Below is my response to this letter from Pete Sessions. Keep in mind, he is up for re-election next March. Thank you for your response. Although you made some good points, I do not agree with the direction you and other members of congress are taking in regard to Net Neutrality and protecting the FCC. Furthermore, I am extremely unhappy with the service AT&T and other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide and wanted to elaborate on that. Additionally, Ajit Pai’s recommendation is one sided and is beneficial only to ISPs, not the consumer. I feel it is your duty, as…
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding net neutrality. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this important issue. The Internet has revolutionized how we learn, shop, communicate, innovate, and do business. Small businesses across Texas thrive off a free and open Internet. But since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a drastic step during the closing days of the Obama Administration to apply a 1930s-era ‘Title II’ regulation to the Internet, costs for consumers skyrocketed, innovation was hindered and broadband deployment decreased significantly, particularly in rural America. Simply put, these…
From time to time, there is an incredibly tragic accident where people are killed with guns and this always tends to lead to a gun control debate. I understand and agree with the sentiment. If we could save one life, wouldn’t giving up guns be worth it? Do we really need guns? So let’s legislate away gun violence! Thinking you can control deaths by gun control is as unrealistic as saying you can legislate away depression. Or legislate away violence. Or legislate away stupidity. I think when you consider gun deaths by segment, understanding the flaw in gun control becomes…
My answer to Evan Rose is too long for Twitter. Why defund Planned Parenthood? First, I think it is psychologically devastating for the women that get them. I think there is strong evidence that those babies can feel pain. Considering that there is no clear consensus, the government should not be financing abortions through insurance or organizations like Planned Parenthood. Lastly, there are so many couples that want a child so badly and would adopt a baby in a heartbeat. I have dated two women that have had abortions. Over the years I have seen behavior from them that I…
I don't have a lot of apps on my phone. At least considering how many apps are out there. And of the apps on my phone, there are only a few I use daily. One of those is Instagram. And a very real reason for that is Humans of New York. Humans of New York (HONY) are photographs by Brandon Stanton. I don't know if he wrote the book first, or if it started as a project on Instagram. He takes a picture, maybe one or two a day, of just everyday people and does a on the spot interview…
Yesterday I went to talk to a recruiter. Before we met, I was asked to fill out some paperwork. Pretty typical. One was a legal document several pages long on one topic, mandatory arbitration. Basically, mandatory arbitration says you are agreeing to not settle legal disputes in a US court room but through arbitration instead. One issue I have with that is that presumably the other party, in this case the recruiter, hires the arbitrator so I feel they would be biased to a point that their objectivity would be comprimised. I also feel that it undermines our consitutional right…
I am going to admit two things that, for me, are hard to admit. First, I am a fan of Taylor Swift. I'm listening to Blank Space as I write this. In the past, I have always been vocally anti top 40. I have traditionally had the same opinion of top 40 as I do of McDonalds: it's shit but somehow millions love it and will pay for it. Second, I paid for Spotify. That's hard to admit because Spotify is the devil. I am sure you react to that as most of my friends do. "It's better than piracy."…
You know what creates jobs? New businesses. I have heard people argue that it doesn’t and that is crazy. I am trying to start a business and it will create 13 new jobs in Texas. And don’t you think the jobs they leave will probably need to replace them? All this creates a greater demand on the workforce, lowers unemployment, the increase in demand on the workforce raises the average income per capita. And the people with new, higher paying jobs? They spend money and all this creates an economic ecosystem. My guess is anyone saying otherwise is vested in…
My first business was a convenience store that had two fast food franchises inside. So most of my employees worked for low wages. We didn’t pay minimum wage, but we were close. It was hard working next to these people seeing their daily struggle. Some were trying to support a family on that. To be honest, I was paying myself $35,000 and that seemed hard to live on. I can’t even imagine, really, what a life on minimum wage must be like. I don’t want to think about it. But that is a reality for many. Today, May 15, people around…
