Medicaid Funding in Texas

If things had gone as planned last week, I would’ve been at the Boston Marathon finish line, right where the bombs went off. I’m thankful I wasn’t there but it’s impossible not to see myself in the hundreds who were. I’ve been praying for them every chance that I get. The Boston area has been my home for almost a decade. I still haven’t been able to put my feelings about what happened last week into words. One thing I know is that moments like these should bring us together. It makes me sad and angry to know there are people who are using this tragedy to try and tear us apart. Less than 24 hours after the bombing, before the blood of victims had been washed off of Boylston Street, Rep. Steve King was already using the tragedy to scapegoat millions of immigrants and argue against immigration reform. A day later, Rep. Louie Gohmert was sounding the alarm about Al Qaeda operatives being trained to “act Hispanic.” I was hoping that this sort of talk wouldn’t go beyond extremists like Rep. King and Rep. Gohmert, but this week it has been echoed by others like Senators Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, who were previously arguing in favor of immigration reform. It pains me that after everything our city went through last week, I have to write to you about bigots who want to tie this atrocity to anyone who has ever been or looked like a non-white immigrant, but I know that if we don’t speak now, this could get out of control. There are real consequences for this sort of rhetoric. Connecting millions of immigrants who seek nothing but a better life for themselves and their families to the tiny few who carry out heinous violent acts has led to untold suffering. It a major reason why over a thousand people are deported every day, why tens of thousands of immigrants are detained every day, and why the Border Patrol can kill without consequence. Boston has suffered enough over the last week. Immigrant communities have suffered enough over the last few decades. It’s time to come together, not tear each other apart. Please join me in telling your Congressmembers that the Boston Bombing should not be used as an excuse to crack down on immigrants.

College tuition is on the rise. Families and students across America are struggling to afford what has now become a near-necessity in the entry-level job market. In an "option paper" to be considered during broader tax reform discussions, the Senate Finance Committee blames the *inclusion* of federal subsidies to colleges and universities for the steep rise in tuition over the past decade. In reality, universities have had to make the tough choice to increase their tuition in part because of the frequent *exlusion* or reduction of government funding.

State Sen. Donne Trotter has shown he does not have the judgment and mental acuity to safely carry a firearm in public. Furthermore, it's highly dubious that an elderly state senator is working part-time in private security. His official profession is "health administrator", not security guard.

Taxes and tolls. Other huge districts don't charge as much tax on purchases, the lost side of town is charged too much in property taxes. There probably isn't a house in a three mile radius that can bring in more than 100,000 but our property taxes are up over $3000 a year. Where are the people, thrown out of good paying factory jobs suppose to keep up the taxes, taxes and more taxes. Most other states aren't behaving like trolls on the highways as well.

Every year, Americans are imprisoned because they confessed to a crime they did not commit because they were coerced by police. Innocent people spend years behind bars. This is a disgrace to the American justice system, and it needs to be fixed.

The NRA and their allies in Congress are pushing to put more guns in our schools, from police to guards — and in some proposals even classroom teachers! Armed guards haven't been proven to stop mass shooting tragedies, but adding armed police to schools has been shown to make our classrooms and hallways feel less safe, and push even more students down the school-to-prison pipeline. Our schools — especially in low-income neighborhoods — need more funds, not more guns. Tell your Congressperson and Senators that if they care about kids, they will reject guns in schools and fight for more and equitable funding instead!

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman needs to walk away from the pretend investigation into Wall Street's crimes in the housing market and launch a real investigation. Progressives calling for an investigation into Wall Street's role in the foreclosure crisis cheered when President Obama announced the creating of a Task Force to investigate fraud in his State of the Union last year. "Progressive hero" Attorney General Eric Schneiderman agreed to be part of the investigation, but threatened to publicly walk away if it failed to produce results. A year later, the results are in. It's time for Attorney General Schneiderman to walk away from this sham investigation. In an article today, Schneiderman admits he was "naive" to believe the Justice Department would prosecute big bankers. According to the Huffington Post, "In the months after Schneiderman took office in 2011, large financial institutions and their lawyers said they feared him. Now, some have said privately in interviews that they view him as a nuisance, given the dearth of cases he has brought." The investigation has proven to be a stalling tactic designed to make progressives think the administration is prosecuting bankers and helping homeowners. Attorney General Schneiderman can show the public he still believes in justice for bankers and homeowners by refusing to participate in this make-believe investigation. He should do exactly what he said he'd do and walk away. Instead of giving cover to a banker friendly investigation, Attorney General Schneiderman should use the tools at his disposal as New York's Attorney General to prosecute the bankers. Progressive organizations like MoveOn that cheered Schneiderman's appointment to the task force should support him as he walks away -- and continue fighting for justice for homeowners and bankers.

Last week, a massive explosion leveled the West, Texas, fertilizer plant, and claimed the lives of 14 firefighters and nearby residents and injured over 200, rocking the rural farming town to its core. According to the Dallas Morning News, experts say the disaster in West, Texas, "was easily predictable and probably preventable if anyone from any agency had discussed simple safeguards with the company." Despite this, Gov. Perry said he's "comfortable" with the level of state oversight of these kind of facilities. Gov. Perry made an even bolder claim—the majority of Texans agree with him. Tell Gov. Perry you disagree and want stronger state oversight of hazardous and polluting facilities.

Governor Corbett cut $1 Billion in support for public education 2 years ago, and it hasn't been restored. Class sizes have been increasing, schools are losing support staff like librarians, music and arts and counselors. Now he is proposing to give out money in tax breaks - money that could be going to schools! Budgets are about priorities and we need to invest in our schools.

In reflecting on the conversation of equal rights for all, I am reminded of my personal struggles of being a lesbian in a state that does not recognize gay marriage. Thus far, I'm unable to be legally connected to my partner, file joint taxes, share health benefits, obtain joint adoption and foster care, and receive tax or insurance breaks. In the worst of circumstances I would be unable to take sick leave to care for her, make medical decisions on her behalf, take bereavement leave, receive social security survivor benefits, automatically gain inheritance, and many other benefits. Currently, we do not have the same rights and the LGBTQIA should have the opportunity to legally marry and obtain these same privileges.

Genetically Engineered food is destroying the health of the people in America. The use of toxic pesticides are killing off necessary insects and pollinators, such as the honey bee who pollinates one third of the food we eat. These pesticides are entering and destroying our bodies in two ways, in our food and in the polluted water we drink.