Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer When a woman walks into a doctor’s office should Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton walk in too? Should national Republicans like Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and Ted Cruz watch a woman’s exam? Should these politicians make medical decisions for women? Republican politicians in Austin andContinue Reading
Kelley Shannon/Contributing writer Across the state, Texans are keeping a closer eye on their government. They’re asking questions and demanding information. There’s a renewed awareness of our transparency laws. Times of trouble can remind us all that the people have a right to know, and Texas certainly has been enduringContinue Reading
JHS senior Rachae Williams was named 2022 Homecoming Queen at Friday’s coronation. She was escorted by Ashton Williams. Continue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer The death of Queen Elizabeth II reminds me how lucky we are as Americans. We don’t have a monarchy. We have a Republic. The American Republic belongs to all the people, not a single person. Our Republic, however, owes much to the history of the English monarchy.Continue Reading
Ken Bridges/Contributing writer Students begin a new school year with hopes and dreams of better lives. Teachers and administrators similarly have high hopes for their students, trying to create classrooms and schools of the highest quality where these dreams can be nurtured and minds developed, as difficult as this sometimes isContinue Reading
Conservatives have been pretty clear about one aspect of their governing philosophy. They say that they will run government like a business. Liberals, however, see government as public services. The results are dramatically different. Liberal policies shaped American politics after the Great Depression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt provided a role modelContinue Reading
The Democrats in Washington are doing another one of their zillion-dollar smash-and-grabs. This time, it’s Joe Biden’s scheme to forgive $10,000 in student debt for about 43 million Americans who’ve borrowed hundreds of billions of federal dollars to pay for college. Of course, old rich Joe’s not giving his ownContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Between Jan. 20, 2001 and July 14, 2008 prices at the gas pump rose from $1.47 per gallon to $4.11 per gallon. During that extended price rise, two Texas oil men sat in the Oval Office and made decisions. Dramatically, gas prices fell to $1.61 by DecemberContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Every August I remember our history. For professional historians, history is based on documents. Documents give us a look into real time events rather than looking backwards. Documents help us separate reality from storytelling. On Aug. 6, 2001 a Central Intelligence Agent handed George W. Bush aContinue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing writer If you weren’t fearful of government before this week, you should be scared to death by now. This is the United States of America. Not Venezuela. Or is it? Never in our history have we gone after a former president the way the partisans running the BidenContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Just you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it gets better. Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the global recovery from Covid 19 stalled. Global traders panic, driving up prices and clogging supply chains. Market fears of a new, and wider, disruption never materialized, however. Energy supply remainedContinue Reading
Michael Reagan/Contributing writer Lots of perplexed Americans are asking the question, “How did we get here?” They ask how is it that a rich, powerful and generally happy country that was chugging along so smoothly in the 21st century has almost overnight become an economic, social and ideological train wreck.Continue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Misdirection is a common technique used by con men. Con men create a distraction that looks threatening, and then they use it to steal from you. They could bump into you. They could even have accomplishes who start a fake argument. Con men appear often in theContinue Reading
Hunter Bonner/Contributing writer The Founders of this country spoke at great length of the need to have a “civil society”. The very definition of “civility” is, “formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech.” In today’s political and social climate, civility seems to have been thrown out a long time agoContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Benjamin Franklin updated a Medieval saying: “the rotten apple spoils his companion.” This proverb has been handed down to us as “One bad apple spoils the bunch.” If you eat fruits and vegetables regularly, you know this to be true. We also know it’s true for people. Continue Reading
Hunter Bonner/Contributing writer In our system of government, be it federal, state, or local, we elect people to office to represent our views and needs, and to form sound public policy. It is understood by the voters that those people who run for office are volunteering for responsibility and leadership. BeingContinue Reading
Dear Editor: Our city council members, other government officials both elected and appointed and employees need to hear something they do not want to hear. Dear Local Government: The citizens of Jefferson do not trust you. You have failed over the course of many years holding many positions playing severalContinue Reading
Once again, the desire to have a “Quiet Zone” established in town fell on deaf ears of the majority of City Council. It’s been a frequent request of Bed and Breakfast owners, tourists, and those who live along the railroad tracks. But according to one council member those are justContinue Reading