The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Recently I have heard much discussion about fear that the United States may descend into a socialistic type government. Generally in my conversations with folks, I have found that... — Updated 8/30/2022

Early in my struggling law practice I was inclined to accept almost anything in order to gain a new client. I regularly swapped legal services for goods or services. On one... — Updated 8/23/2022

Texas public education has not been adequately funded since the 1940s. Under the party now in power it has gotten worse, not better. Growth in charter schools is one reason why.... — Updated 8/16/2022

In this column I recently wrote about the quote of P. T. Barnum that there is a sucker born every minute. I now believe the quote was wrong. After watching the trial of Alex Jones,... — Updated 8/9/2022

There has long been discussion about whether or not elected officials should have limits on how many years they should serve. The concept can be both good and bad. Arguments for... — Updated 8/2/2022

If you are with a group of teens, more often than not you will catch them engrossed in looking at their cell phones. I have been blessed with bright children and grandchildren... — Updated 7/26/2022

Democracy works best when all of the people of the nation participate. Unfortunately, today, less than half of the eligible voters in our country take time to exercise their... — Updated 7/19/2022

P. J. Barnum once said, “There is a sucker born every minute.” He made millions using that philosophy with his circus. If democracy is to survive, we need to not be suckers whe... — Updated 7/12/2022

Roy Dunn, publisher of this paper, and I can be cited as a good example of how politics in America should work. Our relationship began over 50 years ago. A close friend of Roy’s w... — Updated 7/12/2022

The Texas House of Representatives is made up of 150 members elected from individual districts throughout the state. Traditionally they are re-done to accommodate changes in... — Updated 6/28/2022

The constitution grants very little power to the lieutenant governor of Texas. The misconception concerning the power of the position comes from the fact that for traditionally the... — Updated 6/21/2022

In answer to last week’s questions I posed, here are some of the answers: • The governor of Texas serves for four-year terms. This was changed in 1972 when John Connally was the... — Updated 6/14/2022

Almost none of us, if any, would begin any game hoping to win without knowing the rules. Unfortunately, for all of us, too many of us begin our game of citizenship in life without... — Updated 6/7/2022

I have a lifetime honorary membership in a gun range. I have owned a gun since I was eleven years old. I have enjoyed hunting, skeet shooting, target practice and own more guns... — Updated 5/31/2022

I had an old gentleman once tell me the biggest problem in the country is ignorance and apathy, but he said, "I don't know what to do about it and furthermore, I don't really... — Updated 5/24/2022

There is no doubt I care a great deal about education. It is not only something which increases the quality of life, it underpins the American way of life. Thomas Jefferson once... — Updated 5/17/2022

Things have certainly changed since I was a freshman at the University of Texas in 1952. I stayed at a boarding house which charged me $55.00 a month for room and board, tuition... — Updated 5/10/2022

Among some of the nice things about serving in the Legislature for 32 years is the opportunity I enjoyed meeting people, some famous, some not-so-famous, but most very interesting... — Updated 4/19/2022

We have all heard the phrase: “swallowing camels while straining gnats.” Generally, the phrase is applied to persons we designate as hypocrites. It seems to me; however, the phr... — Updated 4/12/2022

Recently, I was extremely disturbed by the results of a poll which asked “How many Americans would remain and fight for our nation’s government as are the Ukrainians?”. Unfor... — Updated 4/5/2022

We in Southeast Texas need to wake up and realize that we are blessed in many ways; but the most valuable commodity available to us, our homes and our business entities is fresh... — Updated 3/29/2022

As a confessed political junkie, I sit around wondering many times about why some things are as they are. As an example, when I see a candidate flooding the news media with ad... — Updated 3/22/2022

It’s very difficult to write about the state Legislature without including a few stories about lobbyists. Lobbyists represent various interests in the capitol and do their best t... — Updated 3/15/2022

How often do you hear someone say, "Nobody tells me what to do!"? After watching the recent election results, it seems that over 80% of Texans, including those in Orange County,... — Updated 3/8/2022

All politicians have egos, particularly after winning a hard-fought election battle. I must confess, I too was pumped up quite a bit after winning my election to the state Senate.... — Updated 3/1/2022