There are countless wonderful reasons for tourists to visit our great state of Texas. People can stand before the Alamo and remember the moment when a small band of brave men stood firm for our country. Check out the Dallas-Ft. Worth area if you want to spend some time in an overwhelming and thriving metropolis. If you are fascinated by space travel, why would you go anywhere but Houston? If you are a sports fan,...
Details »
New York can have Woodstock and their periodic reunions tucked away on an upstate farm. Nashville may promote the country music get together now known as the CMA Music Fest, formerly called Fan Fair, which takes place every hot Southern summer. However, there is simply no competition for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival that takes place here in Austin every spring. This year's gathering of musicians and artists of all backgrounds has convened...
Details »
Some superstar athletes develop such a close association with the city or state in which they perform that you cannot mention one without the other quickly coming to mind. Do you think of Peyton Manning without the city of Indianapolis being part of the picture? Of course not. Unless, that is, you are from Tennessee and you still associate the Hall of Fame quarterback with that "other" UT school that drapes itself in bright orange....
Details »
Allegations of voter fraud and disenfranchisement have almost become a required component of any election, particular since the lengthy battle over Florida's votes in 2000. Hopefully, a repeat of election results being contested all the way to the United States Supreme Court will not be needed anytime soon, but attorneys now descend on polling places at the slightest sniff of wrongdoing. To minimize the number of problems on election days, many cities and states have...
Details »
Immigration has been a hot button issue in the United States for quite some time. In fact, it was discussed at length in last year's presidential election year. Perhaps the topic is no more passionately debated than in the states that form our southern border. One of the current questions facing the police forces in the Houston area is - how far can officers go in assisting with the federal issue of immigration control without...
Details »
One of the most important decisions that a parent makes is who will be given the charge of caring for her children while she is at work. What is the teacher to student ratio? How long has the facility been in operation? Do the workers know emergency first aid and child CPR? Are the caretakers, certified, licensed and bonded? Everyone wants to know that their children are safe and loved every moment of the time....
Details »
Texas Governor Rick Perry recently declared that he would not be accepting $555 million of the funds that the U.S. federal government offered through its stimulus package. Specifically, Gov. Perry joins several other state executives in fighting the changes that would need to be made to state unemployment laws if the stimulus money was accepted. So, the Texas state legislature is now looking for some other ways to improve the status of the coffers in...
Details »
No one can deny that President Barack Obama has been dealing with a long list of high-priority issues since he entered the Oval Office just over a month ago. Of course, the faltering economy is understandably the top concern in most people's minds, and the stimulus package that passed recently has received most of the media's attention. The president announced the withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq by August 2010, and has the pundits...
Details »
The legislators in Texas are tackling a wide variety of issues during this current legislative session, dealing with topics ranging from education to immigration to the current economic crisis. Like every other year, some of the bills that are being considered garner a lot of attention and controversy. One example is the bill that was passed by the Texas Senate yesterday that would allow for sobriety checkpoints in our state for the first time in...
Details »
There is no shortage of laws surrounding the specifics of marriage and divorce in our country - who can get married, who can perform a marriage, child custody and financial settlements in a divorce, etc. are all determined by government. Some argue that the government must be involved in such matters for reasons of economics and a basic social order. Others believe that the government has a deeper role to play in the establishment and...
Details »