April 2, 2014

Johnny Manziel will meet with Patriots

Johnny Manziel replacing Tom Brady seems like a far-fetched idea.

But it won’t stop the New England Patriots from meeting with the former Texas A&M quarterback according to NFL.com

The Pats have the No. 29 selection in the first round, so they would likely have to trade up to land Manziel.

The Texans confirmed that they will also host Manziel in Houston after his pro day in College Station.

More at http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/04/johnny-manziel-will-meet-with-patriots/?cmpid=hpts .

April 2, 2014

Greg Abbott’s education plan cites controversial thinker on race, gender

In talking about his Pre-kindergarten education plans this week, Greg Abbott cited Charles Murray, a conservative libertarian scholar whose work has caused major eruptions over the role of race and gender in achievement.

Murray currently works for the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute and has written numerous books, essays and opinion columns on education.

In September 2005, after Harvard University president Larry Summers was forced out for suggesting women were under-represented in fields of science because of a lower aptitude, Murray wrote an essay defending Summers’ statement.

In it he wrote, “no woman has been a significant original thinker in any of the world’s great philosophical traditions.”

More at http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/greg-abbotts-education-plan-cites-controversial-thinker-on-race-gender.html/ .

April 2, 2014

Charles Keating Jr., key figure in '80s savings and loan scandal, dies

Source: AP

Charles H. Keating Jr., the notorious financier who served prison time and was disgraced for his role in the costliest savings and loan failure of the 1980s, has died. He was 90.

A person with direct knowledge of the death confirmed Tuesday that Keating had died but didn’t provide further details. The person wasn’t authorized to release the information and spoke on condition of anonymity.

When Keating’s Phoenix-based home construction company, American Continental Corp., bought Lincoln Savings & Loan in 1984, the multimillionaire elevated its worth from $1.1 billion to $5.5 billion in a four-year period.

But his financial empire crumbled with state and federal convictions for defrauding investors. Keating allegedly bilked Lincoln customers by selling them $200 million of unsecured “junk” bonds. They became worthless when Keating’s company became bankrupt.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20140401-charles-keating-jr.-key-figure-in-80s-savings-and-loan-scandal-dies.ece

April 2, 2014

Texas Education Agency recommends board of managers take over Beaumont ISD

In a final report to Beaumont ISD, the Texas Education Agency recommended a board of managers take over the district.

The report was sent to Beaumont ISD Superintendent Timothy Chargois as well as the seven trustees on Tuesday afternoon.

"In the past five years, Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) has suffered a severe loss of public trust and has acquired a reputation in the community that is tainted by multiple incidents of fraud, waste and abuse," the report's executive summary states. "The district has incurred high and increasing litigation costs fueled by poor management decisions that resulted in negative publicity and intense public scrutiny."

The summary goes on to state that the "seriousness of the findings from this investigation warrant additional interventions. Therefore, the TEA will forward to the commission of education recommendations for the appointment of a board of managers and the lowering of BISD's school accreditation status."

More at http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/TEA-recommends-board-of-managers-take-over-5367961.php .

April 2, 2014

Democratic Comptroller Candidate Collier Pointing Out The Craziness On The Right

What Democratic candidate Mike Collier is doing thus far in the race for Comptroller of Texas is spot on.

The wing nuts in the Texas GOP, for too long, have been getting away with saying crazy things and not being held accountable for them. Showing the painful reality of their right wing fantasies on Texans is what’s been lacking for too long.

And voters need to understand that a 20% plus tax on everything they buy would be an economic disaster. Especially for those at the bottom of the income scale, who are already hurting.

Way to go Mike Collier. The HChron has more on Hegar’s disastrous plan to raise sales taxes, Increased sales taxes to take spotlight in ads for comptroller.

More at http://eyeonwilliamson.org/?p=13591 .

April 2, 2014

Texas Dept. of Corrections lieutenant accused of repeated sexual assault of child

BEXAR COUNTY, Texas -

A 36-year-old lieutenant with the Texas Department of Corrections was arrested Tuesday afternoon after being indicted by a Bexar County grand jury Monday on a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child, deputies say.

Members of the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested John Randall at his place of work, the Ruben M. Torres Correctional Facility in Hondo.

-snip-

According to SAPD spokesman Officer Roger Zuniga, the incidents occurred between June 20 and July 5, 2012, at Randall's home on the Northwest Side.

The victim was a 13-year-old female.

More at http://www.ksat.com/news/texas-doc-lieutenant-arrested-accused-of-repeated-sexual-assault-of-child/25271650 .

April 2, 2014

Duval County Chief Appraiser Arrested

SAN DIEGO, TEXAS -- Three people who work for the Duval County Appraisal District have been arrested for allegedly stealing money more than $300,000 by giving themselves huge bonuses that were not approved. To make matters worse, taxpayers may get stuck paying more to make up for what was stolen.

The Duval County Sheriffs Office says Chief Appraiser Rene Garza, his Administrative Assistant Analeigha Carrillo, and office manager Roel Charo were giving themselves bonuses on almost a weekly basis from September of 2012 to January of this year.

It was bonuses the Sheriff's Office says were never approved by the Appraisal Board. Sheriff's deputies also say Chief Appraiser Garza was using the company credit card to pay for personal hotel rooms and food.

"I never expected anything like that to happen, from any of them. Not even Mr. Garza. As a matter of fact. I trusted those people," said Carlos Montemayor.

More at http://www.kristv.com/news/duval-county-chief-appraiser-arrested/ .

April 2, 2014

Healthcare plan is working despite the efforts by the Obama haters

For some time I’ve wondered just how successful the Affordable Care Act would have been — how many more uninsured people it would have helped already — if certain powerful politicians loved this country more than they hated its president.

I don’t use the word “hate” loosely or hyperbolically.

I honestly believe that the feelings certain Washington and state “leaders” have toward President Barack Obama go far beyond simply despising or resenting him. Hate, therefore, seems to be the appropriate word.

Yet, despite that barrage of opposition on practically everything the president attempts to do for the betterment of this country and its people, Obama continues to forge ahead, as he did on the economy and now with healthcare.

More at http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/04/01/5700483/healthcare-plan-is-working-despite.html .

April 1, 2014

Marcus and Joni Lamb’s Daystar is a network — and, according to the IRS, a church

Marcus and Joni Lamb’s Bedford-based media empire is a television operation. It says so right in the name: “Daystar Television Network.” And, according to Daystar, the broadcast home of T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and other lesser-known televangelists is nothing more and nothing less than a “faith-based network dedicated to spreading the Gospel 24 hours a day, seven days a week — all around the globe, through all media formats possible.”

But did you know Daystar’s also a church?

That comes from the highest authority in the land: the Internal Revenue Service, which affords the Lambs’ $233-million business all the protections afforded every brick-and-mortar house of worship, including tax-exempt status. The Lambs also don’t have to tell the government where their money comes from or where it goes.

That’s according to a lengthy All Things Considered story that aired this evening on National Public Radio, which dug through court docs to find depositions, transcripts and other filings, likely stemming from this tawdry 2010 case, that reveal how the Lambs do their business — and why the IRS isn’t terribly interested in making them prove it.

More at http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/report-marcus-and-joni-lambs-daystar-is-a-network-and-according-to-the-irs-a-church.html/ .

April 1, 2014

LGBT students say they were verbally, physically assaulted by members of anti-gay fraternity at UTSA

LGBT college students in San Antonio say they were verbally and physically assaulted when they tried to stage a silent protest of an anti-gay Christian fraternity on the campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The Paisano, UTSA’s student newspaper, reports that members of the Christian fraternity Chi Alpha were preaching against homosexuality recently when members of GLBTQ of UTSA decided to stage a silent protest and wave a rainbow flag.

As Chi Alpha members approached the LGBT students and began debating them, the crowd grew larger and police were summoned.

“Today was the first time I truly felt unsafe on campus,” GLBTQ President Gisselle Loredo told the newspaper. “I should feel safe when I’m walking through campus. I should feel safe when I’m walking to class. I should feel safe, period.”

More at http://www.lonestarq.com/lgbt-students-say-verbally-physically-assaulted-members-anti-gay-fraternity-utsa/ .

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.