Acevedo Keeping APD Honest

Since accepting the position last summer, Chief of Police Acevedo has personally fired or coerced the resignation of over a dozen officers in the Austin Police Department. All of the officers in question have received this punishment after a breach of ethics on their part; from lying on an official report to excessive force, these men and women disgraced themselves and the city they served. In sharp contrast, however, these same officers may well have kept their jobs with little, if any punishment under the previous leadership of APD. Because of this perceived reversal of the old "us against them" mentality in the department, Chief Acevedo is widely viewed as an honest man bringing discipline and honor to his command. In this article posted in the Austin American-Statesman Editorials, the author clearly assumes this opinion, citing the case of Gary Griffin, a former APD officer who was fired in 2006 when it was determined that he used excessive force against a mentally ill man, costing Austin taxpayers $55,000 in the defendant's civil suit against the city. From the beginning, the author underscores Mr. Griffin's hypocracy by detailing how, under the former Police Chief Stan Knee and then-acting chief Cathy Ellison, the officer was reinstated and is currently suing the city himself. The author contrasts this with Chief Acevedo's no-nonsense policy on police misconduct and his lofty record of firings based on inappropriate conduct. In this editorial, the subject of APD officer misconduct and it's consequences is justly evaluated and presented to the residents of Austin, whom it may very well affect for years to come.

Amidst record oil prices, red tape prevails

With the price of gasoline skyrocketing across the nation, Texas has once again found itself at the center of an oil boom. According to state statistics, since 1999 the number of drilling permit applications received by the Railroad Commission has doubled, however the same Commission charged with overseeing the oil and gas industry has cut nearly 20 percent of it's workforce. The result: an estimated 29,000 permits will be issued this year, with an overall average wait time of 40 days. The Texas Railroad Commission is asking the Legislative Budget Board for $750,000 to hire contractors to fill the gaps left open over the past nine years. Although the Legislature does not convene until January, the Legislative Budget Board - composed of top elected officials, including Lieutenant Gov. Dewhurst - has authority to relocate State funds during an emergency. Signs that this issue will be resolved came from the Lt. Gov. himself, admitting "we've got a problem," while Rep. Warren Chisum (chairman of the House Appropriations Committee) agreed to convene a special panel on October 6th to discuss the matter.

This article demonstrates the process by which the Texas Legislature can accomplish tasks (sometimes) even when not convened. It also may introduce the reader (as it did for me) to the fact that Texas is once again in an oil boom that is already poised to be as big as the one of the 1970's. See here for the full Austin American-Statesman article.

Bud Light presents: Real Men of Genius - "Mr. Way Too Proud of Texas Guy"