The Aransas Pass Progress (Aransas Pass, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 13, 2016 Page: 4 of 12
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The Aransas Pass Progress
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Page 4
Abbott proposes amendments to U.S. Constitution
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on
Jan. 8 unveiled his “Texas Plan,” a doc-
ument promoting the passage of nine
constitutional amendments “to rein in
the federal government and restore the
balance of power between the States
and the United States,” he said.
The amendments Abbott is propos-
ing include:
• Prohibit Congress from regulating
activity that occurs wholly within one
state.
ilies, our neighborhood schools are still
underfunded, and college education is
slipping out of reach.
“Texas families deserve serious solu-
tions, not Tea Party nonsense,” Garcia
said.
for the state in December was $2.33
billion, down 1.1 percent compared to
December 2014.
“As with the previous two months,
December sales tax revenue was down
largely due to spending reductions in
oil and gas-related sectors,” Hegar said.
“This was expected, given ongoing
weakness in oil and natural gas prices.
Remittances from other sectors, such as
construction and information, contin-
ued to grow.”
Also, Hegar said, the Office of the
Comptroller is sending cities, counties,
transit systems and special purpose
taxing districts $617.2 million in local
sales tax allocations for January, 0.1
percent less than in January 2015. The
allocations are based on sales made in
November by businesses that report tax
monthly.
Mess With Texas campaign has remind-
ed people to put litter in a trash can in-
stead of tossing it out of their vehicles.
“Researchers estimate that nearly
a half a billion (435 million) pieces of
visible litter pile up along state-main-
tained highways annually. Small bits
of trash can add up to one big litter
problem, especially when napkins,
wrappers and cigarette butts make up
70 percent of all litter found along Tex-
as roads. In 2014 alone, the state spent
$35 million in highway cleanup costs,”
TxDOT said.
Capital
Highlights
a
by Ed Sterling
Gun plan draws reactions
In a Jan. 7 White House address,
President Obama said he would take
executive action to reduce gun violence
in America, primarily by keeping guns
“out of the wrong hands through back-
ground checks.”
Gov. Abbott reacted, saying, “De-
spite the presidents latest attempt to
undermine our liberty, Texas will take
every action to protect the Second
Amendment rights of law-abiding citi-
zens.”
ments by limiting the federal govern-
ment to the powers expressly delegated
to it in the Constitution;
• Give state officials the power to sue
in federal court when federal officials
overstep their bounds; and
• Allow a two-thirds majority of the
states to override a federal law or reg-
ulation.
Manny Garcia, executive director of
the Texas Democratic Party, said Ab-
bott’s proposals would “tear apart the
Constitution and take America back to
an equivalent of the Articles of Confed-
eration.”
Garcia added: “America added
292,000 new jobs in December. But
under Abbott, Texas fell to sixth in job
creation, remains the uninsured capitol
of the nation, wages and incomes re-
main far too low for hardworking fam-
• Require Congress to balance its
budget;
• Prohibit administrative agencies,
and the unelected bureaucrats that staff
them, from creating federal law;
• Prohibit administrative agencies,
and the unelected bureaucrats that staff
them, from preempting state law.
• Allow a two-thirds majority of the
states to override a U.S. Supreme Court
decision;
• Require a seven-justice superma-
jority vote for U.S. Supreme Court de-
cisions that invalidate a democratically
enacted law;
• Restore the balance of power be-
tween the federal and state govern-
New TEA chief takes office
Mike Morath on Jan. 4 was admin-
istered the oath of office to become the
new Texas commissioner of education.
Morath, who succeeds Texas Educa-
tion Commissioner Michael Williams,
was appointed to the position by Gov.
Abbott on Dec. 14. The appointment is
subject to Senate confirmation during
the next legislative session in 2017.
“I am committed to ensuring that
our education system provides all the
children of Texas the opportunity to be
successful in life,” Morath said.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
also reacted, saying, “I stand ready to
fight back against any overreach that
will deny or infringe on (gun owners’)
rights.”
‘Don’t Mess’ turns 30
The Texas Department of Transpor-
tation on Jan. 3 announced the “Don’t
Mess With Texas” anti-litter campaign
had reached its 30th anniversary.
For more than 30 years, according
to the announcement, the iconic Don’t
Sales tax revenue drops
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on
Jan. 6 announced that sales tax revenue
State Capitol to undergo
renovations
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Preservation Board will begin ex-
tensive preservation work on the
exterior and interior of the build-
ing. Led by a team of experienced
staff, the building is keeping its
historic look but is undergoing
these repairs to make sure the
building maintains its integrity for
future generations. On the exte-
rior, windows will be stripped of
paint and be thoroughly repaired.
Cracking wood and rotted areas
will be replaced. The Capitol stone
will be inspected by masons and
cleaned of algae and other sub-
stances. As a result of this exterior
work, expect to see scaffolding on
the building.
On the interior, the House and
Senate Chambers will be closed
from May 15 and will reopen on
Oct. 31, 2016, ahead of the next
session in January 2017. The car-
pet in both chambers will be re-
placed and strips of the carpet will
be sold in the capitol gift shop to
pay for the cost of repairs. The
Capitol will remain open for vis-
itors and we hope to see you in
Austin.
By Rep. J. M. Lozano
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Each year, thousands of visitors
from around Texas and around
the world visit the Texas State
Capitol. Taller than the Capitol in
Washington, D.C., the Texas Cap-
itol is a treasure that we all can be
proud of. Big changes are coming
to the building in 2016 and you
should be prepared in case you
are planning a school field trip or
family vacation to Austin.
For the first time in 22 years,
beginning in January, the State
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American's retirement:
Save a little
Editor & Publisher
Brittney Hall
editor@aransaspassprogress. com
Advertising
John D. Bowers
advertising@amnsaspasspmgress.com
Reporter
Jesica Parsley
jparsley@aransaspassprogress.net
By Glenn Mollette
Most Americans rely heavily on So-
cial Security, but it’s not enough to retire
on. There are numerous stories and sta-
tistics about worrisome Americans and
retirement. The average American is not
saving enough for retirement. Millions
who are in low wage jobs are barely able
to survive. There is simply not enough
income in many instances to even cov-
er life’s necessities. You can’t save money
when you are barely making it. However,
there are also plenty of stories of Ameri-
cans who simply will not try to save any
money.
I am amazed at what even saving a
small amount will do. Even if you can put
just a few dollars aside every month the
amount will grow at least some. Here is
a case in point. About 40 years ago I was
a teenage preacher boy. Liberty Baptist
Church outside of Paintsville, Kentucky
hired me to be their pastor. I know that’s
hard to believe, but true.
Harold Rice was the only deacon in
the church and was a very kind and wise
man.
except reflectively. I was always apprecia-
tive of Mr. Rice and the church.
For some reason last week I re-
searched the status of that little fund
and was shocked. I learned that those
handfuls of $6 contributions had grown
and would pay our family about $250 or
more a month at age 65. I couldn’t be-
lieve it.
$250 a month could pay for a trip to
the grocery store or buy a couple of tanks
of gasoline. Who knows? However one
thing I know is that over twenty years
those small $6 contributions could pay
out about $60,000 or more of retirement
income.
We need to keep trying to save a few
dollars whenever we can. Pay into a 401k
or put some into an IRA. Do something.
Try to put some into a bank account just
to have in case you need it. Also, don’t
feel too bad about all those Social Secu-
rity taxes you pay.
One husband and wife I know collect
over $6000 a month in Social Securi-
ty pay. Plus they had extensive medical
treatments performed a couple of years
ago that cost Medicare over $400,000.00.
The average American could never pay
that kind of medical bill.
Start as young as you can but even se-
niors can save. Put a little money aside
and don’t touch it. Your money will
grow. Sometimes, even when it’s only $6
a month.
Glenn Mollette is an American Syndi-
cated Columnist and Author. He is the au-
thor of 11 books and read in all 50 states.
Bookkeeping
Melissa Welborn
bookkeeping@aransaspassprogress.com
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Circulation
Michael Hembree
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Contributors
Richard Gonzales
Annita West
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The Aransas Pass Progress
(USPS 028-900) is published
weekly by Granite Pub-
lishing Partners Inc., 346 S.
Houston St., Aransas Pass,
Texas 78336. Second Class
postage paid at Aransas
Pass, TX. Postmaster: Send
address changes to The
Aransas Pass Progress, P.O.
Box 2100 Aransas Pass, TX
78335.
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Courtesy photo
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rates:
Letter to the Editor
The church paid me $60 a month but
Mr. Rice insisted that my salary package
included the church paying $6 a month
into a retirement fund administered by
the church’s denomination.
I could not have cared less about re-
tirement. I was seventeen. The salary
arrangement probably lasted about 18
months because I moved on to attend
college. This means the church might
have paid into the fund about $108. I
actually never thought anything about it
Do something about illegal dumping
The matter of illegal dumping has been ongoing for 2-3 years. I left the pictures
for use with this letter to the newspaper, and I'm hoping this letter can help get
something done to get the trash cleaned up. The illegal dumping is located at 12th
and Pace. I talked with Jim Price a while back about the dumping, and he said, "If
you pay me, I'll come get it." Nothing has been done and it just keeps piling up.
Ray Escott
Concerned resident
Subscribe at 361-758-5391
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THE INGLESIDE
THE ARANSAS PASS
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Fax: 361-758-5393
www.aransaspassprogress.com
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Hall, Brittney. The Aransas Pass Progress (Aransas Pass, Tex.), Vol. 107, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 13, 2016, newspaper, January 13, 2016; Aransas Pass, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1143153/m1/4/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Ed & Hazel Richmond Public Library.