Blog Stage 7

Texas is dealing with a large budget shortfall, and is currently having trouble closing the gap. Many are trying to figure out whether to cut spending, or increase revenue to solve this problem. There is light discussion and debate among citizens about legalizing marijuana, like California has done for medical purposes. Of course Texas politicians haven't considered this route of increasing revenue very seriously but I think there is some truth to this argument.

Now to begin things I am not a personal user of marijuana, morally, I do not think it is something that needs to be used in the manner that people utilize it for. However, economically it makes perfect sense to legalize medical marijuana in Texas. People are going to smoke marijuana whether it is legal or illegal, why not have them pay a state tax every time they make a purchase? Since Texas does not levy a personal income tax, state sales tax makes up the largest portion of its revenues; Texas cannot afford to let a taxable substance like marijuana stay in the black market unaccounted for.

To close, I don't agree with the abuse of marijuana, but whether it is legal or illegal people are going to continue to buy and use it, so why shouldn't Texas collect a tax on it? 

Stage 6

I really enjoyed reading the blog, "Cost vs. Lives of New Pollution Rules" It was very insightful and the author made some very good points. I agree with "hook em freedom writer" that the cost of cleaning up our air today is very important and will benefit our health in the future. Not to mention how important it is to leave our earth in good condition when we leave for the generations after us. However, I can't blame Rick Perry and the rest of the Republican party for being a little skeptical, this operation will cost over $800 million annually, and who knows how this will actually benefit or to what extent. I felt like you came off as a little condescending toward the Perry and the republicans, consider how much pressure our state government is under with our budget and funding education, now we want to throw $800 million toward cleaning up the air? Like I said before, I believe in taking care of our environment but we are going to have to be patient when speaking about solutions that cost $800 million dollars annually.

You mentioned in your article that the health benefits would be $120 to $240 billion dollars, and I realize that these numbers came from some extensive research and calculations, but you have to remember that its just a prediction. At the end of the day no one knows what the exact benefits will be, or even if they will land in that same 120 to 240 ballpark.

In closing, I just want to say that I agree, I am all for a cleaner planet, but we have to be patient with those in charge, especially when talking about a large portion of a budget being used for one element of one of the many problems we face in Texas.

Blog stage 5; Education

Many Texans believe that our state government does not spend enough on education. State wide tests have proven that students in Texas haven't been up to the national standard, certainly below average. So where does all of that money go? A large majority of the money goes directly to school staff members like teachers and custodians, and the rest to buildings, materials, and supplies. Don't get me wrong, I can't agree more that a lot of the educational funding should be spent this way, but I still feel like we don't have a lot to show for it. I believe that more of the education money should go straight to college scholarships; to graduating seniors that may not get the opportunity to continue their education because of a lack of finances. Other countries like England have state schools that cost half as much as our local and state Universities, this allows more England natives to further their education. I realize that many students will drop out of high school and go directly to the work force but spending more money at the high school level will not prevent that. There comes a time in a students life when they decide to continue their education or not and that time may be in the middle of high school or after high school, but the decision to not continue should never be made because of a lack of funds.

Blog stage 3

My response to Kevin West's, "Governor Ricky Perry: only representing himself"

In this opinion column, Kevin West creates an argument that Governor Rick Perry is spending his time as governor readying his image for the upcoming presidential election instead of worrying about the issues effecting Texas. West adds that that Governor Perry only "represents himself" and shouldn't be regarded as a public servant. This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, is Kevin West talking about the same governor that has been considered one of the most powerful Texas governors to ever hold office? West sarcastically claims that Americans might as well vote for a "bag of hair on a stick" than Gov. Ricky Perry, however, Texas has one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the nation while under Perry's command, it has been for years, and that is something our current president cannot say. If West is telling me that a bag of hair on a stick can accomplish this much as governor of the second largest state in the U.S., then the stick and bag of hair sounds like a great candidate for the president of the United States. Governor Rick Perry has served the longest among all Texas governors in the history of the state and according to the Dallas Morning News is the only President to appoint at least one person to every state office. Governor Ricky Perry has been nothing but a public servant to our great state and continues to do so this very day.

Perry Throws His Weight Around Lege and Comes Out a Winner

This article in The Texas Tribune concerning Governor Ricky Perry is a must read; it highlights what a powerful and important governor Perry was to the state of Texas, and what perspectives he holds if he decides to run for president of the United States. If Perry does decide to run for president, as Texans, it is of the upmost importance for us to be in full support of our former governor, however, before one makes the decision to vote for Perry, one must be familiar with his stances on important issues like abortion, lawsuit restrictions, education. Governor Perry holds very different perspectives than President Obama on most of theses issues, and not only Texans, but Americans as a whole need to be informed about his perspectives, so when it comes election time voters make knowledgeable decisions. Though this article doesn't go into depth about Perry's exact political stances, it does set a tone and provide a foundation to what we can expect from his presidential campaign if he does decide to run.

Perry for Pres,

Graham

Why I am taking this class

The main reason I am enrolled in this government class is to fulfill a degree requirement, however, I am very curious about Texas government and state politics in general. I think it is important to be aware of the issues that are affecting my home state, however, I find myself ignorant of many the many current events at hand. I hope this class will submerge me into the current issues that are shaping Texas' future so I can form my own perspectives on important issues.

Graham