Would Spock kneel for the Anthem?
Logic does not seem to apply to the anthem-kneeling dispute raging now, but what if it did? We consulted Star Trek's Dr. Spock, the ultra-logical half-Vulcan/half-human.
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Universities, not the FBI, should clean up college basketball
To date, no Texas university has been directly implicated in the federal investigation of college basketball recruiting; Oklahoma State is the closest university to the state embroiled in the scandal. Yet, the reverberations from this case will affect every major college basketball program in Texas.
Insurers are working around the clock to help policyholders
Insurers and policymakers need to work together to spread more awareness about the need for adequate flood insurance coverage.
We must help Hurricane Harvey’s other victims
The social media frenzy following Hurricane Harvey helped thousands of people reach needed aid. Just as we have helped our neighbors rebuild their homes, we must help rebuild the lives that are too often forgotten in Houston’s sex trafficking industry.
Texas HHSC needs to stay focused on its vision
The vision statement for HHSC reads, “Making a difference in the lives of the people we serve.” As staff and leadership at the agency have been chosen for this time and place, focusing their talents on bringing that vision to life can bring miraculous change to tens of thousands in need.
We must right the wrongs committed through civil forfeiture process
Fourteen states have already abolished civil forfeiture and now require conviction in order to seize property for forfeiture. It is time the federal government and the state of Texas joined this vanguard of states and got rid of civil forfeiture altogether.
Rolling back the red tape
Federal rules and regulations are a very real and expensive burden on Americans. They drive up the cost of everyday items families need and make it harder for the economy to grow — a critical feature of job creation. And they are often a barrier to agencies, charities and even brave individuals taking quick and emergency action to get people help.
The battle over bathrooms is far from over
The bathroom bill may be dead, but the struggle is far from over. The battle will now be fought from school district to school district, from city to city, and from county to county, costing the taxpayers untold amounts in staff time in legal fees and potential settlements.
Capitol complex transformation creates opportunity for Austin
If we can set aside the politics and hard feelings, we might be able to forge a partnership that will create something wonderful for our community. There are a lot of things about which the city and state don't see eye-to-eye, but the transformation of the Capitol Complex shouldn't be one of them.
The cost of defending discrimination in our democracy
We must ensure that Texas is put under federal oversight when it comes to voting and election law. Court rulings finding the state’s law to be intentionally discriminatory make it an irrefutable candidate for this remedy. It is also high time we asked: How many times must the state’s election laws be ruled intentionally discriminatory before Texas stops this wasteful crusade?
On the hunt for the Democratic message
What’s really flummoxing is that identity politics was the foundation of the message strategy for both the Davis and Hillary Clinton campaigns. Neither worked out. When you segment voters into groups, you don’t speak to all of them. People tune you out. Progressives who insist on talking about people’s rights and identity do so, I presume, because it feels good and is in line with Democrats’ DNA. That’s true. But the goal is to win at the ballot box, not to feel good.
Hurricane Harvey: The floods, the wind — and the mosquitos
Research shows that mosquito-borne diseases spike within 18 months after hurricanes. Following Hurricane Katrina, cases of West Nile virus increased considerably in affected regions of Louisiana and Mississippi.
Keep DACA, and keep the kids
Children do not choose to become undocumented immigrants. The decisions made by their parents to bring them to the United States without legal documentation should not be held against them.
Let’s talk: Texas’ deaf community wants to dialogue
The deaf community is not just a group of people with a shared trait and similar life experiences. It is a culture in and of itself, one that is too often ignored and widely misunderstood, which is why deaf standups are probably not on your radar — or why you may have ideas about the deaf community that simply aren’t true.
Reflections from Houston: Ads, gift cards, and glimmers of hope
Houston’s recovery effort has been led not by companies but by people willing to work collectively and help each other. This cooperation and mutual aid offers a glimpse of a new way of organizing our cities to be more humane, more equal and more resilient.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
There are very few legitimate scenarios in which we would ever have to evacuate everyone in the Gulf Coast region. But who said it had to be all or none? Nobody with a lot going on upstairs. Upstairs, by the way is where a bunch of people had to go as the waters rose after Hurricane Harvey.
Texas voters can protect reproductive health care
To be a woman in Texas is to have your autonomy, your health and your well-being constantly under attack by the so-called leaders entrusted with serving you. Extreme politicians love to proclaim a concern for women when they are promoting more bills to restrict access to abortion, while bypassing opportunities to truly serve their best interests.
A taxing aftermath to Hurricane Harvey
Houston has long been a powerful engine in the American economy. The city has paid its dues to the nation and the state. The mayor and other civic leaders should press hard on federal and state officials – not battered property owners – to fund the cleanup of a city that contributes massively to America’s and Texas’ economic vitality.
After Hurricane Harvey, black organizations can be life rafts for black-owned businesses
So why does it take a disaster for many black business owners to connect to black social networks? Interestingly, many African-American entrepreneurs and small-business owners do not want to be associated with the "black-owned" title.
The Texas-sized hole in our workforce
Just over 70,000 of the Texans in eighth grade in 2006 have earned degrees from Texas colleges. But nearly 100,000 people move or immigrate to Texas each year with college credentials. We are importing talent when we should be doing a better job cultivating it here at home.