This is huge:
A federal court on Thursday blocked a controversial new voter ID law
in Texas, ruling that the state failed to show that the law would not
harm the voting rights of minorities.
The three-judge panel in the historic case said that evidence
also showed that costs of obtaining a voter ID would fall most heavily
on poor African Americans and Hispanics in Texas.
Evidence submitted by Texas to prove that its law did not
discriminate was “unpersuasive, invalid, or both,” wrote David. S.
Tatel, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia, in the panel’s 56-page opinion.
The ruling will likely
have political implications in the coming elections. Republicans and
Democrats have been arguing over whether increasingly tough voter ID
laws discriminate against African Americans and Hispanics.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
From the Texas Tribune: Report: Mass Deportation Could Cost Texas Billions
This complicates the debate about illegal immigrants:
A study released Thursday by the Center for American Progress concludes that the Texas economy would suffer a net economic loss in the billions if group deportations of illegal immigrants occurred at even moderate levels.
The progressive think tank concluded that even if as few as 15 percent of Texans living in the state illegally were removed at once, it would mean an annual $11.7 billion loss for Texas’ gross state product, increasing to more than $77 billion if all 1.65 million estimated illegal immigrants were removed from the state.
- Click here for the study.
A study released Thursday by the Center for American Progress concludes that the Texas economy would suffer a net economic loss in the billions if group deportations of illegal immigrants occurred at even moderate levels.
The progressive think tank concluded that even if as few as 15 percent of Texans living in the state illegally were removed at once, it would mean an annual $11.7 billion loss for Texas’ gross state product, increasing to more than $77 billion if all 1.65 million estimated illegal immigrants were removed from the state.
- Click here for the study.
From the AAS: New study: Tort reform has not reduced health care costs in Texas
This applies to a few sections in class, primarily in our discussion of public policy. It fits in our broader look at health policy as well as policy evaluation.
The story:
A new study found no evidence that health care costs in Texas dipped after a 2003 constitutional amendment limited payouts in medical malpractice lawsuits, despite claims made to voters by some backers of tort reform.
The researchers, who include University of Texas law professor Charles Silver, examined Medicare spending in Texas counties and saw no reduction in doctors' fees for seniors and disabled patients between 2002 and 2009. A 2003 voter campaign in Texas, and some congressional backers of Texas-style tort reform in every state, however, argued that capping damage awards would not only curb malpractice lawsuits and insurance costs for doctors, it would lower costs for patients while boosting their access to physicians.
But this goes beyond public policy, because its argued that tort reform was proposed as a way to minimize the financial power of trial lawyers, and their incentives to provide campaign contributions to Democrats. Was it a way to help Republicans dominate state elections? Some argue that Republican attacks on labor unions - which tend to skew Democrat as well - have the same intentions.
There are also claims that tort reform - by reducing damage awards - has made it more difficult for claimants to take cases to court. That adds an additional dimension to the story.
Since tort reform, some Texas residents have complained that they cannot find a lawyer to pursue a malpractice case because of the $750,000 cap on payouts for pain, suffering, disfigurement and mental anguish. The limit often makes litigation cost prohibitive, patients and lawyers said. That concern was not raised in the paper, although the researchers said claims of huge malpractice payouts and rampant "frivolous" lawsuits before tort reform are greatly exaggerated by its advocates.
The story:
A new study found no evidence that health care costs in Texas dipped after a 2003 constitutional amendment limited payouts in medical malpractice lawsuits, despite claims made to voters by some backers of tort reform.
The researchers, who include University of Texas law professor Charles Silver, examined Medicare spending in Texas counties and saw no reduction in doctors' fees for seniors and disabled patients between 2002 and 2009. A 2003 voter campaign in Texas, and some congressional backers of Texas-style tort reform in every state, however, argued that capping damage awards would not only curb malpractice lawsuits and insurance costs for doctors, it would lower costs for patients while boosting their access to physicians.
But this goes beyond public policy, because its argued that tort reform was proposed as a way to minimize the financial power of trial lawyers, and their incentives to provide campaign contributions to Democrats. Was it a way to help Republicans dominate state elections? Some argue that Republican attacks on labor unions - which tend to skew Democrat as well - have the same intentions.
There are also claims that tort reform - by reducing damage awards - has made it more difficult for claimants to take cases to court. That adds an additional dimension to the story.
Since tort reform, some Texas residents have complained that they cannot find a lawyer to pursue a malpractice case because of the $750,000 cap on payouts for pain, suffering, disfigurement and mental anguish. The limit often makes litigation cost prohibitive, patients and lawyers said. That concern was not raised in the paper, although the researchers said claims of huge malpractice payouts and rampant "frivolous" lawsuits before tort reform are greatly exaggerated by its advocates.
Obama Vote: 2008 v 2012
Here's a graph that shows state-by-state comparisons of Obama's vote in 2008 versus his current polling numbers. Note that despite the changes, only two states seems to have shifted from one side to the other.
From WonkBlog: Defense spending in the U.S., in four charts
Here's useful data for a future look at foreign policy and defense spending.
Worth a preliminary look.
Worth a preliminary look.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
From the Texas Tribune: Court: Texas Political Maps Don't Protect Minority Vote
This is huge. Texas' history of racial discrimination made it subject to pre-clearance when the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. This is to ensure that discriminatory decisions are checked. The original map drawn up in the 82nd session of the Texas legislature had already been tossed out, but this confirms the previous decision and sets up a Supreme Court challenge to pre-clearance itself.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
This should be provocative
And it could be a good springboard for class discussion. What kinds of things can government do better than you?
Here's an argument for five specific things:
The big four?
- retirement insurance
- health care
- addressing poverty
- disaster relief
Then there are the little things like road construction etc....
From the story:
The conservative approach to government stems from a basic tenet of free-market economics: that people always act rationally to maximize their own benefits, and that from this rises a general state of well-being for society as a whole. But this isn’t always true. One of the hottest academic disciplines to arise in the last few decades is behavioral economics, which explores the ways in which people behave irrationally. In addition, easy-predictable problems with certain markets prevent us from achieving the best outcomes. These two facts have consequences for how we should think about government in certain instances. There are many ways in which the government can make better decisions with our money than we can, and there are many ways that the Ryan budget would make society worse off by getting rid of government programs.
Here's an argument for five specific things:
The big four?
- retirement insurance
- health care
- addressing poverty
- disaster relief
Then there are the little things like road construction etc....
From the story:
The conservative approach to government stems from a basic tenet of free-market economics: that people always act rationally to maximize their own benefits, and that from this rises a general state of well-being for society as a whole. But this isn’t always true. One of the hottest academic disciplines to arise in the last few decades is behavioral economics, which explores the ways in which people behave irrationally. In addition, easy-predictable problems with certain markets prevent us from achieving the best outcomes. These two facts have consequences for how we should think about government in certain instances. There are many ways in which the government can make better decisions with our money than we can, and there are many ways that the Ryan budget would make society worse off by getting rid of government programs.
Texas Looses Clout at the RNC
Story in the HC:
The Bush family will have no presence and Governor Perry will be keeping a low profile. The state's influence nationally - which has been huge in the past - is at a low ebb.
The Bush family will have no presence and Governor Perry will be keeping a low profile. The state's influence nationally - which has been huge in the past - is at a low ebb.
Governor Perry Appoints ex Railroad Commission Chair to head Texas Education Agency
Micheal Williams will be the first African American to hold the position. He lacks a background in education, but has held multiple positions in state and national government and hews closely to the governor's business oriented policies.
For further info:
- The Fort Worth Star Telegram
- The Austin American Statesman.
Williams assumes leadership of the Texas Education Agency during a time of political, legal and financial tumult. He will have to contend immediately with school finance litigation that goes to trial this fall, battles over a controversial standardized testing system, a continuing budget crunch and an in-depth review of the agency by the Legislature.
A staunch conservative, Williams has long been a vocal advocate of providing public school students with vouchers to attend private school. He could serve as an important ally for lawmakers who plan to push for a voucher program in the next legislative session.
For further info:
- The Fort Worth Star Telegram
- The Austin American Statesman.
Williams assumes leadership of the Texas Education Agency during a time of political, legal and financial tumult. He will have to contend immediately with school finance litigation that goes to trial this fall, battles over a controversial standardized testing system, a continuing budget crunch and an in-depth review of the agency by the Legislature.
A staunch conservative, Williams has long been a vocal advocate of providing public school students with vouchers to attend private school. He could serve as an important ally for lawmakers who plan to push for a voucher program in the next legislative session.
From My SA: Rules for towing companies differ, city to city
Something to consider when we look at local governments, and their place in the federal system.
What rules apply for towing automobiles? And who gets to establish them? I'm unaware of any national policies regarding this, or what it would take to justify such policies. This seems to fit comfortably in the "many and undefined" powers of the state governments, which then delegate them to the local governments.
From the story:
Want to tow a car parked illegally in an apartment complex lot in Houston? You can charge a $155 base fee. In Dallas, that will be $121, please. In San Antonio, the most the city allows companies to charge for private property tows is $85. The city set that cap in 2002. A decade later, it remains unchanged.
In that same time period, Dallas, Austin and Houston all raised their limits on private property tows.
But San Antonio has distinguished itself from the rest of the pack in another way: A war has erupted between the city and Bexar Towing, the largest company doing private property tows here. Bexar Towing has sued the city, arguing officials failed to raise the private property tow fee to a reasonable amount in a reasonable period of time, and did not perform what's called a tow fee study, required by the state, to determine where to set the cost.
In case you are wondering what a tow fee study is, click here and enjoy.
What rules apply for towing automobiles? And who gets to establish them? I'm unaware of any national policies regarding this, or what it would take to justify such policies. This seems to fit comfortably in the "many and undefined" powers of the state governments, which then delegate them to the local governments.
From the story:
Want to tow a car parked illegally in an apartment complex lot in Houston? You can charge a $155 base fee. In Dallas, that will be $121, please. In San Antonio, the most the city allows companies to charge for private property tows is $85. The city set that cap in 2002. A decade later, it remains unchanged.
In that same time period, Dallas, Austin and Houston all raised their limits on private property tows.
But San Antonio has distinguished itself from the rest of the pack in another way: A war has erupted between the city and Bexar Towing, the largest company doing private property tows here. Bexar Towing has sued the city, arguing officials failed to raise the private property tow fee to a reasonable amount in a reasonable period of time, and did not perform what's called a tow fee study, required by the state, to determine where to set the cost.
In case you are wondering what a tow fee study is, click here and enjoy.
The Gender Gap 2012
Women have a tendency to vote Democrat and men a tendency to vote Republican. This trend seem to be continuing this year according to the Gallup Poll.
Male voters currently prefer Mitt Romney over Barack Obama by an eight-percentage-point margin, while female voters prefer Obama over Romney by an identical eight points. These gender-gap figures, based on Gallup Daily tracking conducted July 30-Aug. 19, are virtually identical to what they were four months ago.
Male voters currently prefer Mitt Romney over Barack Obama by an eight-percentage-point margin, while female voters prefer Obama over Romney by an identical eight points. These gender-gap figures, based on Gallup Daily tracking conducted July 30-Aug. 19, are virtually identical to what they were four months ago.
From the WP: Texas counties consider going it alone on Medicaid expansion
For a future discussion of federalism, and especially the relationship that the national government can forge with local governments - by passing the states, comes a story from the Washington Post on how some Texas counties are looking to go along with the national governments efforts to expand Medicaid by going around the state.
Governor Perry has vowed to not expand the program.
From the WP:
Local officials in Texas are discussing whether to band together to expand Medicaid coverage in some of the state’s biggest counties, making an end run around Gov. Rick Perry’s opposition to the expanded program included in President Obama’s health-care law.
For years, Texas’s six most populous counties, as well as some smaller localities, have offered free or low-cost health care for uninsured residents with incomes as much as three times the federal poverty level, or about $57,000 for a family of three. The cost of the programs: about $2 billion a year.
George Hernandez Jr., CEO of University Health System in San Antonio, came up with the idea of the alternative, county-run Medicaid expansion, and said he has been discussing it with other officials in his county, Bexar. “They are all willing,” he said. He added that he has also been talking up the proposal with officials in other big counties, such as those including Houston and Dallas, and is optimistic they’ll support the idea.
Robert Earley, CEO of JPS Health Network, the public hospital system serving Tarrant County, which includes the Fort Worth area, said he could see the idea catching on.
- Click here for Fact Checker info on Medicaid.
- Wikipedia: Medicaid.
- Texas Medicaid Program.
Governor Perry has vowed to not expand the program.
From the WP:
Local officials in Texas are discussing whether to band together to expand Medicaid coverage in some of the state’s biggest counties, making an end run around Gov. Rick Perry’s opposition to the expanded program included in President Obama’s health-care law.
For years, Texas’s six most populous counties, as well as some smaller localities, have offered free or low-cost health care for uninsured residents with incomes as much as three times the federal poverty level, or about $57,000 for a family of three. The cost of the programs: about $2 billion a year.
George Hernandez Jr., CEO of University Health System in San Antonio, came up with the idea of the alternative, county-run Medicaid expansion, and said he has been discussing it with other officials in his county, Bexar. “They are all willing,” he said. He added that he has also been talking up the proposal with officials in other big counties, such as those including Houston and Dallas, and is optimistic they’ll support the idea.
Robert Earley, CEO of JPS Health Network, the public hospital system serving Tarrant County, which includes the Fort Worth area, said he could see the idea catching on.
- Click here for Fact Checker info on Medicaid.
- Wikipedia: Medicaid.
- Texas Medicaid Program.
From BuzzFeed: Romney Executes Republican Party Power Grab
I'll be posting a few items on the internal workings of each of the national party conventions. Here's a story regarding the Republican National Convention Rules Committee and the apparent effort of the Romney team to control the convention and minimize the impact of grassroot Republicans. ABCnews reports this is meant to avoid a potential floor fight, especially from Ron Paul supporters. Tea Party Republicans are not pleased:
The move came at the encouragement of Mitt Romney supporters on the committee, including Romney's top lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who stressed that it would grant "flexibility" to Romney and the committee to adapt to changing political environments. The rule allows the RNC to amend the party's rules without a vote by the full Republican National Convention. And it offers the Republican Establishment a new tool to keep at by Tea Party initiatives that threaten to embarrass or contradict party leadership and stray from a planned message.
Romney, as his party's nominee, exerts significant influence over the RNC, which is made up of elected party officials from all 50 states, while the larger Convention Rules Committee is larger and has a more grassroots membership.
"This is necessary for the world in which we find ourselves in," Ginsberg told the committee, adding that it is "important for the political survival of the party in the electoral context," for the committee to be able to change the rules as it sees fit in the intervening four years between conventions.
Virginia delegate and RNC member Morton Blackwell strenuously objected to the proposed rule change, calling it "the most awful proposed amendments I’ve seen presented to this committee.”
"This is dangerous, it amounts to a power grab," he said. "We are abandoning the historic process by which are rules are adopted."
- Click here for the rules of the 2008 Republican Convention.
The move came at the encouragement of Mitt Romney supporters on the committee, including Romney's top lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who stressed that it would grant "flexibility" to Romney and the committee to adapt to changing political environments. The rule allows the RNC to amend the party's rules without a vote by the full Republican National Convention. And it offers the Republican Establishment a new tool to keep at by Tea Party initiatives that threaten to embarrass or contradict party leadership and stray from a planned message.
Romney, as his party's nominee, exerts significant influence over the RNC, which is made up of elected party officials from all 50 states, while the larger Convention Rules Committee is larger and has a more grassroots membership.
"This is necessary for the world in which we find ourselves in," Ginsberg told the committee, adding that it is "important for the political survival of the party in the electoral context," for the committee to be able to change the rules as it sees fit in the intervening four years between conventions.
Virginia delegate and RNC member Morton Blackwell strenuously objected to the proposed rule change, calling it "the most awful proposed amendments I’ve seen presented to this committee.”
"This is dangerous, it amounts to a power grab," he said. "We are abandoning the historic process by which are rules are adopted."
- Click here for the rules of the 2008 Republican Convention.
Michael Barone on the Evolution of the Republican Party Voter
This build off a previous post and should help us understand what's going on among Republicans in the election and the convention. In the WSJ, Barone traces recent changes in the base of the Republican Party since its founding.
As with other analysts, the big story has been the transition of the South from solid Democrat to mostly - but not solidly - Republican. The dominant groups in the party are now the white working class and evangelicals. He's unconvinced that the current Republican coalition is sufficient to build a majority party. If elected Romney's task will be to increased the party's base.
As with other analysts, the big story has been the transition of the South from solid Democrat to mostly - but not solidly - Republican. The dominant groups in the party are now the white working class and evangelicals. He's unconvinced that the current Republican coalition is sufficient to build a majority party. If elected Romney's task will be to increased the party's base.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Exciting the Base, Winning the Independents
The DMN outlines Romney's goal in the Republican Convention this week:
For many Republican activists, Mitt Romney wasn’t the conservative they hoped for in the next president, and support remains a bit begrudging.
Among voters who haven’t made up their minds, Romney has a different problem — an image as a stiff, wavering politician portrayed by a relentless Democratic attack machine as callous toward the poor and middle class.
To improve his standing with both groups, Romney faces a balancing act at the GOP convention this week in Tampa, Fla. He must become more likable to woo the broad electorate while showing a feistier side to keep a lid on conservative angst.
This is a common objective. All presidential candidates have to do so in order to win. We will cover this in a few parts of class - especially when we cover elections.
In case you're wondering what the Republican base is - the Gallup Poll gives us a hint. Think about it as the committed, passionate members of the party. in brief - and simplistically - religious white conservatives. They skew slightly male as well. We will get more detailed soon, and add information about Democrats when they meet next week.
For many Republican activists, Mitt Romney wasn’t the conservative they hoped for in the next president, and support remains a bit begrudging.
Among voters who haven’t made up their minds, Romney has a different problem — an image as a stiff, wavering politician portrayed by a relentless Democratic attack machine as callous toward the poor and middle class.
To improve his standing with both groups, Romney faces a balancing act at the GOP convention this week in Tampa, Fla. He must become more likable to woo the broad electorate while showing a feistier side to keep a lid on conservative angst.
This is a common objective. All presidential candidates have to do so in order to win. We will cover this in a few parts of class - especially when we cover elections.
In case you're wondering what the Republican base is - the Gallup Poll gives us a hint. Think about it as the committed, passionate members of the party. in brief - and simplistically - religious white conservatives. They skew slightly male as well. We will get more detailed soon, and add information about Democrats when they meet next week.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
From The Daily Beast: When Did the GOP Get So White?
John Avlon comments on the Republican Party's increasingly monolithic complexion and reminds us that this was not always the case. The GOP was once the party of diversity and civil rights and many provided many minority groups their first opportunity to get elected to office. He speculates on what happened.
When we discuss political parties, we do the same. Both our major political parties went through major changes during the civil rights era in the 1960s - notably the consequence of the decision of a Texas Democrat to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Each saw opportunity in pilfering identifiers from the other. What has emerged is a diverse Democratic Party and a relatively Anglo Republican Party.
Avlon's article allows us to look at this a bit early.
When we discuss political parties, we do the same. Both our major political parties went through major changes during the civil rights era in the 1960s - notably the consequence of the decision of a Texas Democrat to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Each saw opportunity in pilfering identifiers from the other. What has emerged is a diverse Democratic Party and a relatively Anglo Republican Party.
Avlon's article allows us to look at this a bit early.