Thursday, November 8, 2007

Top Shelf

By Noah

As you may already know all sixteen amendments propositions will be added to the Texas State Constitution. The GOP is not worried about losing a state House seat even though prior to the runoff election Democrat attorney Dan R. Barrett had received 32% of Tuesday’s vote with his opponent Republican Mark Shelton at 23%. Excited to find out who will win? I am. The one that wins will take 76 year old state representative Ann Mowery’s place thru 2008. Mowery retired after 19 years of service in the conservative district. Mayor Bill White of Houston is re-elected by a landslide. Currently interesting news: Democrat White is considering running for governor in 2010. Proud mayor will serve next 2 years of his third term as a popular leader in a city with crime, drainage, and property tax problems. White has a good chance for bid if he can reduce taxes and cut fat.

The House has approved the 471 billion dollar defense budget. The Pentagon received a 40 billion dollar increase in budget. The bill passed 400-15 on Thursday, but does not include President Bush’s 196 billion dollar war money request for operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill however does include a 12 billion dollar infusion for the troops’ new bomb resistant vehicles. There is a House-Senate compromise on 12 appropriations bills for this budget year beginning October 1, that Bush will supposedly sign into law. The President promises to veto any Democrat-driven domestic program increases. The House will vote as early as Friday on legislation for spending as much as 50 billion dollars for the war with the clear intention that President Bush begins bringing troops home. This is only enough money for four months of the war and is significantly less than the president’s requested 196 billion dollars. The bill would require troop withdrawals to begin immediately up to ending combat by December 2008. Democrats are reported to be holding a shaky majority and will have much trouble overriding a Bush veto.

Congress has just overridden a Bush veto for the first time though on Tuesday. The 23 billion dollar water resources bill was enacted with a 79-14 vote. The president claims that he is standing up for tax payers and is budget conscious and will not spend on every little project out there that will benefit these Congress peoples in their districts. Bush has not vetoed too many bills since he has been in office and clearly objected to the WRDA Act as being too expensive.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas is in the news again and has had another 1.3 million dollars added to coffers from a rather successful fund-raiser held in River Oaks. President Bush attended and met with space shuttle Discovery astronauts and their families. State Representative Rick Noriega of Houston it seems will have a long way to go to at least semi-match him on campaign funds. I feel hard work will pay off now not later like an ant and a grasshopper who? will make food storage for the long winter a top priority.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5285633.html

POSTED BY NOAH AT 6:41 PM 0 COMMENTS

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