Motoring Out of the American Century

ED WALLACE | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
25 Feb 2011

‎"In 1980, the top 1 percent of this country's earners owned 9 percent of its assets; 30 years later they've increased that ownership to 24 percent. And yet, if anything in the media's discussion of our economic problems today can be summed... up quickly, it's this: Government employees are greedy, and our economic woes today are the result of that greed.

"Why would someone like me, who deals primarily with our automotive and energy industries, get so caught up in the struggling average American's well-being? Selfishness and intelligence: My economic well-being is directly linked to the success of our middle class. For without a healthy middle class, car sales suffer, as does the purchase of energy and ultimately the overall economy. After all, in most years consumerism controls 70 percent of our GDP."

Read it here.

Texan Members of Congress Should Give Up Their Own Government Health Care Plan

Libby Shaw | TEXAS KAOS
20 Feb 2011

How come ordinary Texans should not be entitled to the same benefits as Senators Hutchison, Cornyn, and in my case, U.S. non Representative Culberson? After all we are the ones who pay your generous six figure salaries.

As usual the Republican sound of silence on this issue is deafening.

LINK

Child Poverty Hits 25 Percent In Texas, But Governor Perry Still Proposing Deep Cuts

After spending the last few years lecturing the country about how his supposedly “prudent fiscal decisions” stood in stark contrast to fiscal policy at the federal level, Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is being forced to grapple with a huge hole in his own state’s budget.

Read it here.

In West Texas, a Town's Fate Tied to Its School

Morgan Smith | Texas Tribune
7 February 2011

"But for Marathon’s ranchers, artists (trendy Marfa is 60 miles away), a growing number of retired baby boomers and the occasional political celebrity, the school’s fate is critical to the survival of this remote town known for its blend of the frontier and funky. Now a new foundation... to help support the school, offers fresh hope for the area. And if what is happening here is successful, it could serve as a model for rural towns scattered across Texas looking to shield their way of life from the death knell of school closings."

Read it here.