https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/06/ai-election-2024-us-misinformation-regulation/

Dear Chat GPT: What obstacles does PTSD create?

I asked this question in class after we reviewed the concept of positive liberty - which refers to ways to overcome the internal obstacles that impede the ability of people to achieve their goals and aspirations. A major political issue is to what degree a government should address these obstacles. 

An article we reviewed regarding the use of MDMA for the treatment of PTSD touched on this question. Should its use be allowed? 

Before we can address that however, I thought it important to figure out what exact problems PTSD creates so we can know what problems need to be solved. So I asked Chat GPT.

This is what I learned

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can create a range of obstacles for those affected by it. Some common challenges include:

1. Emotional Distress: PTSD often leads to intense emotional distress, including feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, and numbness. These emotions can be overwhelming and interfere with daily functioning.

2. Flashbacks and Intrusive Memories: People with PTSD may experience intrusive memories of the traumatic event, including flashbacks where they feel as though they are reliving the trauma. These experiences can be distressing and disruptive.

3. Avoidance: Many individuals with PTSD try to avoid people, places, or activities that remind them of the traumatic event. This avoidance can limit their ability to engage in important aspects of life, such as work, socializing, or seeking help.

4. Hyperarousal: PTSD can cause hypervigilance, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and exaggerated startle responses. These symptoms can make it hard to relax, concentrate, or sleep well.

5. Negative Changes in Thinking and Mood: PTSD often leads to negative changes in thinking patterns and mood, such as persistent negative beliefs about oneself or the world, feelings of detachment, and a diminished interest in activities once enjoyed.

6. Interpersonal Problems: PTSD can strain relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. People with PTSD may have difficulty expressing emotions, have trust issues, or feel disconnected from others.

7. Physical Health Issues: PTSD has been associated with an increased risk of various physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, and autoimmune disorders. The chronic stress of PTSD can weaken the immune system and contribute to these health issues.

8. Substance Abuse: Some individuals with PTSD may turn to alcohol or drugs as a way to cope with their symptoms. Substance abuse can worsen PTSD symptoms and create additional problems.

These obstacles can significantly impact a person's quality of life, relationships, and overall well-being. However, with appropriate treatment and support, individuals with PTSD can learn to manage their symptoms and regain a sense of control over their lives.

Seinfeld - Hand Washing Fail

This explains why rules - like this one - are created.

Complaints against the British Crown

lack of representation
occupying armies
loss of an independent court
taxes
taxation without representation
tax on tea
British impressment of American sailors
quartering of soldiers 
Stamp Act 

- You can find the answer here.
 

 https://www.notus.org/congress/troy-nehls-combat-infantry-badge-pin-revoked

It's the Law!

 

You can see it for yourself in the Texas Statutory Code, specifically Health and Safety Code. (can you see it?)

Here's the relevant language: 

Sec. 438.034. EMPLOYEE CLEANLINESS. (a) A person handling food or unsealed food containers shall:

(1) maintain personal cleanliness;

(2) wear clean outer garments;

(3) keep the person's hands clean; and

(4) wash the person's hands and exposed portions of the person's arms with soap and water:

(A) before starting work;

(B) during work as often as necessary to avoid cross-contaminating food; and

(C) to maintain cleanliness, after smoking, eating, and each visit to the toilet.

(b) A person handling food or unsealed food containers may not contact with bare hands exposed ready-to-eat food unless:

(1) documentation is maintained at the food service establishment listing the foods and food handling activities that involve bare-hand contact; and

(2) the food service establishment uses two or more of the following contamination control measures:

(A) requiring employees to perform double hand washing;

(B) requiring employees to use fingernail brushes while hand washing;

(C) requiring employees to use a hand sanitizer after hand washing;

(D) implementing an incentive program that encourages employees not to come to work when ill; and

(E) any other contamination control measure approved by the regulatory authority.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1068, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 926 (H.B. 3012), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.

I asked Chat GPT: Which states have an explicit right to vote in their constitutions?

Several states have explicit provisions guaranteeing the right to vote in their constitutions. Here are some examples:

California: Article II, Section 2 of the California Constitution explicitly states: "A United States citizen 18 years of age and resident in this State may vote."

Florida: Article VI, Section 2 of the Florida Constitution affirms: "Every citizen of the United States who is at least eighteen years of age and who is a permanent resident of the state, if registered as provided by law, shall be an elector of the county where registered."

New York: Article II, Section 1 of the New York Constitution declares: "Every citizen shall be entitled to vote at every election for all officers elected by the people and upon all questions submitted to the vote of the people provided that such citizen is eighteen years of age or over and shall have been a resident of this state, and of the county, city, or village for thirty days next preceding an election."

Texas: Article VI, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution states: "Every citizen shall be a qualified elector of this state unless he is a person with mental incapacity or a felon, or has been convicted of a felony under this State or federal law or law of another state which, if the person were convicted in this State, would be a felony under the laws of this State."

These are just a few examples. Other states may have similar explicit provisions in their constitutions guaranteeing the right to vote.

You're young and you got your health, what you want with a job?

_______ are strong believers in the concept of negative liberty

- Negative Liberty: 

the absence of coercion or interference with agents' possible private actions, by an exterior social body.

_________

Negative liberty is the absence of obstacles, barriers or constraints. One has negative liberty to the extent that actions are available to one in this negative sense. Positive liberty is the possibility of acting — or the fact of acting — in such a way as to take control of one’s life and realize one’s fundamental purposes. While negative liberty is usually attributed to individual agents, positive liberty is sometimes attributed to collectivities, or to individuals considered primarily as members of given collectivities.

_________

If we want to start very simple, keeping our definitions to just two words each, negative liberty means “freedom from,” while positive liberty means “capacity to.”

Another way of thinking about the difference-​-​though again, it’s a rough one-​-​is to see negative liberty as being about the absence of external limits, while positive liberty is about the absence of internal limits.

Let’s look at an example. Jack’s living in New York. He’d like go to California to visit family. Under a negative conception of liberty, Jack is free to go to California if nobody is actively preventing him from doing so. Thus his negative freedom would be violated if his neighbor locked Jack in the basement, or if someone stole his car.

But what if Jack’s so poor that he can’t afford a car or a plane ticket? What if Jack is sick and so not physically up to the trip? In these instances, no person prevents Jack from going to California, so Jack’s negative liberty remains intact. Yet he lacks the capacity to fulfill his desire and so, from a positive liberty standpoint, he is unfree.

From the New York Times: F.D.A. Panel Rejects MDMA-Aided Therapy for PTSD

An example of executive rule making. In this case a federal agency has denied a request to use a drug to treat a medical condition. 

Useful Terms: 

- independent advisory panel
- Food and Drug Administration
- MDMA-assisted therapy
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- regulatory challenges
- Lykos Therapeutics
- National Center for PTSD
- Schedule I substance
- Justice Department
- D.E.A. 
- ADHD.
- Institute for Clinical and Economic Review
- American Psychiatric Association
- F.D.A. staff analysis 
- Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies
- MDMA-assisted therapy
- Ohio State University

Click here for the article.

An independent advisory panel of the Food and Drug Administration rejected the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder on Tuesday, highlighting the unparalleled regulatory challenges of a novel therapy using the drug commonly known as Ecstasy.

Before the vote, members of the panel raised concerns about the designs of the two studies submitted by the drug’s sponsor, Lykos Therapeutics. Many questions focused on the fact that study participants were by and large able to correctly guess whether they had been given MDMA, also known by the names of Ecstasy or molly.

The panel voted 9-2 on whether the MDMA-assisted therapy was effective, and voted 10-1 on whether the proposed treatment’s benefits outweighed its risks.

Other panelists expressed concerns over the drug’s potential cardiovascular effects, and possible bias among the therapists and facilitators who guided the sessions and may have positively influenced patient outcomes. A case of misconduct involving a patient and therapist in the study also weighed on some panelists’ minds.

Many of the committee members said they were especially worried about the failure of Lykos to collect detailed data from participants on the potential for abuse of a drug that generates feelings of bliss and well-being.

“I absolutely agree that we need new and better treatments for PTSD,” said Paul Holtzheimer, deputy director for research at the National Center for PTSD, a panelist who voted no on the question of whether the benefits of MDMA-therapy outweighed the risks.

“However, I also note that premature introduction of a treatment can actually stifle development, stifle implementation and lead to premature adoption of treatments that are either not completely known to be safe, not fully effective or not being used at their optimal efficacy,” he added.

While the vote is not binding on the F.D.A., the agency often follows the recommendations of its advisory panels. A final decision by the agency is expected in mid-August.

MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also sometimes referred to as midomafetamine is a synthetic psychoactive drug that fosters self-awareness, feelings of empathy and social connectedness.

The illegal drug is listed as a Schedule I substance, defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Should it win F.D.A. approval, federal health authorities and Justice Department officials would have to follow certain steps to downgrade the drug’s listing, much like the process now underway with cannabis.

The D.E.A. might also set production quotas for the drug ingredients, as it does with stimulant medications used to treat ADHD.

With the panel’s focus on such topics as “euphoria,” “suicidal ideation” and “expectation bias,” the daylong session on Tuesday demonstrated the nuances and complexities facing regulators as they grapple with the terra incognita of a therapy that only recently entered mainstream psychiatry after the nation’s decades-long war on drugs.

An added wrinkle: the F.D.A. is a regulator of medications. It does not regulate psychotherapy and has not evaluated drugs whose efficacy is tied to talk therapy.

If approved, MDMA-assisted therapy would be the first new treatment for PTSD in nearly 25 years. The condition, which affects some 13 million Americans, has been implicated in the outsized suicide rates among military veterans, whose suffering has galvanized lawmakers from both parties and prompted a sea change in public attitudes about therapies reliant on psychedelic compounds.

According to the studies submitted by Lykos, patients who received MDMA plus psychotherapy reported significant improvements in their mental health. The most recent drug trial found that more than 86 percent of those who took MDMA achieved a measurable reduction in severity of their PTSD symptoms.

About 71 percent of participants improved enough that they no longer met the criteria for a diagnosis. Of those who took the placebo, 69 percent improved and nearly 48 percent no longer qualified for a PTSD diagnosis, according to the submitted data.

The questions, concerns and evident skepticism voiced by the 10-member panel echoed those raised by agency staff members, who last week issued a briefing document aimed at helping the panel evaluate the efficacy and potential adverse health effects of MDMA therapy.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Tiffany Farchione, director of the F.D.A.’s division of psychiatry, noted the regulatory challenges posed by MDMA, saying “we’ve been learning as we go along.” But in her testimony and in staff documents, she and other agency officials repeatedly noted that the overall study results were significant and lasting.

“Although the application presents a number of complex review issues, it does include two positive studies in which participants in the midomafetamine arm experienced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in their PTSD symptoms,” she said. “And that improvement appears to be durable for at least several months after the end of the acute treatment period.”

Much of the criticism about Lykos’s study designs focused on so-called functional unblinding, a problem that affects many studies involving psychoactive compounds. Although the roughly 400 patients who took part in the studies were not told whether they had received MDMA or a placebo, to reduce the odds of bias in the results, the vast majority were acutely aware of any altered state of mind, leading them to correctly guess which study arm they were enrolled in.

The F.D.A., which worked with Lykos to design the trials, has acknowledged shortcomings in the study designs and recently issued new guidance to address the issues facing psychedelic researchers.

A number of other critical voices emerged in recent months. They include the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a nonprofit that examines the costs and effectiveness of medications, which issued a report calling the effects of the treatment “inconclusive” and questioning Lykos’s study results.

Other organizations, like the American Psychiatric Association, have not opposed approval outright, but have called on the F.D.A. to mitigate any potential negative consequences by crafting rigorous regulations, strict prescribing and dispensing controls, and close monitoring of patients.

The F.D.A. staff analysis recommended that approval should be contingent on restricted health care settings, monitoring of patients and diligent reporting of adverse events.

Just before they voted on Tuesday, the advisory panel heard from more than 30 speakers who offered starkly divergent views on the application.

Several critics focused on Rick Doblin, a veteran psychedelics advocate who in 1986 founded the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, the nonprofit organization that filed the original application for MDMA-assisted therapy with the F.DA. The for-profit company, Lykos Therapeutics, formerly MAPS PBC, would market the drug if it were approved.

Brian Pace, a lecturer at Ohio State University, described the company applying for approval as a “therapy cult” and criticized Mr. Doblin’s public comments highlighting his zeal for psychedelics, including a belief that legalizing and regulating them would bring about world peace.

But the majority of those who spoke in favor of the application offered deeply personal accounts of how MDMA-therapy had largely quieted the symptoms of their PTSD.

Among them was Cristina Pearse, who said she suffered from PTSD after being sexually assaulted when she was 9. Over the years, she said she had been prescribed a litany of psychiatric medications and at one point she attempted suicide.

MDMA therapy, she said, changed her life. “What used to feel like a tsunami of overwhelming panic was now merely a puddle at my feet,” said Ms. Pearse, who started an organization that helps women recovering from trauma.

She ended her testimony by urging the F.D.A. to approve the application.

“How many more people need to die before we approve an effective therapy?” she asked. “As you weigh the risk, please keep in mind that this therapy can save many lives. I lost most of my life to this disease. I’m grateful to reclaim it now. But I wish this was an approved medication decades ago.”

From the Associated Press: The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that voting is not a fundamental right. What’s next for voters?

The right to vote is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. Does this mean it does not really exist and whether one can vote depends on the state they live in?

Useful Terms: 

- Kansas Supreme Court
- 2021 election law
- voting
- fundamental right
- the state Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
- dissenting justices
- ruling
- lawsuits
- litigation
- Kansas Legislature
- ballot signature verification measure
- equal protection rights of voters
- precedent
- further restrictions
- advance voting
- mail-in ballots
- 1965 Voting Rights Act

Click here for the article.

A split Kansas Supreme Court ruling last week issued in a lawsuit over a 2021 election law found that voting is not a fundamental right listed in the state Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

The finding drew sharp criticism from three dissenting justices on the high court. The Associated Press looks at what the ruling might mean for Kansas residents and future elections.
WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

The ruling itself is wide-reaching, combining different lawsuits at various stages of litigation that challenge three different segments of a 2021 election law passed by the Kansas Legislature. It was a lawsuit challenging a ballot signature verification measure in which a majority of the high court found there is no right to vote enshrined in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

The measure requires election officials to match the signatures on advance mail ballots to a person’s voter registration record. The high court reversed a lower court’s dismissal of that lawsuit and instructed the lower court to consider whether the measure violates the equal protection rights of voters. But four of the court’s seven justices rejected arguments that the measure violates voting rights under the state’s Bill of Rights.

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

The decision was written by Justice Caleb Stegall, who is seen as the most conservative of the court’s seven justices, five of whom were appointed by Democratic governors.

Stegall dismissed the strongly-worded objections of the dissenting justices, saying there is not a “fundamental right to vote” in Section 2 of the Bill of Rights, as the groups had argued.

The dissenting justices said that ignores long-held precedent by the Kansas Supreme Court. Justice Eric Rosen said “it staggers my imagination” to conclude Kansas citizens have no fundamental right to vote and called the majority opinion a “betrayal of our constitutional duty to safeguard the foundational rights of Kansans.”

Justice Melissa Taylor Standridge called the decision troubling, with far-reaching implications, and that the ruling “defies history, law, and logic and is just plain wrong.”

“For over 60 years, this interpretation of section 2 has been our precedent,” she wrote. “Without even a hint that it’s doing so, the majority overturns this precedent today.”

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE RULING?

A determination that voting is not a fundamental right could embolden state lawmakers to push for further restrictions on advance voting and mail-in ballots, said Jamie Shew, election officer for Douglas County — Kansas’ fifth most populous county.

The constant changes in election law are also confusing not only to election officials, but to voters, Shew said.

“I’ve had two voters who came in this morning, and they’re like, ‘Well, I read the paper about signature verification. Is my signature going to get tossed out?’” he recalled. “They were really nervous about it.”

Election laws had been fairly constant since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by Congress, Shew said. But that changed in 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a key provision of that act, he said.

“Since then the rules just keep changing,” Shew said. “And I think our job is making sure that voters not only don’t get confused, but also don’t get frustrated and just stop participating.”

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

The Republican-led Legislature passed a raft of election law changes in 2021 over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto amid false claims by some in the GOP that the 2020 presidential election wasn’t valid. Since that election, there have been lawsuits over voting across the country, and partisan election law battles have continued in high-profile states like Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin. Fights for election advantage are also being waged in smaller states like South Dakota and Nebraska.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Shew said he and other election officials will focus on meting out the state’s voting laws fairly and helping make sure the public understands them.

Justice Dan Biles said in his dissent that courts must insist that the signature verification requirement — if it survives the lawsuit against it — is handled reliably and uniformly across the state. That includes analyzing the procedures for how a mismatched signature is flagged, how a voter is notified of the mismatch and whether the voter is given a reasonable opportunity to cure the problem.

“The Kansas Constitution explicitly sets forth—and absolutely protects—a citizen’s right to vote as the foundation of our democratic republic,” Biles wrote, “so it is serious business when a government official in one of our 105 counties rejects an otherwise lawful ballot just by eyeballing the signature on the outside envelope.”

From the Texas Tribune: Travis County DA wants to overturn Abbott’s pardon of convicted murderer

A current example of checks and balances and the separation of powers.

Useful terms: 

- Travis County
- District Attorney
- pardon
- Travis County jury
- Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
- filed a petition
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- appellate process
- Travis County prosecutor
- exceeded his authority
- the separation of powers doctrine
- Division of Public Integrity and Complex Crimes
- progressive platform
- right to self defense
- First and Second Amendment rights
- attorneys general
- U.S. Department of Justice

- Click here for the article.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza announced Tuesday that his office would ask the state’s highest criminal court to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott’s pardon of a man who was convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter demonstrator in 2020.

One day after a Travis County jury convicted Daniel Perry of murder in April 2023 for shooting Garrett Foster, Abbott asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to consider Perry’s case.

Last month, the board unanimously recommended Abbott pardon Perry’s 25-year prison sentence, which he did the same day.

In July 2020, Perry had turned into a crowd of marching protesters while driving for a ride-share company in downtown Austin. Foster, who was participating in a protest against police brutality, was legally carrying an AK-47 at the time. Perry claims Foster had raised his rifle toward him, though witnesses said he didn’t. Perry fired a handgun repeatedly at Foster before he sped away and called police.

On Tuesday, Garza said his office filed a petition with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to overturn Abbott’s pardon, arguing the governor’s intervention interfered with lower court rulings and halted the appellate process. The Travis County prosecutor also said Perry’s case did not meet the requirements to receive a pardon.

“When Governor Abbott issued the pardon, not only did he circumnavigate the process for pardons, he exceeded his authority and violated the separation of powers doctrine,” Holly Taylor, the director of the Division of Public Integrity and Complex Crimes for the district attorney's office, said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

Garza said he also requested an opportunity to argue the case in front of the court to “make our case on behalf of our democracy, our legal system and the family.”

In his declaration announcing the pardon last month, Abbott claimed Garza, who ran for district attorney on a progressive platform, had prioritized “reducing access to guns” instead of protecting Perry’s right to self defense. The governor’s office did not return a request for comment as of Tuesday evening.

Sheila Foster, the mother of Foster, who was a U.S. Air Force veteran, was present at Tuesday’s press conference. She said Abbot’s pardon could encourage similar violence against others who have different political views.

“My own child was killed on American soil for doing nothing but practicing his First and Second Amendment rights and our governor just said, ‘That’s OK, that’s acceptable,’” Foster said.

Doug O'Connell, Perry's lawyer, called Tuesday’s filing “political theater” by Garza.

“The pardon power of the executive branch is a well settled Constitutional authority,” O'Connell said on social media.

Abbott rarely issues pardons, in which the seven-person board — appointed by the governor — must recommend before Abbott can act. Abbott granted three pardons in 2023, two pardons in 2022 and eight in 2021 — most for lower-level offenses.

Abbott’s pardon of Perry came after influential conservative voices, like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and former Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi, urged Abbott to pardon Perry saying he acted in self-defense in the face of dangerous protests.

Shortly after Perry’s conviction, unsealed court documents revealed that he had made a slew of racist, threatening comments about protesters in text messages and social media posts. Days after George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer prompted nationwide protests, Perry sent a text message saying, “I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.” Both Perry and Foster are white.

Those court documents also revealed that Perry sent inappropriate messages to someone who claimed to be 16 years old through a messaging platform that has been used to share child pornography.

Following Abbott’s pardon, a group of 14 attorneys general from across the country wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, asking the federal agency to investigate whether Perry violated Foster’s civil rights.

“When states fail to protect their residents from such violations of our civil rights, it’s imperative that DOJ steps in and ensures that justice is served,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “We urge DOJ to investigate this incident and demonstrate that this will not be tolerated in America.”

What are the unalienable rights?

Y'all are a little tripped up by this.

I'll go over it tomorrow. 

DILLONS RULE

A message from the Texas Secretary of State to county voter registrars

Secretary Nelson Reminds Counties of Duty to Update Voter Registration Rolls

Registrars should act now to preserve voter roll integrity ahead of the November election.

AUSTIN—Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson issued two official advisories today reminding county registrars of their duty to maintain accurate voter rolls and giving direction for removing ineligible individuals including non-citizens, felons and deceased voters.

“Clean voter rolls are the first line of defense to preserve secure elections,” said Secretary Nelson. “We must ensure our voter lists are up to date, and now is the time to prepare.”

Although the Secretary of State updates the statewide voter registration database daily, federal law prohibits large-scale updates 90 days ahead of any federal election. Following the May 28 Primary Runoff, Texas has until August 7 to perform sweeping list maintenance activities. The Secretary of State is aggressively working to ensure only eligible voters are on the rolls and continues to provide a multitude of data sets to counties in order to ensure accurate voter lists.

The Secretary of State’s office provides records of potential non-citizens to counties, and voter registrars are required to investigate and remove any ineligible voter. Under a bill passed in 2021, the Secretary of State may, and will, withhold election funds from a county voter registrar for failure to approve, change, or cancel a voter’s registration in a timely manner.

In addition to acting on records provided by the Secretary of State, registrars also have the right to initiate their own investigations—and Texans have the right to challenge the eligibility of any registered voter in their county.

“We are working closely with registrars to remove any ineligible voters from Texas voter rolls,” Secretary Nelson said. “These advisories clearly lay out that obligation and process.”

________

- Election Advisory No. 2024-19.

- Election Advisory No. 2024-18.

- Elections Division Advisories.

________

- Texas Secretary of State - Elections Division.

- Brazoria County - Elections.

_________

Relevant Terms an Concepts: 

- Voter Registration.

- Voter Rolls.

- Voter Purge.

- Voter Suppression.

What my GOVT 2305 1PSH1 students might want to be when they grown up

- pediatrician
- child psychologist
- data scientist
- small business owner
- welder
- human resources
- chemical engineer
- - bio medical
- nurse
- - labor and delivery
- - neonatal
- commercial pilot
- forensic scientist
- homicide detective
- architect

 

Is this a crime?

 

International Election Results

- Mexico.

- India. 

From the Houston Chronicle: Former Houston Public Works official charged in corruption case involving waterline repair contracts

An example of - alleged - corruption.

Terminology

- Click here for the article. 

A former employee of Houston’s Public Works Department has been arrested for allegedly taking bribes from vendors and funneling city dollars to herself through a shell company.

Public Works first suspended Patrece Lee, a former manager of the department’s water operation, in November 2023 after a KPRC report alerted the city of possible conflicts of interest in her handling of emergency contracts for water leak repairs. The internal probe later turned into a criminal investigation.

BRIBERY INVESTIGATION: Sugar Land firm that won $55M from city, county contracts under investigation for bribery scheme

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced at a Friday news conference that her office has filed 14 charges against seven defendants, including Lee, her brother and the vendors involved.

Lee, who faces four charges of bribery and abuse of official capacity, has been arrested. An attorney has not yet been assigned to her case.

The others will turn themselves in or be arrested in the coming days, Ogg said.

According to the charging document, Lee allegedly steered city contracts to companies that would then hire her own company, KB3 Construction, for consulting services, “amount (ing) to little more than kick-backs.” In return, she promised to help these vendors obtain larger and better contracts and get paid faster.

From January 2023 through November 2023, Lee allegedly pocketed $322,000 from four different vendors through this scheme, the charging document said.

Investigators also accused Lee of funneling over $400,000 of city dollars directly to LCI, a company owned by her brother Andrew Thomas, while never disclosing her relationship with Thomas. She then immediately transferred at least $380,000 of the payments to her own company, according to the charging document.

Assistant District Attorney Mark Levine said a lot of the money has been spent. Ogg added some of the money went toward the purchase of new cars.

“All of the normal checks and balances were averted, and that is a recipe for corruption,” Ogg said. “The damage of public corruption in the big picture is the public’s loss of trust in government to be responsible stewards of their money.”

Mayor John Whitmire, who co-hosted the news conference with Ogg, has long promised to root out corruption and conflicts of interest at City Hall. During his mayoral campaign last year, he cited this specific case as an example of ethical concerns during former Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration.

Facing steep financial challenges ahead, the mayor said he does not intend to ask voters for more tax revenues this year specifically because he is not yet confident he has eliminated all inefficiencies and corrupt practices from the city’s operations.

“I’ve already sent word to all of my department heads, ‘We’re watching. Don’t even think about cutting corners or playing favorites,’” the mayor said, adding he plans to scrutinize the Houston Housing Authority, the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Houston Airport System next.

“I assured the public we wouldn’t ask for additional revenue until we can guarantee that we (have) removed conflicts of interest and public corruption,” Whitmire added.

Randy Macchi, Public Works’ chief operating officer, said the department is in the process of evaluating how to improve its contracting process to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Since emergency purchases are typically subject to less scrutiny than regular contracts, one solution, Macchi said, is to invest more in routine waterline repairs to reduce the need for emergency repairs.

Additionally, in this instance, Lee was the only person responsible for verifying vendor information. Macchi said he would ensure that, in the future, there will always be more than one employee in charge of the process for better checks and balances.

Three Public Works employees have been terminated as a direct result of this case, Macchi said.

The investigation is still ongoing, with the Texas Rangers conducting an independent review. Officials encouraged any witnesses to reach out to the Texas Rangers at 281-517-1400 with information.

“There are certainly more witnesses,” Levine said. “The only way we stop public corruption is with the public coming forward.”

 

From the Washington Post: Biden expected to announce new asylum restrictions at border

For out look at the national government.

Terminology:

U.S. asylum system
Migrants
White House order.
bipartisan border legislation
public health emergency
Migration Policy Institute
Convention Against Torture
the executive order
immigration policies
Southern Poverty Law Center

- Click here for the article.  

President Biden plans to issue an order Tuesday that would shut off access to the U.S. asylum system when illegal border crossings exceed a daily threshold, according to four administration officials and people with knowledge of the plans.

Sign up for Fact Checker, our weekly review of what's true, false or in-between in politics.

Migrants would be returned to their home countries or Mexico and be ineligible for asylum consideration once the limit is surpassed, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the pending White House order.

The administration has been considering the move since the failure of bipartisan border legislation this year that would have enacted a similar trigger to shut off asylum access at times when U.S. authorities become overwhelmed. People with knowledge of the plans said they expected the cap to be set at a daily average of 2,500 illegal crossings. Standard asylum processing would resume when the number drops below 1,500 crossings, an official said.

Illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border have averaged more than 3,500 in recent weeks, according to the latest government data, so Biden’s order could have immediate effects.

During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. authorities used a public health emergency to rapidly “expel” migrants and turn away asylum seekers who arrived illegally. Officials said Biden’s expected order will operate similarly, while agents at the border will continue to face limitations, including a lack of detention space, transportation capacity and asylum officers.

The failed border legislation would have provided billions in additional funds for deportation capacity and asylum processing, but Republican lawmakers spurned the bill after former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, came out against it.

Biden has already implemented measures to restrict asylum claims of migrants who cross into the United States illegally, but many continue to be released into the United States because border authorities lack the capacity to detain, screen or deport them. In other cases, migrants’ home countries won’t take them back or cooperate with U.S. authorities on deportations.

“The big question for me is whether this will come with additional resources,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, an attorney and analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington. “Without additional dollars to implement this, the same challenges will remain that each of the past asylum restrictions have faced.”

Migrants who state a fear of persecution if returned to Mexico will remain eligible under the Convention Against Torture and other protections afforded by U.S. law, according to officials with knowledge of Biden’s order.

Mexico also places limits on the number of non-Mexican migrants it will accept from the United States.

The president has been in a political bind over the border, as the issue has become increasingly important for voters. The surge of migration during his term, which has ebbed and flowed but often surpassed record levels, remains one of his largest political liabilities, according to strategists.

Trump has continuously attacked him for what he has described as “open border” policies and “Biden migrant crime,” pledging to enact a sweeping crackdown if he wins the presidency.

“Our borders will be closed very soon,” Trump said Friday, in remarks during which he railed against immigration as well as his 34 felony convictions for falsifying business documents in the New York hush money trial against him.

Trump made a similar attempt to cut off migrants’ access to U.S. asylum protections, but the measures were blocked in federal court in 2019. Biden’s order is expected to be challenged on similar grounds.

“We will need to review the executive order before making litigation decisions, but any policy that effectively shuts off asylum would raise obvious legal problems, just as it did when the Trump administration tried to end asylum,” Lee Gelernt, the ACLU attorney who was lead counsel on many challenges to Trump’s policies, said in an interview Monday.

U.S. authorities have tallied about 2 million illegal crossings per year along the southern border since 2021, the highest levels ever, and migrants have been arriving in record numbers from China, India, Venezuela and dozens of other countries. Often guided to the U.S. border by criminal organizations in Mexico, the migrants typically surrender to U.S. border agents and express a fear of persecution if returned — the first step in seeking U.S. asylum.

Biden’s order would render them ineligible for asylum protections if crossings exceed the daily threshold.

Current agreements allow the United States to send up to 30,000 non-Mexicans back across the border each month, but Mexico has generally limited returns to Central Americans, Cubans and some Haitians.

Mexican voters elected Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first female leader, by a landslide margin Sunday in a vote that was widely viewed as a referendum on current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Sheinbaum, who will be inaugurated Oct. 1, has vowed to continue López Obrador’s cooperation with the United States on migration.

While Biden has increasingly adopted the kind of language embraced by Trump on immigration — including pledging this year to “shut down” the border if it becomes overwhelmed by unauthorized crossings — he has struggled to find a message that can satisfy the diverse coalition of voters he is courting.

Several liberal lawmakers have criticized Biden for his increasingly tough stance on the border, and pro-immigration activists have accused him of betraying core American ideals and not adopting more humane immigration policies after Trump’s turbulent term.

“The decision by this administration to criminalize migrants — many of whom are fleeing harm — is deeply disturbing and misguided,” Sarah M. Rich, senior supervising attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement.

“Prosecuting people seeking safety in the U.S. for these immigration violations will lead to more Black and Brown people being incarcerated at the expense of immigrant families and communities,” Rich said.

White House officials said Biden will continue to explore various policy options to address the migration challenge.

“While Congressional Republicans chose to stand in the way of additional border enforcement, President Biden will not stop fighting to deliver the resources that border and immigration personnel need to secure our border,” Angelo Fernández Hernández, a White House spokesman, said in a statement.

The expected executive order is a signal that the plan of some Democrats to hammer Republicans over the failure of the bipartisan border deal opposed by Trump is unlikely to shield them from a barrage of attacks over the issue.

When the bill failed the first time in the Senate, Biden pledged to take the message across the country and blame Trump for encouraging lawmakers to kill the agreement.

While Biden initially pushed that message in campaign speeches, his focus in recent months has shifted toward figuring out how much he can accomplish without Congress.

White House officials have long said Biden cannot unilaterally provide the resources necessary to secure the border, calling on Congress to pass funding and statutory changes that would create a more orderly migration system.

Local Governments in the United States

- U.S. Census Bureau: Types of U.S. Local Governments by State: 2022.

- Number of government jurisdictions.

- About Government Organization & Structure.

- Texas County Profiles.

 

Dillon's Rule

- Dillon Rule and Home Rule: Principles of Local Governance. 

- Home rule in the United States.

Thomas Hutchinson and The Loyalists Rebuttal

A response to the Declaration of Independence from one of the handful of people who did not want to break from Britain. 

- Click here for the text: The Loyalists Rebuttal to the Declaration of Independence.

For more on the author: Thomas Hutchison.

Thomas Hutchinson (9 September 1711 – 3 June 1780) was an American merchant, politician, historian, and colonial administrator who repeatedly served as governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in the years leading up to the American Revolution. He has been described as "the most important figure on the loyalist side in pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts". Hutchinson was a successful merchant and politician who was active at high levels of the Massachusetts colonial government for many years, serving as lieutenant governor and then governor from 1758 to 1774. He was a politically polarizing figure who came to be identified by John Adams and Samuel Adams as a supporter of unpopular British taxes, despite his initial opposition to Parliamentary tax laws directed at the colonies. Hutchinson was blamed by British Prime Minister Lord North for being a significant contributor to the tensions that led to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War.

For more on the loyalists: Loyalist (American Revolution).

Loyalists were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War, often referred to as Tories,[1][2] Royalists or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by the Patriots, who supported the revolution, and called them "persons inimical to the liberties of America."

Prominent Loyalists repeatedly assured the British government that many thousands of them would spring to arms and fight for the Crown. The British government acted in expectation of that, especially during the Southern campaigns of 1780 and 1781. Britain was able to effectively protect the people only in areas where they had military control, and in return, the number of military Loyalists was significantly lower than what had been expected. Due to conflicting political views, loyalists were often under suspicion of those in the British military, who did not know whom they could fully trust in such a conflicted situation; they were often looked down upon.

Patriots watched suspected Loyalists very closely and would not tolerate any organized Loyalist opposition. Many outspoken or militarily active Loyalists were forced to flee, especially to their stronghold of New York City.

  

Fall 2024 - Weekly Schedule

This applies to both GOVT 2305 and GOVT 2306

This will be adjusted regularly, but it'll give you an idea of what we will cover in my face to face class, and where I think you should be in my online class. 

Don't hesitate to ask questions and make suggestions.

Here's how I think things will go

Intro: 

- access the textbook
- review syllabus
- review Blackboard layout
- discuss first active learning assignment.
- discuss essay assignment

Week One: August 26

- Texas Declaration of Independence.
- Article 7: Texas Constitution.
- Texas Education Code.
- An Overview of the History of Public Education in Texas.

Power
- What is Power?
- - Types of Power
- - Max Weber: Traditional, Legal-Rational, and Charismatic Authority.

Government
- What is a Government?
- - Aristotle's Typology
- - The Iron Law of Oligarchy.

Politics
- What is Politics?
- - Values
- - Interests
- - Means to control governing institutions


Week Two: September 2

Constitutions
- What is a Constitution?
- - Limited Government
- - U.S. Constitution
- - Texas Constitution
- - Municipal Charters

Week Three: September 9

Week Four: September 16

Week Five: September 23

Week Six: September 30

Week Seven: October 7

Week Eight: October 14

Week Nine: October 21

Week Ten: October 28

Week Eleven: November 4

Week Twelve: November 11

Week Thirteen: November 18

Week Fourteen: November 25

Week Fifteen: December 2

Week Sixteen: December 9  



Day 1: Monday, July 15
- What is Power?
- - Types of Power
- What is a Government?
- - Aristotle's Typology
- What is Politics?
- - Values
- - Interests
- - Means to control governing institutions 
- What is a Constitution?
- - Limited Government
- - U.S. Constitution
- - Texas Constitution
- - Municipal Charters


Day 2: Tuesday, July 16
- What is Federalism
- - discuss the three levels of government
- - review the roles of each level of government
- - review areas where they overlap
- Constitutional Federalism
- - Granted / Enumerated Powers
- - Expressed Powers
- - Inherent Powers
- - Delegated Powers
- - Implied Powers
- - Concurrent Powers
- - Prohibited Powers
- The Legal Relationship Between the Nation, and the State and Local Governments
- - National Supremacy Clause
- - The 10th Amendment
- - Strict or Loose Construction
- The Legal Relationship Between the State and Local Governments
- - What is a City?
- - What is a County?
- - What is a Special District?
- - Dillon's Rule
- - Texas Constitution, Articles 9 and 11.
- - Local Government Code
- - City Ordinances
- Federalist Papers.
- Notes of the U.S. Constitutional Convention.

Day 3: Wednesday, July 17
Fiscal Federalism
- revenue 
- expenditures
- budgeting
Taxation over history
Debt over history
US Tax Code
Texas Constitution: Article 8
Texas Tax Code
Local Taxes
State and Local Debt


Day 4: Thursday, July 18
Civil Liberties
- Definition
- Limited Government
- Original Constitution
- - Habeas Corpus
- Bill of Rights
- - US
- - Texas
- Fundamental Liberties
- - Clearly Defined
- - Undefined: 9th Amendment
- - penumbras and emanations / original intent
- Due Process
- - Security in one's persons, houses, places, and effects. 
- - unreasonable search and seizures
- - indictment
- - Jury Trial
- - Cruel and Unusual Punishment


Day 5: Friday July 19
- 11th - 27th Amendments
Landmark cases
- Federalism
- Establishment Clause
- Free Exercise Clause
- - Speech: Chaplinsky
- - Search and Seizure: Terry / Riley
- - Riley


Day 6: Monday, July 22
Politics and the Political Institutions
What is Politics?
 - Preview
Groups, Interests, Passion, and Conflict
- Federalist 10.
- - Washington's Farewell Address
Citizenship
- Privileges and Immunities
- Voting
- Holding Office
- Jury Service
- Equal Treatment: non-citizenship.
Public Opinion
Direct and Indirect Democracy


Day 7: Tuesday, July 23
Suffrage
- - hierarchy
- - early America
- - justifications for property ownership
- - expansion
- - - relevant amendments
- - - relevant laws
- - - relevant agencies
- - - relevant court cases
- - contraction
- Texas Constitution
- - Pre 1836
- - 1836 - 1876
- - Article 6 (1876)
- - Amendments
- - Article 6 (2024) 
Is there a Right to Vote?


Day 8: Wednesday, July 24
Elections
- Basic Facts
- Elections Prior to the Constitution
Elections in the U.S. Constitution
- relevant amendments
- relevant laws
- relevant court cases
Election in the Texas Constitution
United States Election Code
Texas Election Code
Local Elections
Candidates and Campaigns


Day 9: Thursday, July 25
The Collective Action Problem
The Political Institutions
- Political Parties
- Interest Groups
- The Media
- Campaign Consultants
Campaigns and Campaign Funding
Political Movements 


Day 10: Friday, July 26
A Look at the Political History of the US, Texas, and the Greater Houston area

Day 11: Monday, July 29
The Governing Institutions
The Three Powers of Government
- The Legislative
- The Executive
- The Judicial
The Importance of Separating Powers
- What is Tyranny?
- The Spirit of the Laws
- Federalist  51

Day 12: Tuesday, July 30
The Legislative Power
- Components
- - Lawmaking
- - Representation
- - Power of the Purse
- - Create the Executive and Judicial Branches 
- - Checks and Balances
- Legislative Federalism
- - Congress - Article 1
- - Texas Legislature - Article 3
- - Local Legislatures
- - - City Councils



- First Congress.
- Judiciary Act of 1789.

Day 13: Wednesday, July 31
The Executive Power
- Chief Executive
- Powers
- - Constitutional
- - Extra Constitutional
Singular v Plural
- U.S. President - Article 2
- Texas Plural Executive - Article 4
Presidential Advising.
- Cabinet: Executive Departments.
- Executive Office of the President
- White House Staff
Powers of the Texas Governor
- Appointments
- Filling Vacancies
- Line Item Veto
Local Executive Power
- Mayors
- County Judges
- Boards

- Independent agencies of the United States government.
- United States federal executive departments.



Day 14: Thursday, August 1
The Executive - The Bureaucracy
- Civil Service
- Public Sector
The Civil Service
- Numbers
- Organization
- Functions
US: 
Texas: 
Local: 


Day 15: Friday, August 2
The Judiciary
Courts
Arbitration and Adjudication
Trials and Appeals

- U.S. Constitution: Article 3 
- Texas Constitution: Article 5
- Local Courts

Judiciary Acts
- Current Design
- Current Justices
- Judicial Process
- Current cases

Criminal Justice



Day 16: Monday, August 6
Public Policy
Markets: Supply and Demand
Types of Goods
- Private
- Public
Market Failure 
- Public Goods
- Monopoly
- Information
- Externalities
Social Policy
- Morality
- Poverty
- Personal Behavior
- The Extent of Individual Liberty
Political Culture and Public Policy
- Traditionalistic
- Individualistic
- Moralistic

Day 17: Wednesday, August 7
Federalism and Public Policy
- National
- - Delegated
- State
- - Reserved
- Local
Police Powers
- Health
- Welfare
- Safety
- Morals

Day 18: Thursday, August 8
Equal Treatment
- Hierarchy: What justifies unequal treatment?
- Laws that maintain inequity
- - 
14th Amendment
- Protected Classes
- Strict Scrutiny, Heightened Scrutiny, Rational Basis Review

Day 19: Friday , August 9
Fiscal and Monetary Policy
Budgeting
Department of the Treasury
Revenue
- Tax Policy
- - Constitutional
- Borrowing
- - Deficits
- - Debt
- Expenditures
- - Appropriations
- - Appropriations Committees
- Budgeting
- - Budget Committees
- - Deficits, Surpluses, Debt
- Graphics


Day 20: Monday, August 12
National
- External Defense
- Foreign Affairs
- Insurrection
- Commerce
State / Texas
- Education
- Health and Human Services
- Economic Development
- Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Natural Resources
- Regulatory
Local
- Alvin Code of Ordinances
- Pearland Code of Ordinances
- Houston Code of Ordinances


Day 21: August 13, Tuesday
- Commerce and Labor
- Public Health
- Public Education

Review: 

From the Texas Tribune: Texas runoff yields no clear winner among GOP’s warring factions, setting stage for power struggle

The content here will be useful when we discuss political parties.

Here are terms in the article that are useful to know prior to reading it.

runoff
Texas GOP Chair
factions
Democrats
primaries
bipartisan compromise
district
Attorney General
the speaker.
the GOP’s ultraconservative wing
impeachment
status quo
social issues
campaign ad spending
incumbents
school vouchers
“Contract with Texas”
the House’s 34 standing committees.
the House GOP Caucus
blame-shifting
decentralizing the power structure in the House
political consultant
the House GOP Caucus’ bylaws
the anti-voucher purge.

Here are the people named in the article 

- Click here for the article.

Summer 1 2024: 1000 word essay

Here is your subject for the essay: 

- For GOVT 2305: Is the United States government democratic or oligarchic?

As much as we are told that we have a democratic system, there is also a feeling among many that the real decisions are made by powerful people and imposed on the rest of society. If that is true then that suggests that we are instead an oligarchy. I want you to do some research and figure which it is. Also justify your answer. Maybe we are something entirely different. Explain.

Definitions:

- Democracy
- - Direct. 
- - Indirect.

- Oligarchy
Types: 
- Aristocracy.
- Plutocracy.
- Theocracy.
- Meritocracy.
- Kakistocracy. 


- For GOVT 2306: Compare the platforms of the Texas Democratic and Republican Parties. Where are they similar and where are they different? 

Every two years the major parties in Texas meet to put together the issues they intend to promote. Individually, these are called planks, and together they form the party's platform. These provide an indication to voters about what each party intends to do if elected to office. 

The Texas Republican Party recently met and produced its latest version. The Texas Democrats will do so June 6-8. I want to read both and see where they agree and where they disagree. Let's use this as a way to understand what issues each prioritizes and what we might see introduced when the Texas Legislature meets next year. 

- Click here for the 2024 Texas Republican Party Platform.
- Click here for the 2024 Texas Democratic Party Platform. 

In addition, do your own research. 

We will discuss these in class.

Nuts and Bolts:

- The 1000 word requirement is a minimum, not a maximum. You may write as much as you wish.
- Please use at least three references.
- You may use whatever format you wish. 
- I don't use rubrics, so you are free to approach this as you wish, nut be professional.
- If you want an A, be excellent.  

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/06/02/ncaa-future-nil-rules/

From the New York Times: Exclusion of Jewish Jurors Prompts Review of California Death Row Cases

A look at violations of due process rights, in this case the right to a jury of one's peers which is located in the 6th Amendment.

- Click here for the article. 

A jury was being chosen for a murder trial nearly three decades ago in California. The state was seeking a death sentence for Ernest Dykes, who had been charged with killing a 9-year-old boy during a robbery in Oakland.

Weighing who should be struck from the jury pool and who should be kept, a prosecutor made notes about a prospective juror:

“I liked him better than any other Jew but no way.”

Other notes about prospective jurors bore evidence of similar prejudice:

“Banker. Jew?” read one.

“Jew? Yes,” read another.

The notes — just handwritten scribbles — were discovered recently in an internal case file from the 1990s when Mr. Dykes was convicted of murder and sent to death row. A federal judge who is overseeing settlement talks as part of an appeal by Mr. Dykes told the Alameda County District Attorney’s office to conduct a top-to-bottom search for any additional documents, and that search turned up the notes, which are now in the hands of the judge.

The notes offered a startling glimpse into a practice that some defense lawyers long suspected was going on, and that a former prosecutor had alleged was common in Alameda County — prosecutors seeking to exclude people of certain faiths, races or genders.

Now, Mr. Dykes, 51, and perhaps others on death row in California as well, may have their convictions tossed out and be granted new trials. The federal judge weighing his appeal has ordered a review of all California capital cases in which a defendant from Alameda County is still on death row. The county includes Oakland, Berkeley and a host of other Bay Area communities.

The inquiry, which may involve as many as 35 cases from as far back as 1977, is just getting underway. But the district attorney’s office says it has already found evidence that the discriminatory practice was widespread for decades and involved numerous prosecutors.

“When you intentionally exclude people based on their race, their religion, their gender or any protected category, it violates the Constitution,” said Pamela Price, the Alameda district attorney and a former civil rights lawyer.

Legal scholars and critics of the death penalty say some prosecutors have long sought to exclude certain groups from serving as jurors in capital cases, even after the courts made clear that the practice was unconstitutional. Given the long history of racial injustice in the United States, Black jurors were presumed to be sympathetic to defendants, especially to Black defendants. And in the decades after the Holocaust, Jews were presumed to be against capital punishment.

From the Houston Chronicle: Settlements reached in 9 of 10 wrongful death lawsuits from 2021 Astroworld Festival tragedy

An example of civil law. 

- Click here for the article.

Settlements were reached Wednesday for nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits from the 2021 Astroworld Festival, an attorney for one of the victims confirmed Tuesday.

The settlements, the terms of which were not disclosed, were finalized as an appellate court was set to decide on whether tech giant Apple would be removed from the the litigation. The pending ruling brought a civil trial centered around the death of 23-year-old Houston resident Madison Dubiski to a halt last week, days before a jury was set to picked and seated.

From the Houston Chronicle: TxDOT wants to spend $740 billion over next 25 years. But first, they want to know what you think

A look at transportation policy in Texas.

- Click here for the article.

The Texas Department of Transportation’s proposed long-range transportation plan, called Connecting Texas 2050 and updated every four years, opens for public comment on May 10 and closes June 9. A public hearing is scheduled for May 28.

From IndieWire: Art Directors Guild Suspends Training Program: ‘We Cannot in Good Conscience Encourage You to Pursue Our Profession’

Very bad news for arts related professions. 

What is the motivation of the guild? 

To protect current members from competition? Regardless, a radical shift has been underway in the arts industry. It is up to members of the profession to make the proper adjustments. 

- Click here for the article.

Art Directors Guild is suspending its Production Design Initiative program, designed to give hands-on training and job placement opportunities to those seeking a career in the field, according to an email sent to prospective applicants and acquired by IndieWire. (Read the full statement below.)

In the email, ADG cited its membership’s 75 percent unemployment as the reason, concluding: “Given this situation we cannot in good conscience encourage you to pursue our profession while so many of our members remain unemployed.”

The ADG is one of the largest IATSE locals with approximately 3,000 members, and houses a wide range of art department professions including production designers, art directors, set designers, illustrators, model makers, as well as matte, scenic, previs, and graphic artists.

The industry has not resumed a full, pre-strikes level of productions, and it remains unclear if a return to that status quo is possible in a Hollywood gripped by ever-higher costs, ever-lower revenue, and increased production abroad.

This comes in the midst of IATSE renegotiating a new three-year contract with the AMPTP in an effort to avoid a strike, and as crew are hyper-focused on the labor issues facing their profession. Like others in IATSE, ADG members have gone through a particularly hard stretch with loss of work during the pandemic, WGA and SAG strikes, and the current contraction that’s slowed TV and movie production and sent more of it overseas.

In the current negotiations, the top issue for the AMPTP and IATSE will be the funding of health and pension benefits directly funded by residuals. The Basic Agreement signatory companies expect a $670 million shortfall in health and pension over the next three years due to fewer productions overall and/or more content produced outside the Basic jurisdiction.

The language used in that message, which came after the ADG’s five-and-a-half-hour annual membership meeting, is eerily similar to what would-be PDI trainees received. “While I don’t want to see any members leave our union family, I know more than a few who are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy or losing their home,” ADG leadership wrote to its members at the end of April. “I’ve spoken with several who are questioning whether to pivot to other endeavors. This information might be very useful to them as they contemplate their futures.”

From the Houston Chronicle: Who's in charge during a major Houston storm? Here's a breakdown of city and county responsibilities

A good look at the consequences of federalism in a moment of crisis. The Houston are has over 100 distinct governing units, How do the cooperate during a storm? Do they even try?

- Click here for the article.

When the Houston area must contend with a major storm, countless city, county, state and federal employees work together to prepare residents for what's coming, rescue those in need and assist them through what can be a lengthy recovery process.

It's a good idea to understand ahead of time who represents you, which depends on whether you live within the city of Houston, one of the 33 other cities within Harris County, in unincorporated Harris County or in a neighboring county. More than 2 million people live in unincorporated Harris County, comprising the areas of the county that aren't part of a city.

In a disaster, overlapping jurisdictions share responsibilities, but here's a guide to who's responsible for making key decisions in your area. . . .

Check it out for more.

From the Pew Research Center: Political ideology among adults in Texas

A terrific resource

- Click here for it. 

An outline of the Permanent University Fund

 

- Click here for the source.

 

From Wikipedia: Joshua Gee

 A British merchant who traded with the colonies. Seems to be an embodiment of the mercantile system. The entry provides a tangible look the development of the colonial economy in North America.

- Click here for the entry.

Excerpts: 

- In London, by age 27, Gee became a master of the Grocers' Company by purchase (without serving an apprenticeship) and a freeman in London. By 1700 he was already trading with the American colonies. In 1715, Gee and Augustine Washington founded The Principio Company. It was backed by an association of British iron-masters, merchants, and capitalists. Principio produced pig-iron and bar-iron in the Province of Maryland and the Province of Virginia for sale in England. By 1723 Gee and his partners owned or controlled more than 12,000 acres of land in North America containing iron ore deposits.

- Most of this work focused on labour shortages in the American colonies Gee suggested that England transport domestic convicts, the poor and unemployed to work in the colonies. He also recommended creating free ports at Gibraltar and Port Mahon. Gee also encouraged foreign import-replacing production in the plantations.

These stuck out to me: 

- Grocers' Company.
- The Principio Company.
- British iron-masters, merchants, and capitalists
- Province of Maryland
- Province of Virginia
- iron ore deposits
- Colony of Pennsylvania
- Board of Trade and Plantations.
- The Grazier's Advocate

For more: 

- THE ORIGIN OF THE IRON INDUSTRY IN MARYLAND.

Captain John Smith is generally credited with the discovery of iron ore in Maryland. There is no evidence that the Native American population ever smelted ore, although they did use it as a pigment. On a voyage in 1608, sailing up what is now called the Patapsco River, Smith noted the presence of iron ore, or as he called it "bole armoniack and terra sigillata." In 1609 he sent two barrels of the ore from Maryland, or possibly from Virginia, to England. (Little distinction was made in the early colonial days between Virginia and Maryland, and the records are sometimes confused.) Nothing is known of the fate of the samples in the barrels or what reports, if any, may have been generated regarding them (Whitely, 1887; Singewald, 1911; May, 1945).

Any smelting done during the next hundred years or so must have been on a very small scale and very localized, as virtually no records of domestic iron manufacture exist for this period. The colonists apparently preferred to import their iron and ironware from England. There is a mention in 1681 of "a duty on the exportation of old iron," apparently designed to encourage the growth of local iron industry

- 

 

The Texas Public Finance Authority

- Home Page. 

- Sunset Review.

The Texas Bond Review Board

- Home Page. 

- Texas State Debt.

- Texas Local Government Debt.

- TSHA: Texas Bond Review Board.

- 2022 Annual Report.

What Chat GPT tells us about selective incentives to group formation, increasing voter turnout, and the basics of lobbying regulation.

What are the selective incentives to group participation?

Selective incentives are benefits that are available only to those who participate in a group or organization. These incentives play a crucial role in motivating individuals to join and remain active in a group. Here are some examples of selective incentives to group participation:

Material Incentives: These include tangible benefits such as discounts, free merchandise, or financial rewards. For example, a membership card that offers discounts at certain stores or restaurants can serve as a material incentive for joining a group.

Solidarity Incentives: These incentives appeal to individuals' desire for social belonging and affiliation. By joining a group, individuals can feel a sense of camaraderie and belonging with others who share similar interests, values, or goals. Social events, group outings, or community gatherings can strengthen these bonds.

Expressive Incentives: Some individuals are motivated to join groups because it allows them to express their identity or values publicly. This can include participating in protests, rallies, or other forms of activism to demonstrate support for a cause or belief.

Informational Incentives: Groups may offer members access to valuable information, resources, or expertise that they would not have access to otherwise. This can include newsletters, workshops, seminars, or access to experts within the group.

Status Incentives: Membership in certain groups can confer social status or prestige within a community or society. For example, belonging to an exclusive club or organization may enhance an individual's reputation or social standing.

Access Incentives: Some groups offer exclusive access to opportunities, networks, or resources that are not available to the general public. This can include job opportunities, networking events, or access to influential individuals within the group's network.

Personal Fulfillment Incentives: Participation in a group may provide individuals with opportunities for personal growth, skill development, or the satisfaction of contributing to a cause they believe in. This can include volunteering, skill-building workshops, or leadership opportunities within the group.

By offering a combination of these selective incentives, groups can attract and retain members who are motivated by different factors, ultimately strengthening the organization and its ability to achieve its goals.

How can voter participation be increased?

Increasing voter participation is crucial for a healthy democracy, and there are several strategies that can be employed to achieve this:

Voter Education: Educating voters about the importance of their participation, how the electoral process works, and the impact of their vote can motivate them to engage in the electoral process. This can be done through civics education in schools, public awareness campaigns, and easily accessible information about candidates and issues.

Improving Access to Voting: Making it easier for people to vote can increase participation. This can include measures such as expanding early voting periods, implementing automatic voter registration, allowing online voter registration, and providing mail-in voting options. Additionally, ensuring that polling places are accessible and well-staffed can reduce barriers to voting.

Youth Engagement: Engaging young people in the political process early on can foster lifelong civic engagement. This can be done through programs in schools, youth-oriented voter registration drives, and efforts to make voting more relevant and accessible to young people.

Community Outreach: Building trust and relationships within communities can encourage voter participation. Community organizations, faith-based groups, and grassroots movements can play a crucial role in mobilizing voters by reaching out to them directly, providing information and resources, and addressing specific concerns and barriers to voting.

Campaign Finance Reform: Reforming campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics can help ensure that the voices of all citizens are heard, regardless of their financial resources. This can include measures such as public financing of elections, stricter disclosure requirements for campaign donations, and limits on the amount of money that can be contributed to political campaigns.

Increasing Political Representation: Increasing the diversity of candidates running for office and ensuring that elected officials are representative of the communities they serve can help engage voters who may feel marginalized or underrepresented in the political process.

Civic Engagement Programs: Implementing programs that encourage civic engagement and participation, such as voter registration drives, civics classes, and volunteer opportunities, can help build a culture of active citizenship and increase voter turnout.

Addressing Barriers to Participation: Identifying and addressing barriers that prevent certain groups from participating in the electoral process, such as voter suppression tactics, language barriers, lack of transportation, or restrictive voter ID laws, is essential for ensuring that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots.

By implementing a combination of these strategies, policymakers, community leaders, and grassroots organizations can work together to increase voter participation and strengthen democracy.

What are the basics of lobbying regulation?

1 - Registration: Lobbyists typically need to register with government authorities, disclosing who they are representing and what issues they are lobbying on. This ensures transparency and accountability in the lobbying process.

2 - Disclosure: Lobbyists may be required to disclose their activities, including whom they're lobbying, the issues they're advocating for or against, and the resources they're using (such as funding or support).

3 - Ethical Standards: Many jurisdictions have codes of conduct or ethical standards that lobbyists must adhere to. This can include rules about conflicts of interest, gifts or favors, and honesty in communications.

4 - Reporting Requirements: Lobbyists might be required to report their activities at regular intervals, detailing their interactions with government officials, expenditures, and any other relevant information.

5 - Restrictions on Gifts and Contributions: To prevent undue influence, there may be limits on the value of gifts or contributions that lobbyists can offer to public officials.

6 - Cooling-off Periods: Some jurisdictions impose cooling-off periods, during which former government officials or employees cannot immediately transition into lobbying roles. This is to prevent the revolving door phenomenon and conflicts of interest.

7 - Anti-Corruption Measures: Lobbying regulations often include anti-corruption measures to prevent bribery, kickbacks, or other forms of illicit influence.

8 - Penalties for Non-Compliance: There are usually penalties for violating lobbying regulations, which can range from fines to criminal charges, depending on the severity of the offense.