The gentleman in California who so inaccurately predicted the end of the world was clearly a democrat. Who else would spend millions of dollars of his constituents’ money on a worthless enterprise based on scaremongering?. Anyway, now apparently the end of the world will now happen in October. This is clearly not true; the end of the world will happen in November of 2012 if we all don’t do something about it.

As we all know, the Obamas were not invited to the Royal wedding. At the time we didn’t know why; perhaps the British don’t love us anymore? Perhaps the Royal family was nervous that the President wasn’t exactly sure about some of the more subtle aspects of protocol. Clearly his toasting skills need a little work.

We all really need a sense of humor for this next one. I have been reading in several publications, apparently to prepare us for the next election, that the economy is really not that bad. Apparently, massive amounts of debt aren’t so bad and the fact we spend more than we make as a country is also apparently not so bad. What really is bad, apparently, is high unemployment among democrats. It turns out the prevailing theory is that democrats who are unemployed won’t vote for democrats. Democrats, however, who are employed will vote for democrats, even if the country is headed for bankruptcy. To test these complicated theories I went to my local bank. They were particularly unimpressed at the thought of my maxing out my credit cards, particularly when my suggested solution was for them to raise my credit limit as I had a vacation I just had to take, but couldn’t really afford it. It didn’t seem to matter that my vacation trip would stimulate the economy in a small way and provide employment for somebody, perhaps even a democrat. So I have decided that the aforementioned publications are rubbish. Perhaps massive debt isn’t so great, and we should only spend what we can afford, and that unemployed democrats are a good thing, particularly those in DC.

So, here’s a question, if a democrat is a Dem, what is a republican, a Rep? Probably not, after all, one doesn’t abbreviate a republican.
Democrats always seem a little short, perhaps that’s why.

So it seems President Obama is actually part Irish, a fact he recently celebrated with a visit to Ireland. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to visit, Ireland is a beautiful country with some of the warmest, most charming and humorous people you could ever wish to meet, and May is a beautiful time to visit. Between now and the election, we will probably also discover that the President is part, oh, probably anything with a large voting block that originates from a vacation spot. Oh, wait, wasn’t he born in Hawaii? You can’t make this stuff up.

So everybody, have a fun summer. Take a leaf from the tree that is the federal government. We may have no money, we may owe the world most of what we have, we may have many important tasks and challenges, but it’s summer. Things always look better in the sunshine. There will be many rainy days coming where we can worry about the meaning of life and how we will ever pay for everything.

In the meantime, think on this. How great is this country? There aren’t that many places where you can actually make fun of your politicians without some fairly draconian consequences. Therefore, let’s wish our politicians a good summer. May they actually go out and talk to their constituents and once again discover grass roots America. Perhaps they will actually visit a supermarket and discover how much the price of food has risen, or fill up their own car, or even just go to a movie.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, they may discover what its like to be an ordinary American in 2011, and go back to Washington and actually represent the people that elected them.

So finally, as predictions seem to be in vogue at the moment, I will end with one of my own. “The world will not end any time soon”. So November 2012 will come and we must be ready.

Four more years, now that’s not funny at all.

Stephanie Casson

The major component to balancing the budget is the so called “fiscal matters” bill. The fiscal matters bill contained many provisions designed to get Texas through this budget cycle. The most notable of these provisions has to do with school finance and administration. Last session, cuts to the school districts were cushioned due to Texas’ acceptance of stimulus dollars. This session, Texas cannot maintain current levels of funding for public education. Instead, it must restructure school finance formulas and give districts much-needed flexibility to administer smaller budgets in ways that least hurt the classroom.

Health care cost containment and innovation are also necessary to meet the budget’s limitations. The Health Care Compact language, which died in the last hours of session, would allow Texas to join other states in an effort to take control of health care regulation and the Medicaid program through the use of federal block grants. Other provisions would save Texas over $400 Million in health care costs.

For the next several days, Texas legislators will work to pass these important measures so that the comptroller can certify the budget as sound. The budget does make serious cuts to many programs, and this will impact those citizens who benefit from government programs. However, Texas’ budget cuts mirror the reductions Texas businesses and the Texas economy also must face. These cuts are necessary and unavoidable because our budget will not quickly increase to the levels of previous years.

The Legislature is dealing with hard questions at this moment, and debating how to implement the reductions we know are an inevitability. But the bottom line is that government has to adjust its spending in the same way businesses and homes around the state are doing.

I have been grateful to so many of my constituents for their encouragement and their support throughout the session. I hope that through continued discussion, we will be able to get through these tough economic times in the best way possible. My office is now permanently located in Murphy City Hall. I can be contacted by phone at 972.424.6810, and my mailing address is 206 North Murphy Road, Murphy, Texas 75094.

Motor Vehicles:
You can now take your gun to work and leave it locked in the car. No more texting or emailing on your cell phone while driving unless your car is stopped. Move over a lane for tow trucks or slow down to 20 m.p.h. or risk a $200 fine. HB 1355 allows transportation officials to increase the speed limit up to 75 m.p.h. and eliminates the different day and night speed limits on highways. If you fail to pay the toll then the fees are $25 per occurrence with a maximum of $200 in fees.

Fish and Wildlife:
Several interesting bills regarding fish and game were passed. If you prefer to hunt feral hogs and coyotes, you may now do so while riding in a helicopter with the land owner’s permission. And if noodling is your sport, then feel free to stick your hand in those muddy holes and pull out a catfish. However, if you are in a fishing contest with a prize of $10,000 or more then don’t put weights in that fish or you face a third degree felony. You can now take your gun on the boat but you cannot go in circles around skiers or swimmers unless you are trying to pick them up.

Businesses:
This business friendly Legislature largely protected businesses, large and small. Lawsuit reforms passed intend to deter frivolous lawsuits against businesses and also serve to expedite smaller claims. The insurance commissioner will now have only 30 days to approve company rate hikes. Payday lenders faced potential stiff regulation but came out faring better than they expected. Electric companies benefited from a bill dropping the pre-approval requirement for periodic rate hikes due to equipment upgrades.

School Finance:
A compromise agreement on unprecedented school funding cuts was filibustered by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. Republican legislators had agreed to a $4 billion cut to education spending. Governor Perry immediately called lawmakers back into special session to pass a balanced budget. However, the rules change in special session, thereby allowing the education spending cuts to pass largely as planned. The Governor also has the opportunity to call a special session on other hot-button issues that failed to pass such as the “sanctuary cities” ban and Windstorm Insurance overhaul.

Congressional Districts:
Lawmakers failed to come to an agreement on congressional redistricting. Governor Rick Perry indicated he would possibly call a 2-3 day special session for congressional redistricting, but only if lawmakers could agree to the redrawn boundaries in advance. It is doubtful such an agreement can be forged so a panel of three federal judges will draw the new congressional district boundaries instead.

Your elected officials have worked tirelessly to control spending and pass legislation this session. Be sure to thank them for their efforts when they come home.

Chrysti Bryant

• Arlene Peacock
• Cindy Stachiw
• Marty Rimbey

Reagan quite possibly could be one of the top five so let us leave him out of the rest of the discussion. Gerald Ford truly had no opportunity, and only two years, so we will eliminate him. So, Nixon, Carter, Bush, Clinton, Bush and _______. Democrats would probably say Nixon; Republicans, Carter. So let me make the case for ________.

After eight years of Bush, a war weary America voted for change. Compounding an increasing feeling of disquiet was an epic financial crisis that literally shook our faith in our financial systems. So change probably couldn’t hurt, could it?. In the midst of one its greatest crises since World War II, America reaches out and votes for Hope, with a capital H. It is a testament to our resolve, ambition, fairness, and spirit of adventure that we invested our future in an untried, inexperienced but presentable speech reader, whose speeches used to resonate with all the right sentiments, mostly. Unfortunately that was Candidate _______. President. ________ has been quite different.

I have not filled in the name for a reason. Imagine, if you will, the following argument generically.

Election Promise 1. The peace dividend. We will exit Iraq and Afganistan, close Guantanamo Bay and stop military tribunals. Marks out of 10? Zero!. Oh, and we are fumbling around in Libya, or is that the English, or the French, or NATO. We don’t know, ________ seems to be absent.

Election Promise 2. No more partisan politics, peace love and the summer of 69 will reign in DC. Marks out of ten? Oh, about minus 100.

Election Promise 3. An end to the Bush tax cuts. Marks out of ten? About minus 500. Not only did he not do that, he also raised spending astronomically so that the deficit looms like Darth Vader over our entire existence.

Election Promise 4, always leave the best to last, Affordable Health Care for All. Marks out of ten? There simply aren’t enough negative numbers. Forget the incomprehensible bill he allowed Nancy Pelosi to impose on America. America will never be able to afford 90% of what’s in that bill. It may never be repealed, but most will never be funded. Tragically, his policies have resulted in massive additional debt. As a result, there is serious doubt about the viability of the public health care we presently have in Medicare and Medicaid. So forget affordable health care for all, the result may easily be no public health care for anyone.

Therefore, let us not judge him on a quite stunning display of incompetence. When he was elected we knew he had no experience and that the learning curve would be steep. So perhaps that was expected. What we can judge him on though, is his word. A set of promises should be just that, promises. One would imagine that campaign promises are carefully crafted, so that upon inauguration they have a reasonable probability of being fulfilled. He has kept none. So why would a rational person ever think he will ever fulfill a promise? There is probably a name for those type of people but as Republicans and Texans we are far too polite to bring it up, hence .

Finally, a challenge for everybody as we enter Spring and Summer, and please take your time. Name one, just one thing that he has achieved as President that makes you proud to be an American. Please let me know, because I can’t think of a single one, and that makes me very sad indeed.

And so, what do you call a person who doesn’t fulfill a single campaign promise, who divides the country purely for his own political ambition, who proposes a budget that will indebt this nation for ever, who simply won’t listen to We, the People?

Simply _________, the worst President in history.

Local government has been my primary focus for the last sixteen years. I spent 1995 through 1999 on the Plano City Council, represented developers and land owners in front of City Councils, Boards, and Commissions as a land use consultant thereafter and successfully replaced a thirty year incumbent for Collin County Commissioner in the November 2010 election.

I was sworn in by Plano Mayor Phil Dyer, a former colleague, on January 3rd at 9am and had my first Commissioner’s Court meeting that afternoon. Thankfully, the agenda was pretty straightforward and noncontroversial. Serving as an elected official is like riding a bike: you never forget how it’s done, but after 12 years you do get a little rusty.

With the first meeting over, I was right back into my comfort zone. I would describe the first few months as meetings, meetings, and more meetings. I, along with another newly elected commissioner, have been systematically meeting with elected officials and department heads to better understand their offices and how they operate. In order to set a budget that is balanced, efficient, and allows our elected officials to perform their duties, I believe it is imperative for commissioners to have a strong grasp of all county operations. These meetings proved fruitful early on as it became clear that an issue the county had been grappling with had a solution. Our county had been dealing with a large unfunded liability created by a retiree healthcare benefit offered to retirees over 65. As it turns out, the liability was not caused by a long standing benefit but by one that was implemented four short years ago. I proposed eliminating this benefit for current and future retirees which would immediately erase an almost $45 million liability. The motion carried, the liability disappeared, and $9 million cash previously pledged to that liability was added back into our budget.

In March the focus turned to the legislative agenda. What proposed legislation can help us and, more importantly, what legislation can hurt the county. We worked with NTTA to reach an agreement that would preserve our ability to move forward with toll road development regardless of any primacy legislation that might pass. Not an easy task, but a necessary one. I testified at both the Texas House Public Health Committee and the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee on a bill that would allow counties to consider the income and assets of the sponsors of legal immigrants who have applied for indigent health care. Based on the number of sponsored legal aliens seeking this benefit in Collin County, we would save significant dollars if this bill is enacted. The bill also makes Texas State law consistent with Federal Immigration Statutes. The experience in front of the House Committee was challenging, bordering on combative, while the Senate was cordial and welcoming. I also filled in for one of my colleagues at a Council of Urban Counties Policy Committee meeting where the issues that the CUC will support or oppose are determined. It was comforting to know that commissioners from across the state are dealing with many of the same problems and issues. It has become clear to me that the role of County Commissioner during a legislative year is frequently that of lobbyist and advocate for the county in Austin.

As you might expect, road issues are a big part of the job. I worked with our staff, TxDot and the city of Murphy on design changes to a road widening project that will make that project a safer and more attractive roadway through the city. I was grateful to all parties involved for their spirit of cooperation. What could have been a trying meeting about a difficult situation turned into a productive meeting with positive outcomes – making my job much easier.

I requested TxDot review a dangerous intersection for a traffic signal. That study is has now begun. I continue to work on finding a solution for a stretch of right of way that no entity wants to have to maintain and there are maintenance and traffic issues to deal with almost daily. Thankfully, our public works staff is very responsive and helps me get problems solved quickly.

All in all it’s been a very busy and rewarding first few months on the Collin County Commissioners Court. I’m getting comfortable with my role, comfortable with my colleagues, and comfortable with the elected officials that I work with closely. I’m honored every day to serve the citizens of Collin County.

America is only weeks away from hitting its debt ceiling. While the proverbial sky isn’t falling, we rocket closer to the stratosphere as the days pass and we have a finite amount of time to deal with the looming fiscal crisis. Last month, Standard & Poor’s lowered America’s long-term AAA credit rating from “stable” to “negative” thereby increasing the cost of borrowing money. As baby boomers reach retirement age the cost of healthcare has been driven up, forcing the issue of Medicare from the back burner, where it has simmered for years, into local town halls.

According to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), “Unfortunately, the Obama Administration and Democratic leaders in Congress are not heeding these warning signals and remain convinced that we must blindly continue raising the debt ceiling. They disregard the demands by many in Congress, including myself, that meaningful spending reform measures must be passed before we consider raising the debt ceiling.”

President Obama proposed raising taxes on business and wealthy individuals. However, Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Raising taxes will not fix deficit spending. So, on April 15th the House approved a fiscal year 2012 budget proposed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. This proposal includes a revamping of Medicare for those who are currently under age 55.

Under the plan, Medicare would be changed from a defined-benefit program to private insurance plans with premiums subsidized by the government. Republican Representatives spent the past two weeks, during a recess, hosting town hall meetings in efforts to explain the budget proposal and Medicare changes to their constituents.

The Democrat-controlled Senate is expected to reject the plan. Democrats argue the program only needs to be revised and does not require the dramatic overhauls proposed by House Republicans. Under the current Medicare system, a typical 65-year-old would spend $6,150 of their own money on health care in 2022. Under Ryan’s plan, the amount would increase to $12,500, according to the Congressional Budget Office. While there is palpable opposition to reducing Medicare benefits to seniors, there also has been unexpected support from Republican constituents.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) released the following statement regarding House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s fiscal year 2012 budget proposal:

“Congressman Paul Ryan and the House Republicans stepped up and filled a leadership void that the President and Senate Democrats have steadfastly refused to fill. The House Republican budget proposal speaks directly to the frustrations of the American people and addresses the long-term fiscal challenges that we all know we have to face. Instead of demagoguing this serious proposal, I hope President Obama and Congressional Democrats take this opportunity to engage in a constructive debate to get our nation’s fiscal house back in order.”

There are tough decisions to be made in the days ahead. But in the words of Thomas Paine, “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”

Chrysti L. Bryant

• Patsy Standerfer
• Peggy McBrayer
• Stephanie Casson
• Jane Ann Jones
• Rendy Box

The United States is now involved in Libya. Why? Because we are part of the international community? And in so doing we prevent massacres, bloodshed?, slaughter?, genocide? et cetera, et cetera. All laudable in a moral sense, but America’s vital interest?

Granted, we have always been somewhat arbitrary in some of our foreign conflicts, but there seems to be a disturbing trend emerging with this particular Administration at this particular time. Incapable of leading from Washington, our President remotes himself to Brazil to gain a clearer picture of the Middle East. Actually it appeared he didn’t really want to lead at all.

Let us, therefore, paint the picture. Starting in Tunisia, onto Egypt and beyond, we watched as the forces of Facebook seek the freedom that is essentially the promise of the internet. The pen being mightier than the sword, and an organization can muster many pens via the world wide web.

Not surprisingly, the odd dictator, somewhat comfortable in their despotism, chose to oppose this movement to send them to early unemployment, quite violently in some cases. In Iran, we watched, in Bahrain, we watched, in Syria, we watched, in Libya . . .

In Libya, Nicholas Sarkozy became the leader of the free world, for a day, aided by David Cameron. Our guy was in Brazil, definitely and declaratively not leading. The UN passes a resolution and US, ships and warplanes start enforcing a no fly zone. So in reality the Commander-in-Chief has delegated his power to the UN.

So why Libya? Truly, Ghadafi is universally unpopular, nobody is going to object too strongly if he is removed from the world stage. So in reality is our participation purely a popularity contest?

So, in other words, while conveniently absent, our President allowed, persuaded, cajoled or all of the above, weaker members of the “coalition” to initiate hostilities. Is that really our definition now of leadership? Not really. In any other phase of society, a person who prays on the weak, and hides behind others is a bully, or worse. Additionally, if at the same time, that person is expanding the definition of the vital interests of the US to the defense of any foreign civilian population that may be involved in an internal conflict then that potentially is a very foreign foreign policy indeed.

As a third temporary spending bill expires next week, the attention of Capitol Hill will once again be focused on producing a permanent spending bill to keep the federal government open and operating. The threat of a government shutdown would not exist had the Democratically controlled 111th Congress passed a budget for this fiscal year.  In fact, not only did they fail to pass a budget, but for the first time in the history of the budget-making process, last year’s Congress failed to even vote on a budget. And now, even as the consequences of their failure are just days away, the Democrats have still failed to agree on a plan that cuts spending.

Thirty-eight days ago, on February 19, the House of Representatives passed a budget that would keep the federal government open for the rest of this fiscal year. Responding to the overwhelming mandate from the American people delivered last November to cut federal spending, that House budget cut $61 billion in spending from 2010 levels. The Democrats then produced a plan that they said cut spending, but even The Washington Post Fact Checker found no real cuts.

And they will not even go on record identifying which cuts in the House bill they are willing to accept. The Post explains why: Such a move would force Democrats to go on record defending programs that Republicans had identified as wasteful.

It is understandable why the Senate is so afraid to offer its own spending plan. When the President offered his own budget for next year, he claimed that it would produce only a $7.2 trillion deficit over the next 10 years. At the time, we predicted that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) would produce vastly different numbers, since the President’s proposal included audaciously hopeful economic forecasts and fake spending cuts. Sure enough, on March 18 the CBO scored the President’s budget as causing $9.5 trillion in deficits over the next 10 years. That is more debt than the federal government accumulated from 1789 to 2010 combined. Heritage analyst Brian Riedl surveys the damage:

These large deficits will persist because the President’s steep tax hikes cannot keep up with his runaway spending. Relative to the historical averages (which were also pre-recession levels), President Obama would raise taxes by 1.3 percent of GDP yet increase spending by 4 percent of GDP. The main drivers of runaway spending “surging Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid costs” would not be reformed at all. Accordingly, the annual cost of interest on the national debt would quadruple.

Under President Obama’s budget proposal, taxpayers would see large tax increases, bigger government, and slower economic growth. The President who declared that I didn’t come here to pass our problems on to the next President or the next generation, I’m here to solve them would, over the next decade, drop an additional $80,000 per household in debt onto the laps of our children and grandchildren.

The White House spent all of 2010 deflecting criticism about its deficit spending by pointing to the President’s debt commission. Then when the commission finally produced a report that included actual spending cuts, the White House couldn’t run from it fast enough. Congressional Democrats have no plan to cut government this year, next year, or any year. Conservatives should hold firm to their $61 billion in cuts and force Democrats to produce their own spending cut plan.