ustxtxb_obs_2005_03_04_50_00027-00000_000.pdf

tyranny and oppression comes this land if Will he in the guise of a tore icr enemy” 14adison “We will bankrupt arselyes in the vain starch fo r absolute security?’ I/ seri hoWet% eace and friendship with all mankind is our wiaest policy” egerson “They ihaf can give up essential liberty to obtain a littk temporary salty deserve neither I iberty or 414e-t Y.” A Franklin Pi’s, continued from page 5 The Texas Medical Association recently adopted a policy that supports physicians discussing marijuana as a medical option. The conditions medical marijuana can help include cancer, AIDS, and multiple sclerosis. “Marijuana is a marvelous medicine. It’s effective, inexpensive, and safeit’s impossible to OD [overdose]. It’s a damn good medicine,” said Dr. Dana Copp, a retired physician, to a legislative aide while lobbying alongside Baker. food by attending the season’s various social and political events; in fact, on more than one occasion since taking office he has eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the occasional betweenmeal snack, at someone else’s expense.” Naishtat developed his grazing skills as a VISTA worker and did anti-poverty work in the sixties, before attending the school of social work and law school at the University of Texas. In the resolution, Naishtat’s colleagues affectionately refer to him as “the Hebrew Hammer, champion of the poor and needy,” recognizing, even in humor, Naishtat’s tireless dedication to a social services agenda he has shaped in the 16 years he has spent in the Texas House. Though Naishtat earned his position as chair of the House Human Services Committee, this session Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick exiled that is, assignedhim to the committee on counties. As schmaltzy as it may be, H.R. 285 honoring Elliott Naishtat will be one of the better pieces of legislation enacted by the lower chamber of the Legislature this session. OUR MAIN MENSCH The dean of the House’s diminishing Jewish Caucus celebrated his 60th birthday in February and the House goyim hammed it up in a resolution celebrating Elliott Naishtat’s contribution to public life in Texas. Naishtat, a displaced New Yorker with a personality so low-key it has been described as no key, was recognized by his colleagues for his prodigious legislative output \(his office is known as a publicand was also recognized for bringing a rare New York yiddishkeit to a Texas House not exactly known for its ecu menical eclecticism. “Elliott,” according to the resolution, “always provides the gefilte fish at Pesach Sederand not the cheap, low-salt kind, either; only the finest fish cakes will do when celebrat ing Passover, but you bet ter arrive early if you want more than one piece…” The Democratic sexagenarian from New York could hold House freshman orientation sessions on the practice of dining well on a legislative salary of $7,200 a year. Among the whereases in the resolution was a paragraph that described Naishtat’s “uncanny ability to procure complimentary MARCH 4, 2005 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 27