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TexasTowelie's JournalLA sues Wells Fargo, alleging ‘unlawful and fraudulent conduct’
Source: Los Angeles Times
Rigid sales quotas at Wells Fargo Bank have driven employees to open unauthorized accounts for customers, sticking them with bogus fees and damaging their credit, according to a city of Los Angeles lawsuit that echoes a Los Angeles Times investigation.
The civil complaint, filed Monday in state court in Los Angeles by City Attorney Mike Feuer, says the largest California-based bank encouraged its employees to engage “in unfair, unlawful and fraudulent conduct” through a pervasive culture of high-pressure sales. Employees misused customers’ confidential information and often failed to close unauthorized accounts even when customers complained, the suit alleges.
Some employees went so far as to raid client accounts for money to open additional accounts, the suit alleges.
“The result is that Wells Fargo has generated a virtual fee-generating machine, through which its customers are harmed, its employees take the blame, and Wells Fargo reaps the profit,” the lawsuit alleges.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article20242080.html
Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee votes to decriminalize small amount of pot
AUSTIN - For the first time, a committee in the Legislature has approved a bill to decriminalize possession of marijuana, a move advocates hailed as a milestone moment in Texas.
The state House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee passed House Bill 507 late Monday, just three days after narrowly voting it down.
The tally the second time around was 4-2, with tea party Republican David Simpson of Longview joining with three Democrats. One GOP member did not attend.
The measure, which would make possession of less than an ounce of pot a civil infraction instead of a class B misdemeanor, will now go to the committee that controls the floor calendar.
It will likely stay there, and has virtually no chance of becoming law in a deeply conservative Legislature.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-committee-votes-to-decriminalize-marijuana-6242127.php
Texas businesses rally to defend gay rights
Gay rights are expanding nationwide, and some Texas lawmakers are pushing back hard. They’re even proposing ways to resist a potential Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage.
So who’s stepping up with a voice of reason and a moral compass? Big business.
Over 200 companies and organizations have signed a pledge in support of diversity and gay rights. They include American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Texas Instruments, Sabre, GameStop, Dell, the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Super Bowl Committee.
They’re trying to head off legislation that could make Texas a hostile place for the LGBT community and a target for boycotts.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/mitchell-schnurman/20150504-schnurman-texas-businesses-rally-to-defend-gay-rights.ece
Pirate Party surges in polls to become biggest political party in Iceland
Iceland is in the grips of piracy, albeit the Pirate Party who have managed to become the biggest political party in the country, after local polling showed public support in overwhelming numbers.
The Party, which has sprung up in over 60 countries, campaigns for internet and data freedom. It now has a 23.9 per cent share of the vote, up from 12.8 per cent in February.
By comparison the poll, conducted Icelandic market research company MMR, showed that the country’s ruling Independence Party had slipped from 25.5 per cent to 23.4 per cent.
Over the past month the party has seen its membership soar, according to recent polling, and would win 16 seats in Iceland’s Parliament in the event of an election.
Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/pirate-party-surges-in-polls-to-become-biggest-political-party-in-iceland-10222018.html
GOP Congressman Throws Temper Tantrum Because Republicans Can’t Impeach President Obama
Since before Barack Obama ever stepped foot into the White House, Republicans have been trying to find ways to either prevent him from becoming president or remove him from the office he was overwhelmingly voted into by the American people twice.
From the ridiculous birthers who proclaimed that he wasn’t an American citizen, to those who believe his executive order on immigration is tantamount to treason, there has been no shortage of right-wing idiocy with conservatives crying about how Barack Obama should not be president.
Well, it seems the fact that the GOP has been unable to remove President Obama from the White House has caused Rep. Paul Gosar to snap. The Republican from Arizona basically threw the equivalent of a temper tantrum when during a speech he suggested that Republicans should flat-out refuse to confirm anyone appointed by this president since they can’t impeach him.
“You may not be able to impeach a president,” Gosar said. “But boy I tell you what: remember, we have the right of advise and confer. Nobody gets confirmed. Nada. Nobody. None. I don’t care how good of a person you are. You’re not gonna get it.”
Read more at: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/gop-congressman-throws-temper-tantrum-because-republican-cant-impeach-president-obama/
College Station man arrested after 19-year-old Blinn College student is killed at party
An argument between a neighbor and partygoers at a residence in south College Station early Sunday escalated into a shooting that took the life of a 19-year-old woman and left two men injured.
College Station police weren't releasing many details Sunday afternoon, more than 12 hours after Lacie LaRose of Irving was shot at a home in the 900 block of San Benito Drive -- about a mile southeast of A&M Consolidated High School.
According to a police statement, investigators believe Ronald Wayne McNeil, 39, of College Station and some friends went to a party at a neighbor's home when an argument began. Police said the argument became physical and, about 3:06 a.m., McNeil pulled out a handgun and started shooting into a group at the party.
Assistant Police Chief Chuck Fleeger declined to comment on where in the home the shooting took place, as well as what type of handgun was used.
Read more: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/college-station-man-arrested-after--year-old-blinn-college/article_9ec60b7c-f1cc-11e4-8235-6347ab258b5e.html
[font color=green]The article also states that the suspect fired 15 times into the group at the party.[/font]
Abbott Vows to Ensure Jade Helm Isn't Really A Coup d'Etat
A federal takeover of Texas, ordered by a Kenyan Marxist bent on taking our guns and forcing abortions on every man, woman, and child after they've been rounded up and forced into FEMA Death Domes? Not on Governor Greg Abbott's watch! That's why our right-minded, non-pandering state leader has vowed to have the Texas State Guard monitor the upcoming seven-state military training exercise known as Jade Helm 15.
In a letter to Major General Gerald "Jake" Betty, commander of the Texas State Guard, Abbott called for "regular updates on the progress and safety" of the operation, which runs from July-September, and involves Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel swooping into town to play plain-clothes spy games. Think of it as the Super Bowl for the conspiracy crowd.
Abbott made it clear to ol' Jake that "it is important that Texans know their safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed. By monitoring the Operation on a continual basis, the State Guard will facilitate communications between my office and the commanders of the Operation to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect Texans."
Darn tootin'.
But Abbott also made sure to give fair and equitable time to the other side of his mouth in order to praise the military personnel he just implied might be out to get us: "As Governor, I have the utmost respect for the deep patriotism of the brave military men and women who put their lives on the line to fight for and defend our freedom. I remain certain that our military members will keep America the freest and strongest nation the world has ever known."
Read more: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/2015/05/abbot_vows_to_ensure_jade_helm_isnt_really_a_coup_detat.php
Abbott says cartoon contest had First Amendment right to mock Muhammad
The morning after two men were killed by police in Garland when they opened fire at a contest of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, Gov. Greg Abbott defended the free speech rights of the sponsors of the event.
“We live in a country where the First Amendment is one of the paramount promises of this nation and that provides people with the ability to speak out, to say what they want, just as people draw cartoons mocking the governor and people may draw cartoons mocking others,” Abbott told reporters following Monday morning’s Texas State Prayer Breakfast at the Doubletree Hotel in Northeast Austin, where he talked about the need to defend religious liberty from attack, including “the legal assault on marriage as defined by God.”
Asked whether the cartoon contest could be criticized as a breach of sensitivity and respect if not law, Abbott said, “Well, let’s kind of go back in history if you don’t mind. Think of Jesus’s final days. He was one of the most mocked men in the world, mocked and ridiculed and spit upon. So part of what Jesus is all about is showing how a person is mocked but is elevated to being the savior”.
“So I think that in America people are free to express themselves about any kind of figure or religious figures,” Abbott said. “People have mocked Christians over the past few years and what Christians believe is that we need to protect our religious liberties, but that doesn’t mean engaging gun battles to do so.”
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/abbott-says-cartoon-contest-had-first-amendment-ri/nk8W7/
Perry style “double dip” would be verboten under bill advancing in Texas House
A bill to bar Texas elected officials from “double dipping,” or collecting a state pension while still in office, won tentative approval from the House on Monday.
Former Gov. Rick Perry inspired the legislation after revealing four years ago — on a personal financial disclosure form that he filed as a presidential candidate — that he was collecting a state pension of about $90,000 in addition to his $150,000 salary as governor. State ethics laws don’t require politicians to disclose their income from pensions.
“Clearly, it’s a bad practice that erodes the public trust, and it’s something I’m glad we have bipartisan support to end,” said bill author Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie. “This bill is an important step.”
The measure, which advanced on a vote of 137-2, would apply to all elected officials in the state Employees Retirement System except for district attorneys. It only would apply to those elected after it takes effect. If the Senate also gives it a two-thirds vote, the bill would take effect immediately – and otherwise, on Sept. 1.
Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/05/perry-style-double-dip-would-be-verboten-under-bill-advancing-in-texas-house.html/
West Texas band director placed on administrative leave for having a goatee
Photo By Courtesy photo/KOSA-TV
Darrington White was placed on administrative leave by Christoval ISD for sporting a goatee. He teaches band at Christoval High School.
A West Texas school's band director was placed on administrative leave last month after he sported a goatee to work, which is against the school's policy.
Darrington White of Christoval ISD, just south of San Angelo, was disciplined April 15 because of his facial hair, he told KOSA-TV. The school cited a violation of a grooming policy stating all staff members involved with student instructions must be clean shaven.
The teacher of 31 years said he has a medical condition that results in a disfiguring appearance whenever he shaves. Tinea Barbae, also known as “Ringworm of the Beard,” is a fungal infection that leaves large blisters on a person’s face after shaving the beard and neck regions.
“It kind of itches and hurts after shaving and it stays with me, then it gets worse and worse, then I have scars on my face,” White told the Midland-Odessa TV station.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Texas-band-director-placed-on-administrative-6240820.php
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
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Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
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