. Activists in the Houston area remember the incident and will be showing "Tulia" on August 16 at the Woodlands public library (2:00 pm). This riviting movie details the criticisms that surfaced following guilty verdicts, stiff sentences, and stunning reversals.

Security nuts approve school guns

The nice, but obviously over paranoid, citizens of tiny Harrold, Texas school disrict (home of the Hornets!) will allow teachers to pack handguns to school this year. The board of the small rural town unanimously approved the plan and parents have not objected, said the district's superintendent, David Thweatt - once again making Texas the laughingstock of peaceful, rational people everywhere. Texas law outlaws firearms on school campuses "unless pursuant to the written regulations or written authorization of the institution."

Thweatt said it is a matter of safety. "We have a lock-down situation, we have cameras, but the question we had to answer is, 'What if somebody gets in?" he said. Thweatt fails to acknowledge that in the few cases where there has been gun violence in schools, it has almost always been the students who brought the gun. The 110-student district is 150 miles northwest of Fort Worth on the eastern end of Wilbarger County, near the Oklahoma border.

(ARCHIVES: August 3, 2008) A New Minimum Wage - What a disgrace

This week many workers received a 70-cents per hour raise as the federal minimum wage rose to $6.55. What a disgrace.

What a disgrace that we live in the richest country in the world and yet millions of citizens are being paid slave wages for their labors. Millions more are underpaid as well, as a result of wage collapse under the regimes of recent decade. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in Texas alone there are 221,000 workers who earn at or below the minimum wage.

To put it into perspective, a Texas family with both parents working full time at the minimum wage will now earn $26,200 per year before taxes.

This is an absolute disgrace.

It is no wonder that 842,000 Texas children live in poverty, despite residing in one of the wealthiest places on the planet (Texas, by itself, would rank as the 15th largest economy in the world). We have some of the lowest household net worth (45th in the nation) and home ownership (44th ) and Texas ranks dead last in the share of adults without a high school diploma or GED. There are more than 3,000 food banks throughout a state and their cupboards are nearly bare.

And yet, car lots are full of the latest models, stores overflow with luxury goods, skyscrapers and hi-rise condominiums are being built at a rapid rate, and people worship at temples of excess. In Texas, home to six of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list, we have more than enough to go around.

Yet, poverty in Texas is more pronounced than the nation as a whole. According to the U.S. Census Bureau analyses by the Center for Public Priorities: 1.3 million Texans face a choice between buying food or paying rent every day. The problem isn't lack of a strong economy, but rather wages that are being paid barely above the level that slaves earned in America's dark past.

Wages haven't kept up with wealth creation in America.

The new minimum is far below the inflation-adjusted minimum level of $10.06 from 40 years ago, according to a Labor Department inflation calculator. It doesn't even come close to a livable wage that would provide each person working 40 hours in a week to be able to afford basic rental housing, food, clothing, utilities, and access to health care.

Meanwhile, a Democratic Party-controlled Congress pats itself on the back for increasing the minimum wage a few cents. Republicans were even worse, wanting no increase at all, preferring to leave it to "market forces" (i.e. slave owners) to decide.

This is the same Congress that is spending $720 Million every day on war in Afghanistan and Iraq and is ready to provide billions of dollars (taken from the pockets of workers) to bail out Wall Street financial institutions and the top 2% of Americans who own 98% of all assets. This is a disgrace and a scandal.

Over the past 30 years, U.S. productivity, wealth and the federal government have grown tremendously. Had wages tracked at the same rate, the minimum wage would actually be about $19 per hour. Instead, policy-makers have created a regressive economy that is now stumbling towards an abyss. When people don't get decent paychecks, governments falter. They can't deliver the basic services everyone needs. It's a spiral that continues to head down.

Despite the promises of "trickle down" (see "voodoo") economics, Texas families are suffering through high energy and food costs while college tuition, insurance and medical care rises even faster. There is a direct transfer of wealth from the pockets of these working families into the coffers of wealthy corporations. As jobless claims rise and home sales decline, many companies report record profits (Eli Lilly +44%, Caterpillar +40%, AT&T +30%, General Dynamics+25%, Philip Morris +23%, Bristol-Myers +23%) and the wealth transfer goes on, year after year. While families struggle with $4 gasoline to get to work, energy companies continue to fleece customers with profit rising above already obscene levels (XTO Energy +33%, ConocoPhillips +51%, Occidental Petroleum +63%, Petro-Canada +77%).

The good news is that the problem can be easily solved….and we don't even need to wait on a new regime in Washington to act.

During the next session of the Texas Legislature, state policy makers can enact a law raising the Texas minimum wage, without directly impacting the state budget. Thirty-one states already have state minimum rates that are higher than the federal. If our local representatives are brave enough, we can begin to address substandard wages here in Texas in early 2009.

Again, to put it into perspective, even just a $1 raise in the minimum would cost Texas business collectively only $442 Million per year (based on 221,000 workers, working full time). This is a tiny fraction of what wealthy Texans spend on their pets each year. However, even such a small raise would have a tremendous impact on poor families. Think of what one in the $2-4 range could do!

It is high time that Texans, of all creeds and classes, came together to begin solving the issue of poverty - in our own backyard. A $6.55 minimum wage is a disgrace. Working families need more change, and dollars. All Texans (particularly those of us who earn much above the minimum) are called to bring religious organizations, businesses, politicians, families and organizations to work together to significantly raise Texas' wages. To do otherwise remains disgraceful.

Dolly's costs may hit $1 billion or more

Texas and northern Mexico narrowly escaped what could have been a much greater disaster. However, the cost of damage from Hurricane Dolly is still expected to exceed $1 billion. Governor Rick Perry speaking from McAllen said, “Texas has again showed the nation how to deal with a major weather event.” At the peak of the storm, more than 350,000 Texas and Mexico residents were without power.

Deplorable housing conditions found in Houston

During the past year there have been several stories about deplorable rent housing conditions in Houston. Last year there were complexes going without water, sewer and electricity because the owner hadn't made his payments. Most recently, Houston ranked as a city with too few affordable units while many of those that are there are barely inhabitable. Last week two boys died when a stairwell collapsed.

Reporters have found too many cases where the poor or elderly are living in deplorable and dangerous conditions. The housing of Katrina evacuees has also been a factor, but that doesn't excuse the owners. “There’s no incentive for the landlord to do a better job if they have ten low-income people to rent he same crummy apartment,” Hennenberger says John Hennenberger of the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service. Some of these properties are owned by out of state slumlords, while others belong to local leading lights.

Jocks and Bible-thumpers rule TX School Board

Decisions by the State Board of education, during July, show that lunatics are still apparently in charge of the asylum.

First, the Board approved allowing "Bible" classes to be taught throughout public schools without setting any real standards or guidelines for what is taught. Texas is already the laughing stock of much of the literate world because of attempts by a minority of religious zealots to teach creationism, and now a narrow view of religious doctrine.

If that wasn't enough, the Board agreed this week to move ahead on a proposed rule that would allow high school athletes to receive twice as much credit - four years of sport instead of only two - toward graduation as allowed under current state requirements. "This is a fairness issue," said board member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, noting that students in other extracurricular activities – such as band and dance – can get four years of credit for those activities. What next for Texas education?

ACORN addresses poverty, housing

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), is the nation's largest community organization of low and moderate income families working to end poverty. Recently ACORN Texas hosted former senator John Edwards in Houston as part of his national tour to cut poverty in half during the next decade.

The effort, dubbed Half in Ten, hopes to encourage state and national legislators to enact measures such as raising the minimum wage, expanding the earned-income tax credit and making child care more affordable. Houston mayor Bill White has already taken action to help prevent foreclosures in that city, before the real downturn in Texas begins.

Texas business growth strong

A CNBC study ranks the Texas business climate #1 in the nation. People know they can come to Texas, they can risk their capital and the chance of having a good resturn on an investment: pretty good," Governor Rick Perry said. The San Antonio founders of Clear Channel certainly had a lucrative week as shareholders approved the $17.9 billion takeover of the nation's largest U.S. radio broadcaster by Bain Capital Partners LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP. The $36-a-share buyout will be completed July 30.

AT&T, moving to Dallas from San Antonio, reported net income of $3.8 billion, or 76 cents per diluted share, on revenues of $30.9 billion for the quarter ended June. Texas-based Burlington Northern earned $350 million or $1 per share in the second quarter. Fort Worth-based XTO Energy Inc. reported a 33% rise in second-quarter earnings and plans $2.1 billion in acquisitions aimed at doubling its size in three years. Exxon Mobil, based in Irving, posted a first-quart profit climb of 17% to 10.9 billion.

Several Texas transmission owners have formed a consortium to build the $5 billion in new power lines to take advantage of the state's abundant wind generation. The consortium, includes Dallas-based Oncor, the state's largest power delivery company, Electric Transmission Texas, units of American Electric Power Co., the Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Service Corp (LCRA) and Sharyland Utilities.

In startup news, San Antonio's Rackspace, which was given $22 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund, is planning a possible IPO in the near future.