Friday, December 10, 2010
Texas Budget Shortfall
In my colleagues article called Texas Budget Shortfall my colleague talks about the 28 billion big budget shortfall. I do agree what my colleague is saying about cut spending in education and in Medicaid. Where the state of Texas spends most with education and Medicaid. I do agree about what my colleague says about putting innocent people to death anyone can get sick and get hurt where they need medical care. It should be a way to come up with other options to save education and Medicaid from being cut because people that get Medicaid that's their only way of getting medical help.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Many Not Bothered by TSA Scanners
In this article Many Not Bothered by TSA Scanners "Don't touch my junk!" is what protesters are saying. This is a growing movement against the Transportation Security Administration new security screening measure. On Wednesday a group of protesters were protesting the body scanners and the up close personal pat downs outside of the airport. The protesters held up signs that showed porno scanners and read " Don't touch my junk!" Austin Bergstrom International Airport does not have scanners but this group want it to stay that way. It was part of something that was happening across the nation, encouraging people to opt out of going throughout the scanners. We spoke to some passengers who say, "They think going through the body scanners is no big deal."
However most passengers that spoke to FOX 7 did not have a problem with additional security.
"It was a body scanner. I mean I don't have a problem with it came up, put your hands over your head and go through, Wes Foster, a passenger arriving at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport said.
The group plans to plans to protest again before Christmas on December 18th. However, the time it will be in the airport.
Everyone has their own opinion on the full body scanners some don't mind and some thinks it violates people's rights, but some people think it won't do any good to have full body scanners. "In my opinion if they do get the full body scanners wouldn't stop anyone from doing anything terrible because someone is going to try to come up with a way to get around the system of the full body scanners". For this story I'm not going to agree nor disagree about the body scanners we as people have to just see how the security of the full body scanners will protect passengers if they decide to get the full body scanners at the airport. I have no problem with the way existing scanners are being used.
However most passengers that spoke to FOX 7 did not have a problem with additional security.
"It was a body scanner. I mean I don't have a problem with it came up, put your hands over your head and go through, Wes Foster, a passenger arriving at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport said.
The group plans to plans to protest again before Christmas on December 18th. However, the time it will be in the airport.
Everyone has their own opinion on the full body scanners some don't mind and some thinks it violates people's rights, but some people think it won't do any good to have full body scanners. "In my opinion if they do get the full body scanners wouldn't stop anyone from doing anything terrible because someone is going to try to come up with a way to get around the system of the full body scanners". For this story I'm not going to agree nor disagree about the body scanners we as people have to just see how the security of the full body scanners will protect passengers if they decide to get the full body scanners at the airport. I have no problem with the way existing scanners are being used.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
"Bring Books Not Guns"
One of my colleague's blogs I found was interesting article called Bring Books Not Guns Where the colleague talks about whether or not students should be able to carry a handgun on campus after the incident at the University of Texas. I do agree on what my colleague is saying if you have students carrying a handgun on campus it will put everyone at risk. I agree on my colleague what he saying about what senator Dan Patrick said on local television about we are putting students, professors and staff at risk by not allowing to carry concealed gun. It would make problem worse to pass a bill to remove the current ban. If students, staff, and professors are carrying a concealed weapon then it would be difficult to identify the gunman. I do want to be able to feel safe even in an institution not having to worry about shootings or someone with a gun trying to kill someone or putting anyone in danger.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Mentally ill End Up In Texas Prisons
This article I reas was interesting to me it talks about Mentally ill End Up In Texas Prisons The article explains that they're more people in person in jail that have mental illness and it does in psychiatric hospitals according to the news study by http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/ according to the Treatment Advocacy Center and National Sheriffs Association.
The reseachers were doing a study of person that had serious mental illness being in jail or prison as oppose to a psychiatric hospital. The assumption was that 16 percent of the country's jail and prison inmates are serious mentally ill.
The odds were over all 50 states averaged 3.2 to 1 in 2004-05 meaning that their were 3 times more people with mental illness in jails and prisons that in psychiatric hospitals.
In Texas, the odds were 7.8 to 1 in that time period the third-worst odds fot the mentally ill, folloeing Nevada and Arizona.
The only state that were odd 1 to 1 was North Dakota, meaning people with mental illness were just likely to be a psychiatric hospital as they were prisons.
The Mentally ill ended up in Texas prisons also because they're are not enough room for the inmates to be in prison so they send them to other jails and prisons. Psychiatric hospitals are no longer the place to house mostly mentally ill inmates they are housing them in jail or in prison are which takes me to another article that I was reading which was http://www.texastribune.org/texas-state-agencies/state-commission-on-jail-standards/crowded-jails-becoming-health-hazards/ on why they're overcrowded with mentally ill inmates in prison and jails than in psychiatric hospital.
If they is some sort of why that they can build some more centers, jails or prisons to house most of these inmates then it would not be overcrowded, but at the same time it's our tax dollars on building up more facilities for inmates that have mental illnesses and the crimes are getting worse, people are going to jail. Some don't support building facilites for these people they dont want to have to pay with our tax dollars they rather put their tax dollars on something else or keep they're tax dollars in their pocket.
The reseachers were doing a study of person that had serious mental illness being in jail or prison as oppose to a psychiatric hospital. The assumption was that 16 percent of the country's jail and prison inmates are serious mentally ill.
The odds were over all 50 states averaged 3.2 to 1 in 2004-05 meaning that their were 3 times more people with mental illness in jails and prisons that in psychiatric hospitals.
In Texas, the odds were 7.8 to 1 in that time period the third-worst odds fot the mentally ill, folloeing Nevada and Arizona.
The only state that were odd 1 to 1 was North Dakota, meaning people with mental illness were just likely to be a psychiatric hospital as they were prisons.
The Mentally ill ended up in Texas prisons also because they're are not enough room for the inmates to be in prison so they send them to other jails and prisons. Psychiatric hospitals are no longer the place to house mostly mentally ill inmates they are housing them in jail or in prison are which takes me to another article that I was reading which was http://www.texastribune.org/texas-state-agencies/state-commission-on-jail-standards/crowded-jails-becoming-health-hazards/ on why they're overcrowded with mentally ill inmates in prison and jails than in psychiatric hospital.
If they is some sort of why that they can build some more centers, jails or prisons to house most of these inmates then it would not be overcrowded, but at the same time it's our tax dollars on building up more facilities for inmates that have mental illnesses and the crimes are getting worse, people are going to jail. Some don't support building facilites for these people they dont want to have to pay with our tax dollars they rather put their tax dollars on something else or keep they're tax dollars in their pocket.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Number of Austinites living in poverty increases in 2009
I was reading an article and it was talking about the Number of Austinites living in poverty increases in 2009.
Residents in Austin lived in poverty in 2009 the increase were mostly from families and young children from the census bureau. The American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-1.pdf which was based on a nationwide sampling of U.S. households, the percentage for people in austin last year was 18.4 percent and in 2008, it was up from 17.1 percent.
From the article their were more austinites living in poverty in 2009 said the City of Austin demographer Ryan Robinson. Among families poverty rose from 11.9 percent to 13.5 percent during the same period. The most worst cases were among children from what Analysts says.
The census bureau estimates 27 percent of related children under 18 and 31.5 percent of related children under 5 lived in poverty in 2009. There were 5 and 6 percent increases in 2008.
With the city's fast and growing majority of Hispanics were more likely than blacks, Asians and non-Hispanic Whites to be in poverty, compared to 22.3 percent of African Americans, 8.6 percent of Asians and 11.4 percent of non-Hispanic Whites.
After reading this article about Austinites living in poverty had increased in 2009 I see that the number had increased in 2009 than in 2008. There were more poverty in 2009. Then at the end of the article the data was done by race. I'm thinking the numbers are not accurate, but somewhat close. Thats not including the people that didn't do a census form and didn't report income.
I looked up the Poverty: 2008 and 2009 American Community Survey Briefs and explains the Highlights, How Poverty is Measured, Talks about the Percentage of People in Poverty in the Past 12 Months by State and Puerto Rico: 2009 thats just by state.
Another article can be found at More people living in poverty in Austin survey finds
Residents in Austin lived in poverty in 2009 the increase were mostly from families and young children from the census bureau. The American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/acsbr09-1.pdf which was based on a nationwide sampling of U.S. households, the percentage for people in austin last year was 18.4 percent and in 2008, it was up from 17.1 percent.
From the article their were more austinites living in poverty in 2009 said the City of Austin demographer Ryan Robinson. Among families poverty rose from 11.9 percent to 13.5 percent during the same period. The most worst cases were among children from what Analysts says.
The census bureau estimates 27 percent of related children under 18 and 31.5 percent of related children under 5 lived in poverty in 2009. There were 5 and 6 percent increases in 2008.
With the city's fast and growing majority of Hispanics were more likely than blacks, Asians and non-Hispanic Whites to be in poverty, compared to 22.3 percent of African Americans, 8.6 percent of Asians and 11.4 percent of non-Hispanic Whites.
After reading this article about Austinites living in poverty had increased in 2009 I see that the number had increased in 2009 than in 2008. There were more poverty in 2009. Then at the end of the article the data was done by race. I'm thinking the numbers are not accurate, but somewhat close. Thats not including the people that didn't do a census form and didn't report income.
I looked up the Poverty: 2008 and 2009 American Community Survey Briefs and explains the Highlights, How Poverty is Measured, Talks about the Percentage of People in Poverty in the Past 12 Months by State and Puerto Rico: 2009 thats just by state.
Another article can be found at More people living in poverty in Austin survey finds
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Perry: Lessons learned from storms past
Gov. Rick Perry, SPECIAL CONTRIBUTER
http://www.statesman.com/
Two years there was a Hurricane, Hurricane Ike its destroyed trees the trees were were uprooted cities were flooded and homes.Hurricane Ike devasted schools and churches, businessess and farmes, communitites and families alike.
The progress had been made in rebuilding, both property and lives. We also learned from the past experiences, we learn to pre-position our resources at the point of attack, so when Ike hit the shores of Galveston in the early hours of Sept 13, 2008 the first responders-including Texas Task Force 1 and 2 Texas Military Forces-were in the place to rescued, checks were conducted on nearly 6,000 others.
When we saw the impact of the Hurricanes on the amimals and livestock left behind during storm evacutions,we created the state Animals Response Team, tasked with caring for and controlling these animals effectively and humanely.
The guiding principle thought is the local people know best how to deal with local problems, and its up to the state to do everything possible to help these officals responed quickly and get assistance to the people in harm's way.
In this article I agree with what its saying about the help from the people to clean up after the Hurricane Ike and after Katrina the people that where hit by it. The people were familiar because the people that were hit by it and again with Ike. The local people know how to best to deal with this problem. And the people had the instinct to help comes naturally to texans where the neighbors helping other neighbors is more than saying, it's saying a way of life. Volunteers even came to help clean up the trees, rubish around the neighborhood. Their were even people came to people stranded stranded in its aftermath.
http://www.statesman.com/
Two years there was a Hurricane, Hurricane Ike its destroyed trees the trees were were uprooted cities were flooded and homes.Hurricane Ike devasted schools and churches, businessess and farmes, communitites and families alike.
The progress had been made in rebuilding, both property and lives. We also learned from the past experiences, we learn to pre-position our resources at the point of attack, so when Ike hit the shores of Galveston in the early hours of Sept 13, 2008 the first responders-including Texas Task Force 1 and 2 Texas Military Forces-were in the place to rescued, checks were conducted on nearly 6,000 others.
When we saw the impact of the Hurricanes on the amimals and livestock left behind during storm evacutions,we created the state Animals Response Team, tasked with caring for and controlling these animals effectively and humanely.
The guiding principle thought is the local people know best how to deal with local problems, and its up to the state to do everything possible to help these officals responed quickly and get assistance to the people in harm's way.
In this article I agree with what its saying about the help from the people to clean up after the Hurricane Ike and after Katrina the people that where hit by it. The people were familiar because the people that were hit by it and again with Ike. The local people know how to best to deal with this problem. And the people had the instinct to help comes naturally to texans where the neighbors helping other neighbors is more than saying, it's saying a way of life. Volunteers even came to help clean up the trees, rubish around the neighborhood. Their were even people came to people stranded stranded in its aftermath.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
State food stamp backlog shrinking
Texas -Health and Human Services - http://www.statesman.com/
Agency leader trumpets progress but says more workers, resources are needed to keep it going
With hundreds of news workers on board,texas has dramatically improved its speed and accuracy processing food stamp applications, Health and Human Services Executives Commisioner tom Sueh plans to tell lawmakers today.
But he'll also tell the joint gatheing of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the House- Senate panel overseeing the eligibility system that he needs more resources, including more workers.
They have along way to go to add more resources. In August, Texas processed 93.5 percent of applications within the required 30 days, compared with 56.6 percent in September 2009,accordingto the commission.
A year ago the state failed to processed food stamp applications as quickly as required by the federal and governments. Some families waited for months for aid, and thoes were eligible were at timmes denied benefits because of processing errors.
In the past year, the commission has aded 864 workers to determine eligilibity and enroll Texans for food stamps Medicaid, bringingto 8,380 the number of staffers. The commission has also revamped worker training and stationed workers in offices lobbies to handle certain questions so that not everyone has to wait in line.
Their has been a surge in food stamp applications in January Suehs is asking lawmakers for 128.7 million to hire 1,547 workers over two years and 102.5 million to increase salaries for eligibility workers.The commission is payingsome overtime rather than asking lawmakers for even more workers.
Also some are saying that workers that they need to spend more time with their families and withworking overtime it takes all their tme from their families Suehs said that "So I've kind of accepted some overtime,but I want to minimize the overtime" and ensure its voluntary whenever possible.
Janey Thorton, U.S. deputy undersecretary of agriculture wo was visiting and Austin elementary school Tuesday said that the Obama administration is pleased with Texas' progress.
"That time lapse has really decreased," Thornton said. Texas officials ares "still working in a number of areas ,but we can tell its going in the right direction now,so that's great."
Processing errors has been a problem. In June, the U.S.Department of Argiculture fined Texas $3.96 million for an error rate that exceeded the natonal average. The state is appealing; Texas officials says that they were dealing with a spike in applications related to hurricane Ike.
Texas ' current problems with the eligibility system date back to 2005,when state workers left in drove sin advances of a privatization effots that was later scaled back.
I think that this article is worth reading so that the readers know whats going on with the food stamp process and why so many people had to wait to get benefits and the errors that they had in the process in processing the applications and they are improving the proccess to making the process run faster and smoother. Also its for the people to know whats going on with Human Services and the food Stamp program anyone that recieves it probably can see what the artiticle is talking about they can relate to it they may had to wait on their benefits to kick in or their where problems with the processing or processing errors.So they are trying to speed up the process by hiring more workers and for workers doing overtime.
Agency leader trumpets progress but says more workers, resources are needed to keep it going
With hundreds of news workers on board,texas has dramatically improved its speed and accuracy processing food stamp applications, Health and Human Services Executives Commisioner tom Sueh plans to tell lawmakers today.
But he'll also tell the joint gatheing of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and the House- Senate panel overseeing the eligibility system that he needs more resources, including more workers.
They have along way to go to add more resources. In August, Texas processed 93.5 percent of applications within the required 30 days, compared with 56.6 percent in September 2009,accordingto the commission.
A year ago the state failed to processed food stamp applications as quickly as required by the federal and governments. Some families waited for months for aid, and thoes were eligible were at timmes denied benefits because of processing errors.
In the past year, the commission has aded 864 workers to determine eligilibity and enroll Texans for food stamps Medicaid, bringingto 8,380 the number of staffers. The commission has also revamped worker training and stationed workers in offices lobbies to handle certain questions so that not everyone has to wait in line.
Their has been a surge in food stamp applications in January Suehs is asking lawmakers for 128.7 million to hire 1,547 workers over two years and 102.5 million to increase salaries for eligibility workers.The commission is payingsome overtime rather than asking lawmakers for even more workers.
Also some are saying that workers that they need to spend more time with their families and withworking overtime it takes all their tme from their families Suehs said that "So I've kind of accepted some overtime,but I want to minimize the overtime" and ensure its voluntary whenever possible.
Janey Thorton, U.S. deputy undersecretary of agriculture wo was visiting and Austin elementary school Tuesday said that the Obama administration is pleased with Texas' progress.
"That time lapse has really decreased," Thornton said. Texas officials ares "still working in a number of areas ,but we can tell its going in the right direction now,so that's great."
Processing errors has been a problem. In June, the U.S.Department of Argiculture fined Texas $3.96 million for an error rate that exceeded the natonal average. The state is appealing; Texas officials says that they were dealing with a spike in applications related to hurricane Ike.
Texas ' current problems with the eligibility system date back to 2005,when state workers left in drove sin advances of a privatization effots that was later scaled back.
I think that this article is worth reading so that the readers know whats going on with the food stamp process and why so many people had to wait to get benefits and the errors that they had in the process in processing the applications and they are improving the proccess to making the process run faster and smoother. Also its for the people to know whats going on with Human Services and the food Stamp program anyone that recieves it probably can see what the artiticle is talking about they can relate to it they may had to wait on their benefits to kick in or their where problems with the processing or processing errors.So they are trying to speed up the process by hiring more workers and for workers doing overtime.
Monday, August 30, 2010
At home in the Senate
In the wake of a court ruling keeping state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Grandbury, on the ballot lawyers for Democratic opponet and the state party are deciding whether to appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. But time is short: Under state election law, Friday,August 20, is the last day a candidate who is removed from the ballot can be replaced.
from the Texas weekly
from the Texas weekly
Bill White, not Rick Perry, accepts invite to debate
San Antonio- Democratic Bill White said Friday that he would take the stage for gubnatorial debate this fall sponsored by the state's largest newspapers and Ustin public television station KLRU-TV.
Rupublic Gov. Rick Perry made no such commitment.
One the day the American Stataesman and other debates sponsors formally invited the candidates to the Oct. 19 debate in Austin, Perry's campaign contineud to say that he would not debate until White releases income tax returns from his years as deputy energy secretary in the mid-1990s.
by Jason Embry
American Statesman Staff
Rupublic Gov. Rick Perry made no such commitment.
One the day the American Stataesman and other debates sponsors formally invited the candidates to the Oct. 19 debate in Austin, Perry's campaign contineud to say that he would not debate until White releases income tax returns from his years as deputy energy secretary in the mid-1990s.
by Jason Embry
American Statesman Staff
Health Care Reform
The Historic Health insurance reform bill passed by the house on March 21. Presisent Obama signed the bill into law on March 22.
According to the Congressiional budget office the law will provide 32 million more people - more than 94 percent of Americans wirh coverge the agency also said it will lower health care cost in the long term.
The plan includes many changes for American businessess families and citizens, but how those changes affect each entity varies.
Full story can be read on news8austin-
Politics
According to the Congressiional budget office the law will provide 32 million more people - more than 94 percent of Americans wirh coverge the agency also said it will lower health care cost in the long term.
The plan includes many changes for American businessess families and citizens, but how those changes affect each entity varies.
Full story can be read on news8austin-
Politics
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