SCREAMING EAGLE-66

---There is a huge difference in Iraq and Libya. First: we didn't start this one, it existed before we finally became involved.. Second: I don't expect us to ever put ground troops in there, so a minimum of American casualties. Third: I am not hearing Europe or many other countries claiming our intel is faulty and for us to wait, which was happening before the Iraq invasion. Four: There are a lot of other countries really involved in this one and wanting to take part (even France), and not just ones that felt they owed us to help. Five: A lot of people in Libya are already actively trying to overthrow the current regine, wasn't happening in Iraq. ---- We are not "THE" leader in this deal, just one of them, and sorta supporting the locals who are being killed. We aren't trying to "win" this one. The locals will have to win it, but other countries can even the playing field by taking out planes and armour to prevent out and out murder of civiliians... .

I sometimes listen to a "conservative guy" on radio when coming home from the evening classes I teach.... A week a two ago they were criticizing our President for not getting involved in Libya situation... Last night they were complaining because he now has. There is no pleasing these folks. ---I am amazed their "fans" never question or realize it when they start saying the opposite of what they were saying earlier --- They complain about the economy and ignore when it all started (2008). Same with the national debt.. the last guy's administration increased it more than all previous 42 administrations combined. The radio guys have no credibility. My only hope is that we absolutely do not put ground troops in the country, even Reagan bombed Libya back in the 80's and it was the right thing to do. It sent a message about so many terrorists coming from and hiding there. My largest concern is that we don't have a worse government take over any of those countries as happened in Iran during the late 1980's. I thought the same same about Iraq.. Saddam was an evil person but at least terrorism wasn't being done to us (or Europeans) by them. Saddam had nothing to do with 9-11, most of those people involved were Saudi citizens (as is Ben-Laden). I suppose time will tell if we are doing the right thing, but I want us to stay away as much as possible from those Middle East situations. At least our President didn't declare this to be a Crusade as the last one said a couple of times. Crusade to them means Christian war or invasion.... which is exactly what the original ones were. ..

--Not sure exactly what you mean by government restrictions... but a lot of government regulation was caused by oil comapanies.. Check out Texon (ghost-town) The ground is so poluted, weeds won't grow. There is a big lawsuit on the south edge of Midland now.... the water is so contaminated that it really isn't safe for people or even cows to drink (comtaminates the meat)... same chemical as appeared in "Erin Bronkovitch" movie. Even it the centre of town (now) there is an area near the hospital that the groundwater is so bad that it can't be pumped out for yard use. There are some streams out here that are damed up so the water coming down them doesn't reach lakes, they sit and evaporate. People get upset about government regulations.... but when you look at the past you begin to understand why they do this... now the playing field is somwhat level and the bad companies have to do what the responsible ones did. Not much of this is happening now but happened before government regulations were put into place. The same goes with federal safety regulations as well.... some companies just took short cuts and didn't care. They caused them to exist...

. --Very good post...So many of the younger alums don't realize just how good North Texas has been in the past. In the late 60's we were producing far more pro-athletes than the SWC schools were .. I maybe wrong a bit but I think one of the football teams contained NINE future NFL players including Joe Green.. In basketball the MVC was the best conference... not the ACC [which was still all-white] At Christmas my senior year 5 of the top-ten were in the same conference as North Texas... the Missouri Valley. UCLA was the best team of that era but wasn't in a powerful conference.... the MVC was the best one.. ---I have no answer but our alums and students need to have more pride in our university, its accomplishments (not just sports), and its history and traditions. ..

--Perhaps buying oil stock would be better than buying gold (which has a huge mark-up by those who sell it and you need to store it somewhere or get it stolen). ---I live in West Texas... maybe you should vist... sure are a lot of rigs and pump-jacks out here... seems like we get a lot of our oil from here too. ..

the teachers teach what the fed govt. tells them to teach. --- Total BS -- I worked in schools for 30 years and now teach college classes. Texas and each school district even adopt the books they want to use. You are right about the alternate school part... but that takes money and this state has been cutting trade type programs... not increasing them. If politicians really wanted to improve education --1.. get rid of those expensive state tests as they exist now -- the first one (TABS -basic skill test) was a good idea. 2. Develop or teach programs for those who are really not academic students and are not going to colleges ..ie. teach a trade or skills leading to one etc.... but that costs money.... and our current guys in Austin want to cut taxes despite we are already 50th of the states of spending per capita and may be 50th in per capita taxes as well. ---The priority is very few expenses and almost no state taxes.... Many third world countries have very low taxes too. Oddly the taxes cut in Texas are for business... and not ones we all really pay...sales, gasoline, etc. Check your total property tax BIll (not tax rate --evaluations have really climbed at state urging) It likely has been climbing as the state funds programs even less and lessforcing local "boards" to raise theirs.... that and tuition which has tripled since 2003 because of the same thing.... less state funding.. I am very conservative... I think you should collect ( or earn ) enough to pay essential bills ... including education... but find a way to fund them and not try to STAY 50th in spending and cheat students and education in general.... while adding to the unemployment rolls by firing 1000's of teachers. They also pay taxes... or would if they had an income. ..

Taken from the article... The Texas State Legislature passed and Gov. Rick Perry signed on June 19, 2009 a $182 billion 2-year budget (Sept.1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2011) with a projected $9 billion Rainy Day Fund. The FY 2010-2011 biennium budget of $182.3 billion spends $1.6 billion less in general revenue than the previous biennium. Comptroller Susan Combs acknowledged that Texas will show a $1.3 billion deficit at the end of the budget year[1], which is up dramatically from the July 2010 estimate of a shortfall of up to $18 billion dollars.[2] Other estimate the shortfall at $28 billion.[3] Over the next two years, the state faces a budget shortfall of between $15 billion and $27 billion over the next two years, depending on who is doing the calculation.[4] In per capita spending by state, Texas ranks 50th in the nation, meaning there is likely less fat to trim when making budget cuts in Texas than in other states.[5] ___________________________________ There is the real problem and also the fact that we are 50th or near to it in taxes collected....... As a result we are firing 1000's of educators,and enlarging classes despite have a good ecomony which actually is extremely good compared to most states... that is so wrong. All of these teachers cut loose will add to the unemployment numbers as well which taxpayers will also have to pay for... Seems that paying them to teach would be the better answer... We are dead last in spending and Perry and friends want to even cut it more at the expense of 1000's of Texas jobs and harming our kids education. ...

--All of the above is absolutely true....... ---Explain why we are such bad shape with the budget that we have a $25 billion budget problem and "firing" 1000's of teachers and cutting back education expenses.. It just makes no sense. The Texas economy is great and even oil prices are high which means a lot of money is pouring into the state treasury... It appears that teachers and education including students will be paying for the poor management in Austin... We are in the bottom four or maybe 50th even in state Taxes per capita... we should be proud of the list above but ashamed of what we are doing to education in Texas and to educators given the economy of Texas. This is not a liberal/conservative issue but do we care about education and kids??? Never has this happened before even when the economic times in Texas wasn't this good. ***** Please no casinos (Perry's answer) .... It is a "tax" on the stupid and poor and causes more problems and even leads more welfare which none of us want. Perry's answer in 2003 to a much smaller problem was to cut college funding and "allow" colleges to set their own tuition to make up for their cuts....... tuition has since tripled (another time education paid for their problems and foul-ups). .

Texas is in good shape and much much better than the vast majority of other states...( Tam Parker). Tell that to all the educators in the state that are going to lose their jobs .... If you look at the latest Newsweek [also some other sources ] We are one of the six worst on their map (%-wise not just total amount) .. ---There is no way we should be in this fix... Oil prices are up meaning a a lot of tax from "well head severance", also royalities from public lands, sales tax not the best ever but good, and in general the economy is Texas is very good. We are nothing like the Rust Belt states, California, or Nevada with real economic problems... Austin started this mess in 2001 with tax cuts (not to most people --sales, gasoline etc. wasn't cut), and if you remember the state was in trouble in 2003, and then they "allowed" every college to set their own tuition to make make up for lost state funding...tuition has now tripled... It has been slowly getting worse with less education funding every session... we may now be 50th in state taxes per capita although some sources have us at 47th. The legislature and governor have been messing things up big time ... some refuse to admit the truth and believe "what they want to be true" is true.... They messed up and people in education will pay for it with their jobs and students will suffer by having programs cut and larger classes. ---The question to ask is why are we so short of cash??? 25 billion is no small amount.... and this hasn't happened before, even in bad times ... part of it involved changes in the franchise tax..... and don't just accept it is the economy... Texas has a good economy in most places. Oil prices are high and agriculture (highest cotton prices ever) is booming as is the tech industry in most places. . .

. --There will be singing and dancing in Midland and the West Texas Oil fields...especially by those who own mineral rights and stock in oil Companies. .

---I think that depends of your definition of "bye".. We are 4-8 in 2011 (after Jan 1).

Maybe they should consider putting him as a tight end... Throw it high and good luck trying to tackle him with a cornerback or whatever.

--Personally I hate those helmet stickers... [ as Ohio State does ]. Looks very kindergarden-ish to me.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/613433-college-football-2011-the-25-fattest-players-in-college-football-for-2011#page/25 Stumbled across this one. He is listed as #2. supposedly 357 lbs..

---There are good quarterbacks and bad quaterbacks... same with the police... A relative of mine who worked for a county law enforcement agency near here said he knew some who 'delighted" in giving tickets to people who were not residents and would let locals go for the same or worse "crimes". A friend of my son ( a cop) has pretty much said the same about speeding .. he often ignores it if slightly over limit and driving safely (for more important matters) while others would run them down and issue a ticket. A problem here are so many going through lights turning red. A neighbor was run over while on a motorcycle by one of these. ---I guess you are implying in cold weather they don't want to get out of their car to give a ticket ... unlike in warm weather when they will. ---Sometimes speed limits/traffic signs make zero sense and some are a total surprise. 3-4 years ago they changed an intersection near my house into a four way stop.. Two days later a cop was sitting there writing tickets left and right.... Probably most cars had driven through it for years with no stop sign on their side... Seemed like a bit of a cheap shot to me. One street had about zero traffic from one side (only one house on it before it went to a dead end).

I don't doubt your stats at all . ... but where is the cut line for the top 5%.... It is far below $250,000 and a lot of the high earning "middle class" are the ones getting beat-up with a 33% tax on their WAGES**... not the super wealthy they don't make money on wages and often pay 15%.... Go to the top 1% (the super wealthy) and see if what you state is still holds true... --What answer do you have to stop this insane increase in the national debt... from 1992-2001 it gained 2% per year... .. since then it has gone from $5 trillion to $13 trillion and getting worse. How can you defend this increase in ten years. --What is your answer to stop it??? I agree with cutting federal spending.. but they aren't doing that either. people once thought the $5 trillion was terrible..... it will soon be triple that...... The big problem is what do you do when the interest almost equal the yearly "income" from taxes. ... it could happen. **read tax tables if you doubt me.

--I don't pretend to know the answers.... but what is happening isn't it. I have a son that when he (or his wife) gets a raise.. they pays 33% in income tax...Ovbviously theya re getting a veryslary and show up at work every day... meanwhile those playing on Wall Street and the Ross Perot types only pay 15% on their capitol gains..... is that right?? ... nope... I pay about more 25% as well on any increased earnings I have. . The super wealthy do pay more than us but they also earn a lot more... but usually pay a smaller percent. The tax deal that was voted down in December and would have helped a lot... would have only raised taxes on those earning $250,000 or more and even then only the part over $250,000. ---I think many have suckered into thinking they are getting a great deal.... they aren't. ---Meanwhile in Texas those of us in education (both college and public schools) are going the poor devils that are going to have to pay and suffer for the state's shortfall and the stupidity that has been going on in Austin the past 10 years.... not the superwealthy... They have been passing out candy (tax-cuts) to contributors to stay in office . Don't be so party loyal and read what various ones are doing... We also have the highest home and auto insurance in the nation... (big contributors also) ---To me conservative means earning (or collecting) enough money to pay your bills.. politicians are not elected to just pass out candy (tax cuts) to stay in office forever... but to make make good decisions and do what is best for the people they represent...even if it gets them un-elected by those who don't get it .... Bush Sr.and the congress then was doing what needed to be done.... trying to get the budget under control. He was voted out for doing what was right.. the candy lovers voted Perot. .

You are absolutely right... but don't forget it doubled between 2001-09.. the Bush years.. That was a gain of $5-6 trillion -- or more than all 42 previous Presidents COMBINED. The Bush/GOP tax cuts for the wealthy are still in place.... Doing the same and expecting different results is insanity. Besides after the ecomomic problems in 2008 there is more unemployment (less taxes coming in) and a less capitol gains although the DOW market has gone up 4000+ points since then... Clinton's years: It gained less than 2% per year (average) ...which is less than the interest on the debt. Bush senior: ... he tried... and they voted him out because he tried to get the budget under control. The people who wanted wanted Candy (tax cuts) voted for Perot.

After the first 42 Presidents the national debt was $5 trillion, after the 43rd one the debt was $11 trillion... ... increased more than the first 42 did combined .. Not my idea of a financial conservative.... which I thought meant spending no more than was coming in. Lets us not forget the 5000 drop in the DOW either in 2008 and the bank bail-outs...both before the election... or the unprovoked invasion of another country which did not even have the WMD that he was certain was there. [ Saddam, who was a thug but wasn't an Islamic crazy, had nothing to do with 9-11.. none were even from Iraq ] You have a strange idea of worst Presidents. We actually won the war when FDR was President too.

You are right... I was thinking he was up this year... missed the speeches last year.

--Bad news... I was talking with a friend and they refered to North Texas State Teacher's College..... that name went out in 1934 or about 80 years ago. ... She actually thought it was still the name and wasn't trying to be funny or insulting... sad.. I protested and pointed out she was a bit behind on the times. She had moved to Texas during the 70's.... which made it even worse.

---We need to win games that we are expected to win...period..... and do well or break even in games that are are very competitive. ---We also need to do well enough to get away from a 15th or 16th seed... if we make the tournament.

---Most of us just settle for the money we once had from the state.... Your local taxes have taken a big hit (or at least most have). Waste... you don't live in any district around here. Address (or replace) you school board then... that isn't the fault of the state... local boards run things locally.....and are therefore charging you too much in property taxes. I am retired from public school but teach college classes, the state funding has been severely dropping in both.. Considering the economy of Texas is WAY better than most states and that we have few repos compared to most, plus good sale tax revenue and even oil prices are high [about $90 per bbl.].... we should not be in this situation with good state leadership. We weren't in the 90's and oil was about $15-20, even as the dot.com crashed and hurt north Dallas and Austin area economies. You may not want to admit the truth, but it doesn't change it....

The one that is most overlooked is Ray Guy (Oakland punter in 70's.... it is because of his position) No one else at that position is even close to him. Bum Phillips once stole his football after a punt and had it tested for helium....hahaha .. there wasn't any.. Until a couple of years ago I would have said that Bob Hayes was the most over-looked..... his speed changed the way the game is played. He fianlly made it (after he died). From the list::: Faulk or Bettis, 3rd Carter.

---Obviously you don't work in education.... Most school districts are running very, very lean.... Don't be surprised to see non-revenue sports to start disappearing... tennis, golf, swimming, soccer, volleyball etc. Part of the reason you are paying more and more in local school taxes has to do with the state (especially under Perry) cutting more and more state funding... He bragged about cutting property tax rates which is rather phooney... most were asked to raise the evaluations so your local tax bill may now even be worse. He is not what he claims.... making huge school districts would be a mistake... big means more problems and removes visibilty of what is really happening... you don't want that.