TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalWashington GAO raises questions over abortion compromise in federal health law
Source: AP
WASHINGTON — A nonpartisan congressional agency is raising new questions about compliance with a key compromise on abortion that allowed the federal health care law to pass in 2010.
The Government Accountability Office said in a report released late Monday that only 1 of 18 insurers it reviewed was separately itemizing a charge for coverage of elective abortions on enrollees' bills.
That detail is important because the original compromise that President Barack Obama sealed with anti-abortion Democrats stipulated that no federal funds would be used to pay for elective abortions. Instead, private health plans covering the procedure would collect a separate premium, which would be segregated from federal subsidies for other medical services.
Although abortion is a legal medical procedure, longstanding federal laws prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to pay for it, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/washington/20140915-gao-raises-questions-over-abortion-compromise-in-federal-health-law.ece
The Eye of the Beholder: No Apologies
By Dr. Brian Carr“It is not reality that troubles us but how we look at reality” stated Aristotle. The world that streams around each of us is interpreted, defined, and processed. We superimpose our values and beliefs into a moral framework that we then advance into the world with.
Today I listened in on a conversation about how Michelle Obama was actually transgendered and had undergone extensive surgery to remove his (her?) Adam’s Apple and other male characteristics and “equipment”. What about her two children? “Adopted” was the reply. In my interpretation I believe that the speaker was well beyond the markers of what most people believed about our First Lady.
Having been born and raised in Lubbock I have an understanding of the conservative values of our community. I also appreciate, in my view, how these values have been hijacked by those who are out to profit themselves as well as a second group that is driven by the contemporary version of Marshall Applewhite (otherwise known as Glen Beck).
So long as low voter turnout is the rule we will continue to see the exploitation of our citizens. Profits before people will be the standard as the American Dream goes up in smoke.
Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2014-09-15/eye-beholder-no-apologies#.VBe5eRbuPoE
Ted Cruz Embarrassingly Whines About Fact-Checking Site That Constantly Exposes His Lies
f you follow politics fairly regularly, you’ve probably heard of the fact-checking website Politifact. While not always perfect, I would say they’re pretty fair in their findings. Though I will say that sometimes they’re too literal in their conclusions. By that I mean I’ve seen them rate statements as “True” or “False,” simply based on technicalities of the comment that they were researching.
But that’s not really a big deal. For the most part they do great work.
Well, it seems Texas Senator Ted Cruz isn’t a fan. Shocking, I know.
While Cruz was discussing the broken promise made by President Obama when he told Americans that they would be able to keep their old health insurance plan (which was “only” true for 95% of Americans), he said:
Read more: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/ted-cruz-embarrassingly-whines-fact-checking-site-constantly-exposes-lies/
Police: Georgetown pizza worker placed genitals on pie
Police have charged an 18-year-old former employee of a Georgetown pizza business in connection with rubbing his genitals on a customer’s pizza, an arrest warrant said.
A customer told police that he walked into a Papa Murphy’s pizza at 3316 Williams Drive in Georgetown on Sept. 2 and saw an employee — Austin Michael Symonds — “rubbing his testicles on the pizza he had ordered,” an arrest warrant said.
Symonds apologized to the customer saying “Man, I am really sorry that was stupid,” the warrant said. The customer asked Symonds how old he is, the warrant said.
The customer then said “So you are old enough to know better … ” the warrant said.
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/police-georgetown-pizza-worker-placed-genitals-on-/nhNKT/
[font color=green]Did the customer ask, "Does that come with sausage?"
Okay folks, before you criticize me... 
I might have to reconsider my plans to move back to Georgetown.[/font]
Marriott hotels launch envelope campaign to get guests in the habit of tipping maids
NEW YORK — Do you leave a tip in your hotel room for the maid? Marriott is launching a program with Maria Shriver to put envelopes in hotel rooms to encourage tipping.
The campaign, called "The Envelope Please," begins this week. Envelopes will be placed in 160,000 rooms in the U.S. and Canada. Some 750 to 1,000 hotels will participate from Marriott brands like Courtyard, Residence Inn, J.W. Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance hotels.
The name of the person who cleans the room will be written on the envelope along with a message: "Our caring room attendants enjoyed making your stay warm and comfortable. Please feel free to leave a gratuity to express your appreciation for their efforts."
Shriver, who founded an organization called A Woman's Nation that aims to empower women, says many travelers don't realize tipping hotel room attendants is customary. "There's a huge education of the traveler that needs to occur," she said. "If you tell them, they ask, 'How do I do that?'" She said envelopes make it easy for guests to leave cash for the right person in a secure way.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/restaurants-hotels/20140915-marriott-hotels-launch-envelope-campaign-to-get-guests-in-the-habit-of-tipping-maids.ece
[font color=green]While customary to tip, I view this as more of an excuse for Marriott to pay their room attendants less than minimum wage?[/font]
New accusations: Adrian Peterson injured another son while disciplining 4-year-old
HOUSTON -- Photos and text messages obtained by the I-Team reveal another incident in which Adrian Peterson is accused of injuring another son while disciplining the boy.
The four-year-old is by a different mother than the alleged victim in the Montgomery County case, in which Peterson is charged with felony injury to a child. In that case, Peterson admits to repeatedly striking the boy with a tree branch or "switch," but has maintained he did not intend to harm the child, and was using his judgment as a parent to discipline his son.
The latest incident allegedly occurred last June, while the boy, who lives out of state, was visiting Peterson at his gated home in The Woodlands. A photo, allegedly texted by Peterson to the boy's mother, shows a head wound to the boy covered by two bandages. Other photos, allegedly taken weeks later, reveal a scar over his right eye.
The text messages also describe an exchange about what happened. They contain numerous misspellings and shorthand:
Mother: "What happened to his head?"
Peterson: "Hit his head on the Carseat."
Mother: "How does that happen, he got a whoopin in the car."
Peterson: "Yep."
Mother: "Why?"
Peterson: "I felt so bad. But he did it his self."
Read more: http://www.khou.com/story/news/investigations/2014/09/15/new-accusations-peterson-injured-another-son-while-disciplining-4-year-old/15693941/
Davis denies conflicts in council, business work
DALLAS (AP) — As a city councilwoman in Fort Worth, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis did not always recuse herself from votes that potentially overlapped with her private business interests, according to a newspaper investigation published Sunday.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Davis voted in a small number of instances on bills affecting companies that acquired title insurance from companies she owned or for which she worked.
In one 2006 case, she joined a unanimous vote to approve $21.5 million in tax incentives for developers of a downtown Fort Worth hotel. By then, Wendy and Jeff Davis had sold their title insurance company to a national chain. As part of the deal, she was named chief executive of the Fort Worth division of a chain affiliate, called Republic Title of Texas.
Republic Title of Texas was listed on the deed transferring the hotel to a California-based company. It’s not clear how much the company made in the transaction.
Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2014-09-14/davis-denies-conflicts-council-business-work#comment-348136
[font color=green]This article is a condensed version of what appeared in The Dallas Morning News on Sunday. I posted related material in the Texas Group on Sunday night/Monday morning.[/font]
Texas Senate hearing on Obamacare may show more conservative bent
AUSTIN — A state Senate panel’s plan to highlight how the federal health care overhaul may be harming Texans has nettled the law’s supporters, who furiously demanded equal time.
On Friday, Sen. Craig Estes, who heads the panel, relented. Estes, R-Wichita Falls, asked a Democratic colleague to invite a couple of the law’s backers to testify at Monday’s hearing at the Capitol.
An Estes aide downplayed the episode, but it highlights a dread that is increasingly on the minds of Democrats and liberal activists: Next year, the Senate very likely will tilt more to the right.
In January, at least six and possibly as many as eight staunchly conservative freshmen will take seats in the 31-member chamber, already controlled by Republicans.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20140914-texas-senate-hearing-on-obamacare-may-show-more-conservative-bent.ece
Wendy Davis campaign says divorce settlement figure cited in News report is wrong
AUSTIN — Wendy Davis’ campaign has taken issue with a report about the financial terms of her divorce with title company executive Jeff Davis.
The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday that Davis, the Democratic nominee for governor, received about $6 million from the family’s assets when the couple’s divorce was finalized in 2005, according to a person familiar with the settlement.
Davis campaign spokesman Zac Petkanas declined to comment on the figure in advance of the story’s publication. On Sunday, Petkanas said the figure was wrong. He provided no other details.
“The figure cited by The Dallas Morning News’ conveniently anonymous source is factually inaccurate,” Petkanas said in a written statement.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20140914-wendy-davis-campaign-says-divorce-settlement-figure-cited-in-news-report-is-wrong.ece
[font color=green]Note: The extremely long article that was in The Dallas Morning News is no longer available online.[/font]
Texas asks court to allow closure of most abortion clinics
NEW ORLEANS — Texas asked a federal appeals court Friday to allow the state to immediately enforce a law requiring all abortion clinics to adhere to costly standards required for walk-in surgical clinics, which would close more than half of the state's abortion facilities.
Texas Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to temporarily reinstate the requirement, which was ruled unconstitutional by a lower court last month. The New Orleans-based appeals court has already upheld another new abortion restriction that has shuttered several abortion clinics in Texas.
Enforcement of the surgical-standards provision would close 13 of the 20 abortion clinics currently in operation statewide, said Stephanie Toti, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights. The New York-based group is representing four clinics and four doctors.
That would leave seven abortion facilities in the second most-populous state in the nation. Mitchell said he believed that would be enough, because "the vast majority of the state's reproductive-age women will live within 150 miles" of the remaining clinics.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20140912-texas-asks-court-to-allow-closure-of-most-abortion-clinics.ece
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,070
