Endorsements reveal Statesman's agenda, not candidates' worth

By Michele Samuelson | 10/13/08

Not surprisingly, the Austin American Statesman went three for three for liberal Democrats in their endorsement editorial running tomorrow. I'll ignore the Donnie Dippel endorsement in HD 17, since all they could come up with is supporting Dippel's anti-voucher stance (which is no surprise, since it's in the Democrat platform and all; Dippel is also one of the few candidates to receive financial support - so far - from Texas Parent PAC, a... read more »

An Argument Against AISD and RRISD Nov. 4 Ballot Propositions

By Michele Samuelson | 10/13/08

My husband and I live in Round Rock ISD, and we plan to vote against Round Rock ISD's Propositions 1 and 2 on Election Day.  These are the RRISD bond package, split into two parts (a trick taxing entities use to hornswaggle voters - they know at least one part will pass, because voters are just that random, so money will be spent regardless).  As a part of GOUGED (Groups Opposed to Unsustainable Government Education Debt), we oppose the... read more »

University of Texas students denied free speech, threatened by university officials

By Michele Samuelson | 10/08/08

I heard about this the other day, but I only sort of believed it was actually happening.Two students at the University of Texas at Austin are facing disciplinary action for putting political signs in their dorm room windows.  The university's excuse?  The signs make the campus look "cluttered."And the university believes they are completely in the right and that the policy doesn't violate First Amendment rights - on the basis that... read more »

City of Austin Prop. 2 - Stop Domain Subsidies

By Michele Samuelson | 09/16/08

At tonight's Central Texas Republican Assembly meeting, we heard from Brian Rodgers, the activist behind Prop. 2 on the Austin ballot this November. This is the city charter amendment that, if passed, would stop the tax subsidies being given to the developers behind The Domain (that swanky shopping center at Braker and MoPac). There's a lot to say about this whole issue, but luckily the... read more »

More on Democratic complicity in mortgage crisis

By Michele Samuelson | 09/16/08

And this is from the New York Times, if you can believe it.  Five years ago.Basically, five years ago, the Bush Administration attempted to shore up Fannie/Freddie from financial crisis, because the writing was on the wall.  They did this by creating an agency in the Treasury Dept. specifically to oversee Fannie/Freddie.  But the Democrats were categorically opposed to the idea.  Among the groups denouncing the proposal today... read more »

Cornyn holds to no-campaign pledge

By Michele Samuelson | 09/16/08

In response to Hurricane Ike, Senator John Cornyn ceased campaign activities and pulled his ads from airing during this terrible time for so many residents of Texas.  Even presidential candidate Barack Obama cancelled his scheduled appearance on Saturday Night Live.  Meanwhile, Democratic candidate for US Senate Rick Noriega didn't even attempt to cease campaign operations or tone down the rhetoric for a few days - his campaign claimed... read more »

The "Experience" Factor

By Michele Samuelson | 08/31/08

Jim Manzi at National Review gave a great breakdown of the experience certain former Presidents of the United States have had prior to serving in that esteemed office.  He chose the top and bottom five in a ranking given by the Wall Street Journal in 2005 and various popular lists to create his own.  I feel it's worth reposting here at Red County for our readers, as it gives a good look into what "experience" can actually mean. ... read more »

Austin ISD proposes tax rate hike

By Michele Samuelson | 08/28/08

When my husband and I bought our house, we very purposefully chose one that did not sit in Austin ISD. Granted, property-tax-wise, very few choices are really awesome these days, but we figured Round Rock and Pflugerville were infinitely better options in Travis County than AISD. Seeing the Statesman this morning, I am confident we chose wisely. Austin ISD is planning to raise the property tax rate, pending voter approval, by 3.9 cents. In other... read more »