Alpine Daily Planet

Viva Big Bend music festival coming up this summer

Special to the Daily Planet

The inaugural Viva Big Bend music festival will be July 26-29 and will be a celebration of music and Texas.

Produced by Texas Music magazine, Viva Big Bend is part music festival and part music-industry conference, which will showcase the best of the state: extraordinary natural beauty, talented people and a diverse culture. Approximately 50 music acts (representing a wide variety of styles) are expected to be showcased in at least six venues during the first year.

In addition to the music, events will be offered for music-industry representatives. Viva Big Bend is produced by Stewart Ramser, the founder and publisher of the state’s premier music publication, Texas Music. “I’m very excited to be able to provide music entertainment for the local communities while bringing out-of-town music fans and industry participants to this beautiful and unique area of the Lone Star State,” Ramser says. “This event combines my love of West Texas with my passion for supporting and providing exposure for great musicians.”

Confirmed venues hosting music showcases for the inaugural year include: Railroad Blues (Alpine), Granada Theatre (Alpine), Reata (Alpine), Padre’s (Marfa), Planet Marfa (Marfa) and the USO Hall (Marfa).  Additional venues are being considered. Lineup announcements will be made beginning in early 2012. Early bird tickets are now on sale at the rate of $40.  Bands from across the country will be selected by the staff at Texas Music.  Performers interested in appearing at Viva Big Bend can apply via SonicBids (www.sonicbids.com/vivabigbend).

Viva Big Bend has secured several partnerships including the title sponsor, Western Spirits (brands under the Western Spirits umbrella include: Sam Houston Whiskey, Bird Dog Whiskey, Whitetail Whiskey and Tres Leches Triple Cream Liqueur).  Other confirmed sponsors include Verizon, Riba Foods, Tito’s Vodka and the cities of Marfa and Alpine.

The website for the event, www.VivaBigBend.com, features additional information.  Viva Big Bend’s Facebook page and Twitter account are also active and will be a source for updates.

About Texas Music magazine

Texas Music, which celebrates its 12-year anniversary in January 2012, is a nationally distributed, full-color, quarterly entertainment magazine with a paid circulation. The magazine delivers an inside look at the music of Texas. Since its launch in January 2000, Texas Music has covered hundreds of the state’s notable musicians and bands, regardless of the style of music, in addition to writing about the venues and events that contribute to the state’s music scene. Its web site is www.txmusic.com. 

 

As we enter 2012, it seems like a good time for the best of Uncle Tupelo

 

 

 

 

Lobo men pick up well-earned victory

Lobo assistant Jeremy Hammond shouts out instructions

Juan Hernandez (54) soars for the ball

Colton Thompson dunks the ball

Colton Thompson takes it to the hoop for two

Trevor Doyle (42) gives a shout-out; Juston Copeland (22) moves toward the basket

Sully point guard Jordan Merchant suffered what appeared to be a sprained ankle late in the game

From left, Eric Garcia (20), Juston Weldon (34), Jamail Deal (11) and Colton Thompson (32) offer up an impregnable line

Lobos celebrate a hard-earned win over Howard Payne

 

By Mike Perry, Alpine Daily Planet

Except for a couple of brief periods, the Sul Ross Lobos men’s basketball team led throughout Saturday’s 60-54 win over Howard Payne at Gallego Center.

The win raises the Lobos’ American Southwest Conference record to 4-4. The Lobos are 4-7 on the season.

The Lobos were clearly the better team and probably should have beaten the Yellow Jackets by 15 to 20 points. Spotty free-throw shooting and some sloppy turnovers, particularly in the second half, allowed Howard Payne to keep the game close.

Juston Copeland led the Lobos in scoring with 13 points, followed by Colton Thompson with 12.

As he’s been doing all season, head coach Greg Wright used a lot of players – nine Lobos had 14 minutes or more playing time and at least two others picked up significant minutes. No matter who was on the floor, the Lobos played a tenacious defense that never allowed Howard Payne to get into any kind of rhythm.

Rebounding leader for the Lobos was Eric Garcia with nine; Anthony Stephens and Richard Gardner each added five.

The Lobos jumped off to an 8-0 lead in the first period, mostly because of an outside shooting game that has finally shown signs of coming to life. Trevor Doyle and Bralyn Thomas both had three-pointers in the first three minutes of the game.

Howard Payne battled back and actually took a short-lived, 30-29, lead with less than three minutes left in the half. However a two-point jump shot by Juan Hernandez and a three-pointer by Juston Weldon solidified a 34-32 Lobo lead at halftime.

In the second half, Howard Payne came roaring out and grabbed a 40-36 lead in the first three minutes. The Lobos took the lead back, 44-42, with a bit over 13 minutes left in the game and never trailed again.

Down the stretch, the Lobos probably could have put the game out of reach much earlier, but their free-throw shooting touch deserted them for most of the final 10 minutes.

The Yellow Jackets actually narrowed the Lobo lead to 57-54 with 29 seconds left. However, Jamail Deal hit a jumper with 22 seconds left and Eric Garcia hit a free throw with 12 seconds remaining to give the Lobos their final, 60-54, margin.

In the last 10 minutes, the Lobos obviously had the best-conditioned team. The visitors looked visibly tired as the clock wound down.

The ending was a welcome relief. Earlier in the year, the Lobos played at Howard Payne and lost in the final seconds after leading much of the game, often by as much as eight points.

Next week, the Lobos take a two-game road trip to play Centenary on Thursday and East Texas Baptist on Saturday. They return to the Gallego Center for two games in mid-January: vs. Hardin-Simmons on Jan. 12 and vs. McMurry on Jan. 14.

Sul Ross 60, Howard Payne 54, Sully individual stats
Player	FG	3FG	FT	Reb	PF	TP	A	TO	Blk	S	Min
Bralyn Thomas	1-2	1-1	1-2	0	1	4	0	0	0	1	5
Jamail Deal	1-3	0-2	0-0	3	1	2	0	2	0	1	20
Juston Copeland	5-11	0-3	3-3	4	1	13	0	4	0	2	26
Trevor Doyle	1-1	1-1	0-0	2	4	3	1	0	0	1	14
Richard Gardner	2-5	0-0	0-0	5	1	4	1	2	0	1	14
Manny Rodriguez	0-0	0-0	0-0	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	2
Eric Garcia	1-3	0-1	2-7	9	2	4	3	3	0	1	27
Jordan Merchant	0-3	0-2	9-10	2	0	9	2	2	0	2	20
Anthony Stephens	0-0	0-0	0-2	5	1	0	0	4	0	1	16
Colton Thompson	5-6	0-0	2-5	1	2	12	2	3	0	1	18
Juston Weldon	2-7	2-4	0-0	1	1	6	1	3	0	1	31
Dominic Countee	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3
Juan Hernandez	1-1	0-0	1-2	2	0	3	0	1	0	0	6
Totals	19-43	4-14	18-31	40	16	60	11	26	0	12	200

1. Total field goal percentage, first half 43.5%; second half 45.0%; game 44.2%
2. 3-point field goal percentage, first half 42.9%; second half 14.3%; game 28.6%
3. Free throw percentage, first half 73.3%; second half 43.8%; game 58.1%

 

Lady Lobos stay close to highly touted Howard Payne for a half

Alex Ramos grabs the rebound (Daily Planet photos)

And suddenly a football game broke out at Gallego Center

Michelle Moore (11) has her eye on the ball

Tonee Montoya throws up a shot

Like being trapped in a forest of blue and gold

Alpine Daily Planet

You wouldn’t know it to look at the final score, but the Sul Ross Lady Lobos made some significant strides toward respectability Saturday afternoon during an 86-51 loss to Howard Payne.

Here’s the deal: The Lady Lobos led through most of the first half and were tied at 26 with 1:31 left in the half. Howard Payne wound up with a 35-27 lead at halftime.

In the second half, every shot the Lady Lobos put up seemed to spin around the hoop and then bounce out.

Fact is, though, the Lady Lobos, who are still very young, are becoming competitive. Howard Payne has one of the better teams in the conference, and the Lady Lobos went toe-to-toe with them for much of Saturday’s game.

Candace Pollard led Sully’s scoring with 14 points. Krista Ford added 13 and Zuri Izworski had 12. Izworski was also the team’s rebounding leader with six.

HPU 86, Sul Ross Lady Lobos 51, Sully individual stats
Player	Tot FG	3FG	FT	Reb	PF	TP	A	TO	Blk	S	Min
Tonse Montoya	1-3	0-2	2-4	2	1	4	3	5	0	0	40
Candace Pollard	5-11	4-8	0-2	2	4	14	1	5	9	3	33
Rosa Cruz	0-1	0-0	0-0	1	1	0	1	3	0	1	21
Krista Ford	2-13	0-2	9-10	4	3	13	2	2	0	1	34
Alex Ramos	1-6	0-0	0-0	5	4	2	0	2	0	0	15
Misha Henderson	1-5	0-1	0-0	3	3	2	0	2	0	0	15
Michelle Moore	1-3	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Samantha Baker	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Zuri Izworski	5-9	2-3	0-0	6	1	12	0	2	0	1	23
Kaitlyn Moody	0-0	0-0	2-4	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	9
Total	16-52	6-18	13-20	33	18	51	9	25	0	9	200

1. Total field goal percentage, first half 35.7%, second half 25.0%, game 30.8%
2. 3-point percentage, first half  50.0%, second half 20.8%, game 33.3%
3. Free throw percentage, first half 75.0%, second half 62.5%, game 65.0%

Advance tix sold out for West Texas Legends but some available at door Saturday night

 

 

 

Butch on his composition better known from Joe Ely's recording. From a UK documentary around late '80s; Joe Ely introducing and Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Kinky Friedman looking on

Alpine Daily Planet

Advance tickets are sold out for Saturday night’s West Texas Legends extravaganza at Padre’s in Marfa.

Appearing are legendary Texas musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. Colin Gilmore is opening with a special early evening show at 8 p.m.

A limited number of tickets will be available at the door, based on capacity. Doors open at 7 p.m. Padre’s will be open for food and beverage service on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and close at 6 p.m. to re-set the room.

Seating for the evening entertainment will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you miss this show, you may still come back to Padre's AFTER the show is over (around 10:30 p.m. or so) and Padre’s will open for a free performance by David Beebe, Hunter Perrin, Johnny Sneed and "special guests." As Padre’s owner Beebe put it: “Rockin' until 1 a.m. to usher in 2012!”

It's time for some hoops at Sul Ross

Alpine Daily Planet

OK, it’s finally time to get down to some serious hoops.

And that happens tomorrow (Saturday) at Gallego Center when the Sul Ross basketball teams host Howard Payne.

The women start things with a 1 p.m. tipoff. The men’s game starts at 3 p.m.

That’s perfect timing for all of you folks out there who also want to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

You can go out to Gallego Center in the afternoon, see some pretty good college basketball, go take a nap and then head back out to party in the New Year’s. I’m old, so partying-in the New Year’s will probably entail sitting sedately at Padre’s and listening to Jimmie Dale Gilmore, but that’s another story entirely.

Back to basketball:

The Sul Ross men have shown signs of being a contender in the West Division of the American Southwest Conference. The Lobos have a solid rotation of 8-10 players. They have a vicious defense and a solid inside game on offense. If they can develop one or two players that can consistently sink jumpers from the outside, this could be Sully’s best team in years.

The Lobos are 3-4 in conference play. One of those losses was by three – 77-74 – to Howard Payne shortly before the holiday break.

The Lady Lobos have won only twice this year but they are a greatly improved team over last year. There’s some solid talent on this team that’s developing game by game. Bottom line: They are competitive and fun to watch.

 

Keynes was right

Alpine Daily Planet editor’s note: Anyone who has read the Daily Planet with any consistency is aware of my high regard for Paul Krugman, to my mind, the finest practitioner of the dismal science since John Maynard Keynes. I’d stick Brad Delong in the same company, although Krugman does far more writing for the unwashed masses (that’s us). Plus, Krugman is not only one of the three or four smartest people I’ve encountered, he also has something that is almost impossible to find in today’s “opinion-by-polling” world – courage and consistency of convictions backed by hard science, hard work and an educated, thoughtful mind. Maybe what I like as much as anything about Krugman is that he brings a sense of decency and humanity to economics. Except for Keynes, a few of Krugman’s compadres (Delong, Mark Thoma), and John Stuart Mill, it’s hard to find economists who actually seek out ways to make this a better world; rather, we have been saddled with the greed-based teachings of people such as the Chicago-school economists, who dominated the economic scene (still do, some would say) AND the nation’s boardrooms beginning in the 1960s. Some would also argue that the greed boys were in charge from the nation’s very beginning. Maybe so. By the way, I don't always agree with Krugman, I do not think he walks on water. His batting average, however, over the past two decades has been far superior to any other economist you can name. I just wish President Obama listened a bit more to Mr. Krugman and a lot less to the Serious Men of Wall Street. In fact, when I think about it, that's probably the only serious problem I've had with Obama's administration -- his refusal to divorce himself from the Serious Men. So, all that said, here's a Krugman piece that's guaranteed to delight and/or distress and, hopefully, help you think.

By Paul Krugman

“The boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity at the Treasury.” So declared John Maynard Keynes in 1937, even as F.D.R. was about to prove him right by trying to balance the budget too soon, sending the United States economy — which had been steadily recovering up to that point — into a severe recession. Slashing government spending in a depressed economy depresses the economy further; austerity should wait until a strong recovery is well under way.

Unfortunately, in late 2010 and early 2011, politicians and policy makers in much of the Western world believed that they knew better, that we should focus on deficits, not jobs, even though our economies had barely begun to recover from the slump that followed the financial crisis. And by acting on that anti-Keynesian belief, they ended up proving Keynes right all over again.

In declaring Keynesian economics vindicated I am, of course, at odds with conventional wisdom. In Washington, in particular, the failure of the Obama stimulus package to produce an employment boom is generally seen as having proved that government spending can’t create jobs. But those of us who did the math realized, right from the beginning, that the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (more than a third of which, by the way, took the relatively ineffective form of tax cuts) was much too small given the depth of the slump. And we also predicted the resulting political backlash.

So the real test of Keynesian economics hasn’t come from the half-hearted efforts of the U.S. federal government to boost the economy, which were largely offset by cuts at the state and local levels. It has, instead, come from European nations like Greece and Ireland that had to impose savage fiscal austerity as a condition for receiving emergency loans — and have suffered Depression-level economic slumps, with real G.D.P. in both countries down by double digits.

This wasn’t supposed to happen, according to the ideology that dominates much of our political discourse. In March 2011, the Republican staff of Congress’s Joint Economic Committee released a report titled “Spend Less, Owe Less, Grow the Economy.” It ridiculed concerns that cutting spending in a slump would worsen that slump, arguing that spending cuts would improve consumer and business confidence, and that this might well lead to faster, not slower, growth.

They should have known better even at the time: the alleged historical examples of “expansionary austerity” they used to make their case had already been thoroughly debunked. And there was also the embarrassing fact that many on the right had prematurely declared Ireland a success story, demonstrating the virtues of spending cuts, in mid-2010, only to see the Irish slump deepen and whatever confidence investors might have felt evaporate.

Amazingly, by the way, it happened all over again this year. There were widespread proclamations that Ireland had turned the corner, proving that austerity works — and then the numbers came in, and they were as dismal as before.

Yet the insistence on immediate spending cuts continued to dominate the political landscape, with malign effects on the U.S. economy. True, there weren’t major new austerity measures at the federal level, but there was a lot of “passive” austerity as the Obama stimulus faded out and cash-strapped state and local governments continued to cut.

Now, you could argue that Greece and Ireland had no choice about imposing austerity, or, at any rate, no choices other than defaulting on their debts and leaving the euro. But another lesson of 2011 was that America did and does have a choice; Washington may be obsessed with the deficit, but financial markets are, if anything, signaling that we should borrow more.

Again, this wasn’t supposed to happen. We entered 2011 amid dire warnings about a Greek-style debt crisis that would happen as soon as the Federal Reserve stopped buying bonds, or the rating agencies ended our triple-A status, or the superdupercommittee failed to reach a deal, or something. But the Fed ended its bond-purchase program in June; Standard & Poor’s downgraded America in August; the supercommittee deadlocked in November; and U.S. borrowing costs just kept falling. In fact, at this point, inflation-protected U.S. bonds pay negative interest: investors are willing to pay America to hold their money.

The bottom line is that 2011 was a year in which our political elite obsessed over short-term deficits that aren’t actually a problem and, in the process, made the real problem — a depressed economy and mass unemployment — worse.

The good news, such as it is, is that President Obama has finally gone back to fighting against premature austerity — and he seems to be winning the political battle. And one of these years we might actually end up taking Keynes’s advice, which is every bit as valid now as it was 75 years ago.

 

Navel-gazing quote of the day worth your deepest thoughts … or not

Politics is the only reason any of us are alive, writes Charles Krauthammer: 

"As the romance of manned space exploration has waned, the drive today is to find our living, thinking counterparts in the universe. For all the excitement, however, the search betrays a profound melancholy -- a lonely species in a merciless universe anxiously awaits an answering voice amid utter silence ... So why the silence? Carl Sagan (among others) thought that the answer is to be found, tragically, in the final variable: the high probability that advanced civilizations destroy themselves ... Intelligence is a capacity so godlike, so protean that it must be contained and disciplined. This is the work of politics -- understood as the ordering of society and the regulation of power to permit human flourishing while simultaneously restraining the most Hobbesian human instincts."

Resolve in 2012: Abolish "No Child Left Behind"

Alpine Daily Planet editor’s note: I couldn’t agree more with this excellent OpEd piece by longtime Texas newspaperman John Young, who now lives in Colorado. It is long past time to kill No Child Left Behind; shoot, it never should have been allowed to see the light of day. Obliterate, drown it in the bathtub (as Grover Norquist is so fond of saying), wipe it off the face of the earth. It’s a useless program with a cute name, a name that makes politicians and bureaucrats look like they’re doing something. Unfortunately, as Young so aptly puts it, No Child Left Behind  “shackles teachers to a system that's not about teaching but about following a script, and wasting untold instructional hours on standardized tests, benchmark tests” and preparation for those tests. I defy anyone to prove to me that No Child Left Behind has not been a horrendous detriment to the state’s poor and disadvantaged students, students who I would bet the farm would flourish if good teachers were allowed to practice good teaching methods. Kill the program and kill the damned tests; all they’re doing is putting our educational system even farther behind the rest of the world. We need a public school system that teaches students how to think, how to innovate (to me, thinking and innovating are synonymous).  

By John Young, Austin American Statesman OpEd page

The subject here is destructive education policies. But first: Have you heard of the Capital One Cup?

It goes to the two Division I NCAA schools that win the most titles each year in men's and women's sports.

The prize? In addition to the glittering silver keepsake: $400,000 in athletic scholarships. Inspiring, right?

Don't you know Texas, or Florida, or USC, or some other booster-endowed NCAA mega power could use that extra scholarship money?

OK. It's not inspiring; it's ridiculous.

Now, imagine that in addition to awarding college behemoths with more riches, we decreed that a gridiron patsy like Columbia or Tulane shut down its football program for having too bad a record.

This brings us back to destructive education policy.

For years states have seen approaches just as screwy, praising and rewarding wealthy suburban schools, while shuttering "failing" schools based on distinctions that bespeak the sporting term "competitive mismatch." All along it's been the University of Texas teeing it up against Prairie View A&M.

No Child Left Behind pretends to address learning disparities, but it makes matters worse in many ways. It is horrifically punitive toward schools with the biggest challenges, going so far as to shut them down for failing to meet achievement targets.

I've seen how this system hurts inner-city schools and their neighborhoods. It works this way:

Alpine City Council returns to action on Jan. 3

Alpine Daily Planet

The Alpine City Council is not easing into the new year.

The council’s first 2012 meeting – Tuesday, Jan. 3, 6 p.m. at City Hall, 803 West Holland – is chock full of high-profile issues.

Up for debate will be such things as:

• A salvage yard across from the city’s airport on the Fort Davis Highway, which has drawn criticism from the city’s airport advisory board and from some citizens.
• A housing project, which was approved in early December but has since drawn quite a bit of fire and criticism from Alpine residents
• Requirements related to the city’s ambulance service
• A proposed change in timing of citizen comments during council meetings

The agenda includes:

Item: Reports from city attorney, city manager and city staff

Item: Citizens comments

Item: Public hearings

• Public hearing to hear citizens views and comments on a building setback variance, approximately 2 ½ feet to 1 ½ feet variance into current alley. The reason for the variance is for an add on to the building (the Clean Barn), next to an alley. The request is for an additional 1 ½ feet at the far end, and 2 ½ feet at the close end towards 10^th Street. Request was made by Jackson Wilbourn, 105 N. 10^th, Alpine, Texas. Legal description is Original Town, Block 10, 2/2 of 10 and all of 11. Property address is 105 N. 10^th St., Alpine, Texas. Legal description is Original Town, Block 10, S/2 of 10 and all of 11. Property address is 105 N. 10^th St., Alpine, Texas. (C. Garcia, CM)
• Public hearing to hear citizens views and comments on a building variance. Alpine Montessori School would like to enclose a ramada (front porch) to provide for additional classroom space. Alpine Montessori is a non-profit school. Request is made by Alpine Montessori School by its Agent, Liz Sibley, who is the director of the board, 908 N 6^th, Alpine, Texas 79830. Legal Description is North Addition, Block 13, Lots 7-8. Property address is 908 N. 6^th St., Alpine, Texas  79830. (C Garcia, CM)    

Item: Consent Agenda – (Minutes, Financial reports, Department written reports, board appointments, etc.)

Item: Review of advisory board process and recent Airport Board actions. (M. Davidson)

Item: Discussion concerning ambulance service not being required to transfer critical patients to surrounding cities. (A. Bermudez)

Item: Discuss to reconsider the 609 E. Avenue A housing project decision of the Council at its Dec. 6, 2011 meeting, which was based on improper advice. (A. Bermudez)

Item: Discuss and take action on the recycling plant under construction across from the airport. (A. Bermudez)

Item: Discuss and consider scheduling a workshop to meet with representatives of city’s performance contractor, Linc, to include two council members, utility manager and chief financial officer. (M. Davidson)

Item: Discuss and consider scheduling a strategic planning workshop for the entire Council to discuss budget processes, departmental communications, city real estate assets and future goals in the 3-5 year time line. (M. Davidson)

Item: Discuss and Consider recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City Council, concerning a building setback variance, approximately 2 ½ feet to 1 ½ feet variance into current alley. The reason for the variance is for an add on to the building (the Clean Barn), next to an alley. The reason is for an additional 1 ½ feet at the far end, and 2 ½ feet at the close end towards 10^th Street. Request was made by Jackson Wilbourn, 105 North 10^th, Alpine, Texas. Legal description is Original Town, Block 10, S/2 of 10 and all of 11. Property address is 105 N. 10^th St., Alpine, Texas. (C. Garcia, CM) 

Item: Discuss and Consider recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission to the City Council, concerning a Building Variance. Alpine Montessori School would like to enclose a ramada (front porch) to provide for additional classroom space. Alpine Montessori is a non-profit school. Request is made by Alpine Montessori School by its agent, Liz Sibley, who is the director of the board, 908 N. 6^th, Alpine, Texas 79830. Legal Description is North Addition, Block 13, Lots 7-8. Property address is 908 N. 6^th St., Alpine, Texas 79830. (C. Garcia, CM)

Item: Discuss and consider requiring SWTMGC to record all board meetings. (A. Bermudez)

Item: Discuss and consider rescinding the vote of Dec, 6, 2011, “Discuss and Consider approving the zoning change and setback variance request for duplexes. Property owned by Frank J. Fidelibus. Agent is Vic Horn. Property Address is 609 Avenue A and 604 Avenue A, Alpine, Texas. (C. Garcia, CM) Councilors Johnson, Asgeirsson and Davidson voted in favor. Councilors Bermudez and Gonzales voted against. Motion passed.”as recommended by Planning and Zoning Commission at their December 28, 2011 meeting. (D. Asgeirsson)  

Item: Discuss and Consider amending Ordinance #2009-11-03 (Order of Business of Alpine City Council) as follows: (J. Gonzales)

• Action items limited to (up to 15) per meeting, and add
• Citizens comments, on agenda items (comments limited to 3 minutes), will be heard at the time the agenda item is discussed.
• Add, before council member comments, “Citizens comments on agenda items” (comments limited to 3 minutes).

Item:  Discuss and consider advertising in the IMAGES Rio Grande Region Journal. (C. Garcia)

Item: Council members comments and answers

Item: Executive session: A review of city attorney. (M. Davidson)

Item: Action, if any, regarding review of City Attorney. (M. Davidson)

 

The greatest casualty is being forgotten

Dear MoveOn members,

After almost nine years, the loss of more than 4,400 of my fellow American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilian lives, and at a cost of $800 billion that was badly needed at home, the War in Iraq is over. 

Finally, the troops have come home, where they belong.

As an Army Reservist, I'm part of a brother and sisterhood. We look out for each other during good times and bad. The mission has been accomplished, not because we're leaving Iraq, but because our troops committed themselves to their country and have served the people of the United States to the best of their abilities.

Right or wrong, our nation sent these troops to war. Our military men and women have done their duty and for that they deserve our thanks. Now, my fellow veterans need our support.

The Wounded Warrior Project is dedicated to helping the thousands of wounded warriors returning home from the current conflicts and their families. Will you chip in whatever you can afford during this season of giving as a tax-deductible contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project?

Click here to give to the Wounded Warrior Project: 

http://support.woundedwarriorproject.org

The tag line of the Wounded Warriors is, "The greatest casualty is being forgotten." Now that the war is receding from the headlines and soldiers are reentering civilian life, it's critical that this generation of troops is supported.

Veterans, suffering from wounds both seen and unseen, have returned to high unemployment. Thousands are homeless or about to lose their homes. They need treatment for their injuries and support transitioning to civilian life. In short, my fellow veterans need our help.

One of the most important principles of the Wounded Warriors is their emphasis on helping injured servicemembers aid and assist each other. That's how we ensure that we will have the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded servicemembers in our nation's history.

No matter whether you opposed the war or supported it, will you help support our veterans by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project?

Contribute to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Thank you for helping our wounded warriors.

Tiffany Mellers moveon-help@list.moveon.org to me

• P.S. For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, go to http://woundedwarriorproject.org.http://woundedwarriorproject.org/

Want to support our work? MoveOn Civic Action is entirely funded by our 5 million members–no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.

What a difference a week makes

Big blue sky over Sul Ross and Alpine

Looking off toward the mountains between Alpine and Marfa; blue skies and a lovely shade a brown

Alpine Daily Planet

Yep, a week makes a tremendous difference when you talking about the weather in Far West Texas.

A week ago, the temperatures were in the mid to low 20s; they even dropped into the mid teens up in the mountains over the Christmas weekend. And most of Far West Texas – particularly the mountain areas, had a white Christmas.

Today, on a Friday afternoon, it’s shirtsleeve weather. The temperature is approaching 70 and the skies are brilliant blue. We can expect more of the same tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) with perfect days, and coolish nights.  

In fact, except for a slight drop in temperatures on New Year’s Day (highs in the 40s), we can expect pleasant days for the next week. Here's the forecast for the next few days:

Sanderson railroad station nears end of the line

By John McCormack, mysantonio.com

SANDERSON — With Chinese crews laying track from the west and mostly Irish working from the east, the two rail gangs met about 50 miles east of here in 1883, with a silver spike marking completion of the California-to-Louisiana line.

Shortly afterward, Sanderson, about 280 miles west of San Antonio, was established as the switching point for Southern Pacific train crews working between Del Rio and El Paso.

A large stone roundhouse and a modern station complete with cafe were built, and for the next century this was a bustling railroad town.

In the early days, train holdups always were a threat. In 1912, locals posed outside the station for photographs with the pale bodies of two failed train robbers, Ben Kilpatrick and Ole Hobek.

But the last of the Southern Pacific train crews left about 15 years back, triggering a long-term economic and population decline in Terrell County.

About all that remains are the ruins of the once-magnificent depot with its 12-foot ceilings, where locals once dined with passengers.

Mostly abandoned by the Union Pacific, which took over the Southern Pacific, the old station now awaits demolition, despite sporadic local efforts over the past decade to save it.

“To me, this depot represents the heart of Sanderson, our beginnings. It represents the Wild West, where people carved an existence here out of nothing. They started coming here before the Indians moved out. There were still lodge poles and buffalo skulls on the ground,” said Bill Smith, 63, a local historian who was born in nearby Marathon.

“It just amazes me that we have quite a few people in town who are in favor of not saving it. I do not understand that attitude,” he added.

A spokesman for Union Pacific said demolition could come early next year, and that the contractor will work with preservationists to salvage important elements.

“We’ve worked for the possible donation of the depot over the past 10 years,” Raquel Espinoza said.

“We’ve really tried to make this work, but unfortunately at this point, we have to move forward,” she said.

No one faults the railroad, which about nine years ago was willing to give the depot to a local group that had secured a $500,000 grant to create a railroad museum. That effort crashed on the rocks of local politics and uncertainty over the county’s potential financial exposure.

More recently, the railroad has given Smith and other preservationists repeated extensions of demolition deadlines.

Another recent short-lived scheme, to save the depot by moving it 110 miles west to Marfa, died a quick death because of logistics.

“It’s a moot issue. We tried every which way to get it through Alpine. Cost-effectively, it can’t be done,” said Tex Toler, the Marfa director of tourism, who years ago worked in Sanderson and was involved with the failed museum plan.

And now, since fundraising efforts have fallen woefully short, Smith said the best the preservationists can hope for is to salvage some doors, windows and lumber from the wreckage to construct a smaller replica structure.

The plight of the Sanderson depot has come to the attention to Henry Bender, 74, of San Jose, Calif., who recently completed a book about Southern Pacific Railroad train stations.

“My thought is that $100,000 would save it, and that is not a lot of money. Someone somewhere must have the wherewithal. It’s finding that person,” Bender said.

“I believe the Sanderson depot was built in Oakland in kit form, and shipped there. Of that particular style, with the lunch room, there were only five or six built,” he added.

While structurally intact, the 180-foot-long building has been vandalized. The roof tin and paint are peeling, and windows are broken.

These days, the only occupants are occasional illegal immigrants, hiding out in hopes of jumping a passing train. In bad weather, the rare Amtrak passengers wait in the nearby post office.

Some in town would be glad to see it turned to ashes.

“Most people would say it’s too bad someone hasn’t gone by there with a match,” remarked one prominent local resident who asked not to be identified.

“We don’t have the money. There is no public support whatsoever to save it,” the resident added.

Still, the station evokes fond sentiments among some old-timers.

“It’s sad. It was here when I was born, in 1927. I remember when they had a restaurant there, the Brown News. There’s about two or three of us left who remember it,” said Mary Nell Hinkle. Blain Chriesman, 52, the local school business manager and tax appraiser, echoed what’s probably the prevailing local sentiment.

“I’ve got mixed feelings. Yes, it’s probably the cornerstone of this county and I’m gonna hate to see it go,” he said.

“But I’m doubtful there will ever be enough support to save it. It was a very divisive thing when they got that big grant years ago,” he said.

County Commissioner Ken Norris, who years ago favored accepting the $500,000 grant, only to be out-voted, finds the attitude of the old railroaders to be odd.

“You’d think the old hands would step forward and say, ‘Here’s $100 or $200’ but as far as I know, that hasn’t happened,” he said.

“Bill Smith has the most love in the world for this thing, and he did everything he possibly could have done, but in my opinion, the general public doesn’t care either way,” he added.

Big Bend Live Stock Show will be held Jan. 13-14

Special to the Daily Planet

For the 68th consecutive year the Big Bend Live Stock Show will kick off with lambs, pigs, goats and steers shown at the Alpine FFA facilities near Alpine Middle School.

On Jan. 13 and 14, students from Brewster and Jeff Davis counties' FFA and 4-H programs will compete for ribbons, buckles and a chance to sell their animals at the auction Saturday night at the Alpine Civic Center.

Starting with weighing and classifying of animals on Jan. 12, the show will open at 9 a.m., Jan. 13 when the lambs will enter the ring.

The judge, who returns for the second year, will be Stamford educator and former ag teacher Dale Caddell.

After the lamb show, the goats will be shown, also with Caddell the judge.

Then on Saturday, also at 9 a.m., the pig show begins with Brian Patterson, who judged the show last year, returning. Patterson is a former ag teacher who is now an administrator in the Farwell school district.

After the pigs are shown, Caddell returns to judge the steer show, also at the Alpine ag facilities.

A concession stand will be open both Friday and Saturday at the ag facilities.

Then at 6 p.m. Saturday, a social and a silent auction begins at the Alpine Civic Center.

As has been the case in past years, the auction of top animals begins at 7 p.m. with both a live auction and a broadcast over KVLF Radio.

Bidders can either attend the auction, bid over the radio or submit bids prior to the sale.

There is no charge to attend any of the shows or the auction. To reserve a table for a business or organization, contact Caroline Fox in Alpine.

Anyone wanting to submit a bid can contact Rusty Moore in Alpine or Cleat Stephens in Fort Davis.

Officers for the Big Bend Live Stock Show Association are President Cleat Stephens of Fort Davis, Vice President Becky Watley of Alpine, Secretary Mike Wright of Fort Davis, Treasurer Rusty Moore of Alpine and Reporter Bob Dillard of Fort Davis.

Drought leads to stray donkey deluge … in Dallas

By Ana Campoy, for the Wall Street Journal

DALLAS—Law-enforcement agencies in Texas are grappling with an unusual problem: stray donkeys, which are roaming roads and fields in growing numbers and overwhelming animal shelters.

The donkey predicament is one of the odder ramifications of the record-setting drought that has dried up Texas. Hay supplies have shriveled, causing prices for a bale to more than double over the past year.

Now, authorities say, owners who no longer can afford to feed their donkeys are turning them loose.

"The donkey problem is epidemic," said Patrick Bonner, senior sergeant at the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. "We're inundated."

Donkey-catching duties are eating up his officers' time, he said, taking them away from patrolling traffic and writing tickets. The donkey population at his agency's livestock center on the outskirts of Dallas has expanded from four on average at the beginning of this year to more than 20.

Domestic pets across the country have been losing their homes since the recession started tightening their keepers' budgets. But the current hay shortage is making it even tougher for horses and donkeys, said Jacque Schultz, senior director of the equine fund at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York.

"What I hear from the rescue groups is most of them are full and they are having trouble placing animals," she said. That includes operations beyond the drought-affected areas that nevertheless are feeling the pinch of higher hay prices.

Texas, though, is among the worst off, with its abundance of ranches and farms and with drought covering practically the whole state. Earlier this year, the ASPCA launched a $250,000 "bale-out" to buy feed for shelters and owners in Texas and neighboring Oklahoma.

Texas farmers have racked up billions of dollars in drought-related losses, including some $750 million in ruined hay, according to Larry Redmon, a forage expert at Texas A&M University. Hay prices jumped to $250 to $275 a ton from about $120 a ton last year, he said.

Among livestock, donkeys are the most likely to be kicked out first by struggling ranchers, experts say, because they are of little agricultural use. Most of them are oversized pets or serve as flock protectors to fend off predators such as coyotes. (Unlike horses, which flee when threatened, donkeys tend to stand their ground and attack, according to connoisseurs.)

Donkeys, also known as burros, also are harder to sell than other farm animals, and many auctions are turning them down, particularly the males, known as jacks.

"You cannot give a jack away," said Beverly Miller, who's been in the equine-auctioning business for decades in Ector, Texas, near the Oklahoma line.

Abandoning livestock animals is illegal in Texas, and is punishable by fines and up to a year in jail. But law-enforcement officers say it's a crime virtually impossible to prove

Brandon Thibodeaux for The Wall Street Journal

Deputy Paul Stroud of the sheriff's department

. Donkeys aren't required to be tagged or branded so their owners are hard to trace.

"All they got to do is find a secluded part of road and open up the trailer door and let them out," said Mark Sievers, a deputy at the Burnet County Sheriff's Department, about 50 miles northwest of Austin.

In Navarro County, 60 miles south of Dallas, hungry burros acquired by absentee landowners to qualify for agricultural tax exemptions on their property are breaking loose, or being set free, in big numbers, said Sheriff Leslie Cotten. His office rounded up 34 donkeys and sent them to a shelter in West Texas in October. By the beginning of December, 44 more had been collected, he said.

"At the rate we're going we'll be out of money in six months," he said, adding that it costs taxpayers more than $200 a day to feed the animals in custody.

As more donkeys accumulate, they are becoming more difficult to place. Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, a group that takes in abandoned donkeys across the country, can barely afford to feed the 600 it is keeping at its Miles, Texas, facility. It currently isn't taking in any more, said Executive Director Mark Meyers. Texas, he said, absorbs 95% of the group's operating funds.

"We're hand to mouth right now," he said, and "it's getting worse."

Sometimes weekly column: Big Bend Telephone rules, Bucks football, Stupid West Texan, great presidents, great marriages

High-tech innovation in the Big Bend

I had an interesting conversation with Rusty Moore earlier in the week while trying to put together a story on the phone and Internet problems faced in the Big Bend region on Monday.

Moore, who is the chief technology officer at Big Bend Telephone, gave me a good rundown of the problems that his company’s customers did NOT encounter. Yes, that’s right, while those of us who are tied hand-and-foot to AT&T had massive frustrations, Big Bend Telephone customers were doing just fine, thank you very much.

Given what I do for a living, I rely on uninterrupted Internet service. If the Internet goes down, the Daily Planet’s readership is zero. Not a good number for a young business looking to expand.

As Moore assured me, none of Big Bend Telephone’s Internet customers were affected. I had known that Big Bend Telephone had expanded its Internet service into Alpine and Marfa (with plans for much greater expansion throughout West Texas). And I had given some thought to talking to them about changing to their service.

I’m now convinced that changing to the locally owned company is the only sane thing to do.

Sometime after the holidays, I’m going back to Moore and do a full-scale interview on what Big Bend Telephone is doing … and their plans for the future. That company is one of our state’s hidden jewels. It’s innovative, it’s cutting edge and it’s dedicated heart and soul to the Big Bend region. Maybe just as important, the people who own and operate Big Bend Telephone live here, love it here and plan to stay here. They are our neighbors. They know the people in the Big Bend, they know our needs and they’re savvy enough to provide (and invent) products to make our wonderfully rural lifestyle better and better.

And, you know, there’s something kinda cool about knowing that I can run into a company’s top management at the grocery store or at the ballgame. Sure can’t say that about AT&T.

For the high school football fans

I watched both of the Class 2A state championship games not long ago.

Melissa beat Hempstead, 28-15, for the Division I title, and Refugio defeated Cisco, 36-35, for the Division II championship. That Cisco-Refugio game, by the way, was one of the better high school games I’ve seen. Wish I’d actually been at the game, patrolling the sidelines. (Actually, there’s an Alpine tie-in to the Refugio team, but I’ll write about that tomorrow.)

Anyway, here’s the point I’m winding around to: It struck me while watching the Cisco-Refugio game that the Alpine Bucks could have stayed on the field in a very competitive manner with either team. And I don’t think I’m looking at things through rose-colored glasses. We had a special team at Alpine High this year, the kind of team we can have every year with this coaching staff.

There’s no reason Alpine’s football team can’t be just as good as any in the state. I think 99 percent of the battle is “believing” – players believing and fans and family believing. And then following through on that belief with total commitment.

I think we all saw “total commitment” on the part of this year’s seniors. If we can build on that, Alpine athletes and their fans will be playing a game in mid-December in Cowboy Stadium. I’m not kidding. It can happen.

Oh, and when I say “total commitment,” I don’t mean that the players have to forgo all the other great things about being high school kids. You really can commit totally to excellence on the athletic field and lead a well-rounded life, both socially and academically.

Stupid West Texan of the Week award

Last week, we were driving down Holland Avenue and turned onto Fourth Street to go to Front Street Books and then on to City Drug.

After taking care of business at both places, we got back in the car and headed up to the Fourth Street intersection with Avenue E. Before getting to the intersection, we were cut off by maybe the stupidest person I’ve encountered since living in the Big Bend.

Yep, this guy turned off of Avenue E right into our lane. Pretty stupid, huh? Well, you haven’t heard anything yet.

The guy was on a bicycle and he was talking on a cell phone.

Think about this: A guy on a bicycle turns into the wrong lane, riding a bicycle, without wearing a helmet and talking on a cell phone.

As a somewhat fanatical cyclist myself, I’m often willing to give men and women on bicycles every break (no pun intended) that I can. A cyclist, after all, is in a very exposed position: He/she doesn’t have large amounts of plastic and fake steel surrounding her/him, like someone driving a car does.

But, my gosh, there are limits.

Cyclists in Alpine – well, cyclists anywhere – need to remember a few things. First of all, they have the same rights as any other vehicle operator out on our public highways and streets. They also have the same responsibilities. It’s pretty simple stuff really: (1) You have a right to be in your proper lane; (2) You can basically go anywhere that any other vehicle can go. However, you have to follow the laws that all other drivers – car, truck, motorcycle – follow. That includes using the proper lane, proper signaling, proper starts and stops, proper lane changes. And don’t talk on a damned cell phone while you’re driving or cycling.

Jeez, I do some pretty stupid things but I can’t think of anything quite that stupid. Sounds like something Rick Perry (no relation) would do.

Teddy and environmentalism

I just started reading an extraordinary book about Theodore Roosevelt, who rates No. 2 on my very short list of great presidents. No. 1 is Abraham Lincoln. Odd that my two favorite presidents were Republicans. The other great presidents on my list are: No. 3, George Washington; No. 4, Franklin D. Roosevelt; No. 5. Thomas Jefferson.

Andrew Jackson almost made my list but what he did to the American Indian was inexcusable. And Dwight Eisenhower almost made the list based solely on his warning about the industrial/defense complex.

But back to the point, which is the book I’m reading: “The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America,” by Douglas Brinkley (who is my current favorite historian).

In this monumental biography, acclaimed historian Brinkley examines the life and achievements of Theodore Roosevelt, our "naturalist president," and his tireless crusade for the American wilderness — a legacy now more important than ever.

Yep, as most of you know, Roosevelt was world-class hunter, but he was also, ahem, a tree-hugger. The man loved nature and wildlife and did everything in his power to protect both.

"The movement for the conservation of wildlife and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method," Brinkley wrote of Roosevelt, known as the "naturalist President" for his efforts in protecting wildlife and wilderness, merging preservation and patriotism into a quintessential American ideal.

“The Wilderness Warrior,” Brinkley's massively readable new biography, explores the wilderness of influences (Audubon and Darwin), personal relationships (Muir and Pinchot), and frontier adventures (too many to mention) that shaped Roosevelt's proto-green views.

There has, literally, been a ton of good writing about Teddy, and I think I’ve read much of it, but I’m finding out all kinds of new things about this great and complex man. For instance, did you know that Theodore Roosevelt spent the day of July 1, 1908, the tenth anniversary of the Battle of San Juan Hill, creating 45 national forests.

In this biographical study of T.R.’s campaign to save hundreds of millions of acres of wilderness, Brinkley writes that “the forestry movement would be forced down his opponents’ throats.” Roosevelt’s intense love for nature was, Brinkley makes clear, a conqueror’s love — triumphal Darwinism — and included a “blood lust” in hunting the wildlife he championed. I can handle that, particularly given the alternatives we’re facing today.

If he were alive today, I’m sure Roosevelt would be a card-carrying member of the Sierra Club (an irritating member, but a member, nonetheless). I also think he’d support such things as the ACLU. Oh, and I think he would have thrown every single one of the “Too Big To Fail” serious men in jail, to rot until hell freezes over.

Anyway, I highly recommend this Roosevelt biography. It’s certainly the best-written I’ve read.

Ready for 40 more

I highly recommend a story on Page B3 of tomorrow's (Thursday's) Alpine Avalanche. It's the 40th anniversary story and photo in the upper left-hand corner. The headline says: "Perrys to Celebrate 40th anniversary." 

There's a 40-year-old photo with the story. Great photo of two kids, one of them 24, the other 25. Yep, that's my roommate and me. Man, I have been so, so lucky. I tell everyone that I fell in lust first and then quickly fell in love. She's still the prettiest woman I know and the everlasting love of my life. 

Cindy surprised me, by the way, by placing the anniversary story in the paper. I mean, I didn't forget our anniversary. It's Dec. 30 and I'm planning to take Cindy over to Padre's on New Year's Eve to celebrate -- and listen to two of our favorites, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. But, yeah, I hadn't thought to put anything in the newspaper. Some newsman I am, huh?

By the way, I've included the photo with this column. I posted the photo once before, right after my brother David sent me a copy. I didn't even know the photo existed. David (or his wife, Rosie) took the photo while they were visiting us in San Angelo shortly after we got married. Man, to look at us, you'd figure we'd conquered the world. Well, we had. We worked at the daily newspaper, which both of us had always dreamed of, and between us we were clearing $92 a week. Granted, we could only afford a house in a neighborhood where it was best to be well armed when taking out the trash. But, shoot, we were young and immortal; we didn't mind.

I have to tell you, it was refreshing to see that photo and remember that I was once young. I got to looking at myself in the mirror the other day and discovered that over the last couple of years, I've become an old guy, which kinda depressed me until I considered the alternatives (and thought through all the extraordinary memories).

Now Cindy and I need to work on the second 40 years. Let's see, I'll be 105 and Cindy will still be a year younger, the chick. I just hope that I'm still covering the Bucks when I turn 105, and I hope Cindy's taking the photos. 

It's long past time to take to heart the hard science regarding climate change and energy waste

Alpine Daily Planet editor’s note: What follows this rather lengthy editor’s note is a piece by Alpine’s Joseph Goldman, which gives extraordinary perspective to climate change and where it’s taking our planet. This editor’s note gives, I hope, a taste of the enormous credentials Goldman brings to the topic. I hope you find Goldman’s piece on climate change as penetrating – and frightening – as I do. Goldman is technical director and founder of the International Center for Solution of Environmental Problems (ICSEP). He received his undergraduate and master of science degrees from Texas A&M and his doctor of philosophy from the University of Oklahoma. He worked as an associate meteorologist for Gulf Consultants and as a research scientist for the Department of Oceanography and Meteorology while at Texas A&M. In the “Green-Glow” experiment at Hanford, Wash., he was involved in the pollution dispersion field study of radioactive particles. Goldman specialized in research problems dealing with motion and temperature fields of the stratosphere, including the jet stream. At the University of Chicago, Goldman engaged in meteorological research associated with pollution, which includes extensive research on thunderstorms and tornadoes. He led the Institute for Storm Research effort in developing a National Disaster Institute for the study of all natural storm phenomena (earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes). In 1970, he headed a group of scientists funded by the Atomic Energy Commission to study structural damages at the site of the Lubbock tornado and was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a numerical model of the Lubbock tornado based on measurements of wind speeds and pressure derived from telescopic mosaic of its damage path. Goldman was also part of an interdisciplinary consortium, which developed a Total Environmental Balance System (TEBS) to model the many interacting elements of the environment. He formed an interdisciplinary group to assess the impact of urbanization and climatic change on Houston’s future growth. He helped design and managed a three-year Houston municipal waste land-mix demonstration project sponsored by EPA. Goldman has directed and engaged in numerous environmental studies of remote areas worldwide for offshore oil interests. He has established operational sea-state forecasting services for these areas and has consulted with many oil companies on enhancing the efficiency of their specific operations. In 1975 he formed ICSEP to bring together the interdisciplinary talents of his colleagues to help solve environmental problems worldwide. Current focus at ICSEP is on the interrelated problems of global climate change and air pollution, especially as applied at the urban scale in the Houston area. Since 1999, Goldman has served as vice president of the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now (CLEAN). Goldman has been a lecturer at various academic institutions in the U.S. and more than 20 foreign countries.

By Joseph Goldman

I read an article in Physics Today that concludes we scientists must learn to present our findings and conclusions in the manner that non-scientists consider important – the  bottom line – or what it means to us individually. 

The article used climate change as an example of our inability to increase awareness of its importance to continued mammalian habitation of the planet. Instead of reporting that 350 parts-per-million CO2 is the answer to reducing the anthropogenic impact on the chemical equilibrium of the atmosphere, we should be saying what the cost in wealth and lives will be when we can't accommodate to the changing climate or evolve/adjust to the new lifestyle required by the more hostile environmental conditions.

Since I did my 1970s work on urbanization and climate change, I found that those required to operate in hostile environments, like offshore oil and construction companies, recognized the need for the best that science could produce. They knew the costs of operations and insurance (25 percent of operating cost went to premiums) and weighed the risk against the probabilities of success, which included the price of oil futures at production. 

They didn't use "the Rapture" – now used by many of the influential extremist nuts, who claim that climate change is in the hands of a white Christian god – as the positive result of any dangerous undertaking as long as it can make short-term profits. 

At the media recognition of ongoing global climate change, I advocated the reduction of the U.S. energy waste as an initial step in the accommodation of climate change. At the time, the United States was using 25 percent of the planet's energy, of which 20 percent was being wasted. If we reduced our waste energy we could save up to 5 percent of the planet's energy, which as waste was being emitted into the atmosphere. 

Perry shifts his stance on abortion

By Morgan Smith, Texas Tribune

OSCEOLA, Iowa — At a town hall meeting tonight, Gov. Rick Perry said he no longer supported abortion in cases of rape and incest.

As he responded to a question from the audience, Perry said he had undergone a "transformation" after viewing the film The Gift of Life, narrated by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and talking with Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived during a rape. "She looked me in the eye and said, 'I am the product of a rape,' and she said, 'My life has worth,'" Perry said.

Joshua Verwers, a Sheraton pastor, asked the governor to reconcile what he had told him in November at the Iowa Faith and Freedom dinner — that he was against abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or when it was necessary to save the life of the mother — with his signature on a pledge from the anti-abortion group Personhood USA that bans abortion under any circumstances.

After the meeting, Verwers said that Perry's answer was "perfect" and "from the heart." He said it particularly moved him that the governor had shifted his beliefs after speaking with someone who had been born from rape. Perry's wife, Anita, has been a fundraiser for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault since 2003 and has devoted her efforts to supporting other causes that work to prevent violence against women.

During a Personhood USA teleconference tonight, Perry reiterated his change of beliefs and elaborated on why he decided to sign the pledge: "As I signed that document I will suggest to you that, all I can say to you, was that God was working out of my heart."

Fellow candidates Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich also participated in the call.

 

Book reviews: Portraits of the Southwest in the shadow of drought

“A Great Aridness, Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest.” By William deBuys. Oxford University Press. 384 pages. $27.95.

Bird on Fire, Lessons From the World’s Least Sustainable City.” By Andrew Ross. Oxford University Press. 312 pages. $27.95.

By Cornelia Dean, for the New York Times

The intense, deep blue skies of the American Southwest, skies that have drawn painters and photographers for a century or more, are a product of the region’s extremely dry air.

Yet here’s another interesting fact: Though we think of the Southwest as dry — and it is dry — its development and population took off during a period in the 20th century when it enjoyed perhaps its wettest weather in hundreds of years. The killing droughts that have lately gripped the region were unusual by recent standards but otherwise all too typical and all too likely to recur — a prospect the National Research Council has called “sobering.”

That prospect is the subject of two new books, “A Great Aridness,” by William deBuys, a conservationist based in New Mexico, and “Bird on Fire,” by Andrew Ross, a social scientist at New York University.

“The story of the West is essentially a story about water,” Dr. deBuys writes.

Water, that is, “and its lack.”

In his hands, it is a sweeping story, encompassing global weather patterns, the mysterious histories and farming practices of the native people whose settlements rose and vanished in the desert, and the firefighters, biologists, anthropologists, water administrators and others who deal with increasing dryness today and seek to plan for an even drier tomorrow.

In interviews in their offices and in the field, they tell him they fear the story will play out — in forest fires, invasions of insects that prey on trees weakened by drought and heat, die-offs of native grasses, and prolonged dryness and thirst. Rains, when they come, will fall less often in the gentle, soaking precipitation Native Americans call “female rain” and instead will be its “male” counterpart — short, sharp downpours that flood the arroyos, erode the canyons and run off before they can do much to recharge underground water supplies already burdened by overuse.

A few steps might alter things, Dr. deBuys writes. Among them are weather modifications like cloud seeding, vegetation management to increase runoff, desalting water or importing it from the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, he tells us, none of these options is good.

Importing water and desalination are “gluttonous” in terms of energy and money, he says, and efforts to manipulate vegetation will probably fail in the face of rising temperatures. As for weather modification, wringing water out of the skies over Point A will only deprive the landscape at Point B.

Dr. Ross raises similar issues in “Bird on Fire.”

This book’s focus is narrower — the city of Phoenix, rather than the area roughly from the Four Corners states to northern Mexico that forms Dr. deBuys’s canvas. But Dr. Ross also casts a wider net, considering issues like air quality, the unjust confluence of noxious manufacturing and low-income neighborhoods, and the circular economics of a city whose population growth was fueled by the need for construction workers to build the houses required by the influx of construction workers.

Dr. Ross quotes with approval a Tucson essayist who says there’s no lack of water in the region, “unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.” For him, Phoenix’s history of “self-destructive decisions” has left it facing “urban collapse from some extreme state of resource scarcity.”

Both authors cite the work of Jonathan Overpeck, a geologist and a director of the Institute of the Environment at the University of Arizona, whose tracking of simultaneously increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall leads him to conclude that a new era of drought is dawning in many regions. He is not alone. The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies had already predicted that extreme droughts would be an every-other-year phenomenon in the United States by the middle of this century.

And of course, the American Southwest is not the only region experiencing drought apparently tied to climate change. According to the journal Science, of the 12 driest winters the Mediterranean has experienced since 1902, 10 have occurred in the last 20 years. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say climate change can explain half of the added dryness.

“The coming droughts ought to be a major driver — if not the major driver — of climate policies,” Joseph Romm wrote in a recent issue of the journal Nature. Dr. Romm, a physicist who edits the blog Climate Progress, added, “Raising public awareness of, and scientific focus on, the likelihood of severe effects of drought is the first step to prompting action.”

People who read these books will understand that message.

One step, Dr. Ross writes, would be to begin rectifying the environmental inequality that already consigns the poor to bad air, polluted water and general environmental degradation.

“Can the well-provisioned respond in kind to the environmentalist claims of the poor?” he asks. If an era of real water scarcity dawns, as many scientists now predict it inevitably will, the ability of states and localities to allocate supplies fairly will be a telling test. If they fail that test, Dr. Ross writes, they face a future of “eco-apartheid.”

Dr. deBuys puts it somewhat differently. History teaches that people have difficulty adapting to prolonged, extreme drought, he writes. Faced with it, they typically abandon efforts to cope and simply abandon their homes. That is why we call dry places deserts — they are deserted.

Is that tactic likely for today’s Southwest? No. But, he writes, any answers to the water challenge will require “strong social will and collective commitment.”

At the moment, though, the region’s politics tend to embrace the idea that collective action of any kind is inherently suspicious or even evil; government is the problem, never the solution; and regulation is the bane of economic growth.

These ideas are not in accord with Dr. deBuys’s prescription, which is to “get on with what we should have been doing all along, including limiting greenhouse gases.”

There is no silver bullet, he writes. “There is only the age-old duty to extend kindness to other beings, to work together and with discipline on common challenges.”

The race to salvage millions of dead trees in Texas

Dead trees are cut, some made into chips south of downtown Houston (Photo by Dave Fehling)

By Dave Fehling, stateimpact.org

The Texas drought killed millions of trees this summer but only a small percentage will be salvaged for lumber or even wood chips according to state’s Forest Service. And time may be running out.

“If you wait too long, they will not be suitable for most forest products.  Decay will set in and the trees will become much less useful,” said Burl Carraway, head of Sustainable Forestry at the Texas Forest Service office in College Station.

Carraway told StateImpact Texas that after a tree dies, it’s salvageable for another four months at best. The challenge is getting to the dead trees in time: many are deep within forests or on private land that may be inaccessible.

After past natural disasters including Hurricanes Rita and Ike, the Forest Service estimated that less than 10 percent of downed trees were ever salvaged. The forest service expects even less to be salvaged from the drought since the dead trees are scattered more widely than after a hurricane, making it less cost effective to gather them up.

The Texas Forest Service estimates that so far, the drought has killed 100 million to 500 million trees statewide. One of the hardest hit areas is Houston. So far, the city’s parks department has overseen the removal of 8,000 dead trees — mostly pines —- with another 6,000 marked with fluorescent paint and slated for the axe in the next month.

“It’s really sickening. It’s so dramatic, so catastrophic,” said Victor Cordova. He’s an urban forester with the City of Houston. He said picnic areas that previously were well-shaded by 30-year-old pines are now open and filled with sunlight. It’s hard to walk more than a few feet without stubbing your toe on a freshly cut tree stump.

“If you wait too long, they will not be suitable for most forest products.  Decay will set in and the trees will become much less useful,” said Burl Carraway, head of Sustainable Forestry at the Texas Forest Service office in College Station. “In our lifetime, we’ll never see this park the way it was once before,” said Cordova.

But Houston is one place where the dead trees, at least the ones from city property, are being salvaged. Just south of downtown, piles of timber are being turned into giant mounds of wood chips.

The Texas Forest Service’s Burl Carraway said wood chips from salvaged trees are being used to fuel generators to make electricity at two different facilities, one in Nacogdoches, the other in Lufkin. Trees in better condition can be used to make lumber.

The best news may be what Carraway said he found in Bastrop State Park, decimated by fires this past September.

“And here we are just a few months later and we’re seeing some of the hardwood trees that are sprouting back from the base of the trees, which will then become the next generation of trees. So the point is the forests are very resilient, they can come back from these natural disasters.”

Former wife of Dallas minister acquitted in sensational trial dies 25 years later

From news services

Peggy Railey, former wife of a Dallas minister who was acquitted at a sensational trial of trying to kill her, has died nearly 25 years after an attack left her incapacitated.

Ron Gamel of the Tyler Memorial Funeral Home confirmed the death Tuesday but declined to release details, citing a family request for privacy.

Railey, who was 38 at the time of the savage choking assault at her Dallas-area home in April 1987, never recovered and remained in what doctors called a vegetative state.

Walker Railey, her husband at the time of the attack, was once a rising star at Dallas' First United Methodist Church. He eventually acknowledged lying about his whereabouts the night of the attack to hide an affair.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph first reported the death.

Snapshots from our white Christmas

The snow-tinged Glass Mountains between Alpine and Marathon

An ice-covered tree in Alpine on Sunday evening

A white Christmas day in Alpine (photo by Felipe Fierro)

You still have to walk the dog, even when it snows (Photo by Felpie Fierro)

Merry Christmas from Sheriff Ronny Dodson and his snow-white ranch

After-Christmas electronics recycling event

Special to the Daily Planet

Did Santa bring you a new computer, cell phone, iPod, or other electronics, and now you need to get rid of the old ones? Don’t throw them in the dumpster…  clean out the closet, attic, basement, or spare room of all those old computers, printers, laptops, phones, scanners, etc. that are no longer being used and bring them to Alpine Recycles! electronics recycling week, January 16-21.

The electronics will be collected at the old Alpine Fire Station at 400 West Avenue E. from 8am-5pm Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.  Please separate materials into like boxes:  all keyboards together, all towers together, all CRT’s together, etc. 

Anything computer or computer related will be accepted.  No televisions or large floor copiers, please!  These are not recyclable at this event and will result in a disposal fee!

For more information, please call 294-3183.

 

Recycle your Christmas tree into garden mulch

Special to the Daily Planet

Drop off your tree at the Hal Flanders Recycling Center in Alpine today through Jan. 7 in our green recycling trailer, and take home some mulch for free. 

Call 294-3183 for more information.

This project made possible by a grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality through the Rio Grande Council of Governments.

Drought has killed 500 million trees in Texas, which is 10 percent of the state's forest cover

This picture, taken by  Bill Gabbert, shows a lone tree in the burned area of the Rock House fire that started on the outskirts of Marfa and spread north through Fort Davis and deep into the Davis Mountains.

From Cox News Service

AUSTIN - The current Texas drought has killed as many as 500 million trees - 10 percent of the state's forest cover - and the end is not in sight, according to the Texas Forest Service. Some of the hardest-hit areas are in Central Texas.

The numbers are preliminary, the first results from an unprecedented statewide survey of tree mortality across 63 million acres of forest land this year.

They don't include trees lost to drought-induced wildfire - an estimated 1.5 million trees burned in the Bastrop Labor Day fires alone - or trees that have succumbed to heat and thirst in urban areas.

Though the estimated range of dead trees varies widely, from a low of 100 million to a high of 500 million, the visible evidence of the die-off is still "very shocking," said Tom Boggus, director of the Texas Forest Service. "It's a significant change in the landscape."

And the stress of the past year of record-setting heat, high winds and low rainfall will continue to take its toll on living trees, whether or not the drought continues as forecast for at least another six months, because they have been too weakened to survive.

"We recognize that the mortality will increase even if it started raining," said Burl Carraway, head of sustainable forestry for the Forest Service.

The agency plans to use satellite imagery to firm up its ballpark estimate of tree loss in the spring, when budding leaves will identify which trees simply went into early dormancy this year and which are no longer among the living.

Foresters say the drought has decimated large numbers of tough native species such as ashe juniper (commonly referred to as cedar), cedar elm, post oaks and the loblolly pines of East Texas.

Three multicounty areas, including one in Central Texas, appear to be the hardest hit.

Western Bastrop and eastern Caldwell counties have seen "extensive mortality among cedars and post oaks," the Forest Service said.

Ashe junipers have been decimated in Sutton, Crockett, western Kimble and eastern Pecos counties.

Loblolly pines, the state's most valuable commercial timber crop, used for lumber, pulp and paper products, are dying in Harris, Montgomery, Grimes, Madison and Leon counties.

Carraway said about two-thirds of the pine seedlings newly planted by timber companies in East Texas died this year. About half the seedlings planted two seasons ago have also died.

"They'll plant again next year," he said. "Forests are very resilient."

The survey is based on the collective reports of local forestry professionals who were asked to measure the drought's toll in their areas.

 

10 Winning Moments for the 99% in 2011

Editor's note: Sarah Jaffe is an associate editor at AlterNet, a rabblerouser and frequent Twitterer. You can follow her at @seasonothebitch.

By Sarah Jaffe, alternet.org

2011 will be remembered as the year the world woke up and began to fight back against a tiny minority that had held on to control—of money, of political power—for far too long.

Time Magazine named “The Protester” its person of the year, but the story is much deeper than that. Here in the US, the year began with despondency—a new class of Tea Party-supported legislators and governors were taking office around the country, and taking immediate steps to impose their anti-worker austerity agenda.

But the austerity class met resistance—first in Wisconsin, where Gov. Scott Walker moved to take away workers' right to collective bargaining. The people in Wisconsin responded by occupying their Capitol building, kicking off a movement which spread through Ohio and Indiana, then seemed to subside before erupting in the fall with Occupy Wall Street.

But throughout the year, organizers were working around the country, fighting the power of Wall Street, big business, and the right-wing governors who do their bidding. We asked ten of them to talk about the moments that stood out for them this year, the moments that gave them hope. Some are moments you've heard of, some might have slipped past you. But all of them were signs of long-overdue change.

1. Melissa Ryan, New Media Director atNew Organizing Institute – Wisconsin Leads the Fight Back

“For Wisconsin I think the big moment was when the 14 Democratic State Senators left the state [to avoid a vote on Walker's collective bargaining bill]. I really think that's what triggered the energy around the recall of the Senators, really triggered the energy around the recall of Walker. It changed from people taking to the streets because they didn't know what to do to really having the energy to change something.

All these years when we've been begging Democrats to stand up, and here were 14 people who not only not caved but who put everything on the line to defend worker's rights. It's been a year of moments, really in Wisconsin, but that's something that still inspires me a year later.

To me that was the lightning rod for everything.” 

Most Midland ISD teachers come from schools such as Sul Ross, UTPB, Tech and ASU

Because of results of study, school district decides to spend teacher recruiting money at regional schools such as Sul Ross

Meredith Moriak, Midland Reporter-Telegram

After reviewing which colleges provide Midland ISD with the most teachers, the district has decided to focus the majority of its recruiting efforts at regional universities.

District data show the majority of teachers hired within the past three years obtained their degrees from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Texas Tech University, Angelo State University or Sul Ross State University.

MISD Chief of Staff Ed Zachary said he asked Paul Hooper, director of certified personnel, to examine where teachers were getting their degrees.

Zachary said he wanted to evaluate the return MISD gets by sending recruiters to job fairs at large universities and metropolitan areas.

Overwhelmingly, Hooper said he found there is little return on visiting with and recruiting students from large universities. Most students don’t leave the metroplex, Austin or Houston, to work in Midland.

Typically, graduates from large schools return to Midland because they were reared here, Zachary said.

UTPB leads the number of new hires since 2009 with 134. Texas Tech has 92; Angelo State at 42 and Sul Ross at 23, which rounded out the top four. Next on the list was Texas A&M University and the University of Arizona with 13 each.

“Geographically, students would have to pass through a lot of school districts before they get here, and chances are slim to none they’d come all the way out here,” Zachary said.

Zachary said he has gone on recruiting trips in the past and talked with a lot of great candidates who would be a good fit for Midland. However, Zachary said a lot of the discussions are courtesy visits because candidates want to work on their networking skills and don’t have an interest in moving to Midland.

“We’re focusing our recruitment efforts around where we get our graduates,” Hooper said.

Ideally, MISD officials would like to have diverse teachers who come from different backgrounds and geographic regions, Hooper said.

Aside from recruiting in a few isolated states that have lots of qualified teachers and not many positions, Hooper said officials don’t spend their time going on out-of-state trips because a lot of times those students won’t stay and retention is something for which the district strives.

Meredith Moriak can be reached at mmoriak@mrt.com.

Total number of new-hire teachers by college since 2009

UTPB - 134

Texas Tech - 92

Angelo State - 42

Sul Ross State - 23

Texas A&M - 13

Arizona - 13

Lubbock Christian College - 12

North Texas - 10

Tarleton State - 10

West Texas State University - 10

 

Top 10 Texas stories of the year

Texas Tribune

As 2011 comes to a close, we are taking a look back at the stories our readers liked best, judging by the number of pageviews they received.

With our governor jumping into the GOP presidential fray in August, stories about Rick Perry quickly and definitively became the most popular on the Trib site. And he didn't fail to provide excellent material. Seven of the 10 most-read stories this year are about Perry — his politics, his past and his policy stances.

In a year with a legislative session where lawmakers were trying to scrimp and save and cut pennies, it's little surprise that people were also intensely interested in knowing which state services would face the budget ax. 

Just up the street from the Capitol, at the University of Texas, the latest intrigue in a year of controversies at the state's flagship institution also caught readers' attention: the forcedresignation of law school dean Larry Sager earlier this month.

And what list of Texas stories would be complete without a kooky fight with the feds? Number three on the list was the Tribune's story about the federal government threatening to shut down Texas airports when legislators debated a bill that would have prevented intrusive airport security pat-downs. 

Here's the full list of the top 10 most-read stories of 2011: 

1. Under Scrutiny, Perry Walks Back HPV Decision — 152,826 pageviews

2. Perry "Retires" to Boost Pension Pay — 63,680 pageviews

3. Fed Threat Shuts Down TSA "Groping" Bill in Texas — 57,301 pageviews

4. Texas House Budget Proposes Sweeping Cuts — 40,781 pageviews

5. Spending on Perry's Austin Mansion Hits $800,000 — 30,247 pageviews

6. Texas A&M Years Launched Perry — and a Rivalry — 29,580 pageviews

7. Rick Perry's Taxpayer-Funded Security Costs Rise — 27,916 pageviews

8. UT President Asks Law School Dean to Resign Immediately — 26,668 pageviews

9. UT/TT Poll: Most Texans Don't Credit Perry on Economy — 25,461 pageviews

10. Perry Downplayed Allegations at Centers for Disabled — 24,420 pageviews

Briefing: What they're saying and doing in Washington and around the world, nation

Demand for U.S. debt is the strongest it's been since 1995, reports Daniel Kruger: "The U.S. government received record demand for its bonds in 2011, pushing longer-maturity Treasuries to their best performance since 1995 in a sign that President Barack Obama may have little difficulty financing a fourth consecutive year of $1 trillion budget deficits. The Treasury Department attracted $3.04 for each dollar of the $2.135 trillion in notes and bonds sold, the most since the government began releasing the data in 1992 during the George H. W. Bush administration. The U.S. drew an all-time high bid-to- cover ratio of 9.07 for $30 billion of four-week bills it auctioned on Dec. 20 even though they pay zero percent interest. While Standard & Poor’s stripped the U.S. of its AAA credit rating on Aug. 5, Treasuries due in 10 years or more returned 25.6 percent this year. The spreading sovereign debt crisis in Europe and slower global growth are driving investors to the safety of U.S. assets, helping to contain borrowing costs and making it cheaper as a percentage of gross domestic product to finance deficits than when the nation last had budget surpluses."

The wealth gap between members of Congress and their constituents has more than doubled since 1984, reports Peter Whoriskey: "Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House more than doubled, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted 2009 dollars, excluding home ­equity. Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly, with the comparable median figure sliding from $20,600 to $20,500, according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan. The comparisons exclude home equity because it is not included in congressional reporting, and 1984 was chosen because it is the earliest year for which consistent wealth statistics are available. The growing disparity between the representatives and the represented means that there is a greater distance between the economic experience of Americans and those of lawmakers."

House Republicans are dismayed, reports Rosalind Helderman: "Congressional Republicans leave Washington for the holidays divided and embittered over the last round of December’s payroll-tax fight, and their lingering unhappiness could complicate negotiations starting in January on a deal for a full-year tax holiday. Some House Republicans say they feel sold out by their counterparts in the Senate. For their part, Senate Republicans had worried that their House colleagues were harming the GOP’s chances of winning back their chamber by risking a tax increase if House members didn’t get concessions they wanted. In the House, some rank-and-file House conservatives are deeply disappointed in their own leaders...Perhaps no one was more dismayed at the outcome than the nearly 90 freshmen Republicans...Many felt that the year ended with a temporary tax fix that was the epitome of business as usual.

The Keystone pipeline will probably be canceled, report John Broder and Dan Frosch: " The Obama administration confirmed this week that a provision in the payroll tax bill requiring a quick decision on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to the Gulf Coast will probably lead to cancellation of the project. But does that mean the $7 billion pipeline project is dead forever? Will its cancellation curb the inexorable global demand for the exploitation of Canada’s huge oil sands deposits? Will it affect the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in beneficial ways and slow the pace of climate change? The answer to all three questions, barring unexpected changes in the politics and economics of oil, appears to be no...Experts in oil economics say that the oil is coming out of the ground in any event because of steadily growing global demand and the heavy investment in infrastructure already made in Alberta."

Budget cuts are taking the 'public' out of public education and they are passing the financial buck

Special to the Daily Planet

Perhaps no political issue fired up more Texans in 2011 than did the problems of the state's school financing system, and it shows no signs of moving to the back burner in 2012. It started with billions of dollars of cuts to education aid. Now, more than half of the state's school districts are gearing up to challenge the adequacy and fairness of the chronically-beleaguered school finance system in court. 
It's a pivotal time, says Rena Honea, president of the Dallas-area teachers union Alliance AFT. How Texans respond to the current crisis, she says, could permanently shape the future of Texas public schools. For example, she thinks proposals to outsource custodial and other support staff to private companies might be just the first step in a broader movement.

"Outsourcing is one of the biggest ways that privatization comes in to take over a public entity. And we see that as a very big possibility, not only in Dallas, but across the state, and really, across the nation."

Just last week, trustees in Austin voted to turn over two public campuses to a private charter-school company. Proponents tout privatization as a way to cut costs and increase efficiency. Honea says it erodes accountability and undermines what should be a public responsibility to children.

While lawmakers claimed success last summer in balancing the budget without new revenues, critics say the legislature merely passed the buck to local communities, some of which have already voted to raise taxes. Others have laid off teachers, consolidated campuses, increased class sizes, cut specialty programs, or have plans to require families to pick up the tab for such things as athletics, uniforms, and bus service. 

Honea says, ultimately, the future of Texas education will be determined at the ballot box.

"We are at a major crisis, so voters are going to have to be vigilant in seeing that the people that are willing to make decisions for the good of the people be put into office - and not the obstinacy that we're seeing right now."

Honea says lawmakers' cuts-only approach to the budget shortfall is not only proving harmful to Texas kids at a time when they are expected to meet new, higher learning standards, but it's also worsening the nationwide jobs crisis.

 

Perry (no relation) is spending 400,000 bucks a month of Texas taxpayer money on security details for presidential campaign

By Jay Root, The Texas Tribune

Gov. Rick Perry was near the height of his national popularity when he barnstormed California in September to raise money for his presidential bid and to participate in his first nationally televised debate.

His state-provided security guards were flying pretty high, too, spending more than $32,000 in taxpayer money for travel and lodging in San Francisco, $4,400 to dine near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and $6,400 for plane tickets to San Diego, records show.

In the ensuing weeks, Perry's political fortunes would plummet, falling to as low as 6 percent in public opinion polls from a high of 32 percent. But the bills for his omnipresent security detail continue, costing taxpayers as much as $400,000 a month.

(Snarky Alpine Daily Planet editor’s note: If you’re looking for a little context to go with your outrage, remember that Perry led the movement that eventually resulted in the butchering of the Texas education budget; well, actually, the butchering of entire state budget. Literally billions were cut from Texas education, which has resulted in the firings of thousands of teachers throughout the state. Or, put another way, the $400,000 Texas taxpayers are spending on Perry’s presidential campaign security would pay the salaries of about 120 teachers each month. Can anyone spell “p-r-i-o-r-i-t-i-e-s”?)

Aside from President Barack Obama, Perry -- the only sitting governor in the 2012 race -- has the largest security contingent, and apparently the only one on the Republican side financed by taxpayers.

Weeks before he officially announced his presidential bid, Perry said it was appropriate for the Texas Department of Public Safety to pay for his security and called any criticism of his government-provided protection a "diversion." He also said Texans would benefit from his travels.

"I'm going to be promoting Texas," Perry said in July as he began to crisscross the country. "I'm going to be traveling to places where the Texas story needs to be told, and we will tell it."

State Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, leader of the House Democrats, said Perry's travels have been more of a black eye for Texas than a benefit. She said that the governor deserves state-provided security but that he should use some of the $17 million he has reported raising for his campaign to help defray the costs.

"If he's promoting Texas, he's been an embarrassment," Farrar said. "He could have paid for this out of campaign funds, especially given that he's asked the Texas taxpayers to tighten their belts."

Guarding the details

Perry is not the only Texas governor to run up big bills -- and receive criticism -- for security on out-of-state trips. When former Gov. George W. Bush ran for president in 2000, the state spent at least $400,000 a month in the first quarter of that year -- more than four times the amount spent in all of 1999, the DPS revealed at the time.

All told, taxpayers were on the hook for $3.9 million in security costs for Bush and his family from January 1999 to March 2000, when the Secret Service took over, the DPS said. Even then, the department resisted giving out detailed breakdowns of security spending, saying it would compromise the governor's safety.

Most government offices will be closed Friday

The Brewster County Courthouse and all county offices will  be closed Friday, Dec. 30, for the New Year's holiday.

Most other government businesses throughout the Big Bend region will also be closed Friday.

Alpine public schools and Sul Ross State University remain on Christmas/New Year's holiday this week.

Unless you use Big Bend Telephone for Internet and/or phones, you probably lost your service Monday

By Mike Perry, Alpine Daily Planet

You don’t realize it until you lose it, but it’s amazing how much we rely on fiber-optic based communications – particularly telephones and the Internet.

For about 12 hours Monday, much of Far West Texas was without telephone and Internet service -- unless, of course, you are fortunate enough to use Big Bend Telephone. For those of us who enjoy cruising the Web or texting or just talking on the telephone -- and who are stuck with AT&T -- Monday was a strange day.

Most phone service using AT&T was disrupted for much of Monday in Far West Texas after a fiber-optic line just south of Monahans was severed. That included the tri-county area of Brewster, Presidio and Jeff Davis counties.

AT&T spokeswoman Carrie Corey says a contractor accidentally cut an underground fiber optic line, cutting service in the provider's West Central Texas district. That left AT&T callers to Fort Stockton, Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa and other places getting a persistent busy signal.

Businesses that rely on credit cards and use AT&T as their primary carrier for most transactions had to go old school – that is, requiring payment by check or, horrors, cash. For instance, Porters Thriftway Grocery had to go to a check-or-cash policy for most of the day. 

I talked to Rusty Moore at Big Bend Telephone, headquartered in Alpine, and he said their customerrs were only marginally affected by Monday's shut-down. Big Bend Telephone provides Internet service to an ever-expanding portion of the Big Bend (including the city of Alpine) and those customers experienced no problems. The company provides telephone service to rural areas of the Big Bend. Those customers, Moore said, were only slightly affected, if they were making calls that had to interface with an AT&T router. These cases were quite isolated, he added

Some people in the Terlingua area said their landline phones had been fine but cell service was knocked out.

Police and sheriffs’ departments used emergency backup plans.

Corey says AT&T service was restored by Monday night. In Alpine, the service resumed between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. It first went out about 8 a.m. Monday morning.

The Great Republican Crackup: How angry, white, southern men took over the GOP and made our government into a war zone

Editor’s note: Robert B. Reich has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He also served on President Obama's transition advisory board. His latest book is "Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future." His homepage is www.robertreich.org.

By Robert B. Reich

Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the Republican crackup threatens the future of the Grand Old Party more profoundly than at any time since the GOP’s eclipse in 1932. That’s bad for America.

The crackup isn’t just Romney the smooth versus Gingrich the bomb-thrower.

Not just House Republicans who just scotched the deal to continue payroll tax relief and extended unemployment insurance benefits beyond the end of the year, versus Senate Republicans who voted overwhelmingly for it.

Not just Speaker John Boehner, who keeps making agreements he can’t keep, versus Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who keeps making trouble he can’t control.

And not just venerable Republican senators like Indiana’s Richard Lugar, a giant of foreign policy for more than three decades, versus primary challenger state treasurer Richard Mourdock, who apparently misplaced and then rediscovered $320 million in state tax revenues.

Some describe the underlying conflict as Tea Partiers versus the Republican establishment. But this just begs the question of who the Tea Partiers really are and where they came from.

The underlying conflict lies deep into the nature and structure of the Republican Party. And its roots are very old.

As Michael Lind has noted, today’s Tea Party is less an ideological movement than the latest incarnation of an angry white minority – predominantly Southern, and mainly rural – that has repeatedly attacked American democracy in order to get its way.

It’s no mere coincidence that the states responsible for putting the most Tea Party representatives in the House are all former members of the Confederacy. Of the Tea Party caucus, twelve hail from Texas, seven from Florida, five from Louisiana, five from Georgia, and three each from South Carolina, Tennessee and border-state Missouri.

Correction: It's Emmylou Harris

From the Alpine Daily Planet

In a short story with a couple of music videos by the late, great Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, I misspelled Emmylou Harris. I deeply regret the egregious error.

Several people pointed out the mistake; at least one former reader did so with great glee.

It was also argued that Parsons did not “detest” the label “Cosmic American Music; on that point, I bow to the readers’ opinion.

 

Get off your butts and check out the Hogan and Moss String Band at Railroad Blues Thursday night

We’re leaving town for San Antonio tomorrow. Otherwise, we’d be at the Railroad Blues Thursday night listening to The Jon Hogan and Maria Moss String Band.

These guys are good. Hogan and Moss offer scorch folk, original Americana, old-time music and they cover old Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan stuff. Really.. The Doodlin’ Hogwallops, Alpine’s own roots, rock, honky-tonk country sensations will be the opening act.

I posted a sampling of the String Band below, which I think will give you a good idea of the quality of these guys.

Showtime is 10 p.m., cover is five bucks, which is a bargain.

You know, we get some of the best music – at some of the least-expensive prices – in the entire state of Texas. Reason No. 116 for living in the Big Bend.

The String Band is going to be in the area for about a week. They plan to be in Terlingua at the Starlight on Jan. 1 (I think I have the date right, but more to come) for the first annual Townes Van Zandt wake. Van Zandt is one of my 10 musical heroes, so I’m hoping we make it down to Terlingua for the tribute – and for the black-eyed pea festival, which is about the same time.

- Mike Perry

 

 

 

Road work on I20 east of Stanton

Special to the Daily Planet

Jones Brothers Dirt and Paving Contractors Inc. has started work east of Stanton on a project that will refurbish 3.7 miles of Interstate 20. But the schedule calls for all lanes to be open this weekend for holiday travel.

Jones Brothers is removing and replacing the top layer of asphalt in the driving and passing lanes of Interstate 20. The $1,790,694.02 contract should take less than two months to complete.

The work zone, which ends at the Howard County line, will have single lane closures as work progresses. There are no exit or entrance ramps in the work zone, so access to Interstate 20 will not be restricted at any time. At least one lane of traffic is scheduled to flow in both directions on Interstate 20 for the duration of the project.

The speed limit in the work zone will be 60 miles per hour. Motorists are asked to use extreme caution in the work zone. The two major causes of work zone accidents are unsafe speeds and following too closely. In fact, rear-end collisions are the most common accidents in work zones.

Please obey all warning signs and any flag crew members in the area. Keep plenty of distance between your vehicle and the workers and equipment in the work zone.

 

This absolutely blew my mind

 

Watching Gov. Rick (no relation) Perry and rabbis dance was one of the strangest things I've seen in awhile. My wife is Jewish; I'm not quite Jewish, but I have audited the course and find it to be a most interesting and truly caring religion, one that honestly cares about making the world a better place. So, I guess I was glad to see Little Ricky acknowledge Judaism.

Gov. Perry met with a delegation of Texas Jewish leaders to mark the first full day of Hanukkah, lighting the menorah in the governor's public reception room, then singing and dancing along to traditional songs. The menorah holds one candle for each night of Hanukkah, with the ninth candle, the shamash, used to light the other candles.

Among those joining Gov. Perry at the celebration were Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff, Rabbi Chaim Lazaroff, Rabbi Yoseph Levertov, Rabbi Zev Johnson and Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff.

Hanukkah this year began at sunset Dec. 21, and lasts until sunset on Dec. 29. The Jewish festival of light is an eight-day commemoration of the Jewish uprising in the second century B.C. against the Greek-Syrian kingdom, which had tried to put statues of Greek gods in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

Strong, new Latino website features Gallego's run for Congress

Alpine Daily Planet editor’s note: This story is from newstaco.com, an intriguing news website that caught my eye today. The founders – Carlos Guerra, Victor Landa, Sara Inés Calderón and Gilberto Ocañas – say they were commiserating that there was no place that provided Latino news and information in a way that totally satisfied them — like a taco that gives you everything you need in one bite. So, they’ve “worked to provide an authentic Latino point of view on NewsTaco with the feel of comfort food.” I’ve bookkmarked the site as a daily must-check-out. Here’s a story they did on our very own Pete Gallego.

From the newstaco.com

Pete Gallego describes his decision to run for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas as a personal one. “Me decía mi abuela que uno no puede quejar si no quiere participar. Frankly, I got tired of complaining.”

He will be challenging Republican incumbent Quico Canseco for the seat. Gallego, a Democrat, is referring to what he termed “the dysfunction” of Congress where games are being played and there is no agreement. There are, rather, extreme disagreements that prevent anyone from reaching a reasonable solution. What’s worse, these disagreements ultimately hurt the people of South Texas, he said.

As an elected official since 1990, and most recently the state House representative for District 74 (which covers much of Far West Texas, including Alpine), Gallego’s goal characterizes his public service as a way to guard the future.

“For me it’s all about making sure our kids have more opportunities than we did. Part of that is to serve as an example with respect to being able to have a civil discourse. Part of my frustration is that extremists are leading the conversation, as a result a lot of people are tuning out,” Gallego told NewsTaco.

The issues Gallego said that he would focus on if elected to Congress are: small businesses, military and veterans issues, and constituent service. When it comes to issues, Gallego says his constituents are most concerned about “the economy.” It is a huge issue, he said.

Ultimately he said he would be focused on helping job growth and incentivizing small business along the border district.

Gallego told us he has spent time in most areas of the district, which stretches from West Texas near El Paso to San Antonio and parts of the border. The fact that the Supreme Court blocked Texas’s most recent redistricting maps means that Gallego’s district, like all the other political districts in Texas, is currently in limbo.

Nonetheless, Gallego told us he was enthusiastic.

“I feel like people are personally invested in me, there’s really a lot of enthusiasm,” Gallego said. “I was very young when I ran the first time. People feel like they watched me grow up, and I’m so flattered and so honored. I’m going to make sure I don’t disappoint.”

County commissioners schedule final meeting of the year

Special to the Daily Planet

The Brewster County commissioners court will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 29, at 9 a.m. in the commissioners courtroom at the Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine.

Main order of busness will be updates on final treasurer’s report for the year.

There will also be an end-of-the-year workshop session with the county treasurer to discuss closeout and planning for transition to 2012.

 

Horse rescue benefit silent auction at Hudson’s in Alpine Dec 23

Special to the Daily Planet

A silent auction fundraiser to help feed the West Texas 25 rescue horses this winter will be held Friday, December 23 from 10am to 6 pm at Hudson’s in Alpine at 202 West Holland, across from the historic Holland Hotel. The West Texas 25 horses were part of an abuse investigation earlier this summer at a set of Presidio pens used as a holding facility for 300 horses bound for slaughter in Mexico.

Marfa Sheriff Danny Dominguez seized the animals, then turned them over to renowned equine photographer Rachael Waller, whose Brewster County Firelight South ranch is a satellite location of the California-based Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue. Six of the horses have passed away since early September due to severe complications from starvation and neglect; however the remaining 19 are holding strong, and some have already been adopted.

Due to this year’s drought, feeding the horses is a daily financial struggle, so in true Big Bend fashion, area musicians, artists, and generous community members  and business merchants are coming together to make a fundraiser Silent Auction possible. All proceeds and donations are tax-deductible, and will directly help purchase hay, feed and medical supplies and services for the West Texas 25.
The West Texas 25 are comprised of beautiful horses of all different colors, breeds, and sizes. All are now on their way to a full recovery and many are ready for adoption. Those wishing to adopt, but who don’t have the facilities to board a horse or the time to commit to caring for a horse, are encouraged to consider sponsorship. Sponsors are welcome to meet with Rachael Waller and select a horse to love and support. Sponsorship includes a monthly tax deductible donation that will go towards feed and care.
Come share some holiday cheer and bid on some unique and wonderful items for the holidays, while supporting a great cause. There will be gift certificates from the Reata, the Holland Hotel, and other local businesses; original art, custom jewelry, and two necklaces featured in Italian Vogue; photography and prints of local art; southwestern items, baskets for horse lovers, and a hand-beaded horse breast collar courtesy of the Lakota tribe and the Indian Stunt Ranch, plus much more.

There will be apple cider, hot beverages, light munchies, live music, and holiday cheer happening throughout the day. Hudson’s is sponsoring the event and will be offering 10% off its sales all day, as well as donating 10% of its sales to help buy hay for the horses.
Please contact Rachael Waller at wallerrachael@yahoo.com for more information on the West Texas 25, or to see photos of the horses and read their stories, visit the Survivors of the West Texas 25 on Facebook.

Marfa Public Radio awarded grant

Special to the Daily Planet

On December 15, Marfa Public Radio, was awarded a $10,000 grant from Permian Basin Area Foundation of Midland.

This grant will be used as part of Marfa Public Radio's next signal improvement project: an improved, localized new signal in Alpine. In early 2012, KRTS Marfa will install a new radio transmitter on “A” Mountain in Alpine, simultaneously broadcasting their main signal from 93.5 FM on the additional frequency of 91.7 FM in Alpine.

The station hopes to fill in signal gaps caused by the mountainous terrain between Alpine and the primary KRTS tower outside of Fort Davis, at 93.5 FM. Marfa Public Radio is grateful to Permian Basin Area Foundation for contributing to this important signal improvement project. 

2011 was a busy year at Marfa Public Radio. KRTS Marfa completed its power upgrade, and is now operating at the full power allowed by the FCC, at 93.5 FM. The station also installed a backup generator, enabling the transmitter to remain powered during emergencies, such as severe weather and outages related to wildfires. Additionally, the station introduced new local coverage and national programs.

You can reach Marfa Public Radio at info@marfapublicradio.org or at 432-729-4578.

 

 

Everyone donating online before the end of the year is entered In a drawing for an iPad.

Special to the Daily Planet

 
At a time when many are making year-end, tax deductible donations to their favorite organizations, KRTS is pleased to announce a special holiday incentive for donors. KRTS is giving away an iPad tablet computer to one lucky individual.

Anyone donating online at marfapublicradio.org before midnight Central Time on Sunday, December 31, will be entered in the drawing. 

KRTS Marfa Public Radio, 93.5 FM is publicly owned and operated, and relies on fundraisers and membership donations to fund its operations. Complete details about the iPad drawing can be found at marfapublicradio.org.

You can reach Marfa Public Radio at info@marfapublicradio.org or at 432-729-4578. 

Santa’s war on Christmas

By Jason Sanford, jasonsanford.org

This column might offend you if you subscribe to the ubiquitous evangelical complaint that secular America wants to take the Christ out of Christmas, and for that I am sorry. But if you don’t mind, let me tell you a story.

Despite what Rick Perry claimed in his infamous “War on Christmas” ad, Texas schoolchildren do “openly celebrate Christmas.” Today my two sons are having Christmas parties at their Austin public elementary school. “There’s going to be food and crafts and activities and stuff like that,” said my 3^rd grader. “The usual.”

Last year my oldest son’s class sang holiday songs about Kwanza and Chanukah, but not as some exercise in multiculturalism. Some kids in his class celebrate those holidays.

They also sang a song about a Jewish man traveling with his very pregnant wife who was pleading with an innkeeper to rent them a room. It seems this man, Joseph, was trying to find a safe place for his wife to give birth to a child who was not his son but who would be his king. I cannot imagine a more Christian song to sing anywhere, much less in a public school.

If there is a War on Christmas, the liberals are getting routed. It’s time for evangelicals to declare victory on this front and fight the real secular threat to the true meaning of Christmas: Santa Claus.

Politically conservative Christians are fighting the wrong War on Christmas. The real threat isn’t those kids on Glee, federal judges trying to prevent the government from going into the religion business, or well-meaning schoolteachers who want to honor the traditions of all their students.

Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris: A love affair consummated in music

 

Way back in the in the early ‘70s, I got to know the music of Gram Parsons. I think if I had to sit down and pick one artist to listen to, it would be Parsons. He was a singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist, and was the driving force behind a form of music mostly commonly called “Cosmic American Music," a term he seemed uncomfortable with. He worked with such notable bands as The Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers; the Rolling Stones said he had an enormous effect on their music. He also did toured for a year or so with a very young Emmylou Harris, who can be heard and seen in this grainy, but wonderful video of one of their live performances, If you listen to the two of them sing -- anything -- it's obvious they were more than just friends. “The New Soft Shoe,” which they sing here, is one of those songs open to all kinds of interpretations. I think your interpretation depnds on your mood at the time you're listening. If you haven't listened to Parsons before, I urge you to go to YouTube and just start going down the list. I promise, you'll be hooked.

 

Brewster County Sheriff’s office blotter for week of Dec. 12

• Total Calls: 122
• Total Investigations: 73
• Traffic Stops: 44
• Citations Issued: 21           
• Civil Process: 4

Dec. 12

• Lost Property Located Terlingua Under Investigation
• Unattended Death Terlingua JP and Funeral Home Notified
• Possible Plane Crash Alpine Airport Investigated/Cleared/No Crash-Plane Landed Safely
• 911 Call-Ambulance Request Lajitas No Transport
• Animal Control-Loose Burros          Terlingua UTL

Dec. 13

• Agency Assist-APD Alpine Heights Cleared by Assist
• 911 Call-Ambulance Request Alpine Transport to BBRMC
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• 911 Call-Ambulance Request Terlingua Transport to BBRMC
• Abandoned Vehicle Terlingua Vehicle Red Tagged/Towed 3 Days Later
• 911 Call-EMS Request BBNP BBNP Ranger En-Route
• Agency Assist-USBP/Paraphernalia Found 385 S Checkpoint 2 Citations Issued
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared

Dec. 14

• Suspicious Person 1900 Block N 7^th UTL
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• Alarm Alpine Middle School Investigated/Cleared
• Medical Alarm Marathon Transport to BBRMC
• Telephone Harassment Alpine Information Taken
• Criminal Trespass 400 Block E Lockhart Notice Served
• Auto Accident w/o Injuries  Hwy 118 by Apostolic Church Individual released to Parents/Vehicle Towed

Dec. 15

• Suspicious Vehicle Alpine Investigated/Cleared
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• Reckless Driver S Hwy 67 Written Warning Issued
• Reckless Driver Hwy 90 5 Miles W of Marathon UTL/Terrell County Notified
• Illegal Dumping Terlingua Verbal Warning Issued

Dec. 16

• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• Suspicious Vehicle 8^th & Gallego UTL
• Hit and Run 100 Block N 10^th Report Made
• Animal Control-Cattle Marathon Put Up
• Animal Control-Mules Wagon Road Attempt to Contact Owner/Message Left

Dec. 17

• Animal Control-Cattle 1 Mile N Hwy 118 UTL
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• Possible Fire Double Diamond Investigated/No Fire only Fog
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• Alarm Alpine High School Investigated/Cleared
• 911 Call-Ambulance Request Terlingua No Transport

Dec. 18

• Agency Assist-APD 10^th & Ave E Cleared by Assist
• Agency Assist-APD/Loud Noise 200 Block N 14^th Cleared by Assist
• Agency Assist-APD/Possible Domestic Alpine Heights Investigated/Cleared
• Animal Control-Loose Dogs Twin Peaks Trailer Park Owner Contacted
• Agency Assist-APD/Possible Suicide Attempt Cozy Courts Apartments Investigated/Cleared
• Stolen Gun S Mosley Loop Information Taken Suspicious Vehicle Alpine High School Old Gym UTL Vehicle Owners

 

Brewster County Jail Booking Log for week of Dec. 12

Dec. 12

• Juan Roberto Lozano-Ramirez Re-Entry USBP
• Willie Ben Lara Jr. Evading Arrest Detention BCSO

Dec. 13

• Jorge Luis Roldan-Castrellon Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Pedro Lujan-Gutierrez Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Lee Andrew Partain Probation Violation USM
• Ricardo Gonzalez-Villaba Possession WITD, Aiding and Abetting DEA
• Jesus Zapata-Zamudio Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Eleazar Barraza-Espinoza Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Nabor Nunez-Romero Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Humberto Hernandez-Sierra Possession WITD DEA
• Juan Carlos Sierra-Quezada Possession WITD DEA
• Jorge Fontes-Fontes Possession WITD DEA
• Jose Luis Marquez Possession WITD DEA
• Hector Ramon Mojica Possession WITD DEA
• David Humberto Diaz-Rivas Possession WITD DEA

Dec. 14

• Eva Marie Ojeda Possession WITD ICE
• Nicolas Romero POM WITD, Aiding and Abetting DEA
• Rosario Soto-Guerrera POM WITD, Aiding and Abetting DEA

Dec. 15

• Agustin Gomez-Penazola Illegal Entry USBP
• Rufino Madrid-Rodriguez Theft Presidio County
• Yudith Daena U Lujan Midland County Warrant: Forgery by Passing Presidio County
• Alfredo Ramirez-Artega Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Evaristo Echevarria-Hoguin Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Cley Villalobos-Anaya Illegal Entry USBP
• Guillermo Gutierrez Illegal Entry USBP
• Auden Chavez-Hinojos Re-Entry After Removal USBP
• Manuel Juarez-Pablo Re-Entry After Removal USBP
• Santos Nat-Gomes Re-Entry After Removal USBP
• Misael De Jesus Orellana-Perez Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Armando Ramirez-Sanchez Possession WITD ICE
• Gilberto Calix-Membrano Possession WITD ICE
• Palemon Hernandez-Tolentino Possession WITD ICE
• Kevin Cruz Possession WITD ICE
• Pedro Uriel Ayala-Hernandez Possession WITD, Importation ICE

Dec. 16

• Jose Luis Martinez-Chavira Possession WITD ICE
• John Finley Walker DWI APD
• Mario Mendez-Pascual Illegal Entry USBP
• Marcos Garcia-Tipas Illegal Entry USBP
• Obdulio Lopez-Gutierrez Illegal Entry USBP
• Felipe Xon-Morales Illegal Entry USBP

Dec. 17

• Elena M Harris Evading Arrest Detention w/Vehicle, DWI, Burglary of a Building APD
• Ruben Alvarez Assault Causes Bodily Injury Family Violence Presidio County
• Danny Christopher Hyatt Evading Arrest Detention APD
• Martin Casillas-Ramirez Possession WITD, Importation ICE
• Miguel Angel Rodriguez-Lueveno POM WITD ICE
• Rigoberto Acosta Re-Entry After Removal USBP
• Saul Madrilas-Martinez Illegal Re-Entry USBP

Dec. 18

• Eugene Charles Pena DWI DPS
• Adan Ronquillo Garcia Unlawful Carry Weapon APD
• Jose Navarrete-Plascensia Entry w/o Inspection USBP
• Genovevo Rodriguez-Lopez Illegal Entry USBP
• Rosalio Navarrete-Plascencia Entry w/o Inspection USBP

 

A little Red Dirt music from Oklahoma

For some reason, I felt like listening to those Red Dirt boys from Stillwater -- Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Randy Rogers Band and Stoney LaRue. It's not quite traditional Christmas music but the boys cn sing.

 

 

 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park to participate in annual Christmas bird count

Special to the Daily Planet

Guadalupe Mountains National Park Superintendent Dennis A. Vásquez invites everyone to participate in the 112th Annual Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Dec. 31 at the park. Counters at Guadalupe Mountains National Park will join more than 50,000 counters and over 2,000 locations throughout North, South and Central America, and the Caribbean, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.

Each year, between December 14 until January 5, citizen scientists, who are birders of all ages, families, students, scientists and groups volunteer at those sites, bring their binoculars, bird guides and check lists to identify and count birds, monitoring the health of bird populations, contributing significantly to their conservation and enjoying their beauty. Guadalupe Mountains has participated in the Christmas Bird Count for more than 30 years.

Said Vásquez, “because of its diversity of ecosystems, Guadalupe Mountains National Park has nearly 300 species of birds. We are proud to participate in the Annual Christmas Bird Count, along with the dedicated citizen scientists who come to the park each year to help with the Christmas Bird count and enjoy a day of birding in a spectacular national park. We hope that new birders will come join us this year.”

Why are we forced to worship at the feet of “mythical” financial markets controlled by the elite?

Editor’s note: Les Leopold is the executive director of the Labor Institute and Public Health Institute in New York, and author of The Looting of America: How Wall Street's Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions, and Prosperity—and What We Can Do About It (Chelsea Green, 2009).

By Les Leopold

The markets are “jittery,” “upset,” “skittish” and “unnerved.” They are “confident” or “unsure.” They are “demanding” that political leaders “put up or shut up.” And they are “reacting unfavorably” to Obama’s newfound populism.

These are just a few of the many ways financial markets are described each and every day by the media, financial players and public officials. At first it seems as if these markets are humanoids onto which we project our feelings. Yet, on closer inspection, it’s more like we have ascribed to them god-like powers. We are told to appease the market gods or face eternal financial damnation. As President Obama warned Europe recently, they must “muster the political will” to “settle markets down.”

Why do we worship these angry market gods?

Trading has been around for as long as humans. We, no doubt, increased our chances of survival through trading what we had more of for what we needed or wanted. The more complex our societies became the more markets grew. At some point during the Renaissance, markets emerged that traded money as well as goods, as city-states and nations sought ways to fund wars. But these markets were far from god-like. Sovereign nations ruled supreme and money-lenders had to do their bidding if they hoped to be repaid or in some cases, if they hoped to avoid execution. Even Adam Smith didn’t suggest that financial markets had god-like powers. In fact, these markets seemed more like petulant children throwing tantrums as they puffed up tulip bubbles, South Sea bubbles, railroad bubbles and periodic financial panics.

When the mother of all financial crashes struck in 1929, it seemed as if markets would forever lose their god-like status. A consensus emerged that financial speculation was a major cause of the Great Depression, and tight controls were established during the New Deal to teach these petulant children a lesson they would never forget.

They forgot. We forgot.

After WWII, a new generation of economists emerged who worshiped the markets and detested any and all government interference. For these true believers, markets were infallible, blessed by what they called the “efficient markets” theory. Financial markets, they claimed, always got prices right. They always provided the best allocation of society’s scarce resources, and most importantly, they undermined bad government decisions. And all of this happened without any guidance and without anyone exercising any control whatsoever. These great autonomous and anonymous forces of modern economies ruled supreme and that was absolutely wonderful, according to these worshipers– praise the lord!

Led by economist Milton Friedman, these market apostles undermined any and all regulations that were put in place during the Great Depression to contain the diabolical impacts of markets run wild. “Let them run wild,” we were told, “and we’ll get an economic boom to make all boats rise.” Starting with President Carter, each and every president unleashed financial markets more and more until the financial sector towered over the global economy. Not only were the new financial market gods, bigger and more powerful than ever before, but the new high priests -- our financial elites -- earned millions of dollars, then hundreds of millions, and then billions as they collected modern-day tithes from all of us for tending to the financial gods. While markets were said to be intermediaries between our savings and needed investment, the financial elites became the intermediaries between our money and their own pockets.