Blame it on the Sun...Will Texas Teachers Ever Cut A Break...Constituents Must Demand More

There's is only one way to describe South Texas weather these past couple of days. Scorching.

I'm just surprised the local news media hasn't done the annual fry the egg on the sidewalk ritual that's usually reserved for months like late July and all of August. At least when we see temperatures surpass the century mark, we can say "Well, that's August for you. The Dog Days. The Canicula". But April is too early to be brooding on things like how hot it is outside. Didn't we learn in school, March winds bring April showers, or something like that. No, let April 2006 be forever known as the year of the "blackouts". So far, the Rio Grande Valley has not seen it's share of the blackouts, that I know of. But cross your fingers, because according to forecasters we're in this heat wave for the long haul.

Jesus, just when I was getting used to paying an electricity bill in the hundred to two hundred dollar range. And that's what we should be worried about. The cost of electricity, because bet your bottom dollar, some corporation is going to take advantage of this, just like they did when Hurricane Katrina hit. Dear Lord, will this babbling ever stop, I mean isn't that why I created the other blog site Palm Dreams for? So I could dedicate my time to writing about politics on this site, while publishing non-political ramble on the other?

Rambling? Nonsense, and if it is so what? We can always blame it on the Sun, can't we? Indeed good ol' Mother Nature. Who else can we count on to insure that low to middle class citizens in our communities get the bill past to when corporations see opportunity knocking on the door?

"But halt, what light through yonder window breaks?" It is the legislature, and their bills may very well cover our own, but at what cost?

According to an article on the front page of The Monitor this morning, a group of Republicans and Democrats, including our very own State Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, have asked the gov' to "allow the Texas Legislature to consider bills that would reduce electric rates across the state this summer".

Gov' says not so fast. His agenda is passing a new tax system for Texas to, in someway or another (it's an issue that's kind of become a bit muddled lately), make the current school finance system legal. Thirty days to do this. Thirty days to decide which type of tax plan would work best for businesses....Oh, scratch that, I meant school finance. But enough about school funding and getting teacher pay raises into this special session. Those issues have become so yesterday. At least to the people who don't know, remember, or give a hoot in hell what the special session is all about, or should be about. That's the way some people like it, folks. The less you know, the better. But I digress, and there's a point to be made after such a long dose of rhetoric that many people might think is going nowhere.

Point being, I'm still not in total agreement with putting issues like controlling utility costs on a special session that seems to be, slowly but surely, getting to the point where it's no longer about school finance reform. And the more legislators keep trying to put issues like these in, you can rest assured those that aren't for looking into regulating electricity costs are going to take their sweet time with tax reform by way of fillibustering the thing to death. Thirty days later, we may find ourselves, if we're lucky with a new tax system, but still no immediate way of tackling the issues of upgrading hurting school districts, and teachers who yet again, are faced with the dilemma of actually going back to class next Fall. And we sure as hell won't be looking at lower electricity costs. An issue that should have been nipped at the bud when it first started to skyrocket. Where were all these legislators then? According to the report in The Monitor, last year "the Legislature abolished the System Benefit Fund". This fund "helped low income households pay their utility bills using a fee collected on all Texan's bills." Here's the kicker, the report goes on to state that "customers continue to pay the fee on their bills but the money is directed to the general revenue, not to be a low-income assistance program". Questions are, why were they abolished? And if they were abolished, why do customers keep paying it? Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa is right on one front as he is quoted as saying, "I am very concerned about what is going to happen to our elderly and low-income families this summer if they are not able to pay their electricity bills". Tell you what Senator, if as customers Texans are still paying this fee, inform your constituents of this and have them demand from the electricity companies the right to have those fees directed to helping low income families, and tell us the names of the Senators who voted to abolish this program in the first place to make sure that when election time comes around, we have someone else to blame besides the Sun.