Politics
Ron Paul rejects Gramm plea to support McCain
By BENNETT ROTH, Houston Chronicle, 10 September 2008
WASHINGTON — Almost 25 years ago, Phil Gramm buried Ron Paul in a hard-fought Senate primary contest in Texas.
Paul urges voters to back third-party candidates
By Walter Alarkon, The Hill, 10 September 2008
WASHINGTON – Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) urged voters to reject John McCain and Barack Obama and choose a third-party candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Paul says he turned down appeal to endorse McCain
Waco Tribune-Herald, 11 September 2008
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning Texas lawmaker who attracted a devoted following in the GOP primaries, said Wednesday he rejected an appeal to endorse John McCain's presidential bid.
Culberson, McCain differ on eliminating earmarks
By ALAN BERNSTEIN, Houston Chronicle, 10 September 2008
HOUSTON – Republican U.S. Rep. John Culberson of Houston supports John McCain but rejects one of the Republican presidential candidate's key proposals for curbing government spending.
Spending on Texas lobbyists rises 15 percent
Waco Tribune-Herald, 11 September 2008
AUSTIN — Texas lobbyists, representing clients ranging from energy companies to farmers, raked in up to $348 million in 2007, a 15 percent jump from the previous year, according to a new report.
Candidate to stop paying daughter
By Laylan Copelin, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11 September 2008
AUSTIN – Tim Kleinschmidt's college-age daughter just lost a job with her father's legislative campaign.
HD 52 Rivals Hit the Forums
BY RICHARD WHITTAKER, Austin Chronicle, 12 September 2008
AUSTIN – Campaigning starts early in the day in Williamson County:
At GOP gathering, Palin snatches Obama's radiance
By W. Gardner Selby, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11 September 2008
AUSTIN – What Barack Obama had, Sarah Palin may have snatched away.
Government
Texas rolls out new prepaid college tuition plan
By Scott Nishimura, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 September 2008
FORT WORTH – Texas families will be able to prepay college tuition and fees, locking them in at around today's costs, under a new program the state rolled out Wednesday morning.
Texas opens enrollment in new program that lets parents 'lock in' tuition rates
By W. Gardner Selby, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 11 September 2008
AUSTIN – Texas officials on Wednesday unwrapped their second try at a prepaid college tuition program.
Texans can prepay for college again
Waco Tribune-Herald, 11 September 2008
AUSTIN — Once again, Texas parents can lock in current college tuition rates and start paying now — even if their would-be graduates are infants.
Mexico given a no to trucks
Laredo Morning Times, 11 September 2008
WASHINGTON – Dismissing a White House veto threat, the House voted Tuesday to end a pilot program giving Mexican trucks access to U.S. highways.
Border wall is costing just as much as the China Olympics, says lawmaker
By Steve Taylor, Rio Grande Guardian, 10 September 2008
BROWNSVILLE – For the same amount of money the federal government is spending on the border wall, China revamped its infrastructure in order to stage the Olympics, a state legislator has claimed.
Ahumada: Border wall would wreck the Brownsville Weir Project
By Steve Taylor, Rio Grande Guardian, 10 September 2008
BROWNSVILLE – Building a border fence in and around Brownsville will wreck the chances of developing the Weir and Reservoir Project into a world class tourist resort, says a top supporter.
Border fence could be new president's problem
Brownsville Herald, 11 September 2008
WASHINGTON - President Bush wanted to finish building a Southwest border fence before he leaves office.
Unwelcome homes
Brownsville Herald, 10 September 2008
BROWNSVILLE – Two similar court cases involving immigration deserve attention from Rio Grande Valley residents and others who are interested in the reach of local and federal governments into private lives and contracts.
News
Officials break ground on biomass power plant in North Lufkin
By STEVEN ALFORD, Lufkin Daily News, 11 September 2008
LUFKIN – Groundbreaking for what is expected to be Texas' first biomass power plant took place Wednesday afternoon as high-ranking members of the Aspen Power family joined local elected officials for the ceremony.
Europe's particle collider is Texas' lost opportunity
By SCOTT FARWELL, Dallas Morning News. 10 September 2008
WAXAHACHIE – Scientists fired up one of the world's biggest and most expensive experiments Wednesday in Switzerland – a 17-mile, $8 billion racetrack for protons that they hope will solve many of mankind's mysteries.
People
No link seen between jailed men, Governor's Mansion fire
By CLAY ROBISON, Houston Chronicle, 10 September 2008
AUSTIN — Two Austin men accused of possessing Molotov cocktails during the Republican National Convention in Minnesota last week are not considered primary suspects in the fire that heavily damaged the Governor's Mansion in Austin three months ago, a source told the Houston Chronicle today.
Texas Governor's Mansion fire probe turns to Austin men arrested at Republican convention
By EMILY RAMSHAW, Dallas Morning News, 10 September 2008
AUSTIN – Two protesters accused of taking explosive devices to Minnesota to disrupt the Republican National Convention are being investigated for possible links to this summer's still unsolved blaze at the Texas Governor's Mansion.
Austin men ordered held without bond in Republican convention case
By Mara H. Gottfried, ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 11 September 2008
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal judge Wednesday refused to release two Austin men accused of possessing Molotov cocktails during last week's Republican National Convention.
Valley residents sue government after being denied passports
By A.J. Anderson, Rio Grande Guardian, 10 September 2008
BROWNSVILLE – Nine U.S. citizens from the Rio Grande Valley are suing the federal government, claiming they were discriminated against when applying for a passport.
South Texans allege passport bias
Waco Tribune-Herald, 11 September 2008
BROWNSVILLE – Residents of the Rio Grande Valley have filed a class-action lawsuit against the federal government, claiming they are being denied passports because they are of Mexican descent and were born with the aid of midwives.
