Government in the United States is taking measures at the federal, state, and local levels to reduce the spread of coronavirus as well as to negate its effects. But are officials forgetting that our government’s primary role is to protect the liberties of its citizens, and not just the citizens themselves? After law enforcement put a stop...
In a time when millions have been laid off in the wake of the coronavirus and too many families are struggling to make ends meet, the Trump administration’s new vehicle emission standards are a step in the right direction that America needs. The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule will cut the average price of new vehicles...
Holy Week has taken on new significance for many of us this year. Social distancing, loneliness and worry about the health and well-being of our families have oppressed us. We don’t know if our shuttered businesses and shattered economy will ever be the same. We reach out to our friends and extended family, but texts...
When you have a flat tire, you don’t fix it by reinventing the wheel. While cases of COVID-19 continue to increase, we know that soon, the numbers will begin falling. Our efforts at social distancing and staying at home will pay off, and we’ll begin to focus on economic recovery efforts. But we must begin...
Answer: Almost $600,000! According to the Texas Education Agency’s Superintendent Salary Reports, Point Isabel ISD’s superintendent took home $589,400 for the 2019-20 school year. That amount excludes pricey perks too, which oftentimes include things like performance and retention bonuses; housing, car, and cell phone allowances; health insurance; a defined benefit pension plan; retirement contributions; membership...
As the COVID-19 pandemic expands in the U.S. and containment efforts continue, school districts in Texas are now closed, Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order. Families are struggling to figure out what to do next. And so are districts. Everyone’s learning on the fly. But here’s the thing — teaching kids online isn’t new. Some states...
For years, city halls around the state spent like drunken sailors, acting as if Texas’ economic expansion was without end. And then the crisis came. Now cities are weathering a deluge of bad budget news, with some expecting the worst. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said recently, “We work on the budget year round, and we anticipate even...
The world as seen by Xi Jinping is different from it was in January 2016. At the time, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was strong at home, as its power and prestige were growing abroad. Hong Kong was prosperous and quiescent. The “rebellious province of Taiwan” was ruled by President Ma Ying-Jeou, a politician favoring...
The Texas economy is taking hits from efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19, and it is becoming apparent lawmakers are going to have to tighten some belts, as they prepare to work on the state’s next biennial budget. As a bartender in a previous life, I would periodically do a deep clean on the...
“Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” So wrote the 4th Century, B.C., political philosopher, Aristotle. And over 23 centuries later, education is facing adversity of its own. As COVID-19 upends daily life, we are experiencing entirely new concerns about supply and demand. These are most acute in health care, of course,...
In a few short weeks, a virus with origins in China has brought the American economy to a near-halt. Public health officials, 16.5 million health-care workers, and tens of thousands of scientists are working overtime to reduce the fatalities, heal the sick, and find a cure. Congress reacted as only it knows how—by spending more than...
Late last month, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven urged people to take responsibility and follow the government’s recommendations, AFP (Agence France-Presse) reports. “Those include working from home if you can, staying home if you feel sick, practice social distancing, and stay home if you belong to a risk group or are over the age of 70.”...