Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Hometown News For Orange County, Texas
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 95
Fortunately our forefathers had the wisdom to guarantee certain freedoms in our constitution. The freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, freedom to participate in government and the freedom of speech – both spoken and written. All of these are freedoms which should be jealously protected. A student of history knows well that curtailing what citizens can say, read or express in writing is a precursor to a domineering type government. The same was true of the German Nazis, I...
It is important to know the rules whether you are playing a baseball game or participating in politics. Most of us think of ourselves as good citizens, but few of us know many of the basic rules that control how we are governed. The following is a small citizenship test containing matters that every Texan should know. • Which state leader in Texas is not elected by the vote of the people? • Governor • Speaker • Attorney general • Which of the following are appointed by the go...
The common practice of senators and representatives is to give names to legislation they have introduced. Often a bill with a great sounding name has a better chance of passing than one without. Unfortunately, oft times as well, a name has little to do with the content of the bill. We need to examine the words of proposed laws rather than simply accepting the name at face value. A good example is the long-lasting bill in Texas legislation which has been on the books many...
The Good Book says that without vision one cannot become a great leader. Recent acts by some of our state politicians seriously questions their reasoning on whether they have the amount of vision required to become good leaders. Telling us what we can read or teachers what they can teach limits what might be in our future as well as limiting our individual freedoms. Reading can also lead us to things we have never imagined. Reading can be helpful in everyday life. Recently I...
Almost without exception, first-time candidates for office promise improvements in necessities such as health care, education, fighting crime or reducing taxes. The number one answer given when asked how they plan on doing that is that they will be able to afford such ambitious programs by cutting waste. When asked about the definition of “waste” they intend to cut, they get somewhat ambivalent. Usually they give a lecture about our nation’s creeping national debt. Many of the...
Any student of American history knows the importance of a free press. Thomas Jefferson rated it at the top of his list of necessary freedoms and thereby placing it number one in our constitution. Unfortunately, too many people today do not share Jefferson’s attraction for openness in government. A recent president saw no reason to share with the American people the sources of his income. Here in Texas our governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general have taken steps t...
At 88 years old I don’t have to read history any longer, I just remember most of it. In that regard it amazing me that histories and things I have seen in the way of change Bridge City. Occasionally, my family would pack up in our old car and make the trip from Groves, Texas to Logansport, Louisiana; a little town on the Sabine River. The trip was not necessarily easy because of having no four lane highways and some poor roads. It took the better part of an entire day. Whether...
It is hard to believe the changes that have taken place in the Texas Legislature in only 60 years. Some represent substantial improvements in the way it operates but unfortunately some of it is not helpful to transparency and openness in our state government. Until 1965 there was no office space allowed for members of the House in which they could carry on their representative duties with any degree of privacy. Members were allowed to have a full-time secretary and one...
Last Tuesday the Texas Legislature began to solve problems that accumulated for 730 days in a 140-day session. Our state’s constitution which has been amended dozens of times requires that the Legislature meet not more than 140 days every other year. History gives us several reasons that our state’s constitution requires the Legislature to meet only every other year. And, limits it to a certain period of time. The original requirement put a 120-day limit but was amended in...
If you look up “politician,” the number one definition is “one who is involved in politics;” number two is “officeholder;” and three is “one who manipulates politics for personal benefit.” In a democratic free society where we claim the right of self-government, we should all declare ourselves to be politicians. In other words, be involved in politics. If we leave the business of political action to others, how can we call ourselves a free democratic self-governing...
Come January the Big Show will return to Austin. Some call it The Texas Legislature. My observation over the years has allowed me to make comparisons of our Texas Legislature and the big circus that used to come to town on an annual basis. First of all, if you watch carefully, you can pick out the lions, the gorillas, monkeys, clowns, acrobats, trapeze artists and various other regulars of the Big Show. The lion is regal, the gorillas are powerful and the monkeys are usually e...
During my tenure in the Legislature I had the rule that I would do what was possible. There are many things possible to deal with environment and the continued use of fossil fuels. For the life of me, I cannot understand why no one is not sitting down at the table and recognizing this fact. The stores of oil and gas and other resources in the ground will eventually run out whether it is 100 years or 200 years. Likewise, the place to stash our garbage and trash is getting in sh...
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of our past president, Donald Trump. He does, however, have some strong points which we must all recognize or someone just like him will be selected to be president in the not-too-distant future. First of all, Donald Trump is a showman. He puts on a good show and attracts people to come and figure out what he is going to say next. But his most important talent in my opinion is that he can very accurately determine things that...
I think the Texas State Board of Regents is making a poor trade. They seem ready to change the name of the Montagne Center to that of a credit union in exchange for a one-time gift of 3.6 million dollars. The reason the Center exists is because Bob Montagne of Orange, Texas clearly saw the value of a higher education degree, even though he didn’t own one. Also, a first-class center added value to a university. Bob Montagne was a member of the Lamar Board of Regents and a...
Several years ago, an old pal of mine, a great golfer, entered a big golf tournament in one of our smaller East Texas towns. He figured he would be a contender to win the tournament; he had won several other tournaments and held the course record at the municipal course in Port Arthur. He entered the tournament and when I called to ask him how things were going, he informed me that he figured that he had very little, if any, chance of winning this tournament. When I asked why...
I am absolutely convinced that some of us were born with an extra gene that commits us to following politics in great detail. As a victim of such plague, you may be assured that I always look forward to enjoying the privilege of casting my vote. I always do so as early as possible because I would be greatly disappointed to pass on to the next world without having expressed my wise view of who should be running the country in my absence. Recent elections have involved various...
Athens, Greece is the birthplace of self-government known as democracy. Even though we call our system of government a democracy, it is, in fact, a republic. The difference being that the people do not make government decisions directly, but through elected representatives who speak for them in an authorized body. Unlike Athens which allowed citizens to gather in the public square and select their leaders on the spot as well as make decisions about what laws or rules they...
When John McCain was seeking the presidency, a woman supporter opined that his opponent was a Muslim not a loyal American and was born in Africa. Senator McCain quickly stopped her short and proceeded to explain to her how outlandish the rumors were. Not only were they not true, but they were unworthy of being brought up in a presidential debate. That was then. Now do we really believe that Democrats drink the blood of children in satanic rituals conducted in a New York pizza...
Having been born in 1934 I have witnessed much change in the world. Most of the changes have made life better, but some I feel like I could do without. Some things I didn’t have growing up, including indoor plumbing, air conditioning, television, self-propelled lawnmowers, cell phones and a host of modern medicines that thankfully have extended the life cycle. While you often hear of people longing for the “good ole days,” the good new days with all the new comfo...
Most of my friends, particularly the ones with a conservative bent, often like to quote the old saying, “least government governs best.” What makes me wonder why is it that all these folks seem to want their own school district, community, drainage district and who knows what other governmental entity to provide essential services. One area though that really makes me wonder why is in the area of law enforcement. I have never understood why it is that every form of edu...
What is the difference between a bribe and a campaign contribution? I must admit that sometimes it is difficult to tell. As I mentioned in a previous article, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives opined that money was the ‘mother’s milk’ of politics. Certainly I cannot disagree. Unfortunately, recent decisions and attitude of too many members of Congress have changed about money used in politics. For decency in politics one of the worst Supreme Court opinions...
Recent polls indicate the U. S. Supreme Court has suffered a great decline in public confidence. In my opinion it is because of several different rulings that are out of step with the opinions of the American public. The reason is linked to three recent rulings. There are other rulings, however, that seem to not fit with how things are in today’s world. One of the worst decisions of the current Republican Supreme Court has to do with the voting rights of American citizens. The...
Of late there has been more discussion of America becoming what is called a religious nationalistic country. Unfortunately, it is my belief that people who advocate this such as the pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Houston, Texas either have not read our nation’s constitution, history or do not understand either. The first of our Bill of Rights includes the phrase “Congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise the...
I am beginning to suspect that aliens are taking over the world by replacing human beings with machines. I wouldn’t complain so much if the machines were more accommodating. As an example, I recently tried to reach one of my many doctors. First, I was greeted by the standard, “If this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911.” Next, I was told if I knew the extension number I could dial direct. Of course, I had no idea what my doctor’s extension number was among the many I was p...
While I was in the state Senate, I was invited and attended a Roundtable at Oxford on education. It was attended by educators from all over the world. Many were from countries just emerging from the dominance of the Soviet Union. One thing that all the emerging nations shared was the fact that the previous government had placed limits on what they could teach in their schools. Social studies were no more than propaganda and even some theories of math had a bias. I am seriously...
