Critique on classmate

Proposition 1, which was written by a fellow classmate, discusses a "Rainy Day Fund" and how it should be used to pay for two-year public colleges. I agree with his claim that this would help remove the barriers students face in obtaining degrees and jobs. Most students that go to college, whether it be a two-year or four-year, end up facing debt for a few years in their lives. Some people get more scholarships than others but still end up having some kind of debt. I slightly disagree when my classmate says that the original use of Proposition 1 wouldn't work. The money in Proposition 1 is meant to be used for roads and other transportation related issues and my classmate says that Proposition 1 will in no way relieve congestion. I think that traffic is definitely a major issue in Austin and I think that a billion dollars would do some sort of good on our traffic issues, but I also think that there are better ways to use this money. I think maybe that the money set aside in this fund could be used for both issues, student tuition as well as traffic problems.

Liberal Texas

Texas seems to be its own government. Texas is so independent and it has such different laws as compared to other states. Texas government places a heavy emphasis on what the governor thinks is best. A large part of the governor’s decisions rely on who contributes to his campaign. In the end, Texas will always be run by the people, but the people that contribute the most will always have the largest influence on public policy.

I think Texas is a very strong Republican state. I believe the Democrats have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to controlling Texas. Since Texas became a Republican state, it has lived up to its expectation about what people think about it. When people think about Texas they think of us as ranch owners, cattle drivers and gun supporters. Texas is more liberal and has a very tough exterior. Texans have a very prideful attitude and that’s what makes it a great Republican state. Texas has many city governments that are extensions of the state government. Before a major issue reaches the Supreme Court it has to go through a county government. I believe this helps Texas get things done in a quick and efficient way.

The state’s government is divided and set up to mimic the national government by having a House of Representatives and a Senate. These two entities create a perfect balance of checks and balances. Texas tries to take care of its problems before they reach the federal level. Even though Texas needs the federal government, it looks like it would do well on its own.

Tracking the Border

     The Observer holds an article titled 'A Texas Militaman Reconsiders the Mission'. The author's intended audience is basically the uninformed public. The author himself was a supporter of Fox News until he went out and experienced first hand what the new was telling him stories about. According to him, that's all they were. Stories. He served in the militia and this first-hand experience is what gives him the credibility he proudly holds.
     Gilbert claims that Fox News distorts the truth by showing the militia in a good light when really they are not handling the problem ethically. Gilbert was part of the Texas Border Volunteers and he said, “You can set up here and watch Fox News and say ‘these alien bastards, we need to shut the border down’ But what I saw coming through Brooks County was humanity.” Gilbert first handedly witnessed the procedures that were taken into effect by the TBV and realized that he didn’t want to partake in this organization. From Gilbert’s viewpoint, the TBV isn’t focusing on the health of the immigrants they are simply just detaining them when medical care is needed. It struck his morality when he saw a young male’s body hunched over a tree, lifeless.  This is when he realized that giving medical care should be a higher priority than what the TBV was doing.

                I agree with Gilbert that things need to be done differently. The TBV needs to adopt the moral and ethical ways of life. About 15 members of the TBV, including Gilbert, quit and instead joined the Texas Border Rescue which is a “humanitarian-focused search and rescue group”. I think the TBV and TBR need to combine their efforts because this is what will make them the most effective. Procedure plus ethics goes a long way.