Congress has passed and President Bush says he'll sign a bill authorizing $48 billion for AIDS relief and the lifting of the ban of foreigners traveling into the U.S. who have HIV/AIDS.  That $48 billion is a lot of money and could do a  lot of good here at home for American citizens who don't have health insurance.  I'm not real thrilled with lifting the ban on travel into the country by people who have AIDS.   I am afraid that many will end up in the health care system here, rather than back home.  I tell you, seems like every time I hear a story that has Bush's name in it, I look more forward to the day he leaves office.  I admit I voted for him, and considering the choices I had, might still vote for him given the same circumstances.  But, he has turned out to be the biggest dissappointment I have ever seen in a public official.  January can't get here fast enough to suit me. 

It seems the authorities have discovered the "blonde, blue eyed, 14 year old girl whose call for help set off the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints raids that led to the removal of hundreds of children from their parents by CPS.  Only thing is, she ain't blonde, blue eyed, OR 14 years old.  She doesn't even live in Texas.  Her NEXT address, however should be in Texas for about twenty years.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/...

 

Five years ago, 19 people died horribly in the trailer of a truck that was suppposed to take them to Houston.  That was a tragedy of major proportions and highlighted the dangers faced by people sneaking into the country illegally.  BUT, it was five years ago and the Advocate has been running stories about it for weeks now.  You would think it was a breaking news event rather than a rehash of a five year old story.  I believe a remembrance article on the anniversary is appropriate, but I don't understand front page stories for weeks.  Is it a slow news cycle, or do newspapers have "sweeps weeks" like television stations? 

When the cameras were installed to control the traffic lights on the streets that intersect with Loop 463, I thought they might be a good idea -- if they work.  The cameras at Mockingbird and Sam Houston are a waste of money.  For sometime now on my way to work I've been frustrated by waiting at a red light on Mockingbird while almost non-existant traffic on Sam Houston has a green.  This morning was the last straw.  The green for Sam Houston lasted one minute twenty seconds and seven cars passed while traffic stacked up on Mockingbird, especially in the left turn lane.  I don't know how much money was spent on this control system, but it was too much for the benefit they might provide.  Surely the city can get someone to do something about this set of cameras and the lights they are supposed to control.  Until then, I'll take Guy Grant from Mockingbird to Navarro.

http://www.chron.com/disp/c...

I just read this story in the Houston Chronicle.  This is outrageous!  Texas prisons need to go back to the days when they were self sufficient.  Increase the size of the farms to grow all the food eaten by the inmates.  Increase the size of the herds to feed inmates and provide leather for shoes and belts.  Install textile machines to provide materiel for clothing and beds.  Bring back road gangs to clean ditches.

Read Ron Paul's column in today's (1 July) Advocate.  His views on personal liberty are the reason I support him as a Congress critter and supported him as a presidential candidate.  Unfortunately, his ideas on freedom don't mesh with either of the major political parties and, because of that, he will never be successful on the national stage.  The freedom of people to be left alone by government is the most important freedom we have and it is fast disappearing.  The democrats want to control your pocketbook and the republicans want to control your bedroom.  It is sad there are so few like Congressman Paul.