Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 2, 2006 Page: 3 of 22
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Murray and Mary Judson
Co-Publishers
Mary Judson
; Editor
Phone (361) 749-5131 E-mail: southjetty@centurytel.net
T : :
Port Aransas South Jetty
Opinion
Member:
South Texas Press Association
Texas Gulf Coast Press Association
Texas Press Association
National Newspaper Association
Thursday, November 2,2006 3A
Dave
McNeely
Texas politics
Could a Demo
win help Bush?
President Bush is travel-
ing the country, campaign-
ing hard to try to keep the
Republicans in charge of
the embattled Congress.
But the final two years
of his presidency might
go smoother if it doesn't
work.
Bush and his political
guru, Karl Rove, confi-
dently say that Repub-
licans will continue in
power in both the House
and Senate. But several
knowledgeable tea-leaf
readers disagree.
The Cook Report, for instance, predicts
Democrats will gain from 20 to 35 seats in the
House. Anything over 15 gives them control.
And in the Senate, where Democrats need six
seats to assume control, Cook predicts they'll
gain four for sure and perhaps as many as
six.
While a Democratic takeover of at least
one House could be troublesome for the Bush
Administration, because of the committee
chairmanships and investigative power that go
with it, Bush might get a chance to re-embrace
bipartisanship.
Bush's most user-friendly and probably hap-
piest days as a chief executive were during the
six years he spent as Texas governor. Because
there were Democratic majorities in the Texas
House and Senate when Bush became governor,
he wisely followed counsel to develop close and
cooperative relationships with House Speaker
Pete Laney and the Senate's presiding officer,
Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock.
Three of Bush's four stated goals - reforming
education, juvenile justice and welfare - were
already under study by the Legislature. Laney
and Bullock got them passed, and let Bush take
much of the credit.
The friendships of the three leaders became
such that Bullock endorsed Bush not just for
re-election in 1998 over Bullock's protegee,
Garry Mauro, but also, for president. When
Bush was finally declared the victor of the
hotly contested Florida vote,, he .asked Laney
to introduce him to a national audience in the
Texas House chamber.
But when Bush got to Washington, he found
a partisanship so mean-spirited that his own
Republicans, like Tom DeLay, ate the olive
branches even before Bush could extend them
to the Democrats.
Bush's insistence on tax cuts and a hard-line
foreign policy sold by Vice President Dick
Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld, to overcome what they thought were
^President George H. W. Bush's mistakes, have
-"had the opposite effect. Rather than make the
{son look good, they have restored the father's
.'luster.
Had there been more Democrats to force
& more moderate course, W might have been
^saved from himself. And he might not be
{confronted with a job approval rating in the
::30s.
( There are certainly other reasons Washington
/isn't as warm and fuzzy as Austin: three times
fas many legislators, not in the same building
fas the governor, some so rabidly partisan they
^should be fitted with face masks. Visiting with
.them required not just a 30-second walk and
rthe offer of a cigar, but a two-mile safari in a
*;23-car motorcade with enough firepower to
Hnvade Cuba.
| Of course, it may not happen. The Democrats
-'may not take over the House, much less the Sen-
ate. If they do, W might have changed enough
Rafter six years in Washington that he prefers
(confrontation to cooperation.
/ And there's always the prospect that, should
^he Democrats gain control of at least one
house, it will have been so long since they've
experienced getting along that they don't know
how.
But maybe, just maybe, things will work out
so that bipartisanship can be rescued from its
21st Century Washington definition as a dirty
word.
And So On.... The Republicans' hope to pick
up a Texas seat was the Waco-based 17th, that
includes W's Crawford ranch. But Democratic
incumbent Chet Edwards, who survived a tough
challenge two years ago, is polling well enough
over Republican Iraq war veteran Van Taylor
that the National Republican Campaign Com-
mittee pulled the plug on a Dallas TV buy.
Reach McNeely at dmcneely@austin.
rr.com or (512) 458-2963.
South Jetty
(946-020)
Pays Periodicals Postage at
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$7
h
Hill
llll till
A-
A Texas voice
I
Vote choice is easy with negative campaigns
Six more days.
After next Tuesday, the assaults by politi-
cians who have come at voters from every
direction will be over.
I don't know about you, but I'm sick of the
negativity, the distortions and what in some
cases may be outright lies by candidates for
county, state and federal positions.
I've had a belly full and have just about de-
cided not to vote for any candidate who has run
a campaign based not on her merits, but instead
on the negatives of her opponent.
Uh-uh. It's not working for me.
If a candidate can't tell me why she is the
better person for a position, and must rely on
telling me not to vote for her opponent, that
candidate has given me no reason to vote for
her/ Sol won't.- That doesn't mean I'll vote for
her opponent. I just won't vote for her.
The truth is, my vote is not going to be based
on 30-second sound bites by any candidate,
positive or negative. That's like electing some-
one to a position of leadership because you like
her outfit. Not a good idea. It could change,
you know.
As much as I dislike the
negative campaigning, I
have to admit that the can-
didates are responding to
the public's insatiable ap-
petite for dirt. They're giv-
ing us what too many of us
hunger for. By accusing one
another of being against
~ "God, motherhood and
h enkel app^e p*e" ~our verycore
■ values - they are drawing
judson us into the fray by playing
—— with our emotions.
It's dirty politics at its
best, which brings Out the worst in all of us.
It takes a large ego to be a politician, first off
to promote yourself well enough to get elected,
and secondly (maybe this should be first) to be
tough enough to take defeat.
If you are elected, you've got a rough row to
hoe. You are never "off'. You never have time
to yourself. You are probably seldom alone.
Your family must share you with thousands,
sometimes millions or billions
Being an elected official is not easy and it's
not for everyone. It is a huge commitment by
the politician as well as her family.
I admire any person who presents herself for
public service in this way, whether I agree with
her political positions or not. I respect the dedi-
cation to community, county, state or country
that it takes to be a politician, egos aside.
But I'm sick of the mud slinging.
At some point, voters have got to develop
some character, some class, some backbone,
and say "no" to negative campaigning.
I don't want someone representing me who
got there by putting down her opponent. I want ;
to elect my representative based on the qualities
she brings to the table that makes her the better
person for the position.
Personally, I've never been impressed by
those who have to put others down to make
themselves look good. It's no different in
politics.
Shouldn't take me long to vote.
Sage observation
I
Revising Austin driving
I love Austin, first of all, for allowing me
to be born here. Secondly, because it's 200
miles closer to Port Aransas than Waxahachie,
Brownwood, Fort Worth or Dallas.
Another lovable feature is the finishing of
an alternate route that will enable trucks to go
around Austin rather than head-on straight.
Another change I'd make if I were king
would be to change school time from 9:30 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. Now that would mean, of course,
a change in education for safer driving. So I
would eliminate Algebra I and II, and drop
ancient history as well as chemistry and after
school penalties for punishment.
Now, another change I'd make: U.T. football
games be played from 1
o'clock to 5 o'clock. I'm
sure that would solve a lot
of heavy traffic problems.
Uh, by the way, that would
be 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. Hook
'em horns with lights.
Now, Congress Avenue
is, in my opinion, one of
the finer boulevards in the
United States as well as
in Texas. So, to show our
respect for our historic
boulevard, reinstate the
original transportation with a slight change in
m m
Cactus
Pryor
vehicles. No cars except those manufactured
before 1920, to give us a better view of our
gorgeous state capitol and determine how the
fishing is as you drive across the Colorado
River Bridge.
Horse carriages would be allowed, but only
with proper clothing for the pullers that would
keep streets clean.
And then there's the Drag, the street that
borders the University of Texas. It should be
armed with guards that would allow only UT
graduates with degrees in adult behavior to
motor through.
So, happy driving, everyone. I'll see you at
driver's school.
No new noise law
A proposal to revise the noise ordinance
would curtail the ability of outdoor live music
venues to continue. I hope our city leaders will
think hard before passing such legislation.
Art, theater, literature and music are an inte-
gral part of any community's cultural heartbeat.
I enjoy listening to music under the stars in a
smoke-free, family-friendly atmosphere, and I
always see visitors enjoying the music. Don't
these visitors spend money at our restaurants
and retailers?
I understand that if this proposal passes, it
would mean the loss of seven jobs at one venue,
and force another out of business.
I was involved with this about three years
ago as the council labored over a similar situa-
tion. The idea then was to establish measurable
volume levels so authorities, complainants and
business owners could know at the push of a
button on a decibel meter whether the volume
was at the legal level or not. A tremendous
amount of time was spent on the ordinance
revision. Was that effort for naught? Can one
invest in business in Port Aransas knowing
that the laws concerning its operation will be
upheld, or is it too risky because ordinances are
not enforced and, instead, rewritten to accom-
modate the vocal minority?
I hope our city council will realize that the
proposed revision could put some businesses
out of business!
We must protect homeowners' rights as well,
but it appears that this issue concerns one very
fine business and one homeowner. Rather than
throw such a big blanket on such a small fire,
might it be more appropriate for the business
in question to modify its sound deadening
method to lower the volume for the nearby
homeowner?
To my knowledge, nothing about the live
music community has changed for the worse
since the last revision. It would be more pru-
dent to enforce the existing ordinance rather
than write a new one. Will we be rewriting it
in another three years?
Scott Lagedrost
Port Aransas
Looking to learn
Our fourth grade class is currently study-
ing the regions of the United States. We are
learning about each state and its environment,
landforms and special places of interest.
We are asking for your help. We would
like people to send us postcards that show us
what your state is like. This would give us
the opportunity to get a first-hand look at your
state and help us to become aware of the great
country we live in. If you would like to write
a note on back we would appreciate it.
We want to take this opportunity in advance
to thank you for helping us make learning a
fun and rewarding experience. We appreciate
your help.
Jackie Shier
Fourth grade class
C/O Peshtigo Elementary Learning Center
341 N. Emery Ave.
Peshtigo, WI 54157
Who's writing laws?
It's time to watch out for council members
gone wild again. Somehow the Planning and
Zoning Commission has gotten into writing a
noise ordinance. It's my understanding that
they designate property as residential, com-
mercial or industrial or variations of each.
Their plan says that your dishwasher or vacuum
cleaner are too loud to use after 10 p.m. Ordi-
nary conversation, according to the American
Speech Language - Hearing Association,
which they quote, is too loud. They want 60
to 65 decibels. Give me a break. My window
unit is louder than that. Perhaps the city attor-
ney can tell us which part of the Constitution
affords us all "equal protection under the law."
Even badly played music cannot be singled out
from the other loud sounds of the island.
I remember when the current ordinance was
approved. It took into consideration that almost
every boat on the island is louder than the 80 to
85 decibels that our surf produces. Hewitt and
Patsy Krauskopf will see their property is more
than 100 feet from Pelican's Landing, and the
statute gives them relief, and it's not up to the
officer to interpret. This new plan to stop live
music at 10 p.m. must stop friends from talk-
ing on their patios, no boats or car traffic, AC
units, et cetera after 10 p.m. What time could
our ferries start back up in the morning?
It seems that almost every restaurant in town
has gone to live music on weekends. When
they close at 10 or 11 p.m., the nightspots have
live music. Is this a back door attempt to put
them out of business? If we let the P&Z be used
to help or hurt businesses unfairly, then your
home or business may be next. They don't like
the smell of the food you serve, the sound of
your heavy equipment, Mr. Mayor, or the boat
in your yard. Maybe they just want to build
Please see 'Letters,' Page 6A
You might take
me out of Texas
With people coming from
all over the country - and
some from other countries
- to this little "town" of just
over a thousand people at
McMurdo Station, Antarc-
tica, it would seem natural
that folks might gravitate
to others with whom they
share interests or back-
grounds. Steve
Actually, I started finding MARTAINDALE
those people even before
we got all the way to the
Ice.
I got to know Jim a bit during our orienta-
tion in Denver. He's about my age and, even
though he lives in Colorado now, he was born
in Gainesville, Texas. My family lived in
neighboring Grayson County for 14 years, I
told him.
When our group reached Christchurch, New
Zealand, Jim and I had neighboring rooms in a
backpackers' inn (basically a room with beds
and a shared bath down the hall), and we ended
up spending more time together.
Our first night in Christchurch, a bunch of
us who were headed for Antarctica ended up
in an Indian restaurant. I sat next to a young
woman who just graduated college last year.
Come to find out, she's from Houston. Even
though Etosha's a big-city girl and went to
college in Boston, we had a lot to talk about
and we usually find ourselves eating together
at the galley once or twice a week.
Our last night in New Zealand, Jim was
craving a good, old steak. He remembered a
place from his last trip through here and finally
found directions to it. Believe it or not, it was
the Lone Star Grill. Sure enough, thousands
of miles below the equator, we ate steak in a
restaurant with a Texas flag on the wall. The
other decorations included local sports stars
and more Texas decorations, as well as plain
old American posters, but the one that caught
my attention was what I guess was a meeting
room where we waited until the restaurant was
actually open. - v
It was th£ TacTc Ruby Ro'om.
What? Is that the best theycajxdo down here
to represent Texas, a room honoring the man
who killed the man who killed President John
Kennedy? There were several photos of him on
the wall, including the famous image of him
shooting Lee Harvey Oswald.
Even farther south
On to the frozen continent. The third full day
here, I ventured out for Happy Camper snow
school with 19 other people. Come to find out
one of the researchers in our group teaches
at Texas A&M, where I went to school. Yet
another one earned one of his degrees there.
Imagine, three with Aggie ties among this
small group.
The first Sunday in church, a fellow stood
up to lead the small congregation in a cappella
singing. His strong accent led me to approach
him after the service. Yep, his home is a little
more than an hour's drive from ours.
Later, I was interviewing a researcher for a
story. I found out he's from Arkansas, and he
asked what part of Texas I was from.
Pretty much all over, I told him, but I was
raised in the northeastern part of the state, near
Longview.
"Near Longview, huh?" he said. "My daugh-
ter lives in White Rock."
I asked him to repeat it.
"No," he said, "she lives in White Oak."
That's where I graduated high school, I told
him.
But the capper came this morning. Jim
flagged me down in the hallway as I was leav-
ing breakfast. If I got this right, the story is that
his Aunt Pat has been reading these columns in
Sherman, where she lives, and she asked him
if he knew me.
Well, it just so happens...
By the way, Aunt Pat. Jim says, "Hi."
Steve Martaindale is a self-syndicated colum-
nist. Write him at penmanmail-steve@yahoo.
com
Letters to the Editor
Deadline:
Monday, 10 A.M.
Letters to the editor should be limited to about
300 words • contain a valid signature and
mailing address, day and evening telephone
numbers where the writer may be reached •
names of persons writing letters will not be with-
held from publication • unsigned letters will not be
published «only one letter per person per 30 days
period • letters endorsing or opposing political
candidates are political advertising and should
be taken to the advertising department • all let-
ters are subject to editing • letters of complaint
about private businesses will be forwarded to the
business and will not be published • "thank you"
letters are classified advertising and should go
to the classified ad department
Letters may be mailed to
P.O. Box 1117
Port Aransas, TX 78373
or e-mailed to:
southjetty@centurytel.net
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Judson, Mary Henkel. Port Aransas South Jetty (Port Aransas, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 44, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 2, 2006, newspaper, November 2, 2006; Port Aransas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth409944/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Ellis Memorial Library.