Texas senators seem to believe they’re members of an exclusive club, rather than elected public servants. Speaking for the club this week, State Sen. Steve Ogden (R-Bryan), chair of the Finance Committee, told the press it “has always been … pretty hard to penetrate the club, but these outside groups have done it and it’s making it hard to pass the [budget].” 

Greece is bankrupt. European Union nations are leading a bailout of that government in an attempt to prevent other financially troubled EU members such as Spain and Portugal from collapsing as well, which could bring down the entire European Union financial system.

A new study from the United States Department of Labor reports that the unemployment rate in 2009 for young returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan rose to 21.9%, far higher than the national unemployment rate for non-veterans in the same age group of 18 to 24. Many factors contribute to that higher jobless rate for our veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars.

An editorial from the Austin American-Statesman, posits the idea that we should pay children a wage to study for school. The proponent of this idea is one Bruce Todd, a former mayor of Austin, who is running a project called the Tuition Incentive Program.

In American history and government classes across this country, we still teach our children that our founding fathers demonstrated genius both in articulating the inalienable rights belonging to each person in our Declaration of Independence, and then in preserving those rights in our Constitution.

Rockets’ red glare, bombs bursting in air – such a poetic way to describe such horrifying circumstances. Most of us sing those words and wave our flags, awaiting the start of a parade or baseball game. But many who walk in our midst wear – or wore – the flag of our nation on their sleeve, dodging bullets, separated from family, facing death, in defense of our liberties. Please take time this holiday weekend to thank the men and women in your circle of friends who bravely donned our nation’s uniform to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Thousands of patriots in countless battles willingly gave their lives for the cause of liberty and the defense of our Constitution. While our rights to life and liberty are endowed by God, securing them has fallen to men called into battle against forces intent on destroying the glorious American experiment. We live today in the liberty their ultimate sacrifice yesterday made possible; we sleep easily under the protection of men and women willing to lay down their lives for liberty tomorrow. Let us endeavor to make the very most of their sacrifice.

Apparently it’s okay to charge $4 for a mediocre cup of coffee, but the very free market system that allows it cannot be discussed or praised. David Boaz of the Cato Institute, writing in the Wall Street Journal, notes that Starbucks will let you personalize a gift card (for $5) with any phrase… But should a phrase have a hint of right-leaning politics, they grind it up.

Tonight, Empower Texans hosted a great conference call for conservatives with numerous conservatives joining in to remind others that each election is an opportunity to gain ground. If it is one inch, one foot or one mile we have the opportunity to take ground back that we relinquished in previous elections by staying away from the polls “in disgust”.