The Importance of Being Informed and Voting

Voting is a right given to all Americans once they have reached the age of 18, and it is a right that I believe is important for everyone to exercise, no matter what your view. With that being said, even though we all have that right, I also believe that you should only vote when you are well informed about what you are voting about. Take this discussion that Neil Aquino at Texas Liberal brings up for example. He is trying to get us to understand that we as voters are responsible for being informed before putting the check mark on a ballot.

Using links to various pages and sources, Aquino brings up the thought that even though there are solid facts showing that a certain candidate is not fit or qualified for the job, he was voted in as the Democrat candidate for district attorney in Harris county. That brings up the concern that voters are on cruise control in the box, just picking for the party they've always voted for and selecting the name that sounds more familiar to their ears. With the thought that these people are going to be running our government for however long their term is, we need to put a little more thought about who we pick for our offices.

Yes, voting is a right all Americans have, but we need to be aware that we put the folks sitting in the government in office with our vote. If we find  that we dislike the way a person is doing their job, we need to realize we were the ones who put them in there in the first place, and that we are also the folks who need to vote them out come the election. For information on how to vote in our fine state, regardless of which party you support, here is a link to a page also created by Mr. Aquino. Be informed, make your voice count.

Views on Texas healthcare for prison inmates

Tax payers like to believe that any money they have taken by the government is going to be used for their long term benefit and growth, but what if they knew that it was being used to keep the people who wronged society healthy out of their pocket? The Houston Chronicle brings up the case of Donald Rash, a 61 year old felon, who is serving a 23 year sentence and was refused parole to go to a nursing center halfway through his time, yet continues to receive state provided healthcare for his diabetes, hepatitis C, and other heath concerns. The story of this man brings up an interesting topic: should prison inmates receive high healthcare benefits?

With a budget that seems to be as tight as our state's, it doesn't seem like the brightest idea. The Chronicle supports the thought with statistics, such as the fact that the top TEN inmates alone costed 1.9 million dollars in healthcare costs back in 2011 and that healthcare for inmates takes up 30 percent of the state healthcare budget. They are trying to appeal to reason and point out the issues with the current system to the common reader, and help them understand that the current healthcare plan for inmates is a burden on the state, hence a burden to taxpayers.

These thoughts in mind, I agree with the article and its concerns. I believe that the state should not provide any more health care than is necessary to those who have betrayed society's trust. If it is obvious that the person is too ill or old to commit another crime, or is looking death in the eye, then release them from prison into a secure home and track them. There is no reason at that point to spend government money and pour it into the prison system for medical reasons at that point. The funds the government receives should be used to help the folks who are out in the world, not those behind bars.