Bad Deeds for 9-16-2011 – Texas Race to the Bottom

 

Republican Wants to Give Charter Schools a Free Pass – An amendment by Rep. Steve King, Republican of Iowa, to H.R. 2218, the Federal Charter Bill, would have removed a requirement that the performance of low-income and minority students and students with disabilities be used to measure the success of charter schools. In other words, King wanted to let charter schools have access to federal expansion grants even if they could not meet the same standards of performance for student subgroups demanded of all regular public schools under federal law. King’s proposal was deservedly shot down by a vote of 374 to 43.

Four members of the Texas delegation in the U.S. House supported Rep. King’s retrograde idea: Republicans Michael Burgess, Louie Gohmert, Ron Paul, and Ted Poe. Republican Rep. Lamar Smith did not vote. The other 27 members of the Texas delegation—18 Republicans and 9 Democrats—joined forces in opposition to the King attempt to lower quality standards for charter schools receiving federal aid.

 

The Plan to Kill School Teacher, Fire Fighter, and Police Retirement Pensions – Bill King, a Houston Lawyer and Texans for Public Pension Reform want to end teacher and other public sector worker pensions. Across this state, everyone from school district support personnel, teacher aides, teachers, fire fighters, police, and other state employees rely on a pension to help them in their old age. Most of these workers are not covered by Social Security. The idea is to gradually phase out defined benefit pensions in favor of defined contribution retirement plans, like 401(k)s.

That doesn’t sit well with people like Max Patterson. He’s the executive director of the Texas Association of Employee Retirement Systems. He says 401(k)s were intended to supplement, not replace, traditional pensions.

 

We’re #1. Thanks Rick! – Under Governor Rick Perry, Texas ranks #1 in several categories among all states, here are a few:

#1 in percentage of uninsured children
#1 in percentage of uninsured population
#1 in percentage of non-elderly uninsured
1st in the amount of carbon dioxide emissions
1st in the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds released into the air
1st in the amount of toxic chemicals released into water
1st in the amount of recognized Cancer causing carcinogens released into the air
1st in the amount of hazardous waste generated

 

More executions than any other state – Under Rick Perry Texas ranks #50 in several categories, here are just a few:

50th place in percentage of population 25 and older with a High School Diploma
50th place in the per capita State spending on mental health
Least percentage of non-elderly Women with health insurance
Last place in the percentage of pregnant women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester

And Texas ranks 50th in Workers’ Compensation Coverage

 

Texas’ Decision to Close Physics Programs Jeopardizes Nation’s Future – The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has to varying degrees cut 60% of the undergraduate physics programs in the state. In 2009, Texas state schools produced 162 B.A./B.S. degrees in physics (and another 38 by its private schools). But Texas produces 50% fewer B.S. physics degrees, per capita, than California. Closing physics programs would therefore seem to be a step in the wrong direction.

The State of Texas is leading the country down an abysmal path. If all the other states were to adopt Texas’ approach, which the State of Florida is already considering, 526 of the roughly 760 physics departments in the US would be shuttered.

College physics programs are the incubators of content-driven K-12 physics teachers that plant the seeds that blossom into future Texas innovators. Physics graduates are direct contributors to economic prosperity. Even at the BS level a physics degree leads to high-paying jobs that fire the engines of innovation. The THECB decision jeopardizes Texas’ overall economic prosperity. And if the Texas model spreads to other states, that nation’s security will surely be put at risk.

 

Republicans Vote to Gut Worker Protections – The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted 238 to 186 to pass the misleadingly named “Protecting Jobs from Government Interference” Act (H.R. 2587). The bill guts worker protections by opening a huge hole in the National Labor Relations Act – a law that has protected American workers for more than 75 years. The bill strips from law the only meaningful remedy available to workers when companies violate their rights, and makes it easier for companies to ship jobs overseas and bust unions.

See how your Representative voted.

Regards,

Jim