Texas: Tx

Come to the Summer Health Fair!
Coffee Oasis ☼ 4650 NASA Parkway ☼ Seabrook, TX 77586
Saturday June 27, 2009 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Join your friends and neighbors this Saturday for FREE health information and screenings PLUS fun! There will be live music from local folk artist Kat Joel and documentary films for entertainment. PLUS:

• Speeches from health experts and local business owners
• Blood drive to help UTMB
• Free Health Screenings
• Blood Pressure
• Pulse Oximeter
• Diabetes
• Vision
• Mental Health – Depression and Anxiety Screening
• Cholesterol
• General Fitness and BMI Testing
• Wii Fitness test

Information about your and your family’s health from:

• Children’s Defense Fund
• UTMB Children’s Center – Program information, CHIP Applications, Children’s Medicaid and Woman’s Health Program
• UTMB Blood Bank
• Texas Child & Family Institute
• Houston Shifa Foundation
• Greater Clear Lake Families Exploring Down’s Syndrome
• Bay Area Turning Point
• American Cancer Society

Guest Editorial by John R. Cobarruvias, Houston, TX

In 2003 the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Residential Construction Commission Act, creating a Commission to regulate the home building industry and provide consumer protection for new
homebuyers. Six years later the Texas Comptrollers Office and the Texas Sunset Commission have called for the abolishment of the TRCC (trick). As the reports stated, the Commission is nothing more than a “builder protection agency” with “fundamental flaws that do more harm than good”. The fate of this ill-conceived Commission is currently in the hands of the Texas Senate. They should stand with the consumers of this state and let the sunset on this fatally flawed Commission.

Governor Rick Perry sent the following tweet message about ten mintues ago:

GovernorPerry #tcot #statebooks Texas cities among healthiest housing markets for 2009.

He provided a link to his website (which I'm not going to do), that then took you to this site. The criterion for selectiong what the best "housing markets" has nothing to do with homeowners, and everything to do with home builders. One of their central criterion has to do with how easily one can get a permit to build a home.

Which is why I replied to Governor Perry's tweet with this:

PhillipMartin @GovernorPerry When you create a whole state agency for Bob Perry, then you're gonna be attractive for builders

Governor Perry likes to look at economic indicators that are beneficial to his and his business friends.

U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa is under consideration to be named U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Capitol Annex reports. Vince Leibowitz writes that Obama discussed Hinojosa's potential nomination with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and thethe Democrat from Mercedes, TX could leave Congress as early as this summer.

If Hinojosa leaves Congress, Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas and State Rep. Armando Martinez are among the Democrats who would likely run to replace him. 

Salinas won a tough primary battle against incumbent County Judge Ramon Garcia in 2006 and would be able to raise plenty of money for a congressional race.

According to Capitol Annex, Martinez is already calling area Democrats expressing his interest in the race should Hinojosa step down.