ustxtxb_obs_2003_02_28_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

FEATURES DEPARTMENTS BOOKS & THE CULTURE FEBRUARY 28, 2003 Texas Observer INTERVIEWWITH HISTORY , . 6 Veteran” Middle .East correspondent P.o . her . t Fisk talks about…Iraq, Afghanistan, the U.S., the UN, and why the left needs to talk to someone besides itself’ by Patrick Timmons FACES OF IRAQ 8 Artists and musicians.. Mothers. and fathers. And so many children. This is Iraqas seen by the Observer’s longtime photographer. Photo essay by Alan Pogue DIALOGUE 2 EDITORIAL 3 This Way to the Egress DATELINE TEXAS 4 Honoring Yarborough’s Legacy: Environmentalists pick up Sen. Ralph Yarborough’s battle flag to oppose drilling on Padre Island. by Jake Bernstein POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE 12 BAD BILLS 13 14 15 18 POETRY 21 by Tony Quagliano GLUTTONY, GREED, AND GULA 22 by Diana Arihalt BUY, BUY LOVE 24 by James McWilliams GOAT LOVE 26 by David Theis AFTERWORD 31 Naked Trees by Ann Daly THE BACK PAGE 32 ACLU Campaign for Sentence Reduction The Back Page is part of an ACLU campaign to lower sentences for non-violent offenders and promote more community focused alternatives to incarceration as a partial solution to the budget crisis. DIALOGUE PROGRESSIVE IN CAMDEN Just to let you know .that the progressive . spirit lives ” on in . Camden, Texas: Mt. McWilliams’ . host and, ‘hostess participated in a march to protest administration policies in Iraq when Bush was in Houston raising money for John Cornyn \(“The Main Things:’ Decem”the main things?” Siisy Kempher Via e-mail RON PAUL I do hope you folks in Texas realize what a treasure you have , in Ron Paul \(“An Anti-War Republican!” , January most ‘ clear voice of reason in politics today. If the United States would follow Mr. Paul’s teachings and philosophies, we would not be in the midst of this terrorist situation, we would not be on the verge of war, and our economy would heal itself. American citizens would regain the liberty and prosperity lost to an obscenely obese government. You Texans are lucky, and I personally am envious. Would that , Mr. Ron Paul was our representative here in PM. Franklin Ft. Myers, FL BAD BULLS, BAD SPELLING Ouch! I like to think of the Observer as a better paper but you’ve hit a pet peeve. In the January 31 issue, on page 15, you used “it’s” where it should’ve been “its” and I know your spell checker won’t help you on this kind of thing. Good grief. Try harder. Review the rules again. Yes, I work at another fine paper and I cannot get it right around here all the time either. Becky Badgett San Antonio CORRECTION Last issue’s Political Intelligence column incorrectly spelled the name of Center for Public Policy Priorities’ budget analyst Eva DeLuna Castro. We apologize for the error. FAN OF MOLLY We read the Chicago Tribune daily and are -always ..delighted, to read Melly Ivins: column on the . .opinion page. Her column “Does the President Believe His ularly relevant to my current mood. We have long been concerned with the faCt that the president’s words appear to “evade” or at worst “prevaricate” when it Comes to important policy issues. Personal morality and morality relating to public policy are not_ necessarily one and the same. Barbara Letscher Via e-mail MIFFED ABOUT TIF I’ve done everything except set myself on fire trying to get someone to pay attention to the fact that public libraries are being robbed of $24 million this year! That money provided free access to TexShare database subscriptions,which may be used from a home computer or at a public library ‘ .That money also provided free Internet access and computers to many public libraries across Texas. The $24 million was TIF money [Telecommunications Infra-structure Fund] from that “odd” charge on your monthly’ phone bill. GovernOf Perry has seized TIF and is transferring all of it to the Texas Education Agency was already depending on the extra money they were receiving, from TIF grants to public schools, for high-speed Internet connections and computer equipment. Many school districts will have to raise property taxes to offset the cost of being forced to dedicate a huge chunk of their budgets to Internet access and computers. Many cities will need to raise property or sales taxes to cover funding that their public libraries had been receiving from TIF grants for Internet access and computers. My rural community needs free Internet access and TexShare databases for our students and other researchers. Everyone should call the Governor’s toll free number 800-2529600 before it’s too late! Leanna Cowan Director, Alvarado Public Library, Alvarado MOLLY IVINS Speak Sely,.Forget the Shtick ARIANNA HuFFINdrok The Bottom Line on Iraq IN MEMORIAM Remembering Maury Maverick by John Burnett 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 2/28103