Monthly Archives: July 2008

(Community Matters) Yesterday, finally caught up with my friend, Susan Dawson. Gosh, Susan was Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Chair and I was her vice chair/treasurer, something like 7 or 8 years ago. Back then, she ran a high-tech consulting group, the Athens Group. Now she’s leading the E3 Alliance.

The E3 Alliance is a “regional effort to increase global competitiveness, economic vitality and overall quality of life for Central Texas by aligning our education systems to better fulfill the potential of every citizen.

Guided by an objective data map and a clear community vision, we propose to better align the practices of our regional education system and allocate our investments and services more efficiently to dramatically and sustainably increase educational outcomes. The E3 Alliance acts as the Central Texas P-16 Council.”

I’m impressed with their Blue Print for Educational Change which was adopted collaboratively by over 100 regional community and business leaders. Its four goals are 1) All children enter kindergarten school ready, 2) We eliminate achievement gaps while improving overall student performance, 3) All students graduate college-and-career ready and prepared for a lifetime of learning and 4) Central Texas as a community prepares children to succeed.

Susan notes in a recent newsletter: “It’s not that our schools are failing – in fact, student performance has gotten better by almost any measure you can use. But when 90% of the fastest growing jobs require some post-secondary education, far too few of our students are graduating high school, going into college, or getting any post-secondary degree to meet the needs of a competitive economy.”

Kudos to Susan, her supporters and her board members, including Sylvia Acevedo, David Balch, Jesus Chavez, Stephen Kinslow, Earl Maxwell, Michael McDonald, Patrick Pringle, Edwin, Sharpe, Denise Trauth, Gregory Vincent, Marina Walne and Pete Winstead.

(Community Matters) Snopes.com on Maureen Dowd column of Obama’s internet fundraising here

(Community Matters) The bouncer at a gay bar trying to ban drag queens. in Dallas

(Community Matters) Blogosphere buzz loud debating NYTimes rejection of a McCain op-ed piece as equal time for Senator Obama’s foreign op-ed piece last week.

(Community Matters) In the Washington Post

Evangelical Christians in Iowa, dominant in the state’s Republican Party, have denied Sen. Charles E. Grassley his request for a place on the state’s delegation to this summer’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Political observers in Iowa saw the move against Mr. Grassley as retribution for his having tangled with evangelical pastors in his state. He initiated a Senate Finance Committee investigation of six televangelists for conspicuous personal spending.

“It’s pretty well controlled now by the Christian Alliance,” Mr. Roberts said. “If somebody came to me and wanted to be a delegate to the national party convention, I used to say, ‘Talk to the state party chairman or to Grassley.’ Now it’s very simple. You go to the Christian Alliance, and they determine who is a delegate, and you have to do exactly as they say.”

(Community Matters) Lots of blogging about each. Two: JT and Megan McArdle.

(Community Matters) How clever of Michael Barnes. While on vacation in Montana, he’s slowly unveiling this year’s annual Fortunate 500. No doubt previously written and saved in draft form, easily converted to publish from the road. Nina Seely & Andy Roddick leading the Style & Sports lists. Fortunate 500

(Community Matters) Fannie/Freddie in the Economist here

(Community Matters) Lots of discussions on the opportunity to Paint Texas Blue. Folks 40 and over seem to think we have, at best, a shot of winning the 5 seats necessary to turn the Texas House Democratic. The 20- & 30- something political entrepreneurs (Steven likens them to artists) believe we can do that and win Texas for Obama.

I’m told there are over 1,500,000 unregistered voters in Texas – two-thirds Hispanic and most of the others Black (the majority African American). By far the majority of these are in Harris County, evidently a Texas county completely out of control. Republicans have had Harris County locked up for several years. Electeds and political professionals recount how Tax Assessor-Collector, Paul Bettencourt (R), effectively suppresses minority votes by taking names off the rolls for simple address changes. reducing the hours of early voting and indiscrimantely challenging black and brown voters at the ballot boxes. Plenty of coverage on R scandals in the county – including shamed district attorney Chuck Rosenthal. There’s a real opportunity to turn Harris County blue. Dallas went blue the last election cycle.

This year’s Democratic presidential primary engaged unlikely voters as no other. If we build on this momentum and motivate voters to pull the “D” lever when they vote for Obama, we might just celebrate Texas as a blue state come Nov. 4th.

(Community Matters) Maybe not but there’s a lot there

Shawn Kiehne (aka El Gringo) photo NYT

The New Mexico native has a love for Mexican music and the Mexican people, and he’s not afraid to say so publicly nor to criticize 43’s ridiculous immigration control policies (which was one area where 43 stood tall until caving to unfounded fears wing nut fears). NYTimes article here

(Community Matters) Obama, even if he won with 100% of the vote, he wouldn’t be able to pass a single law. – Mario