Daily Archives: 09/30/2008

(Community Matters)Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m. a UT Austin student was sexually assaulted at the bus stop at 26th and Nueces west of campus. UTPD and APD are working the case. The suspect is a Hispanic male in his early 20’s, approximately 6 feet tall, stocky build, full face, dark hair, around 200 to 210 lbs. If you know anything about this case, please call 232-9640.

(Community Matters) My response to a posting by another local blogger

Jim, I’m with you against the slush funds [20% of recovery payments earmarked for special interests in current bill].

Count me among the taxpayers angry about this. In fact, the trillion plus dollars have already spent by those in charge during the last 7 years.

It’s the cost of Republican “voluntary regulation” philosophy. It’s the rosters coming home to roost.

The bailout is about avoiding this cost being borne even less manageably in jobs, wiped out investments and retirement accounts and the values of our homes. With sufficient protections – including oversight and enough equity participation to recapture the systematic recovery in stock values – it represents the only offered way to protect us while offering some eventual recovery. I’m not saying it’s the best possible plan, but it appears to be the best currently offered. I honestly fear the catastrophe to working men and women in America if we don’t avoid even worse economic consequences.

(Community Matters) What a tragedy that the highest ever ranking Hispanic is drawing a DOJ prosecutor. Alberto Gonzales never graudated from GWB’s personal attorney/flunkie to serving as the nation’s top lawyer. And, given his incredulous testimony of not remembering, one can easily conclude it wasn’t just blind loyalty but premeditated and deliberate law breaking. Seems the door of secrecy might be cracking open as reports last week that former Texas Supreme Court Justice Gonzales (remember the days when that title might have conveyed honor rather than connotations of arsonists and other ethics breaches) was doing the bidding of GWB with the president’s full knowledge and approval. Our next president should appoint a special prosecutor to pursue this case as well as other DOJ related corruptions.

(Community Matters) What the heck is up? Why did Lloyd Doggett vote against the bailout? Haven’t been able to get a straight answer all day. All I’m hearing is he didn’t think it had enough relief for homeowners and mortgagees. What? Seriously? I even wrote yesterday asking what was up with the two 20% slush funds. Lloyd’s failure to respond to the crisis is surprising.

(Community Matters) I’m going to stay optimistic, though admittedly we’re pretty liquid so easier to be calm. Two things: 1) this morning I was made aware of not so attractive provisions in the bailout bill about earmarking 20% of repayments to Treasury for housing funds and other special accounts. This sounds like bullshit to me. Repay Treasury and run appropriations through the open process. And, 2) a Republican administration asked for and recommended this bailout. No one disputes that at least 3 of the 4 principles Obama and House/Senate members put forward (equity, oversight and CEO comp) improved the final bill. I don’t mind traunches either. The Democrats delivered more than half of their votes. The Republicans had that responsibility as well. If they obstruct the bailout/rescue and their opposition proves correct, we’ll need to acknowledge their courage and foresight. If it spirals downward, then they’ll own not only 8 years of the problem but the failure to act as well.

I’d prefer to think even better changes will be made to the bill and it’ll pass on Wednesday. If McCain believes it is critical as he said on Friday and Sunday morning news shows, he should be pressing his colleagues and delivering. Bush and Paulson too.

(Community Matters) Sounds like a lot of measurements to me.

I’m going to be hooked up to machines, monitors and watched by infra red cameras overnight. Trying to figure out if I have obstructive sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder. Usually sleep just fine but sometimes not, and often not long enough according to others, though I kinda like needing less. What the heck. A friend in Houston swears by his sleep and energy since being tested and going on a CPAP. And, his wife convinced Steven that he’d like me to do so too.