Austin Disposable Plastic Bag Ban

On Tuesday, March 5, the National Association of Convenient Stores (NACS) published an article titled “Austin Disposable Plastic Bag Ban Take Effect.”  This article is talking about that Austin gives a policy that retailer’s stores, pharmacies, and any convenient store are not allowed to use plastic bags with their customers. 

 Austin should not Ban the plastic bags because it affects the majority of residents of Austin.  Those bags are small compared with the big ones that the store is selling now or the paper bags that are not resistant enough to carry all the shopping.  In my personal opinion the plastic bag ban doesn't make sense, the plastic bags with handle that the stores provide to the shoppers was very healthy because customers do not expose their food or lose the small products that they have purchased, the handle plastic bags also were one time use and disposables or you can used at home in something else like for example in the trash.  It is understandable that no one carries their clothes bags everywhere, or buys the plastic reusable bags that they are selling.  The reusable plastic bags has a lot of bacteria including the E. coli if it is not appropriate cleaned after load your bag with produce or meats like fish or chicken.  And I am asking what is going to happen with the big plastic bags that are used to wrap big items like mattresses or those to dispose the trash or clean the yard.  Austin should become with a better plan that does not affect the economy or the health of people.

Resign of the Pope

On Monday, February 11, In the Pink Texas Blog was posted a comment titled “Pope Spring Eternal.”   I agree with this comment of Eileen Smith the editor of the liberal blog In the Pink Texas, because the resignation of the Pope Benedict XVI is like a disaster for the believers in the catholic church to the extreme that many of them thinks that those are signs of the end of the world. 

Probably Benedict XVI has a few personal reasons to resign but he should put at front the great responsibility that he has. He was the leader; the head of the biggest religion in the whole world.

Many catholic people still do not come out of their surprise moreover some of them decide do not believe because they do not want to trust in the church.  The Bible teaches about “love your neighbor as yourself” the things happen in Rome are far away from that teaching.

The Catholic Church is now without a leader and they feel insecure, they feel like a sheep without a pastor is time that they will open their eyes and start exercising their faith and hope that the sacrifice of Jesus in the Cross was not in vain.  

In my personal opinion the Catholic Church needs to reform certain points of their organization.  Probably being more open to the election of Pope giving more opportunity to young candidates also not tolerating the ones who committed abuses with children, which is one of the main problems and scandals of the church.

On Wednesday February 20, 2013 the Austin American Statesman published an article titled "Child Therapists push for Medicaid changes."  This is an argument that involves medical care for children and adults that do not have enough income to pay a private health insurance.  Unfortunately for poor families the governor and the legislature do not care about these problems.  This one of the biggest challenges; Texas must address the health care crisis, and come with a solution.
Critics and leaders of Texas wants to ensure that is something done, they give their support to the SJR8 a constitutional amendment that gives Texan voters the rights to decide whether Texas expands the Medicaid program.  Texas should increase their accountability for doctors, clinics and hospitals that provide Medicaid services.  Those kinds of changes would mean lower costs to the state overall and a higher quality of care for those on Medicaid.
Despite Governor Rick Perry opposes to the health reform, democrats remain optimistic that 2013 legislative session can lead a lead that will bring billions of additional dollars to improve Medicaid programs.
I think that if we expand Medicaid through managed care plans, we will not have problems, because when doctors see the money available, they will participate in the program.  Also expanding Medicaid will help people with longer sickness and diseases to have their sickness in control with frequently visitations to doctor's or therapist's office at the same time will save in longer hospitalizations.  One of the things that therapists are doing, agree with the argument, is that they are trying to push legislators to avoid the cut of budget for Medicaid purposes and for 2013-14 will make better use of Medicaid dollars and support local health solutions.

On Tuesday, February 19, the Austin American Statesman published an article titled “Cruz calls for Second Amendment protection at gun manufacturer visit.”   Ted Cruz is a Republican Senator.  He visited the plant of gun manufacturing at Leander Texas, gives support and talk about defending the guns rights.  This article is very interesting and very important for all students to read because is a lot of controversy about that matter.  For one side is the second amendment that mention about the right to bear arms, but the other hand is that guns are sometimes used for people with a lot of anger and many psychological problems that put in a risk the life of children an innocent citizens