Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 128, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 2010 Page: 4 of 16
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PAGE 4A
OPINIONS
THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
THURSDAY, JUNE 24,2010
Perry celebrates Texas Week
in China, challenger at home
AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Percy
on June 15 kicked off Salute
to Texas Week at the Shanghai
World Expo 2010, welcoming
visitors to the Texas-themed
U.S.A. National Pavilion.
The governor and members
of a Texas delegation also
hosted a forum for Chinese
businesses to promote the
advantages of locating in Texas
and how to do business in the
state. Attendees heard about
incentives and regional benefits
available to companies.
Percy. Texas Comptroller
Susan Combs, Secretary
of State Hope Andrade
and representatives from
Texas Instruments and the
communities of Brownsville,
Corpus Christi, Dallas,
Houston, McKinney and
San Patricio were among
participants in the forum.
Some 70 million visitors
from more than 170 nations
are expected to attend the May
1 through Oct, 31 expo;
China is Texas’ third largest
export partner, receiving 5
percent, or $8.9 billion, of all
Texas exports, according to the
governor's office.
Meanwhile, Bill White,
the Democratic nominee for
governor, has been stumping
around the state.
He made a June 18 stop in
. San Antonio, where he spoke
to a group of Texas newspaper
publishers.
White compared and
contrasted his style with
Perry's, saying he would spend
more time working on state
business than the standing
governor does, and he would
move into a double-wide trailer
while the Governor's mansion
undergoes renovations. The
state has been paying $10,000
a month for the governor and
first lady to live in a private
mansion.
Most wanted tips
can be ‘texted’
Those Texans who’d rather
use text-messaging than a
phone call or e-mail to submit
a tip for Texas 10 Most Wanted
fugitives can have it their way
now.
A tip can yield a $5,000-
per-fugitive reward. Citizens
can use their cell phones to
send text messages to the
Texas Department of Public
Safety. Key in the code 274637
(CRIMES), then type in the
tip.
Tips may be submitted
through the DPS website at
www. txdps,state.tx.us/wanted.
Click on the photo of the
fugitive and then click the
I WANT MY
LIFE BACK/
HIGHLIGHTS
By Ed Starting
link under the photo to submit
a tip. "This will help the
program appeal to a younger
demographic. generate
additional tips and simply make
it more convenient for many
people," said DPS Director
Steven McCraw.
The phone-in method still
works by dialing 1-800-252-
TIPS. The Crime Stoppers
hotline is open 24 hours a day.
Citizens need not give their
name when calling.
Map shows areas with
no broadband
Agriculture Commissioner
Todd Staples on June 15
announced the launch of the
Texas broadband map that
illustrates the state's unserved
areas, identifies types of
service and allows broadband
service providers to target
future investment.
More than 96 percent of
Texas households have access
to home broadband service,
but a quarter of a million
households in the Lone Star
State don't have access to high-
speed Internet services, Staples
said, adding that broadband is
related to business development
and is a critical lifeline to vital
services like telemedicine and
education.
The state was mapped by
Connected Texas, a non-profit
organization.
The map includes data
from 123 state providers and
indicates 3.5 percent of Texas
households, or about 257.000
residences, do not have access
to home broadband service.
Texas sticks with Big 12
The University of Texas
at Austin, Texas A&M
University, Texas Tech
and Baylor University will
continue competing in the
Big 12 Conference, officials
confirmed last week. The
conference’s future was in
question earlier, when the
universities of Nebraska and
Colorado decided to join other
conferences.
Politics as usual, exponential factor four
Tn an age of relentless
I change, it’s heartening
JLto be able to count on a
few simple things. Glenn Beck
and Keith Olbermann ranting
and raving one pulse short of
an aneurism. Water flowing
downhill. Congress holding
hearings whose only point
is to express the indignant
depths of their public outrage
even though our chances
of learning anything is less
likely than the North Korean
Minister of Medicine going
on Oprah to talk about Kim
Jong II’s spider phobia. Its all
good.
The spectacle of politics
as usual is as reassuring
as a warm. Vaseline-lined
bathrobe. It's comforting to
be reminded every now and
then that no matter how urgent
the crisis facing the American
people, our politicians can
and will find ample time to
grandstand even if their self-
righteous preening cancels
out the eensiest possibility of
actual progress. Can’t wait
for them to replace the gavel
at these things with a hand-
held mirror.
Take the recent seven-hour
theatrical farce featuring Tony
Hayward. Please. Strictly
following' the prescribed
testimony demanded of these
august tribunals, British
Petroleum’s CEO stuck to the
WILL DURST
script and adopted the role
of a character afflicted with
a severe case of selective
amnesia. The man didn’t
know anything. Including
which industry he was in or
how to wipe that priggy smirk
off his face.
H a y war d ’ s
disingenuousness was
so complete he actually
might have put himself in
jeopardy of being charged
with impersonating a
Congressman. The deceit, the
whole deceit, and nothing but
deceit. His ability to be so
utterly elusive, evasive and
impossible to pin down could
lead to a career filling in for
the Roadrunner in future
Looney Tunes cartoons.
Not to mention that grilling
him on technical questions
was predestined to be as
fruitless as Antarctica in July.
As CEO of a huge
corporation, he’s got lackeys
and minions and stooges and
toadies for the heavy lifting of
knowing stuff. Mr. Hayward’s
job is to massage shareholders
and pose for the cover of
yearly financial reports, and
in times of trouble act as
designated fire hydrant to
packs of media-hungry dogs.
Or cartoon coyotes posing as
concerned Congressmen.
This televised dramaturgy
wasn’t ever about answers.
This was pure stagecraft.
Congressional hearings are
to hypocrisy what green felt
is to pool tables. Especially
the House Energy and
Commerce Committee’s
Subcommittee on Oversight
and Investigations. Which is
code for the Big Oil Boys.
The same politicians who
receive hundreds of thousands
of dollars in contributions
every year from the very
people they’re supposedly
regulating. Foxes, hen houses
and flying feathers spring to
mind.
The only person briefly
maintaining a semblance
of integrity was Rep. Joe
Barton, R- Exxon-Mobil,
who opened the proceedings
by apologizing to BP for
what he called a White House
“shakedown." At least this
guy knows who his friends
are. The very definition of an
honest politician: one who
stays bought.
But buyee’s remorse
prevailed. Mere hours later,
after a quiet tete-a-tete
with the biggest dogs in the
Republican Party, Barton
emerged to call another
press conference where he
retracted his apology. That’s
right. He apologized for
his apology. For which we
should apologize. Reportedly,
the wolves threatened his
committee seniority. And so
he caved. And covered his
comfortable butt. Reverted
to form. Back to the normal
scheme of things. Politics as
usual, exponential factor four.
Ain’t it grand?
Will Durst is a San
Francisco-baSed political
comic who often writes. This
being a curious example.
Copyright ©2010, Will
Durst, distributed by the Cagle
Cartoons Inc. syndicate. Will
Durst is a political comedian
who has performed around
the world. E-mail Will at
durst@caglecartoons.com.
Don't forget to check out his
rooftop comedy minutes at:
httpj/www.rooftopcomedy.
com/shows/BurstOfDurst.
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POLKCOUNIT
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 936-327-4357
(USPS 437-340)
WEBSITE: www.EastTe1a5News.com
E-MAIL: Advcrtisiii;: enierpnseteasttejaaiewsxoni Newsroom: pdknewsfS'pnaiJ.com
CirtMaBon cira4atioo#easaexasi)ews.coni Eamd as Nodical Matter at the Post Office at Livingston TX
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or aspiration which
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iport i damjo«l missing paper n
Workman family feels
support of community
TT 7e appreciate so very
VV much the outpouring
of support shown to us. Jay
loved being a part of this
community and we have
been overwhelmed with all
the Rindesses that we have
received from everyone over
the last week.
We’d like to encourage
everyone to please participate
in the Scott Paske Fundraiser
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday June 26, at the VFW
Hall or call Jason Paske at
936-433-9350 or Brandie
Paske 936-328-2955 and
make a cash donation.
All the money is being
used for Scott’s time off
work, medical expenses for
his back surgery and kidney
cancer surgery on June 30.
The Workman Family
Call for strong energy,
climate bill
Tn his historic first
xOval Office address,
President Obama outlined
the government’s response
to the Gulf oil disaster and
called for Congress to help
move us toward a new, clean
energy future. The BP spill
illustrates in heartbreaking
terms the dangers of our
nation’s addiction to oil.
While our first priority must
be to do whatever is necessary
to repair the damage in the
Gulf and ensure that those
responsible foot the bill,
we also need a long term
solution to move away from
energy'sources that threaten
our environment, economy,
and national security.
We need the President to
ban drilling in new areas,
especially the eastern Gulf
of Mexico, which has never
been open to drilling, and
should remain off limits. And
we need Congress to pass a
strong comprehensive clean
energy and climate bill this
summer that does four things:
ensuresthatGulfcommunities
and ecosystems are quickly
repaired, institutes policies
that move America off of oil,
establishes a cap on global
warming pollution, and gives
strong financial support to
clean, renewable energy
sources.
I urge Senators Comyn
and Hutchison to make sure
that Congress seizes this
historic opportunity, and
answers President Obama’s
call for a strong energy and
climate bill that protects our
environment, economy, and
national security.
Luke Metzger
Director
Environment Texas
The lonely border
patrol agent
A t a local lunch counter
ill recently struck a
conversation with a uniformed
Border Patrol agent
sitting like the proverbial
Maytag washing machine
repairman alone seemingly
« with nothing to do, as
though he were now
superfluous.
When I told him where in
town he might concentrate his
efforts, he stated in effect that
the community was not yet
supportive.
Just as I have noted,
many when in need of semi-
skilled workers have given
up on the local labor pool.
Even when paid twice
the rciinimum wage it is a
story of repeated no-shows,
slow downs, substance
abuse, shoddy work,
punctuated by prolonged
disappearances for jail time.
Serially we have
taken on a dozen workers,
paying generously,
sharing the hospitality of
our home, perks, plenty of
counsel and affirmation,
with the hopes of
their rehabilitation only to see
the story repeated.
Solutions: Pay at
the end of the week
rather than daily so that
they at least show up the
second day? Pay only upon
satisfactory completion of a
task?
It is a paradox that even
in difficult economic
times the situation is no
better. 7
Was there not an era prior
to the “safety net” for the
unemployed ushered
in by the New Deal in
the 1930s when as in II
Thessalonians 3:10:
“If any would not work,
neither should he eat?”
(KJV)
How else would they have
survived the Great Depression,
Reconstruction, etc? Our
“safety net” has changed all
that.
Many of us have used
a “Don’t ask. Don't
tell.” (DADT) policy
towards hiring foreign
workers to get the help
we need without overtly
disobeying our nation’s
laws. Years ago, we
have decided to strictly
uphold the law, even
while society and our
Federal government in
particular decide if the laws are
to be taken seriously.
What are the solutions?
1) Decrease our “safety net” so
there isonceagainan incenti veto
work.
2) Some variation of a guest
worker program for non-
documented laborers. (But
then why pay the locals not to
work?)
3) Promote the traditional
American work ethic that has
made us exceptional.
Listen up Washington!
Ronald M. Tolls, MD FACS
Colonel, MC US Army (Ret)
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Reddell, Valerie. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 128, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 2010, newspaper, June 24, 2010; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth656555/m1/4/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.