School finance still 1st priority

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "'I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm also disappointed that lawmakers did not act on comprehensive school finance reform,' Mr. Perry said.

He suggested, once again, that a compromise is close on the education overhaul and that lawmakers will continue to work during the recess. If they can reach an agreement, he said, he will call them back for a 30-day special session.

There are deadlines attached. The Texas Supreme Court hears arguments July 6 on whether state schools are unconstitutionally underfunded. A lower court has ordered the state to act or face a school shutdown Oct. 1.

'I'll continue to do everything I can to broker a deal between the House and the Senate,' Mr. Perry said. 'If they don't want to work to finish the job, they should make plans for a long, uncomfortable summer when they go home, when they meet those constituents and they explain why they didn't act.'"

Common Sense: Rumors are buzzing, KBH may announce soon

Common Sense: Rumors are buzzing, KBH may announce soon: "For a while now, I had been hearing that Kay Bailey Hutchison would announce a run for governor sometime in July, but everyone from Rep. Aaron Pena and The Red State have heard that she will announce her candidacy on or about June 6th."

Eye On Williamson County: Did You Expect Something Different?

Eye On Williamson County: Did You Expect Something Different?: "Our state government was unable to pass a school finance/property tax reform package during the 79th Legislature. That appears to be good for Texas but bad for the governor. I believe that the Republicans have reached the end of their tax-cutting line. They cannot cut taxes any further without obliterating worthwhile programs which most people agree the government should pay for, like public schools; health care for the young, sick and elderly; roads; etc. They are stuck. That is why they couldn't get a compromise worked out this session. One way or another, they were going to have to piss off one of their constituents, and they couldn't agree on which one--their constituents being those that fund their campaigns and not the people of Texas, of course. The poor people don't have any more money, the middle class is quickly running out of money, so that leaves only the rich left with money. The Republicans can only get out of this jam by raising taxes on the rich. Oh, isn't that rich?! And it appears that it will be left to the activist Texas Supreme Court to make the final decision. "

Just Another Blog: Just Another...Round of Endorsements San Antonio Style

Just Another Blog: Just Another...: "This should be no surprise to any of you, but Just Another Blog is throwing its support behind Julian Castro. Julian Castro is the only one who has worked on a budget like this, and he has done it 4 times now. The major job for a member of city council and the mayor is developing a budget and implementing it. I would like to have someone in office that has actually done this before. "

A CAPITOL BLOG: I'M STILL STANDING!

A CAPITOL BLOG: I'M STILL STANDING!

Read this, and know why we are liberal. I know there are conservatives who can write well. Safire comes to mind. But I don't know how many we have in our GOP led lege. I'm not sure we have too many on that side of the aisle who could pass the 7th grade writing TAKS readily. Pena ain't Shakespeare, but it's clear, correct and heartfelt. Maybe that's the problem with the GOP--no heart.

The Jeffersonian: Bexar County DA Susan Reed Endorses Hardberger

The Jeffersonian: Politicks, Sports, and Culture: Bexar County DA Susan Reed Endorses Hardberger

The Jeffersonian: Why I'm Voting For Phil Hardberger

The Jeffersonian: Politicks, Sports, and Culture: Why I'm Voting For Phil Hardberger: "While having followed the mayoral race intensely since the end of 2004/beginning of 2005, it's only been fairly recently that I've come to decide on a candidate. Many, many things go into me choosing who to vote for, and they differ based on the different levels of government. But if there is one solid thread between all of them it is this- the staus quo isn't working at any level of government, anyone reading this blog knows this; we need, broad, bold leadership that is able to bring everyone to the table and challenge the status quo, someone who shows political courage when it is needed(not just as a sideshow), and a person who can help forge compromises- even if that means locking people in a room and kicking their asses until it gets done. Judge Phil Hardberger is the right person to do this as mayor of San Antonio."

I don't know enough about San Antonio politics to make a call on this. From what I've read in the last month, I tend to lean toward Castro. But I just post Texas Politics stories--all of 'em. Chime in if you have a horse in this race.

NPR : Texas Vote May Lead to Fewer Death Sentences

NPR : Texas Vote May Lead to Fewer Death Sentences: "The Texas legislature votes to add life without parole as an option in capital murder cases. The move could reduce the number of death sentences delivered in state courts. Texas is the only state to show an increase in death sentences over the past decade."

LOCAL COMMENT: U.S. children left behind

LOCAL COMMENT: U.S. children left behind: "A recently released study on the culture of education, commissioned by Your Child, found that only 31 percent of parents believe their child masters anything in school. Though this might surprise many, it is certainly not surprising to educators.

The truth of the matter is that students don't have the time to master anything because they are too busy learning to take and pass high-stakes tests.

And teachers are hard pressed to do much more than cover the massive amounts of required material in time for the beginning of the yearly testing season.

Indeed, according to education researcher Dr. David Berliner of Arizona State University, 'Learning subject matter in depth is no longer the goal of schools. Future generations are being trained to beat the system as opposed to learning.' "

Texas Legislature Puts Discrimination Over Kids

HRC | HRC: Texas Legislature Puts Discrimination Over Kids: "The Texas Legislature adjourned yesterday having passed a discriminatory constitutional amendment to deny the rights and protections of marriage to same-sex couples while neglecting to pass a bill to fund the state’s public schools. Today Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement:

“Texas families were hit with a one-two punch when their Legislature adjourned yesterday. With little time left at the end of their session, legislators managed to pass a constitutional amendment to deny rights to families but neglected to pass any bills to fund public schools. Providing resources to children in schools is in the interest of protecting families — denying rights to hardworking Texans is not.”"

Source: KBH Will Declare for Governor's Race

RedState.org ||: "According to a highly placed source in U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's camp, the Senator is likely to announce her intention to run for Governor of Texas on or about June 6th."

Time runs out on Legislature

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "Most legislators were relieved to see the gavels come down in the House and the Senate, marking the end of their 140-day session. But many were worried about what lies ahead in the rocky terrain of school finance and what voters will think about their inaction on the issue.

'I can't tell you how angry I am,' said Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas. 'My constituents were expecting school finance reform, property tax reform and Robin Hood reform – and we couldn't deliver on any of it.'

It didn't help that the leaders of the two chambers – Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick – were sharply at odds over their respective plans and who's to blame."

Off the Kuff: Let the analyses begin

Off the Kuff: Let the analyses begin: "he major papers all have analyses of the finally-ended 79th Lege and how its performance will affect Governor Perry in his reelection battle. The consensus is more or less that Perry won a few and lost a few, and that nobody knows just yet how the failure to reform school finance will play out. For me, the best take comes from the Morning News:


Gov. Rick Perry cemented his relationship with social conservatives this legislative session, but he didn't make many new friends.

[...]

In his session's 140-day to-do list, Mr. Perry scored some major victories: revamping the workers' compensation system, requiring parental consent on abortions, securing new help for abused and neglected children.

But the issue at the top of the list – billions more dollars for education and a restructuring of the tax system that pays for schools – circled around the drain at midnight Saturday."

Off the Kuff: Juan Garcia update

Off the Kuff: Juan Garcia update: "There's been a Juan Garcia sighting, in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times:


Politics seems to love Juan Garcia, the retired Navy pilot whose name had been thrown around earlier this year as a possible mayoral candidate. Questions remain, however, about whether Garcia loves politics.

Rumors began circulating last week that Garcia is planning a run for the U.S. Senate, rumors that Garcia isn't denying.

A new Web site (www.garciafortexas.com) asked for donations and calls Garcia a 'new face' with 'tested leadership, Texas values.' On Friday afternoon, the political messages had been removed and replaced with a one-line statement: 'The site is temporarily down for routine maintenance and will be back up shortly.' Garcia is a graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and is a retired flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He did not run for mayor. An item in the political newsletter The Quorum Report mentioned the most recent Web site and quoted Austin-based consultant Jeff Hewitt as saying the site looked like a 'draft Juan campaign.' 'I'm not even sure Juan knows who's behind it,' Hewitt told The Quorum Report. 'I don't think Juan has made a decision.'"

Rick Perry vs The World - The Hutchometer

Rick Perry vs The World - The Hutchometer: "Right now, their Hutch-o-meter is a 91% chance that KBH will faceoff with Perry in the primary."

Rick Perry vs The World - "the domino effect"

Rick Perry vs The World - "the domino effect": "Wayne Slater reviews the gossip over who is likely to run for what and where the chips will fall if KBH announces a primary challenge to Perry:

If Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison seeks to unseat Gov. Rick Perry in the 2006 Republican primary, she sets off a vigorous round of political musical chairs. Here's a look at some of the scrambling that could take place:"

Interesting analysis. Read the rest.

Rick Perry vs The World - School finance is dead

Rick Perry vs The World - School finance is dead: "Will Perry call a special session for school finance? It seems unlikely. Speaker Craddick doesn't seem to have shown any great enthusiasm for a school finance plan, and appears to want to wait for a Supreme Court ruling on the school finance lawsuits.

Perry really wanted a deal on school finance, of course. But if he hasn't been able to get one in the last two regular sessions or the special session...well, something would really have to change for a deal on school finance to be reached. It's a very complicated problem policy-wise, and when you add the political complications of 31 state senators, 150 representatives, and two state officeholders, it gets to be very dicey indeed. It's quite possible that a judicial ruling will be necessary for a new school finance bill.

So it seems more likely to me that we won't have a special session. Perry's already tried to reach a deal, and calling another special session that is likely to be futile will only serve to highlight their failure to get a deal.

Does this make KBH more likely to run? Everybody seems to think that the answer is yes. Seems right to me, because now she has an easy issue to run on."

Soechting On The 79th Lege

Eye On Williamson County: Soechting On The 79th Lege: "Texas Democratic Party Chairman Charles Soechting said that the abject failure of state leaders in the regular legislative session ending today carries three lessons for Texas voters.

'The first lesson of this failed session is that Rick Perry is a lousy leader who leaves early and arrives late,' Soechting said.

Gov. Perry was again criticized by lawmakers this session for his absence until the final hours, after its was too late to forge a compromise on most of the major issues Perry had claimed to champion when the session convened.

'The second lesson of this failed session is that Republicans don't know how to govern and don't care enough to learn,' Soechting said.

GOP leaders succumbed to an ultra-partisan style that prevented them from negotiating in good faith, turning the Texas Capitol into a Washington, D.C.-style center of intransigence and gridlock.

'The third lesson of this failed session is that if Texans want change, they're going to have to vote for it,' Soechting said."

Common Sense: One tough grandma get recognition beyond coffee mug

Common Sense: One tough grandma get recognition beyond coffee mug: "I'm almost totally 100% convinced that Strayhorn is going to challenge Perry in the GOP primary.

This Sunday's Statesman had a glowing editorial of her doing her job as comptroller titled 'One tough grandma.' It has lines about her integrity and her determination to do her job just the way she thinks it should be done. And the way the framers of the Texas Constitution intended.

In short, an 'X is a good leader' profile."

One tough grandma

One tough grandma: "Asked how long it would take her to certify the state budget, Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn broke into her trademark raucous laugh and declared: 'Just as long as I please.'"

Barbara Ann--Texas Senator 2006: Q&A

Barbara Ann--Texas Senator 2006: Q&A: "Q&A
This exchange just in between a blogger and Barbara...
"

White Supremacist Group Expanding

Dos Centavos www.LaRazaUnida.com: White Supremacist Group Expanding

In a continued attack against immigrants and anything Latino, the Minuteman Militia has turned into a "campaign." Attracting supremacists from around the country, the group is set to begin what may be a legislative onslaught. Armed with hate language, skewed statistics, and outright lies, as well as Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, the group is set to sell their hate to middle America and beyond.

Before anyone starts supporting this supremacy movement, or challenge us on whether this group is a white supremacist group, here are a few words from the supremacists:

"aliens and their offspring will be the dominant population in the U.S. and will have made such inroads into the political and social systems that "they" will have more influence than our Constitution over how the U.S. is governed. The ugly consequence of an ignored U.S. Constitution is already taking place."

and

Future generations will inherit this mutated form of the United States of America, consisting of 100 different sub-nations, speaking 100 different languages, and promoting 100 different cultural agendas. That will certainly guarantee the death of this nation as a "melting pot". Instead, it will be tantamount to a sack of marbles...with each marble colliding with the other marbles, as each culture scrambles for dominance of its culture over all others.

White supremacists? Or Domestic Terrorists?

Homeland Security...WHERE ARE YOU?

Of course Republicans aren't anti-Latino!

Dos Centavos www.LaRazaUnida.com: Of course Republicans aren't anti-Latino!: "REPUBLICANS STOP FUNDING FOR BORDER HEALTH CARE TRAINING PROGRAMS;
GIVE CRADDICK $13 MILLION FOR A MIDLAND CLINIC, INSTEAD."

Average Texans faces myriad changes in daily life

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "With another legislative session come and gone, Texas lawmakers left the Lone Star State better for some Average Joes, worse for others and standing still on some of the biggest issues of the session.

If you're a state employee, you're getting a pay raise. If you're a teacher, you won't.

You'll still have to go to Louisiana to play the slots, but if beer, smokes and Fritos are your thing, those threats of new snack, cigarette and alcohol taxes fell flat.

And if you're putting on the pounds eating fast food for lunch every day, forget about suing that sandwich maker. Texas won't allow it."

State panel will investigate lab problems

KLTV 7 Tyler-Longview-Jacksonville, TX: State panel will investigate lab problems: "A new state commission will have the power to investigate reports of negligence or misconduct in Texas' police crime labs.
That's under a bill on its way to Governor Rick Perry.

The House and Senate passed the measure yesterday. Lawmakers hope the Texas Forensic Science Commission will boost confidence in a criminal justice system embarrassed by reports of mismanagement at Texas crime labs. Those labs have the critical task of analyzing evidence.

In Houston, the D-N-A section of the city's police lab was shut down in 2002. That was after an outside audit found serious problems, including lack of training, insufficient documentation and possible contamination of samples."

'Good session' slips from Perry's grasp

Star-Telegram | 05/31/2005 | 'Good session' slips from Perry's grasp: "Gov. Rick Perry kept a low-profile Monday after the collapse two days earlier of major legislation that could have helped shore up his political futur"

Time will tell if session helped, hurt Perry's bid

Time will tell if session helped, hurt Perry's bid: "After running Austin's Freescale Marathon in February, Gov. Rick Perry fielded a typical post-race query: When is your next one?

'I'm in it,' Perry said.

And the race goes on, with the legislative session that ended Monday leaving the 55-year-old West Texas native with 17 months remaining in his quest for re-election.

Along the way, foes from both parties will surely attempt to downgrade Perry's performance as the state's chief executive since late 2000. Uncertain is whether Perry will emerge stronger from this session or whether the sticky legacy of the past 140 days will be the Republican majority's failure to pass plans to reform education and swap higher state taxes for lower school property taxes."

Legislature redefines poor performance

Star-Telegram | 05/31/2005 | Legislature redefines poor performance: "The Texas legislative session opened with low expectations.

Somehow, the current lawmakers still managed to overcome that and accomplish even less.

House Speaker Tom Craddick told newspaper editorial writers before the session that the Legislature rarely takes action until forced by the courts. At the time, it seemed like his opinion, not his mission.

Now, lawmakers await a July 6 Texas Supreme Court hearing to learn whether they're constitutionally required to go back to work and raise more money for even a basic system of public schools.

Heck, they got more done two years ago, even after some Democrats took a long spring-break trip to Ardmore, Okla."

Let the Sun Shine: Getting ready for the next go-round

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion: Editorials: "Leaders of the Texas Legislature customarily appoint interim committees to review ongoing state issues between lawmaking sessions. One piece of unfinished business from the session that ended yesterday deserves that status: The question of mandatory record votes for lawmakers."

Failures are troublesome but not insurmountable for Perry

HoustonChronicle.com - Failures are troublesome but not insurmountable for Perry: "As the signature issues of the legislative session — school finance reform and property tax cuts — melted into the second failure in two years, Gov. Rick Perry tried to paint a happy picture of his legislative agenda."

Dewhurst's dilemma

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion Columnists: "If this Legislature has shown us anything, it's that David Dewhurst must choose.

If the lieutenant governor wants to run for governor or senator someday as the heir to George W. Bush's compassionate conservatism, which everyone believes he does, he'll have to fight his party's right wing or persuade it in his direction. Mr. Dewhurst tried that this session on several fronts, like the budget, but without more allies, he'll keep living in a lonely world.

David Dewhurst is the only one of the state's top three Republicans looking where Texas is headed, not where it has been. He often points to how poor Hispanic families are becoming the norm and how his party needs to anticipate the shift. That doesn't mean speaking Spanish at rallies; it means finding policies that address the educational and social needs of the emerging Texas.

Gov. Rick Perry and House Speaker Tom Craddick, on the other hand, appear wed to a Texas dominated by the myth of the buccaneering entrepreneur. Strip taxes and services to the bone, and everything's going to be fine."

Lackluster Finish: Legislature didn't come close on school finance

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion: Editorials: "By now, you probably know that the Texas Legislature wrapped up its 2005 session without finding a solution to the state's school funding crisis. But the reality was that the debate over the school-funding bill was meaningless weeks ago. Neither the House nor the Senate ever came close to putting enough funds into Texas schools. And it's best now that the Texas Supreme Court take over this matter. It's clear the Legislature doesn't want to handle it well.

Republicans attended to their base throughout this session. They hupped-to on issues that matter to cultural conservatives, like banning gay marriage. Cultural conservatives and anti-tax folks vote, so party leaders weren't going to disappoint either."

Session ends without school plan

Star-Telegram | 05/31/2005 | Session ends without school plan: "One hundred and forty days of raucous politics came to an end Monday, the last day of a Texas legislative session that will probably be remembered as much for what failed as what passed.

Lying in the recycle bin were thousands of pages of what might have been: a new school finance system, a property tax cut, legalized slot machines, an overhaul of ethics laws, private school vouchers and the Willie Nelson Highway.

What Texans got was a $139 billion budget, stricter abortion laws, a chance to toughen an existing ban on gay marriage, an overhaul of the workers compensation insurance system and a prohibition on lawsuits against restaurants for obesity-related health problems, otherwise known as 'the cheeseburger bill.'

'It's all over but the explaining,' said Ross Ramsey, editor of the political newsletter Texas Weekly. 'On the biggest issue of the session, they're going home empty-handed.'"

A CAPITOL BLOG: SINE DIE ANNOUNCEMENT

A CAPITOL BLOG: SINE DIE ANNOUNCEMENT: "At 6:40 p.m. a Senate committee, given the task of announcing Sine Die (without another day) entered the House chamber. The Governor also was present.

Some anticipation in the air, because the judicial pay raise bill is still in the air. Rep. Keel has been moving about with the intent of killing another Dunkin/Ellis bill because of an alleged violation of an agreement.

Could it be a special session announcement?

6:49 p.m. Will Hartnett tried to bring up judicial pay raise bill. He said he had 95 signatures. Speaker Cradick refused to recognize him. A motion to sine die was made by Chisum and the Speaker declared the end of the session (sine die).

No special session was announced.

I believe we will have special session in the last part of June (that is just an educated guesstimate)"

Pena has spoken, and I believe him. If Perry had any cojones, or believed one iota of his own rhetoric, he would be calling a special session tomorrow. But Perry has no leadership skills. Craddick is wondering when his indictment is coming down, and kowtowing to the base in hopes they will fund his legal defense team like they have for Delay. Dewhurst and Strayhorn are just waiting in the wings like vultures to see what Kay Bailey Hutchison announces in a few days. I would be truly pleased to see the Texas GOP imploding into a circular firing squad in most circumstances. They managed to pass the largest budget ever, one of the biggest tax increases ever, without giving anything to the people. 2006 is going to be a tough year for them. But their failure to deal with school finance affects my school district, my kids, and potentially my job. The GOP controlled lege, and Rick Perry, are the biggest bunch of lobbyist controlled cowards I have ever seen. I'm the proudest of Texans, but these folks have shamed us all on this Memorial Day.

Wired News: Big Brother Tries to Muscle ISPs

Wired News: Big Brother Tries to Muscle ISPs: "The Bush administration asked a federal appeals court Friday to restore its ability to compel Internet service providers to turn over information about their customers or subscribers as part of its fight against terrorism.

The legal filing with the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in New York comes amid a debate in Congress over renewal of the Patriot Act and whether to expand the FBI's power to seek records without the approval of a judge or grand jury."

In short, Bush wants to be able to compile lists of who reads this blog, or DailyKos, or Atrios. No oversight, no warrants. They just want the ability to spy on any American whenever they see fit. Why is the GOP, traditionally the party of individual freedom, supporting these facsist tactics?

Education community looks to court after failed legislation

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "The education community's focus turns next to the state's high court, which will take up the confounding issue of public school finance in the face of the Legislature's failure to solve the recurring quandary.

In the meantime, teachers won't get a pay raise, homeowners won't get a school property tax cut and schools won't get money to buy the textbooks they need.

'We're putting our faith in the Supreme Court and hoping they'll rule the way we think they should rule and put a deadline,' said Clayton Downing, executive director of the Texas School Coalition. 'That's the only way the Legislature reacts.'

The 79th Legislative Session ends Monday without a new school funding system, an issue that was deemed an emergency when the session convened in January."

Highlights Monday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "SPECIAL SESSION, PLEASE?

A dozen first-term House Democrats on Monday urged Republican Gov. Rick Perry to call an immediate special session on school finance. Perry has said if lawmakers first reach an agreement he will consider calling them back to Austin.

'As much as each of us would like to get home to our families and our constituents, we believe the governor should issue an immediate call for a special session focused exclusively on public education,' said Dallas Democratic Rep. Rafael Anchia. 'The negotiations that seemed to begin in earnest only in the last week should continue until we have a resolution.'"

NEXT STOP, COURTS

The education community's focus turns next to the state's high court, which will take up public school finance in the face of the Legislature's failure to solve the recurring quandary.

In the meantime, teachers won't get a pay raise, homeowners won't get a school property tax cut and schools won't get money to buy the textbooks they need.

"We're putting our faith in the Supreme Court and hoping they'll rule the way we think they should rule and put a deadline," said Clayton Downing, executive director of the Texas School Coalition. "That's the only way the Legislature reacts."

The 79th Legislative Session was heading toward its end Monday without a new school funding system, an issue that was deemed an emergency when the session convened in January.

State District Judge John Dietz last fall ruled the current system unconstitutional and ordered that school funding problems be fixed by October 2005, or state money for schools would cease. The ruling was appealed to the Supreme Court and a July 6 hearing has been set for oral arguments in the case.

___

Keep The Coffee Coming: Taps

Keep The Coffee Coming: Taps: "In July 1862, after the Seven Days battles at Harrison's Landing Virginia, General Daniel Butterfield reworked, with his bugler Oliver Wilcox Norton, another bugle call, 'Scott Tattoo,' to create Taps. He thought that the regular call for Lights Out was too formal. Taps was adopted throughout the Army of the Potomac and finally confirmed by orders. Soon other Union units began using Taps, and even a few Confederate units began using it as well. After the war, Taps became an official bugle call. Col. James A. Moss, in his Officer's Manual first published in 1911, gives an account of the initial use of Taps at a military funeral:
'During the Peninsular Campaign in 1862, a soldier of Tidball's Battery A of the 2nd Artillery was buried at a time when the battery occupied an advanced position concealed in the woods. It was unsafe to fire the customary three volleys over the grave, on account of the proximity of the enemy, and it occurred to Capt. Tidball that the sounding of Taps would be the most appropriate ceremony that could be substituted.'"

Click the link to listen to or download Taps.

Off the Kuff: Texas Political Bloggers page updated

Off the Kuff: Texas Political Bloggers page updated: "The Texas Political Bloggers page has been updated with all the new and new-to-me blogs that I could find. As always, if I've missed something, please let me know about it. I'll be adding some of these blogs to my blogroll shortly, so please bear with me"

Texas Politics is now represented on the list. Thanks Kuff.

In Memory of My Father

My Dad's funeral service, with full military honor guard, was held on Memorial Day last year. He served 20 years in the United States Air Force, including a year-long tour of duty in Vietnam. Dad and I usually disagreed about politics, but I loved him very much. I wanted to honor his memory and his service on this Memorial Day by giving tribute to the Texas soldiers who have fallen in our recent ongoing conflicts. Please pray for their family and friends on this Memorial Day, as well as all of the other soldiers who have paid the ultimate price in service to our country. I love you Dad.

Texas Afghanistan Fatalities RIP

I was unable to find a list of Texas fatalities in Afghanistan. But I still wish to honor them. If any of my readers can point me to a source, I'd be grateful. In the meantime, I will continue looking, and will post their names and hometowns as soon as possible.

Unknown Town TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/28/03 Blanco, Ernesto M.
Captain 28 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 504th Parachute Inf. Reg., 82nd Airborne Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Fallujah (NE of)
Unknown Town, Texas US

Woodville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/11/04 Fortenberry, Wesley C.
Chief Warrant Officer 38 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - helicopter crash Baghdad (3 mi. W of Intl. Airport)
Woodville Texas US

Whitesboro TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/04/04 Boatright, Michael L.
Sergeant 24 U.S. Army
20th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (eastern part)
Whitesboro Texas US

Weslaco TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/06/04 Garces, Tomas
Specialist 19 U.S. Army National Guard
1836th Transportation Company
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (near)
Weslaco Texas US

08/02/04 Calderon Jr., Juan
Sergeant 26 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Weslaco Texas US

Von Ormy TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

10/28/03 Barrera, Michael Paul
Sergeant 26 U.S. Army
3rd Bat., 67th Armored Reg., 4th Inf. Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Balad (near)
Von Ormy Texas US

Victoria TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/24/05 Walters Jr., Gary W.
Specialist 31 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (eastern part)
Victoria Texas US

Veribest TX Iraq Fatalities

04/09/04 Torrez III, Elias
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Not reported yet
Veribest Texas US

Uvalde TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/09/04 Babbitt, Travis A.
Specialist 24 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (southern part)
Uvalde Texas US

Terrell TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/06/04 Moreno, Gerardo
Sergeant 23 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Baghdad (Shoula Dist.)
Terrell Texas US

Temple TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/16/04 Qualls, Louis W.
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine Reserve
2nd Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Temple Texas US

Sunray TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/26/04 Austin, Aaron C.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah (Al Anbar Prov.)
Sunray Texas US

Stanton TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/17/04 Henson, Clayton Welch
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Ad Diwaniyah (near)
Stanton Texas US

Stafford/Missouri City Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/30/04 Guereca Jr., Jose
Sergeant 24 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Stafford/Missouri City Texas US

Spring Branch TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/24/05 Yolkin, Viktar V.
Specialist 24 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Khan Bani Saad (near)
Spring Branch Texas US

Spring TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/08/04 Wafford, Michael B.
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Spring Texas US

04/22/03 Arnold, Andrew Todd
Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) 30 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 10th Mar. Reg., 2nd Mar. Expd.
Non-hostile - weapon malfunction Al Kut
Spring Texas US

01/26/05 Maciel, Fred L.
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Div., III Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Spring Texas US

Spicewood TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/09/04 Matula, Matthew E.
Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Not reported yet
Spicewood Texas US

Sonora TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/24/04 Folmar, Timothy
Sergeant 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Sonora Texas US

San Diego TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

05/28/03 Perez III, Jose A.
Specialist 22 U.S. Army
6th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Reg.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Taji
San Diego Texas US

04/17/04 Valdez Jr., Ruben
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Qusayba (Al Qaim)
San Diego Texas US

San Antonio TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

10/28/04 Battles Sr., Michael
Sergeant 1st Class 38 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (southern part)
San Antonio Texas US

11/10/04 Ramirez, Gene
Staff Sergeant 28 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
San Antonio Texas US

02/13/05 Rangel, Ray
Staff Sergeant 29 U.S. Air Force
7th Civil Engineering Squadron
Non-hostile - vehicle accident (drowning) Balad (near)
San Antonio Texas US

12/16/04 Sweger, Franklin A.
Lance Corporal 24 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Div., III Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
San Antonio Texas US

05/07/05 Graham, Lance Tanner
Lance Corporal 26 U.S. Marine Reserve
3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - suicide car bomb Hadithah [Al Anbar Prov.]
San Antonio Texas US

05/07/05 Cepeda Sr., Aaron N.
Sergeant 22 U.S. Marine Reserve
3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - suicide car bomb Hadithah [Al Anbar Prov.]
San Antonio Texas US

10/09/03 Norquist, Joseph C.
Specialist 26 U.S. Army
588th Engineer Bat., 4th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Ba’qubah
San Antonio Texas US

06/17/03 Frantz, Robert L.
Private 19 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 36th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - grenade Baghdad
San Antonio Texas US

01/16/04 Castro, Roland L.
Staff Sergeant 26 U.S. Army
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 12th Field Artillery
Non-hostile - weapon discharge Diwaniyah (near)
San Antonio Texas US

04/07/03 Miller, Anthony Scott
Private 1st Class 19 U.S. Army
H&H Co., 3rd Infantry Div., 2nd Brigade
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Baghdad (south of)
San Antonio Texas US

03/31/04 Karr Jr., Michael G.
Specialist 23 U.S. Army
1st Engr. Bat., 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Malahma (nr. Habbaniyah)
San Antonio Texas US

San Angelo TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/12/04 Poindexter, Jason T.
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
San Angelo Texas US

Round Rock TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/09/05 Fite, Joseph E.
Corporal 23 U.S. Marine Reserve
1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Round Rock Texas US

Rocksprings TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/10/04 Eckhart, William C.
Sergeant 25 U.S. Army
4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Hostile - hostile fire Khalis (near)
Rocksprings Texas US

Robstown TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/28/03 Garza, Joe Jesus
1st Sergeant 43 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Baghdad
Robstown Texas US

Portland TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/15/03 Russell, John W.
Sergeant 26 U.S. Army
4th Bat., 101st Aviation Reg., 101st Airborne Div.
Hostile - helicopter crash Mosul
Portland Texas US

Pharr TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/06/05 Cisneros-Alvarez, Julio C.
Lance Corporal 22 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Pharr Texas US

Pflugerville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/13/04 Norwood, Byron W.
Sergeant 25 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Pflugerville Texas US

Perryton TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

08/21/04 Huston, Seth
Lance Corporal 19 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 1st Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Perryton Texas US

Pearland TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/15/04 Miller, William L.
Lance Corporal 22 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Div., II Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Pearland Texas US

Odessa TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/11/04 Amaya, Daniel R.
Corporal 22 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 4th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Odessa Texas US

Naples TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

05/11/05 Castle, Samuel Tyrone
Staff Sergeant 26 U.S. Army
327th Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Al Asad (nr. Haditha) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Naples Texas US

Morgan TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/18/03 Wright, James C
Specialist 27 U.S. Army
H&H Batt., 4th Bat., 42nd Field Artil. Reg.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Al Ouja (nr. Tikrit)
Morgan Texas US

Mission TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/24/05 Marin Jr., Javier
Sergeant 29 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Khan Bani Saad (near)
Mission Texas US

Midlothian TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/26/05 Gordon, Lyle L..
Captain 30 U.S. Marine
Marine Heavy Helicopter Sqd 361, MAG 16, 3rd Mar. Air Wing
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Midlothian Texas US

McKinney TX Iraq Fatalities

07/02/04 Smith, Brian D.
2nd Lieutenant 30 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 34th Armored Reg., 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - sniper Habbaniyah [Al Anbar Prov.]
McKinney Texas US

Mason TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/13/04 Puckett, Mathew D.
Lance Corporal 19 U.S. Marine
3rd Assault Amphib. Bat., 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Mason Texas US

Marble Falls TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/09/04 Trotter, John Byron
Sergeant 25 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Ramadi [Al Anbar Prov.]
Marble Falls Texas US

Manvel TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

06/03/04 Bolding, Todd J.
Lance Corporal 23 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 4th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Landstuhl Reg. Med. Ctr.
Manvel Texas US

Lufkin TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

06/16/03 Suell, Joseph D.
Specialist 24 U.S. Army
5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Reg.
Non-hostile - not reported Taji
Lufkin Texas US

12/07/04 Gibbs, Todd Clayton
Sergeant 1st Class 37 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 506th Infantry Reg., 2nd Brig., 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Khaldiyah (nr. Fallujah)
Lufkin Texas US

Lubbock TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/13/04 Velez, Jose A.
Specialist 23 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Lubbock Texas US

03/18/04 Morris Jr., Ricky A.
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Qusayba (Al Qaim)

Lubbock Texas US
04/04/04 Garza, Israel
Specialist 25 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Baghdad (Sadr City)
Lubbock Texas US

Los Fresnos/San Antonio TX Iraq Fatalities

11/09/04 Moore, Horst Gerhard "Gary"
Major 38 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 24th Infantry Reg., 1st Brig., 25th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Mosul
Los Fresnos/San Antonio Texas US

Livingston TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/22/03 Moore, Stuart W.
Private 1st Class 21 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 3rd Field Art. Reg., 1st Armored Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad
Livingston Texas US

Lewisville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/05/04 McCauley, Ryan Michael
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (Sadr City)
Lewisville Texas US

League City TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/19/04 Meza, Barry K.
Sergeant 23 U.S. Army
180th Transportation Battalion, 13th COSCOM
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Ash Shuaybah
League City Texas US

12/07/03 Hutchinson, Ray J.
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 502nd Infantry Reg., 101st Airborne Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Mosul (near)
League City Texas US

Laredo/El Cenizo TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/13/05 Rodriguez Velasco, Juan Rodrigo
Lance Corporal 23 U.S. Marine Reserve
1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Laredo/El Cenizo Texas US

Laguna Vista TX Fatalities RIP

12/28/03 Cuervo, Rey D.
Private 24 U.S. Army
1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad
Laguna Vista Texas US

Killen TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/28/05 Bonilla, Orlando A.
Captain 27 U.S. Army
1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Baghdad (SW part)
Killeen Texas US

Kilgore TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

10/13/03 Wyatt, Stephen E.
Private 1st Class 19 U.S. Army
C Batt., 1st Bat., 17th Field Artillery Reg.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Jalyula (southeast of)
Kilgore Texas US

Katy TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/19/03 Rozier, Jonathan D.
2nd Lieutenant 25 U.S. Army
B Co., 2-70th Armor Bat., 1st Armored
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad
Katy Texas US

Irving TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

10/14/04 Vandertulip, Josiah H.
Specialist 21 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (central part)
Irving Texas US

01/30/05 Serrano, Nazario
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
Cmbt. Svc. Spt. Bat. 1, CSS Gp 11, 1st Force SS Gp., I MEF
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Irving Texas US

Ingleside TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/12/04 Lopez, Hilario F.
Lance Corporal 22 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 5th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Ingleside Texas US

Humble TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/09/04 Slay, Russell L.
Staff Sergeant 28 U.S. Marine
2nd Assault Amphib. Bat., 2nd Mar. Div., II Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Humble Texas US

Houston TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/26/05 Kimble, Dexter S.
Staff Sergeant 30 U.S. Marine
Marine Heavy Helicopter Sqd 361, MAG 16, 3rd Mar. Air Wing
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Houston Texas US

02/19/05 Gertson, Clinton R.
Specialist 26 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 24th Infantry Reg., 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Mosul
Houston Texas US

08/09/04 Houghton, Andrew R.
Captain 25 U.S. Army
1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Walter Reed Medical Ctr.
Houston Texas US

09/26/04 Allton, Eric L.
Captain 34 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Reg., 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Ramadi
Houston Texas US

10/12/04 Weger, Michael S.
Specialist 30 U.S. Army
20th Engineer Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (eastern part)
Houston Texas US

11/08/04 Zapp, Thomas J.
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
Cmbt. Svc. Spt. Bat. 1, CSS Gp 11, 1st Force SS Gp., I MEF
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Houston Texas US

01/24/05 Leon-Perez, Jesus A.
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Khan Bani Saad (near)
Houston Texas US

03/21/03 Kennedy, Brian Matthew
Corporal 25 U.S. Marine
MAW&TS-1, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Hostile - helicopter crash Umm Qasr (near)
Houston Texas US

10/01/03 Gutierrez, Analaura Esparza
Private 1st Class 21 U.S. Army
4th Forward Support Battalion
Hostile - hostile fire - grenade Samarra (vicinity)
Houston Texas US

04/05/04 Larson Jr., Scott Quentin
Specialist 22 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 37th Armor Reg., 1st Brig., 1st Armored Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Baghdad (Kadhimiya District)
Houston Texas US

02/01/04 Soriano, Armando
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
Howitzer Battery, 3rd Sqd., 3rd Armored Cavalry Reg.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Hadithah
Houston Texas US

03/26/04 Sandoval Jr., Leroy
Private 1st Class 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 1st Mar. Reg., 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah
Houston Texas US

06/27/03 Sotelo Jr., Tomas
Corporal 20 U.S. Army
Headquarters Troop, 2nd Armored Cav.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Baghdad
Houston Texas US

11/02/03 Moss, Keelan L.
Sergeant 23 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 5th Field Artillery Regiment
Hostile - helicopter crash (missile attack) Fallujah (near)
Houston Texas US

04/10/04 Carballo, Adolf C.
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 21st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (downtown)
Houston Texas US

10/22/03 Johnson, John P.
Specialist 24 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 6th Inf. Reg., 1st Armored Div.
Non-hostile - illness Baghdad
Houston Texas US

Highland Village TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/16/05 Hudson, Aaron M.
Private 20 U.S. Army
401st Military Police Co., 720th M.P. Bat., 89th M.P. Brig.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad (military hospital)
Highland Village Texas US

Harris TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

06/21/04 Contreras, Pedro
Lance Corporal 27 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 4th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Ramadi Harris
Texas US

Hardin TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/08/03 Collins, Gary L.
Staff Sergeant 32 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 16th Inf. Reg., 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Fallujah
Hardin Texas US

Greenwood TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/04/04 Arsiaga, Robert R.
Specialist 25 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Baghdad (Sadr City)
Greenwood Texas US

Granbury TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/02/03 Jamar, Scott
Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) 32 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Karbala (near)
Granbury Texas US

Garland TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/07/04 Drake, Chad H.
Specialist 23 U.S. Army
1st Bat., 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (eastern part)
Garland Texas US

Ganado TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/18/03 Arriaga, Richard
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
H&H Batt., 4th Bat., 42nd Field Artil. Reg.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Al Ouja (nr. Tikrit)
Ganado Texas US

Fulton TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/13/05 Holloway, Matthew W.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine Reserve
1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Fulton Texas US

Friendswood TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

11/10/04 Canning, Wesley J.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Assault Amphib. Bat., 2nd Mar. Div., II Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Friendswood Texas US

Fort Worth TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/20/04 Harrington, Foster L.
Sergeant 31 U.S. Marine Reserve
3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Fort Worth Texas US

12/02/03 Boone, Clarence E.
Chief Warrant Officer 50 U.S. Army
Hqtrs. & Hqtrs. Co., 4th Infantry Division
Non-hostile - accident (?) Kuwait City
Fort Worth Texas US

04/07/03 Medellin, Jesus Martin Antonio
Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
3rd Assault Amphib. Bat., 1st Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Central part
Fort Worth Texas US

01/18/04 Hornbeck, Kelly L.
Master Sergeant 36 U.S. Army
C Co., 3rd Bat., 10th Special Forces Group
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad
Fort Worth Texas US

03/20/05 Martinez, Francisco G.
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Reg., 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Ramadi (Tamin Distr.) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Fort Worth Texas US

01/25/04 Dervishi, Ervin
Private 1st Class 21 U.S. Army
B Co., 1st Bat., 22nd Infantry Reg., 4th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack Bayji
Fort Worth Texas US

01/26/05 Jafarkhani-Torshizi Jr., Saeed
Lance Corporal 24 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Div., III Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Fort Worth Texas US

02/04/05 Torres, Daniel
Sergeant 23 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Bayji (near)
Fort Worth Texas US

Flower Mound TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

08/24/04 Lugo, Jacob R.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Flower Mound Texas US

Floresville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/08/04 DeLeon Jr., Lauro G.
Specialist 20 U.S. Army Reserve
644th Transportation Company
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Balad (near)
Floresville Texas US

Euless TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

12/05/04 Eggers, Kyle A.
Staff Sergeant 27 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Al Habbaniyah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Euless Texas US

El Paso TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

05/08/04 Rubalcava, Isela
Specialist 25 U.S. Army
296th Combat Support Bat., 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Mosul
El Paso Texas US

11/28/03 Rico, Ariel
Sergeant 25 U.S. Army
3rd Bat., 320th Field Artillery Reg., 101st Airborne Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Mosul
El Paso Texas US

07/05/04 Torres, Michael S.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
El Paso Texas US

Sims, Sean P. Captain 32 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
El Paso Texas US

04/02/03 Fernandez, George Andrew
Master Sergeant 36 U.S. Army
Hqtrs., U.S. Army Special Ops Command
Hostile - hostile fire Northern part
El Paso Texas US

03/23/03 Estrella-Soto, Ruben
Private 18 U.S. Army
507th Maintenance Co.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush An Nasiriyah
El Paso Texas US

Edinburg (McAllen) TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/14/04 Ramirez, Christopher
Sergeant 34 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Fallujah [Al Anbar Prov.]
Edinburg (McAllen) Texas US

Edinburg TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/01/04 Sekula, Dustin M.
Private 1st Class 18 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Edinburg Texas US

08/15/04 Zapata, Mark Anthony
Specialist 27 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Najaf
Edinburg Texas US

Eagle Pass TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/09/03 Valles, Melissa
Sergeant 26 U.S. Army
B Company, 64th Forward Spt. Bat.
Non-hostile - weapon discharge Balad
Eagle Pass Texas US

Dallas TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/04/05 Solorio, Juan M.
Staff Sergeant 32 U.S. Army
3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Reg., 1st Brig., 25th Inf. Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Mosul
Dallas Texas US

11/26/04 Grant, Brian K.
Private 31 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Ramadi [Al Anbar Prov.]
Dallas Texas US

05/05/04 Green, Jeffrey G.
Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 4th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - drowning Euphrates River (Al Anbar Prov.)
Dallas Texas US

Corpus Christi Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/24/03 Perez, Hector R.
Corporal 23 U.S. Marine Reserve
1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Corpus Christi Texas US

01/14/05 Holter III, Paul C.
Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 11th Marines, 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - unspecified accident Camp Ramadi [Al Anbar Prov.]
Corpus Christi Texas US

02/27/05 Anderson, Danny L.
Private 1st Class 29 U.S. Army
26th Forward Support Battalion, 2nd Brig., 3rd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire Baghdad (southern part)
Corpus Christi Texas US

01/26/05 Alaniz, Paul C.
Captain 32 U.S. Marine
Marine Heavy Helicopter Sqd 361, MAG 16, 3rd Mar. Air Wing
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Corpus Christi Texas US

Coolidge TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/25/04 Casper, James A.
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 11th Marines, 1st Mar. Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - unspecified cause Al Asad
Coolidge Texas US

Conroe TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/04/03 Coons, James Curtis
Master Sergeant 35 U.S. Army
385th Signal Company, 54th Signal Battalion
Non-hostile - suicide Walter Reed Medical Ctr.
Conroe Texas US

Comfort TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/23/03 Kiehl, James Michael
Specialist 22 U.S. Army
507th Maintenance Co.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush An Nasiriyah
Comfort Texas US

Colleyville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/11/03 Schultz, Christian C.
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
3rd Troop, 67th Armor Battalion
Non-hostile - weapon discharge Ba’qubah
Colleyville Texas US

Coahoma TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

04/03/03 Bales, Chad Eric
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Marine
1st Trans. Spt. Bat., 1st Force Serv. Gp.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Ash Shahin
Coahoma Texas US

Cleburne TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

02/06/05 Allmon, Jeremy O.
Specialist 22 U.S. Army
3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Reg. (Armor), 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Taji [NW of Baghdad]
Cleburne Texas US

Center TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/17/04 Polley Jr., Larry E..
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
2nd Bat., 20th Field Artillery Reg., 4th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Taji (north of)
Center Texas US

Castroville/San Antonio Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/26/05 Rairdan, Rhonald Dain
Lance Corporal 20 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Div., III Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Castroville/San Antonio Texas US

Canyon Lake TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/26/05 Hernandez, Tony L.
Lance Corporal 22 U.S. Marine
Marine Heavy Helicopter Sqd 361, MAG 16, 3rd Mar. Air Wing
Non-hostile - helicopter crash Ar Rutbah (near) [Al Anbar Prov.]
Canyon Lake Texas US

Bryan TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

01/21/04 Parker, James D.
Private 1st Class 20 U.S. Army
588th Engineer Battalion (Heavy), 4th Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - mortar attack Ba’qubah
Bryan Texas US

Brownsville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/23/03 Anguiano, Edward John
Specialist 24 U.S. Army
3rd Combat Support Battalion
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush Southern part
Brownsville Texas US

Brazoria TX Fatalities RIP

03/23/03 Jordan, Phillip Andrew
Staff Sergeant 42 U.S. Marine
1st Bat., 2nd Mar. Reg., 2nd Mar. Exped.
Hostile - hostile fire An Nasiriyah
Brazoria Texas US

Belton TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

07/26/03 Methvin, Daniel K.
Sergeant 22 U.S. Army
H&H Co., 1st Bat., 67th Armor, 4th Inf Div
Hostile - hostile fire - grenade Ba'qubah
Belton Texas US

03/11/04 Dunigan Jr., Joe L.
Staff Sergeant 37 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Habbaniyah (NE of)
Belton Texas US

Bellville TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

08/06/03 Colunga, Zeferino E..
Specialist 20 U.S. Army
4th Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Reg.
Non-hostile - illness - acute leukemia Homburg Hospital
Bellville Texas US

Baytown TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

05/17/05 Riggs, Wesley R.
Private 1st Class 19 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Tikrit (30 km S of) [Salah ad Din Prov.]
Baytown Texas US

Austin TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

09/11/03 Ybarra III, Henry
Sergeant 32 U.S. Army
D Troop, 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Balad
Austin Texas US

02/22/05 Aston, Trevor D.
Lance Corporal 32 U.S. Marine Reserve
1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Div.
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Al Anbar Province
Austin Texas US

08/27/04 Aldrich, Nickalous N.
Lance Corporal 21 U.S. Marine
2nd Bat., 4th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - vehicle accident Al Anbar Province
Austin Texas US

09/03/04 Perez, Nicholas
Lance Corporal 19 U.S. Marine
3rd Bat., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Hostile - hostile fire Al Anbar Province
Austin Texas US

09/13/04 Brown, Dominic C.
Lance Corporal 19 U.S. Marine
Headquarters Bat., 1st Marine Div., I Mar. Exped. Force
Non-hostile - unspecified cause Al Anbar Province
Austin Texas US

Arlington TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/19/04 Ludlam, Jason C.
Private 1st Class 22 U.S. Army
2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Div.
Non-hostile - electrocution Ba’qubah
Arlington Texas US

Amarillo TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/23/03 Mata, Johnny Villareal
Chief Warrant Officer 35 U.S. Army
507th Maintenance Co.
Hostile - hostile fire - ambush An Nasiriyah
Amarillo , Texas US

04/07/03 Das, Eric Bruce Captain 30 U.S. Air Force
333rd Fighter Squadron
Hostile - jet crash Tikrit (near)
Amarillo , Texas US

01/26/05 Burk, Taylor J.
Specialist 21 U.S. Army
1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad
Amarillo , Texas US

Abilene, TX Iraq Fatalities RIP

03/31/04 Hufstedler, Doyle M.
1st Lieutenant 25 U.S. Army
1st Engr. Bat., 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Malahma (nr. Habbaniyah)
Abilene Texas US

05/15/04 Ledesma, Rene Staff Sergeant 34
U.S. Army 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack Baghdad
Abilene Texas US

09/22/04 Harris, Adam J.
Private 1st Class 21
U.S. Army 2nd Bat., 3rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Div.
Hostile - hostile fire - sniper Mosul
Abilene Texas US

Daily Kos :: Memorial Day

Daily Kos :: Memorial Day

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

...While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

... In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

... To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

Analysis: GOP arrow not enough to kill 'Robin Hood'

HoustonChronicle.com - Analysis: GOP arrow not enough to kill 'Robin Hood': "'Robin Hood' had been on nearly every Republican's wanted poster, including Gov. Rick Perry's, for years. Even a state judge had decreed an end, or at least significant changes, to Robin's reign over public schools and Texas taxpayers.

And with Republicans firmly in charge of the Statehouse, this supposedly was the year to fulfill longtime promises.

Perry and legislative leaders vowed to end the share-the-wealth school finance system and cut local school property taxes. To emphasize their resolve, the governor declared education reform an 'emergency' issue for lawmakers to address.

That was Jan. 10, the day before the 140-day session convened. Now, on Day 140, no property tax relief is in sight and Robin remains alive, still transferring millions of dollars in local tax revenue from richer to poorer school districts.

The next emergency may revolve around how much damage his arrows inflict on Republicans who didn't deliver on their promises."

Like it or not, budget passes House

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Legislature: "The House passed a budget on Sunday that thrills almost no one, though few members dared question it publicly.

The $139.4 billion, two-year budget is loathed by some Republicans for its size and by some Democrats for what it leaves out. It went to Gov. Rick Perry on a 104-40 vote.

Mr. Perry, who faces a March GOP primary for re-election, has line-item authority to deflate the spending plan. He 'will be going over that budget very carefully with his red pen,' said spokeswoman Kathy Walt.

Ms. Walt dismissed a report that Mr. Perry might veto the whole document and call a special session.

A dozen Republicans dissented on the budget, but none spoke against it.

Democratic attacks were restrained, even among those who criticize House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland. The calm on the surface owed much to the personal popularity of the House budget chief, Republican Jim Pitts of Waxahachie."

Perry had some successes but big prize elusive

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Legislature: "Gov. Rick Perry cemented his relationship with social conservatives this legislative session, but he didn't make many new friends.

He also didn't put much distance between himself and potential primary challengers, including a certain U.S. senator who might have an eye on his job."

GOP defends Craddick as school bill dies

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Texas Legislature: "House Republicans who supported one or both of the school-finance plans that died over the weekend lamented the loss of teacher pay raises and property-tax relief.

What they didn't do was blame House Speaker Tom Craddick for the House-Senate stalemate that killed the bills.

Instead – as Senate leaders bashed the speaker for holding firm to the House versions – they stood behind Mr. Craddick and questioned why the Senate waited two months to pass a measure of their own and start negotiations.

'How long do you have to knead bread?' said Rep. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, saying she was 'just miserable' about the failure of the Legislature to give teachers a pay raise."

It's more than a long weekend

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "It began with war heavy on Americans' minds, tears fresh, graves newly dug.

But with the passing decades, Memorial Day became something else – a three-day weekend, barbecues and parties and no longer a day to pause and remember.

'And that hurts,' said Richard E. Carey, a retired Marine lieutenant general who lives in Rockwall. 'It hurts a lot. So many people gave their lives for this country. It's a very, very sad thing that we've forgotten what this day is all about.'"

COALITION CASUALTIES: Fatality Details

COALITION CASUALTIES: Fatality Details

Go to this site and filter by state for Texas. 153 fatalities from Texas. May they rest in peace on this memorial day.

Facing South: Memorial Day

Facing South: Memorial Day: "As we sign off the Memorial Day weekend, here's wishing you a good holiday. We also remember the 1,654 U.S. troops and 180 troops from other 'coalition' countries killed in the Iraq tragedy, as well as the tens of thousands of Iraqi dead"

Memorial Day 2005

Panhandle Truth Squad: Memorial Day 2005: "Today:
Thank you soldiers, and the families of same.
We never forget the sacrifice, the pain.
May your anguish and pride shine above the shallow patriot whose attempt to claim your righteousness only shows the timid darkness of their existence.

It's controversial, but here is Mark Twain's ' The War Prayer. '

The story relates a patriotic church service held to usher the young men of a town off to war. The service continues with a 'long prayer' for the victory of the country's military.

As the prayer closes, an 'aged stranger' enters the church and walks up the aisle to the front of the church where the minister is standing. Motioning the startled minister aside, he begins to relates the 'unmentioned results' that 'follow victory -- must follow it, cannot help but follow it."

Read the story.

NPR : Campaign Finance Rules for Political Bloggers?

NPR : Campaign Finance Rules for Political Bloggers?: "Advocates of tighter campaign finance laws see the Internet as a political money loophole-in-waiting, one that the FEC needs to close before it's widely exploited…. [But] bloggers of all ideologies want the FEC to keep its hands off. ”"

Off the Kuff: And of course, school finance reform is dead

Off the Kuff: And of course, school finance reform is dead: "For the third time since 2003, an attempt to overhaul the tax structure in order to get rid of the so-called 'Robin Hood' method of public school funding is dead. We've known it was dying for some time now, and the reasons for it haven't changed since we first knew it was in serious trouble, and here it is. It was a top priority of Governor Perry's, and it failed.

Remember now, this was the third attempt. The Senate took a shot at it in 2003 by unanimously passing a tax reform bill. The House and Governor Perry immediately pissed on it, and it was never spoken of again. (Anyone else think the bad blood this session between David Dewhurst and Tom Craddick can be traced back to that?) Perry called a special session in 2004, which petered out before the 30-day deadline having accomplished nothing other than the House voting 126-0 against a plan he himself put forward. And now this, thanks in part to Perry's special brand of leadership. I know this sort of thing is hard, but how much time and how many chances do you get before you're branded an abject failure?"

Off the Kuff: The Denny Amendment appears to be dead

Off the Kuff: The Denny Amendment appears to be dead: "The Denny Amendment appears to be dead"

Off the Kuff: The telecom bill is dead

Off the Kuff: The telecom bill is dead: "The telecom bill is dead"

In the Pink Texas » Dewhurst vs. Craddick: In Praise of Gridlock

In the Pink Texas » Dewhurst vs. Craddick: In Praise of Gridlock: "Watching Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Mean smack each other up and down the second-floor hallways of the Capitol ought to be amusing. And it is, not only because the idea of two of the state’s top Republicans pissing on each other to the ultimate detriment of their colleague, the Guv. It’s amusing (and a relief) to me because it has gummed up the works.

Just because we didn’t get a deal on school finance or property tax “relief,” doesn’t mean that Texans should be disappointed. I mean, do you honestly think THESE guys can fix THESE problems? Would whatever satisfies the leadership and members of both the House and Senate actually be an improvement over doing nothing? I doubt it.

Gridlock in government, dear readers, tends to be a good thing. I’m not just saying this because the Republicans are in charge. I’m saying this because I’m familiar with the Legislature’s body of work. Banning gay marriage, an official state folk dance (the square dance), and all other manner of time-wasting, brain-cell-crushing CRAP is the product of an unholy biannual circus lovingly referred to as “The Lege.”

“The Texas constitution requires the Legislature to meet for 140 days every two years. Are we sure they didn’t mean two days every 140 years?”

Common Sense: School financing is dead. I am am the walrus, kookoo kachoo

Common Sense: School financing is dead. I am am the walrus, kookoo kachoo: "Because Craddick and Dewhurst couldn't keep from entering into a pissing contest with each other, school financing has failed... again.

You know, eventually we are going to have to fix the way we bankroll public education in this state, seeing as how the current way has been ruled unconstitutional. But, as a guest commenter noted at In the Pink, these aren't the people who can fix it."

Barbara Ann--Texas Senator 2006: Waiting for Godot

Barbara Ann--Texas Senator 2006: Waiting for Godot: "une promises to be a huge month for Barbara Ann Radnofsky's U.S. Senate campaign. Incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison will announce her future plans: run for another six-year Senate term, run for Governor of Texas, or, ideally for Texans, just run...far and fast from the political landscape.

Hutchison's decision will then kick-start other candidates, Republican and Democrat, to wade into the race. Barbara has been running the most intensive on-the-ground, get-out-the-vote campaign ever run in Texas. She's covered every major region of the state: east, south, central, west, and north, and has spent considerable time in small communities, listening to the real voices of real people. Democratic opposition will have a tough time making up this advantage, and her ultimate Republican challenger in the general election will find that real-people issues are every bit the province of Barbara as they are of Republicans--only more so.

Barbara's campaign reflects her underdog status: it focuses on people and solutions rather than ideologies and party politics. It's driven by finding common ground rather than cultivation of wedge issues. And most importantly, the fuel that she brings to the fire is charisma."

State Won't Sue TRMPAC for Damages

Clean Up Texas Politics | Austin American Statesman: State Won't Sue TRMPAC for Damages: "
Three Texas House Democrats tried Friday to prod the state's top lawyer into pursuing damages against Texans for a Republican Majority, the political action committee that a judge has ruled violated campaign finance laws.

Attorney General Greg Abbott, a Republican with his own ties to groups accused of illegally spending corporate money, said no.

Citing state District Judge Joe Hart's decision Thursday against the political committee, Reps. Jim Dunnam of Waco, Pete Gallego of Alpine and Garnet Coleman of Houston asked Abbott to collect almost $3.9 million in damages for taxpayers. "

Republicans Counting on Judges to 'Make' Laws?

Clean Up Texas Politics | Austin American Statesman: Republicans Counting on Judges to 'Make' Laws?: "If the Legislature won't clarify disputed campaign laws, then judges have no choice but to do it themselves when confronted with lawsuits and criminal charges. But some Republicans who complain about 'judge-made law' might soon welcome a dose of it regarding corporate contributions.

The Texas Legislature, with GOP leadership and majorities, is about to go home without closing perceived loopholes in a state law that bars corporations and unions from donating money to political campaigns, except for incidental administrative expenses such as office rent and utilities. The Senate took no action, and a House version that had the support of more than 90 cosponsors out of 150 representatives was voted down in committee.

Enter state District Judge Joe Hart of Austin, whose straightforward — one might say 'conservative' — reading of the state's century-old ban on corporate donations found no loopholes."

Dallas school with ties to Craddick sees funds leap

HoustonChronicle.com - Dallas school with ties to Craddick sees funds leap: "A University of Texas medical school in Dallas — which has named an endowed chair honoring House Speaker Tom Craddick — will receive more new state tax dollars over the next two years than all of the UT health facilities in the Houston area combined.

Craddick and House budget writers say the endowed chair honor had nothing to do with a $57 million jump in state spending for the UT Southwestern Medical Center."

House, Senate trade blame

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "Who killed a school finance overhaul and property tax relief – the banner issues for state lawmakers this year?"

Craddick wields power in final school finance negotiations

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "The way Texans pay taxes for public schools won't be changing anytime soon."

Texas rivals chase Air India

Texas rivals chase Air India - Houston - MSNBC.com: "Houston and Dallas are engaged in an aerial dogfight to determine which city will land the national airline of India."

Session fell short in many ways

Star-Telegram | 05/30/2005 | Session fell short in many ways: "House Speaker Tom Craddick on Sunday rejected assertions by other top state officials that he scuttled a last-minute deal to salvage a sweeping school finance bill meant to be the centerpiece of the legislative session that ends today.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who presides over the Texas Senate, suggested that an 11th-hour 'agreement in principle' had been hammered out late Saturday night by him, Gov. Rick Perry and a team of key lawmakers. Then Craddick pulled the plug, Dewhurst contended.

Perry's staff and key Senate negotiators also said they thought they had the makings of a deal to enact a sweeping school finance overhaul package giving teachers a substantial pay raise while cutting property taxes.

Craddick insisted that what senators and the governor's office brought to him was not a deal but some vague concepts that couldn't possibly have been translated into complex legislative language in enough time to be printed and considered properly.

'There was no agreement last night,' Craddick told reporters Sunday. 'We are universes apart.'"

Gaming has the odds on its side

Star-Telegram | 05/30/2005 | Gaming has the odds on its side: "Though it appears that the Legislature has taken a pass on expanding gambling in Texas, you can bet that the idea will come up again at the next session -- as it should.

Gambling should be allowed in Texas in all its forms. People have a fundamental right to do with their money as they wish. Our gambling laws are more a reflection of political muscle than of some moral standard.

Grand Prairie has a horse racing track, as do several other cities scattered throughout the state. Races attract horse aficionados and those who want to bet on which horse will win.

Yet even with horse racing almost within sight of the proposed new Dallas Cowboys stadium, no bets can be placed on a football team -- at least not legally. We can place bets on horses, but not on humans racing up and down a football field."

UT student leader turns lobbying into legislative success

UT student leader turns lobbying into legislative success: "He has been in office less than two months, but Omar Ochoa already has been able to accomplish more than most University of Texas Student Government presidents.

In the past week, he has lobbied lawmakers to advance legislation that would add students to the state's boards of regents. Student government presidents have been championing the idea for the past 30 years."

Session's close crammed with action

HoustonChronicle.com - Session's close crammed with action: "Editor's note: On the last weekend of the Texas Legislature, Houston Chronicle reporter Kristen Mack followed Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, for a behind-the-scenes look at one lawmaker's final hectic moments of the session."

Highlights Sunday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "Highlights Sunday from the Texas Legislature"

School overhaul dies

MySA.com: Metro | State: "A last-ditch effort to salvage some sort of school plan from the regular legislative session fell apart Sunday, leaving state leaders and lawmakers without a new funding system to show the Texas Supreme Court or Texans who'd been promised action."

Craddick wields power in final school finance negotiations

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "For almost 30 years, Republican Tom Craddick persevered in the House in the minority party with little power and little voice. Now, as House speaker, Craddick is proving he's arguably the most powerful man in Texas government.

Craddick's lone opposition over the weekend foiled a possible 11th-hour deal on a school funding plan, the cornerstone of the 79th Legislature.

After a turbulent week of increasing pessimism and with two days left in the session, House and Senate negotiators bore down on Saturday, finally grinding out an education spending plan that both sides could agree on.

Led by Republican Gov. Rick Perry, top negotiators from both chambers and Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst spent hours locked in a Capitol conference room before giving their blessing to a deal on classroom initiatives, such as higher teacher pay.

Then Perry took the signed plan to Craddick's office. He emerged moments later, and the most recent round of the school funding battle was dead.

'We reached an agreement on the principles on the outstanding issues,' Dewhurst said. 'Gov. Perry walked over to the speaker's office, that's all we know. The process is done.'"

Drug bill sent to governor

KLTV 7 Tyler-Longview-Jacksonville, TX: Drug bill sent to governor: "A bill that would set up a state-run Web site to help Texans buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada is headed to Governor Rick Perry's desk.
The Senate approved the bill on an unanimous recorded vote today.

It would allow the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to create a Web site listing approved Canadian prescription drug distributors."

An accounting of notable issues of the 2005 Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A look at some bills that made it, and some that didn't, in the regular session of the 79th Texas Legislature, which ends Monday."

Highlights Sunday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A $139 billion two-year budget plan is on its way to Republican Gov. Rick Perry's desk after the House passed it Sunday.

With a vote of 104-40, House members approved a proposal that would increase state spending by about 10 percent. The Senate approved the same plan Saturday.

Perry has the authority to veto specific items both in the budget plan and the supplemental budget plan both chambers also approved Sunday. The supplemental budget provides $2.8 billion to cover gaps in the current budget and for future public education reform.

'He's going to go through the budget very carefully, and he's going to get out his red pen and make appropriate and fiscally responsible decisions on that budget,' said Perry's spokeswoman, Kathy Walt.

Perry also could veto the budget plan, but Walt said it is too early to speculate on whether that would happen, essentially necessitating a special legislative session.

Passing a balanced budget is the only task legislators are constitutionally required to accomplish during their 140-day session that ends Monday."

'Don't mess with Texas elections'

Abilene Reporter News: Columns: "Many things were happening, and some were not, during the closing days of the 79th Session of the Texas Legislature. School vouchers were staved off yet again, in one of the more compelling floor debates in the Texas House of Representatives in quite awhile - including strong arguments from some Republicans against them.

A water allocation bill failed.

As of Thursday, May 26, how to change school policies and how to raise how much money for schools was still up in the air, due to squabbling between the House and Senate.

But another important decision Thursday was handed down a couple blocks away from the capitol, at the Travis County Courthouse. Senior District Judge Joseph H. Hart ruled that former state Rep. Bill Ceverha, R-Dallas, treasurer of the Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (TRMPAC), owes almost $200,000 in fines, plus attorney's fees, to five Democrats who lost races for the Texas House in 2002."

Walela Amazing Grace in Cherokee.mp3

Patriotic Music, MP3 Download Page Free index of/music/mp3: "Walela Amazing Grace in Cherokee.mp3"

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. I'll be making several posts in honor of our fallen soldiers. This song is hauntingly sad and wonderful.

Will there be a special session for the Texas Legislature this summer?

Houston Community Newspapers Online - The Courier - 05/29/2005 - Capitol notebook: "There could be, but not because of school finance reform, according to Rep. John Otto, R-Dayton.
Otto, who's been in the middle of House and Senate negotiations on House Bill 3, which will provide new school funding revenues so property taxes can be cut, said a special session would be called only if the Legislature doesn't pass the state budget.
'This, House Bill 3, and House Bill 2 (which will change the school funding formulas) - those aren't absolutely necessary for us to pass,' Otto said. 'If we didn't pass them, the Governor would wait until the Supreme Court made its ruling to call us back into session.'"

No place like home for this cuddly Austin lapdog

HoustonChronicle.com - Robison: No place like home for this cuddly Austin lapdog: "THE Texas Legislature, over the years, has created a number of industry lapdogs, but the Texas Residential Construction Commission, established two years ago, could be one of the cuddliest yet.

A few senators tried to take some of the wag out of its homebuilder-friendly tail last week but failed. Even though some political contributions have sparked legal turmoil, money still talks in Austin, and with a very loud voice."

Delegation Watch: Stem cell issue cools responses

HoustonChronicle.com - Delegation Watch: Stem cell issue cools responses: "U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has been a vocal advocate of increasing federal support for embryonic stem cell research.

The Texas senator was quoted by the Associated Press as saying in December that the funding restrictions placed by President Bush in 2001 had proven to be impractical.

But last week, Hutchison was noncommittal when asked about the House-approved bill that would expand federal funding to studies involving human embryos frozen at fertility clinics.

The senator said she was not ready to support such legislation.

'Well, I have to look at the bill,' she said. 'We have to be very careful and make sure there are ethical guidelines as we work through this.'"

Small-town to million-mile clubs, Texas Republican makes impact

KRT Wire | 05/29/2005 | Small-town to million-mile clubs, Texas Republican makes impact: "For 90 days and nights, as the 2004 presidential race intensified, David Barton crisscrossed the nation like a 21st century apostle.

He moved from fellowship hall to hotel ballroom, from one swing state to another - Florida, Ohio, Michigan - rallying the faithful to the polls.

His talking points were few - gay marriage, the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer in schools. But they resonated among the devout in ways that job creation and the troubles in Iraq never did.

On Election Day, the Republicans solidified their hold on Washington thanks in part to Christian conservatives, who overwhelmingly backed President Bush. And Barton, a 51-year-old former math teacher turned amateur historian, is one of the reasons.

In many ways, he was the perfect man for the job.

Handsome and articulate, he knows politics from the inside. He is second-in-command of the Texas Republican Party. He vacations with powerful members of Congress. He's a friend of the president."

Exclusive: In school bill, no budging

DallasNews.com | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "The closest they ever came was Thursday afternoon, when the governor's office and House members thought they had a deal on school reforms – student testing, teacher pay raises, incentives for improving schools. Five hours later it was 'off the table' and the Senate and House had retrenched, deeply divided over the remnants of 'Robin Hood.'

A companion bill – the tax-swap proposal aimed at lowering property taxes – was never really close at all.

In the last 24 hours, when sleep-deprived tempers were flaring, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick were sending unchanged proposals back and forth, not budging an inch. And in the end, they broke it off Saturday without a deal on the signature issues of this year's legislative session – school finance and property taxes."

Later in the same story-- "It was the legislative equivalent of being given the bird," a Senate aide said. I think the fallout from this is going to be big. And it's all going to fall upon Republicans./span>

Border schools lose funding

MySA.com: Metro | State: "wo of the border region's top priorities lost their funding Saturday with some lawmakers blaming House Speaker Tom Craddick for blocking a $13 million appropriation needed to open the Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy in Kingsville.

El Paso also lost funding it needs to open a four-year medical school.

The state already has spent $17 million to construct the pharmacy school that is virtually complete and ready to admit the first 35 students of a 65-member class. The school cannot open without operating funds.

“I am very disappointed for the constituents of South Texas, the people who need these services,” said Rep. Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville. “From a personal perspective, I am shocked."

Highlights Saturday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A stalemate on school funding legislation squashed any remaining hope Saturday that lawmakers can reach a deal this session.

With less than three days left, lawmakers needed an extraordinary series of events to successfully change the way Texans pay taxes to fund public schools.

The 140-day legislative session ends Monday.

Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick said his team of negotiators have signed off on their versions of both the school and tax bills, sending them to the Senate for approval. But a senator who has been active in writing that chamber's plan said the House version won't do.

The school finance plan approved by the House does not raise enough money from businesses and hikes the sales tax too much to be approved by either Senate negotiators or the full chamber, said Sen. Kim Brimer, a Fort Worth Republican.

If an agreement were to be reached this weekend, senators would have to vote to suspend their rules to take up a tax bill. But, with the large sales tax increase the House plan includes, that isn't likely."

Lawmakers said to have agreed on budget

MySA.com: Metro | State: "House Speaker Tom Craddick said lawmakers had reached agreement on a state budget for 2006-2007 hours away from a Friday night deadline.

Members of the finance conference committee met informally behind closed doors in the afternoon, trying to resolve differences by a midnight deadline to approve the proposal and have it printed for members.

Craddick said he thought they had finalized the state budget and an emergency, supplemental spending bill."

A Press Corps on the Lege, 5/27/2005 - The Texas Observer

A Press Corps on the Lege, 5/27/2005 - The Texas Observer: "I reported on my first session of the Texas Legislature in 1963, as a reporter for The Daily Texan, the student newspaper at The University of Texas-Austin. Since then, there have been a lot of changes, not only in the Legislature, but in the way the media covers it.

Back then, there were no laws requiring open meetings and open records. A lot was done in secret. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, an old ex-alcoholic curmudgeon from Paducah named Bill Heatly, worked out the appropriations bill with a few cronies. They dropped the phone-book-size budget on everyone’s desk a couple of days before the end of the 140-day session. Legislators had a few hours to try to figure out what was in it—and what wasn’t."

Hutchison's next move could shake up Texas politics

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "In a Texas-size political chess game, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison plays the role of queen.

She plans to announce this summer whether she'll try to hold her U.S. Senate seat in 2006 or challenge fellow Republican Rick Perry for Texas governor.

'I will make the decision based on what I think is the best thing I could do for Texas,' she said.

In the meantime, a long line of Texas officials and political hopefuls are plotting their next move if her seat opens up and backup plans if she stays put.

'She holds the key,' said U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio.

Bonilla, who wanted Phil Gramm's seat when the former senator retired in 2001, already has announced he'll seek the Senate seat if Hutchison moves on. He plans to run for his House seat if Hutchison stays."

Highlights Friday from the Texas Legislature

DentonRC.com | News for Denton, Texas | AP: Texas: "A sweeping overhaul of the state's tax system floundered Friday as critical deadlines loomed and lawmakers showed little progress in their attempts to negotiate a new way to pay for public schools.

Gov. Rick Perry met during the afternoon with House Speaker Tom Craddick, who has proven to be a formidable negotiator and shown little willingness to waiver on a proposed House tax plan.

The House and Senate have approved separate proposals for paying for reduced school property taxes and increased education spending. Members of each chamber were appointed to a conference committee to work out the differences and produce one bill for Perry to sign into law.

But with the end of the session drawing near, hope waned.

Monday is the last day of the 140-day legislative session. But a series of deadlines this weekend for considering bills makes passage of a plan in the final hours extremely difficult, unless certain legislative rules are suspended.

Even then, there's the risk of a filibuster from any senator who wants to stop the legislation."

Big Mo'!!!

The Jeffersonian: Politicks, Sports, and Culture: Big Mo'!!!: "he momentum that the Hardberger campaign has picked up over the past couple of weeks is truly amazing. First, much of Schubert's base switches their support to the Judge, then legendary civil right leader Claude Black endorses Phil. Add that to the fact that Hardberger has been endorsed by Congressmen Charlie Gonzalez and Ciro Rodriguez, both Democratic and Republican Bexar County Party Chairs, and Carroll Schubert and very few people could honestly argue that the Hardberger campaign is not seeing a surge of momentum.

When you put these endorsements alongside a re-energized field program (120 people blockwalking on Saturday alone!), you've got a campaign that is looking to make some noise on June 7. This race is going to be decided on the ground, and while Matt over at Just Another Blog believes this gives the edge to Castro, I differ."

I have no clue. If you come from San Antonio, let me know your take.