To Vote, or not to vote, that is the question...

            Robyn Evans addresses the issue of voting, or lack there of, in Texas. I agree that many of the eligible voters in Texas choose to avoid the polls during elections. There are several explanations but the most common one that I hear is…“My vote really doesn’t matter”.

            Unfortunately, this is the view that most of the voting population has in Texas. I have been raised in a politically informed house and continue to observe political issues at the local and national level. Many people in Texas feel that their vote doesn’t matter because it is such a conservative state and no matter what, the Republican candidates seem to always win election by a large margin.

            I talk to several people about politics on a regular basis and for the most part it seems that my peers share a lot of the same beliefs as I have. I then ask them why they choose to not vote and they simply just give the excuse of “it’s a broken system”.

            Its time for us, the younger generation, to take this state by the horns. We need to all get out and vote, and drag our friends to the voting booths as well. People would be amazed by the changes that would occur in Texas if everyone that could vote would vote.

            Remember, a lot of people have sacrificed and given their lives for us to have the rights to vote. Vote. and show them that it wasn’t in vain.

When A Man Loves A Man...It's More Than Brotherly Love.

           What is love? In the English language the word “love” is used for several different meanings. We all love pizza and ice-cream, but its not the same type of love that we share with our family. Love is a special word in the English language that expresses affection for something or someone. It can be used to describe our relationships or even our interests, and does not require any form of legal documentation.

            Marriage, on the other hand, requires a legal document and allows a couple to be expressed legally as one. For example, a married couple can file taxes together and can even be included with spousal benefits from employers. Marriage is a basic human right that allows people to express their love for each other and allows them to “team up” for life’s many challenges.

            Since marriage is a basic human right why are we keeping people from enjoying the benefits of marriage just because we don’t agree with their sexual orientation? Throughout Texas history we have excluded several groups of people from their basic human rights. For instance, there was a time in this states’ history that blacks were not citizens and considered as property. We also did not allow women to vote during elections. These examples of our dark past seem ludicrous and insensible, but if it wasn’t for federal laws these practices may still continue today.

            The United States Supreme Court is currently debating same sex marriage at the federal level. I think it is time to look forward and address issues that affect Texas and the great people that live within this state, instead of declining the right for people to become married. Love and marriage complement each other and should not be restricted to a single type of relationship.

A "Joint" Argument

            Robyn Evans’, "A Sticky Icky Situation", brings attention to the increased demand for politicians to reform the current marijuana laws in the state of Texas. I agree with Robyn’s stance that Texas legislators should legalize the selling and possession of marijuana.

            Marijuana has been viewed for several decades as harmful and highly addictive. With further studies and scientific research scientist have observed that these claims are false and contain no supportive evidence. Many doctors have detected the medicinal aspect of marijuana and continue to speak against the false allegations towards the substance. Why is something that is not harmful to someone’s health and can be used as a medicine be illegal?

            The short answer is because the government has not come to any conclusions on how to regulate and tax marijuana. Some states within the US have taken the plunge to end the prohibition on marijuana and have successfully taxed and regulated the green leafy substance. Colorado, for example, has made the recreational use and sell of marijuana legal throughout the state to 21 and older patrons. This has only been implemented for one year and Colorado has already made $70 million in tax revenues. Although this is below the projected estimated tax revenue, it is still an increase of $70 million to their annual state taxes.
           Many bills have been introduced into the current Texas legislative session and are waiting to be voted on within the Criminal Jurisprudence committee. For instance, HB 2165 is a bill that would repeal the prohibition on marijuana in the state of Texas and HB 507 would change the punishment for an ounce or less to just a civil offense not a criminal offense. These bills are a step in the right direction for Texas lawmakers and I hope that marijuana will become more of a social issue rather than a criminal issue.    

Drink and Ride or Drink and Drive?

        Austin is a city known for large amounts of alcohol consumed every weekend. Whether it’s college students bar hoping or professionals enjoying some drinks after a long week, thousands of locals make their way downtown to their favorite bars. Getting downtown is considerably simple, other than traffic and finding a parking spot, but getting home safely is an entirely different issue. Many locals fear that if they take a cab home then their car will be towed, or in the best-case scenario, they will just receive a parking ticket.

         Capitol Metro provides public transportation in Austin and brings multiple forms of communication for daily commuters. Although this is great and helps relieve some of the traffic congestion and pollution within Austin, it does not address the increasing number of DUI related accidents within the last few years. The reason Capitol Metro does not play a role in lowering drinking and driving in Austin, is because during the weekends the public transportation stops at 12:30 am. This forces locals to have to choose between an expensive cab ride, hired driver, such as Uber or Lyft, or to just drive themselves home. This ultimatum forces locals to make a decision when their judgment is completely altered.

         Extending the hours that Capitol Metro operates may cost the city of Austin and its residence, but I believe that it is an important cause that would keep our friends and family safer. Not to mention more jobs would be created. Austin is a city that looks ahead and is willing to take chances to increase overall satisfaction. Keep Austin weird. Ride, don’t drive.

Educating the community?

            What makes a student succeed during the k-12 years of his/her education? Many people will assume that it depends on the school system or even the students themselves. Although these have an affect on the success of students, students’ successes greatly depends on the community’s involvement within the school district.
             Representatives Marsha Farney and Eddie Rodriguez have taken a bipartisan stand for more community schools within the Texas educational system; especially lower income school districts. A community school is a term used to describe a school district, that receives funding and support from businesses and the community. For example, in 2008, Reagan High School of East Austin was declining at a substantial rate and risked an inevitable shut down. The graduation rate was less that 50 percent and was continuing to decline. If Reagan continued to fail as a school it would have been shut down, leaving a gaping hole within an already failing community. The school district adopted the community school model that promotes high academic achievement and provides support for students and their families.

            This model involves the local community of Reagan High to plan and partner with local businesses to accommodate the needs of children to learn and focus on academics without hindrances. For instance, Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas partnered with Reagan High to provide on-site health care for students, increasing attendance rates dramatically since 2009. A community member noticed that the baseball field was unable to be used, so he contacted the Houston Astros and they provided a new baseball field and equipment. The community’s involvement with Reagan High has increased the graduation rate to 85 percent and doubled attendance in five years.

            Farney and Rodriguez represent areas of lower income near or around Austin and have seen the direct effects that the community school model can bring to our educational systems. It is time for us, as communities, to give more than just taxes to our educational system. We need to give a helping hand for the younger generation and expand the education opportunities to children that may be slipping through the cracks. “It’s not that kids from low-income communities can’t learn. But you can’t learn if you’re not in school because of family issues, and you can’t do your homework if your family can’t afford to pay the light bill.”               

            It’s been wonderful to fuel our locomotives without breaking the bank, but why has the price of oil drastically dropped and is there any potential consequences? Erica Grieder’s article in the Texas Monthly, directly addresses this question. She compared the current production increase of oil in Texas to the 1970’s “oil-boom”. Unfortunately, in the 1980’s Texas’ economy plummeted due to a drop in oil prices. Grieder explains that the oil prices dropping should have no major effect within the Texas economy due to the lessons that we learned during the 1980’s. It appears that the Texas oil industry is here to stay and stronger than ever.