Mother's Day - Don't Forget To Say Thank You

The older I get, the more and more thankful I become of who my mother is. She to me, is a remarkable person. A person I will miss very much when she is gone should she leave this earth before I do.

We all live in a day in time where we work 10,11, sometimes 12 hours a day. Tack on the daily commute of getting to and from work and there is another 10-15 hours per week. Extra time these days is a thing of the past. We live in a "need it now" society.

Having said that, with Mother's Day approaching this weekend, I wanted to set some time aside for MY mother who I love dearly. Mom, this one's for you. I love you!

My mom was 16 years old when I was born. A situation that didn't set too well for her mother and my beloved Grandmother. My mom grew up an only child with expectations from her parents that nobody could achieve. So high of expectations that she didn't even dare put them on me when I was growing up because she already knew they were unobtainable. With mom's parents being Church of Christ, and my father's parents being Church of God, mom did what others expected her to do, and that was to marry my father. As abusive as my father was to my mom, she stuck with it. She was 16. What's a 16 year old girl who just gave up drill team captain to do other than stick with it. Her parents were not too pleased at the circumstances that their daughter had put them in. It was embarrassing to them. You weren't supposed to get pregnant at 16 in the minds of her parents. Very inconvenient to their life style, the family, and their friends. My mom under went pressure that I can't even imagine being put under. Abortion and adoption not an option for her. She wanted to do what she thought was the right thing, have her baby and marry the father. A decision that most adults can't make in today's day in time. As time went on, the physical abuse and fighting that was brought on by my father was too much for my mom to deal with. Yet another teenage decision was facing her. Stay just for the fact there was a child involved, or save her life and leave? Stay and possibly end up killing my father out of hatred, or do what she thought was best at the time and leave?

The very unfortunate thing about having to make this decision was that her parents didn't have her back. Nor did my father's parents. Back then, folks lived in a time where domestic and spousal abuse was not talked about. It was not a topic you talked about, much less have a "hot line" one could call to get help. Back then, you were just stuck. Despite all of the outside pressure to stay, mom left. I was 2 years old. Due to threats from her own parents, threats of getting a lawyer and making damn sure I would never see my mother again, she left me with my father. A man who I myself, would leave when I turned 13 years old.

Looking back, mom's decision to leave me with my dad was probably the best decision she would ever make in her life. A decision that I know didn't come easy for her. Whatever God she was praying to during that time, He was listening. Little did she know the decision she made then, would end up enriching both of our lives years down the road. She ended up remarrying. She ended up marrying the man who I now consider my dad. Big difference in "father" and "dad". Any boy can be a father, it takes a real man to be a dad. To this day, they are still married. Growing up, the three of us had so much fun together and so many good times together. From our trips to Austin Texas and San Marcos Texas, to our vacations in California, we had some damn good times together. Memories that I hope will stick with me until I take my last breath.

My fondest memory of my mother came not too long ago. In 2004, I made a decision to up and move to Louisville Kentucky. A decision that just came out of the blue, but one that needed to be made. At that point in my life, I was going through a divorce that included my own step-children. I wanted to do for them, what was done for me when my mother married my wonderful step-dad. Bad idea on my part. Didn't quiet work out the way I had it planned in my head. So in 2004, I thought the best thing for me and the kids, was for me to distance myself as far away from the situation as I possibly could. 850 miles away was Louisville Kentucky. On Feb. 16th, 2004, I did one of the hardest things for me to do. Look my mother in the eye and tell her that her only child was moving 850 miles away. Not knowing what was facing me in the days to come, I didn't know if I was hugging my mother for the very last time or not. One things for sure though, she understood and some how, she knew I needed to do this for myself.

I don't know where my mom got this "understanding" attitude she has, but as her only child, I appreciate it. I moved to Louisville with no job, no place to live, and no family. I quickly befriended a person who I guess, looking back on it, was my guardian angel. Todd is his name and he quickly became my best friend. I met him within the first week I was in Louisville so I guess that was part of God's plan as well. Over the next couple of years, mom took Todd in as her "second son". Knowing full well that he was the chosen one to look after me and to look over her only child.

Six months into my move, I had taken a job just to have a job. It was still in the same industry that I had just left in Dallas, but it was a job at the bottom of the ladder and the bottom of the pay scale. I had to do what I had to do. My car ended up getting repossessed and for the next year and a half, I either took the bus to work or I walked. Never missing a day of work. For the next year and a half, I either ate tomato sandwiches or the Ranch Style Beans and hot sauce that mom would send me in her "care packages" she would send me from time to time. Upon moving to Louisville, I found out rather quickly that they didn't sell Ranch Style Beans or El Fenix hot sauce up there so mom would mail it to me from time to time. All along not knowing that there were times that this is all I had to eat for the week.

After figuring out that I wasn't coming back anytime soon, mom made her first trip up to Louisville for a visit. Doing the motherly thing, she wanted to "check" out things. Make sure I was okay. Meet the people I was hanging around. You know, mom stuff. When she first got into town, she asked me where my car was. Not knowing that it had been repossessed, I told her that I had been keeping it at Todd's house. This wasn't a lie. ( I had been keeping it at Todd's house. The bank had been calling me and I knew what was coming. So on the weekends, I would park it at Todds.) Mom would never question it again and I would never bring it up again. At least for now.

Mom's first visit to Louisville was such a fun one for me. She saw my apartment and saw that all I had was a blow up mattress and a fold out chair. Both given to me by Todd. I didn't even have a t.v. Didn't need one. I had my trusted a.m. radio and my John Grisham books. Life was good! Mom didn't take to this too kindly so being a woman and a bargain shopper, she immediately asked where the closest Target and Wal-Mart were. Kenneth was about to get some stuff for his apartment!!

When mom left for Dallas, I had an entertainment system, a 19" color t.v., two chairs, a microwave, coffee maker, coffee table, lamps,...etc. I felt like I had just left the set of The Price Is Right!! She had a budget and it wasn't primo stuff, but you know what, it sure as hell beat a blow up mattress and a fold out chair!! Mom left having a little bit of "peace of mind". She had met my friends for the first time, she knew I was no longer sleeping on the floor and I could now watch the Indianapolis Colts versus listening to them coming through a stat-icky old radio. My entertainment system was $12 worth of milk crates that we had turned on their sides. We laughed quite a few times over that one.

Another year and half would go by. Over that time, I had worked so hard to move back up the ladder at work. Proving to the folks in Louisville what I had already proven in Dallas. It finally paid off. I was now back in the pay bracket that I had been accustomed to. It was then, and only then, almost 2 years after the fact, that I come clean with mom in regards to my car and what my situation really was. I told her about the countless walks I made across the 2nd Street Bridge that crosses over the Ohio River just to get to work and back.

She was a little taken back, but she had her suspensions that something was up. You see, mom herself is an only child. In March of 2003, the good Lord called upon my grandmother to come and join Him. Leaving my mom the duty of taking care of my grandfather. Knowing that her hands were full by taking care of my grandfather all alone, keeping her home in tact, maintaining a full-time job, the very last thing she needed to worry about was me. I was okay. I had a roof over my head. I had a job. Plus, I had surrounded myself with people that actually cared for me. I was 850 miles away from mom, she didn't need the stress of worrying about me.

I am now back in the Dallas area. Closer in miles to my family. Although I don't nearly spend the time with them I would like to, it's still very comforting knowing I can now get in a car and drive to their house versus having to save up for a plane ticket home.

To this day, I really don't understand where my mother gets her strength. She is a very strong willed woman. I admire that in her. I at one time, was very good about running from my problems. Out of sight, out of mind. I'm still a little bit like that, but the older I get, the more like my mother I think I become.

I will never in my life time be able to repay my mom for what she has done for me. Both psychologically and financially. She and my "dad" now have a Harley that they ride and take trips together on. It's her way of letting her mind go. Re-grouping for what the following Monday will bring. She and I just emailed one another yesterday trying to make plans for Mother's Day. I don't live real close to her, but I live half way between her and where my grandmother is buried. We decided on a little hamburger joint not far from where we will be going to pay our respects to our beloved Francine.

After deciding on the hamburger joint, I said to mom, "..how white trash is that? Eating at a hamburger joint for Mother's Day". Her response to me was, "...Kenneth, it's not where we eat, it's the time we spend together that matters the most."

How true that is. How very true that is. God has not blessed me yet with kids of my own. But when he does, if I can do half of good as job that mom has done with me, my kid will be okay too!

Mom, I love you dearly. The anger that I once possessed when I was a child over you leaving has turned into nothing but love and understanding for you as an adult. I thank you.

Your son,

Kenneth

(P.S. - two songs I will never forget, Send In The Clowns by Judy Collins and OUR song, Colour My World by Chicago)

Being "White" In America

In today's world, we hear a lot of comments such as "...this is what it is like to be 'Black' in America." Or, "...you are taking what he said out of 'context'."

I've been sitting back, watching the whole Obama/Rev. Jeremiah Wright ordeal run it's course. All the while, thinking to myself, "..boy, boy, boy." I wasn't around in the 50's or 60's. All I have to go on is what I was taught in school or what I saw on t.v.

What I DO know is this, we as a country have come a very long way when it comes to civil rights for the minority. In fact, we have come so far, I really don't even know who the so called "minority" is any more. Webster defines the word 'minority' in this way: a part of a population differing from others in some characteristics and often subjected to differential treatment.

In 1985, Michelle Obama, (at that time, her name was Michelle LaVaughn Robinson) wrote a thesis while attending Princeton University. The title of this thesis was "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community". For the record, the library at Princeton University has removed this thesis until November 5th, 2008. We elect a new President of The United States on November 4th, 2008. Odd don't you think? In this thesis Michelle describes, the best she can, what it's like to be 'black' in a primarily all 'white' college. She goes on and on and on about how she was made to feel by her 'white' college classmates. Let me ask you something, do you hear the 'white' community yelling "RACIST"? Do you see organized marches and protests taking place? What would happen or what would be said if a 'white' student at, oh let's just say, Grambling University or Southern University, (both are majority 'black' colleges in the state of Louisiana) wrote a thesis titled "Grambling-Educated Whites and the White Community"? I know what would happen, all hell would break loose. Both Rev. Sharpton and Rev. Jackson couldn't catch an early enough flight to get there and protest. Who's choice was it for Michelle Obama to go to Princeton? If she was so into helping the 'black' community, why doesn't her degree come from a college such as Grambling or Southern? Both of which cater to the 'black' student.

I have another question for you to ponder. Where is Condolezza Rice's thesis titled "Notre Dame-Educated Blacks and the Black Community"? I can tell you where, it doesn't exist. She has way more class than to write such rubbage.

How many of you remember Jimmy the Greek? Jimmy the Greek was a football analyst for CBS back in the 70's and 80's. He worked for CBS for 12 years. He was fired in 1988 for comments that he made in regards to the physical abilities of the white and black athlete. He went on to say that the black athlete was "bred to be the better athlete because, this goes all the way to the Civil War when ... the slave owner would breed his big woman so that he would have a big black kid." Again, Jimmy the Greek being white, was fired from CBS for making these comments.

Now, 15 years AFTER Jimmy the Greeks comments, Dusty Baker, (a very well respected professional baseball manager who is black) had this to say in 2003 while he was the manager of the Chicago Cubs, "...I'm not playing the race card. I'm telling it like it is. What I meant is that blacks and Latins take the heat better than most whites, and whites take the cold better than most blacks and Latins. That's it, pure and simple. Nothing deeper than that." Dusty was NOT fired for these comments.

Keeping with the CBS theme, who remembers Don Imus? Don Imus, a white, radio talk-show host, was fired by CBS for calling the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos." A team that included both white and black players. Imus was even sued by some of the players. And guess who was there leading the cause in getting Imus fired from CBS? You guessed it, both Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Civil rights leaders such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson became closely identified with protests against Imus. But one of the earliest sparks may have been provided by the National Association of Black Journalists, an organization based at the University of Maryland in College Park. (Funny, I don't recall there being a National Association of White Journalists.) CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves said he made the decision to stop carrying Imus's program after he and CBS executives heard from "all segments of society" in recent days. Moonves also went on to say "...In our meetings with concerned groups, there has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society," Moonves said yesterday in a statement. "That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."

Now, let's talk for a minute about the part "..make their way in THIS society." Does Moonves mean a society that allows preachers such as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright to say things such as "God damn America"? Or, "Hillary doesn't know what it means to be a nigger"? Or, "USKKK of America"? What society is CBS executive Moonves speaking of when he says "particularly young women of color trying to make their way in THIS society"? Please tell me because I don't get it.

The society that I myself live in, is one of which that includes the date of October 3rd, 1995. On this date, not only did the United States of America hear the words, but the entire WORLD heard the words, "Not Guilty". On this date, O.J. Simpson was found not guilty for the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. To this day, nobody has yet to be charged with the two murders.

I can still see it like it was yesterday. It was almost like the day The Towers went down. America was huddled around any t.v. they could find. A verdict was coming. Everyone just knew O.J. was going to be put away for life, or better yet, put to death for this horrendous crime. Didn't happen. Not guilty. I remember watching all of the major news stations. They all had the same thing on. Blacks all across America jumping up and down cheering. Cheering as if they themselves were on the stand. Cheering like they had just won the lottery. Some were quoted as saying "justice has finally been served". Do what? Did they just say justice had been served? I'm sorry, but two lives were brutally taken. Throats were slit from ear to ear. Blood running from the door all the way out to the street. Letting O.J. off the hook was not serving justice.

Who remembers Michael Vick? Michael Vick was the former NFL quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Vick is also black. Vick is the former quarterback of the Falcons because he is now in prison. What is he in prison for, you ask? Vick is in prison because he broke the law. Michael Vick funded an illegal dogfighting ring. Big difference in funding an illegal dogfighting ring and deer hunting. Why am I comparing the two? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because blacks all across America did that when Vick's butt was thrown in jail. They said, (they being a lot of the black population in America) there was no difference in whites going out and killing deer and dogs killing each other. Some even said it was a "cultural" thing. I don't know about you, but I have deer hunted in my life. I did it so that I could eat. And yes, it is against the law if you do it out of season. I would say that 99.9% of the deer hunting population out there hunt deer for food. I've yet to come across a deer hunter that did it to gamble on who had the bigger or best deer. Most do it to feed his/her families. Period.

Now, let's take this in a different direction for a minute. How many of you whites that are reading this have been called a racist for even bringing up the suggestion of needing a border fence? Why do we whites have to be a racist for the mere suggestion of the need of a border fence? Has this country not heard about the ongoing tunnel problem we have on the Mexico/U.S. border? Has this country already forgotten 9-11-01? Why do people automatically ASSUME that the white population wants a fence to keep folks from Mexico out of our country? Why can't it be that we want a fence in order to protect us from another violent attack such as 9-11-01? If I'm not mistaken, if your like me, you want a border fence on both borders, Canada AND Mexico. (But it wouldn't hurt to start at the southern border). It's a matter of National security. It's about keeping the gangs, drugs, murderers out of this country. Rev. Jeremiah Wright accuses the U.S. government of putting illegal drugs into the hands of black-America. Doesn't he know that over 90% of ALL illegal drugs that enter this country come from Mexico? You would think that if the Rev. Wright was so into protecting his race, he would be demanding his friend of 20 years, (that just so happens to be running for President), to make it one of his highest priorities to build a fence. But no, it's so much easier to blame white-America for the down fall of the black society in this country.

In closing, I don't say God damn America. Rather, I say God Bless America. God Bless the men and women who fight for my freedom and the freedom of people like Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The freedom that gives Rev. Wright the freedom of speech. God Bless America in giving us the strength and the courage to grow as a nation. Grow to the point that we DO now have the possibility of our first black President. The growth as a nation to give us Oprah, the wealthiest woman in America. (By the way, Oprah is black). God Bless America for the freedom that gives Michelle Obama the freedom to say that for once in her adult life, she is happy with her country.

K.P.

The Disenfranchised Voter

dis-en-fran-chised (Adj.) - deprived of the right to citizenship; especially the right to vote.

On March 31, 1870, Thomas Mundy Peterson (1824 - 1904) of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States, became the first African-American to vote in an election under the just-enacted provisions of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution.He was born in Metuchen, New Jersey, to parents that had been slaves owned by the Mundy family.He was a school custodian in Perth Amboy. Active in the Republican Party, he became that the city's first African-American to hold elected office, on the Middlesex County Commission. He was also the city's first 'colored' person to serve on a jury. On August 31st, 1920, five days after the 19th amendment was signed into law, Hannibal, Missouri, held a special election to fill the seat of an alderman who had resigned. At 7 a.m., despite pouring rain, Mrs. Marie Ruoff Byrum, wife of Morris Byrum and daughter-in-law of Democratic committeeman Lacy Byrum, cast her ballot in the first ward. She thus became the first woman to vote in the state of Missouri and the first woman to vote in the United States under the 19th, or Suffrage, Amendment.
At 7:01 a.m. in the second ward of Hannibal, Mrs. Walker Harrison cast the second known vote by a woman under the 19th amendment.

Having the facts of the above, I am saddened about what is going on in America today. Early voting numbers in this years election are astonishing. The Dallas Morning News reports that "We have already surpassed the total early-voting numbers for both the 1996 and 2000 elections," said Scott Haywood, spokesman for Texas Secretary of State. Both parties are seeing much higher turnout than four years ago – but it's the numbers in the Democratic primary that are turning heads. In Dallas County, for instance, 49,485 people had voted in the Democratic primary by Sunday evening – nearly 10 times as many as at a similar point four years ago. About 14,000 had voted in the Republican primary in Dallas County.

Don't get me wrong here folks, I am tickled to death that people are getting active and getting out to cast their vote. Their citizen given right to vote. What bothers me are the sheer numbers of the African-American voters that are coming out in support of Obama. Again, don't get me wrong here, I do think this great nation has come along way. Far enough that I DO think that we are ready for our first African-American President. I just don't think that person should be Obama. With the likes of Oprah, Rev. Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, and even Louis Farrakhan, how can an African-American NOT support Obama? It seems to be the "cool" thing to do these days. Not just by African-Americans, but white Americans alike are on his choo-choo train of "change". What is this "change" that he speaks of? Are people doing their homework on him and his beliefs? Or, are they just taking the word of the media and the above mentioned celebrities?
Has anybody questioned his lack of voting while being a Senator? When he DOES vote, he is so far to the left it ain't even funny. Now, I will admit, Senator McCain is one of the most boring persons to watch. And as far as Hillary, well, what more can you say? She just gets on your nerves and under your skin. She's an angry woman that thrives on power. So you take the boring old man and the angry, power hungry woman out of the equation, and you are left with what APPEARS to be a very positive, up beat, has all of our best interest at heart, Obama. This is what the media is projecting, this is what the media wants you to see.

The Democratic race is very tight. So tight in fact, I think there will be some legalities get involved before it is all said and done. Florida comes to mind. With that said, let's just say that Obama does not get the Democratic nomination. Will you see the same amount of record turn out at the polls? Will you see the African-American rallies on every news station in America? If Hillary is on the ticket come November, what will all of these people that have never cast a vote in their lives before except to come out of their houses in support of Obama do? Will they prove to America that this in fact WAS a racial Presidential race, or will they support the Democratic nomination? Will they still have those warm fuzzies about wanting to be a part of history by electing the first African-American President and help vote in the first Woman President? Let me throw this at you, what if in November, it is McCain vs. Obama. Not that I think that this would happen, but "what if" McCain chooses Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice as his running mate? Not only would you have the first African-American running, Obama, (with a real good chance) for President of the United States of America, you would have the first African-American woman, Rice, on a ticket. And, should something happen to McCain, she could very well be our first woman President. A triple play. Our first woman President. Our first African-American President. Our first African-American woman president.

If this possibility presents itself in November, do you actually think that all of the Obama supporters would stick with Obama or do you have a feeling that some would cross over party lines? I personally think you would see some folks jump off of the Obama choo-choo and Condoleezza would have some new found friends.

I'm all about having a dream. I'm all about chasing your dreams and having them come true with hard work and integrity. What I am not all about, is having a man go from city to city preaching change while all along, not being able to support his change. Not being able to give specifics on "how" he would make these changes. Just like I feel Hillary is the wrong woman to be our first woman President, I feel Obama is the wrong choice for our first African-American President. Should either of them get elected, the women of the United States will be set back. As will the African-American be set back should Obama get elected. Americans will see the mistakes that they are sure to make and it will take a very long time before you see another woman or African-American elected, much less in a primary.

In closing, I really hope that I am wrong in my beliefs as to why the Obama choo-choo is so full. But I don't think I am. It is what it is. I also wish that all Americans that will be getting out and voting in this election, will just do his/her homework prior to pulling that lever. Our Nations future is riding on it. There are many other ways to voice your opinion other than just by one's skin color or gender. Getting active in your community is step one. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is a prime example of racial politics gone bad. Let's not forget how divided we were and still are when it comes to O.J. Simpson. To some, that was getting back at America and the judicial system. To others, it was pure, cold blooded murder.

The Trans Texas Corridor

Ahhhh, the many webs we weave. How many of you have sat out on your front porch and sipped on a nice cup of coffee? While doing so, listened to the world wake up. Birds chirping. The faint sound of a dog barking. Leaves moving around with the sound of water washing up on a shore. Have you ever looked really hard at a spider web? They look like intricate highway systems. Outer loops with diagonal feeders all around.

Well, let me ask you this, have you ever heard of the Trans Texas Corridor? If not, I strongly encourage you to look in to it. At the end of this blog, I will give you some links for you to do your own investigation should you choose to do so.

Not many people are keeping up with the Trans Texas Corridor because TxDOT and the many special interest groups and politicians don't want you to keep up with it. If you did, this would have been shut down many years ago. But kinda like how a spider builds it's web at night, so does the politician. The Trans Texas Corridor is the brain child of Governor Rick Perry. You hear people say "...things are bigger in Texas." Well, let me just try to begin to tell you how BIG this Trans Texas Corridor really is. It will have 10 vehicle lanes, 6 big truck lanes in each direction, 6 rail tracks, utilities, pipelines all that stretch a 1/4 mile wide for a total of 4,000 miles and taking away one million acres of land. The four Priority Corridors are described as being built (1) parallel to I-35/I-37 and the proposed I-69 from near Denison to the Rio Grande Valley; (2) along the path of I-69 from Laredo around Houston to near Texarkana; (3) parallel to I-45 from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to Houston; and, (4) parallel to I-10 from near El Paso to near Orange. These four Priority Corridors alone total 4,000 miles. Together with the additional corridor routes identified in the Crossroads of the Americas: The Trans Texas Corridor Plan the corridors could total 8,000 miles or more. This is just the start. Texas will launch this project that is expected to continue north into Oklahoma, Kansas, and one day, Canada. This is the ground work that makes NAFTA a reality.

Two companies at this point are the brains of this project. Those companies are Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte SA of Spain, one of the worlds largest developers of toll roads, and Zachry Construction of San Antonio. Here is where it gets really good! Guess what law firm is on the side of Cintra? It's a law firm that was once called Bracewell & Patterson based out of Houston. The law firm is now called Bracewell & Giuliani. As in former mayor Rudy Giuliani. The firm's managing partner, Patrick Oxford of Houston, is the national chairman of Giuliani's presidential campaign. A former University of Texas System regent appointed by then-Gov. George W. Bush, Oxford has strong ties to many of Texas' top political leaders. He raised $100,000 for Bush in his 2000 presidential run, served as co-chairman of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's re-election campaign last year and is treasurer for Sen. John Cornyn's current re-election campaign. And just take a stab at who is one of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's top 20 contributors. You guessed it, Bracewell & Giuliani. Because Texas' primary comes late in the lineup of nomination contests, the state's role in the nomination is primarily that of money generator. Giuliani's campaign finance chairman is Roy Bailey, a former finance chairman of the Texas Republican Party. Dallas billionaire T. Boone Pickens and Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks are major fundraisers. Giuliani had raised $3.69 million in Texas as of July 30, 2007, the most of any presidential candidate. Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton was second with $2 million. Among Giuliani's Republican rivals, Sen. John McCain has raised $1.79 million from Texas donors and Mitt Romney has raised $1.76 million. Giuliani has also developed a bond with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whom he helped win re-election last year. That groundwork could make Perry a high-profile ally in Texas, although the governor hasn't yet endorsed a presidential candidate. Bracewell & Giuliani's political action committee gave $10,000 to Perry a year ago, just a few weeks before his re-election. Perry and Giuliani have talked in person and by telephone several times and have a good relationship. Bracewell & Giuliani represents a business consortium involved in the Trans-Texas Corridor, a costly, high-profile toll road pushed by Perry and opposed by farmers and ranchers.

Landowners say they worry that fields and farmhouses in Texas families for generations would be bulldozed for the highway. The state acknowledges some private land will be taken, but Perry said new roads are needed to handle Texas' growing population and trade.

The consortium sued Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott last year to keep parts of its development agreement with the state secret, saying the information was proprietary. The Texas Department of Transportation took the unusual step of siding with the consortium in the lawsuit against Abbott, whose office had ruled the agreement should be made public.
The transportation department and the consortium dropped the lawsuit last October and agreed to release the contents of the contract.

But the lawsuit further fueled concerns about foreign ownership of a major Texas highway, and the project continues to be criticized by conservative groups like the Eagle Forum and the John Birch Society, who see it as part of an international conspiracy to create a North American Union. The conspiracy theory has also provided fodder for cable television commentators like CNN's Lou Dobbs.

Scott Segal, a Washington-based Bracewell & Giuliani partner in charge of its government relations division, said Giuliani was not involved in the Texas toll road legal work and that the law firm doesn't lobby on behalf of Cintra Zachry.

"Mayor Giuliani has had no association or has done no work for the Cintra Zachry venture," Segal said.

Black, Perry's spokesman, said he doubts Perry even knows that Giuliani's firm has represented the transportation companies in connection with the project.

"The governor does not concern himself with who Rudy Giuliani's law firm may or may not represent," Black said.

Now, after reading all of that, I believe that there is something very fishy going on in Texas politics. For one, it is very hard to get State Officials to admit that they even voted for the Trans Texas Corridor. After getting "back lash" from the citizens of Texas, most have now changed their stance on the Trans Texas Corridor. I do think it's a little odd that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) found a loop hole in Congressman Duncan Hunter's double layer fence and put a stop to it. I also find it odd that Bracewell & Giuliani is one of her biggest contributors. If the above is true and Gov. Rick Perry didn't know that Giuliani's law firm was involved, then he is not fit to be the Governor of Texas. If he didn't know, WHY didn't he know?

Again, the webs we weave. If you would like more information on this project, feel free to go to http://www.corridorwatch.org/ and you can also find the state's propaganda on http://www.keeptexasmoving.com/index.php/trans-texas_corridor I would encourage you to check both of them out. Even if you don't live in Texas, this too, will affect you in some way.

Electile Dysfunction

Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over any of the remaining choices for President put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.

Now that Congressman Duncan Hunter has dropped out of the race, it is clear that our country is not interested in a TRUE conservative. I'm beginning to wonder if those even exist any more.

Now more than ever, our country is in need of leadership. Someone that can lead us to a better economy. Someone that can lead us in a more clear direction when it comes to bringing jobs back to America. Someone that can lead us in more fair trading with China. Someone that can lead us in the right direction of securing our borders. Someone that can lead us in this fight against illegal immigration. Someone that can take over and lead us to victory in Iraq.

I more less wanted to let my readers know that I am still here. I've been paying very close attention to the debates and what is left of the Republican Party now that Congressman Duncan Hunter is no longer an option. Stay tuned. I am gathering info and collecting thoughts on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex) and her ties to Rudy Giuliani.

Evansville, Indiana - Population 121,582

I know what you are thinking, "what does Evansville Indiana have to do with protecting our borders?" Well, let me tell you. It all has to do with The Shield, the University of Southern Indiana's student newspaper and an article written by J.I. Lutz. The article, should you choose to check it out, is called 'Insight on Illegal Immigration'. I can't type the first thing that came to mind after reading the article, but let's just say it had something to do with bulls and what they excrete.

I lived in Jeffersonville Indiana which is just across the Ohio River from Louisville Kentucky. I lived there for 3 years. The city, and the whole state for that matter, is so far removed from the actual problem of illegal immigration. Don't get me wrong, illegal immigration is everywhere but just not as concentrated as it is in a state such as Texas, a border state. Evansville Indiana had a population of 121,582 in the year 2000 and an estimated population of 115,738 in the year of 2006. Arlington Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas and sits between Dallas and Ft. Worth, had a 2006 population of 367,197. Just a tad bit bigger than, let's say, Evansville Indiana.

Back to the article in The Shield written by J.I. Lutz. The article starts out like this, "The presidential election season has kicked off an open season on immigrants". Okay, let's make a correction right off the bat here: it should read "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS". J.I. Lutz is so mistaken here. The candidates are not, I repeat, are NOT making an issue of immigrants, but rather ILLEGAL immigrants. Big difference and if J.I. Lutz does not know that, then if I were Mr. & Mrs. Lutz, I would think about paying tuition to another school other than the University of Southern Indiana. J.I. Lutz goes on to say "The war in Afghanistan is not going well, and despite claims of progress by President Bush, we are stuck in a horrible quagmire in Iraq with no end in sight." Again, correction needed. When did we declare war with Afghanistan? For that matter, we haven't even declared war in Iraq. But if I'm not mistaken, Bush is getting slammed by Democrats and Republicans alike for pulling out of Afghanistan and turning our efforts towards Iraq. Again, I question the University of Southern Indiana if this is the best we can do as far as teaching our children.

J.I. Lutz goes on to write: "These are real problems that call for bold action from brave, visionary and courageous leaders.
Unfortunately, only a few of those people currently holding or running for office in this country possess those qualities.
Instead we seem to be stuck with a bunch of blow hard demagogues.
It's much safer for politicians to stay away from issues that really matter because taking a stand on any issue of real importance is bound to alienate someone, resulting in loss of votes.
Immigrants have provided a convenient solution to this dilemma for over 150 years.
They are the perfect group to attack.
They can not vote, and they are generally poor.
In this world, poverty is synonymous with powerlessness." Again, let's go back to the part where it says "immigrants". This again, should read, "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS". What is it that people don't understand? There is a huge difference between immigrants and illegal immigrants. For starters, one is legal, one is not. Period. J.I. Lutz calls for a "Courageous Leader" to stand up to these issues. Uh....hello? Does the name Congressman Duncan Hunter ring a bell?

Here is another real interesting thing that J.I. Lutz had to say in the article, "Meanwhile, at the urging of U.S. corporations, Congress has repeatedly opened the flood gates out sourcing jobs to come into the country through programs such as H-1B. Thousands of technology workers have lost their jobs or had their wages reduced because of legal immigrants from counties such as India.
Tech companies like these workers because they are willing to work for lower wages than U.S. workers. These people represent much more of a threat to the U.S. economy than a bunch of people from Mexico here to do yard work and pick tomatoes. But the companies that benefit from their presence have the money to make large campaign contributions." Can we go directly to the part in which it says "....a bunch of people from Mexico here to do yard work and pick tomatoes"? Was that not a racist and bigoted thing to say? Trust me, illegal immigrants do FAR more than just the above described. They do construction work on roads. They roof houses. They work at meat packing plants so that J.I. Lutz has something to eat. They cut tobacco on tobacco farms in Kentucky. And let's not forget the ongoing drug problem that we have that the illegal immigrants have contributed to. Due to the fact that companies pay illegal immigrants, in most cases, with cash, they are able to offer lower wages which in doing so, keeps legal immigrants and native Americans out of jobs. Approximately 28 miles from Evansville Indiana, sits a little town called Princeton Indiana. Why is this of any importance? Well, let me tell you why. Toyota has a plant there. I wonder just how many family members J.I. Lutz has that work at the plant or how many relatives J.I. Lutz has had that worked at the plant. With a population just a little over 8,000, I am sure that Princeton relies on the folks over in Evansville to come to work at the plant each and every day. 24 hours a day. I wonder what will happen when the illegal immigrant has migrated to Evansville Indiana and decides that he or she wants to help build those pretty Japanese cars and trucks? J.I. Lutz goes on to say "Illegal Mexican immigrants, on the other hand, do not make campaign contributions so their only value to a politician is as political tool to be used during election campaigns". To that I say, "uh.....WRONG!". I wonder if J.I. Lutz has ever wondered just how much money is being payed to politicians by the so called 'Illegal Mexican Immigrant' to keep their mouths shut while they cross tons and tons of illegal drugs into this nation on a daily basis? Trust me, the illegal immigrant is very important to the politician. They have to be or else why hasn't the fence been built? What fence you might ask? The one that Congressman Duncan Hunter authored into law and was signed by President Bush. The wall that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas keeps finding a way to postpone the building of. Hmmmm, wonder if she could be taking some of that good 'ole green stuff called "hush money"? My bad, back to the wonderful article written in The Shield by J.I. Lutz in which Lutz has this to say, "....In 1867, California politicians successfully scared the public into thinking that there was a plot by the Chinese to annex the western United States by means of mass immigration."....hmmmmm, has J.I. Lutz heard of the ongoing LEAD BASED PAINT problem that we have going on in this country? If not, let me fill you in. It's coming from China. Does J.I. Lutz know who owns the majority of this nations debt? If not, let me fill you in. It's China. Does J.I. Lutz know what the theme of this years Olympics being held in Beijing China is? If not, let me tell you. It's "One World. One Dream" We didn't come up with that slogan. People of Evansville Indiana damn sure didn't come up with it. You know who did? I'm guessing the folks of China. The same people that J.I. Lutz refers to that pose no threat to The United States of America.

I will end with this: obviously the editors at The Shield, (student paper of The University of Southern Indiana), and teachers at the University do not want their students knowing the truth. I would suggest that J.I. Lutz do just a little bit more homework before writing such garbage. This is nothing more than an article written by someone trying to please a left-wing professor and get a good grade so that he or she can go out into society and become a part of the very biased media that has plagued this nation. Good job University of Southern Indiana. You should be proud of yourselves. Do something GOOD for your students and turn them on to Congressman Duncan Hunter. http://www.gohunter08.com/ I am sure once you get the facts on this man, you will see that he is ready and willing to address many, if not all, of the issues brought up by J.I. Lutz's article.

KP

www.gohunter08.com

Who is Duncan Hunter? That is a very good question. For starters, let's call him Congressman Duncan Hunter. And just in case you didn't know it, he is running for President of The United States of America. Yes, that's right, Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) is running against the likes of the Huckster, Mitt, and Fred. Let me share with you real quick how I come to know Congressman Duncan Hunter.



I was born and raised in the Dallas Texas area. In February of 2004, I moved to Louisville Kentucky and stayed there almost 3 years to the day. I returned in February of 2007. Upon return, I did not recognize the city of Dallas. AT ALL! My grandfather lives in a suburb of Dallas, a city called Irving Texas. As I was driving through Irving, I noticed that a lot of the stores that I used to go to as a kid had closed or are now business that only serve the Mexican community. All the advertising signs outside of the stores are all in Spanish. Most of the billboards are in Spanish. Even the marquis outside of the schools that have been in Irving for many many years have announcements on them in Spanish. Wondering what was going on, after just a few weeks back in Texas, I had had enough. I wrote my State Representative. Rep. Betty Brown. I explained to her that I had been away for 3 years and upon my return, I was shocked to see how many illegal immigrants had moved into the Dallas area. I ended my letter with a question. My question to her was to tell me in her opinion, who, out of all of the candidates, had the toughest stance on illegal immigration. Her answer? Congressman Duncan Hunter. I have to say, Rep. Betty Brown changed my life. It was with that answer, I immediately went to work to find out who this Congressman Duncan Hunter was. I had never heard of him.



The first thing I did was "Google" him. There I found http://www.gohunter08.com/ the official web site of the Congressman. Once there, I clicked on " Core Principles ". Take a minute to repeat that to yourself. Core Principles. Doesn't that just have an awesome ring to it? Under "Core Principles", Congressman Duncan Hunter explained to me his views on things such as Right to Life Amendment, Philosophy of Judicial Appointments, Marriage, Parental Rights, Hate Crimes, First Amendment, Second Amendment, Taxes, Balanced Budget. On and on the list goes. All explaining his "Core Principles". Toward the very end of the list was the very thing I was looking for, "Illegal Immigration". The cool thing about all of this, I wanted to know how he felt about Illegal Immigration. All of the other things really didn't matter. So I thought. I think Congressman Duncan Hunter's web site is set up that way on purpose. He doesn't want to be thought of as a "one topic candidate" and that topic is 'Illegal Immigration'. There is so much more to this man other than Illegal Immigration but it is this that he is known for. If you happen to go to his web site, listed under these "Core Principles", this is what the Congressman had to say about himself and his view on Illegal Immigration: "I have a 27 year record of fighting illegal immigration and promoting border security. As a member of Congress with a Southwest border district heavily impacted by the effects of illegal immigration, I have steadfastly opposed amnesty proposals, including voting against the 1986 amnesty law, while tirelessly working to strengthen border security. Amnesty is not the answer. In fact, it encourages a whole new wave of illegal immigrants who seek to catch the next amnesty.
America has one of the most generous immigration policies in the world. It is unacceptable that we allow millions of people to sneak in the back door of our country when the front door is available. We have tried amnesty and it does not work. We must enforce and, as necessary, tighten our immigration laws and secure our border–it is a matter of national security."



After I read that, I was hooked. He already had me at "Core Principles", but this just sealed it up for me. Congressman Duncan Hunter goes on to describe his efforts in putting a fence up in San Diego and the success he had with it and how he helped author the Secure Fence Act. Here is what he had to say: "As part of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform Act (P.L. 104-208), I authored the legislative language mandating a 14-mile triple fence along the San Diego-Mexico land border, which augmented the single layer fence he had built with surplus landing-matt in 1989. Since then I've worked, most notably against strong opposition of the Clinton Administration, to see that project completed. Since construction of the San Diego fence began:
· Illegal alien apprehensions along the fenced region dropped from over 202,000 in 1992 to about 9,000 in 2004. Further, it is estimated that the apprehensions vs. attempts ratio increased to over 90%;
· With the establishment of the San Diego border fence, crime rates in San Diego have fallen off dramatically. According to the FBI Crime Index, crime in San Diego County dropped 56.3% between 1989 to 2000;
· Vehicle drive-throughs in the region have fallen from between 6 to 10 per day before the construction of border infrastructure, to only 4 drive-throughs in 2004 and those occurred only where the secondary fence is incomplete;
· The fence has forced drug smugglers, who once easily crossed the San Diego border, to attempt to enter the U.S. through major ports of entry instead. This significantly increases the likelihood of discovery and seizure of illegal narcotics entering our country.
As a result of the success of the San Diego fence, I authored the provisions of the Secure Fence Act calling for the construction of 854 miles of border fence along the five most prolific smuggling corridors on the Southwest border. While construction of the Secure Fence project is not moving as rapidly as Rep. Hunter would like, the Administration is moving forward and as of September 30, 2007, 70 miles of new border pedestrian fence has been constructed. I remain engaged in ensuring that the Administration meets the mandates put in place by the Secure Fence Act and secures our borders as rapidly as possible."



Unfortunately, his efforts in the Secure Fence Act have been knocked down by the likes of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. That in itself is another blog posting for another day. Let's continue with the efforts of Congressman Duncan Hunter.



Once you do your homework on all of the candidates, it is very clear that there is only one choice and that choice is Congressman Duncan Hunter. Many in the mainstream media don't want you to know or learn about Congressman Duncan Hunter. It doesn't fit THEIR agendas. Many in this same mainstream media say that "....I like Duncan Hunter, but he can't win". Folks, yes he can. He can if you don't let the media poison your minds. Do your homework on all of the candidates. When you do, you will see that there is only ONE true conservative running in this race and that person is Congressman Duncan Hunter. On a side note, not only does the Congressman know how to protect our precious borders, his son knows how to protect the borders of Iraq. The Congressman's oldest son, Duncan D. Hunter, served 3 tours in the Middle East protecting our freedom and our borders from terrorist.



In closing, I want to ask you to do me a favor. If Illegal Immigration is as important to you as it is to me, PLEASE take a look at Congressman Duncan Hunter. If it is not, PLEASE take a look at Congressman Duncan Hunter. He has many, many, other things on his platform that you will like. I promise you. Thanks again for reading my blog and may God bless you all.

http://www.duncanhunter.meetup.com/1/

http://www.gohunter08.com/