Prairie Fire Journal

Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry paid a visit to a Lubbock sweatshop yesterday to further promote his position of helping business while leaving struggling workers to fend for themselves. Standing next to Brant O'Hair, co-owner of O'Hair Shutters, Perry blubbered that his critics "are either ill-informed or really don't care about whether this man has additional pressures on him."

O'Hair voiced his opposition to the stimulus package and the federal government doing anything to help unemployed workers, claiming it would make it even harder for his Lubbock sweatshop to compete with sweatshops in Southeast Asia. This comes from a man who doesn't even pay his workers a living wage, just laid off 40 of those workers, and will likely fight their unemployment insurance claims.

Conspicuously absent from comments by both Perry and O'Hair was any mention about the additional pressures being put on struggling workers, or the substandard wages that companies like O'Hair Shutters pay their employees. It was all about helping business and nothing about helping workers. That's not surprising when you consider that both men are firm believers in corporate fascism and exploiting workers to the greatest extent possible.

It should also be noted that Brant O'Hair is leading the opposition against allowing package alcohol sales in Lubbock. Last October, O'Hair told the Lubbock A-J that he became involved in opposing alcohol sales because it would degrade the county. It's ironic that O'Hair made such a statement in light of the fact that about 10 years ago his company came under fire from local residents for building a waste-burning incinerator at the company's North Loop 289 facility.

Around 150 people living close to the plant opposed the incinerator. O'Hair's response at the time was to announce that he would start the burning right away. He didn't seem too concerned then about the degradation of those neighborhoods who had to breath his company's toxic emissions. And now he continues spewing noxious rhetoric right along with the foul air emitted by Rick Perry.

The Democrats claim to be the party of the working class, but that didn't stop them from sneaking through a cigarette tax increase of 61-cents a pack to help fund the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that the Democrat-controlled Congress passed last month. Such a tax is regressive in nature and falls disproportionately on those least able to afford a tax increase of any kind. This was the same tax that was defeated last year when Bush vetoed the bill. Most smokers weren't even aware of the new tax until they went to buy cigarettes last week and experienced sticker shock at the higher prices. The average price is now over $6 a pack in Texas.

I encourage all voters who smoke to make the Democrats pay for their treachery. The best way to do that is by boycotting the Democratic Party when the next election cycle rolls around in 2010. If you can't stomach voting for the Republicans, then you should do like I intend to do and not vote at all.

Obama the Entertainer spit out a lot of words during his Tuesday night news conference, but he didn't say anything of substance.

When asked about the Mexican drug cartel violence, Obama said he's adding more money, more DEA, and basically more of the same. The Hundred-Year War continues.

When asked about what he was doing to help the increasing numbers of homeless families living in tents, Obama rattled off a bunch of jibberish about nonexistent unemployment benefit extensions and alleged jobs to be created sometime in the future. Basically, he told the huddled masses to wait for the trickle-down effect. If you're freezing and hungry RIGHT NOW, then you're just shit out of luck. Keep digging through the dumpster and keep a large supply of old newspapers to use as bedding and butt-wipe. Hey, spring is here, so you won't have to sleep on the freezing ground too much longer.

Obama can't offer you and your children any immediate help that might be seen as "welfare" by the Republicans. After all, Obama wants the conservatives to be his friends, and they won't like him if he helps the downtrodden with such extravagant things as food, shelter, and clothing.

Green energy sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, Obama and his band of misguided morons wants to add a carbon tax on fossil fuels that will inevitably hit the poor and elderly the hardest. If you think you're utility bills are high now, wait until the Obama plan goes into effect. Maybe we can figure out a way to make Democrats into a clean form of energy. After all, they seem to be as full of hot air as the Repugs.

A post over at Half Empty led me to this report by the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Texas, which appears to support funding the War on Drugs while turning a blind eye to undocumented workers. It doesn't get any lamer than this. I used to be a big supporter of the ACLU, but not anymore after this nonsense report.

Shaping up to be as worthless as tits on a boar hog when it comes to actually doing something of substance to help the working class, Obama held a town hall meeting in California today. When Obama gets beat in 2012, he can always take up farming because he's an expert at spreading fertilizer. I guess he figures this kind of diversionary tactic served Bush well for most of his eight years in office, so why not carry on with the charade.

According to the AP, Obama's Top Pig and Racist Provocateur Eric Holder signaled a change on medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.

The article went on to say:
Holder did not spell out exactly who no longer would face the prospect of raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But he was quick to add that law enforcement officers will target anyone who tries to "use medical marijuana laws as a shield" for other illegal activity. "Given the limited resources that we have, our focus will be on people, organizations that are growing, cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana and doing so in a way that's inconsistent with federal and state law," the attorney general said.

Big deal. Lots of ambiguity and nothing of substance. More of the same. The War on Drugs continues in full force under Obama.

Hardly a week goes by that the Lubbock media aren't trumpeting alleged job creations on behalf of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. Funny thing is, there's never any follow-up information available concerning the exact number of jobs created or the specific wages actually being paid. Does LEDA even have such information publicly available? If so, why isn't it as easy to find as their ambiguous news releases?

Today's Lubbock Avalanche-Journal contained one of LEDA's canned news releases announcing, among other things, that LEDA is providing communications giant AT&T with over $100,000 in freebies. This is a corporation that had over $12.8 billion in net revenue last year. The news release also said LEDA was providing freebies to two other companies, ClassOne Orthodontics and Eburon Organics International, to the tune of $183,000.

Kenny Gallagher, president and CEO for ClassOne, remarked that they are creating the jobs without using stimulus money. No, they're just using Texas Tech research subsidized by taxpayers along with the LEDA freebies, which are also paid for by taxpayers. What's the real cost to taxpayers for these alleged "high-paying jobs"? I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for LEDA to provide a specific breakdown.

As I was listening to U.S. Senate hearings on the Mexican drug cartel violence, it was obvious to me that the Obama Administration is intent on carrying forward the same failed drug policies that have brought the United States and Mexico to this crisis situation in the first place. More talk about increasing law enforcement. More talk about reducing demand for illicit drugs. Blah! Blah! Blah!. No serious discussion whatsoever about reforming drug laws and ending the failed policy of prohibition. Just more of the same police-state rhetoric that we've heard for decades.

Obama, when it comes to change, you're as phony as a three-dollar bill. More of the same brought to you courtesy of the Democratic Party.

"Our economy, I think, still, the fundamentals of our economy are strong ..." --John McCain, September 2008.

"If we are keeping focused on all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy ..., then we're going to get through this." --Barack Obama, March 2009.

Obama's change and a dollar will get you a burger from the dollar menu.