This week, the Texas House voted in favor of an amendment stripping school vouchers from a school funding bill. You can read elsewhere how significant this vote is (in the short run, very; in the long run, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ), but here I want to report on how my Texas representative, Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson) voted.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
Why School Vouchers are Bad for Texas
The school voucher bill being deliberated by the Texas House of Representatives has been argued over elsewhere, everywhere. The bottom line for me is that it takes tax dollars currently being spent on public schools and diverts them to private schools. That hurts public education.
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
TIL: Hispanics are a Plurality in Texas
Few observers of the state’s demographics were shocked when, in 2022, Census Bureau estimates revealed that Hispanics had become a narrow plurality in Texas. At 40.2 percent of the state’s population, they just edged out the non-Hispanic white population of 39.4 percent. The state will never be the same!Source: Texas Monthly.
That's what I learned in a Texas Monthly article by Richard Z. Santos. He adds the million dollar question: "Texas Is Now a Majority-Minority State. Why Haven’t Our Politics Changed?" He never satisfactorily answers that question. After the jump, the litany of reasons that each contribute to an answer.
Thursday, August 17, 2023
District 112 Draws a Challenger
The San Antonio Express-News reports that "Last year’s Miss Texas is entering another competition where she’ll be judged on her talents, leadership abilities and appearance. But this time it won’t be a beauty pageant. Averie Bishop became the first Asian American winner of the Miss Texas competition in its 85-year history. Now she’s running for the Texas House."
What's the Richardson connection? Two, actually. Averie Bishop is running for Texas House District 112, which includes much of Richardson up to the Collin County line. And Averie Bishop was crowned Miss Texas at the Eisemann Center right here in Richardson.
Monday, August 14, 2023
An Underfunded Mandate for Texas Schools
Texans who follow the history of public schools in Texas are familiar with the story. The legislature passes mandates theoretically to improve schools but fail to provide sufficient money to pay the costs of implementing the new requirements. The latest example is Texas House Bill 3 (HB3). Except this time, it doesn't even pretend to improve education. It requires Texas school districts to have an armed officer on every campus, as if the secret to better reading scores is more guns. No, that's too absurd for even the Texas legislature. For them, it's the secret to ending gun violence in schools that is more guns. More guns seems to be their answer to every problem. In any case, for Richardson ISD, it's an underfunded mandate requiring the hiring of an additional 34 security personnel (plus two supervisors) and equipping them with handgun, duty belt, ballistic vest, and RISD Logo shirt.
Friday, October 21, 2022
Angie Chen Button Equates Public Schools with Mao's China
During the recent Richardson ISD school board election, I wrote a lot of blog posts (a lot) about the incendiary and false charges being leveled by extreme right-wing candidates against public education. But I have to say, nothing they wrote compares to this outrageous claim in a mailer by Angie Chen Button.
Friday, September 2, 2022
SBOE Waits for Right-Wing Reinforcements
It looks like the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) is going to kick the can down the road, deciding to wait until next term to rewrite the Texas social studies curriculum (what we know as the TEKS). Why? It appears that the SBOE caved to pressure from right-wing Republican lawmakers who objected to the standards coming out of the curriculum committee. When the SBOE decided to delay, Republican lawmakers celebrated on Twitter, "The board voted to scrap the wokeified proposed changes to the TEKS." The likely explanation for delay is that right-wing Republicans hope that they can increase their majority on the SBOE next term and get proposals more in line with their politics.
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Redistricting Scatters Richardson - Congress Edition
Earlier this week we looked at how redistricting was going to affect Richardson's representation in Austin. I described it as Richardson being scattered to the winds. Today, we look at how redistricting is going to affect Richardson's representation in Washington, DC. It's the same old story.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Redistricting Scatters Richardson to the Winds
What do Richardson and Rockwall have in common? They are both represented by Justin Holland in redrawn Texas House District 33. He, along with Angie Chen Button and Ana-Maria Ramos, will represent Richardson in the new redistricting maps passed by the Texas legislature. (Correction: Plano's Scott Sanford will also represent the tiny northwest corner of Richardson, at least until the 2022 election.) Say goodbye to Jeff Leach, whose Texas House District 67 has been redrawn and shifted far to the northeast in Collin County.
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
It's All About Housing
Texans are always comparing the state to California. I know because I live in Texas. I don't know if Californians compare their state to anyone else. One claim Texans always make is about how many Californians are moving to Texas. There's no doubt that the two states are on different trend lines. Texas is set to gain three Congressional seats in the 2020 census. California, for the first time ever, is set to lose one. What's behind this? Texans usually credit the lack of a state income tax or the light regulation on business. Paul Krugman, in his latest newsletter, points to another cause.
Friday, February 19, 2021
The Deep Freeze of 2021
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Rally at the (Texas) Capitol
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Q: "We Are the Storm"
There's more, much more. It used to be that conspiracy theories floated on the fringe of American politics. Today, they are embedded in the highest ranks of state and federal government. "Highest ranks" is not hyperbole.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
What Not to Say
Saturday, May 23, 2020
"Texas Woman Accused in Beating of State’s Former Lieutenant Governor"
Heavy.com |
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Wheel's Voters Guide
Here are my recommendations for how to vote, not that anyone cares, and certainly not that it will matter in the vote count. But I needed to go through the process anyway to know how I should vote myself, so I might as well share my thinking.
Beginning in 2019, the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees has five single-member districts and two at-large positions. This November, Districts 2 and 4 are up for election. Note that I personally can vote only in District 2, but I studied District 4 also, as if I did have a vote because its outcome will affect my school district.
I attended multiple candidate forums, so you didn't have to (you're welcome). I also read candidate questionnaires. I also read pros and cons for the ten Constitutional amendments.
Forums:
Questionnaires:
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Gun McNutt
The last time these pages had to talk about Chris McNutt was November 26, 2018. Well, he's baaack.
According to The Houston Chronicle,
House Speaker Dennis Bonnen says Texas state troopers had his home in Lake Jackson under surveillance last week amid concerns that an outraged gun rights activist was headed there.
Chris McNutt, executive director of the nonprofit Texas Gun Rights, is advocating for a "constitutional carry" bill that would allow gun owners to carry their pistols, openly or concealed, in public without a license.
Source: Houston Chronicle.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Not So Fast with that RISD Election
Friday, October 19, 2018
Reason #3: Do It For the Teachers
Reason #3: Do It For the Teachers
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Reason #2: State's Share Is Going Down
Reason #2: State's Share Is Going Down