TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalLawmakers Say Texas Needs A Statewide Broadband Plan
The pandemic has been hard for everyone, but especially for those who don’t have dependable access to high-speed internet. One thing that might have helped – a statewide broadband plan. Texas is among just six states that don’t have such a plan, even though over 2 million Texans lack access to high-speed internet, according to the state comptroller’s office.
A group of nearly 90 state lawmakers recently sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott calling for a statewide broadband plan. State Rep. Trent Ashby is a Republican from Lufkin, Texas. He told Texas Standard that many who lack broadband access live in rural areas.
“Coronavirus has really highlighted and laid bare the challenges that many rural Texans face in terms of connectivity,” Ashby said.
Making broadband both widely available and affordable are among the goals of those who signed the letter, Ashby said.
Read more: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/lawmakers-say-texas-needs-a-statewide-broadband-plan/
The Lessons Ann Richards Provides For Future Leaders
Mary Beth Rogers was a friend of Ann Richards. She ran her general election campaign for Texas governor in 1990 and served as her first chief of staff.
“When Ann Richards became governor of Texas in 1990, she was the first woman to really break through into the power structure of the state of Texas. It was a time of tremendous hope. She ran on the campaign to create a new Texas where the doors would be open to all who had previously been denied access to state government offices and policies. And that was largely women, people of color. And I was fortunate enough to be along for the ride.”
“There’s a lot of controversy about different styles of management of the men and women, but on the whole, people who have relationship with their followers and can encourage them and inspire them can do remarkable things in government. I think Ann was a rare, inspirational leader that few of us have seen. You know, a lot of politicians are pretty pedestrian. And there’s no doubt that Ann Richards had a flair and drew people to her.”
“There was a very personal touch that Ann brought to public office. If we if we got an inquiry about a problem that somebody was having, we would assign someone to go figure out how to help them solve it. We had to staff up the office of correspondence in the governor’s office because we were getting 7,000 pieces of mail a week. And you can’t always solve somebody’s problem, but you can let them know you’ve heard. And maybe that was unique or particular kind of female leadership. I don’t know. I think any good politician, any good officeholder should be responsive to constituents.”
Audio at: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/the-lessons-ann-richards-provides-for-future-leaders/
Texas prosecutors drop radio host Alex Jones' drunken-driving charge
AUSTIN — Prosecutors in Texas have rejected a drunken driving charge against conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones, who was arrested in Austin earlier this year.
The Travis County attorney's office rejected the misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated against Jones on Sept. 18, records show.
A Travis County sheriff's deputy pulled Jones over on March 10 for going 5 mph above the speed limit, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The deputy was responding to a call from the Infowars host's then-wife, Kelly Morales, who reported that he was driving a black Dodge Charger and may have been drinking, according to an affidavit.
Travis County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Kristen Dark said Jones had a "strong odor of alcohol" coming from him and that he was unable to complete field sobriety tests, losing his balance and failing to touch heel to toe.
Jones' blood-alcohol level was recorded at .076 and .079, according to court records; the legal blood alcohol limit is .08 in Texas.
Read more: https://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texas/story/2020/sep/30/texas-prosecutors-drop-radio-host-alex-jones-drunken-driving-charge/843372/
Sentencing delayed for former Rio Grande City judge in Weslaco bribery case
The sentencing of Leonel Lopez Jr., the former Rio Grande City municipal judge who last spring pleaded guilty to bribery charges, has been delayed interminably, according to federal court records.
Handed down Sept. 24 by U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa, the order canceling Lopez’s sentencing “until further notice” represents the fifth such delay of the former public official, who pleaded guilty to federal programs bribery on March 22, 2019.
With his guilty plea, Lopez became the first of a number of men to be publicly implicated in a bribery scheme involving the $38.5 million rehabilitation of the city of Weslaco’s water treatment facilities.
Lopez admitted to accepting millions of dollars in bribes, then funneling part of that money, in turn, to Weslaco public officials in order to secure contracts for the firms that were ultimately awarded the construction project.
Read more: https://www.themonitor.com/2020/09/30/sentencing-delayed-former-rgc-judge-weslaco-bribery-case/
(McAllen Monitor)
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,133
