Burnt Orange Report: :: Public Education Salaries, CHIPs and the GOP

Burnt Orange Report: :: Public Education Salaries, CHIPs and the GOP

The San Antonio Express news ran a story on Saturday headlined:

Wal-Mart workers dipping heavily into CHIP to insure kids

One would think from that headline that the story is primarily about Walmart's pitiful health insurance benefits. And if you need to know more about how Walmart shortchanges its employees on benefits, just look here
or here.

But that's not what drew my attention to the story. Read the first few grafs of the story:

One of the richest companies in the world also has more employees enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program than any other Texas employer.

That means taxpayers are subsidizing Wal-Mart, said state Rep Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.

"The numbers don't lie. It's a problem," he said.

The numbers also show most of the top 10 employers whose workers enrolled their kids in the CHIP program last year are school districts, led by Houston's.

The University of Texas System was in third place, according to the statistics, the most recent available from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

And Wal-Mart had a lower percentage of employees using CHIP than most school districts on the list.

Read the rest at BOR.

Eye on Williamson » My Governor’s Race Analysis, Latest Rasmussen Poll

Eye on Williamson » My Governor’s Race Analysis, Latest Rasmussen Poll: "I may be wrong but when it’s all said and done I really don’t think Chris Bell’s support can fall below 25%. With Perry at 38 and Gramda at 20 if my math is right that leaves Kinky at 17%. I still think that’s too high for Kinky come November. Probably Bell into the low-mid 30’s and Grandma with a couple more and Kinky in around 8-9%.

The reality at this point is Perry is looking pretty invulnerable in this 4-way race and unless something changes he’s heading for reelection. Don’t get me wrong I think that Chris Bell is far and away the best candidate and the person who would make the best governor for Texas. But as 2000 showed us being the best qualified for the job means little with it comes to the voters, just ask Al Gore.

We need to push Chris Bell and do all we can to make people realize that coalescing around Chris is the only way to get Perry out of office. Much more important though is doing all we can to get Democrats elected down the ballot. Whether it’s AG, Congress, state House and Senate races or those county positions we need to get the farm team up and running strong again. Adding a few more seats in legislature and winning and/or making gains locally. That, to me, is what will be a success for Democrats in Texas in 2006."

Read the rest. This is the summary. Personally, I don't think Bell can fall below 35%. If we get the vote out for Fred Head, Hank Gilbert, and David Van Os, I don't think Bell can fall below 40%. While I wouldn't brag about a 40% win, I would take it and be happy. We have to convince folk that we need to oust Perry.

Don't Get Stapled!: Todd Staples: The Arch-Enemy of Rural Texans

Don't Get Stapled!: Todd Staples: The Arch-Enemy of Rural Texans: "The Trans-Texas Corridor will tear many small Texas towns and family farms apart and, as a result, is opposed by many rural Texans.

However, this didn't stop Todd Staples from co-sponsoring the bill that created the Corridor. Todd Staples claims to represent rural Texans but he sells them out everytime he is asked to."

Read the rest. Let's all get out and work and vote for the qualified candidate, Hank Gilbert.

Wal-Mart workers dipping heavily into CHIP to insure kids

MySA.com: Metro | State: "One of the richest companies in the world also has more employees enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program than any other Texas employer.

That means taxpayers are subsidizing Wal-Mart, said state Rep Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.

'The numbers don't lie. It's a problem,' he said.

The numbers also show most of the top 10 employers whose workers enrolled their kids in the CHIP program last year are school districts, led by Houston's."

As a school teacher, I find this absolutely repugnant. When are we going to require a living wage?

GOP doesn't think Perry is worth a nickel.

MySA.com: Metro | State: "Some longtime Texas Republicans are expressing displeasure with Gov. Rick Perry by literally giving him their 2 cents' worth in campaign contributions.

More than a dozen have opened their checkbooks to make contributions of less than a nickel and in some cases, only a penny.

They want their small donations to make a big statement.

'The whole country is waking up. I really think there's going to be a revolution because people are sick and tired,' Mary Bean of Rosenberg said. 'People are sick and tired of all this bickering and not getting a damn thing done.'

Perry did push a school funding reform bill through the Legislature last month that kept the Texas Supreme Court from closing public schools after June 1. But some of Perry's fellow Republicans are miffed he supported a new business tax to make it happen.

'I was really mad that he started this new business tax,' Bean said after sending a contribution check for 1 cent.

A lifelong Republican, Bean said she'll vote for maverick independent Kinky Friedman."

Burnt Orange Report: :: 19th District of Texas--Ricketts vs. Naugahyde--Attend the Rally!!

Burnt Orange Report: :: 19th District of Texas--Ricketts vs. Naugahyde--Attend the Rally!!

I just posted this on BOR. Click the link to read the rest.

Robert Ricketts will be holding a rally in Abilene on Tuesday, June 20th. LubbockDem promises something great is going to happen at the rally. Everyone who is in the area needs to come out and hear Robert, our next congressman from the 19th district.

When: Tuesday, June 20th 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Where: T&P Depot 1101 North First - Abilene

Robert Ricketts, who is running for congressman in the 19th District of Texas, is the real thing. When elected he will serve as a citizen legislator, with only the interests of his district and its citizens in mind. Ricketts is on the right side of the issues--our

Medicare Drug Plan Donut Hole will Haunt GOP

In Texas Town, New Drug Plan Baffles Patient and Provider Alike - New York Times

Many patients say they have difficulty getting the drugs they need. Pharmacists, swamped with questions and complaints from beneficiaries, have run into many practical problems as they try to navigate a complex program administered by dozens of prescription drug plans, each with its own policies and procedures. Doctors and pharmacists are struggling to figure out which drugs are covered by which plans.

"Intellectually, the program is a good idea," said Dr. E. Linda Villarreal, a former president of the Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society. "But there's been total chaos and confusion among most of my patients, who do not understand the system and how to work it."

While acknowledging that there were problems at the beginning of the program, the administration has said in recent weeks that those issues have abated. But for Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike, concerns surrounding the benefit have special resonance heading into the midterm elections in November.

Jose M. Flores, a Medicare beneficiary who lives outside McAllen, used the new drug benefit four times from January to April to purchase Byetta, an injectable medicine for diabetes. Each time he paid $40.

So when he went to the pharmacy on May 25, he was dismayed to be told that he owed $167.56 for the next month's supply. Mr. Flores had reached the notorious gap in Medicare's drug coverage. He had to pay the full price of Byetta. His Medicare drug plan paid nothing.

"It's almost useless," said Mr. Flores, a 66-year-old school bus mechanic who was interviewed at his home in La Joya, Tex. "I'm paying the premium, but not getting protection."

In coming months, millions of beneficiaries will have similar experiences, as the cost of their drugs reaches the initial coverage limit of $2,250. Like Mr. Flores, they will have to pay the full cost of each medicine until their out-of-pocket costs reach $3,600. At that point, Medicare coverage resumes, paying 95 percent of the cost of each prescription.

Click the link to read the rest. This is really going to hurt the GOP.

Burnt Orange Report: :: Texas Democratic Party Platform 2006

Burnt Orange Report: :: Texas Democratic Party Platform 2006: "Courtesy of Ms Annatopia crossposted on TexasKos...

I just received a copy of the new Texas Democratic Party Platform. When I mentioned a few days ago that we progressives had made massive gains at the committee level, I was not kidding. Click beneath the fold for the entire text (26 pages, down from 36). As a progressive, I can honestly say I am pleased and suprised to not have any gripes with it. Kudos to the Platform Committee for doing an outstanding job articulating our values. The good stuff, IMO, is the second half."

If Ms Annatopia thinks the platform is good, rest assured it is good. Click the link to see the whole document.

Burnt Orange Report: :: SD 24 Convention Report

Burnt Orange Report: :: SD 24 Convention Report: "This was our first convention as well. Both Camille and I became delegates specifically to work for Glen Maxey, so we definitely experienced some disappointment, but we also came back fired up to win in 06 and 08.

In the early afternoon on Thursday, I was on the road from the Anson Summer School Program back to Abilene, eager to head out for Fort Worth. I already was proudly wearing my Maxey lapel sticker. My niece Jenny was with me, and she immediately asked about the sticker. I tried to explain, as best I could to a seven-year-old, why we were going and how we wanted Glen to win. Jenny got a very serious look on her, and asked “What are you going to do if he loses?” I told her that her Aunt Camille and I would be sad for a little while, but we’d get over it. She still looked serious, and said 'Uncle Mike, you know people do lose sometimes, right?'

Yes, Jenny, I know. We were sad for a while, but now we’re over it. I’ve already sent out important emails, worked on our county party website and blog, and started planning grassroots outreach for our Democratic Party 4th of July picnic. And I finally got around to writing this brief piece on our convention experience."

My report from the State Convention--take it for what it's worth.

Marc's Miscellany: TDP v. Benkiser: Dems Try to Keep DeLay on the Ballot

Marc's Miscellany: TDP v. Benkiser: Dems Try to Keep DeLay on the Ballot

On Thursday, the TDP filed a lawsuit in Travis County seeking a permanent injunction that would prevent the Republican Party of Texas from declaring Tom DeLay ineligible to run as the GOP nominee for the 22nd District (although the RPT, on Wednesday, purported to declare DeLay ineligible). The TDP additionally asked the court to prevent the RPT from certifying another candidate to appear on the ballot as the GOP nominee for TX-22. State District Judge Darlene Byrne signed a temporary restraining order on Thursday. A full evidentiary hearing has been scheduled for June 22.

It is important to note that a TRO is an ex parte order, which means the judge has only heard the TDP position so far. TRO’s are only valid for 14 days. This is why there will be a hearing on June 22. Nonetheless, having reviewed the TDP petition and the applicable Election Code provisions, I am convinced that the TDP should prevail in this litigation. (Kuff has a copy of the petition and exhibits here(pdf).) I will attempt to explain why.

Well reasoned piece. Read the rest here.