Joshua Star (Joshua, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 21, 2011 Page: 4 of 12
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Page 4A ★ Joshua Star ★ Thursday, July 21, 2011
www.joshuastar.net
-1 EDITORIALS'-
GOP supermajority
paid off in session
The issue: State lawmakers have closed the 82nd
state legislative session.
We say : Conservatives can rest assured their
elected leaders pushed through an agenda that rep-
resented a majority of their desires.
Some eight months ago, Johnson County GOP lead-
ers met in Cleburne with state Rep. Rob Orr, R-Burle-
son.
Sure, not everyone was in unison on every policy item
entering the 82nd state legislative session.
But, they agreed on one. Republicans couldn’t waste
this opportunity. Voters had awarded them a super-
majority in the House, a considerable majority in the
Senate and a Republican in the governor’s mansion to
sign their conservative bills into law.
For the GOP, it’s mission accomplished. Conserva-
tive lawmakers came through and passed legislation
important to the party - legislation that for the past few
sessions didn’t get done for one reason or another.
There was the voter identification bill. We didn’t
have one. Most agreed we needed one. This bill is fair.
It requires voters to present a photo identification in
order to cast a ballot, and makes a concession to some
who may be unable to meet the requirement, but who
are U.S. citizens. Of utmost importance, it improves
election integrity.
As required by state law, the budget was balanced
without a tax rate increase and did so without com-
pletely eliminating Rainy Day Fund reserves. This was
a time to dip into the fund, but no time to deplete the
fund entirely.
Lawmakers also passed motions urging the federal
government to pass a balanced budget amendment to
the U.S. Constitution and to observe the 10th amend-
ment, stating that “powers not granted to the federal
government nor prohibited to the states by the Con-
stitution are reserved, respectively, to the states or the
people.” The 10th amendment is important. It tells
Washington that we Texans know what’s best for Texas.
Rarely is there a school board meeting when Austin
lawmakers aren’t criticized, but let’s remember that
the budget they passed is far more attractive for public
education than the projections of January. A pat on the
back for reducing the blow to public education would
be more appropriate.
Gov. Rick Perry asked lawmakers to work with public
colleges and universities to do something about the
rising cost of a four-year degree. He asked costs be
reined in to $ 10,000. This is an idea that should not be
forgotten. Texas’future depends on it. His cap maybe
unattainable, but surely something can be done to slash
the cost of a degree.
There’s one bill that lawmakers, like Orr, lament not
getting done. It’s a sanctuary city bill. A santuary city,
by definition, is one with policies protecting illegal
immigrants. These policies prevent law enforcement
officers from legal inquiries of residency of persons
in custody. A sanctuary city bill would have ensured
federal immigration laws were being enforced and no
policies were in place to prevent them.
But, in general, conservatives owe lawmakers a
“thank you” for a job well done this session.
AGRICULTURE
Feral hog fix is pig-headed
JOSHUA STARAEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE
Areas shaded gray are considered to be feral hog habitat. That
includes a majority of Johnson County and the state.
Texas has a terrible feral
hog problem and People
for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals (PETA) knows
just how to solve it.
Some two million feral
hogs call almost every
county in the Lone Star
State home, causing mas-
sive destruction to both
agriculture and urban
areas.
PETA has a simplistic
solution for this Texas
plague. Their reasoning
is that bullets are bad
when it comes to feral
hog control. These animal
activists are looking for a
kinder, gentler solution.
Kind of like no hog left
behind. Round them up.
Put them in refuges. Cor-
ral them with “inexpen-
sive” fences.
According to a recent
post on the PETA Face-
book page, these “simple
adjustments” will solve
the feral hog problems.
After my last PETA post,
I promised myself to not
write about these animal
activists again. Oh well,
call me pig-headed. I can’t
help myself—especially
when PETA offers such a
stupid solution to such a
horrendous problem.
“As long as the environ-
ment is
attractive
for pigs,
killing
will not
solve the
problem
because
Mike more
Barnett Pi§s wi^
simply
Farm Bureau move
in from
surrounding areas. This
is a problem that hu-
mans have created,” said
Stephanie Bell of PETA’s
Cruelty Investigations De-
partment. “And unfortu-
nately, the pigs are paying
the price.”
Okay, I’m not sure how
to make Texas and most
of the south less attrac-
tive to feral hogs. They’ve
adapted from the Piney
Woods of East Texas
to the open plains out
west and everywhere in
between. I’m sure some
fence can hold them but I
can assure you it will not
be inexpensive. Who’s
going to tackle these nasty
critters to stick them in a
refuge. How big a refuge
do you need for 2 million
pigs? One as big as Texas?
My suggestion is to
humanely capture two or
three feral hogs—include
one heavyweight boar
that’s about three feet
tall by five feet wide with
slashing tusks—provide
them with plenty of good
food and fresh water on
their trip to a new refuge
at PETA headquarters in
Norfolk, Va. Let PETA
build an “inexpensive”
fence around their of-
fice and let the pig games
progress.
I think PETA will soon
find this hog heaven is no
utopia. Peacefully coexist-
ing with a destructive feral
hog is easier said than
done.
Mike Barnett is the pub-
lications director of the
Texas Farm Bureau. Visit
the Texas Farm Bureau
website at www Jxfb.org.
.o ^ &
' ....... NJi
MAIWJ£S
Joshmi'/Star
Volume 41, Number 16
12 Pages in 2 Sections
(USPS-010-545)
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JOSHUA STARAEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
More than three-fourths of Texas land is habitat for destructive feral hogs,
including urban areas in North Texas.
The feral hog's habitat is shrinking as its population steadily increases.
Texas Agrilife Extension Service data suggests 134 million of the states 170 mil-
lion acres, or 79 percent ofTexas’ land mass, is feral hog habitat The feral hog popu-
lation could range from 1.9 million to 3.4 million, according to their new research.
Mature sows have about 1.5 litters peryear, with the average litter being about 5.6
pigs. It means there is a significant growth rate - higher than the human growth rate
in the state.
letters policy
The Joshua Star welcomes letters to the editor for
consideration for publication.
Letters to the Editor are offered by the newspaper
to the community for expression of personal views on
matters of concern. Residents are encouraged to use
the column in a constructive manner, sharing their
views on subjects of interest with the newspaper's
readers.
Letters are individual opinions and not those of this
newspaper. Each letter must be original, limited to 300
words or less, signed by the writer and bear the address
and phone number of the writer. Only the writer's name
and the city will be published with the letter.
The Joshua Star does not withhold the writer's name
for any reason. Anonymous letters or letters signed by
an unidentifiable pseudonym will not be published. The
phone number and address are necessary for verification
of authenticity or clarification of content. Letters which
cannot be verified will not be published.
The Joshua Star reserves the right to edit all letters.
Letters deemed libelous, slanderous, unclear or other-
wise unacceptable will not be published.
Thank-you expressions singling out individuals or or-
ganizations will not be published. Poetry is unacceptable
as a letter to the editor.
During election campaigns, the Joshua Star will ac-
cept letters to the editor discussing issues or offering
endorsements. The deadline for election-related letters is
two weeks prior to Election Day.
Address letters to: Editor, Joshua Star, P.O. Box 909,
Burleson, TX 76097. Letters may also be faxed to 817-
295-5278, or e-mailed to joshuastar@thestargroup.com.
Faxed and e-mailed letters must include the writer's com-
plete address and daytime telephone number.
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Porter, Brian. Joshua Star (Joshua, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 21, 2011, newspaper, July 21, 2011; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth823178/m1/4/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.