Vote for Your Lives!

My comment to Robyn Evans blog And Then I Woke Up in Texas... article Vote, Vote, OMG, Why Aren't You Voting?

I agree that voting should be easier, we need a better way to interact with politics. In my opinion that is the main reason we have such poor voter turnout in Texas, we just don't interact with politics. We are affected by the political decisions made day to day, but we still don't interact with them. It's just not in a convenient method for us to take time out of our day to do.  

In that I think a voting holiday isn't enough to make a large change. I think there should be multiple holidays to increase political awareness and interaction. Neighborhood communities that recreate historical elections and voting on old bills.  

As things are, we do not touch politics. Something I learned in sales is that getting someone to hold the product is 70% of the sale. I feel like we need to do more to make politics into something the people can hold, something that is as much a part of their lives, as visiting the pool on a hot day, or going on a picnic with friends

Connecting Ourselves

I'm sure a few of us remember the disaster that was the Rick Perry Texas super highway dubbed the "Trans-Texas Corridor" back in the previous decade.  A plan to make it easier to move goods across Texas with ease that included utility lines, commuter and commercial traffic, and railways running along side one another through the heart of Texas.  While this plan ultimately did fail, I feel like a problem had presented itself and it was not solved.

Something that is very important to me is the environment.  Since Texas isn't going to adopt too many green initiatives any time soon, I feel like it would be good to focus on making a more efficient system of freight shipment. Through many city highways there are large freight trucks moving to and fro, railways moving goods from the south and then returning from the north with fuel for power. It is a system that serves it's purpose.  The problem is, that it isn't doing enough.  Eventually something is going to have to be done about the sheer volume of goods moving through Texas.

In the end it's probably going to be a similar solution to the "Trans-Texas Corridor," since the best way to move that volume of goods would be to simply build a conveyor belt of sorts.  The solution will have to be an Engineering marvel, and well the legislature isn't going to be able to come up with a solution that requires such a massive undertaking.  My concern is what is going to be worse, keeping things as they are and increasing pollution and traffic congestion throughout the state, or moving everything to a concentrated corridor.

Keep an ear out, I'm sure a solution isn't so far off.

Regards to Abortion and SB 575

My comment on Kim Hernandez's blog Poli Texas on her article Banning Insurers From Covering Abortion.

My Comment:

I generally try not to assume religious conviction for these kinds of laws, even if they do align with common religious reasoning, just due to it not actually being included in the legislation.  Saying that proposed legislation is religious leaning serves as a red herring and distracts from what the legislation really wants to accomplish and doesn't offer any counter argument for it. 

I feel like these kind of decisions should be left to insurance agencies and not up to government regulation.  Even then, I would prefer insurance agencies cover the costs as pregnancy can be life threatening and cost quite the pretty penny. 

In no other instance but abortion do we force someone to save another person's life.  If I had the only kidney that could save governor Abbot's life, it would be illegal for the state to force me to give up my kidney or any organ to save his life.  Granted choosing not to give up my kidney requires no medical procedure.  As controversial as abortion is, I do feel like it really does come down to whether or not we can force someone to give up their own health to save another person. 

Investing in our Future

One of the most important things that we need to consider for the future of Texas is the way we plan to educate ourselves.  Not just K-12, but all education.  How easy is it to seek out knowledge and understanding in Texas right now.  Sure we have common core, STAAR tests, school vouchers filling the headlines, but I believe one of the reasons we can't figure out a good solution to the issue of education is that we haven't answered the question, how would we like to learn about something?

I feel like recent solutions to educational issues are like throwing darts blindfolded. Sure you might pass a law that hits the bulls eye, but you could also be throwing darts to the completely opposite wall.  I understand that STAAR tests are meant to grade teacher performance, but if I was looking the best teacher suited for me, I wouldn't test the students, I would look at the teacher and see if their teaching style suited my learning style.  If I was concerned that I was learning something inaccurate, I would want to collaborate with not just one, but multiple teachers on the same subject.  I would want to be treated more as a peer than an ignorant student that who's job is to turn in papers to be graded.

So why doesn't the legislation that's being passed reflect a similar train of thought?  Why do we continue to ask the wrong questions when creating legislation regarding education.

To Bathroom or Not to Bathroom

The article Debbie Riddle wants Potty Police to combat gender bending in Texas restrooms by Scott Henson on his blog Grits for Breakfast, he talks about discusses legislation regarding the use of public facilities introduced by State Rep Debbie Riddle earlier this year. His article targeting people that are interesting in the ridiculous legislation that is proposed by lawmakers exclaiming that the legislation is from the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department." Scott Henson has been a journalist since college working for the Daily Texan and then after becoming an editor for the Texas Observer and being a political activist.  You can read more about Scott Henson here.

In his article he argues that it the new legislation will have unintended consequences due to the language the legislation stating that a male is one with a Y chromosome and a woman is one without a Y chromosome in relation to the use of public facilities.  He argues that this will affect more than those that it targets as many women use the men's restroom due to lines, and that it fails to accommodate the complexity of chromosome variations and modern understanding of gender.  He also argues that more businesses would switch to unisex restroom facilities since the risk of a state jail felony is too great for allowing someone to use the restroom.

Personally, I agree that the legislation is too broad and strict with restroom use.  I think this legislation would require a DNA test due to inter-sex variations and the possibility of children being misidentified at birth.  Namely people with androgen insensitivity syndrome as they may have female organs and appearance, but have an XY chromosome pair.

You can read the entire article here.

Requiring Civics Tests for Graduation

The article Civics Test for Graduation is a Good Policy by Regina Lawrence, Larry Schooler, and Deborah Wise found on the Fort Worth Start Telegram.  Discusses requiring civics tests in order for students to graduate high school.

The authors are reaching out to a general audience, but mostly to parents and future parents.  All three authors are affiliated with The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas in Austin.

They argue for requiring the civics tests for graduation, but are also willing to point out a few issues with the requirements as well.  One argument against is that it may not go far enough to inspire students to be more civic minded, citing that such a dramatic change would require changes in teaching technique, and curriculum as well.  They also mentioned that addition "adding another graduation requirement in a state with already extremely low graduation rates may give some reason to pause."


Even so, the arguments made for the requirements are far greater as they state that many of the issues will work themselves out as teachers will be more likely to focus on civics in class as their performance is evaluated by their students test scores.  They also state that it will encourage students to take part in politics more since it is a state requirement and therefore a skill required to succeed.

I agree with the authors, on all points.  I think students need to be motivated to learn more about civics and how our systems work.  I think this will help them succeed in life.  Since teachers are willing to focus on things that children are tested on school, it will create that little push in the direction of a more civic minded generation.  

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/other-voices/article11101307.html#storylink=cpy

Re "ad more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/other-voices/article11101307.html#storylink=cpy

Motorcycles Splitting Lanes Proposal

Something we should all worry about are road laws.  In an article by KVUE.org, two bills have been proposed in both the house and the Senate pertaining to allowing motorcycles to split lanes during slow traffic.

The main argument for or against the proposal is whether or not it will make motorcycle drivers safer.

On one hand it will increase the visibility of motorcycle drivers during stressful work hour traffic and allows them to get out of dangerous situations faster.  It is also suggested that it will lower emissions, free up traffic (if more people start driving motorcycles), and cut maintenance costs for motorcycle drivers.

On the other hand, other drivers may still not see the motorcycle drivers as they merge lanes.

Both bills have been introduced in the house, but have not been assigned to a comity.

This is an important article to review because if this bill is passed, it is important for people to know the law and why that motorcycle driver is allowed to drive between cars and not wait in line like everyone else.