“Earmarked” Relay Texas Bill
15 09 2008All..
All the hullabaloo about "earmarks" and pork barrel bills, I thought I would share a little bit of history on how Relay Texas was created in Texas.
In 1989, Senator Chet Brooks – a veteran legislator – pushed the relay service bill . Senator Brooks got the bill into both House and Senate, and they were progressing along just fine. Remember in Texas, legislation sessions are held once every two years and from Jan thru end of May.
There was an informal lobbying committee from Texas Assoc of the Deaf and the sole purpose of the committee was to lobby Texas Legislators to pass a relay service proposal. That was in 1989. Larry Evans who was executive director of TX Commission for the Deaf contracted with Eileen Alter (she now works at Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Office under DARS). Pregnant Eileen and the committee – Jerry Hassell, Julius Seeger, and myself lobbied at the Capitol. Vaughn House (independent living service for deaf/hoh) loaned their interpreters so we deaf persons can effectively lobby legislators. I spent an average of 15 hours a week doing that. Eileen probably spend 40-50 hours a week doing that if I recall correctly. A few others did lobbying as well, but not as often.
Towards end of May (May 31 is the last day where bills can be passed) the relay bill passed thru required phases to get into the calendar to be posted to the Legislators to finally become the law, but somehow at the last stage, the relay bill was not posted. Legislators were scrambling and trying to get all the "high priority" bills posted to calendar so neglected to include relay bill. Senator Chet Brooks read the crystal ball and knew relay bill won’t make it. So his political savvy and probably did a few behind the scene deals earmarked relay bill onto a major telephone bill that is already on the calendar. I remember that time – with just a few hours before the midnight hour struck, the major telephone bill passed along with relay service bill. So the relay service was to be implemented on Sept 1 1990.
All the negative news about pork barrel and earmarked bills are not necessarily negative. If not for that, Relay Texas and VRS may not be available. It was soon after the bill was created, Relay Texas Advisory Committee was formed, and ultimately I became its first Chair. Shortly after that, I then applied for Relay Texas Administrator and got the job.
The morale? Don’t be so quick and look down on earmarked bills. If the earmarked bill is to analyze mating of salamander to the tune of 25 million bucks, then that is clearly excessive! If the earmarked bill is to replace old bridge with a new bridge at a small town, then this is a good cause. Often, earmarked bills are the lifeblood of small towns.
eyes open & thumbs up,
Ed B
Ed,
Excellent vlog posting to educate deaf people about the necessity of earmark and pork barrel amendments to any federal, state and local bills to be voted on.
I often rolled my eyes when Honorable John McCain bashed earmarks and pork barrel spendings. McCain posed himself as “thou holy”.
That’s how politicans keep elected for what they done for their own constitutents thru earmarks and pork barrel spendings, etc.
What would be real good if the officeholders don’t get anything for their constitutents?
Mike McConnell’s Deaf Republican organization is also a special interest, too.
I have mixed feelings about the research for the mating life of salamanders since those creatures are the first warnings of “global warming”. Their numbers have been dramatically dropped for past decade.
We have to do this kind of research to find out why salamander population drastically shoot down and how to help them from being extinct.
From the Holy Bible, humans are responsible for the stewardship of Mother Earth. I am an atheist myself. Many Christians are not giving any hoots for our increasingly fragile and only habitable planet in the entire universe.
Thanks again for taking your time to simplify the concept of earmarks.
Look forward to more of your vlog postings in near future.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
While there can be no doubt that earmarks play a valuable role, too often there are many that are just flat out fraudulent and a waste of money that could be applied elsewhere. No offense, Robert, but if I had to choose between wanting that $25 million applied to IDEA or to Salamanders, I’d have to say “Sayonara, salamanders”.
Earmark reform is the goal, not elimination of earmarks. Are you aware, for example, that Barak Obama requested over $800 million dollars in earmarks in just 3 years in the Senate? And that $1 million of the request was for a hospital that his wife was VP at and she subsequently received an increase in pay that more than doubled her salary? While it may have been legitimate, the timing and perception leave a lot to be desired, and it can be reasonably inferred that his wife directly benefited from his having requested the earmark. In the interest of fairness, the earmark was not allowed, but still the stench remains.
Therein lies the problem with unchecked earmarks. A lot of times (this example that Ed provided was a good one) good bills are bottled up due to political infighting or malfeaescence or poor ability to manage a legislative calendar. When that happens, if it is for a good reason, then earmarks should be allowed. But Congress must get a grip on earmarks, just as they must get a grip on fraud at all levels of all programs, to ensure our money is being used wisely and in a fiscally responsible manner.
Great post, Ed! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
RLM and Eddie Runyon,
Excellent comments – both of you!
I would like to comment on Obama and Palin, but for this edsalert, I think I will take a deep breath and try to focus on relay related issues instead.
Again, thanks for ur comments – they will make readers take a pause and reflect.
eyes open & thumbs up,
Ed
Eddie,
Environmental issues including the scientific study of salamander’s mating life should be not compromised or dismissed or replaced with the IDEA funding.
Scientific studies are really necessary to find out about our fragile and only habitable planet in an entire universe.
We could not ignore serious climate changes and other environmental impacts any longer.
How can we live if there is no clean water or air. Salamanders are the first defense of our ecosystem if something go wrong. They are the nature’s warning system.
I am an atheist, but often point to the Holy Bible about many Christians’ lack of responsible stewardship of our Mother Earth. The Bible clearly state that we, humans must take of our planet very well.
How interesting about Obama’s excessive earmark spendings which could be seen as conflict of interests. If that is totally true, Obama should be ashamed of himself to be called as an agent of change which he is not really.
John McCain will make the government gridlock much worse in DC anyway due to his stubborn streaks and implusive way.
Obama is lesser evil. Obama ought to pay back for the earmark bills going to his wife’s board salary.
We are all humans, not really “black and white”. We are more doing in the gray area on daily basis. Nobody is perfect. Don’t you agree?
RLM
RLM,
Do u mind leaving candidates out of edsalert, please? I’m guilty of that once a while, but know that this issue can be explosive and mortal enemies created that way ;-] I don’t see that happening now, but let’s leave it at it, ok?
Is there other blog/vlog that is managed by deaf and focuses entirely on candidates? Preferably the one that is neutral/impartial or focuses on facts only? I may express myself there.
Thanks….
Ed
Ed,
Got it!
RLM