Spotlight

Hurricane Irene - East Coast Likely in Path

As Hurricane Irene makes its way to the east coast of the United States, it is a very dangerous situation for anyone in its path.  To my East Coast friends, I would like to reiterate the need to take all precautions and warnings very seriously.  While our forecasting of these storms have improved, it is still very unpredictable and very dangerous.  Please take a moment to review recommended items needed during an emergency at http://www.ready.gov

It is my hope that everyone in the affected areas are safe and free from harm.

S&P downgrades United States Debt

What came as a surprise to many individual Americans on Friday night, the Standard & Poor’s have downgraded the United States credit rating for the first time ever.

Today, Wall Street responded very harshly with rampant selloff on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average losing more than 600 points today alone with very heavy transaction volumes.

Earlier today, President Obama addressed the American people earlier today but again did not provide any real solutions.  Instead, what the American people received was the same blame game and political posturing over who is to blame.  In the final analysis, everyone is to blame.  The important question is where do we go from here.  So far, the only significant news received today was the supposed probe of Standard & Poor’s agency by the Senate Banking Committee.  Honestly, the probe is another example of wasteful spending and frivolous government actions.  Congress should concentrate their actions to how to get America out of this debt mess.  So far, a probe of Standard & Poor’s will result in absolutely nothing to our credit rating.

So, in the end, we are in for additional hard times, economically speaking.

It is time to face the music and reform Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.  More than half of the federal government’s budget is used to support these programs.  I am not sure about you but the fact that almost 50% of all Americans do not pay any federal taxes is another example of the ineffectiveness of the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.).

Let’s eliminate the payroll tax, personal income tax returns, and the I.R.S., as we know it today.  Let’s place a national sales tax based on the State Sales Tax models already in existence today.   This way, everyone gets taxed only for what you buy (excluding “pure food” products).  

I endorse the Fair Tax movement as it provides a good framework in which to implement real changes to our tax system.

http://www.fairtax.org

Happy Birthday, USA!

As the United States celebrates another birthday, it is important to understand why America is still the greatest country on earth.  From protections of human life, dignity, and the pursuit of equality among people, there is still so much more work required to improve.  Improvement and innovation should both highlight the future of America.

The USA was never intended to be a land of handouts but, rather assisting those who need it the most.

The USA was never intended to be the world’s police force but rather we use our military forces to ensure others find peace and dignity of human rights, in addition to protecting America’s safety.

The USA was never intended to be a world superpower but rather its power and strength come from its constituents, its people, and most importantly, its voters.

As we look at the USA today, we see that rising costs, inflation, and bleak forecasts for the future are having a significant toll on America’s people.  This is why voting is very important.  Everyone should vote and have a say in what happens to the future of America.  We should recognize that all our elected officials have a responsibility to represent our interests.  If they do not, we force them out in the most famous of American traditions, the American voting process.

The USA is at another pivotal point in history, a point in history which Americans must decide on a direction to take.

Ask yourself these important questions:

• Has my elected official conducted himself/herself by making the right decisions and choices?
• Has my elected official listened to my letters or concerns regarding a particular vote?
• Has my elected official been involved in unethical behavior?
• Has my elected official forgotten where he/she came from? (your particular district)
• Has my elected official supported laws in which were struck down by the courts?
• Has my elected official failed to curtail and reduce spending?

All of these and many other objective questions should and must be answered based on their voting record and administrative actions.  No one is above these questions when it comes to deciding who to place in office, not even the President of the United States.

We must realize that America is in financial difficulty and we must ensure that her interests (your interests) are, indeed, addressed.  The world still needs a strong America.  We still need a strong America.

The end of this upcoming week also marks a sad day for the history of American innovation, the retirement of the Space Shuttle Fleet.  As the last shuttle liftoff is scheduled to occur by the end of this week, it brings much sadness to me as the Space Shuttle Fleet would not have been realized if it were not for the forward thinking of past Presidents of the United States starting with John F. Kennedy.  I do have an affinity for him as he started it and his successors modernized the space shuttle program into the most prestigious space operations in the world.  As the government continues to find ways in which to cut spending, we must not forget to restart the space shuttle program and ensure that our elected officials realize that the space program is another symbol of our American pride and a true testament to the innovative spirit of America.

So, that brings us to the issue of our financial future. Our elected officials must make the difficult decision of reducing spending and finding ways to make our currency stronger. We should tell our congressmen and congresswomen, state assemblies, and governors that the need for more fiscally sound approaches to our money is long overdue.  America is still needed.  A fiscally unstable government is irresponsible and should not be tolerated at all.

America is still the greatest country on earth; it is our job as constituents that our elected leaders get the message regardless of their political affiliation.  

Down but not out

In a truly remarkable game today at Disch-Faulk Field in Austin, Texas, the 3A State Semi-Finals proved to be an exhilarating one. Unfortunately, Robstown was eliminated by a 4-3 score versus Kennedale today.

We wish Kennedale the best as they advance to the State 3A Championship game.

However, Robstown deserves a great deal of credit for aggressively trying to win this game.  It is quite clear to me that Robstown will be back again next year.  I have no doubt in my mind about it.

Robstown has worked very hard to get to this point and certainly deserve a round of applause.  Most people did not think Robstown had a chance to go as far as it did and counted them out so quickly.  I say don’t count them out just yet.

Congratulations to my alma mater, Robstown High School Cotton Pickers, for a job well done!

BELIEVE

The Edge of Greatness

I congratulate the Robstown High School Cottonpicker baseball team for being crowned the Region 4 champions.  Now, Robstown advances to the Semi-Finals in the State Baseball Tournament in Austin.  The last time Robstown appeared at the State Tournament was in 1993, in which they won the State Championship.  It was certainly a long time ago.  An entire generation grew up without ever repeating that honor.

As for the community of fans, they never stopped believing in their high school baseball team.  They have always supported the Robstown High School Cottonpickers from the very beginning.  So, of course, the community is quite excited that years of hard work from the players and coaches has paid off.

I was on the Corpus Christi Caller-Times chat room earlier today and noticed that some people thought the score was too high and Robstown was being too aggressive with the stealing of bases when it was apparent Robstown would win.  I say that it is important for Robstown to remain aggressive in their game and not let their guard down.  The other three region champions will no doubt remain aggressive in their games.

Still, others in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times chat room were saying that Robstown’s high school baseball team is of meager caliber and the advancement is a symbol that the region overall is weak.  I disagree completely with this notion.  It is important to note that other teams in our area have never received such feedback as they move on to the state tournament in their conferences.  It is also safe to say that most sane people will not agree that the various teams that made it to the State Tournament are undeserving.  The statement and implication made by some in the chat room are certainly undeserving of any real credibility.

It is quite clear that Robstown is in a position to take the State Championship.  As we all know, one must have a burning desire in order to win championships.  In Robstown’s case, they must step up their aggression and seize their opportunity to make history again.

Robstown has operated with a simple motto: BELIEVE.  Believe that great things are possible.  In the case of the other regions, believe that Robstown will not go down without a fight.

Best of luck to the Robstown High School Cottonpickers!  You are on the edge of greatness.  You are on the edge of glory.  

Shakes, Quakes, and … Hurricanes?

The past few months have been incredible with massive earthquakes and huge tornados.  Unfortunately, we cannot control nature (we never could anyway).  However, we can control how we respond to such catastrophes.  People worldwide and across our great nation have made generous contributions to the various charities that are assisting the victims of these terrible natural disasters.  Despite the economy, it is quite clear that people still care about others.

Unfortunately, given the size and scope of the tornado activity just in the month of May, we can expect some significant activity during the upcoming hurricane season, which starts next week (June 1).

Some tips to remember for the upcoming hurricane season:

1. Take all hurricane and severe weather warnings seriously.  Hurricanes (just like tornados) are highly unpredictable.
2. Start preparing your emergency plan and kit.  Go to http://www.ready.gov now to find out more about this.
3. Remain calm.  While it is important to follow all warnings, it is completely unnecessary to panic.  Panic is contagious.  If one does it, others may do so, as well.  What does that accomplish, really?

Be safe out there, and always have a plan!