Heat Stroke

It’s very unfortunate that Texas is facing one of the worst budget crisis and droughts at the same time. This crazy weather is drying up our lakes, rivers, and water reservoirs all over the state. At the same time, the Texas government doesn’t currently have the financial resources to face the blazing drought due to the budget deficit the state is currently in. The author of OneStar has an interesting idea stating that Texas government needs to produce an adequate ‘A/C system’ for all Texans. However, an adequate ‘A/C system’ is not the answer to reducing the number of heat waves incidents in Texas. Heat waves isn’t even this biggest problems caused by the heat. The recent stroke of heat has caused a large decrease in the water supply of Texas. As a fellow Texan, I’ve taken this precious resource for granted and forgot how limited it can be. If this drought continues and become cyclical, then Texas should be focusing legislation on conserving water. Unfortunately, Texas cannot achieve this right now because the government is cutting spending from almost every program across the state. All we can do is hope that the budget crisis is only temporary and we can focus some attention to water conservation. Having a ‘decent A/C’ system is not the right course for legislation. Conserving our waters is the right course of action because it will keep people cool and most importantly, dehydrated.

What you smoking?

     Texans all over the state are gathering in support of a smoking ban statewide in workplace environments and indoor public areas where citizens gather. Texas legislation has been notorious for setting restrictions and taxes on tobacco. Last year, tobacco taxes increased in order to help fund the federal State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Back then, smoking bans were brought up due to their imposing health risk. Now, it’s making more financial sense for the state to create a statewide ban.

     The Senate Bill 255 and House Bill 670 are pieces of legislation that will be debated in the special session called by Governor Rick Perry. The bill has been given new life because it has the potential to bring in money to health care costs that have been cut from the most current budget proposal. The ban would save a projected $30 million dollars in health care costs. With the budget in such a tight crunch, any amount that can save the deficit is crucial. Also, passing this bill is another way for legislation to balance the budget without raising taxes.

     People should not be fooled into thinking that the passing of this bill will be an infringement upon constitutional rights. Smoking is still going to be legal in Texas. However, the bill would prohibit people from smoking on the job or in public places. Smokers can still light up a cigarette in their front patio at home or in their car. Through much scientific research, it has been proven that there is no safe level of second hand smoke. Second hand smoking could cause pneumonia, bronchitis, and possibly cancer. Pregnant woman exposed to second hand smoke could give birth to babies with complications. The bill would benefit the public who don’t want to be exposed to deadly carcinogens that cause cancer and heart disease.  The health risk alone should be enough to push this bill through legislation with the added cost benefits for the state as ‘icing’ on the cake. This bill may seem somewhat unfair to the smokers of Texas. In any case, the smokers are creating a hazard for the public people who don’t wish to be exposed to the deadly effects of second hand smoke.

The main event: Religion versus Science

     A fellow student, William Gee, of my Texas government class posted an intriguing blog concerning the Texas State Board of Education’s decision on the teachings of science in class. The battle between science and religion has been an ongoing debate for centuries. I totally agree with Mr. Gee’s statement that “science and religion should be view in different contexts.” However, I believe that the conclusion made by the Texas School Board of Education was the correct decision. Alternative online material to be taught with evolution as the standard science curriculum will allow each individual student to explore their thoughts and faith to determine what they believe to be truth. Science and Religion are so far from each other on the spectrum that it’s unjust to teach one point of view and not the other.

     I’m a biology major and a Christian believer. During my college years, I have come in conflict between what is right and wrong. Science is so concrete and real while religion is more arbitrary idea. Unlike Mr. Gee, I think there’s a middle between science and religion. A lot of individuals believe that you can only believe in evolution or religion, but never both.  I beg to differ. Why can’t one believe that evolution has occurred, but in God’s time? Maybe evolution and all other sciences were created by an absolute power? My opinion and your opinion will be skewed based on how deeply religious we are. Just because I believe in evolution and God doesn’t mean I’m turning my back on God.

     All in all, the Texas State Board of Education should allow the teachings of both creationism and evolution into the curriculum. It’s unjust for the government to exclude one or the other. Both have their own ideas and styles. However, each is just as important as the other. Individuals need to be exposed to the pluralism between science and religion and choose for themselves what is right or wrong. No authority should promote only religion or only science. The middle is where a person can figure out for themselves what is the truth to them.

No More Plastic!

Plastic bags, first introduced in 1950’s, was a convenient way to carry goods and food in and out of stores. Now, Stores around Austin may not offer plastic bags at the checkout counters. Mayor of Austin, Lee Leffingwell, and two other City council members proposed a plastic bag ban. This plastic bag ban is a win-win situation for the city of Austin. There will be a cost benefit and an even more significant impact on the environment. Plastic bags cost the city around $850,000 a year and Austinites consume about 263 million plastic bags a year. The plastic has littered roadsides, clogged sewer drains and is affecting wildlife as particular animals become entangled in the plastic bags or ingest them. Also, it is important that our local government took initiative with the ban because area grocers such as HEB, Randalls, Wal-Mart, Target, and Walgreens, pledged that they would have a 50% reduction of plastic bags sent to landfill in 2009 and fell short. The amount of plastic bags was only reduced by 20 percent.

Some people don’t believe that the switch from paper to plastic isn’t that much better for the environment. An HEB spokeswoman, Leslie Lockett, claims that that “paper bags require more energy and fuel to produce and transport, they take up more landfill space, and they still take a long time to degrade.” Although paper bags may cost a little more to produce, its damage to the environment won’t be as critical as plastic. The main benefit of paper over plastic is its biodegradability. Although plastic bags have been very convenient for consumers for decades, I believe that people will eventually switch over to using reusable bags. The plastic bag ban is not only a local issue, it’s a global one. A few countries around the world such as Bangladesh, China, India, Australia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Israel, South Africa, etc. have taken a stand against plastic bags. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch would also see possible decreases in size. The source of pollutants to the ‘garbage island’ in the middle of the pacific is from land-sources which contain many plastic bags. These plastic bags decompose within a year of entering water, leaching toxic chemicals. These toxic chemicals will hurt our marine life and fishing industries if the ‘garbage island’ were to explode due to poor plastic regulations. Thus, it’s critical for our local, state, and national government to help reduce the effects of pollution by plastic bags one step at a time.

Rising Border

     One the highest concern of most Texans today is border control between Texas and Mexico. The federal government and the Obama administration has failed to recognize the threat and danger uncontrolled borders can cause. A plausible reason as to why the federal government has not seen border control issues in the eyes of Texans is because there have been no major causalities as of yet. “U.S. law enforcement came under fire from Mexican drug cartels on June 19^th as the criminals tried to push 500 pounds of marijuana through the city of Mission.” Fortunately, no Americans were hurt in this incident. Hopefully we won’t ever need a body count to explain the poor border control provided by the federal government. Todd Staples argument for border control should be an important issue embedded in the hearts of all Texans. If the federal government has failed to “acknowledge the daily threats against Texans,” then it should be our civil duty as a state to take action. Thus, Todd Staples launched ProtectYourTexasBorder.com in March to promote the awareness of poor and undermanned border control around Texas. This site documents “numerous incidents on the U.S. side of the border.” Amidst the budget and debt crisis, the American security should still be the highest affair and concern at the White House. Unfortunately, the federal government doesn’t see it that way. Washington “claims that our border is safer than ever, and denies Texas, and the nation, the federal military response needed to stop these brazen criminals from invading our country and harming our citizens.” How ignorant can our federal government be? Can’t they realize based on ProtectYourTexasBorder.com alone that reform must be made towards immigration and border control? We can’t just let anyone and everyone into America anymore. We need to increase our forces on the border to combat the drug cartels and illegal smuggling that takes place so close to our homes. 

Link: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/staples-border-security-in-texas-deserves-federal-attention-1613276.html

Withering Water

                The lone star state is experiencing one of the worst droughts it has seen in a hundred years. Reservoirs are running dry and water levels in rivers and aquifers are dropping to record lows. Some cities and counties may not even have enough water by the time summer ends. Unfortunately, this drought may get worse and more severe seeing that we are only in the middle of this summer season. Water is a resource many of us take for granted. This article by Bill Callegari from the Austin-Statesman addresses not only the people, but the Texas government.  Texas legislation has failed to create “Fourteen major reservoir sites designated by the Legislature in 2007.” These sites “remain undeveloped due to lack of funding and federal regulatory interference.”

                Bill Callegari is substantially stating the fact that Texas needs to sharpen its focus on long-term water policies and projects. His plea for change comes from historic and current sources. Scientific studies of tree ring records indicate the presence of historic mega droughts in the state of Texas. These mega droughts endured somewhere between 20 to 40 years during the 1100’s and 1200’s. Who knows when the next ‘mega drought’ will hit? Texas is not properly prepared for short-term droughts and is especially not ready for a mega drought. The droughts of 2006 and 2009 alone cost the state of Texas 4.1 billion and 3.8 billion dollars in damage. At this rate, Texas long-term water supply plan will be pinnacle to the Texas economy. Bill states that Texas has taken renowned strides in state-wide water planning. However, the perfect plan fails without the correct execution. There is not enough emphasis and stride in the legislature to create water-smart conservation practices and technologies. This may be due to the fact that state’s budget is getting tighter by the minute and these extensive water plans need reliable funding. Even though Texas is in a tight budget, it makes logical sense to invest in long-term water supply solution because it will eventually “outweigh the costs of droughts.” Bill Callegari himself is a very reliable source of information based on his professional background. He has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2000. He has over 30 years of experience in the water industry, and currently serves as chairman of the House Committee on Governmental Efficiency and Reform. I agree with Bill Callegari’s statement because water is the most important resource to all living things. Too many people don’t appreciate the value of the resource.  As Texans, we should make it a top priority to create long-term water conservation programs and make sure we execute these plans for future.
Link: http://www.statesman.com/opinion/callegari-texas-needs-to-focus-on-a-long-1610117.html

Challenging STAAR

               It’s apparent that in the next coming school year, Texas public schools will be receiving a dramatic adjustments based on the $4 billion dollar budget cut imposed on school districts. However, in midst of all this change, something more dramatic has taken place in the upcoming semester. There is a new standardized test known as the STAAR, or the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. Unlike its predecessor, the TAKS, each student will have to achieve a passing average in each subject area of the STAAR as well as pass their classes. Also, students will have to do better on more difficult exams and take more of them. Under the TAKS, the test scores were not accumulated with the final grades of students. Interestingly, the STAAR will be part of the 15% of student’s final grades.

               This article by Morgan Smith demonstrates the rigor and expectations that legislatures demand when they passed the passage of House Bill 3.  Yet, how are the already short-handed individuals that work for the school districts supposed to help this critical transitional period in Texas education? I took the TAKS test during high school years. In my opinion, the system is too easy and predictable. The STAAR is taking a step in the right direction for the future Texan scholars. However, it does seem like the motive is being pushed at the wrong time. There is no proper support for this lucrative and potential ‘homerun plan’ because the support lies in budget. Timing is everything. In this instance, the time is not now.