Category: Uncategorized

Mike has some more info on the Lebanon/Israel conflict:

Caught in the middle
Lebanese Christians appear to be right in the middle of what’s going on right now in the Middle East, more so than innocent Israelis under Hezbollah rockets, or Hezbollah fighters and sympathsizers under Israeli attack — but so far, their losses have been fewer.
They sit in a bad spot, which could worsen if Israel does indeed launch a full-scale ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Following is a message from a Lebanese friend…

Lebanon is under siege: Regardless of what your political beliefs are, Lebanon is being destroyed at the time you read this. And there is one thing you can do to help cease the fire: you can make your voice heard against the disaster that’s being forced upon the Lebanese people.
Scream your indignation and call for a cease-fire and for the support of the Lebanese government position.
At a horrible time like this, we ask the international community, our friends, you, to stand together with us and react. Only by showing how united you are, will we be able to achieve massive sensibilization and help Lebanese children have a future.
Take a minute to read the note below: it’s a summary of the main points of the Lebanese government legitimate sensible call for a cease-fire. Print it out and send it by post, by fax, by email to your local government office, to international newspapers, to international TV stations, to the UN headquarters and missions around the world…anything will help. It only takes a minute.
Thank you.

Calling for a Cease-Fire
July 18th, 2006
Israel is destroying Lebanon. It has no right to do so.
Children, women, innocent civilians are being killed by the Israeli attacks. Entire families are being chased out of their home villages. Bridges, roads, airports, ports, highways, energy plants and communication networks are being pounded to the ground. The whole country has been cut off from the rest of the world.
We, Lebanese people, are sad, we are suffering, we are angry, we are determined and mobilized to work together towards saving our nation.
Israel’s initiative is an unfair disproportionate collective punishment inflicted upon Lebanon for the wrong reasons: what is happening today goes beyond the issue of a prisoners exchange.
Neither the government nor the innocent people of Lebanon had been informed or agreed on the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers.
Lebanon is in despair: it’s a humanitarian and economic disaster.
We call for an immediate cease-fire under the auspices of the UN,
We call for the establishment of the government’s sovereignty on all Lebanese territory in cooperation with the UN,
We call for your help to pressure Israel to stop its attacks.
Help us achieve it as soon as possible.
So that Lebanon will survive. Lebanon will survive.

A blogger in Austin has contributed his contribution to the political discussion with a reminder of the 2004 National Republican Platform.
I’m sure Rick will have some fun comments on this one.

Here’s some more info on the minimum wage debate:

A package GOP leaders planned to bring to a vote Friday or Saturday in the House also would renew several popular tax breaks, including a research and development credit for businesses, and deductions for college tuition and state sales taxes, said a spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner.
The wage would increase from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour, phased in over the next three years, said Kevin Madden, the aide to Boehner, an Ohio Republican.
The maneuver is aimed at defusing the wage hike as a campaign issue for Democrats while using its popularity to spur enactment of the Republican Party’s long-sought goal of permanently cutting taxes on millionaires’ estates.
The Senate could take it up next week before leaving on a monthlong recess.

Interviewed Democratic candidate Kerry Horn today.
He’s running against Jim Perry, R-Waxahachie, for State Rep. District 10.
Good interview. Hope I can do the story justice.
Look for the story in Sunday’s WDL. And later here on this blog.

Here are some other thoughts on minimum wage…
I’ve noticed the last few times that I’ve gone to What-a-burger that the price of all their burgers and meals has gone up.
You can’t even by their basic burger meal for less than the minimum hourly wage.
I would guess that a large percentage of the folks working there make minimum wage – I haven’t verified that, I’m just guessing.
So if they have 20 workers making $5.15 and hour and suddenly have to jump to $7.25 per hour, what does that do to the cost of my burger?
I can tell you one thing, unless I’m getting a similar substantial raise, it will be a lot easier for me to curb my appetite for a double meat cheese burger with jalapeanos.
Am I right with my math in thinking that’s a 40 percent raise? I was never good at math, but that’s what I’m coming up with. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
I’d love a 40 percent raise myself, but I don’t exactly see that happening. And even with six years of college* under my belt its really gonna hurt me if prices on everything jump higher to pay for the raise increase.
What do you think?

*Full disclosure: I went to school six years, but still only got a Bachelor’s degree. Unlike my sisters Amy, who did it in four and Kara, who will have her Bachelor’s and Masters in five. Nerds. 😉

From Dallasblog:

In a rare act of acquiescing to political reality Congressional Republicans have scheduled a vote on raising the minimum wage before next week’s August recess. The vote will clearly pass but the GOP is divided. Some 31 conservatives wrote to House Speaker Dennis Hastert opposing any action on the minimum wage but 48 other Republicans with large working class populations demanded a vote. The minimum wage was last raised to $5.15 in 1996. Inflation has eaten away most of the benefits of that increase. The new wage would likely rise to $7.25 to keep pace with inflation. Polls have repeatedly shown overwhelming majorities in support of the increase and many Republicans think it could be a devastating issue if not passed.

In my opinion this is a hard issue to decide upon. No one wants to be the party or congressman to “vote against the poor.” But you also have to look at how raising the minimum wage will affect everyone else. What happens to the guy who’s been working for a year, got a raise and is now making $6 an hour? Now he’s going to have to have his salary raised to $8 or more. To be fair the minimum wage affects everyone at every payscale. Hopefully it will turn out for the best for everyone.