Going Broke Slowly

Hemingway wrote that a man goes broke “slowly, then all at once”. I believe the same sentiment can be applied to governments. If fiscal abuses continue unabated, confidence eventually erodes until investors just stop lending. It happened famously to Lehman in September 2008, and it is happening now to the US government. The Q2 Flow of Funds Report published by the Federal Reserve revealed that the Federal Reserve purchased as much as half of the newly issued treasuries in the second quarter. This means that the Federal Reserve isn’t merely supporting the market for US treasuries… it is the market for US treasuries. Printing new dollars to support an almost $9 trillion dollar budget deficit that stretches out over the next ten years puts the US on the road to ruin, and the major governments of the world have noticed and are taking action.

Abe Lincoln statement

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and
independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for
themselves .
...... Abraham Lincoln

Proposed Constitutional Amendment information for your consideration

Prop# 1 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/08/texas-constitutional-amendment.html> : Allow local governments to finance the purchase of land to create buffer zones around military bases.

Prop#2 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/08/texas-constitutional-amendment_29.html> : Stipulates that appraisals of homesteads will be based on the current use of a residence homestead and not the potential value of the property if the home is flipped to a commercial development.

Prop#3 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/08/texas-constitutional-amendment_31.html> : Allows the Comptroller to enforce uniform appraisal standards for property tax purposes.

Prop#4 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment.html> : Tier One University Funding
7 Universities eligible for the Tier One Fund: UTEP, UT-San Antonio, Texas Tech, UofH, UTA, UNT, UT Dallas
Promote this as "more research jobs" for Texas.
<http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_02.html>
Prop# 5 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_02.html> : Allow for the consolidation of appraisal review boards across counties.

Prop#6 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_03.html> : Renews the Veterans' Land Board bonding authority for home loans to veterans.

Prop#7 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_04.html> : Allow members of the Texas State Guard to hold civil office.

Prop#8 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_08.html> : Allows the state to contribute resources to build veterans hospitals.

Prop# 9 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_10.html> : Establishes a constitutional right to access and use public beaches along the Gulf Coast.

Prop#10 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_4778.html> : Allows the elected board of directors for emergency service districts to serve 4-year terms instead of 2-year terms.

Prop# 11 <http://travismonitor.blogspot.com/2009/09/texas-constitutional-amendment_13.html> : Restricts the use of eminent domain by a government entity to one that is solely for public use.

Ben Franklin's 13 Rules of Improvement

Ben Franklin's 13 Rules for the Ultimate Man:

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.


2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others for yourself; avoid trifling conversation.


3. Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.


4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.


5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.


6. Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.


7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.


8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.


9. Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.


10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.


11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.


12. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.


13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Gov. Perry speaking at Texas Legislative Memorial Ceremony

Gov. Perry giving the Keynote address at the Texas Legislative Memorial Ceremony of the 81st Legislature. This ceremony was honoring those who have lost their life in the Global war on terror.

Texas Senate Delivers 400 plus bills to the House

The Texas Senate just delivered 400 plus bills to the house. These bills have senate amendments and now must be printed and laid out for 24 hours before they are eligible for consideration in the house. The house can now either concur with senate amendments or we can request the appointment of a conference committee to work out the differences.

Day 3 of the D's filibuster

Larry Taylor (R) Houston, & Marc Veasey (D) Ft. Worth hold competing signs about the chubbing occurring in the Texas House of Representatives.