U.S. Military: 'Islamic State of Iraq' Fronted by Imaginary Leader

U.S. Military: 'Islamic State of Iraq' Fronted by Imaginary Leader

The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella terror group affiliated with Al Qaeda in Iraq, is led by a fictional character designed to mask that group's foreign influence, a captured terror leader has revealed to U.S. interrogators.
In an effort to give Al Qaeda an Iraqi face, terrorists created "a virtual organization in cyberspace," U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner said.
In Web postings, the Islamic State of Iraq has identified its leader as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, a name indicating Iraqi origin. There are no known photos of al-Baghdadi. The Egyptian Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who is the known leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, is named as minister of war in the umbrella organization.

Why does this not come as a shock. I mean these people are all about lies and misinformation, so it only goes to show what they will stoop to do in order to get their way. As more comes out about these people I have begun to wonder if they are not taking their ideas right from the Liberal "how to get what you want" playbook. I mean they have been using an actor to portray the leader of a FAKE pseudo government, with the intent of recruiting people to murder in the name of Islamic Purity, (does that ring a bell to any of you history buffs out there)?

To make their fictional leader appear credible, al-Masri swore allegiance to al-Baghdadi and pledged to obey him, which was essentially swearing allegiance to himself, Bergner said.
Al-Zawahiri also repeatedly referred to al-Baghdadi in video and Internet statements, further deceiving Iraqi followers and perpetuating the myth of al-Baghdadi.

OK so this guy swears to follow and obey his own fictional character in order to fool the Iraqi people, That is like you swearing to obey your invisible friend George, the elevator apparently does not reach the top floors.

Although Al Qaeda in Iraq's rank-and-file are mostly Iraqis, the Iraqi group's top leadership is dominated by foreigners, Bergner said. That includes al-Masri, who joined an Al Qaeda forerunner in Egypt in the 1980s and later helped train fighters who drove the Soviet army from Afghanistan.

Under interrogation, Al-Mashadani said Al-Masri and the foreign leaders who surround him make the operational decisions, not Iraqis.
"Al-Masri started overpowering us and acted on his own accord, by controlling the distribution of funding," Al-Mashadani is quoted as saying.
"The idea of al-Baghdadi is very weak now because other insurgent groups have realized that the concept of al-Baghdadi is controlled by the Al Qaeda foreign fighters in Iraq."

OK, so we have a bunch of foreigners who hate the US in Iraq and other Arab countries trying to tell the people of Iraq what to do while we are over there trying to protect the citizens who want to govern themselves as best as they can. Now tell me we need to pull our military out, I personally think we need to send more over and just clean things up even faster. We also need to put Iran and Syria on notice that we will not play nice if we get solid evidence that they are assisting these groups. But then if I were President this would have never gotten this messed up in the first place.

Katy reconsiders 12-year-old's graffiti suspension

This is another of KISD's attempts at "zero tolerance" enforcement that has gone wrong.

Katy reconsiders 12-year-old's graffiti suspension

Katy Independent School District is reconsidering a decision to send a sixth-grader to alternative school for four months after she confessed to writing "I love Alex" on a school gymnasium wall with a baby blue sharpie.
Under a firestorm of widespread criticism, the district is researching discipline options for Shelby Sendelbach, a 12-year-old Mayde Creek Junior High School pupil who was punished by the district with a Level 4 infraction after writing the message in permanent ink.
The grafitti offense — on par with making terroristic threats, drug possession and assault — is punishable as a felony under the district's discipline plan. Only a Level 5 is more severe -- for murder, possessing firearms, aggravated or sexual assault and arson.

Ok, first off when has writing on the walls or anything for that matter on the same level as any of these three actions,(terroristic threats, drug possession and assault). If you can give me an answer to that which makes sense then you are smarter than I am by a long shot.


Here is my personal feelings, there has been a significant overreaction on the part of teachers, administrators, school boards, and even parents with regards to school discipline. Busting someone for graffiti, for writing on a gym wall, is insane. It seems as if every time someone breaks a rule in Katy ISD the school and district jump in and throw the book at them, with out even taking the time to determine how serious the offense is. Why is that? Well for one thing most people in education for the past 20 years have been more about feel good environments, but kids who are not stupid, realized that they could get away with almost anything, started to do just that. Now districts are having to crack down and these same people who for the longest time could never bring themselves to calling a student down for something as simple as talking out of turn in class are having to discipline students and do not know how to. For that reason and that reason alone, they go to the extreme case and then fall back on the argument that they were only following the zero tolerance policy of the district. Buffalo Bagles, these educrats are the reason we have these problems and until they learn to better evaluate the level of a student's misbehavior, and start to apply some simple logic and common sense to assigning punishment we will continue to have these sorts of events.



This is not the first time KISD has been busted for going overboard with regards to their discipline and zero tolerance, and it will probably not be the last. These people need to stop reacting and start using the brains that they supposedly have.

Another link about Zero Tolerance
State lawmakers look at revamping school discipline

Harris County toll road workers lose EZ Tag privileges | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Harris County toll road workers lose EZ Tag privileges

Ok now the headline says one thing and the story says another. Before I go any further, I want to make something very clear, I have no problem with employees having perks, or benefits that are unique to the company, that is one of the things that makes each different potential employer unique. However when those benefits are abused, then things need to be looked at and for that I applaud the Toll Road Authority. Read the whole story and let me know what you think...

More than 1,000 Harris County Toll Road Authority employees have lost their free EZ Tag privileges as agency officials review their policy of giving the perk to other county employees and public agencies.
Authority employees heading to work sites still will be able to drive on the toll roads without paying, but will have to stop and sign for the privilege at toll booths.
Commissioners Court took away the perk Tuesday and asked toll road officials to review whether the county should be giving as many as 5,500 free EZ Tags to county officials, police and fire departments, the FBI and others in public safety.
Also Tuesday, the court formally rescinded a June 19 vote to raise tolls from $1 to $2.50 on the Westpark Tollway — which allows only vehicles with EZ Tags — during peak hours.
Two days after the vote, following intense criticism of the congestion pricing plan by many tollway users, County Judge Ed Emmett announced the court would reverse its decision at its next meeting.
Emmett said he and other court members were pleased to get the public's reaction to the original decision. Based on such feedback, court members knew that most tollway users do not support peak-hour pricing, he said.
"I don't mind a public discourse of, 'Is this the right thing to do? Is this the wrong thing? ' " he said.
The court, however, stood by its decision to increase tolls by 25 cents throughout the pay road system. The increase will go into effect Sept. 3.
The increase, officials said, will boost toll road revenues about $65 million a year. The toll road authority said the higher rates were needed to pay for maintenance and build six new toll segments estimated to cost $4.4 billion.
"The across-the-board rate hike was necessary because it will allow for the development of other toll roads," Emmett said. "The problem with congestion pricing is that it wouldn't work if people who were forced off the tollway didn't have anywhere else to go."
Questions about the free EZ Tags arose last month amid public outcry over the county's short-lived plan for congestion pricing on Westpark.
Art Storey, director of the county's Public Infrastructure Department, said EZ Tags issued to toll road employees were to be used only for work-related trips. He said he was unsure whether employees violated that policy, a matter he suggested the county auditor's office may examine.
The auditor's office is conducting an audit of the toll road authority following revelations last month that the agency solicited donations from contractors and vendors to pay thousands of dollars for parties and SplashTown outings for authority employees.
Officials said agency employees collected nearly $60,000 from about 31 companies that had contracts with the toll road authority. About $45,000 of that was spent on a Splashtown outing for authority employees in June 2006. The remaining $15,000 was kept in a non-county bank account.
Toll road authority director Mike Strech was forced to resign about 6 weeks ago, and his executive assistant, Diana Wilcox, was fired over the practice that appeared to have gone on for several years.
On Tuesday Storey said toll road authority employees who need to ride on the tollway to reach work sites can do so without paying by signing their names at collection booths.
Others who have EZ Tags can submit expense vouchers for work-related trips, he said.
Storey said EZ Tags are given to law enforcement and county employees to help them do their jobs.

Los Angeles Mayor Acknowledges Relationship With TV Reporter

Los Angeles Mayor Acknowledges Relationship With TV Reporter

Now a public figure having a relationship with another public figure is not a big deal, however the fact that the Mayor is still married, yes there is a divorce in the works, shows how much the moral fiber of our country has fallen. Look at the comments and quotes from this man.

The mayor and his wife separated last month after 20 years of marriage. Corina Villaraigosa
filed for divorce June 12, a day after the mayor told reporters in a City Hall news conference that he took the blame for his crumbling marriage.
At the time, he wouldn't answer whether he was romantically involved with someone else, citing his family's privacy.
But Villaraigosa issued a statement, published Tuesday by the Los Angeles Daily News, acknowledging his involvement with Telemundo newswoman Mirthala Salinas, after the paper told the mayor it was set to publish a story about their relationship.
"It is true that I have a relationship with Ms. Mirthala Salinas. As I've said I take full responsibility for my actions, and I once again ask that people respect my family's privacy. For my part, I intend to stay focused on my job, and to work as hard as I can every day to be the best mayor I can be," Villaraigosa said.

Now let me see this guy is elected mayor of one of our two largest cities, he and his wife separate, she files for divorce after 20 years, and he only admits that it was an afair that caused the divorce after a local newspaper threatens to blow his cover?

Then there is more...

She seeks spousal support and primary physical custody of the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Natalia, with visitation terms to be worked out with the mayor, according to the filing.
The couple also have an 18-year-old son, Antonio Jr., and the mayor has two adult daughters from previous relationships.
Villaraigosa has carefully tended an image as a devoted family man, but his marriage has shown signs of trouble in the past.
His wife filed for divorce in 1994, but the couple reconciled after a two-and-a-half year split.

Get this he has 4 kids from 2 different women, yet somehow was able to come off as a devoted family man. Really sad.

Headlines I have collected

Ex-Marine, 72, Teaches Pickpocket a Lesson
New Jersey mutt wins ugliest dog crown in California
Judge rejects $54 million lawsuit over lost pair of pants
Millionaire, 84, died fleeing Harris probate court
Disney to scrap lucrative direct-to-DVD animated sequels
Is Earmark Disclosure a True Measure of Transparency? Actually the question is do we actually have a conservative or at least honest democrat?
Embattled Duke Rape Case Prosecutor Mike Nifong Could Get Jail Time
Senate Votes to Increase Fuel Economy Standards in Cars, SUVs
Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer Dispute Conversation About Reining in Conservative Talk Radio So who do you believe, a moderate/conservative republican or two flaming liberals
Prince William Turns 25, Gains Part of Diana's Inheritance Now the question is will he be king instead of his father, and who will he marry....
Bush Administration Opposes Making Immigration Bill Easier on Employers
Vatican Reverses Annulment of Ex-Rep. Joseph Kennedy's First Marriage
Computer Hacking Plagues Department of Homeland Security
County rescinds Westpark Tollway fee hike
Plan for new taxes on oil companies stalls
N.H. Town Hopes to End Standoff Between Police and Couple Barricaded in Home Since January
FOHacker Claims to Have Posted 'Harry Potter' Plot on Internet
Police Say Washington Baby Died After Mom Taped Pacifier in Infant's Mouth
The perils of carving a path to the Taliban's front door
Fireworks sales likely to blast off
Duke prosecutor testifies; ex-lacrosse player weeps

Complaints Prompt Bush Administration to Delay Passport Rule

Complaints Prompt Bush Administration to Delay Passport Rule - Now why does this headline not surprise me in the least. The Bush Administration has time and time again shown that they can come up with a solution for every problem the country faces, however if you ask them to implement them, the fail miserably.

At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Maura Harty, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, took the blame for the passport mess, even as she offered a wide array of explanations.
Part of the problem, she said, was that in 2005 Hurricane Katrina reduced the capabilities of the agency's New Orleans passport office. She also said the agency had not expected so many Americans to actually obey the new law.
And, she said, many people were applying for passports with no specific travel plans in mind — but that is precisely what northern state lawmakers had warned would happen for those living along the U.S. border who do not plan such trips far in advance.

Now these comments are just what you can come to expect from a bureaucrat who is covering up for his or her boss. The one that nearly had me falling out of my chair was the one about so many Americans actually obeying the new law. What country and group of people did she expect? I mean the majority of the citizens of the US are law abiding citizens, and will do what they can to obey new laws when they come out no matter how insane they think they are.

So here we are, looking at another Bush Administration idea that was implemented without looking at the whole picture. And to think we have nothing better on the horizon when it comes to candidates on either side of the fence for 2008.

It is time to vote for NONE OF THE ABOVE.

Are we nearing the end in the Duke Lacross Rape story?

Here we go with the final chapters of the Duke Lacross Rape case.
to summarize
1) Duke Lacross team has a party, strippers are invited
2) underage drinking occurs
3) one of the strippers, a black woman, with a past history accuses them of rape.
4) the DA, in a tight race for re-election takes the case
5) People are up screaming for these rich spoiled brats to face justice.
6) DNA testing is done to verify if a crime occurred
7) The accuser's background is made public, and her credibility is brought into question.
8) the DA calls the Duke players hooligans and swears that they will face a trial.
9) Charges of rape are brought on 3 of the players
10) DNA Testing shows that the 3 are innocent
11) The DA refuses to release all DNA Testing
12) the accuser' changes her story so many times, any reasonable person would question its truth.
13) Duke suspends the lacross teams season and fires the coach
14) the DA wins re-election
15) Pressure to drop the charges because there is no evidence increases
16) the DA turns the case over to the State AG for completion
17) the State AG drops the charges and calls the DA's actions deplorable
18) DA faces multiple charges both civil, criminal, and professionally
19) DA is disbarred for over 10 violations of conduct code but he shows no remorse

District Attorney Mike Nifong was disbarred Saturday for his "selfish" rape
prosecution of three Duke University lacrosse players -- a politically motivated
act, his judges said, that he inexplicably allowed to fester for months after it
was clear the defendants were innocent.
"This matter has been a fiasco.
There's no doubt about it," said F. Lane Williamson, the chairman of the
three-member disciplinary committee that stripped the veteran prosecutor of his
state law license.
Even Nifong and his attorneys supported the decision,
though the veteran prosecutor refused to admit to the end that no crime occurred
at a March 2006 lacrosse team party

20) DA resigns from office and offers to leave middle of July
21) State superior court judge bars DA from office and removes him from his position ASAP
22) Duke and accused players reach settlement

The players said in a joint statement that they hoped the agreement would "begin
to bring the Duke family back together again."
"The events of the last year
tore the Duke community apart, and forcibly separated us from the university we
love," they said. "We were the victims of a rogue prosecutor concerned only with
winning an election, and others determined to railroad three Duke lacrosse
players and to diminish the reputation of Duke University."

23) NCAA gives accused players extra year of elegibility

OK now with all of this that has happened over the past 13 months, have we learned anything? I would say no, simply because there are still to many people who feel that they deserve something, and will do anything to get it. The DA in this case was so desperate to get elected after being appointed to the position last year that he failed to look at the whole picture, as well as failed to keep is personal feelings out of the case. He is lucky that he only lost his job and not all of his retirement and benefits. But that may well be coming as it looks like the 3 young men who were WRONGLY accused of this crime are looking into a civil case against the DA. I hope they take him for everything he has and he has to start over. I will not say that this is a liberal democrat that is getting busted, but what it is plain and simple is a person who let their ambitions and the public outcry and outright local hatred of a group that was better off than them cloud his decision making to the point that he eventually realized that he could not just walk away with out completely losing all credibility. He has convinced himself that a crime did occur, and that he simply pursued the wrong "criminals". Really sad if you ask me.

Collection of Headlines

7 Sex Offenders Arrested in Texas MySpace Crackdown
Schwarzenegger to Immigrants: Avoid Spanish-Language Media
Markets Surge on CPI Data; Dow Jumps 100 Points
Hamas Seizes Control of Main Gaza Road as Civil War Breaks Out
Rays: Former foster teen says she is carrying Dukes' baby
House tentatively OKs plan to replace TAKS test
The ultimate hoops game from hell
Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Teen Who Walked on His Lawn
$152 billion Texas budget pact boosts education
Grand jury clears shooter in March Metro fatality
Rift seen in Iraq insurgency -- some groups reject al Qaeda
Bill, Hillary Clinton Sold Drug, Oil Assets to Avoid Conflicts of Interest

Immigration Reform for Dummies (or Congress) your choice

Well over the past few months we have seen just about every idea regarding immigration reform discussed and argued about and still Congress sits on their collective asses and does nothing. Why well for one the liberals cannot make up their minds, and the conservatives are afraid to take a position and fight for it. So I have taken it upon myself to sit down and look at the issue and see if we the people cannot come up with a solution that we can send to Congress for examination.

In order to do that we need to look at the what are the things that have people trying to enter this country illegally in the first place. Next we need to find a way to either eliminate that incentive or make it easier for the goal to be achieved. Finally we need to set things out in a way that allows for easy and consistent enforcement of these guidelines.

That being said I know of at least 5 reasons that people are crossing the borders illegally:

• better paying Jobs than at home
• Free Health care
• US Citizenship by birth
• little or no taxes
• Family already here

I know there are others however for discussion I think that these five cover the largest portion of the pie. So how do we fix things and eliminate the incentive or if necessary make it easier to enter legally?

Well for starters we can eliminate two of the issues really fast, US Citizenship and Health care. Citizenship requirements need to be cleaned up, and eliminating the Citizenship by birth for all, and change it to Citizenship by birth for those here legally. If you are in the country illegally your children born here are not citizens of the US plain and simple. Refuse to recognize these births and you reduce and probably eliminate the pregnant woman coming across the border and having her kid in a border town hospital. This also will reduce if not eliminate the problem of splitting up families because mommy and daddy are illegal.

Along those same lines you eliminate free health care and other government programs for non citizens and several things will happen. First the local support programs, hospitals and police, will not be stretched as thin because of all the expenses that they have to write off due to non payment or indigent care, and at the same time the quality of care should improve for those that need it. This means that every facility should be allowed to refuse service if they feel that the person who is requesting care is not a citizen, that and the emergency clinics should be able to refuse care for those that are truly not in need of emergency care. Cut out food stamps, welfare, and any other program that enables illegal to be attached to the teat of the government.

Now as far as dealing with the employment issue, it should be cut and dried. Every person who wants to enter the country strictly as a worker should be allowed to provided they follow these steps.

• They enter the country from a legal point of entry
• They submit to fingerprinting
• If they want citizenship they have to return to their country and start the process.
• They will be given a work visa that expires 365 days from date of issue and needs to be renewed annually for a small fee. This renewal could be done at any consul or point of entry or INS office .
• If for any reason they are convicted of a felony, all rights and access would be revoked permanently. Misdemeanors would be different, however habitual offenders could have their rights and access revoked as well.
• Eliminate sanctuary cities and find a way to withhold federal assistance funds for local projects if for any reason immigration laws are not enforced within any part of the country, be that city, county, or state.
• Accept the issuance of a federal foreign worker ID card that is tied to a unique tax id number, and that is accepted as a form of ID that way employers can take care of the payroll taxes and such. Also they would during the process forfeit the right to claim any of their income taxes that are withheld. They would have the option if they obtain citizenship get a partial refund of these taxes provided they have been legal the whole time.
• They pay an administrative fee of no more than $200 that would cover the above expenses

Now you all may be saying that is all well and good, but how do we deal with the twelve million plus that are here illegally right now. To that I say, we give them ONE chance to come clean, after that we go after them with no mercy or quarter, and here is how that is done. On the first day of the month after this legislation is signed, the following rules would be put in place.

Anyone who is in the country right now illegally has 6 months to come clean, return to a legal point of entry, and begin the process as described above or face forfeiture of any and all future access to the program. Then at the end of the 6 month period you start hitting cities one by one and holding massive immigration sweeps, unannounced, and hit all of the day labor sites, as well as spot checks at employment sites where immigrants are known to be employed, as well as social spots. No other choice, and from then on if you are caught in this country illegally you will be fingerprinted, and shipped back to your country of origin. If for some reason someone is caught a second or even a third time they will face prison for at least 15 years.

I realize this is not a perfect plan and some would call it amnesty, however we need to do something, and the sad thing is if we leave it up to Congress it will be nothing more than a hollow convoluted mess that cannot be enforced let alone understood. Just look at the Medicare Prescription plan that was enacted.

Political Headlines since 4-10-07

Dewhurst balks at Perry's push for more tax relief

Patrick's abortion bill advances despite criticism

House bill OKs religious expression on campus

Senate passes shield law after adding a few loopholes

Top 10% admissions cap proposal moves ahead in Senate

Appraisals up 7%, but tax bills should shrink

Hamas Fires Rockets at Israel After Declaring End to 5-Month Truce

Hamas Calls for New Terror Attacks on Israel

Rep. Hunter Calls on Harry Reid to Step Down as Senate Majority Leader

Supreme Court to weigh fate of Houston teens' killer

Conservative Sarkozy and Socialist Royal Face Off in French Presidential Election

Comics of the Day

Jason Whitlock Hits another Home Run when discussing Race

Jason Whitlock, is 2 for 2 with 2 home runs. Now he is not a baseball player he is a writer for the Kansas City Star, as well as a contributor on ESPN, and AOL. For those that do not know him here is a little more background:

Think you know it all? Not until you read Jason. Jason Whitlock has been creating water-cooler conversation in Kansas City since his arrival at The Star in 1994. His award-winning newspaper columns shock the funny bone, challenge conventional wisdom and cause readers to re-think their positions

So why do I think that he has knocked the ball out of the park 2 times? Well it simply has to do with the fact that here is a black man who is not afraid to call out those of his race when he sees them acting like fools, or doing things that he sees as detrimental to either the black community, race relations or both. However when he does this he also opens himself up for the inevitable cheap shots that come from the poverty pimps, race baiters, and appologists. That does not seem to bother Jason, and I applaud him for his courage of convictions and his willingness to call a spade a spade ( and yes I did use that word ) I do not care one single bit. Whitlock along with a few other influential Blacks have stood up and have said the same thing that most conservatives have said for the past 40 years, the black community needs to be responsible for itself, and that goes all the way down to the individual. And until this happens there will always be people like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson willing to step up and make money off of the misfortunes of any and all minorities.

However enough of my bitching about the poverty pimps and their actions, and back to Jason and the articles. Anyone who follows sports knows about Adam "Pacman" Jones the corner back for the Tennessee Titans who was just suspended for the whole NFL season because of his 10 off the field events that have required police intervention. Now these 10 events have happened in less than 2 full years, and do not include several other run ins that he had during college. For there full details of the final straw you can read Whitlock's article entitled : Mayhem Main Event at NBA All-Star Weekend . Here are a couple of quotes.

NBA All-Star Weekend in Vegas was an unmitigated failure, and any thoughts of taking the extravaganza to New Orleans in 2008 are total lunacy.
An event planned to showcase what is right about professional basketball has been turned into a 72-hour display of why commissioner David Stern can't sleep at night and spends his days thinking of rules to mask what the NBA has come to represent. Good luck fixing All-Star Weekend. The game is a sloppy, boring, half-hearted mess. The dunk contest is contrived and pointless. The celebrity contest is unintended comedy. And, worst of all, All-Star Weekend revelers have transformed the league's mid-season exhibition into the new millennium Freaknik, an out-of-control street party that features gun play, violence, non-stop weed smoke and general mayhem.

Now that article generated a lot of heat especially from those that are trying to protect the NBA, however now that the full story about "Pacman" and his trash bag of 1's has hit the press, even the NFL players association has called for stronger guidelines for behavior off the field, all year. There is finally some accountability that is being delivered to these over paid children for their actions.

Well when noise from that article died down Don Imus decided to open his mouth and insert his foot up to his knee, by calling the Rutgers women's basketball team a bunch of "nappy headed Ho's". Now all of a sudden the poverty pimps have a new target, Imus. Now I do not condone what Imus said, however there are at least 20 or more "singers" who have songs out that say a whole hell of a lot of things that are worse, but you do not hear anybody from the black community say anything about that because it would be wrong to hold the black community accountable for it's own poor behavior, let alone expect the "leaders" to set the proper example. That is where Whitlock's second article comes in: Don Imus is not the real story

Thank you, Don Imus. You’ve given us (black people) an excuse to avoid our real problem. You’ve given Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson another opportunity to pretend that the old fight, which is now the safe and lucrative fight, is still the most important fight in our push for true economic and social equality.

Thank you, Don Imus. You extended Black History Month to April, and we can once again wallow in victim hood, protest like it’s 1965 and delude ourselves into believing that fixing your hatred is more necessary than eradicating our self-hatred.
The bigots win again.
While we’re fixated on a bad joke cracked by an irrelevant, bad shock jock, I’m sure at least one of the marvelous young women on the Rutgers basketball team is somewhere snapping her fingers to the beat of 50 Cent’s or Snoop Dogg’s or Young Jeezy’s latest ode glorifying nappy-headed pimps and hos.

So you see where this is all going. Jason Whitlock is calling these people to the carpet and demanding accountability in the black community. Bill Cosby has taken heat for doing the same thing, however both of these men have done something that very few people can or are willing to do, and that is stand up to those in power and tell them that they are wrong, and reach out to the general public and try to wake them up to the reality of things, and get them to stop living in the past. If or when the black community as a whole wakes up and sees what 40+ years of blindly following the democrats and the liberal agenda has done to their community, you will see a drastic shift in support to the conservative mind set, and the black communities that right now are shunned, by most will become thriving centers of hope, life and energy that has not been seen in this country in a long time. Just wait, it is going to happen, and it will happen a lot sooner than most liberals think.

Bills on local tax limits languish, and Fred Hill still does not get it

Bills on local tax limits languish , the headline says it all, the Texas Legislature is again dragging its collective feet in getting meaningful property tax legislation sent up to the floor for debate. And again for the third legislative session in a row Fred Hill (RINO) Richardson shows just how stupid and arrogant he is.

I'll start with Mr. Hill who has been the bigest RINO on the plantation with regards to property Taxes. Here is his comments on the issue in the article

"The House still has a whole lot of bills to deal with in the remaining weeks of the session, and I don't believe that appraisal caps or revenue caps will be among those that pass," said Rep. Fred Hill, who chairs the House Local Ways and Means Committee that has jurisdiction over many of the issues.
"In the last three years, the members have learned a lot about these subjects," he said. "It's not that we are opposed to doing something to relieve the property tax situation, but these bills don't really help and won't do anything to make government more efficient."
Mr. Hill, R-Richardson, called the proposals "bad public policy," pointing to studies showing that while Texas has one of the higher property tax loads in the country, it ranks 44th among the states in per capita tax burden.
"Texas is a bargain when it comes to taxes," he said.

He thinks it is a bargain?, he thinks it is bad public policy to force taxing entities to have a strict budget? He seems to miss the point that if things do not change then people will start losing their homes because they cannot pay their taxes. What will happen then? Well I will bet that the classic snowball effect will take place. The tax rates will go up to cover for the missing income, and then more people will lose their homes or downsize. And eventually the strong housing market that we now have will implode worse than the 1980's real estate bust. Hill's comments also prove that he is pro-governement and anti-tax cut, and does not seem to understand that 99% of the people in the state of Texas have not seen an annual salary increase of over 5% in years. Just to prove that Mr. Hill has never been in the situation that most of you that will read this have been in here is a link to Mr. Hill's DCAD property record and you can see that his property value has been capped only 1 year in the past 8. Also look at the value and history and you can see that at about the time the appraisal cap issue came to the forefront of the state legislature Mr. Hill qualified for and was granted an OVER 65 exemption which for the most part has protected him from significant tax increases.

Now from that to the other head of this snake, the TAC and Elna Christopher.

Elna Christopher, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of Counties, said the group remains "very concerned" about the revenue cap measure. It would establish a 5 percent increase limit on annual revenues for cities and counties that could be exceeded only with voter approval. Currently, voters can petition for an election to roll back the property tax rate if the effective rate increases more than 8 percent in a given year.
"The counties believe it would be disastrous," Ms. Christopher said. City and county officials across the state have warned that priorities such as adequate police protection and economic development projects could be jeopardized if local officials lose control over their property tax rates.

Again the TAC and Ms. Christopher are a fountain of misinformation. First of all, the reason that TAC is against this is because it would force the 90% of counties, MUD Districts, and School Districts to become more responsable stewards with OUR MONEY, heaven forbid. Also it is not harming current budgets, all it would do is reduce the size of the raise that the county would get. I have said it before here shifting where the money comes from will not make the burden any less for the people who pay the taxes.

It is time for the citizens of Texas to step up and put some pressure on those in power to get the following bills out of committee and on to the floor of the Texas House and Senate for some honest debate and a vote up or down, so that we can see who is for giving the tax payers of the state a break and who is willing to side with TAC and other political cronies.

Here are links to the bills as well as a link to the committee that they have been sent to.

SB347: Would reduce the cap on how much property appraisals can increase, from 10 percent a year to 5 percent a year. Bill Text for SB347 and SJR 14
STATUS: Awaiting a hearing in a Senate committee. Finance Committee

HB2463: Would let homeowners pay property taxes based on the five-year average of their home's appraised value. Bill Text for HB2463
STATUS: Given a hearing in a House committee, but the panel has not voted on it. House Ways and Means

HB3534: Would cap how much local governments' revenue can increase, unless they let voters cast ballots on the issue. Bill Text for HB3543
STATUS: Awaiting a hearing in a House committee. House Ways and Means

SB270: Would require the disclosure of the sales price of real estate. Bill Text for SB270
STATUS: Scheduled for a hearing Wednesday in a Senate committee. Intergovernmental Regulations

SB407: Would allow voters to approve a sales-tax increase to offset a property tax cut. Bill Text SB407
STATUS: Awaiting a hearing in a Senate committee. Finance Committee

Political hot Potato or the Third Rail of Politics

After writing my last article I started to think about what issues do the American Public see as critical to the future of the country that most politicians would not touch with a ten foot pole. You see there are issues that can be described as hot potato or third rail issues. These are issues that if you are a senator, congressman or a member of a state legislature, and you take them up and seriously try to push through changes, you are taking your political career into your own hands. Plain and simple these are things that if you make a wrong step you will be out on your backside maybe even before the next election. So here are what I see as the issues that can and sometimes kill the career of most conservatives.

1) Social Security Reform
2) Welfare Reforme - All types
3) Income Tax Reform
4) Immigration
5) Abortion

I know there are others but for the most part when ever a true conservative tries to make significant changes to any of these programs they are always walking on thin ice. And it is for that reason that I have always said that the best way to change these programs short of complete elimination is to make very small changes, that is how 90% of these programs were built and that is how they need to be dismantled as well.

But again this is a common sense approach to things and I beleive that those in Austin and DC lose that skill after being there for to long.

Questions about immigration

Ever since 9/11 there has been an increase outcry from certain sectors of society demanding tougher immigration law enforcement. Stronger security on the borders, more inspections at the sea ports, as well as tighter security in airports have also been looked at and discussed. The biggest noise maker on both sides of the fence has been illegal immigration and the southern border of our country. There have been rallies both for and against changes in border security as well as immigration enforcement as well as the obvious irrational emotional outbursts on both sides. Well I am here today to look at why it is that the target of most of the immigration complaints revolve around people who are of Hispanic, or South and Central American heritage.

We could look at simply the assumed counts of illegal immigrants and say that since the majority of this groups comes from Mexico, Central and South America that this is why they are the poster children for this issue on both sides, however I do not think that strictly looking at the numbers does it justice. If we look back on history, it is quite obvious that whenever there is a major influx of immigrants from one country or region of the world the citizens of the region that is most heavily impacted by the additional people are the ones that are screaming the loudest for change. It happened when the Irish came over , the Italians, even the Vietnamese. I remember well all the yelling and screaming about the Vietnamese Shrimpers and Fishermen and how they were taking jobs of hard working citizens.

Well why is it that we currently have had such a negative perspective of Hispanic immigrants, both legal and illegal? Well I thing I can point to several things that are happening which help feed the fire as we say.

• First and probably the easiest issue is the fact that there is an enormous number of Hispanics who are here in direct violation to one or more of the United State's immigration laws. This alone seems to generate the largest amount of animosity towards this group of people in general.
• Second, the numbers seem to show that a large majority of those here illegally also are taking advantage of social benefits that most people think that they should not be allowed to use. Things such as food stamps, medicare, welfare, emergency room services, indigent care services, and others.
• Third, these people who are here illegally are taking jobs from others as well as in many cases working for below the standard wage levels for citizens. This can be done because most of them work for cash, and do not report their earnings, nor do their employers pay any taxes on their salaries. I remember when my mother worked as a teller at our local bank every Friday I would see 20 or 30 people walk in to the bank cash their paycheck completely, and walk out, most of these people spoke little or no English, and a few simply made an X on their check to endorse it. It got so bad that the bank finally had institute a policy that if the person cashing the check did not have an account with the bank the only way the check would be cashed was if it was drawn from an account at that bank.
• Fourth along with the cash labor market, there are also other monetary reasons that fuel the fire. For example there is an increase in road side markets that deal only in cash, as well as the other vendors that are focused on that social group (road side and traveling taco stands for example). These are also drains on the government services because they do not contribute to the city, or county or state coffers but need water and sewer service, fire and police protection.
• Fifth there is the issue of both sanctuary and the fact that a large portion of those here illegally are also criminals in their own country, and are here committing multiple felonies which damages the reputation for even those that are here legally.
• And Finally there is the fact that the majority of these people DO NOT WANT TO BE US CITIZENS. Nor do they have any desire to integrate themselves within the culture of the US. If you look at every other major immigration group, the vast majority did two things: First they worked to be come citizens of the US, and second they worked hard at learning English, as well as learning and becoming part of the US culture. That does not mean that they abandoned their heritage, no just the opposite. They took the things that were the best of their society and merged them in with that of the city or town where they were living. That is the reason why you see in Houston such strong and vibrant communities like China Town and the Vietnamese area in West Houston along Bellaire.

So I guess the it comes down to this, if more of those immigrants from south of the border had in the past made a more concerted effort to become part of the US, both socially as well as economically we would not be having these discussions. As it is we still need to do three things: First close the southern border, second work on removing the nearly TWENTY MILLION illegal immigrants here, and at the same time make significant changes to the immigration laws and take into account that there is a need for seasonal migrant workers, and make it easier for them to get into the country legally and at the same time providing a low cost employee market for those companies that want to use it.

But then again that solution is the common sense solution and there is no way in hell that anyone in Austin let alone Washington DC will follow through with it. So we will continue to be plagued with all of these problems.

Katy Watchdogs Newsletter #2

THE KATY CITIZEN WATCHDOG NEWSLETTER

We’re Taxpayers. It’s Our Money!

Local Citizens Looking Out For The Interests Of Taxpayers and Students!

Join us at www.katycitizens.org and at www.radiofreekaty.com

Volume 27 – March 29, 2007

Dear Katy Citizen Watchdog Members, KISD Teachers/Faculty, Taxpayers and concerned Parents:

We hope you find our newsletters useful and informative. We urge you to please forward this newsletter to anyone you know that might be interested in its content. For those of you that have received this newsletter via a “forward”, please go to our web site (as noted above) to find out who we are and consider joining us. KCW welcomes your ideas, comments, suggestions, concerns and questions, so please feel free to e-mail us any time at info@katycitizens.org

Contained in this issue:

· Katy Dogs/AFP Call First Ever Texas Watchdog Summit!
· Dogs To Visit Galveston ISD Watchdog Group Next Month!
· Dogs Contacted By Pennsylvania & Michigan Watchdogs!
· KISD Polling Locations & Times Posted!
· Upcoming Events

KATY DOGS/AFP CALL FIRST EVER TEXAS WATCHDOG SUMMIT!

Because of all the positive response that the Watchdog web site has been receiving, both locally and nationally, Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, began thinking about trying to organize a Texas Watchdog Summit where fellow Watchdogs from around the state could meet and discuss ideas on how we all can take this movement to the next level; that next level being, how we can become more powerful in Austin. Well, Chris’ idea has become a reality. After discussing the idea with Americans For Prosperity (“AFP”), AFP has decided to host the event in Austin. The meeting has been scheduled for April 27 and 28. AFP is currently setting up appointments with various legislators so that the Texas Watchdogs can meet with them to discuss what we are trying to achieve, along with our concerns about taxes and school district shenanigans.

“All Watchdogs in this state need to begin thinking about how we can become more of a resource to AFP and to each other. We need to begin figuring out how this movement can become more of a force in Austin. The Watchdogs of this state need to be a real voice for the ordinary taxpayer that is currently drowning in school and property taxes,” said Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell.

The Katy Dogs are very excited about this event. It will be open to all so if you have any interest in attending please send us an e-mail so we can sign you up. We will post the proposed agenda on the web site just as soon as it is finalized.

DOGS TO VISIT GALVESTON ISD WATCHDOG GROUP NEXT MONTH!

Yet another new Watchdog group has been following our web site and our corresponding accomplishments. We have recently been contacted by a new Watchdog group that has formed in Galveston, TX. They have asked that we come to Galveston to visit with their group to share strategies, recommendations and “war stories”. We are currently working to schedule a mutually acceptable date for all concerned. We will issue a report once the meeting has taken place. Stay tuned!

DOGS CONTACTED BY PENNSYLVANIA & MICHIGAN WATCHDOGS!

In addition to California, Missouri, Nevada, Maryland, Florida and Colorado, we can now add Pennsylvania and Michigan to the list of states that have contacted the Katy Dogs about information in order to help them with their school district fights. The Katy Watchdog$ are thrilled that others have been inspired by our efforts to defend the ordinary taxpayers. We are proud that we have become a real “pox” on local government, not just in Katy but around this state and now around this great land.

KISD POLLING LOCATIONS & TIMES POSTED!

As we do for every election in our community, the Katy Citizen Watchdog$ have added a new button to our web site; that being the “2007 Voter’s Guide”. This is where you can find all the necessary information on polling locations and times for our spring school board election. We realize that this information can be very confusing, but that is exactly the district’s plan. Having these important elections at off-times and in off-months has served this district well over the years. We therefore urge you to please contact us if you are not sure about where and when to vote in your area. Whether you agree with the Watchdog$ or not it is very important for everyone to exercise their right to vote!

THE LAST WORD!

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom...and that government of the people...by the people...for the people...shall not perish from this earth.”

Abraham Lincoln

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. April 25, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. Work/Study Board Meeting
2. April 30, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. General School Board Meeting

Don’t forget that as a taxpayer you have a right to speak at any General Board Meeting. Exercise that right if you are so inclined! Come join us at the next meeting.

IF YOU PREFER THAT WE NOT SEND YOU ANY MORE E-MAILS, YOU MAY OPT OUT BY SENDING US AN E-MAIL AT INFO@KATYCITIZENS.ORG

For once President Bush sounds like a leader

Bush: Pelosi's trip to Syria sends mixed signals

This is going to be brief, but I ran across this article and could not help but sit up and take notice. Here are several comments from President Bush.

"There have been a lot of people who have gone to see President Assad: some Americans, but a lot of European leaders, high-ranking officials. And yet we haven't seen action," Bush told reporters at a Rose Garden news conference. "He hasn't responded."
Bush said that Assad had not reined in violent elements of militant groups Hamas andHezbollah as requested by the international community, had acted to destabilize the democratically elected government of Lebanon and was allowing "foreign fighters" to move into Iraq from Syria.
"Sending delegations hasn't worked. It's just simply been counterproductive," Bush said.

"We have made it clear to high-ranking officials, whether they be Republicans or Democrats, that going to Syria sends mixed signals, signals in the region and, of course, mixed signals to President Assad," Bush said. "Photo opportunities and/or meetings with President Assad lead the Assad government to believe they're part of the mainstream of the international community, when, in fact, they're a state sponsor of terror."

Strong words about Syria, but he is right about Pelosi and the photo-op crowd. I wonder if Sheila Jackson Lee is over there?

"They left for spring break without finishing their work," Bush said.
The president's remarks come one day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced he would try to eliminate money for the war if Bush rejects Congress' proposal to set a deadline to end combat.

Bush bluntly said that such a veto could not be overridden in Congress, given thin Democratic majorities. He said if Congress was, in fact, going to send him a bill that he would surely veto, they should do it quickly.
"If Democrat leaders in Congress are bent on making a political statement, then they need to send me this unacceptable bill as quickly as possible when they come back. I'll veto it and then Congress can get down to the business of funding our troops without strings and without delay," Bush said.

The Democrats are trying to turn this into another Vietnam so that they can get all of their left wing liberal buddies something more to protest about. You notice how little we have heard from Cindy "I'm a grieving mother" Sheehan lately...

— Said he agrees with British Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to win the release of 15 British sailors captured by Iran in waters that separate Iraq and Iran. "There should be no quid pro quo when it comes to the hostages," Bush said, again using the strong word "hostages" to describe those being held by Tehran.
— When asked if he knew the current price of a gallon of gasoline,
Bush said, "$2.60-plus." He was close. The national average right now is
$2.70.

At least he does have an idea about what gas prices are and he is supporting our allies unlike the way some of them have treated us in the recent past.

More proof that Metro is out of control

Ok, I have been quiet on the "lets all bash metro front" for a while but this article in today's business section of the Chronicle has me up on the soapbox one more time. Houston mass transit company works to pick up speed

Here are a few choice bits from the article

A Houston company hopes to prove its soaring rail design is the best solution for new mass transit systems, but you won't get to ride on it anytime soon unless you're in China.

Plans call for the system's 2.7-mile route to sweep high over a bay to Liugong Island, linking the Chinese tourist destination with the Weihai central business district.

Company officials hope to use the China project as a springboard for other sales. Aerobus executives say that its installations have operated reliably for millions of passenger miles. However, the company has built no systems in the U.S., where only a handful of monorails are in operation.

To start with we have a local company that has a mass transit solution and there is not one in the US.

Aerobus was one of 11 companies Metro invited in 2004 to present their products at a forum hosted by Houston's Metropolitan Transit Authority to examine technologies for transit lines. And the company has held talks recently with Metro, Stallings said.
"The engineers did like the technology and wanted to consider it for future routes, as they already selected light rail for the Richmond corridor," Stallings said.

The pylons can be placed as far apart as 6,600 feet, Aerobus officials say. They say that makes it cheaper than other kinds of rail systems because it requires less land and saves on construction costs. Aerobus estimates it costs $10 million to $15 million per mile to construct versus $30 million for conventional monorail and $45 million for light rail.

Now how about that for a kick in the face, here metro is presented with an option that will cost between up to 70% less than light rail and WILL NOT cause the construction problems that light rail will and they walk away from it. Makes you wonder if anyone at Metro is willing to take a chance on something new, or if they are all bought and paid for by the light rail manufacturers?

A round trip from Weihai to Liugong Island will take 15 minutes. Aerobus is working on final designs. It has ordered the vehicles and will soon order the cable needed. Stallings said construction will take 26 to 30 weeks

And so finallyyou find out the trip on this system will run 2.7 miles and take 15 minutes, and take only 1/2 year to build. If Metro is serious about mass transit in the City of Houston then maybe they should look at this as a replacement for the park-n-ride lots, as well as for routes to both airports. No that would make to much sense. I mean why would they want to do that after spending the Billions they are going to spend on Rail. I mean if they did this then they could have a true 24-7-365 commuter transit system along every major freeway and at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.

Lawmakers propose education reforms, may axe TAKS test

Leave it to the UT campus newspaper to have the best article on legislation about the TAKS Test and college tuition.

Lawmakers propose education reforms, may axe TAKS test

State legislators have until the end of May to decide how much of the state's surplus budget will fund education reform, but bills that have already
been filed will make lawmakers reevaluate several of Texas' education policies. Bills pre-filed for the 80th Legislative Session aim to reform or repeal past legislation.
Those bills will affect high school students' academic assessment, college admissions and the increasing cost of tuition.
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test, used to evaluate the progress of students, is in jeopardy of being replaced by end-of-course assessment tests in upper grade levels. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, are among the legislators poised to eliminate the TAKS test. Critics of the TAKS test cite "teaching to the test" and the multiplechoice format for its ineffectiveness.
House Bill 212, filed by Houston-area republican Rep. Beverly Woolley, proposes to repeal the top 10 percent admissions policy. The rule guarantees admission to public state universities for those in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class. Lawmakers have criticized the rule for forcing students from more academically competitive schools to universities out of state.
Several bills which would directly impact college students are the bills leveled at tuition rates. Three years after the Legislature gave university regents the power to decide tuition rates, the average cost of tuition and fees at public universities has risen more than $2,000, according to figures from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. UT tuition increased 57 percent during the same period. Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-Mission, pre-filed a bill in November to freeze tuition rates for three years and cap annual increases at 5 percent thereafter.
A similar bill written by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, would repeal deregulation in three years unless lawmakers pass legislation to continue it.
The Texas Taxpayers and Research Association estimated the cost of education and finance reform will be more than $10 billion, but no matter how much money is put toward reform, the biggest change to the state's education system may come from bills passed during this legislative session.

The one good thing that I see out of all of this is the fact that there are actually people in the State legislature who are using their head as well as seeing how things are actually going on in the rest of the state.

Katy Watchdog Newsletter

I am a member of the Katy Watchdogs, a group whose purpose is to keep an eye on the spending of Katy ISD. Here is their current newsletter. I am going to post these every time I get them for all to read.


THE KATY CITIZEN WATCHDOG NEWSLETTER

We’re Taxpayers. It’s Our Money!

Local Citizens Looking Out For The Interests Of Taxpayers and Students!

Join us at http://www.katycitizens.org/ and at http://www.radiofreekaty.com/

Volume 26 – February 28, 2007

Dear Katy Citizen Watchdog Members, KISD Teachers/Faculty, Taxpayers and concerned Parents:

We hope you find our newsletters useful and informative. We urge you to please forward this newsletter to anyone you know that might be interested in its content. For those of you that have received this newsletter via a “forward”, please go to our web site (as noted above) to find out who we are and consider joining us. KCW welcomes your ideas, comments, suggestions, concerns and questions, so please feel free to e-mail us any time at info@katycitizens.org

Contained in this issue:

· Dogs Address Boulder ISD Watchdogs & Board!
· KISD Posts Check Register Online!
· KMAC Contract Approved!
· Dogs To Speak At AFP’s Taxpayer Summit Next Month!
· Upcoming Events

DOGS ADDRESS BOULDER ISD WATCHDOG$ & BOARD!

As we told you last month, the Boulder Watchdogs asked the Katy Dogs to meet with their group, as well as address the Boulder Valley School District Board. We want to thank Mr. Mike McDaniel of the Boulder Dogs for the invitation and their hospitality. Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, made the trip to Boulder, CO. Chris toured several schools in the district, spoke to several Boulder Valley employees and spoke at the school board meeting of the 27th. We will be posting his statements on the web site shortly.

KISD POSTS CHECK REGISTER ONLINE!

On February 1st Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, sent an open letter to the Board asking that they consider putting KISD’s check register online. Many districts have already done it. Even the Texas Education Agency decided to post their check register online. Gov. Perry recently ordered all state agencies to begin posting their check registers online as well. Co-Founder, Kevin Tatum, spoke on this very matter at the Board meeting this past Monday evening.

Well, we are very pleased to announce that because of Watchdog pressure the district announced at Monday’s Board meeting that they have posted the KISD check register online. The Watchdog$ want to offer our congratulations to the district for doing the RIGHT thing and posting the check register on their web site. This simple act would go a long way in showing that this district wants to take the first steps towards being transparent with OUR tax dollars!!

We also urge you to go to Peyton Wolcott’s web site for all the latest on this check register issue. A link to her web site can be found under the “ Related Links” page of our web site. The Katy Dogs want to acknowledge and thank Peyton for her tireless leadership in this matter and we are pleased that she continues to lobby for districts to post their check registers online. The Watchdog$ are very happy that she can add KISD to her honor role of schools that have decided to post their check registers online.

KMAC CONTRACT APPROVED!
In a 6-1 vote Monday night, the KISD Trustees approved the controversial KMAC contract. Unfortunately, only Trustee Law said “NO” to this matter. We want to thank all the Dogs that sent e-mails to the board members pleading with them to say “NO”, or at the very least to table to matter until all the questions about this contract could be answered. Instead your pleas were ignored. Fellow Dogs, we hope that you are as outraged as we are that six (6) of your elected board members thought it was ok to thumb their noses at you.

We all need to be very concerned about a matter of such importance being brought up on a Wednesday night with limited discussion, and then approved the following Monday night. The Watchdog$ believe that a decision of this magnitude should have been discussed in detail and the public should have been involved in this discussion. Let’s not forget that YOUR tax dollars were used to fund this KMAC program. The Watchdog$ want to thank Charter Member, Fred Hink, for speaking on this matter at the Board meeting. We will be posting Fred’s speech on the web site shortly. In addition, the Watchdog leadership issued a formal Press Release on this matter on Wednesday. We will be posting that Press Release to the web site shortly.

Fellow Dogs, if you believe in transparent government then the Watchdog leadership is asking that you to become more involved in this fight. We urge you to voice your concerns and/or praise to your elected Board members on a regular basis. Tell them that you support the district’s decision to post the KISD check register online. But those of you that share our concern about the KMAC contract approval should express your outrage as well. The way in which the KMAC contract matter was handled is NOT what representative government is all about. Government, at any level, should be accountable to those that are paying the bills. Don’t know you Trustees’ e-mail addresses?

ericduhon@katyisd.org; tomlaw@katyisd.org; joeadams@katyisd.org; judysnyder@katyisd.org; jackiebirkel@katyisd.org; robertshaw@katyisd.org; rebeccafox@katyisd.org

You can also send your comments to the Katy ISD Communications Department at:

stevestanford@katyisd.org

Fellow Watchdog$, I know you are busy with tasks at home and at the office, but the reality is that we must all begin to take more direct action ourselves. Real change is only going to occur with real commitment to change! Your elected officials need to hear from someone other than those of us in the KCW leadership group!

DOGS TO SPEAK AT AFP’S TAXPAYER SUMMIT NEXT MONTH!

Americans For Prosperity (“AFP”) will be hosting the second annual Texas Taxpayer Summit in Austin on Saturday, March 10th at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel (Intercontinental Hotel). AFP has asked Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, to speak at that event. Chris’ topic is entitled “So You Want To Be A Watchdog? Really?” We hope that you will consider attending the event. There will be a whole host of topics that concern Texas taxpayers. We have posted the proposed agenda on our web site. You can sign up for the Summit online at the AFP web site (www.afptx.org) which can be found under the “Related Links” page of our web site. If you do attend, please stop by and visit with Chris if you get a chance.

For your convenience, below is a Special Announcement for this event.

THE LAST WORD!

“Never fail to do the right thing for fear that the opposition will attack you in response. The other side can and will attack you anyway, at a time of their own choosing rather than yours, regardless of whether you act”.

Ronald Reagan (One of our nation’s greatest leaders and Presidents)

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. March 21, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. Work/Study Board Meeting
2. March 26, 2007 – 6:30 p.m. General School Board Meeting

Don’t forget that as a taxpayer you have a right to speak at any General Board Meeting. Exercise that right if you are so inclined! Come join us at the next meeting.

IF YOU PREFER THAT WE NOT SEND YOU ANY MORE E-MAILS, YOU MAY OPT OUT BY SENDING US AN E-MAIL AT INFO@KATYCITIZENS.ORG

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!

KATY CITIZEN WATCHDOG ANNOUNCEMENT

CALLING ALL CONCERNED TAXPAYERS!!!

February 16, 2007

Dear Citizen Watchdog$ and other interested parties:

As you may or may not know, Americans For Prosperity will be holding their second annual Texas Taxpayer Summit in Austin, Texas on Saturday, March 10th. The event is being held at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel (Intercontinental Hotel) in downtown Austin. Below is the planned agenda as of right now. Co-Founder, Chris Cottrell, will be speaking at the Summit. His topic will be “So You Want To Be A Watchdog? Really?” You can sign up online at http://www.afptx.org/ or you can paste the following address to your URL toolbar:

http://afpf.sfproductions.net/petitions-forms/index.php?petition=26&state=TX

and go straight to the sign-up screen.

We hope that you will join us in Austin! If you do attend, please make sure to introduce yourself to Chris while you are there.
Texas Taxpayer SummitSaturday, March 10, 2007Stephen F. Austin Hotel, Austin
AGENDA
8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast – All events are around the Ballroom (Upstairs Stephen F. Austin Hotel)
9:00 am Opening Keynote Session Speaker: Gov Rick Perry (invited) Comptroller Susan Combs; Texas revenue forecast
9:30 am Preserving the American Dream Paul Bettencourt, Harris County Tax Assessor and Collector (invited) Cheryl Johnson, Galveston County Tax Assessor and Collector Sen. Dan Patrick Tom Pauken, Chairman of the Appraisal Reform Task Force
10:30 am Pocketbook Issues Michael Williams, Railroad Commissioner; Environmental and energy issues Mary Katherine Stout; Healthcare and insurance
11:30 am Evils of the Sin Tax
12:30–1:30 Lunch Keynote Session
1:45 pm Putting Taxpayers in Control Peggy Venable, AFP-Texas Director Dr. Byron Schlomach, Chief Economist, Texas Public Policy Foundation Dr. Barry Poulson, AFP Adjunct Scholar Rep Carl Isett (invited)
2:45 pm Focusing on Students, not Institutions Dr. Jim Leininger (invited) Sen. Florence Shapiro Chairman of House Public Ed Will Lutz: higher ed
3:45 PM BREAK
4:00 pm Making a Difference Jason Moore, AFP Citizen Watchdog of the Year, Permian Basin Citizen Watchdogs Chris Cottrell, Katy Citizen Watchdog$ Doug Kirk, Comal county activist Michele Connole Randy Samuelson
5:30 pm Reception and Legislative Award Ceremony Speaker: Tim Phillips; Federal update/Where AFP is headed (invited)
6:30 pm Dinner Honoring AFP Citizen Watchdog Leaders

Cost: $75.00 (This includes all meals, the reception, and all workshops.) Donations are welcome and scholarships are available!For more information, contact:Jan Brauner (512) 476-5905, jan@afptx.orgMichele Connole (512) 476-5905, mconnole@afptx.org Who we are: Americans For Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFPF believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFPF educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. Americans for Prosperity educates and mobilizes grassroots citizens.
Peggy M. Venable, Texas Director,
Americans for Prosperity and AFP Foundation 807 Brazos St,
#210; Austin, TX 78701
phone: 512/476-5905;
fax: 512/476-5906;
cell: 512/423-2947;