RE: TEA PARTY MOVEMENT LETTER PUBLISHED IN LAST ISSUE:
Since it seems this person's point is that the current government has completely mishandled the United States housing bubble. Well why don't we all delve a little deeper into the issue which ultimately caused the subprime crisis. And that starts with the Depression-era banking regulation law. Let's go back to 1999 when Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas) led the charge in 1999 to repeal that law. Gramm's role in the swift and dramatic recent restructuring of the nation's investment houses and practices didn't stop there.

A year after the Gramm- Leach-Bliley Act repealed the old regulations, Swiss Bank UBS gobbled up brokerage house Paine Weber. Two years later, Gramm settled in as a vice chairman of UBS's new investment banking arm.

Later, he became a major player in its government affairs operation. According to federal lobbying disclosure records, Gramm lobbied Congress, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department about banking and mortgage issues in 2005 and 2006.

During those years, the mortgage industry pressed Congress to roll back strong state rules that sought to stem the rise of predatory tactics used by lenders and brokers to place homeowners in high-cost mortgages.

So just remember the guy who spearheaded this whole movement was John McCain's domestic policy adviser for his 2008 presidential candidacy.

So before we start aggressively pointing fingers as to who is in the wrong (and sending in letters to a newspaper with unconfirmed facts) let's put a little more effort into getting our facts straight.
Source: Politco http://www.politico.com/news/ stories/0308/9246.html
Ben Jamin Daly

AMERICAN VOTERS, PAY ATTENTION
Editor:

This note is in reference to one of the major problems with our country, our state, our counties, and our cities. Never in my life time have I witnessed so many individuals who have been elected, promoted, or have been hired up to a point of where they are completely incompetent. And that position is where they burrow in and stay for years and some instances, their entire career. The American voter had better take the time to study the individuals that we are so freely electing to run our federal, state, and local governments. If they cannot tell you the truth while campaigning, do you think they will tell you the truth when they are elected, appointed, or hired? They have reasoned from the past that once they are "in" it is difficult to fire them or vote them out ....hence maintaining the power of the party. Do they have the necessary knowledge for the position or is this another good old boy situation where they will have on the job training at our tax dollar expense?

One good thing about our current national situation is that individuals for the first time are reading the Constitution of the United States. At the present time within our national government, there are those who are doing their best to twist and destroy the very foundation of our society. It seems that there are very, very few in Washington who have the backbone to stand up for what is right for all the American citizens. We are too concerned about keeping a party in power so that members of the party can maintain their own positions and personal power.

What ever happened to the thought of voting for a person because he or she is what the nation needs no matter what the party affiliation? We are currently seeing the results of such thinking because we still have not figured out that we send individuals to congress to represent us the people and not the other way around. Yet we continue to vote in the same individuals whom we know are not producing...... a politician says he has thirty years of experience, but what he or she really means is that they have had the same experience for the past 30 years.....doing the same thing wrong over and over and expecting a different outcome. Do they not learn from history?

The current Tea Party movement has risen out of the dust and millions of Americans are saying we recognize the problems and that our very existence and freedoms are being taken away. They are taking a stand to say to the "bone headed politicians" that we are tired of their incompetency and that we are "not going to take it any longer."

Some say there is nothing to the Tea Party.....well let's just wait and see when it comes election time. Know the individual you are voting for....is he or she what our country, our state, our county, or our city really needs? Or are we going to continue down the same road accepting the incompetency, lies and deception? Do we want more and more of the same? Think before you mark your ballot. We clean our houses, let's try cleaning out the incompetent politicians.
Jim Ryan Sabinal

WHAT A SHAME
Editor:

When I heard tonight that the LISD School Board did not vote for the re-naming of the football stadium in Coach Paul Ables name, I was appalled. I have known Coach for 32 years and he is the most genuine man on the face of the Earth. Coach would go above and beyond to help anyone and everyone. He would give you the shirt off his back and NEVER ask for anything in return. If one was to look up "Genuine" in the dictionary, I would be surprised if Coach Paul Ables's name didn't appear. Although I did not live in Leakey, I did hear the stories about what a wonderful place it is. After hearing the news tonight, I beg to differ. I have told many of my friends about the small Texas town of Leakey and what a wonderful place it is because I have had the opportunity to visit every year for the past 10 years (only because of Coach Ables) and my dear friends have actually wanted to re-locate to the Texas Hill Country and have looked into purchasing ranches near there. Well...I have advised them (after tonight) against it. I am told that some of the school board members family played football for Coach and some of the School Board members have no idea what he did for LISD..... not only for the football players but for the students that he taught and mentored. Shame on you LISD School Board. Have you had a winning season since Coach Ables left Leakey? If so, who was the last coach to win a state championship game? Do you care about your community? Why are you on the School Board and what do you represent? I would like to entertain all of you; Jerry W. Bates Jr, Charlie Reagor, Shawn Gray, Shane Hohman, Ruben Navarro, Lem Lewis, and Alberto Gonzalez to answer (individually to The Leakey Star) why you do not think the stadium should not be named after Coach Paul Ables. In fact.....I dare you to answer that question to The Leakey Star. Do any of you understand "KARMA"? If you do not understand..... you soon will! Good Luck to all of you and may God Bless your decision.
Shauna Thomas

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