The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 60, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 27, 2010 Page: 4 of 12
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Page 4
The Boerne Star
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Star Editorial
Time to step back,
review the process
While promoting renewable energy and transferring wind power
to rural areas of the state are worthy goals, the devil has been in the
details since legislation was passed to resolve the disparity between
energy production and transmission.
Under the 2005 legislation mandating the development and trans-
mission of renewable energy to improve the reliability of Texas’
power grid, the Texas Public Utilities Commission (PUC) identi-
fied five areas in West Texas as Competitive Renewable Energy
Zones (CREZ) and began development of a massive plan to move
energy produced in the Panhandle and West Texas to the Metroplex
and IH-35 corridor through a network of 2,400 miles of transmis-
sion lines.
LCRA TSC, a non-profit corporation affiliate of the Lower
Colorado River Authority (LCRA) electric wholesaler, had been
developing and proposing routes to build these lines. The PUC
must approve the routes LCRA proposes.
Landowners who have to contend with the 18-story latticework
structures LCRA TSC plans to build want the routes to follow
existing rights of way and respect existing residences, but LCRA
TSC’s preferred routes don’t do that. Property rights advocates
point out that although not a government agency, LCRA as a utility
has power of eminent domain to use against property owners who
object to selling right-of-way for the projects.
Saying their objections have been ignored and their attempts
to participate in the process derailed, several Hill Country cities
and counties, including Kerr and Mason, have passed resolutions
encouraging the PUC to choose the less destructive routes. Land-
owners are organizing and preparing to take their battle to court.
The next showdown comes Wednesday when the PUC meets
in Austin to consider a route for the McCamey D-to-Kendall-to-
Gillespie line.
After hearing the objections of his constituents who own land in
the Comfort area, State Sen. Jeff Wentworth has proposed putting
off the final decision on routes to give the legislature time to deal
with the controversy surrounding route development and selec-
tion. He has enlisted the support of legislators representing other
affected areas and written letters to the chairmen and members of
both the LCRA TSG board of directors and the PUC urging them
to put the process on hold until after the 82nd Legislature convenes
in January.
The PUC should heed Wentworth’s call to step back and let the
legislature review the parameters for selecting routes for the trans-
mission lines.
It’s important the process be fair and one that everyone can live
with - there’s too much at stake.
Letters to the Editor Policy
The Boerne Star welcomes letters on any public issue.
Letters may be mailed, faxed, e-mailed or hand-delivered but must contain
the writer’s name, address and phone number. Addresses and telephone
numbers are for verification purposes only and will not be published. Names
and city of residence will be published. Letters should be short and concise,
long enough only to make your point. We reserve the right to edit all letters
for style and content and refiise letters that would be objectionable to readers.
We also will not publish anonymous letters. Priority will be given to letters
300 words or less that concern local topics and written by people who’ve not
published a letter in the last 30 days.
The Boerne Star does not accept letters to the editor urging voters to
vote for or against candidates in local elections. Endorsements should be
displayed in political advertising. In light of this policy, we reserve the
right to reject or edit letters for references to candidates and whether or
not they should be elected.
Call 249-2441 with questions regarding the submission of letters to the
editor for publication.
Letter to the Editor
PO Box 820 Boerne, TX 78006
news @boernestar.com
Worth Quoting___
“We all have big changes in our
lives that are more or less a
second chance.”
- Harrison Ford
Bible Verse ...
“Therefore, my dear brothers,
stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the
work of the Lord, because you
know that your labor in the
Lord is not in vain.”
- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
THE BOERNE Star
www.boernestar.com
PUBLISHER & EDITOR
Brian Cartwright
EDITORIAL
BOOKKEEPING
I E W P O I N T S
Unemployment benefits extension to help Texans
Out-of-work Texans will have until
Nov. 27 to qualify for unemploy-
ment benefits, the Texas Workforce
Commission reported July 23.
This is thanks to passage by
Congress of the Unemployment
Compensation Extension Act of
2010 on July 22. President Obama
signed the act into law without
delay. About 150,000 Texans had
exhausted their unemployment
benefits, the Texas Workforce Com-
mission said.
According to the U.S. Department
of Labor, the federal government’s
basic extended benefits program
provides up to 13 additional weeks
of benefits when a state is experi-
encing high unemployment.
The national unemployment rate
was 9.5 percent for the month of
June. Texas’ unemployment rate
was 8.2 percent that month.
MILESTONE ARREST IS
MADE
Texas Attorney General Greg
Abbott announced that as of July
13, his office’s Fugitive and Cyber
Crimes units had combined for
more than 2,000 arrests in the last
seven years.
“Thanks to the hard work and per-
severance of these dedicated peace
officers, more than 2,000 criminals
have been taken off the streets and
held accountable for their unlawful
conduct,” Abbott said on July 22.
“We are grateful to the local, state
Letters to the Editor
CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS
Ed Sterling
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
and federal law enforcement offi-
cials from around the state who
helped make this milestone possible
and continue to work with us to
protect Texas families.”
The 2,000th, Kirk Brandon
Muller, 41, of Austin, was arrested
in Travis County for having unau-
thorized contact with a child, a
violation of his mandated parole
requirements.
In 1993 in Travis County, Muller
was convicted on four counts of
indecency with a child by sexual
contact and sentenced to 20 years
in prison. Muller’s victims were
four young girls ranging from nine
to four years old, Abbott’s office
reported.
VETS’ MORTGAGE RATES
LOWEST
Mortgage rates for Texas veterans
hit a record low last week of just
4.33 percent for a 30-year fixed rate
loan, Texas Land Commissioner
Jerry Patterson announced July 22.
Disabled veterans can borrow at
an even lower rate of just 3.83 per-
cent, he added.
“This is great news for Texas vet-
erans,” Patterson said. “Rates this
low help those who served buy
homes now and keep them later.”
The record low rate was set July 16
by the Veterans Land Board, which
Patterson chairs.
Before, the lowest interest rate
ever available to Texas veterans
was 4.51 percent in June 2003.
The highest rate ever offered by the
Veterans Land Board was 10.145
percent in 1985.
UNINSURED VEHICLES ON
DECLINE
Since the launch of the TexasSure
auto insurance verification program
two years ago, the number of unin-
sured vehicles on Texas roads is
showing signs of decline, the Texas
Department of Insurance reported
last week.
Soon after its launch, the data-
base showed that statewide, nearly
one-fourth of vehicles registered in
Texas could not be matched to an
insurance policy.
By June 2010, the number of
unmatched registered vehicles had
declined to 21.65 percent.
TexasSure “uninsured notices”
are sent to the owners of registered
vehicles that appear not to have auto
liability insurance.
Customers are provided with the
vehicle registration information
on file and instructions to resolve
issues. Customers may respond by
mail, phone or online.
The program’s database helps
law enforcement confirm whether
a Texas-registered vehicle has valid
auto liability insurance. It is able
to match nearly all reported auto
insurance policies to a registered
vehicle.
The database has been available to
all 254 county tax assessor-collec-
tors since June 2008 and to Texas
law enforcement since October
2008.
VOTE WOULD HELP CHAR-
TER SCHOOLS
The State Board of Education
on July 23 voted 7-6 to allow up
to $100 million of the Permanent
School Fund to be used to build or
buy buildings the state could lease
to charter schools.
But the funds could be used that
way only with approval from the
attorney general or after passage of
a new legislation.
Presently, the Permanent School
Fund, which is currently worth
about $22 billion, may be used only
to purchase textbooks and other
instructional materials.
DPS CELEBRATES 75TH
ANNIVERSARY
The Texas Department of Public
Safety celebrated its 75th year on
July 25.
To commemorate the anniversary,
20 motorcycle riders left the DPS
office in Austin on a 2,376-mile
tour of the state.
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Copy Editor
Staff Writers
Candace E. Velvin
Kerry Barboza
Kit Brenner
Dave Pasley
Elena Tucker
Office Manager
Sandra Pfeiffer
CIRCULATION
Subscriptions Dana Smith
ADVERTISING
PRODUCTION
Graphic Design
Kristyn Bergman
Stephanie Locke
Marketing Director
Sales
Sales
Frank Shubert
Kolleen Roe
JT Maroney
DISTRIBUTION
Circulation Manager Stephen Bartell
Mitch Shubert
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Chris Woerner, Chris Tilton, Anya Maltsberger
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
Mary Alice Yelverton, Dr. John Kelly, Natalie Morgan, Ed Davis, Anita Porterfield,
Sharon Benedict, Mary Alice Dell, Ken Nietenhoefer, Dr. James Dobson, Ellen
Damstra, Tom Harris, Tom Lanier, Kathy Senkbeil, Ron Warden, Krysta McDaniel,
Paul Barwick, Paula Horner, Bill Ward, Tamara Oesterling, DVM. and Oscar Garcia.
MEMBER OF Texas Press Association, National Newspaper Association,
South Texas Press Association, Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
941 N. School Street • Boerne, TX (UPS 059-740)
830-249-2441 FAX 830-249-4607
THE BOERNE STAR is published twice weekly for $49 per year in Kendall County, $57
elsewhere in Texas and $65 per year outside of Texas by The Boerne Star, 941 N. School St.,
Boerne, Kendall County, TX. 78006. Periodical postage paid at Boerne, TX. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to THE BOERNE STAR, 941 N. School St., Boerne, TX 78006-0820.
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NEWS
WILL BL PLAYING
IN MIAMI... <
YOU MAY NOW
GET ON WITH
Ac
D CE
Don’t blame the unemployed
Kevin Thompson said “people will find work when their unemploy-
ment checks run out.” He is either out of touch with reality, cruel or just
privileged.
There was a picture in this past weekend’s San Antonio Express of an
unemployed architect. Do you think his unemployment check makes
up for the amount of money he was earning while working? Not even
close. In order to receive his unemployment check, he has to search for
work and this must be documented. So he is not sitting around waiting
for his unemployment check to run out before he gets serious about his
job search.
Have you ever lost a job or do you even know anyone who has lost
their job? Jobs are being lost at no fault of the unemployed; it’s just that
the work has dried up. When a person is laid off, his coworkers avoid
him because they feel guilty about retaining their jobs and they don’t
know what to say to help. Your “friends” begin to avoid you as well.
You begin to internalize that you did something wrong and that’s why
you were laid off.
When you put this all together, it is not a pretty picture. Back in the
late 1980s when the bottom fell out of the oil industry, I was laid off.
It took me nearly a year to find another job and when I did, I took a
50-percent pay cut. The job market was bad then, but not as bad as
now. I have real compassion for those who are out of work through no
fault of their own.
I hope you never have this same experience.
- Richard Caldwell, Boerne
Voodoo economics in 21 st Century
Col. DeBerg asks us to be involved in a civil dialogue that follows
logic and stays clear of the myriad fallacies in reasoning. He even sug-
gests looking at a website as to what these are and if you do, you need
look no farther for examples than Mr. Thompson’s “ Who needs lower
taxes?”
Here are some facts Mr. Thompson might want to think about. In the
fall of 1928 the wealthiest 1 percent of the U.S. population received
23.9 percent of all income. Does he recall what happened a year later?
In the spring of 2008 the wealthiest 1 percent here got 23.5 percent of
all income and then what happened that fall.
During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s our great nation was able to create the
best economy in world history and the largest middle class that might
ever be seen. The maximum tax rates during this wonderful period were
between 51 percent and 93 percent but now we will some how destroy
ourselves if the ill-advised tax cuts Bush 43 set in place are allowed to
expire and the richest among us might have to pay not 35 percent but
39 percent!
As for “folks at the bottom” needing the rich to get tax breaks, I would
refer Mr. Thompson to no better expert that Bush 41 who, when he ran
for the Republican nomination in 1979, called this policy “voodoo eco-
nomics” and after eight years of this experiment, when he was elected,
he was forced to raise taxes. It was “voodoo” then, it has been “voodoo”
for the past eight years and I, for one, would like to see logic win out
over the witchdoctors this time.
- John Griffith, Boerne
Texas Drivers: Clip and save this column
Texans planning a summer
vacation that includes instate
driving may want to make a note
of a couple of toll-free numbers.
The first, 800-525-5555, is
printed on the back of all Texas
driver licenses and ID cards,
and is for motorists to use when
reporting a need for non-emer-
gency service.
This toll-free number is not a
substitute for 9-1-1, nor is it a
customer service line to answer
questions pertaining to drivers’
licenses or other Department of
Public Service (DPS) matters.
Some examples when a motor-
ist may call the number include
being stranded with car prob-
lems, reporting hazardous road
conditions or debris on the road.
A motorist may also report obvi-
ously drunk or dangerous drivers
or suspicious activity at a rest
area.
To assist staff members who
answer the call, please be pre-
pared to provide DPS with your
name, cell phone number, vehicle
description when applicable, and
location.
Wireless customers who use
ALLTEL, AT&T/Cingular, Ver-
izon, Sprint, US Cellular and
T-Mobile, may all dial *DPS
(*377) anywhere in Texas to
report non-emergency situations.
Stranded motorists should be
aware that DPS does not provide
free towing service, nor does it
dispatch tow trucks. DPS opera-
tors will refer callers to a local
law enforcement agency.
The Texas Department of Trans-
portation (TxDOT) and some
cities have courtesy patrols that
may be able to assist if a motor-
ist has a flat tire or has run out
of gas.
If a private tow truck or other
non-towing service, such as a
locksmith, is needed, the motor-
ist is responsible for all costs.
In addition to DPS’ toll-free
number to report non-emergency
situations, TxDOT’s toll-free
IN THE TEXAS SENATE
Jeff
Wentworth
TEXAS State
SENATOR
number, 800-452-9292, is the
number to call for daily travel
information, trip planning
assistance and emergency road
condition information.
TxDOT’s website: www.txdot.
state.tx.us is filled with use-
ful information, including road
conditions, such as construction
delays, for all Texas counties.
This site is updated regularly,
so it can help you avoid long
delays or hazardous weather
conditions, even when you are
traveling.
Texas has 80 Safety Rest Areas,
many of which have been reno-
vated and reconstructed. These
new areas, whose locations may
be found on the TxDOT web-
site, are equipped with wireless
Internet.
Stopping to rest may be dou-
bly beneficial at one of the new
rest stops. Drivers can stop and
rest both to fight fatigue and get
information about roads ahead,
even if they are in another
state.
A quick check of surrounding
states’ department of transporta-
tion websites revealed that those
states, like Texas, have travel
information that is updated daily.
In addition to the individual
state’s information, Oklahoma’s
site, for example, includes infor-
mation about surrounding states’
highway conditions.
To avoid inclement weather,
many states schedule their high-
way construction for the summer
months, so checking various
states’ websites for possible con-
struction delays can make
your trip faster, safer and more
pleasurable.
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Cartwright, Brian & Velvin, Candace E. The Boerne Star (Boerne, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 60, Ed. 1 Tuesday, July 27, 2010, newspaper, July 27, 2010; Boerne, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1687125/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Patrick Heath Public Library.