Texas Capital to Remain Locked Down Next Session??

 A majority of Texas legislators recently indidated they support keeping the Texas Capital building closed to the public during the next legislative session which begins in January 2021.

Needless to say, many Texans disagree with that position. 95.9% of Texas Minute readers think the Texas Capitol should be open to the public in 2021 – standing in direct contradiction to legislators using fear of the coronavirus as a way to restrict access.

Let Representative Wilson and Senator Schwertner know if you believe the Capital should be open for the new legislative session with appropriate safety protocols.

You can call your state representative Terry Wilson and state senator Charles Schwertner by calling the Capitol switchboard, 512-463-4630.

Senator Cruz Letter to the FDA

Ted Cruz Letter to FDA Says Hydroxychloroquine Restrictions May Be ‘Directly Costing Lives’

On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) co-authored a letter to Commissioner Stephen Hahn of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling out the agency and requesting more information regarding its revocation of the Emergency Use Authorization (EAU) for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in treating COVID-19.

U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Mike Lee (R-UT) also signed the letter.

The document cites licensed physicians who have said that the federal government’s EUA revocation has resulted in state agencies attempting to quash the off-label use of the drug.

While the letter does not list specific physicians, several practicing medical doctors recently promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine and expressed similar concerns in a town hall meeting hosted by state Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood).

Renewable Energy is Costing Californians Dearly

Millions of Californians have suffered blackouts in recent days with more predicted in the future. This is all a result of California's government mandating green energy. Former Gov. Gray Davis admitted the culprit is the state’s anti-fossil fuel policies.

Batteries are not the answer either.

Batteries are also expensive and present their own environmental hazards. Caiso has warned that the PUC isn’t accounting for battery recycling and replacement costs or how several days of cloudy weather could reduce solar energy storage. Batteries need to be replaced after 10 or so years, and disposing of their toxic metals is expensive.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the capital costs for a solar plant with an attached battery system run between 50% and 150% higher than for a new natural-gas plant. Natural-gas plants are still much less expensive after accounting for fuel costs, and they generally have a lifespan of 30 or more years.

Texas needs to keep a lid on the renewables in the state for two reasons. One,the oil and gas industry provides thousands of well paying jobs and helps provide energy independence for the United States. Secondly, high costs, blackouts and unreliability of our electric system is avoided.

Texas Medical Board Capitulates

In a social media post on Monday, the president of the Texas Medical Board (TMB) claimed that the TMB has already clarified that physicians in the Lone Star State are free to treat COVID-19 in the manner they see fit, including with hydroxychloroquine.

Read the entire article in The Texan.

Texas Senators Calling Out Texas Medical Board

The Texas Medical Board and the Texas Pharmaceutical Board have been restricting Doctors use of Hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of covid 19. Two Texas State Senators, Hall and Paxton, are fighting back against this unwarranted intrusion between doctor and patient.

Here is the letter that Senator Angela Paxton has sent to the President of the Texas Medical Board where she uses "H" for Hydroxychloroquine so that the letter is not banned from social media.

August 7, 2020

Sherif Z. Zaafran, M.D.

President, Texas Medical Board

333 Guadalupe, Tower 3, Suite 610

Austin, Texas 78768

Re: Investigation and Regulation of Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Dr. Zaafran,

Thank you for your efforts to promote public health and safety in the great State of Texas, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A strong patient/doctor relationship is the foundation of quality health care. As our state grapples with the challenges of the pandemic, I want to be sure we are protecting and preserving the trust between doctors and their patients and allowing our state’s physicians to use their knowledge, training, and experience to best meet the needs of their patients.

To that end, I am requesting the following:

1) Dissolve ongoing investigations of doctors for alleged violations of executive orders that have been rescinded or superseded by the Governor. I have heard from doctors who are currently under investigation for alleged breaches of executive orders that are no longer in effect because those executive orders are not considered necessary, yet these doctors must continue to expend their valuable time and resources to defend themselves and endure the stress and uncertainty of the pending investigations.  Certainly there are better uses of the Board’s resources than continued pursuit of alleged violations of now obsolete executive orders.

2) Issue a public statement affirming that Texas doctors have the freedom to prescribe drugs that in their professional judgment have potential for treating COVID-19, including “H.”  Across the country the number of doctors and medical professionals supporting the use of “H” (and other FDA-approved drugs and nutraceuticals) for early stage treatment and prevention of this virus is growing. Yet many doctors express fear of losing their medical licenses if they prescribe FDA approved drugs like “H” for COVID-19 treatment. I request that you issue a very clear public statement to Texas doctors that they need not fear retribution, but will instead be supported in their medical practice regarding their prescription of safe medications such as “H.”

Our state’s medical community leads in research, practice, and innovation. It is critically important to preserve and protect the doctor/patient relationship from governmental interference. I implore you to implement these requests immediately.

Blessings,

Angela S. Paxton,

Texas State Senator

Lt Governor Patrick Letter on Confederate Monuments and Symbols

 August 17, 2020

 

HOUSTON – Last week, the Senate Democrat Caucus sent a letter to Governor Greg Abbott and copied to Lt. Gov. Patrick urging the immediate removal of Confederate monuments and symbols displayed in buildings and on the grounds of the Texas Capitol. Lt. Gov. Patrick sent this letter in response to the Democrat Senators today:

 

To the Senators of the Democrat Caucus:

Last week, I received a letter from the Senate Democrat caucus addressed to the Governor and copied to members of the Texas Senate and my office urging the removal of all Confederate monuments and symbols displayed in Capitol buildings and on the grounds.

I am responding to your letter as President of the Texas Senate.

We know the issue of slavery is painful to everyone. It was a sad chapter in our history. But we also know that most Texans do not support erasing our history by the removal of monuments and symbols. As you know, Senate Republicans attempted to address this issue in 2019 with Senate Bill 1663 by Senator Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe.

In your letter you state that your previous request for a task force to look at monuments reflected your “sincere objective … to start a serious conversation about how best to honor Texas history in a way that is historically accurate and culturally appropriate.” SB 1663 was serious legislation and demonstrated a sincere effort by Republicans to address this issue. But after hours of debate, not one Democrat voted for SB 1663, which would have given the state a pathway for a thorough and thoughtful review of monuments and symbols. SB 1663 passed the Senate, but died in the House, largely because Democrats opposed bringing the bill to the floor.

Instead, the only solution you offer is the one articulated in your current letter — to tear down every monument, take down every portrait, and remove all symbols that you don’t like without any discussion. That is not a “sincere” or “serious conversation.”

After the long debate on SB 1663, I offered to Senator Creighton and Senators Borris Miles, D-Houston and Royce West, D-Dallas, who carried much of the floor debate for the Democrats, to hold a hearing in the interim to specifically study exactly who placed many of the historical paintings in the Senate Chamber, when they were placed and why, as that was a focal point in the debate.

I scheduled that hearing for December 2019. However, Senator Miles was unavailable at the time, so we postponed the hearing until early 2020 out of respect to him. Because of the pandemic, all Senate hearings have been on hold. I’ve assured members we will have that hearing on the historical paintings in the Senate Chamber before the next session, as promised. I will schedule it after November 3rd so election-year politics will not intrude on the discussion.

Your letter also states, “the Texas Capitol should reflect the highest ideals of liberty, fairness and unity.” You go on to say, “it is no place for statues and paintings that edify injustice and divisiveness and we must recognize that our state’s history is replete with discriminatory policies.”

I recognize that in every country in the world and every state in our nation, there are periods of injustice and inequality in our history that we lament. But I believe that it’s what we have done as a nation, and as a state to correct those injustices, that defines us. Texas history is not perfect, but we have much to be proud of and we have come a long way. As Texans we know we must always strive to be better.

In terms of Texas history, I also believe it’s important as we enter this “serious discussion” that your party acknowledge that it was Democrats, not Republicans, who controlled the levers of government when these monuments were placed and paintings were hung. This isn’t partisan, it’s just fact.

Republicans did not take control of all statewide offices and both chambers of the Legislature until 2003. The discriminatory practices you describe in your letter were passed by Democrats, not Republicans. You include a long portion of Texas’ letter to secede from the Union in 1861. It was written by Democrats. No Republican signed it.

Republicans, led by President Abraham Lincoln, fought and ultimately died to bring about an end to the ugly and awful chapter of slavery in our nation.

Democrats voted for, and in some cases paid for, and built all of the Confederate monuments at the Capitol and decided on all of the paintings in the Capitol for most of the state’s history. I believe, the last time a decision was made on the paintings that hang in the Senate Chamber was after the 1983 fire. The Lt. Governor was a Democrat and Democrats held an overwhelming majority of the Senate seats. The cruelty and injustice of slavery was as clear then as it is today. Where was the outrage or concern about these monuments and paintings when Democrats controlled virtually everything in the Capitol, on the Capitol grounds, and in the Senate Chamber? They could have been taken down at any point. They were not.

Since Texans elected Republican majorities in the Texas legislature, two monuments were completed and added to the Capitol grounds — the African American History Memorial and the Tejano Monument. Republicans joined with the Democrats who began the process for these monuments and it was Republicans who made sure both projects were completed. They are two of the largest and most beautiful monuments on the Capitol grounds.

If you are truly sincere about a serious discussion, then you need to openly examine the role Democrats have played in our state’s history on this issue. It is time to be transparent. A first step in addressing these issues is for Democrats to acknowledge that it was your party who carried out those past discriminatory policies and injustices and who built those monuments and hung those paintings.

Though we make these decisions on principle, it is important to note that in poll after poll, the majority of Texans, including many people of color, do not want us to tear down our history, especially in the middle of the night, or out of political correctness. They want us to learn from our history, so it’s never repeated again and to find a way to address this painful chapter in civil discourse.

Is there a way where all concerned can find common ground to address the issues you pose in your letter and at the same time not erase history? I firmly believe we can. But, sending a letter urging us to tear down everything that your party built over the years, implying that Republicans are at fault, is neither a path forward nor a solution that the majority of Texans want.

At the end of your letter you state that the Democrat Senators stand in solidarity against racism and all forms of discrimination. Let me assure you that I and every Republican in the Texas Senate also oppose racism in any form.

Sincerely,

Dan Patrick
Lt. Governor

California in Energy Crisis Caused by Green Energy

As the heat wave continues, California is experiencing rolling blackouts because supply is insufficient to meet demand. The Federalists

California’s electricity problem is simple. Its energy policies demand ever-increasing amounts of wind and solar power, but electricity must be generated the moment it’s consumed. The wind doesn’t always blow—especially when it’s hot—and the sun doesn’t always shine. Therefore, California must import vast amounts of power from the 13 other states (along with Canada and Mexico) in the Western Interconnection whenever that’s required to keep the lights on and the air conditioners running.

 For the privilege of having electricity when it’s available over the past few days, Californians pay 61 percent above the national average for electricity. 

Batteries are touted as the savior for storing and providing electricity when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. However the state can still only store enough power to keep California energized for a few minutes after spending Billions of dollars.

As an example, San Francisco’s 890,000 people would need an $8 billion battery farm weighing about 380,000 tons to avoid frequent blackouts if it were to go 100 percent renewable by 2045, as per California law. The cost would be about $16,000 per household. It’s important to note that after being drained over 12 hours, on a windless, cold winter’s day, power would be then unavailable in subsequent days if the state relied on such batteries.

Georgetown is already paying excessive charges for electricity caused by the poor decisions of the City Council to enter into long term contracts for solar and wind generated electricity at fixed costs that exceed the average price available from other sources in Texas. 

Our costs would increase dramatically if batteries are required to provide grid stability and reliability!

Are Electrical Blackouts in Texas' Future?

Yesterday, California had to impose rolling blackouts because it had failed to maintain sufficient reliable power from natural gas and nuclear plants, or pay in advance for enough guaranteed electricity imports from other states. 

Because of California's policies that mandate that electricity be generated by renewable sources, rolling blackouts have been imposed on the residents. In other words, the wind wasn't blowing and the sun didn't shine at night and therefore there was insufficient electricity to meet demand. Read the entire article at Forbes.

Is Texas proceeding down this same path as the State depends more and more on wind and solar generated electricity?

Who is watching to assure these blackout do not occur in Texas at critical times during during heat waves?

County Commissioners Bow to Hate Group

The Commissioners Court has established a committee to study whether or not to remove the statue of a Confederate soldier from the Wilco courthouse grounds.

This is a capitulation to people who hate America and her history. As has been well established in other parts of the country, those who hate America will not stop at Confederate symbols. They will demand eradication of all historical symbols they deem offensive, such as Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, etc.

What next? Riots in the square? Demands to defund the police? 

Those who hate America will not be satisfied until the country is destroyed so that the haters can remake America into their vision of Utopia.

If you are a supporter of America, tell your County Commissioner to stop this nonsense and to stand strong against America's enemies.

Property Tax Reform Proposal by Councilman Steve Fought

 Georgetown Councilman Steve Fought has a proposal to partly reform the property tax system. This was published in his newsletter which is available by subscription here.

"School Property Tax Cap and Eventual Exemption

In the last newsletter, I raised the possibility of expanding the concept of "frozen" property taxes for over-65 or disabled taxpayers.

Let me recap the proposal. The issue concerned "frozen" property taxes for residents over the age of 65 or disabled.  What I offered was that I believed "frozen" property taxes worked very well, and as intended. They go a long way toward enabling older folks with fixed incomes, or disabled, to remain in their homes.  But, given the recent rise in property values, they really don't go far enough, and I would modify the program.

What we often find today is that by the time folks reach age 65, the school property tax is so high that, even when it's "frozen" it's hard for people on fixed income to keep pace with the overall cost of living over the years and, eventually, they are driven out of their homes.  Something has to give.

What I proposed was to keep the freeze in place at age 65, but to drop the School Property Tax rate to 50% of the original rate at age 75, and then drop it to zero at age 85.  The mantra would be "School Property Tax: Pay it Forward, but Don't Pay it Forever".  I think that would be a great, and logical, next step to property tax reform in Texas.
 
By the way, I sent a letter explaining this proposal to Senator Schwertner and Representative Wilson.  I received a very nice, detailed and personal, response from Senator Schwertner.  It was obvious he had read the proposal and given it careful consideration. He assured me he would give it to his staff and it would be considered along with other aspects of tax reform in the upcoming legislative session.  No promises, but I was very pleased with his prompt and thorough response.

I also got quite a few e-mails from readers of this newsletter along with phone calls, and extended conversations at the gas pump.  Nearly all positive I might add.  With quite a bit of encouragement, and one correction.

The correction is simple, and necessary. "Frozen" isn't the right word. The tax isn't frozen, per se.  It can change if you improve your property (it can go up). It can also decrease if the assessment of your property goes down.  So, "capped" is a better term than "frozen".  I'll buy that.

There were numerous other considerations and comments which were e-mailed in.  I'll consolidate the major ones and list them here before I get to the punchline.

- Don't forget that property tax is actually reset every time the property is sold, so it's not "frozen" forever, any tax increase is just delayed until the owner sells.

- A homeowner over the age of 65 is a cash cow for the school system.  We pay into the system and place no demands on the system.

- Somebody 65 has been paying school tax for 45 years. My goodness, somebody 85 has been paying school tax for 65 years. Enough is enough!

- Most people over 65 are on fixed incomes, which rarely are adjusted for inflation.  So inflation eats away at their purchasing power, while at the same time the costs of services goes up.  These people gradually expend their "nest eggs" and, with life expectancy being longer than it used to be, they eventually find themselves destitute.

- People in their retirement years worked hard and saved up in order to be able to take care of themselves once they exited the workplace.  They need to be allowed to gracefully age in place, not be run out of their homes by taxes.

- I am willing to pay for my children's education.  I am willing to pay for my grandchildren's education.  I am willing to pay for my great grandchildren's education. Your's too.  But after that, I'm done. Three generations of school tax is enough.  Pay it Forward, but Don't Pay It Forever.

- There were lots more.  Some more colorful than others!  But I'll end there.

So now, what to do about all this?  I suggest a grass roots action to get the change we want.  Let's start with letters to our Texas legislators.  If we start the ball rolling now it may not pass in this session, but it may eventually get enough traction that it will get done.  And I think it will.

So let's begin now with a letter.  I've drafted one, below, which you can use as a start.  You can cut, paste and modify to suit your needs. Or you can click here  to link to the same document in .pdf format so you can copy it and cut/paste into your word processor and modify it to suit your needs.

You also might forward this to your friends in other locations around Texas.  The more the merrier!

Here's the draft letter.

Dear _______

Thank you for serving as my (Senator/Representative).  I recognize you are very busy, and are faced with many challenges in the upcoming legislative session.  I hope you can find time to consider my concern.

My concern is the same as that of many seniors.  When we retire. most of us are on fixed incomes, and/or we are drawing from the "nest eggs" we built during our working years.

Fortunately, and long ago, the Texas Legislature decided to place a cap on School Property Taxes for Texas Residents when they reached age 65 (or were disabled), so they could remain in their homes and "age in place" even though they had fixed incomes.  That was a wise decision, and it has worked well.

However, life expectancy is longer now than we ever thought possible. Our "fixed income" retirements don't keep up with inflation, and the "nest eggs" we built in our working years run out well before we pass on, leaving many of us destitute.

But we still have to keep paying those School Property Taxes.  Which, by the way, and even though they are capped, are quite high.  At some point, we cannot afford to pay those taxes, and we are forced to sell out.  Something needs to give.

I would like to see Texas revise the tax policy so that the School Property Tax that was capped at age 65 would be cut in half at age 75, and then reduced to Zero at age 85. The bumper sticker would be simple: School Property Tax: Pay it Forward, But Don't Pay It Forever.

Another way to look at it is, I am wiling to pay for my own children's education.  I'm willing to pay for my grandchildren's education.  I'm willing to pay for my great grandchildren's education.  Somebody else's too.  But after that, I'm done. Three generations of school tax is enough.

I think that's fair, and it would be a great next step in property tax reform in Texas, and go a long way toward allowing seniors to age in place, which was the objective of the original legislation.

Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully,

INDIVIDUAL SIGNATURE


Feel free to use this as a framework and add, delete, or otherwise modify as you deem appropriate. And, of course, forward to your friends elsewhere around Texas.  Let's see if we can generate some traction on this. 

For those of us who are in this area, here are the addresses of our representatives: 

Capitol Address for Senator Charles Schwertner 

The Honorable Charles Schwertner 

P.O. Box 12068

Capitol Station

Austin, TX 78711 

District Address for Senator Charles Schwertner 

The Honorable Charles Schwertner

3000 Briarcrest Drive

Suite 202

Bryan, TX 77802

You can also click here for an e-mail link for Senator Schwertner.  The e-mail will go to his official e-mail at the State of Texas site.

Capitol Address for Representative Terry Wilson

The Honorable Terry Wilson

Room E2.714

P.O. Box 2910

Austin, TX 78768

District Address for Representative Terry Wilson

The Honorable Terry Wilson

710 Main Street

Suite 242

Georgetown, Texas 78626

You can also click here for an e-mail link to Representative to Representative Wilson. The e-mail will go to his official e-mail at the State of Texas site."

Wind and Solar Subsidies Increase Texas Electricity Costs

"Key Points

• Texas wholesale electricity prices jumped 13% in 2019, compared to drops from 15% to 30% in other markets
• Retail electric prices in Texas increased by 6.8% last year, more than the 1.3% increase in U.S. retail prices
• Renewable energy subsides in Texas last year cost $2.4 billion, and have totaled $19.4 billion since 2006
• Wind and solar generation have increased this year by 5,432,001 MWh. Natural gas, which has increased only 2,352,049, and coal has decreased by 7,351,523 MWh
• The all-in cost of wind and solar generation in Texas was $67.9 per MWh"

Read the entire article here.