A little over four years ago when former Houston Mayor Bill White (D) ran for Texas Governor he reminded voters of the unusual. Elected officials are public servants, White stated. What can I do for you?
Wow, I thought. What can you, as an elected official, do for me?
This is a new concept in a red state where elected officials openly support business interests (what is good for business is good for Texas - a big lie) and their crony donors. At the expense of their constituents.
But voters don't seem to know or care.
Naturally Bill White (he's smart, geekish and wonky) lost to the anti-intellectual, outspoken but good looking, deep pocketed Rick Perry. I am sure most thinking Texans were very sad and disappointed to realize the public servant lost to the crony capitalist. It was nice to entertain the fairy tale, even if fleeting, of a public servant serving on behalf of most of us instead of few of us.
Fast forward to 2014. Gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis (D) also a professed public servant, who, as a state Senator filibustered against cuts to education and on behalf of women's reproductive rights, lost to Greg Abbott, another well-connected, deep pocketed Republican.
Unfortunately for most of us the public servants' losses to the crony capitalists, in both cases, ushered in a fresh new era of hell in the name of ALEC, Koch stamped libertarian corporate selfishness and entitlement coupled with right wing tea party fascism in the name of Dan Patrick, Lt. Governor.
Texas. We are in for a very rough ride.
Honestly, just when I think Texas Republican lawmakers have gone to the lowest level of unbridled spite, downright cruelty and abject cynicism, they somehow find a brand new low that is lower than hell itself. For it seems that our pseudo public servants are , openly celebrating efforts that are making life more difficult for immigrants and their families as well as for those who can finally can afford healthcare insurance thanks to ObamaCare.
On the immigration front a G.W. Bush appointed federal judge in Texas recently put the brakes on President Obama's executive action on immigration. This action would grant temporary work visas for millions of immigrants who could therefore be able to work in this country legally. It would mean law-abiding immigrants could come out of the shadows instead of living under the constant fear of deportation.
Why did a federal judge throw a monkey wrench into this process? Because the law suit obsessed Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, and other Governors challenged the President's action on immigration. A right wing federal judge was happy to oblige. Though legal experts believe the judge's block won't hold up at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, the lives of millions of immigrants remain in limbo.
Basically, the ruling — which was made on procedural grounds — temporarily halts the expansion of DACA and DAPA, programs which will protect parents of lawful citizens and individuals who immigrated as children from deportation.
While Greg Abbott cheers his “victory,” millions of parents and children will continue to live in fear that when they come home from school or work, their loved ones will have been ripped away despite a history of hard work and lawful behavior in our country.
Meanwhile United We Dream offers advice for the millions left in limbo.
The judge’s order merely delays relief and should be overturned. Governor Abbott and General Paxton are wasting tax dollars in their attempt to split our families and communities. At the end of the day, relief from deportations is temporary — we need to stop deportations, and we still need Congress to act on immigration for our families’ sake.
Greg Abbott is married to a Latina. He frequently boasts that his wife is the first Latina to live in the Texas Governor's mansion. One would think Abbott would have a shred of compassion for immigrants in this country. But unfortunately this new Governor of Texas is proving himself to be among the most
compassion bereft.
Of the thousands of words written lately on President Obama’s impending order to exempt some undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation, most have dealt with the politics of the issue, not the humanity behind it. What the media have largely failed to emphasize is that Obama’s order will be shaped almost entirely by the imperative of keeping parents with their children. The administration is planning to allow the undocumented parents of children born here (and who are, thus, U.S. citizens) to stay and receive work permits. Unfortunately, this will not include parents of the “dreamers” who are already protected by executive order from deportation.
What the pundits have tended to overlook, as well, is the humanity behind Obama’s apparent willingness to act without congressional approval. Every year since Obama became president, the government has deported roughly 400,000 undocumented immigrants, with little regard to whether they’ve broken any law save crossing the border without papers or overstaying their visas — or whether their kids are wondering where their parents have gone. On Tuesday, the Pew Research Center reported that in 2012, some 13 percent of schoolchildren in both Texas and California had at least one undocumented parent. That’s a lot of parents, a lot of kids.
Despite Greg Abbott's cynical attempts to keep immigrant families torn apart for self-serving political purposes, the city of Houston will proceed to prepare for immigration action.
But even with the temporary setback, Houston city leaders are working hard to ensure that the process of helping hundreds of thousands of people come out of the shadows can move forward as soon as possible. Today after the weekly City Council Meeting, the Mayor unveiled new resources designed to help families stay up to date with the latest Immigration Action developments. Here’s that information via the City of Houston press release…
Houston Mayor Annise Parker today announced the launch of a new informational website for immigrants who are interested in applying for citizenship or deferred action. The new website is the product of a partnership between the City’s Department of Neighborhoods Office of International Communities (OIC) and the Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative (HILSC). The partnership was established last December in response to President Obama’s executive order on immigration.
“We formed this partnership with one simple goal in mind—to make sure that Houston is prepared for the implementation of the President’s executive order,” said Mayor Parker. “I am certain the recent court order delaying implementation of the President’s order will be temporary. When it is lifted, Houstonians affected who will be able to take advantage of the President’s order need access to accurate information and a way to connect with reputable organizations that can help them. With the launch of this new website, I’m pleased to report that Houston is ready.”
Greg Abbott and the other red state Governors are no doubt in favor of ongoing cheap labor for their donor cronies in the construction, agricultural and restaurant industries.
While state Republicans do everything possible to make life as miserable as possible for certain groups, and make local democracies illegal, TX U.S. Senator John Cornyn can't wait for the Robert's Supreme Court to lob a body blow to Obamacare. It doesn't seem to matter to the Senator that millions of his constituents who previously could not afford to pay for healthcare coverage now have the ability. Those who do have it like and appreciate it. Hundreds of lives have been saved by ObamaCare. If the Robert's Court sides with the plaintiffs who want to gut Obamacare, millions will no longer be able to afford healthcare coverage.
The Plot to kill ObamaCare.
Republicans hate activist judges until they need them.
In less than two weeks’ time, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in King v. Burwell — the net result of a well-orchestrated, well-financed, five-year campaign to kill President Obama’s signature achievement by legal assassination. It’s a remarkably flimsy case, the plaintiffs may lack standing, and a host of business and health care professionals have said the consequences of backing the right-wing consortium behind this case could be catastrophic.
But none of that matters to at least four justices on the court who would rule in favor of a ham sandwich, if it meant overturning the health care law. If they get a fifth vote, more than eight million people in 34 states could lose their health coverage. Premiums for several million more would rise enough to make insurance impossible. Thousands of people, lacking basic care, may even die prematurely.
“The Supreme Court is going to render a body blow to Obamacare from which I don’t think it will ever recover,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas last month. He was licking his chops in anticipation.
How does Senator John Cornyn know for certain that the SCOTUS will side with the flimsy right wing case to kill ObamaCare? Did he have drinks with John Roberts?
Legal experts call the case to kill the Affordable Care Act a flimsy one at best. Why did the Chief Justice agree to hear it?
They found four plaintiffs right out of a Rush Limbaugh ditto-headfest, all of whom have come under withering press scrutiny of late. One is just a half-year shy of eligibility for Medicare. Two others are military veterans who appear to qualify for premium-free federal care. Somehow, they claim to be “harmed” by a technicality in the health care law that allows the federal government to subsidize people who don’t get help from the states that did not set up their own markets.
“You are asking us to kick millions of Americans off health insurance just to save four people a few dollars,” said Judge Andre M. Davis, in oral arguments before a federal appeals court in Richmond, Va. That court ruled unanimously to throw out the challenge. But the hyperpartisan Supreme Court took up the case on appeal.
One of many ironies here is that at least three of those plaintiffs appear to qualify for the great socialist, single-payer system used by Medicare or by Veterans Affairs. So, they don’t really have to worry if their legal assault kills the health care of millions of people who don’t have access to the cheaper federal plans.
In all of my years I've never witnessed a SCOTUS as hyper partisan as this one. Two Bushes delivered three of these right wing judges. (Thomas, Alito and Roberts). The last thing we need is a third Bush. That would render a crushing body blow to what little is left of our democracy.
Nor have I witnessed such a cynical right wing anti-democratic state government in my adopted state of Texas until G.W. Bush became its governor in 1995. His successors Rick Perry and Greg Abbott are even more corrupted by right wing pro-corporate, anti-consumer ALEC, Koch agendas. As my friend in North Texas, TX Sharon, pointed out, Greg Abbott and his ilk intend to make local democracies illegal. If the legislation is passed cities like Denton will not be able to pass bans on fracking anymore.
Why the majority of Texans knee jerk vote for candidates who will most assuredly throw them under the bus continues to confound me. But fortunately Democrats all over Texas, in concert with our county parties and Battleground TX will continue to organize for change. Giving up is not an option, despite the odds. We have to chip away, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, precinct by precinct, district by district. Please join us on this long-term effort.
