Cutting budgets on crtitical programs!! (shaking my head)

The nation as a whole is suffering from a recession which some might say is gradually recovering but there are some issues like budget cuts that are stagnant or even getting progressively worse. Texas is not an exception to this situation and some estimates have put the shortfall in the state in excess of 20 billion dollars and possibly more. Star Telegram says Republicans and lawmakers in Texas have leaned towards cutting spending without raising taxes in order to balance the budget but then what happens to programs that get cut? As supported by Democrats in the state, Texas lawmakers should not go about fixing this problem by cutting spending especially on crucial programs such as funding for education and social services.

Yes it is a popularly conservative state representation wise and it is but understandable why most of these lawmakers would seek to not increase taxes but instead reduce spending on other programs. The effects? Pretty drastic. Thousands of state employees are bracing for possible layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts from this sort of decision. Let’s focus on education for a second, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics There has been a 4 billion dollar cut to Texas public schools this summer and 900 jobs lost in local school districts in August of 2011. It is but logical that cutting funding for public schools were the majority of kids attend will result to inefficient learning being that there are not enough or efficient educational equipments such as text books, computers or calculators available for students or even that the essential teacher -student interaction will decrease with more teachers being laid off. The job cuts could be politically disadvantageous for Perry, who has based his campaign for president largely on Texas' record of job growth during his 11 years as governor. I doubt if he actually sees these numbers when preaching about high employment rates.

Also, it has been researched and concluded that though something might appear to be able to save money on, with a closer look, it actually cost more. Take for instance, the lawmakers   shrunk the state’s family planning services and the reasoning was that without any abortions which is part of the issues being handled in this service, more babies would be born in Texas, and that since more than half of the births in the state of Texas are paid for by Medicaid, the cost of those additional births would be borne almost entirely by taxpayers but cutting this service would  cost money because it would result in an increase in babies paid for by Medicaid. Smart choice? Not so much. It’s a pretty weird situation we are in right now but it will be advisable for law makers to consider the effects of cutting budgets on important programs and seek another way out.

Your Vote actually DOES COUNT!

There is a whole bunch of “election talk” going on these days and one of the major issues when it comes to this topic is voter turnout and how to get people to the polls. This blog post Your vote is worth 30 times what it usually is published July 23^rd, talks about the heavy impact people’s votes have on the candidates chosen and why it is important that people actually go out to the polls and vote.

Intended for the public as a whole, the author Charles Kuffner was very clear cut when he explained how the votes we cast actually go a long way. As popularly known, only a handful of people vote for instance only 11 percent of the state’s voting age adults showed up for the May primaries. But if one clearly examines this issue, as the author says, “Every actual voter was making a decision on behalf of nine people. In the runoff voting that starts next week and ends July 31, those voters will probably have even greater power.” Doing the math, if everyone who is eligible voted, it would take more than 9 million votes to become a senator from Texas. But that is not the case and as such every vote cast for the winner of the Republican primary effectively represents the power of 30 adults going to the polls.

The long and short to me is these votes contrary to public belief do count and it will be important if most people read this post. I too have never looked at voting this way until now because just like thousands of other young Texan adults, I personally do not think my single vote will influence anything being that there are thousands others voting but obviously that is where I and the others are wrong. We all have the same mentality and so we do not go out to vote but those that do are making major decisions for us since these elected officials will impact all of our lives. Low voter turnout has been talked about to death but still persists and until the feeling that one does have the potential to influence government starting with that single vote dawns unto each eligible voter, then and only then shall we see a progressive advancement toward more voter turnout.

Freshmen plus research equals better future students.

Education is very much prioritized now-a-days and especially research which stimulates and encourages students to do more than just learn what they are provided in lectures. In the editorial Tier 1 University Money published September 12^th about a year ago, the author which in this case is the editorial board renders praise to the Texas government for funding the Freshmen Research Initiative Programs in Texas universities especially the ones in UT Austin, Rice and Texas A&M which are in tier 1. This program as stated in the editorial was created in 2009 and it seeks to encourage private donations to certain “emerging research universities” across the state by matching private donations to research programs with state money. This money is allocated by the Legislature to the fund, which is then used to match qualifying donations.

Intended mostly for university students and their parents this commentary in my opinion presents solid reasons why this program exists as well as praising the state government for funding it. Students benefit more hands on experience in fields there are interested in early on and the funds help universities build their research operations while stimulating the economy which is a win-win situation. Most freshmen in college are not that much into the education as freedom, partying and skipping class but this program from the get go will push them to be more interested and keep their minds engaged in their field of study. As a UT Austin student, I was fortunate to be part of this program my freshman year and I must say what a great opportunity and eye opening experience it was for me. During my time spent here I was able to interact with the chemicals, organisms and procedures being learned in class which initiated a better understanding of the concepts and an increase interest in the biological/molecular field. With well experienced research team leaders, great equipment and an enthusiastic environment, the Freshmen Research Initiative Program furthers knowledge in freshman students and is ideal for all universities not only in Texas but the nation.

Penny wise Pound foolish

In rejecting federal Medicaid funds, Perry decides not to run government like a business is an article that I found to be really interesting after browsing through several others.The author Harvey Kronberg feels as though Texas politicians need to keep their promise of running government as a business and by rejecting federal medicaid funds, they are not fulfilling this end. Though the Affordable Care Act could be adjusted, it still remains that the Texas government like most others is in huge debt and they need that tax money to help robust the economy and so by simply not willing to be a part of it means those funds will be redirected to other states.

The author states that by Texas opting out of this deal, its does not save the Feds money but costs families in Texas big bucks. Fact is a lot of people in Texas are uninsured and when they end up in the emergency room or a doctor's office, the cost is more than quadrupled what it would be for someone with insurance but what that means  is we are stuck paying back that money in taxes and estimates say about 1800 dollars of insured family premiums pay for the free riders . As stated in the article, the Feds do pick up this increased cost and after 5years the state gets 95 cents for every nickle spent which is a huge profit. But the state is concerned with the huge cost of implementing the program and simply would not risk it.

 This article really got me pondering about the whole government system in Texas. I do understand that especially being a conservative state, officials would not be willing to engage in such a program but at the same time I feel as though they need to sit down, do the math and realize that this is an option that could truly help the economy and benefit the state as a whole in the long run. There is a video on there too so if you get a chance read it..its worth your 5 minutes.