When I do my editing, some questions come up repeatedly. One frequent question is why MS Word spellcheck will allow both “programing” and “programming” in US English without a squiggly red line for either.
Because I’m somewhat obsessive in my editing, I searched for a “definitive” answer for what is “correct” or “preferred”.
I feel that the link below gives a good explanation, with reasoning.
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Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:
“What we’re discovering is that the Constitution is not a mechanism that runs by itself. Ultimately, we are a government of men and not law. The law has no force without people who are willing to enforce it. The ball is now squarely in the court of the Republican Party, and particularly Senate Republicans. Will they ever be prepared to say enough is enough?” ~ William A. Galston, a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution who graduated from college just before Watergate.
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Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org .Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:
“What we’re discovering is that the Constitution is not a mechanism that runs by itself. Ultimately, we are a government of men and not law. The law has no force without people who are willing to enforce it. The ball is now squarely in the court of the Republican Party, and particularly Senate Republicans. Will they ever be prepared to say enough is enough?” ~ William A. Galston, a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution who graduated from college just before Watergate.
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
It may be easy to miss amid the 2020 election buzz, but there is an election this November. And Texans hoping to participate have until Monday to register to vote.
Who and what Texans get to vote for will depend on where they live.
The most closely watched race will be in House District 28, where Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, has stepped down to join the University of Texas system. Democrats were already targeting this district in their efforts to take over the House majority next year.
Elizabeth “Eliz” Markowitz, a Katy teacher, is the only Democrat running for HD-28. She unsuccessfully ran last year for State Board of Education District 7, which overlaps with HD-28.
Six Republicans are running for the seat, making a runoff likely. The GOP contenders include Anna Allred, a Houston anesthesiologist; Gary Gates, a Rosenberg businessman; Gary J. Hale, a Katy business owner; Tricia Krenek, a Katy attorney; Sarah Laningham, a Richmond saleswoman; and Clinton D. Purnell; a Katy man who works in logistics and customs compliance.
Other special elections include House District 148 where 15 candidates – 12 Democrats, two Republicans and one independent – are running to replace state Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston; and House District 100, with five Democrats lined up to replace former Rep. Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, who vacated the seat this year after winning the Dallas mayoral election.
You must register in your county. Texas voters must submit their applications at least 30 days before an election to the county where they are a resident, and mailed applications must be postmarked before or on the Monday deadline.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:
“What we’re discovering is that the Constitution is not a mechanism that runs by itself. Ultimately, we are a government of men and not law. The law has no force without people who are willing to enforce it. The ball is now squarely in the court of the Republican Party, and particularly Senate Republicans. Will they ever be prepared to say enough is enough?” ~ William A. Galston, a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution who graduated from college just before Watergate.
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
“In his farewell address, President George Washington spoke against “the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party.” In particular, he warned that partisan infighting “opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.””
President Trump has long relied on repetition to spread his falsehoods into the national discourse. As the whistleblower complaint about his dealings with Ukraine has led to a possible impeachment crisis, he has repeated previously fact-checked claims about former vice president Joe Biden while introducing new ones. We’ve been trying to keep up at The Fact Checker, doling out lots of Pinocchios, but our reports have been scattered over several days.
This is one of those complex stories that consume Washington but frequently confuse ordinary Americans. Trump appears to be counting on that confusion to offer a fog of claims and allegations to make it appear as if Biden had done something wrong. So here’s a quick guide to Trump’s statements — and the truth.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:
“What we’re discovering is that the Constitution is not a mechanism that runs by itself. Ultimately, we are a government of men and not law. The law has no force without people who are willing to enforce it. The ball is now squarely in the court of the Republican Party, and particularly Senate Republicans. Will they ever be prepared to say enough is enough?” ~ William A. Galston, a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution who graduated from college just before Watergate.
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:
“It is incredible. You know, I wrote a column way back when around the time Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at restaurants. What we should be doing is shunning these people. Shunning, shaming these people is a statement of moral indignation that these people are not fit for polite society. I think any institution, University of Virginia, for example, for a bit had a relationship with Marc Short, who’s now back with the administration. It’s absolutely abhorrent that any institution of higher learning or any news organization or any entertainment organization that has a news outlet would hire these people. I want to echo something my friend EJ [Dionne] said. It’s not only that Trump has to lose, but that all his enablers have to lose. We have to collectively burn down the Republican party. We have to level them. Because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will do it again and they’ll take it as confirmation that, hey, it pays to ride the waves. Look at me, I made it through. Up and down the ticket, federal state and local offices, the country has to repudiate this. It is NOT a normal administration, and when these people say, “Oh you can’t criticize us, it will deter public service,” it will deter people who are liars, who are enablers and who are really bad people and they should be deterred. They don’t get to escape accountability. That’s all of our job to hold them accountable for the rest of their lives. Yes, we need to burn it down. BURN IT ALL DOWN.” ~ Jennifer Rubin, on AMJoy (8/25/2019)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston).
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
SIGNOFF QUOTE[s]:“It is incredible. You know, I wrote a column way back when around the time Sarah Huckabee Sanders was denied service at restaurants. What we should be doing is shunning these people. Shunning, shaming these people is a statement of moral indignation that these people are not fit for polite society. I think any institution, University of Virginia, for example, for a bit had a relationship with Marc Short, who’s now back with the administration. It’s absolutely abhorrent that any institution of higher learning or any news organization or any entertainment organization that has a news outlet would hire these people. I want to echo something my friend EJ [Dionne] said. It’s not only that Trump has to lose, but that all his enablers have to lose. We have to collectively burn down the Republican party. We have to level them. Because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will do it again and they’ll take it as confirmation that, hey, it pays to ride the waves. Look at me, I made it through. Up and down the ticket, federal state and local offices, the country has to repudiate this. It is NOT a normal administration, and when these people say, “Oh you can’t criticize us, it will deter public service,” it will deter people who are liars, who are enablers and who are really bad people and they should be deterred. They don’t get to escape accountability. That’s all of our job to hold them accountable for the rest of their lives. Yes, we need to burn it down. BURN IT ALL DOWN.” ~ Jennifer Rubin, on AMJoy (8/25/2019)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
One of the things that pisses me off about the article linked below is that it appears to be written BY an American FOR Americans, and the temperature is still given in freaking CENTRIGRADE!
Not even a conversion in parentheses!
Folks, 2 degrees C is about 3.6 degrees F.
3oC is about 5.5oF.
If you’re going to try to impress readers with the gravity of the situation, don’t be elitist. Use numbers your entire audience will understand.
That’s my first gripe.
My second gripe is that the article practically waves a white flag of surrender.
Yes, the situation is getting worse, but it would be getting worse still, and faster, without the efforts being made in the places making them.
The article is right about preparing for the worst. But it surrenders the duality of also trying to make things better.
“The climate apocalypse is coming. To prepare for it, we need to admit that we can’t prevent it.”
SHOW AUDIO Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Part of today’s show is prerecorded. We are otherwise live.
SHOW AUDIO:
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls, Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
POSSIBLE TOPICS: Unions and Labor Day, and the future of the labor movement in America
“Without the labor advances won by #Unions, #Capitalism itself might not exist today.” ~ Me
Let’s talk first about Labor Day. How was it created, and why is it in September instead of May Day, like the rest of the world’s equivalent labor celebrations?
The Labor Union movement was strong after WW2. What happened to weaken it?
Conservatives have succeeded in villainizing unions in the minds of many workers. How have they accomplished that?
How can it be reversed?
“We continually try to read Conservatives through Liberal-colored glasses. When we try to see things as Conservatives see them through their own eyes, understanding can arise. From that understanding can come effective Progressive responses.” ~ Michael R. Honig, 4/28/2015 (inspired by Jackson Galaxy)
Is that a trick that progressives and labor groups need to try to learn, and can they?
Is the political labor pendulum beginning to swing the other way now?
Judging from the current political and legal climate, it almost seems like labor organizing needs to start over again.
What will labor organizing look like as the 21st century progresses?
I loved this quote: “We feel that the group’s tactics are over the top,” said Carol Wight, chief executive of the New Mexico Restaurant Association. “I think there are nicer, more effective ways of getting what you want — achieving justice for workers.”
The article makes 2 important points:
Unions, at least in New Mexico, have not shown much interest in organizing low-wage workers;
“Workers Committees” are easier to organize than unions.
What does this development mean for workers in the future?
What does it mean for unions going forward?
Unions need money to do their work, whether it’s paying full-time officials, forming strike funds or funding political action.
Can unions survive in their current form, and if so, how?
If unions have to change, what might those changes look like?
Specifically, does the AFL-CIO and it’s brother and sister unions have new strategies going forward that we can discuss here tonight?
SOURCES WHICH MAY BE RELEVANT TO OTHER DISCUSSION: ======================================================= Continue reading →
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
SHOW AUDIO: Link is usually posted within about 72 hours of show broadcast. We take callers during this show at 713-526-5738.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
Listen live on the radio, or on the internet from anywhere in the world! When the show is live, we take calls at 713-526-5738. (Long distance charges may apply.)
Please take a moment to visit Pledge.KPFT.org and choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.
For the purposes of this show, I operate on two mottoes:
You’re entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts;
An educated electorate is a prerequisite for a democracy.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
Pledge by Text: Listeners can now text “GIVE” to 713-526-5738 and they’ll receive a text message back with a link to KPFT’s donation page, with which they can make their pledge on-line at their leisure.
United States Postal Service letter carrier Homer Hernandez has delivered mail in the San Antonio area for over 15 years. And in that time, he’s seen more items get stolen from households’ mailboxes and porches than he can count.
“It’s happened a hell of a lot over the past few years,” said Hernandez, the vice president of the Texas State Association of Letter Carriers. “Almost every day.”
A new bill signed last week by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott aims to deter offenders by upping the punishment for such crimes.
House Bill 37, which goes into effect Sept. 1, criminalizes mail theft, with the penalty ranging from a class A misdemeanor to third-degree felony, depending on the number of addresses mail is taken from. That means the punishment ranges from up to one year in jail and a fine of $4,000 to between two and 10 years in prison and fine of up to $10,000, depending on the number of addresses stolen from. The punishment also increases — and can go up to a first-degree felony — if there’s proof an offender intended to obtain someone’s identifying information or steal from the address of a disabled or elderly person.
Mail theft wasn’t defined in the state’s penal code before the bill, so crimes were often charged as property or identity theft. The legislation, authored by state Rep. Ina Minjarez, D-San Antonio, also gives state and local law enforcement departments the ability to handle cases. Before, they were required to refer all mail crimes to federal officers.
That led to challenges in prosecuting them, and over time, the need for state involvement has grown, said Chief Johnny Siemens of the Castle Hills Police Department in Bexar County.
“They just weren’t working your average mail theft where you’ve got a couple of offenders driving around a neighborhood with people’s mail,” Siemens said. “Their threshold typically required another felony or something in conjunction with it to get to the level of having one of the state inspectors step in, and they’re already very busy.”
Siemens said offenders who make off with a few packages or parcels of mail often don’t stop there. The theft, he said, can represent a gateway to larger crimes of identity theft or fraud, and Texas ranks among the top 15 in the nation for both.
Texas Criminal Justice Coalition peer policy fellow Allison Franklin, however, worries the bill could end up doing more harm than good.
“How we prevent package theft is to create options for secure delivery,” Franklin said. “But instead, our Legislature took the easy way out and just elevated the penalties for package theft, and obviously policies like that have led us to the largest prison population of any state.”
Franklin called the bill’s penalty structure “absurd” because it doesn’t take into account the value of stolen mail. Taking a low-cost package from someone’s porch, for example, shouldn’t have a higher punishment than stealing an expensive mountain bike from her lawn, she said.
Some like Chris Harris, a data analyst for criminal justice reform nonprofit Just Liberty, also fear a potential felony charge for basic mail theft is too high.
But Siemens said that ultimately, what’s most important to him is that soon, there will just be a tangible punishment for mail theft at all.
“We weren’t concerned with differentiating between felony or class A misdemeanor,” Siemens said. “We just needed something greater than a class C so we can make effective arrests. What happens if you just write a ticket is offenders drive down the road and continue mail thieving, so this is a great step forward.”
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Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig(@ThinkwingRadio), a listener call-in show airing live every Monday night from 3-4 PM (CT) on KPFT-FM 90.1 (Houston). My engineer is Leti. Today’s show is a fundraising show, so, with apologies, we can’t take on-air phone calls,
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Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 7, 2015)
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![Houston Mayor Annise Parker [L] with Mike, just before the show. (Dec. 14, 2015)](https://thinkwingradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/mike-mayor-annise-parker-at-kpft2015-12-07-cropped.jpg?w=300)
