National Day of Mourning
Today is the National Day of Mourning. The federal government is closed today. Post offices are also closed, and mail will not be delivered. Banks are open though.
_____
It looks like the State of Texas is calling on H-Town for some help. See this from the Chron:
Gov. Greg Abbott is said to be exploring a plan to buy water from Houston and send it to West Texas — a potentially contentious idea that comes as he has teased “totally transformative” measures in the upcoming legislative session aimed at keeping the state from going dry.
Mayor John Whitmire told the Houston Chronicle that the governor called him to discuss the state purchasing “excess” water from the city — an idea Whitmire said he is open to if it means Houston can get much-needed infrastructure funding.
“He called me and said, ‘Would you consider selling your excess water to the state that we then sell to West Texas?’” Whitmire said in an interview. “We get monies for our infrastructure. They get their water. It would be a win-win.”
Conversations between the city and state began sometime in the fall, said Greg Eyerly, director of Houston Water. Houston produces 183 billion gallons annually and supplies it to millions of Southeast Texas residents, as well as infrastructure critical to the state like the ship channel and refineries.
Communities and businesses that operate in the Permian Basin have been clamoring for access to more water as their aquifers run low after decades of largely unrestricted drilling. And data centers for AI and cryptocurrency that are cropping up around the state need vast supplies of water to cool their servers.
Here is the entire read: Abbott said to be exploring deal to send Houston water to West Texas.
I am really not enthused about H-Town cutting a deal with the MAGA led state government. I don’t trust those MFers one bit. Along with getting assistance for our water system infrastructure, how about getting a repeal of that Death Star bill that is hampering local municipalities like H-Town. Stay tuned.
_____
Commentary is not shedding tears over this headline in the Trib:
“I just don’t really recognize the Republican Party”: Ousted state Rep. Steve Allison goes down swinging
Here is the Trib read: Ousted Texas Rep. Steve Allison goes down swinging | The Texas Tribune.
Let me offer a correction to the headline. It is not the Republican Party. It is MAGA. This Texas state legislator from San Antonio was targeted by MAGA Gov. Abbott for not supporting school vouchers. He lost in the MAGA primary. Rep. Allison was all in on MAGA on everything else.
_____
I saw a Texas Department of Transportation ad on the flat screen yesterday. It is the featured photo. Talk about a big joke. Texas drivers are not kind, courteous, and safe. Nope. Ok, maybe a few like Commentary are, just a few. We do know that TxDOT is a big joke.
_____
The College Football Playoffs (CFP) resume this evening with Notre Dame taking on Penn State in the Orange Bowl.
