mattyt36

Interesting spelling, too. “According to Gallop,” i.e., the things that horses do and not the well-known polling organization. A check of the headlines on the site quickly shows it’s partisan tabloid trash, which sounds absolutely appropriate for the demographic that is constantly whining about “media bias.” It is literally a website from a Republican PAC masquerading as a news site for the either the entirely gullible or the rabid fanatic. Nuff said. I feel like there’s a good chance that frequent visitors of this yellow press site had home subscriptions of the National Enquirer and Weekly World News back in the day. Unfortunately, they probably had to clear out their home archives to store Ivermectin and their testicle tanning beds.

And planning for the Grand Parkway started in the 1960s! 🤣

But that's not really what he's doing, is it? He has announced he is suing to overturn Pyler v Doe, which would end the federal mandate to school all children. He is not seeking increased funding, and if he wins, there won't be any increased funding. Just a bunch of school-age undocumented immigrants--most of them here through no fault of their own--with nothing to do all day. Again, what could possibly go wrong? Anyway, there's not an ounce of strategy or real policy "chops" in Texas Republican Party politics--just the political spectacle. These people are all now so high on their own supply (criminalizing parents of transgender children and turning neighbor against neighbor when it comes to abortions), they have to get even more of a rush by taking the culture wars even farther--to the absolute detriment of Texans. The minimum requirement for a governor should be that the person is actually interested in governance, not stoking culture wars, or what's more likely, coming in 10th in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. What a waste, and we're just along for the ride.

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 As my grandmother would say, you're a real hoot and a holler! Very special, indeed. I'll forgive you for not knowing how to search the HPL card catalog (apologies for my antiquated terms there, Ed . . . it's called a "metaphor"). Since you enlightened me with a very "on-topic" link that gave me great information on how to get a replacement social security card should I ever lose mine, let me do you one better: Catalog - HPL (sirsi.net) (I mean, wow . . . amirite?) "You'll forgive me if" I ask the following question: "You have rhetoric?" Cuz I haven't seen it. I mean I guess one could describe it as "passive-aggressive," "condescending," "arrogant" . . . but most importantly of all . . . absolutely empty. You make a sweeping generalization, someone points it out, and you say, "This has all been discussed and the answer is as I say. And, oh and by the way, let me educate you . . . there are books in the Houston Public Library, but I won't tell you which one explains it all." I mean, surely you must realize how infantile that is. But . . . ya . . . just . . . can't . . . engage on the points that you made. An "I was being simplistic, but I think what I said was the primary theme that got us to where we were today" would be entirely understandable and defensible. Instead . . . yeah. Anyway, I certainly can say I see you--and pretty clearly--buddy. So, maybe I would ascribe the adjective "prideful" to your rhetoric as well. It's quite obvious that you do have an interest in taking it further astray. Why, well, you responded . . . quelle surprise. Just fish for an ounce of humility and meditate on that for a minute. And after you meditate on that, you can meditate on the fact that this all started with the comment: Is that particularly "on topic" vis-a-vis the 59-610 interchange construction? How about your extraordinarily "on-topic" link to usa.gov? I mean--if anyone has gotten us "off-the-rails" (warning: METAPHOR!), it's you, Ed. (And, if you want to start a new topic, I'm sure you've got a button or two to do that as a Moderator even more easily than I do. The added plus is that you--as Moderator--gets to curate what posts go into that thread, which I'm quite confident has to be appealing to your personality. Sadly, I think this post will end in another outcome altogether because, between the two of us, only one of us can say "Because I said so" as if it's any real justification . . . in fact there's a whole thread to prove that's exactly how you think.)

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 WHOA BOY. Another person on a discussion forum who . . . doesn't . . . like . . . to . . . discuss . . . and he's the guy who started it all! Well, the irony is not lost on me. (❤️ Long live HAIF . . . thank you Ed!) Very Joel Osteen. Don't think you're the one to lecture me in rhetorical techniques, buddy. (I feel obligated to say, "And refusing to even ATTEMPT to answer logical questions doesn't make you right, either," but that's for another day . . . what a dumb thing to say, BTW, surely must have felt better at the time.) Your argument as presented is: "Oh those highways, all about the unions and the politicians, they all suck at that government teat" "BTW, stage coaches" And, finally, "What I say is true is because of a link to the Houston Public Library and usa.gov." Quick check of the card catalog says there are books in there that don't agree with your take. So, instead of being so emotional, why not engage on the points? As someone important once wrote, "HAIF is better than that"

No FOX News outlet there, although maybe if Tucker does a "road show" at the Hunter Biden laptop repair shop (what a story!), maybe Greg from Gregg Co will phone a friend (Rebekah Mercer?) for some cash to bus them up there.

Oh yippee, Gov Hot Wheelz wants to ban instruction of undocumented immigrants. How totally Christian of him. What could possibly go wrong with a bunch of uneducated poor kids who can’t get a job? Obviously another cog in his brilliant crimefighting strategy. Either that or maybe Hot Wheelz visited Managua recently and liked what he saw. Or the most likely scenario, that he’s jealous of all the attention Governor “Gin Blossom” DeSantis is getting and wants to make sure he can poll at least 2% in the 2024 presidential primary. Regardless, one thing’s for sure … he’s not doing what’s in the interest of the State of Texas. What an odious excuse of a human being, a man who doesn’t even know what the words “good governance” means and a total embarrassment to boot.

What a bunch of brainwashed idiots, eh? That's certainly not indicative of any legitimate demand. If only they listened to the self-appointed experts who obviously know what's better for them. 🙄

It was? Well if it was "completely documented in the media at the time and in books since then," I'm sure alternative points of views have also been "completely documented." What do they say? What is the cost per mile of heavy rail versus freeway? What is the comparative operating cost? If one assumes a long-distance national road network is also needed (recall the National Defense Highway System), how much increased federal spending are we talking here? How would such requirements not result in much reduced access for many communities across the country? What private sector transportation industry gets continuous substantial federal government subsidy? How much subsidy (versus user fees paid via gas taxes) does the federal government pay today to maintain the best interstate highway system in the world? What is the public benefit of railroads versus public roadways vis-a-vis the relative level of investment?

Well, that's a bit cynical and simplistic to say the least. How many construction workers in Texas are unionized? (I honestly don't know, but my guess is not many.)

Well aware of the definition of textualism. "Certain conservative circles," which, might I point out, include the former president, who is the current de facto party head and likely 2024 nominee. The former president, with the support of many other Republicans, actively tried to overturn the 2020 election with no basis for doing so. I'd say that's actively plotting to dismantle our current system. Yes, yes it is. Willful ignorance, one might call it. And, while we're on the topic of history, let's consider how many times things started this way and didn't work out well in the end. Barroom talk? Yeah, a very famous putsch got started that way. Not exactly the innocuous image I would want to conjure. Um, Augie, buddy, I have nothing against the First Amendment. It used to be the case we would hold our leaders--elected or otherwise--to higher standards and expect them to exercise restraint, deference, and humility. It's clear one party does not value that anymore ("But he fights!") and prefers a steamroller approach. That should scare everyone because, at the end of the day, Mr Cynic, you know the politicians don't care about the citizens. It's not a bargain we should make so freely while tossing caution to the wind.

Well I guess that’s ONE interpretation. (And here I thought you Baylor grads were all textualists.) Tell me, how did you come to the conclusion that a candidate for US Senate was just “shooting the flurf” so to speak when fantasizing about dismantling the current system of government? Tell us, what was he REALLY saying there, Augie?

(I know this won’t go anywhere, but …) TELL US MORE, @Blue Dogs You’ve started this wonderful conversation about Crime Stoppers, filled with facts and all So enlighten us on this topic as well, please I suppose—obviously principled and totally levelheaded guy that you are—the fact that she has to hire private security because she can’t trust the Harris County Constables to do so is, er, “just another day at the office,” certainly not a DISGRACE

Absolutely piercing and insightful analysis, as always. (Or is it more of an incantation?) All true. In a normal year she wouldn’t get very far down my highly rigorous scoring system and flowchart (in fact, Stanford gets fewer points than Harvard … recall I did not vote for Lina in 2018), but Man Hands fails on the most important test … is the candidate batflurf crazy? It usually correlates with two other critical questions on the list (1) does the candidate have the endorsement of Mattress Jesus, and (2) how positively does @Blue Dogs feel about the candidate?

Truisms are not cynical, Augie!

Well I will say that was one of the potential type of responses I had on my list. I believe the young uns call that “deflection.” But I guess it could be worse!

Surely you're not THAT slow of a reader, Augie. I'm interested in your thoughts . . . it's a key piece of evidence in judging just how cynical you are, buddy!

Well, I am embarrassed, Man Hands does not have the ties to Cuba, but rather the grandparents fled the Spanish Civil War for Mexico, which is essentially the same at the end of the day. Spanish Civil War refugees :Mexican politics :: Cuban refugees:American politics. BUT accuracy is important, so MEA CULPA. Anyway, same brand. Don't know what it is with these first generationers who feel so entitled to enter American politics to "keep America from becoming Cuba," I mean, talk about egoistic and transferring your own neuroses on to others. (See Cruz, Teduardo, Li'l Marco, and more than half of the Miami-Dade government.) And she has lived in Houston all of what, a decade and thinks she can "save us" from "the state of utter lawlessness that continues to grip our entire county"? (Her words, not mine, mind you.) Harvard JD and MBA? Has to make the entitlement even worse. I mean, no thank you . . . VOMIT. Go back to California, I hear they need your help . . . don't run away from the real problems, there, Alexandra. I dunno, ask Steve Hotze. And Lance Berkman. I believe they run the Harris County Bathroom Police.

Trump taught us all the importance of nicknames. It was a close contest between Man Hands and The Crazy Cubano, but Man Hands won the day … they’re huge and really reinforce her mannish aesthetic, and the other one is, well, just redundant. (Anyway, hope she uses the right restrooms … maybe that’s why Steve Hotze didn’t endorse her. At least she got the nod from the Mattress King.)

Oh great, on one hand we have a potential County Judge touting his endorsement by the My Pillow guy and the infamous Steve Hotze, on the other hand we have whack-job Man Hands Mealer. But that's what Republican primary voters want. If they ran Ed Emmett again, he'd probably have a great chance of winning. Of course if Lina didn't seem so out of touch this wouldn't be such a competitive race to begin with. I wonder what Sylvester thinks of her.

NO, SIR. These things can be measured. It is very lopsided. This has been written about plenty. The conservative media ecosystem has evolved into a very effective and self-reinforcing propaganda network. It's why so many people on the right so readily believe such crazy, crazy flurf. That said, I don't watch any cable news. I can see very clearly with my own eyes. A bunch of people storming up the steps of the U.S. Capitol trying to assassinate the Vice President isn't a "misstep" by the Capitol Police or some spontaneous, chance event. They were encouraged to do so. Shrug your shoulders all you want, but there is no modern parallel in U.S. history and it represents a serious threat to every one of our livelihoods to have the Overton window moved so far in the past decade that "mainstream" candidates for one political party openly talk about Civil War.

So, in other words, a policy change entirely within their legal jurisdiction, but of course when the flow of funds dries up we shouldn't be surprised that people engage in fearmongering like what was involved in that press release (e.g., "crime is out of control"). It seems to be a common theme in Harris County elections, I'm sure all orchestrated at the state party level--see the (opinion!) disingenuous rhetoric on "Man Hands" Mealer's website: Back the Blue and Lock Up Violent Criminals One of the primary motivations behind my decision to run for Harris County Judge was the state of utter lawlessness that continues to grip our entire county. Whether strolling along the bayou, picking up groceries or even attending an Astros game, residents are now rolling the dice on whether they will encounter a violent, repeat offender. While it is clear that our residents are not safe, we have now reached such a state of crisis that our law enforcement are being routinely murdered by violent, repeat offenders. In fact, in the three years since Judge Lina Hidalgo took office, more officers have been murdered than the prior decade. This is outrageous and cannot continue. Hogwash. If anyone literally believes the above, they should seek psychological counseling for paranoia. Can anyone say "violent, repeat offender"? How about three times? Here's a question for "Man Hands"--exactly how many law enforcement officers (or others for that matter) have been killed by "violent, repeat offenders" that were released due to the policy of bail reform? Methinks the answer is probably 0, or else she'd happily cite the actual number. (BTW, does the language sound like that used by anyone else on this thread? I have no idea who would want such a total crackpot as the county executive. She has zero experience . . . it's all performative--she's just a tool to shore up "red" votes in Harris County for the upcoming statewide and 2024 presidential elections. But I digress.) The above said, I can see why people would ask, "Why would we NOT make criminals pay into such an organization, especially in an environment of rising crime?" Or "Any murder is 1 too many." Of course it is--that is not up for debate--but, sorry Toto, it is not reality! But people can't have a good faith conversation about that (see OP).

@Ross buck up man! You'll see them! Never let go!

As far as I can tell this DeisoMoss hasn't built anything and doesn't even have a website. The loan they secured was a $26.1MM mortgage bridge loan, which is peanuts. If I were a betting man, I'd go with @wxman More power to them, of course, if I'm wrong.

Well, I could take the Augie approach here and say "Both parties have at least some messaging that's awful" or "stick to my guns" (cuz I know Augie likes them so much) and say, no, I think the main problem is the Democratic Party is awful at messaging. Why? Because its messaging is done by someone else. So much of America has been so well "groomed" by the conservative media, corrupt religious leaders, and the private sector that fully one-third-plus of the country thinks that Democrats are socialists, baby killers, gun-takers, unpatriotic, anti-military, pro-crime, anti-family--anyway, the list goes on and on. What Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance, and Others Are Learning From Curtis Yarvin and the New Right | Vanity Fair Vance described two possibilities that many on the New Right imagine—that our system will either fall apart naturally, or that a great leader will assume semi-dictatorial powers. “So there’s this guy Curtis Yarvin, who has written about some of these things,” Vance said. Murphy chortled knowingly. “So one [option] is to basically accept that this entire thing is going to fall in on itself,” Vance went on. “And so the task of conservatives right now is to preserve as much as can be preserved,” waiting for the “inevitable collapse” of the current order. He said he thought this was pessimistic. “I tend to think that we should seize the institutions of the left,” he said. “And turn them against the left. We need like a de-Baathification program, a de-woke-ification program.” “I think Trump is going to run again in 2024,” he said. “I think that what Trump should do, if I was giving him one piece of advice: Fire every single midlevel bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people.” “And when the courts stop you,” he went on, “stand before the country, and say—” he quoted Andrew Jackson, giving a challenge to the entire constitutional order—“the chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.” This is a description, essentially, of a coup. Before you say this is an "isolated incident," "most people are like this," or "every party has its kooks," this guy is (1) on Fox News every other night; (2) got Trump's full-throated endorsement; and (3) is poised to be the next Senator from Ohio. This is the id of today's Republican Party. Just read the first message on this thread--he's speaking their language. (I wasn't going to even mention the fact that his campaign is being bankrolled by a German gay multibillionaire Silicon Valley "elitist," but it's too rich to pass up.) All I can say is I sincerely hope you are right. I do appreciate the dialogue, as always @august948