The runoff in SD17 between Judge Joan Huffman (R) and former Congressman Chris Bell (D) is now set for December 16, 2008. This is the first election of the 2010 cycle. The Democrats got more votes in round one, but the GOP normally does better in runoffs. So we need to get busy. It's all about turnout.
Who wins will go a long way to determine which direction the Texas Senate goes, whether it's more conservative or more "moderate" to liberal. Get busy if you want to help put a conservative in the Texas Senate. Early voting is December 8 - 12, 2008.
View From Overseas
We are just back from overseas where the media is still celebrating the coming Obama era. Expectations are off the charts, we will see if he can come close to meeting them.
A few observations: The Germans have airport security down to a science, quick moving lines, no shoe removal, profiling, and a system with two monitors. One like ours and one at a station where the officers can check your belongings after being x-rayed using the original x-ray.
The economy is slowing everywhere. Tourism is down, the shops, sites and restaurants are not crowded. So, what ails us ails the world.
We do not have a monopoly on wisdom, we can learn from best practices in other countries. See other articles, Israel's vision on education and Sweden's goal to be off of foreign oil by 2020 and how to get there. (See next issue)
Our ancestors 1500 to 2000 years ago were more advanced than we think. In Israel, we toured the city of David (yes, that David) and saw (and walked through) the ancient work in creating a inside rock water system from a underground spring which was almost a mile underground from the city. It was engineered to flow correctly and all of it has been chiseled out of solid rock! Simply amazing. By the way, this was one of the same water tunnels used by David to conquer the unconquerable city now called Jerusalem, then held by the Philistines.
GOP vs. GOP
Without sorting out the mess that made it to the front page of the Houston Chronicle on November 26, 2008 involving GOP judges and the HCRP spill out, TCR has a few questions:
Why are we dealing with this 2+ years after it occurred?
Why are we dealing with it after the Judicial Qualifications Commission investigated and ruled?
Why are we airing our differences in public?
Does the GOP realize Democratic operatives are actively recruiting party switchers in the courthouse and TCR wonders how does this help them in their efforts?
One thing that is clear is off-color jokes are off limits in 2008 and no one disagrees.
What is the HCRP trying to accomplish?
TCR Comment: 2010 campaign has already begun, the Democrats are already making plans. The GOP better get busy and focus or we may face a reprise in 2010. Bill White in Harris County is a strong figure and he will be tough to handle. The GOP needs to analyze the loss and plan for a recovery. We are not off to a good start.
Can We Find Answers To Our Education Problems In Israel?
The probable next Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a speech your editor attended, laid out a new vision for education that would make sense here in Texas.
He suggests paying teachers more but requiring only the best and brightest go into teaching by having the top 10% of college graduates become teachers and helping weak pupils immediately and giving principals more power to manage their schools, focus more on core curriculum and insisting on teaching Jewish and Zionist values (in Texas we'd teach our values). All in all, a good start for helping children learn.
The Present Debate About The Economic Crisis
"There are two huge debates going on now. The first is whether we should be using trillions of dollars to bail out businesses that face bankruptcy. This is not the capitalist way. In classic capitalism, if a business is inefficient or unable to compete, it should be allowed to fail. Bear markets are there to cleanse the system. Holding up inefficient companies by pouring dollars into their coffers destroys the system.
"The other great (but silent) debate is whether a fiat system of money is sustainable. A fiat system of money depends on gradual inflation. This in turn leads to flagrant speculation and build-up of debt and credit. Sooner or later, an edifice built on inflation, debt and credit topples over, which is where we are now. Fiat money has been around for centuries. No fiat money has ever lasted. The question is whether the US dollar can continue to exist. It's being put to the test now. The test - can the production of trillions of fiat dollars ward off a deflationary collapse?"
Richard Russell publishes Dow Theory Letters (dowtheoryletters.com) and is a trusted expert on the economy and stock market.
COMING SOON: Red, White & Blue, featuring TCR Editor Gary Polland and liberal commentator David Jones. Airing weekly on Fridays at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. on PBS Houston Channel 8. See you in January.
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 twelfth year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last seven 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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