Michael Williams comes to Sherman

Sherman was one stop in a 35-city tour across Texas touting clean-fuel use, a re-election campaign and stumping for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Michael Williams, the chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas, is running for re-election to the post he’s held since 1999. He was first appointed to the RRC by then Gov. Bush and then elected to the job for a six-year term in 2002.

The propane-powered bus carrying Williams around the state is only one example of the Commissioner’s plan to help Texas and the U.S. see its way out of the current energy crunch. He wants to see buses, especially school buses, convert to propane power. “There are 37,000 school buses in the state,” he said. “One-third are new; two-thirds are older than 1990. They can run 83-99 percent cheaper — about $1.20 to $1.50 per gallon cheaper — and it’s ours so no sending money over seas.”

There are State, Federal and private incentives in place for those schools that take advantage of the program. Williams said the cost of a propane bus is about $8,000 more than a diesel but the sales company Is currently rebating $7,000 per sale for the first 1,000 sold in Texas. Also, there is Federal rebate money available to the schools for using propane buses.

Williams said, $391,000 was given to the Denton ISD and $1.3 million to Dallas ISD and there is rebate money available on fuel as well. One more thing he mentioned is a school district will get additional credits for building a fuel system for the buses.

One of the purposes of Williams’ bus tour is to remind Texas about the energy sources. The Commissioner who grew up in Midland, Texas said Texas can lead the nation in energy use

We can lead the nation and show the rest of the country how to do it. “ When we work, we win,” he said.

Williams has been backing McCain since the beginning and gave a rousing nomination speech at the National Republican Convention.
We will come up with a balance, he said. “We will find the right balance.”

Williams, the first black person in Texas history to hold an executive statewide, elected post and is the highest ranking African American in Texas state government, mentioned he’d like to be able to vote for Obama but Obama is just wrong on all the issues. Then he briefly itemized that Obama is wrong on gun control, the economy, taxes, health care, his international policy and so much more. He said McCain is a tried and true leader and he’s ready to be president of the United States.

In his speech to nominate McCain, Williams said, “Change is just a slogan when the ideas are as old as McGovern, Carter … and dare I say, here in St. Paul … Mondale, too. This election is a choice between a siren song of change without true demonstration, and an independent maverick with a real record of reform.

“John McCain is ready to lead.

“John McCain has always put his country first. He put America ahead of his campaign when he advocated the right surge for an unpopular war. He put his comrades and country ahead of his personal comfort during the Vietnam War.

“That's why I'm so glad to know that when John McCain travels to foreign lands as President he will not apologize for America's strength, but assert it.”

Chairman Michael Williams is pro business and wants the best for Texas. In his “Vision for a Prosperous Texas” found on the Railroad Commission Web site, he mentions how energy is essential to economic activity and it must be affordable and reliable. Economic growth leads to prosperity, jobs and higher wages.

Williams’ interests and involvements don’t stop at energy. He wants to see a renewed focus in our schools on science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Texas classrooms.

During a 2005 visit to Sherman, Williams said he sees an importance in strengthening families and feels faith to be an important ingredient in doing so.

Anyone wishing to learn more about Michael Williams, his endeavors and political views should visit one of his Web sites: www.rrc.state.tx.us or www.williamsfortexas.com.

John McCain for President

Texas Chairman of the Railroad Commission Michael Williams gave an inspiring nomination speech at the Republican National Convention where he made the official nominating speech for the presidential candidate.

The text of his speech is well worth the read. It's inspiring, right on target and here it is:

"My friends, as a Republican who has held statewide elected office in Texas for a decade, I am proud and deeply aware of the historic significance of this election.

"But I am here with you in St. Paul, rather than being in Denver last week, because I believe values and ideas take precedence over the politics of demography and identity. And, because I know John

"McCain is ready to lead.

"Change is just a slogan when the ideas are as old as McGovern, Carter … and dare I say, here in St. Paul … Mondale, too. This election is a choice between a siren song of change without true demonstration, and an independent maverick with a real record of reform.

"When Mr. Obama was choosing his running mate, he said the standard should be whether that individual is ready to be president. But I have to ask: shouldn't the same standard apply to the Democrat at the top of the ticket? Americans need not risk our future and our peace on a false promise of hope.

"John McCain is ready to lead.

"John McCain has always put his country first. He put America ahead of his campaign when he advocated the right surge for an unpopular war. He put his comrades and country ahead of his personal comfort during the Vietnam War.

"That's why I'm so glad to know that when John McCain travels to foreign lands as President he will not apologize for America's strength, but assert it.

"He knows that keeping the peace comes from projecting our strength … that America is the greatest beacon of liberty in an uncertain world … and that foreign leaders, whose deeds speak louder than their diplomacy, must earn the right to sit down with the President of the United States.

"America's hope is in a seasoned, strong leader in this dangerous world … someone to take on the forces of mediocrity that put unions ahead of the teachers and students they teach ... a fighter to tackle the Washington culture of waste ... and a President who knows in the core of his soul that human life begins at conception.

"John McCain is ready to lead.

"For energy security, we need to explore more, conserve wisely and aggressively pursue alternatives.

"We can responsibly drill for oil and natural gas here in America and protect God's creation.

"These things are not mutually exclusive. America cannot say no to clean coal…no to nuclear power…and no to offshore exploration.

"That may be good for Saudi Sheikhs, but it's bad for American families.

"With rising electricity rates and soaring gasoline prices, Democrats say "turn down the air in your home," and, "increase the air in your tires."

"That's not an energy policy ... that is an Obamanation!

"When the Michigan factory worker builds a pickup truck… and when the Ohio farmer buys that truck... and when that steelworker in Pennsylvania takes that truck to the filling station… they will put more change in their pocket and pay less in taxes under John McCain. That's the kind of change ... John McCain is talking about.

"John McCain … is ready to lead.

"Americans will not fall for identity politics over good ideas … slogans over substance … or promises and platitudes based on wrong policy prescriptions. We have a proven leader with a record of reform who is ready to lead and ready to succeed.

"John McCain will be my President."

A Real Inconvenient Truth (About Taxes)

The following was written by Warren Stephens, the president of the company I work for. It made me proud. We published it in the Herald Democrat, the newspaper for which I am an editor, Oct. 15. I hope he writes more. He is spot on.

I have never written a column in one of our newspapers and really had no intention of doing so, but after watching the debate last Tuesday night I feel compelled to put some facts to paper so that readers can make an informed decision about this election. Given the dearth of facts in the current debate, this may not be my only foray into writing for publication! I want to make sure I make the proper disclosures about who I support in this Presidential Campaign. I am the co-finance chair for Arkansas for the McCain Campaign and an ardent free market capitalist. I believe social issues are best left to individuals and while I have strong beliefs about them, I will not interject them into my choice of a candidate. Economics and taxes, on the other hand, are NOT subject to interpretation. Supply and demand curves are real and they work. This column is an attempt to put facts in front of you, particularly as they relate to taxes and the “fairness” of our tax code.

Senator Obama is proposing tax increase for small businesses and the top 5% of tax paying Americans. He says that he will give 95% of Americans a tax cut and he and Senator Biden say it is fair and the “patriotic duty” of the top 5% to pay more. Again, full disclosure, I am in the top 5% and probably the top 1%. The facts, as to who pays taxes, paint a different picture and, for whatever reason, Senator McCain will not use them. The tables below really say it all:
_______Share of total_________
Top 1% Income Taxes Paid
1990 14% 25%
2000 21% 37%
2005 21% 39%

________Share of total________
Top 5% Income Taxes Paid
1990 27% 44%
2000 35% 56%
2005 36% 60%
Source: Treasury Department, October 2007

These statistics are from the U.S. Treasury Department and they reveal a startling and seldom talked about FACT. The top 1% of wage earners in this country pay 39% of the income taxes paid, while the top 5% pay 60%. That's right, 60% of all income taxes are paid by the same people on whom Senators Obama and Biden want to RAISE taxes. What is more, the percentage paid by this group has increased since the so-called Bush tax cuts. This is a real inconvenient truth for the Obama Campaign.

In 2006, the lower 50 % of wage earners had 12.5% of the income and paid 3.0% of federal income taxes. The 2006 statistics also reveal that the top 5% of U.S. taxpayers paid $616 billion in federal income taxes which was MORE than the remaining 95% of taxpayers' total of $408.1 billion. Our system could hardly be more weighted to having the wealthy pay more, yet that is precisely what Senator Obama proposes. I will reluctantly accept (for now) that in our society the top wage earners will pay more (in percentage terms) in taxes, but if Senator Obama wants to raise taxes, he should say so. As The Wall Street Journal has been saying, you cannot give a tax cut to people who do not pay taxes. Senator Obama's plan is a redistribution of income from those that pay taxes to those that do not. It is nothing more than the granddaddy of all welfare plans and voters need to know it. For Senators Obama and Biden to couch this issue as one of fairness and a “patriotic duty” is an attempt to deceive the American public as to the facts.

I am not afraid of Senator Obama becoming President because he is a bad person. Rather I am concerned about his policies and their effect on our economy both in the short and long term. Higher tax rates will discourage investment and capital formation and that is not good for anyone.

Don't elect Johnnie for President

My husband, Billy Wayne, and his brother, Johnnie, have a warm and fun relationship as brothers.

Even though Johnnie lives in Tennessee with wife Phyllis and we live in Texas, they stay in close contact with regular telephone and e-mail conversations. They joke about a lot of things, and each enjoys reminiscing about their lives growing up in Midland, halfway between Fort Worth and El Paso.

Johnnie is the older of the two, who enjoyed the life of an only child for six years before his younger brother came on the scene. They were born to John Godwin and Dimple Aiken of Whitesboro and Tioga, after the couple married and moved to Midland so John (known to locals as "Big Boy") could go to work for the Hughes Tool Company.

Johnnie has been an achiever most of his life, becoming an ordained Baptist preacher before attending college and seminary at Baylor University. Without listing his multitude of accomplishments, I'll just say he's a published author whose books have had great successes. He continues to write on a variety of projects and sometimes submits to his local paper.

When Billy Wayne said he plans to vote for Johnnie as a write-in for President, Johnnie expressed his fear to have another President from Midland. He shared a recent article meant to entertain, and I thought our readers might enjoy excerpts from his letter, which Johnnie admits, is too lengthy to publish in the letter-to-the-editor section.

"As wonderful as growing up in Midland was, I basically grew up dumb and provincial about the bigger world. Midland was pretty much the whole world for me. When we Midlanders refer to some direction from Midland, we always use the word 'down' -- whether referring to Amarillo, Canada or the North Pole. Until I went off to Baylor University, I was so dumb that when someone answered a daily greeting with 'fair to middling,' I thought they were meaning something like doing all right in Midland, Texas.

"And when I was growing up, most folks were friendly and honest; but if someone insulted me or challenged me, I gave the typical Midland West Texas reply: 'Bring it on!' And I was ready. Really. Ready to settle the matter quickly.

"When George W. Bush was running for President, he explained the chief difference between him and his dad, our former President, was Midland, Texas. That's what George W. said. Well, I delivered dry-cleaning to the George H. W. Bush family at 1412 West Ohio before they moved upscale in the 1950s. George W. was just one of the Little League boys at that time. As fine as that family was and is, please don't elect another President from Midland, Texas. Even me.

"Since I left Midland, I have studied political science and history at Baylor (majored in Greek), got graduate degrees, and traveled over most of the known world. I was in Moscow to work at an international book fair three days after the Korean Airliner was shot down in 1983. I was also on the steps of the Russian White House with Alexander Rutskoi on May Day 1991 before 200,000 people. I was helping present him a symbolic copy of the 4 millionth Russian New Testament we were then freely distributing there.

"In Beijing in 1994, I was out in the boonies in a house church where Billy Graham had been just a few months before. Well, you get the idea, I think. Besides these things, I've done a world of politics in my life, but most of it in the fields of business and religious publishing, which again might qualify me for President (since I'm a Southern Baptist). I'm not really a Democrat, Republican, Independent, liberal, conservative, fundamentalist; rather, I am an enlightened person with common sense and conviction.

"I'm a bit younger than McCain; but my oldest son is older than Obama. Still, please don't join my brother and elect me another President from Midland, Texas.

"Well, what matters most then in electing a President? First, I'll almost guarantee the candidate who gets your vote holds some views you can't abide but likely will consider the lesser of two evils. So let me mention a few items that are more important to me than partisanship. The president should be a person of integrity. The person needs common sense, decision-making skills, and all the other things that come to mind.

"But the President for whom you vote should be able to practice what a mentor taught me when I became an executive: 'Johnnie, always hire to your weaknesses.' No person is really big enough and qualified enough to hold the office of the President of the United States.

"But the President for whom you vote should be able to practice what a mentor taught me when I became an executive: 'Johnnie, always hire to your weaknesses.' No person is really big enough and qualified enough to hold the office of the President of the United States.

"The person elected needs to know that everybody, including himself, is ignorant but just in different ways. He needs to choose a Vice President worthy of succeeding but not intruding on the powers of the President in office. The President needs to cut the rhetoric and decisively move forward on the no-brainers that any commonsense President can figure out. I'm tempted to talk about war, democracy, economy, being green, etc. ad nauseam. But I won't.

"Just be sure you vote for a President who is courageous in his integrity, enduring in his patriotism but also in his worldwide citizenship concerns, one who will get up every day asking the Pace-setter and Pace-maker what the President ought to exchange this day of life for. Did I mention I'm a preacher as well as publisher?

"Well enough, already! Just form your convictions well, and vote for the best candidate for President and then support whoever resides in the Oval Office. But above all, please don't elect another President from Midland, Texas."

Everyone must vote!

I’ve been worried about this presidential election — afraid my candidate won’t win. I know it will be a disaster if my guy loses. What will I do? How am I going to feel Nov. 5 if the wrong individual gets in the White House?

Well, my questions were answered recently in my weekly Bible study which is all about the life of Moses.

We looked at the 400-year enslavement of the Israelites and learned that God remains the same as yesterday for today and tomorrow. And no matter what happens, God is in control. Now, I’m hoping it won’t take a 400-year enslavement period before we experience relief if the wrong man becomes king of this country. But even if it does, I know that God is in control of my life.

After several weeks of studying the life of Moses, I’m finding lots of interesting life lessons in the pages of Genesis and Exodus.

Now for any of you who may like to find some Biblical advice for the direction in which to cast your vote this year, check out the words in 1Samuel regarding the selection of David as king of Israel. God told the prophet Samuel that what’s important is the heart of the candidate. “Do not look at his appearance or his stature... Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7.

Or you could just follow my pastor’s advice. Rev. Jimmy Tarrant said Sunday morning, everyone should vote. He cited Isaiah 6:1-4 and explained it was a tough time for Isaiah. King Uzziah had died after maintaining more than 50 years of peace for the people of Judah. During the time Uzziah was faithful to the Lord, he and his nation prospered and much of the strength and influence that had been Israel’s in the days of David and Solomon was restored.

Isaiah was in despair to think of the future of his country without the good king. But God showed Isaiah a vision of God on his throne — completely in control.

Brother Jimmy’s advice? Pray first and then vote for the candidate who shares your Christian values and his comments even drew a muffled cheer from the pews of our church.

This year, in this election, I’m going to follow my pastor’s advice with confidence that God will continue to be in control no matter which side wins. It’s what men are going to do after the election that has me bothered.

See you at the polls.

Respect for Old Glory

During football season I enjoy a well-rounded tour of Texoma area football stadiums. My assignment is usually a different school each week so, by the end of the season and, now after working this way through seven or eight years of those seasons, I’ve been getting around.

I’ve noticed the last few years, a difference in the response of crowds to the playing of the “Star Spangled Banner” before the game kicks off. A few weeks ago, I was shocked to notice a small group of women sitting at a picnic table. When the music to honor Old Glory started, they barely stopped their conversation. They did eventually turn their attention to the flag waving at one end of the stadium, but they never stood.

I’ve been in some stadiums where the fans in stadium seats had mixed reactions when the tribute sounded. Most stood and some placed their hands over their hearts. But many did not.

Two weeks ago, my game was at Blue Ridge. It’s a 1A school in size but seems to have great fans and big hearts. The announcer asked everyone to stand for the playing of “our National Anthem as we honor Old Glory,” and everyone did. I mean EVERYONE.

I looked at the field where the football players and cheerleaders lined up along the field’s side line and every, single one of those students stood up straight, turned toward the stadium’s flagpole and placed their hands over their hearts to show their respect. I don’t remember seeing that in any high school stadium.

Then I looked around at the home stands and it was the same thing. I think patriotism is important to the people in Blue Ridge and it was wonderful to see.

I am honored to write newspaper stories from time to time about our soldiers who serve this country weather in harms way or in less risky situations. I’ve seen up close the price they and their families pay to do what they do and it is significant.

Paying homage to Old Glory is nothing more than showing respect for the principles of our country which is still the greatest nation in the world. Those people who serve to protect her take that respect very seriously and so do I.

Help me spread the word.