Well, something needed to be done.

This week, Governor Perry exercised his power as commander-in-chief over the National Guard as he began taking steps to deploy them to the border for protection. The high numbers of illegal immigrants and minors entering the state has been considered a crisis that endangers Texas citizens and puts the state into more debt. The immigration crisis has been a problem for years now, and even with Bush deploying the National Guard a few years ago to repair border fences and boundaries, the problem still is pressing. The vast border is sparsely covered by state protection. There are various opinions as to how the immigrants affect the economy- the labor increase may help, but it also may take jobs from those in the (legal) labor force who are searching. Regardless, the immigrants entering into our state contribute to the high levels of crime and fill places in our prison that we can't pay for, just to start with.

Perry did what Obama hasn't moved to do. By exercising his right as commander-in-chief, he is attempting to make a move and actively work to ensure our border’s protection. Many are starting to criticize Perry’s moves, but I think he is finally doing what needs to be done. There are many unknowns about the situation- it is yet to be seen if the National Guard will have power to arrest or enforce state laws, and there is doubt that the officers are trained in order to carry out these duties. Regardless, there are not enough men at the border, and Perry has recognized this. While there are many unknowns to the future of Perry’s orders, we must trust that he has made this decision knowing a change needed to be made. There cannot be a perfect solution to the problem, but we know that we cannot support the people who illegally are here forever. We cannot ignore the problem that is literally at our doorstep or improve the economy and safety of citizens without taking steps to do it. The next weeks and months will allow for changes to start being implemented and the border to return to safety.

Ignorance May Not Be Bliss

Greg Harrison, of the Empower Texans blog, recently made a post referring to a debt problem ultimately resulting from a low voting population problem that is infecting the entire nation, let alone the state. In his post, he exposes Fort Worth ISD for their unexplained and problematic debt. Apparently, they have a recent history of purchasing new equipment for expansion of classrooms despite the slow student population increasing rate. Their new purchases and technology allegedly remain unused and cause even more maintenance spending that is unnecessary. Who is to be held responsible for these things?

A closer look at this reveals that irresponsible board members and employees in the district are at fault for these matters. There have already been workers that have received prison sentences for misusing the budget. The real tragedy of this is that the millions of dollars misspent could have been invested into teacher's salaries, which are dwindling with budget cuts across the state. The choices of these people are effecting students and taxpayers alike. Many people fret about these problems, saying it is out of their control, and continue complaining and being frustrated with the choices that are made. This is not all that can be done.

Harrison does a praiseworthy job of calling on the majority to respond to this situation. After presenting all the facts about the current situation, he goes on to explain one of the reasons why the people in authority are getting away with things such as entering into massive debt. Astoundingly, the voting percentage can be as low as 5% for school board elections. This voter turnout means that the elected officials are held less accountable for their actions and we, the public, have no way to hold them accountable if we didn't even elect them to office. Harrison addresses the public and gives them a charge- one that would begin to fix this massive problem and prevent it if action is taken. His argument is easily credible because the affects are so tangibly seen. This is a problem sweeping the country, and the solution begins with us. We must act as a democracy as our founders intended it to be to be functional and unified.

Are we allowed to think?

Virginia Postrel had some brilliant and startling thoughts on the restrictions within college campuses. Her post, Turning College Into a No-Thought Zone, explained the contradictory rules placed on campuses currently. She opened her piece by telling the story of a college student who was scolded and threatened to be expelled because he ventured to talk about a controversial subject outside the college's “free-speech” zone. This so-called "free-speech" zone was one where students inside could announce their views, desires for social change, ethnic issues on their minds and so forth. Postrel went on to explain the rationale behind this rule- that it was originally put in place to protect studious students from being disrupted among their studies and respect privacy. However, at some campuses, the rule has escalated to prevent students from being able to share their wishes and concerns about the society they are learning to live in. To look at this in a very basic view, Postrel reminded her readers of the first amendment, and how there are two problems with the “free-speech” zone rule on campus. First, it is constitutionally wrong to deny students to talk about their views. Second, it is not educationally sound to prevent students to think about and be exposed to different views. This evidence provides a very strong point in the argument against speech zones, and Postrel does a good job of breaking down her thoughts. Since her post is on the internet, her audience can range from any age of adulthood. I think this is a good medium for this kind of post because it makes people aware of the culture of thought being provoked currently, and encourages readers that are students to be aware and exercise their extensive rights of free speech. Her claim is simply that this restriction put on colleges is unconstitutional, and discourages students to be independently thoughtful. She agrees (and I do too) that it is difficult to navigate a crowd where thoughts and pamphlets are being thrown at you, but she makes yet another valid and important point that young people must begin to learn how to navigate the world of thought around them, defending what they stand for. 

On 15 July 2014, KVUE Austin News published an article referring to the infrastructure of Austin and what is required to improve it due to the growing population in the area. The wastewater system, particularly, is in need of repair. This has more relevance to the economy of Austin than meets the eye- due to the steep population increase in Texas, and specifically urban areas, the infrastructure needs to be able to support the consumers pouring into the city (quite literally). The article explains that some of the wastewater systems under the city date back to the 1920's, and have begun to contribute to large amounts of water loss because of leakage and other problems. "...the city loses more than 3 billion gallons of water each year", they say. Those who live anywhere near Austin know well that we are in the fourth year of a dangerous drought, and this water loss doesn't help lower taxes or become any more eco-friendly, a characteristic Austin dwellers strive for. It will take years to check all the water systems, but it is desperately needed for the good of Austin and for the future that knocks at our door. From the very minimum level, the growth here must be supported to sustain the economy and standard of living.