Free Republic

In early June, I traveled to “The Valley,” as the McAllen-Brownsville area of Texas is called, down where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico. This river, one of the longest in the U.S., forms the entire Texas-Mexico border, meandering south and east 1,250 miles from our far-west desert city of El Paso to the semi-tropical tip of my state. Its cartographic function aside, the narrow and shallow Rio Grande has historically been viewed by families in the region as more a connector than a divider, and it has long fostered a rich, cross-fertilized culture along its length,...

Once again, the attacks on TX Governor and now GOP Presidential candidate for the upcoming 2012 Presidential elections Rick Perry, (R/TX), from MSNBC’s Chris Mathews of “Hardball”. Mr. Mathews interviews liberal radio talk show host and TX native Jim Hightower. Mr. Mathews asks Mr. Hightower “how ugly he is” , that is, Governor Perry. Mr. Hightower tells about Governor Perry that with him, you get a “two-fer” or in other words, to add my own words, a “two different Gov. Perry’s” meaning a tea party movement person and a George W. Bush plutocrat. Once again, every effort on the part...

Does anybody out there remember Jim Hightower? Don't feel bad if you don't since he has become a complete has-been. However, before blessedly fading away from public view about 10 years ago, Hightower was once hailed as the liberal answer to Rush Limbaugh. Years before Err America flopped on the airwaves, Jim Hightower bombed completely in the opinion of radio listeners. If you had ever had the "pleasure" of hearing Hightower's radio antics you would quickly understand why his radio ratings quickly plummeted to Al Franken levels. Although Hightower started out as a typical hard core Texas leftist, he...

Pulse of the Twin CitiesForget health care, we’re going to MarsBy webmaster - Date: 2004-01-27 20:39:08 by Jim Hightower Why is it that our national policy makers are so robustly optimistic and filled with such can-do enthusiasm when it comes to shoveling billions of our tax dollars into big federal projects favored by wealthy campaign donors—but fall into dismal depths of negativity and dispirited cries of no-can-do pessimism when it comes to paying for the things the majority of us Americans want and desperately need?Take health care, a glaring national need not only for the 43 million people without...

<p>Shreveport Police Chief Jim Roberts took office nearly four years ago under the gun of racial tension triggered by a rash of fatal shootings of black men by white police officers.</p> <p>Roberts retired Thursday under political pressure fed by a federal investigation into the March shooting of a black man by white officers, and his own political misstep of insulting the area's black legislative delegation.</p>

<p>District C Councilman Thomas Carmody announced Tuesday he had contacted an independent investigator to examine videotapes of the deadly shooting of a Shreveport man by police. The same day, a parade of Shreveporters again went before the City Council demanding action and, in some cases, the dismissal of Police Chief Jim Roberts.</p>

<p>Pressure continued to mount against Shreveport Police Chief Jim Roberts on Friday as the police union issued a statement that officers are "beginning to lose confidence in their chief" and are ready for a change in leadership.</p> <p>The union's comments come a day after three black city councilmen called for Mayor Keith Hightower to fire Roberts over his response to the recent shooting of a black man by police officers.</p>

<p>A Shreveport Police Department dispatch tape indicates at least one officer knew that a Shreveport man killed by police had a cell phone and that officers feared the man was a drunken driver and might kill somebody.</p> <p>The details about the cell phone, other information about the shooting and Police Chief Jim Roberts' previous comments that he would do the same thing as the officers prompted three Shreveport City Council members to call for Mayor Keith Hightower to fire Roberts.</p>

<p>While Shreveport Police Chief Jim Roberts responded to public outrage over a recent officer-involved deadly shooting by re-releasing still photos of the event, black leaders continue to press forward with plans of an economic boycott of Shreveport.</p> <p>Saying public sentiment following the March 15 shooting of Marquise Hudspeth, 25, has been dogged by misinformation, Roberts on Wednesday held a news conference during which he was flanked by two enlarged photos which he said allow "everyone an opportunity to see what the officers were seeing the night of the shooting."</p>