8 Feb
Looking at Democrats for Governor
First up is Farouk Shami and a quick review of his issues page tells me most of what I need to know about his agenda.
Energy and Environment -Farouk Shami believes it’s time to act to close down our polluting coal fired plants once and for all, while also ensuring Texas has access to affordable and reliable energy that will meet demand today and into the future.
Given the technology doesn’t exist to make alternative energy sources anywhere close to the efficiency and cost of coal, nuclear or gas powered plants this is very pie-in-the-sky.
Education -Most importantly, he will dramatically increase Vocational/Technical training in our secondary schools to teach kids real life skills that can lead to a high paying job and help them become a productive part of the Texas workforce.
I like this part of his plan, we need to do away with as much of the politically crap in the lesson plans and focus on some hard science, math and skills.
Free, Online Tutoring Available To All Texas Public School Students
Farouk proposes a system modeled off of Alabama’s successful “HomeWorkAlabama.org” website where students can connect to a tutor for live help via the Internet. Tutors will help students through the use of instant messaging, interactive virtual “chalkboards,” shared browsing, and similar features including enhanced capabilities to help students with science and math. Tutors would be online from 3 p.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Right and just where is the money to pay for all these tutors going to come from?
Transportation – Index the Motor Fuels Tax
Farouk Shami proposes a one time increase in the gas tax of 8 cents and implementing automatic increases in the gas tax annually from 2012 forward based on increases in the Highway Cost Index (HCI), with a four percent cap on any annual increase. Should the HCI increase by more than 4% in any year, the balance would carry forward to the next year and be added to any increase for that year. In years where there is a zero or negative increase in the HCI, revenue generated from carryovers would go toward reducing TxDOT’s existing debt.
Tax and Tax and Tax — anybody think this would be the end of taxing schemes to pay for roads?
I’ll lump all these next statements under the general heading of rights. See if you can spot the inconsistancies I did.
Criminal Justice – Farouk Shami believes the Texas criminal justice system has serious problems. Too many young people become career criminals. Often we are not sure if those convicted were truly guilty. Our correction officers are under paid and poorly trained. And the entire system is focused on retribution and not rehabilitation. ….Farouk will also crack down on criminals who are currently being overlooked, white collar criminals who buy support from political leaders
Internet Access – The digital divide in this country, and especially in Texas, continues to grow wider. While broadband internet use continues to rise, it continues to be unavailable to those who live in some rural communities.
The state of Texas needs to lead the nation by establishing a universal service fee on all internet service providers operating in the state of Texas. This small fee per customer would allow subsidies to go back to ISPs who build the fiber optic cable and/or wireless infrastructure to connect every part of Texas to the internet.
Animal Rights (that is the actual title of the section from his website) Farouk Shami firmly believes that animals ought to be protected. Furthermore, he wants to mandate all shelters in Texas become “no kill” shelters and provide state aid to rescue organizations. Finally, he wants to increase criminal penalties on those people convicted of abusing animals.
A Woman’s Right to Choose – Farouk believes in safeguarding a woman’s right to choose and will oppose all efforts by the Legislature to place further restrictions or roadblocks on decisions best left to a woman and her doctor.
Farouk is against placing restrictions on the access to emergency contraception.
Second Amendment Rights – Farouk unequivocally supports the Second Amendment rights of all Texans.
Farouk will fight any effort to restrict the ability of Texans’ to carry concealed weapons. However, he believes Texas’ higher educational institutions must be gun free.
Okay, What do you think? Is this someone you want running your state?
I don’t.
I see quite a bit of “income redistribution” and quite a bit about supporting some rights — but not all.
The kicker for me was his stance on abortion/contraceptive rights versus 2nd Amendment rights. He doesn’t mind having contraceptives available on campuses (neither do I) even if the school is morally opposed to that idea (many Catholic/Christian collegse) yet sees not irony in keeping people from being able to effectively defend themselves on those very campuses or to and from those campuses.
Sorry Farouk but “Farouk unequivocally supports the Second Amendment rights of all Texans” doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Posted by the pistolero on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
You think all that’s bad , check this out:
“Shami would like to see the hourly minimum wage jump from $7.25 to $10 or $15.”
You’d think a small businessman would see the folly of minimum wage, let alone raising it up to such astronomical levels. I’d vote for Kay Bailey Hutchison over Shami any day, and trust me, I am NO fan of KBH.
Posted by Bob S. on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Pistolero,
I’m fast loosing hope for Hutchinson. Medina is still looking good. I would rather have someone with impractical impossible to get going ideas then those trying to repeal the economic laws like Shami is doing.
Posted by the pistolero on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Medina’s still the one to get my vote.
Posted by Sarah on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Oh, yeah, let’s jack up the minimum wage here in Texas. That won’t crush small businesses or convince Texas-based companies of all sizes to get out of this state. (Picture me rolling my baby blues.) Heck, a bunch of companies are close to other states’ borders, so it wouldn’t take all that much for them to pack up and move.
Medina’s still the best-looking candidate to me. Some of her ideas are unrealistic at best, but they’re good ideas. She moves in the right direction; even though she can’t get Texas there overnight, or even all the way there over a long period of time, I’m convinced that she really does want to make things better.
Posted by Jay on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
I want to like Medina, I really do, but I keep coming back to the statement she made during the Debate several weeks ago.
“I want to end gun registration…”
WHAT GUN REGISTRATION!?!?!
Sorry, I just have fundamental troubles voting for someone who doesn’t even understand the basics of firearm laws.
Besides, look at what Perry did give us, which is made Texas a “Stand Your Ground” state and increased the Castle Doctorine to vehicles, great for someone like me without a CHL.
Posted by Bob S. on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Jay,
I thought long about that statement when you posted it.
In the end, I think it comes down to this: Who do I want to vote for – someone who doesn’t know the law regarding firearms or someone who’s philosophy on life is mostly opposed to mine.
Shami is a great example of this – there are one or two points I agree with him on but his philosophy is tax and spend.
I’ll take Medina and work to provide the education on the ins and outs of the law. Heck, she may have been talking about ‘registration’ and thinking about Concealed Handgun licensing.
Compare her statement — she wants to end governmental control over something with Shami’s willingness to keep people disarmed because they are on a college campus.
Not a hard decision to make there.
Posted by Sabra on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
The contraceptives/no guns on campus thing makes me wonder whether Shami makes the mistake of thinking the only harm done in rape is sexual. If you don’t get pregnant you should be fine, right? (It’s worth noting that rape victims actually make up the highest proportion of PTSD sufferers.)
Posted by Jay on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Bob,
I think it goes back to a saying I see a lot around election time “the lesser of two evils”. You vote for the candidate who’s views and goals are closest to your own and hope they don’t screw up too bad on the rest.
I think my biggest fear with Medina is she doesn’t learn the law, and nothing gets accomplished.
Maybe she thinks there really are gun registrations in Texas, or maybe she is confusing ye olde BATFE form 4473 as a gun registration form. Who knows.
Posted by Bob S. on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Jay,
I think my biggest fear with Medina is she doesn’t learn the law, and nothing gets accomplished.
You say that like it is a bad thing
Seriously, if the worst we get is that nothing gets done — I’d be happy.
If we get a roll back to more of our rights – I’d be ecstatic.
If we move toward dismantling much of the government, I’d be inclined to re-elect.
Posted by Thomas on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
Some of these folks need to be looked at from a rooftop through Nightforce or Sawrovski rather than on a ballot. Hell, Perry’s no picnic, he thinks he has gun owners in his pocket and doesn’t bother making much of an effort to toss us a bone as he figures were already bought and paid for. Where’s Open Carry right now? As I recall, we still don’t have it. Works in Arizona and Colorado (outside of dildo cities) and it’d work in Texas outside of Austin/Houston if need be–Colorado Style to at least get the foot in the door. Be sorta nice to have GW back, and I hate to say it, but Ann Richards did do some sensible things for a Demotwat just as much as Perry does some stupid things as a Republican and she was funnier at times, although she was less funny to run into in an Austin watering hole when she quit drinking. Whether you agreed with her or not, she could hold her liquor, liked GOOD barbecue, and could tell some funny stories when she wasn’t being shrill with silver foot in the mouth jokes. Never figured out how much of that was an act to keep her standing in the party she picked and how much she believed.
Posted by Texas Gov… decisions… decisions « Stuff From Hsoi on 08.02.10 at 11:30 AM
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