Sunday's LMT stays at $2 but "paperboys" take pay cut

Their sign isn't the only thing that could use an upgrade

First of all, let me acknowledge that the people selling newspapers at the corner may be a younger or older male or even a female. I am using the term "paperboy" as a sort of generic term. Having said all that, I bought my copy of the Sunday Laredo Morning Times this morning and was surprised to find that it still costs two dollars. Since the price of the daily went up from 50cents to 75 cents last week, I was a bit surprised because I fully expected the same to apply to their Sunday edition.

As I rolled down my window I asked the guy "Que tanto cuesta ahora?". "Dos dolares" he replied, "no subio?". I gave him 3bucks as I commented "Estaba seguro que iba a subir". Sadly, he explained "No, no le subieron, pero nos abajaron el sueldo a nosotros". I had another extra one dollar bill so I let the guy have it as well. LMT is building up a pretty bad track record as far as being a good corporate citizen. They'be been around since 1881 but lately they've been acting as if they're more of a fly-by-night operation. First, the downturn in the quality and selection (or omission) of their reporting, now this.

English version of my conversation with the guy selling the newspaper:
Me: "How much does it cost now?"
Him: "Two dollars"
Me:  "It didn't go up? I was sure they were going to raise the price"
Him: "No, no they didn't but they did cut our pay"

I wasn't sure we still had Glass Kitchens

I was driving around and getting hungry so I started thinking if I should pick up something to eat. As I ran through the list of possible drive-thrus, I remembered a place that doesn't even have a drive-thru; the Glass Kitchen. Almost as soon as I had thought of it, I started to try to remember if we still had Glass Kitchen in town. Well, as most of you probably know, we do. As a matter of fact, we have two of them.

I guess the reason that I had to stop and think if they were still around is that they've been in business for a long, long time. I know there was one across Martin Highschool back in the 1970s. It might have been there even long before that, perhaps as far back as the 1960s?  If my math is correct, this means that the Glass Kitchen has been selling Laredoans hamburgers for about 50 years. Long before any of the national chains came to town, there was the Glass Kitchen.....and they're still around.

Anyone know the status of the $300,000 downtown revitalization study?

Some of the slick-looking "posters" on the downtown master plan

A few months ago, I attended a couple of meetings on the downtown renovation master plan. Both were presented by Kell-Munoz, the firm that won the $300,000 contract for the plan. I know they had a lot of posters around the room showing all sorts of different data pertaining to our downtown. During the first meeting, they had the atendees "break out" into groups and write down all sorts of ideas about what our downtown should be. As the meeting neared it's end, they asked each group to summerize their ideas into one statement. The several group spokespersons then quickly read them out to the rest of the audience. At this point, it was time to go.

I know this is going to sound skeptical (again) but I don't see how this exercise could yield any true public input or be taken into serious consideration by Kell-Munoz. To me, it seemed a simple formality to be disposed off. The next meeting, we got a printout of the ideas that had been picked up the time before. The presenter started going down the list but failed to make it clear whether any of these ideas had been incorporated into their plan. Being that they had a 3-D powerpoint of some kind already setup to be shown to us, chances are that they had their minds made up way before even the first meeting.

Ironically, a LMT story which appeared early last year, after the firm was awarded the contract, gave just the opposite impression. it stated in part:

Firm President Henry Munoz called the downtown renovation plan "one of the most important commisions in the history of the city". "It is unusual for a city to take a moment to plan for it's future" Munoz said. He added that one of the most important aspects of their plan was making sure the citizens of Laredo had an active role in creating the master plan.

Did Kell-Munoz succeed in ensuring that Laredoans had an active role in creating this master plan? Not even close. At least not the Laredoans who were present at the meetings that I attended. Getting back to the title of this post. Does anyone know where the process for this master plan now stand?  Is Kell-Munoz's work done? Was it worth $300,000 of our tax dollars?

Did you say "continue"??

A good start would be less executive sessions!

I just finished watching Pro8new's 10pm broadcast. They ran a piece on the swearing-in of some of the newly-elected county officials. Later, they asked some or our elected representatives what they will working on during this new year. U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said a few words as did  Tex. Rep. Richard Raymond, Webb County Judge Danny Valdez and Mayor Raul Salinas. Valdez's comments in particular we're very poorly chosen. He spoke about "continuing" the transparency in our County government. I immediately thought "how can something that doesn't exist, continue"? There is absolutely no transparency in many aspects of our County's dealings. The CAA would not be in the mess it is if transparency was real. I think Mr. Valdez should have just steered clear of the transparency issue altogether given the County's dismal record with the concept. If anything, he should have been honest and said that he would do his part to start working towards a more transparent government.

Lobbyist not required to reveal info to public? I tell you it's a Bizzarro World

Sure, this was from 2004 but it's just gotten worse since then

As the Texas legislature embarks on a new session, multitudes of lobbyist descend on Austin. Some represent cities or counties but the vast majority no doubt represent the interests of vast corporations. In reading a piece our LMT had on this phenomenon this morning, I was particularly struck by the first few paragraphs. The essence of the passage is about how once again, the public is ignored in these matters of influece peddling. Well, you can read for yourself:

When Texas lawmakers begin grappling with the state’s massive budget shortfall next month, they will not be working alone: Cities, counties and other public entities — and,
of course, corporations and special-interest groups — will send hundreds of lobbyists to the Capitol to preserve and defend their interests.

With such a diverse group of interests and so much at stake, conflict is inevitable, which is why lobbyists are required by law to notify their clients if they represent two or more groups with clashing agendas.

Lobbyists are also required to notify the Texas Ethics Commission about any possible conflicts. Scores of lobbyists have done so in recent legislative sessions.

What is not required is for the public or elected representatives to be informed.

That is because the law, passed in 2001, prohibits the release of the conflict disclosure forms filed by lobbyists to the state ethics commission.

So, it looks like we do not have the right to be informed and neither do those who represent us. How's that for disenfranchisement of the populace? So much for Texas being a bastion of liberty and freedom. Well, it is, but  just for the lobbyists.  

Mathematics retreats at TAMIU seem to be helping

The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side."

Both the Laredo Morning Times and TAMIU have recently reported on a series of weekend math retreats that will be taking place at the university. The retreats will be held between mid January and mid April 2011. There will be a total of 10 of them and each can accomodate 25 students. According to an article posted on the university's website, previous retreats are showing some positive results. The following is excerpted from a TAMIU news article.

A series of weekend retreats at Texas A&M International University will help Laredo area minority high school students build a stronger math foundation while preparing them for college.
The TAMIU Mathematics Weekend Retreats Spring 2011, designed for minority sophomore, junior, and senior studentsl, said Dr. Hoonandara Goonatilake, TAMIU associate professor of mathematics.

“This project will assist selected students in their mathematics courses, thus enabling them to be successful in securing college entry, develop a more sophisticated understanding of their own study skills and strengths, and developing communities of peers,” said Dr. Goonatilake.The deadline to apply for the retreat is Friday, Jan. 7, Goonatilake said. Applications can be downloaded from http: http://www.blogger.com/~rbachnak/STEMRRG/index3.html

Goonatilake explained that the retreats, partially supported by a U.S. Department of Education, STEM-RRG grant, will expose students to an adequate math foundation and will emphasize basic skills, critical thinking and problem solving capabilities required to be successful in college courses and beyond. Students who participated in similar retreats during Spring and Summer 2010 have shown success in the THEA, SAT, ACT and AP Mathematics tests, he said.

GOP: The Party of NO is now also the Party of SO?

During the last two years, the GOP has definitely stood for Grand Obstructionist Party. Time and time again, they have stood united in opposition to almost every piece of legislation that Obama and the Democrats have tried to pass. The only exception was during the last two weeks of the lame duck congress when a substantial amount of legislation was actually passed.

Judging by the signs that the incoming, Tea Party version of the GOP has been putting out, the Republicans seem intent to also becoming the Party of "So"?

Let me illustrate. The Republicans have been and continue to advocate for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (aka Obamacare). Since the bill was signed into law by President Obama, there have been quite a few pro-patient provisions that have taken effect. This includes some that take effect today, Saturday, January1st, 2011. 
As the Republicans fight to repeal Obama care and all new improvements, the Democrats will surely point this out. They will (or should) make it plain for the voters to see that the GOP is once again siding with the big insurance companies and against the common man/woman. In the past, the GOP would say "not so" and would spin the truth into some bizzare explanation designed to not make them look callous. Well, those days appear to be gone. The Tea Party Version of the GOP will instead acknowledge their differences with the Democrats. When the case is made that republicans are taking away, from those most in need, much-needed and crucial improvements to their health insurance, the new Republicans will have a very starkl answer :"So"? 

It's exactly what then VP Dick Cheney said during an interview about the U.S. involvement in Iraq. When the reporter told Cheney that a huge majority of Americans did NOT support the war, he simply shrugged: So?

The Dream act did not pass during the lame duck session but I'm sure that those that favor the bill will eventually bring it up yet again. No doubt proponents of the bill will again ask that children who were brought over by those parents (without documentation) be allowed to stay in the U.S. indefinitely as long as they are in college or in the military. The GOP has already said this constitues amnesty and they will have nothing to do with it. When the Democrats say that deporting them is un-American and morally wrong, the GOP will once again echo in unison  "So"?

The point I'm making is that this incoming congress will put aside any pretensions of compassion and very cleary let it be known that this is not your father's GOP, this is the new, cruel and extreme version of the GOP. It's a Bizzaro version of common sense and pragmatism, hopped up on Four Loco and dedicated to the notion that all men are created equal but don't deserve it. We say it's wrong! They say.....So??