Climb over it, tunnel under it, or walk over it

Tongue in cheek or not, let’s admit, it’s an imaginative response to a rotten idea.

After leaked federal government documents revealed a “preliminary” plan to put up nearly 400 miles of security fencing up along US-Mexico border, without regard to the impact it might have on regional commerce, and after failing to get a viable response from elected officials and the media by other means, the McAllen, Texas Chamber of Commerce president took a different tack:

Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, sent out an e-mail to 140 media outlets nationwide Tuesday morning with the subject line: “McAllen, Texas calls for wall around Washington D.C.”
“We feel the need to protect ourselves from bad legislation, bad ideas and a waste of tax money,” Ahlenius wrote.
“A wall around their homes and businesses will give the legislators and Washington bureaucrats a better understanding of what kind of message this action will send.
“Let’s see if they decide to climb over it, tunnel under it, or walk over it.”
[...]
As of Tuesday afternoon, Ahlenius said he had only received a couple of media phone calls, one from an Univision outlet in Miami that conducted a quick interview.
Still, McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez — who had yet to read the e-mail when contacted Tuesday afternoon — dropped high praise on Ahlenius for his efforts.
I’m glad he’s taking a proactive role in bringing attention to this issue,” the mayor said. “There has not been a proper debate on the issue of the border fence and immigration yet.
As for Ahlenius, while Congress probably won’t be approving his plans for a wall around Washington, D.C., anytime soon, he remains hopeful plans for the fence here will be scaled back.
“Like us putting a wall around Washington (D.C.), how silly is that for us to talk about? That’s how we feel about what they’re doing,” Ahlenius said.

via Rachel Maddow

Bored now

“Your attempt to pair my ruffly orange magnificence with that giant garish sunflower is both pedestrian and derivative. “

The sunflower just grew there by itself off the edge of the deck.  It’s either from the seed in the feeder or from the previous owner.   It’s just standing there, solitary and gigantic, impossible to ignore.

A little Boo Radley moment

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

via the divine WT @  Dependable Renegade

Thanks for that big crap you took on education, hairball

From today’s Statesman, the “body count” detailing our shitbird governor’s massive veto of higher ed funding, first announced on Friday (ahhhh, late Friday, the noblest hour for all politicians). This is where I work, we’re drowning already, and the governor just fucked us over some more. The larger impact of the veto is still being digested, but I can say with surety that Perry has officially moved up into the spot of Public Enemy No. 1, edging out the craptastic Texas legislature, when it comes to advancing education in the state.

Particularly irksome:

*the Bush-ian circular logic catchall “State needs a long-term plan for higher education before it makes such investments” excuse. Where’s the plan? Oh, there isn’t one? How conveeeeeenient

*the slash for a museum of fine arts at Angelo State. One, it’s hard to quantify everything contributes to enrollment and graduation; two, anything that helps stop the West Texas brain drain can’t hurt; and three, 300K isn’t going to break the bank, you cheapskate.

*the slap to the County Extension Service. Taking money away that would help 4-H programs, the families struggling to keep small farms and ranches afloat, and landowners trying to provide stewardship of Texas wildlands. Slick move there, dude. Wonder how that one would have gone over with the public if you hadn’t hidden it inside the small print of this bigger ed veto?

Here’s the rest:

Community colleges, $154 million for group health insurance. Governor’s reason for veto: A budget provision bars use of general revenue for employee benefits if the employees’ salaries are paid from sources other than general revenue.

New community college campuses, $3.3 million (including $390,000 at Austin Community College’s South Austin campus) for new enrollment. Reason: A separate appropriation associated with enrollment growth is adequate.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, $500,000 for a pilot system to track and improve student readiness for college. Reason: Board can do this with existing resources.

Angelo State University, $300,000 for a museum of fine arts. Reason: Contributes little to ‘Closing the Gaps,’ the state’s set of goals for improving enrollment and graduation rates.

Texas Cooperative Extension, $3 million to increase the number of county extension agents. Reason: Not a state priority.

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, $2 million for obesity research. Reason: UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is getting $18 million for obesity and diabetes research.

University of Texas at San Antonio, $3 million for a life science institute. Reason: State needs a long-term plan for higher education before it creates more tier-one research institutions.

West Texas A&M University, $5 million for engineering program. Reason: School did not request it.

Texas A&M International University, $5 million for a student success initiative. Reason: Campus already receives a disproportionate share of special items and excellence funding.

UT Health Science Center at Houston, $5 million for expanding the public health program. Reason: Funds are being provided for increasing the number of nursing graduates, a more pressing need.

UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, $3 million for a life science institute, a collaboration with UT-San Antonio. Reason: State needs a long-term plan for higher education before it makes such investments.

UT Medical Branch at Galveston, $2 million for diabetes research. Reason: UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is getting $18 million for diabetes and obesity research.

Texas State University System, $1.7 million for operations. Reason: System did not request it.

Texas Tech University System, $3.2 million for operations. Reason: Other funding is adequate.

University of Houston System, $474,000 for operations. Reason: Other funding is adequate.

University of North Texas System, $1.6 million for operations. Reason: Other funding is adequate.

Source: Governor’s proclamation on House Bill 1