As many readers know and TCR knows is that incremental progress is still progress. The spending fight in DC has just begun and the GOP is winning the debate. There are other battles to come and we need to stay focused and media-savvy. As courageous and visionary leader Rep. Paul Ryan has proven, we must make the tough decisions, as decades of neglect has left the government out of control and the economy as fragile as it is.
As Texas Deals With A Tight Budget, Great Ideas Surface To Do Things More Effectively
One of the things that is happening is great ideas are surfacing. TCR has always been a fan of the Texas Public Policy Foundation and its work. Director Mark Levin, involved with juvenile justice reform that has been proven effective and has saved the state money, has now turned to adults. This session he is advocating a number of ideas that save money and don't affect public safety. TCR hopes conservatives in the legislature support SB 1076 which allows judges to require non-dangerous individuals with a drug possession charge to be assessed and treated if necessary, instead of prison. The other ideas of interest are intelligent release from prison for low level, non-violent inmates who behaved while incarcerated, can be released early. SB 1683, HB 2352 and HB 3538 which offers medically fragile geriatric prisoners early release.
TCR Comment: This allows us to keep in prison those who need to be for public safety and saves money.
US Dollar in "Death Spiral" While Gold Goes To New High, What Gives?
The US dollar index reached a high in 2002 of 120, today it has declined to around 75 and is showing weakness. In simple English, the value of our money is declining relative to a basket of other nation's currencies. As Richard Russell in Dow Theory Letters stated this week "the weaker the dollar, the better the odds that the US will lose its status as a reserve currency of the world." If that happens, everything we import will be more expensive!
Goldstone Report Trashing Israel For Acts In Gaza War Retracted!
The author and head of the commission studying civilian casualties in the Gaza war has retracted his findings. Did you see that on your front page? He now says Israel did not target civilians in the war just as Israel said at the time. So who does Israel go see to get its moral standing restored? TCR's guessing the world doesn't care.
TCR on the Air
Red, White & Blue featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland and liberal commentator David Jones, Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and replaying Sundays at 5:00 p.m. on PBS Houston Channel 8 and on the web at www.houstonpbs.org.
Upcoming shows:
4/15/11: Mark McKinnon (Former Advisor to President Bush) and Chronicle Columnist Bill King.
4/22/11: Reverend William A. Lawson and Dr. D.Z. Cofield.
4/29/11: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, 18th Congressional District of TX
5/06/11: Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland and Houston Fire Chief Terry Garrison.
5/13/11: Bruce Vincent, President/Director of Swift Energy Company and Ryan Kennedy, Professor of Energy Politics at U of H Political Science Dept.
For a fun feature go to www.houstonpbs.org and under Red White and Blue, you can see commentary about the show and its guests by Gary and David each week. The current show as well as past shows are also available on YouTube.
About Your Editor
Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his thirteenth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last nine years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.
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