When Perry’s Out, Who Will Be In?

 

Texas Governor Rick Perry has announced he will not be seeking reelection in 2014 setting off campaign possibilities from a variety of candidates. The election for Texas Governor takes place November 4, 2014 and with a little over a year to that date, it is never too early to learn about the possible candidates to come. Below is a listing of candidates and links to information about them. There are fewer Republicans listed than Democrats because Attorney General Greg Abbott is a foremost favorite to succeed Governor Perry in the Republican Party. Rick Perry has been Texas Governor for the past 13 years so the changes that a new governor will bring can be major and will be felt by all Texas citizens.

 

Republicans

Greg Abbott (R) – Attorney General, Ex-State Supreme Court Justice & Ex-District Court Judge

http://www.gregabbott.com/

Miriam Martinez (R) – Media Consultant, Radio Talk Show Host & ’12 State Rep. Nominee

http://miriamfortexas.com/

Larry Secede Kilgore (R) – Conservative Activist, Telecommunications Worker & Frequent Candidate

http://secedekilgore.com/

 

Democrats

Rafael Anchia (D) – State Rep., Ex-Dallas School Board Member & Attorney

http://rafaelanchia.com/

Wendy Davis (D) – State Sen., Ex-Ft. Worth City Councilwoman & Attorney

http://www.davis.senate.state.tx.us/

Mike Fjetland (D) – Attorney & Frequent Candidate

http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=55384

Mike Villarreal (D) – State Rep. & Economist

http://www.mikevillarreal.com/

Kirk Watson (D) – State Sen., Ex-Austin Mayor, Attorney & ’02 Attorney General Nominee

http://www.kirkwatson.com/

Bill White (D) – Former Houston Mayor

http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/houston_mayor.html

What is Justice in Today’s Culture of Mass Media

 

The Trayvon Martin case has gained national and international attention. The case raises many different societal issues such as gun laws/rights, racial profiling, injustice in the Florida court systems, national racial division, social and mass media’s societal role in controversies and the issue of racism itself in America to name a few. While the case itself was a tragedy whether or not you were for or against Zimmerman or Martin, the firestorm surrounding the case highlights many other societal ills.

*Which issue do you think this case was most about: racism, gun rights, or other and why?

This link provides a recap of the Martin-Zimmerman trial with multiple articles in a timeline. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/trayvon_martin/index.html

FURTHER READING

This link is to a blog by Rahul Mitra’s Call to Humanity Blog, and was included because it states one view that racism is on the rise is America, that is has been institutionalized and is continuing to be so. http://calltohumanity.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/the-trayvon-martin-case-one-small-trial-one-big-societal-question/

This link (an article on radio host/author Alex Jones’ website) provides a different view of the case, one that ponders the endgame of anyone pushing the issue of white vs. black racism so hotly that it might draw attention away from a perceived larger problem of “black on black” crime. http://www.prisonplanet.com/social-engineering-racial-division-the-trayvon-martin-tragedy.html

Big Pharma

In 2008, for the first time in 18 years, the pharmaceutical industry’s donations to Democrats were on par with the money it gave to Republicans.

 A serious issue in the practice of Public Administration is a concept called agency capture or regulatory capture. Agency capture is when a government regulatory agency (such as the Environmental Protection Agency) that was created specifically to protect the public interest by regulating industry instead begins to act in the interest of the industry it is supposed to be regulating. It is a complete perversion of the purpose of regulatory agencies and it is more common than you might think. Ask yourself this, have you ever hired lobbyists to influence members of congress concerning the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)? What about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? I can assure you that the major pharmaceutical companies have. The following link contains an article that makes a compelling case against the earnestness with which the FDA is protecting the public interest. http://www.cspinet.org/new/200606271.html

The following article involves possibly an even more sinister twist to the case of the FDA actively trying to stifle opponents, even if they work for the FDA. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/us/fda-surveillance-of-scientists-spread-to-outside-critics.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&

*Do you think the FDA has the public’s best interest in mind or has this agency been captured?

SPECIAL SUMMER DOUBLE ISSUE!!

The sequester law (automatic budget cuts) passed in 2011 in the Budget Control Act went into effect on March 1, 2013 and is an across the board budget cut that affects all Americans. In relation to unemployment benefits, when state unemployment benefits run out (after 26 weeks) eligible workers can then receive federal unemployment benefits (for up to 47 weeks). Because of the sequestration that went into effect, federal unemployment benefits will be shrinking. At the state level, also because of economic and ideological pressures, some state leaders are pushing for lower weekly benefits and /or shorter duration of benefits. As of May 2013, the national unemployment rate was 7.6%. In Texas, the unemployment rate was 6.5%.

For college students only a couple of years from entering the job market or sooner, this story may already be troubling. Adding to the worrying fiscal landscape of the future, student loan interest rates are set to double this summer unless Congress passes a bill to extend the same interest rates and apply them retroactively to July 1.

 

*What do you think about unemployment benefits (e.g. (un)necessary, abused/underfunded, etc.)?

*What do you think about some possible impacts of student loan rates doubling?

 

Bonus fun: I would encourage you to try out the online benefits calculator on the Texas Workforce Commissions website. It is fast and simple.

Unemployment Benefits Calculator — https://services.twc.state.tx.us/UBS/benefitsEstimator.do

*Note: This blog writer, for example, would go from roughly $1,200.00 monthly income to $576.00 per month should he become unemployed. 😦

Article Links:

“War on the Unemployed” — http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/opinion/krugman-the-war-on-the-unemployed.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=2&

“Student Loan Interest Rates could double” — http://money.cnn.com/2013/06/30/pf/college/student-loans/index.html?hpt=po_c2

 

Right to Carry or Right for a Gun-Free Campus?

SFA now has a chapter on campus of the national organization called Students for Concealed Carry. The SFA Senior who started the chapter hopes to bring attention to citizens’ second amendment rights and gain support for a Senate bill from 2011. The bill intended to allow students over the age of 21 who have obtained concealed handgun licenses to carry their handguns with them on campus and in the classroom. The concern for public administrators on both sides of the argument would be the implications of having students carrying firearms regularly on campus (how it affects the learning environment, safety regulations, etc.) as well as the methodology used by Congress to make such a decision. In a related story, the Texas Legislature is also proposing a bill that would reduce the amount of time of the training course for obtaining a concealed handgun license.

Provided below are links to the story on the SFA Chapter of Students for Concealed Carry and some of their literature:

http://www.ketknbc.com/news/students-for-concealed-carry

http://www.campuscarry.com/pdf/introduction_to_campus_carry_in_texas.pdf

http://www.campuscarry.com/pdf/sccc_answers_2010.pdf

The story on the bill proposing shorter handgun training courses: http://www.ketknbc.com/news/concealed-handgun-license-bill-in-the-works

The TxDPS Concealed Handgun Licensing Program webpage: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/#

Violence Policy Center Website, Concealed Carry Killers: http://www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm

 

**After hearing from both sides of the debate, What do you think about allowing concealed carrying on college campuses?

Scandal Alert!

It was reported earlier this month that a major government agency, the IRS improperly probed certain groups specifically conservative and Tea Party related groups, who were applying for tax exempt status (see President’s Statement on the scandal).  This scandal has shocked those of all political persuasions and has led people to question the ethics of public administrators. Scandals of course aren’t new to government or public administration. They are often what grabs people’s attention and can lead to change and reform. As public administrators, it is important to keep in mind some of the issues scandals raise such as the need for strong leadership, codes of ethics and mechanisms that serve as safeguards against irresponsible behavior. Here are some sources that public administrators can use in considering these issues:

US Constitution

American Society for Public Administration Code of Ethics

Texas Ethics Commission

Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education

 

LGBT Rights

Discussions about LGBT rights are more prominent than ever. This is a historic time for Americans, but also for public administrators. The rights that LGBT citizens are fighting for are changing the way we run the country, write policy, create and enforce laws, and conduct personnel administration. We don’t really want to get into a right or wrong debate here, but rather wanted to acknowledge the interconnected relationship between human rights and public administration.

Boston Marathon Bombing

Boston Marathon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is sad that the first two posts are about recent tragedies, but these events are especially important to public servants and administrators because they affect the way we do our jobs. After the bombing at the Boston Marathon, the public had all kinds of questions: were the brothers connected to a larger terrorist group, were there more attacks planned, why didn’t U.S. intelligence officials prevent the attack from happening, how will our civil liberties be affected, etc.? Now that things have settled a little bit, we can see who was affected and get a better idea of how things will change in the future. There have been discussions about creating a dedicated national public safety broadband network to aid in communication between public servants for situations such as the Boston bombing. Some people think that we should give up some of our civil liberties to increase safety measures, whereas others believe that no amount of protection can prevent terrorism. I want to know what you think. All opinions are welcome.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/28/why-the-boston-maraton-bombing-wont-erode-civil-liberties/

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/04/25/one-fund-boston-administrator-praises-giving-spirit-of-public-discusses-difficult-job-ahead/

http://swampland.time.com/2013/04/29/four-mysteries-about-the-boston-bombings/

http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/after-boston-bombings-a-failure-of-communications-85899471750

Unsung Heroes of West, Texas

A picture of American firefighters in the 1770s (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By now, we have all heard about the explosion that killed eleven firefighters and three civilians on April 17. It is a sad day when something tragic like this happens to a small close-knit community. These incidents, though heartbreaking, are important reminders of how public servants/administrators serve their communities in profound ways. The men who served West were courageous and selfless, giving their all to help save others from harm. We send prayers and love to the families of those injured and killed.

What Nacogdoches has done to help:

http://www.ktre.com/story/22018272/nacogdoches-has-strong-ties-to-west-texas?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8789187

Did you know that a whopping 60% of firefighters in the U.S. are volunteers? Even more astounding is the fact that volunteers make up nearly 80% of firefighters in Texas!

Howdy Ya’ll!

Hi, I’m Dr. Pressley and I wanted to create this blog as a way to provide you all with more information about public administration (PBA for short). I bet some of you are wondering just what PBA is all about. Well what we’re about is service. Service to the community, to the city, to the state, to the country. Don’t believe me? Consider what public administrators do. They run nonprofit organizations like animal shelters and tutoring centers for kids. Public administrators work in police and fire departments, public schools and even in your local parks and recreation department. They serve on state boards and commissions, work with the military, federal agencies and international organizations.  Public administrators value ethics and leadership and use these values on a daily basis. To be a public administrator is to be an important and valued member of your community. Now that you know a little more about PBA I encourage you to come back to our blog regularly. What you’ll find here is information not only about our PBA programs but updates on jobs and careers, local and state PBA happenings and other useful and fun stuff. Welcome to the SFA PBA Rocks blog!