Response to Capitol Politics

Mr. Endter's post "Unemployment Fraud" on his blog Capitol Politics is very well-written and brings up some good points.  His argument is that Texas  is very "relaxed" in the way we give out unemployment benefits to people that are currently out of work living in this state.  Having close friends that make ends meet through unemployment benefits, I was  surprised that Mr. Endter convinced me  enough in his argument that I was able to see the other side of things.  I believe  very much that one of the most important jobs of the local and national government is to look after those not so well off,  but Endter had a good  point in that government support can absolutely be abused.

 I personally did not know that there were  so many steps to achieving  unemployment benefits.  However, as Endter points out, it is very easy for someone to manipulate the system, wasting time and dollars away particularly from the Texas Workforce Commission.  The person trying to earn unemployment benefits must record that they are actively in  search of  work and the like, however no one from those places of  work  is ever contacted to affirm that someone came in looking for a job.  Considering the economy is not at its best, it is silly for Texas to be tricked and fooled by people committing fraud through these unemployment benefits.  My only critique is that for some receiving benefits, the only way they may be able to stay  afloat is to commit fraud.  Such busy people as a single mother with five kids who is trying to pursue her GED may not exactly have the time to go out and  search for a job, but that doesn't mean she doesn't need help.  If Texas could  somehow find a way to balance its budget out so that people  like that could also be included in the benefits (and fairly) that would be great.

Overall, I  belive Mr. Endter did a fine job on his blog. Hopefully fraud is not rapid in the system of unemployment benefits, but one can only hope.

Not all Under God

It's no secret that the state of Texas has a reputation of being a majorly right-wing religious state.  Many Texans, especially those that live in less populated areas of the state, hold to their church's ideals very seriously,  since it is their community and overall way of life.  Growing up in a religious household,  I am no stranger to the belief in God, though it is something I have strayed from as I have gotten older.  Not becuase of a hate of it or becuase of an ignorance to fully understand it, but more becuase it doesn't have a lot purpose for me.  However, our state in my opinion needs to reexamine our handingling of religion, particularly the relationship between church and state.  The installment of "Under God" in the Texas's Pledge of Alligiance and also the installemnt of the Moment of Silence in public schools not only is a failure to divide chirch and state, but is also a violation of personal rights.  When a state places "Under God" in thier Pledge of Alligiance, that state severely segregates the individuals who are citizens of that state who do not believe in God or worship any form of God.  And when the Moment of Silence too is instilled into a classroom's daily routine, how are the children that were not raised around prayer or any form of religious reflection to feel a part of that classroom activity?  The fact that we make such easly impressionable young people recite the pledge with "Under God" and participate in a Moment of Silence is inconsistent with everything Texas claims to be: bigger, and better.

Such repetition and obvious favor of religious folks in public schools isn't just unfair to those that think differently;  it hurts those that think similarly too.  The length of time of the Moment of Silence and the "mandatory" recitation of "Under God" in the pledge is not regulated throughout all public schools in Texas.  Therefore, it is up to the school how closely they follow this legislation or not.  For example, when I was in elementary school, I remember getting in serious trouble for speaking during the moment of silence.  In middle school, some classrooms were more strict than others, and therefore the kids that did actually physically pray during the moment of silence could only do so if they were in the right class.  In high school, the Moment of Silence was never practiced, except for its quick mention of it and then onto the morning announcements.  I have seen such inconsistently too with "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.  However, this inconsistency is not a sign that we have to crack down on our schools to make them more rule-abiding.  It instead is proof that the rules just aren't working, and really, they shouldn't.  I propose Texas repeals the legislation of having the Moment of Silence in public schools and "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance.  Texas is a state in free nation, a free world.  We might be bigger and better but we aren't badder.  And the sooner this state realizes that when it comes to this issue, I guarantee you the more respect we will receive from other states and our own citizens.