States Make Progress on Common Core Assessment Prep

In one year, states will start assessing student learning through computer adaptive tests. But technology issues still pose major hurdles for education in general and Common Core assessments in particular. Continue reading “States Make Progress on Common Core Assessment Prep”

Returning to a Totally Transparent Election- arguments “Against” / “For” paper ballots

“Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.”
– Joseph Stalin

Below are arguments against returning to paper ballots.

The indented text is argument in favor of returning to paper ballots.

A.) Public Support / Ignorance
The vast majority of those who do show up and who do vote have confidence in the reporting of electronic voting machines along with confidence in the government and the media that report these vote counts.

 ARGUMENT FOR PAPER BALLOTS:
• The general public does not understand how their votes are being counted and stolen via electronic voting machines and the machines that count the bubbled-in paper ballots. (see links at the end of this article)
• The media and those responsible for counting the ballots must expose the evils of counting the votes in secret, through education and support for totally transparent paper ballots.

Voting Machine
B.) Outdated, Old Fashioned Methods of Counting the Ballots
Most voters scoff at the idea of abandoning the utilization of advanced technology (refer to item “A.” above.)

 ARGUMENT FOR PAPER BALLOTS:
• What are the costs of electronic voting machines to the town, county, and state? How often are upgrades necessary? How much is the cost to warehouse these machines? How secure are the warehouses that store these machines? How secure are the machines overnight at the dozens of early voting locations? The costs of electronic voting machines should be sought, revealed, and compared to the costs of a totally transparent paper ballot counted by local voters at the precinct polling location each evening before Continue reading “Returning to a Totally Transparent Election- arguments “Against” / “For” paper ballots”

Restoring the United States to a Constitutional Republic

Has the country fallen too far to be restored to its founding as a Constitutional Republic?  The drift towards socialism is not just the political disregard for the Constitution; there are bigger factors Continue reading “Restoring the United States to a Constitutional Republic”

Transportation, PPPs, TEF, and Our Appetite for Imports

Gov. Perry’s press release announced that TEXAS taxpayers are providing $800,000 through the Texas Enterprise Fund to close a deal with Fritz Industries, Inc. in Greenville, TX.

COULD THIS HAVE ANYTHING to do with the “Blacklands Corridor Feasibility Study”, proposing to build the new multimodal (includes toll road option) transportation facility along or near the Northeast Texas Rural Rail Transportation District (NETEX) right-of-way, from IH-30 in Greenville (Hunt County), through Collin County, to the President George Bush Turnpike in Dallas County? By the way, NETEX already signed a lease agreement on Jan 9, 2013 with a private company named Cotton Belt Turnpike LP (public private partnership) to do such a thing, so this study is a “cart before the horse” study. Continue reading “Transportation, PPPs, TEF, and Our Appetite for Imports”

Nov 5, 2013…Nine Proposed TEXAS Constitutional Amendments

Hot off the press….
Nine (9) propositions will appear on the Nov 5th ballot, in the attempt to amend our state constitution  [this has been done every 2 years since 1879] 
Does Austin want more of your savings account?

Below, you can find 2 state legislative produced documents that outline the 9 propositions that you will be asked to vote on this Nov 5th. Before you read, please understand who is directing the narrative on these 2 publications:
HRO Steering Committee and the Governing Body of the TX Lege Council
These are the very people that wrote the bills and managed to pass them. As you read, you will see more details are attributed to the “supporters” than the “opponents”. Read them very carefully and do some research. It’s only your money they are spending. Continue reading “Nov 5, 2013…Nine Proposed TEXAS Constitutional Amendments”

Fiscal Responsibility Scores for North Texas Senators

S172 Senate The Fiscal Responsibility Index for the 2013 Texas Legislature was published today.  Here is an excerpt of the full list showing the Texas Senators in the north Texas area.

See the entire list, more details, and clickable profiles for each legislator at Fiscal Responsibility Index or download the details in the pdf document.  The index is “a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility uses exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators’ governing philosophy.”   Continue reading “Fiscal Responsibility Scores for North Texas Senators”

Fiscal Responsibility Scores for North Texas Representatives

H309 House DFW H309 House Tarrant Dallas The Fiscal Responsibility Index for the 2013 Texas Legislature was published today.  Here is an excerpt of the full list showing the Texas Representatives in the north Texas area.

See the entire list, more details, and clickable profiles for each legislator at Fiscal Responsibility Index or download the details in the pdf document.  The index is “a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility uses exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators’ governing philosophy.”  Continue reading “Fiscal Responsibility Scores for North Texas Representatives”

Arlington SWAT Raid of Gardeners Raises Questions

968897_590749404282150_303346658_n A 3-acre home in Arlington was recently raided by police for suspicion of growing marijuana.  The 10-hour SWAT operation included: waking the residents out of bed, holding them at gunpoint, handcuffing them, searching through the house and land, cutting down blackberry bushes and other vegetation, and hauling off what the city deemed as trash.  What the raid did not yield however, was any marijuana plants, any marijuana, or any other illegal drugs.   Continue reading “Arlington SWAT Raid of Gardeners Raises Questions”

OBAMACARE – How many Texans favor taking the “bribe” money?

 

The Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act

by Dennis Scharp

Re: Perry, think beyond West (Letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News; 9 August).

This East Dallas resident, Kurt Wolfenbarger, opined that it was good news that the city of West was successful in getting FEMA disaster relief funds from the Federal Government.  However, he then chided Governor Perry for not accepting the Federal “bribe” money associated with Obamacare.

How many others are there Continue reading “OBAMACARE – How many Texans favor taking the “bribe” money?”