Veterans Day 2016

November 11, 2016

Armistice Day was celebrated from 1919 to 1954.  It celebrated the end of World War I and was observed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

The holiday is now known as Veterans Day and honors those who served in the United States armed forces.

Freedom is not free.  Our country first learned this in 1776 as the colonials took the life endangering step of declaring their independence.

Unfortunately today we still have men and women in harm’s way.

I hope that each of us will take time to thank every current and past member of our armed forces for their service.

Brutus

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County Commissioner playing by the rules

November 1, 2016

Our local Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board (MPO) recently voted to change its membership.

The move was spearheaded by our state senator and one of our state representatives working in conjunction with the smaller municipalities and the county (e.g. other than the city of El Paso).

The cabal wanted to neuter the city of El Paso’s  power on the board by changing the membership so that the city of El Paso would only have one voting member of the board instead of the eight it currently has.

Put simply they want our money.

Not legal

The MPO was created under 23 USC (United States Code) 450.310.

Section 450.310 (j) reads:

(j) Redesignation of an MPO (in accordance with the provisions of this section) is required whenever the existing MPO proposes to make:

(1) A substantial change in the proportion of voting members on the existing MPO representing the largest incorporated city, other units of general purpose local government served by the MPO, and the State(s);

That is certainly what the cabal is trying to do.

The problem is that 450.310 (h) defines how the redesignation can be authorized:

(h) An existing MPO may be redesignated only by agreement between the Governor and units of general purpose local government that together represent at least 75 percent of the existing metropolitan planning area population (including the largest incorporated city, based on population, as named by the Bureau of the Census).

Without the city of El Paso’s vote they cannot achieve the 75 percent representation required to redesignate the MPO.  Subsection h also requires the approval of the city of El Paso because it is the area’s largest incorporated city.

County commissioner

Of particular interest is that County Commissioner Vincent Perez voted against the redesignation–in fact voting against the County Judge.    He told the Times that the board’s actions do not comply with federal regulations.

He also indicated that he was “particularly disappointed” with the board’s legal counsel (a county employee) and that the lawyer should be “evaluated and possibly fired”.

Thank you Commissioner Perez for standing up for the rule of law.

We deserve better

Brutus

1 Comment | City government, County Government, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
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Respecting our Constitution

September 17, 2016

Today is Constitution day, September 17, 2016.

On this day in 1787 brave people met in Philadelphia to sign the document and further subject themselves to punishment if the British won the war for independence.  [edit:  we had already won the war at this point.  I was unfortunately thinking about something else when this was written.]

Our Constitution has parts of it that need to be changed.  The signing was over 220 years ago.  The world has changed and we cope daily with circumstances that could not be foreseen in 1787.

Article V of the Constitution lays out the two methods that can be used to amend it.

Unfortunately many of our officials find it more convenient to ignore it than to expend the effort to change it.

Our Constitution changed the world.  It deserves more respect.

We deserve better

Brutus

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Fifteen years later

September 11, 2016

Fifteen years have passed since the September 11, 2001 attacks on our country.

More people were killed in the attacks (2,996) than at Pearl Harbor (2,402).  To say that no nation state was responsible simply does not make sense.  Congress just passed a law allowing the families of those who died to sue the countries that they feel are responsible.  Our president is reported to have threatened to veto the act.

It seems that we are still in danger because of the beliefs of a group of people that are determined to exterminate us.

Are they a religious group, or an economic one, or are they a political one?

Either way we have to find a way to remove their threat.

I pray that a solution can be found.

We deserve better

Brutus

10 Comments | Federal Government | Permalink
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Conflict of interest

August 15, 2016

Recently two people who pleaded guilty to conspiracy in the EPISD mess have had their feral sentencing delayed until next year.

Why?

According to a Times article the answer is “because the trial of six other ex-administrators charged in the EPISD cheating scheme has been delayed until February”.  Under their plea agreements they may be called to testify at that trial.

Huh?

Shouldn’t their sentence be determined based upon what they did, not what they will do at someone else’s trial?

Many of us see this for what it is.

What would you call it?

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, Federal Government | Permalink
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