1989NDN

www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/article/Laura-Bush-Separating-children-from-their-13002381.php Thoughts? Go Indians. Peace.

I support BigCam2903 for President in 2020. Go Indians. Peace.

Impeach Them All Does that include President Trump since he signed the spending bill? Go Indians. Peace.

Congratulations to the Port Arthur Memorial Titans. Happy to see Port Arthur back in the business of bringing home championship hardware. Reminds me of Port Arthur Lincoln in 1981, 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1989. I'm showing my age. Ouch. Go Indians (...Go Titans!). Peace.

I'm not short-changing the impact of a merger on Central/Ozen's football program, but can you imagine the basketball powerhouse that will result from Central/Ozen? I get it...other large 6A schools have talent, too, but I believe Central/Ozen should be a force at the state level year in and year out. Imagine Central/Ozen finding an icon coach like PA Lincoln had in James Gamble, and then a program gets built, tradition starts to build, and then just like PA Lincoln, boom, championship hardware starts to pile up. Sorry for the distraction...my mind went to basketball when I read the newspaper and saw the merger of Central and Ozen. Back to football. Go Indians. Peace.

I am not aware of UTC/Carrier being in any financial trouble. Carrier is one of the leaders in market share for commercial and residential HVAC products/equipment. Aside from your personal experience with a Carrier product, many people are buying their products/equipment. I found it interesting that approximately one year ago President Trump took credit for saving American jobs. Props to President Trump for putting the issue of jobs on his agenda and getting Carrier to stay open for business in Indiana for an additional year. Now, those jobs are adios. UTC/Carrier is eliminating some jobs due to automation and moving other jobs south of the border to increase profits and shareholder value. I get that. Still, it stings for the man or woman holding that Carrier job in Indiana. Compassion for fellow Americans is not a weakness. I'd rather Americans in Indiana working those jobs versus someone else in Mexico or overseas. I know...the next argument from the far right is..."it's the fault of unions!" "Carrier is leaving Indiana because the unions force companies to pay high wages to lazy workers!" "There are no unions in Mexico...automation systems don't unionize!" I agree to an extent. We need find common ground for our country's manufacturing sector to continue its production and dare I say, growth. If UTC/Carrier benefited from tax reform, I hope it trickles down to the shareholders and to the working man/woman. That's all. Peace.

Did United Technologies Corporation or its brand, Carrier Corporation, benefit from tax reform? If yes, can they use those tax savings to help the people in Indiana that will soon be out of work? Thumbs-up, UTC and Carrier waited until after Christmas to implement the layoffs. Thumbs-down, shipping jobs to Mexico. Maybe if the USA builds the wall, we can keep the people from $h%+hole countries out of the USA and we can keep manufacturing jobs inside the USA? [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content]

Name one underclassman, that was a starter on defense in 2016, that did not return to his starting position this season? All of the returning starters are playing except for Stansbury who switched to offense. Just because a kid started in pee-wee football coached by your neighbor, or at the junior high, freshman, or JV levels, does not guarantee a starting spot at the varsity level. Players earn their spot. If an underclassman is better, he should play. MB deferred to upperclassmen and likely went 5-5. Those teams tackled well and still missed the playoffs. I'll take what we have now. Post-Dustin/Mike Long, MB had two losing seasons and three 5-5 seasons. But, go watch the film, they tackled well. Maybe Coach Arnaud decided to coach a lower level for his own reasons. Maybe he wanted less stress or he wanted to spend some time with his family. Perhaps we should ask him? But, don't worry, Coach Faircloth will tire of the BS and move on. When he does, you can go back to 5-5 won/loss records and celebrate upperclassmen making tackles until basketball season starts. Go Indians. Peace.

Predictions: 1. Vidor will not cut the grass at the Cow Pasture aka Ivan Croak Field at Pirate Stadium. The grass will be more than ankle deep and it will take the Indians two or three drives to figure out the slow footing. I hope we bring multiple sets of shoes. The Indians may need the mudders or the long cleats depending upon the weather. 2. Vidor will have a Quirante on the roster. As long as he doesn't play QB and MLB, the Indians should survive. 3. Coach Matthews will come out to midfield and argue that the forward pass is an illegal procedure. Teams are only allowed to line up in the wing-T and run the ball. 4. The Indians will survive a close contest in Vidor. The Pirates get amped for the Mid-County teams and they play PN-G and nederland tough year-in and year-out. The PN-G defense will make a few stops and secure the W. Go Indians. Peace.

+1 Go Indians. Peace.

Yes, Coach Faircloth puts an emphasis on offense. It's no surprise. His background includes stops at Odessa Permian, Highland Park, and Austin Westlake as an offensive coordinator, QB coach, run game coordinator, passing game coordinator, etc. Not true that the PN-G defense is just thrown together. Depending upon the talent pool, which isn't overflowing in Port Neches and Groves, he identifies leaders and tries to build around them, e.g., Rembert, LeJeune, Anniboli, Bost, and LeBoeuf. Those kids were not/are not "just thrown together with the players left after the offense is stacked." The Indians have some young talent on defense. A few SOPHs that should develop into a strong unit this year and over the next two years. We bend and try not to break on defense. Keep everything in front of you, don't get beat deep on the big play, and put as many people around the ball as possible. That's the philosophy of Coach Faircloth on defense. Each kid is taught to do his job and get to the football. We've given up some yards, but we've made some stops. We're only giving up, on average, ~20 points/game, which isn't too bad. PAM gave up 44 points last week and they have what most experts/posters on this board have called a "legit" defense or "one of the best they've seen." PN-G has some talent on defense. Bost, LeBoeuf, Ayala, and Hammonds. The tall, lanky SOPH #90 and some of the DBs should keep developing. Each Friday night under the bright lights is an opportunity for them to get better. They aren't too bad for a group "just thrown together." Do any of you ever go to PN-G Booster Club meetings or do you ever speak with Coach Faircloth or Coach Templin? They might not have meetings this year because of the compressed scheduled, but I'm asking about the past, too. Several people post on this message board pretending to know what they're talking about, but do you ever speak to the men coaching the Indians? Go Indians. Peace.

The other teams have players, too. Believe or not, the other teams are playing to win...they are competing to make plays. The other squads will make their share of plays. PAM wanted to win last Friday. Hines makes a lot of defenses look helpless. Our kids on defense are the best kids at PN-G for those positions and they are giving what they have to help get a W. They are going to make mistakes. It's OK, there will be other opportunities for them to make plays. Just like they did vs. PAM. They made enough plays on defense and the Indians won the game. The old Burnett supporters will look for anything to detract from Coach Faircloth. He wins...but that's not good enough...now, the Indians aren't playing defense like 1999 when Kendall Briles ran wild in state championship game. The good 'ol boys just want better defense so they can go 5-5 and cheer that the Indians lost 7-0 or 14-3, but hey, at least we tackle well. Our kids get into position to make plays. They make some and others they don't. Let us all know when Richard Sherman, Aqib Talib, Patrick Peterson, and Josh Norman enroll at PN-G. Until then, just enjoy the ride. Eventually Coach Faircloth will tire of the BS at PN-G and move on. Then the know-it-all armchair coaches that like to talk football can go lead PN-G to 5-5 seasons and we will all be excited that your team knows how to tackle. BTW, LC-M ain't shutting people down with MB on the staff. Go Indians. Peace.

Coach Faircloth has balls and they're made of steel. Multiple 4th down conversions, multiple 2-point conversions, an onside kick, and challenging his players at the half to get up from the ground after being punched in the mouth by a physical PAM defense and to go make some plays. All of that, and especially Roschon Johnson at QB = big time win for PN-G vs. a tough PAM team. Where are all the HS fans that said PN-G would not score 30+ points on PAM? Crickets? Crickets? The PN-G defense? You say its garbage? They made enough plays for the Indians to secure the W. I'll take it. Go Indians. Peace.

I don't know what to expect. I have not seen either team play in 2017. I have seen PAM's #25 (Hines) from last year's game vs. PN-G. He is quick, fast, and even after the first contact, he has balance and toughness. I would make someone else beat me. I would load the box and do my best to take away #25. He can change the game from anywhere on the field. Make PAM throw it. If other Titans step up and make big plays in the passing game, then tip your cap to them. Here's to an injury free game...hope it's a good contest that comes down to a few big possessions. I'm interested to see the game on video and see how PN-G matches-up with both teams in a few weeks. Go Indians. Peace.

Major Applewhite leads the University of Houston Cougars into battle against the Texas Tech Sand Aggies at TDECU Stadium. Go Coogs. Peace

Shhhhhhhhhhh! Don't ask silly questions. PN-G does not have size, talent, speed, athleticism, or any of the necessary ingredients to be competitive. We are just that little old school from landlocked Port Neches and Groves where there is no talent, coaching, or will to compete and win. Just keep talking about PAM, Central, Vidor, Nederland, and the improving Lumberton and Ozen squads. If you must discuss PN-G, then stay focused on the small DBs who do the best they can to keep everything in front of them and the undersized LBs who have to use what little quickness they have to avoid all of the D1 talent on opposing teams steamrolling through the district. It's high school football...where desire, technique, and having small modest amounts of talent means nothing. On the PN-G OL, don't mention #74, #79 or others. Surely, it is myth about size over at PN-G. Go Indians. Peace.

Would the majority of BMT residents be happy if the ISD had not closed/consolidated some of the schools? Would there be more school pride and overall community unity had the ISD left open the following schools and required children to attend the schools in their neighborhoods? Hebert South Park Forest Park French BC-P When I was in school, it seemed all of BMT had pride in their community schools. I can remember BMT rallying around Hebert in the late seventies, rallying around French in 1984 ("Solid as a Rock" by Asford and Simpson). I'm not discounting the success of WB, e.g., 1982 State Championship, but would BMT ISD be better or worse if Hebert, SP, FP, French, and BC-P existed in 2017? I don't pretend to know the answer. Just wondering if the concept of neighborhood schools and community pride would have boosted BISD's numbers. Maybe not. The increasing numbers of private schools have changed all public school districts. The options I remember were public school, Bishop Byrne, and Kelly. Now, there are too many to name...plus home schooling. You think BMT will follow PA's path and consolidate to one large HS with mega numbers or keep the schools in place now? Go Indians. Peace.

[Hidden Content] The average CEO made 271 times the earnings of the typical worker last year, while more than 42 million Americans made less than $15 an hour. Look no further for an explanation of the growing economic inequality and slow economic growth in the United States. The average CEO compensation at the 350 largest firms in the United States, including cashed-in stock options, was $15.6 million in 2016, according to data collected by the liberal Economic Policy Institute. When the pay is calculated using the value of the stock options when they were issued, but not cashed, the average pay was $13 million. RELATED: High executive pay does not equal high performance The average compensation package was slightly down in 2016 when considered as a ratio to what the average American earns. CEOs made 271 times the average American compared to 286-to-1 in 2015 and 299-to-1 in 2014. Remember, though, that the era of celebrity CEOs and astronomical earnings is relatively recent. In 1989, the CEOs at America's top companies made only $59 for every $1 a typical worker earned, and in 1965 the ratio was only 20-1. To understand how this pattern can add up, the news site Axios looked at CEO pay at the top 70 U.S. health-care companies over the last seven years and found they were paid more than $9.7 billion. The Affordable Care Act did not slow things down, with the CEOs getting an average 11 percent raise every year since 2010. Average Americans, meanwhile, saw their pay go up 2.3 percent a year over the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the past, I've railed against the buddy system at too many boards of directors that has pumped up CEO pay. A chief executive fills board seats with other business leaders who know that when one CEO gets a big raise, consultants will recommend every corporation give every CEO a pay hike. RELATED: CEO pay doesn't reflect shareholder value The problem is that astronomical pay takes money directly from the pockets of shareholders, who see lower returns because so much cash is going to labor costs. Since labor is the highest cost at most companies, CEOs routinely lay off workers and hire cheaper labor to boost company profits. Perversely, the boards then give the CEOs a raise for implementing layoffs. Meanwhile 42 million Americans make less than $15 an hour, according to federal statistics. Most of them are more than 30 years old and have some college. The minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour for eight years, but if it were pegged to inflation and productivity gains, it would be $12 an hour. RECENT: Retail workers will be the next unemployment crisis When critics rail against the slow economic growth since the Great Recession of 2008, they too often forget that 70 percent of the U.S. economy is consumer-driven. If consumers can't afford to buy things because wages are too low, the economy can't grow. That's why groups like the Patriotic Millionaires want a higher minimum wage to stimulate the economy. Past economic data shows that higher wages for the poor stimulate the U.S. economy far better than tax cuts for the rich. "The fact is that it's nearly impossible for anyone to live on the minimum wage in this country," said Keith Mestrich, president of Amalgamated Bank and a member of Patriotic Millionaires. "The economy is on the mend and we need to make sure all boats have a chance to rise. We need to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and we need to do it now." RELATED: No need to punish poor or raise taxes to get people off welfare There is a difference between rewarding successful people and feeding greed at the expense of company shareholders. And boards need to get control over CEO compensation. More importantly, though, we need to reduce the pay ratio by raising the pay of the average American worker. If nothing else, the 2016 election demonstrated that the American worker feels undervalued and mistreated. Raising the minimum wage would address that anger. Failure to act at both the top and bottom of the pay scale, though, will lead to greater disparity, less economic mobility and a smaller middle class. And that would betray all of the work done in the 20th century to make the United States one of the wealthiest and most egalitarian nations on earth. ___________________________________________________________________ In the comments section, someone wrote: In 1914, Henry Ford gave his workers a huge daily pay raise because he know that to sell his cars, his workers had to afford to buy them. His $5/day wage was more than double what most were making at that time. It is about the equivalent of $120/day now, which is about $30,000 a year or about $15/hr. Discuss/debate...rail against those in the middle of the political spectrum that believe in capitalism, but also believe in social responsibility and taking care of people struggling to make ends meet (and, no, I'm not talking about people who are scamming government programs for "free money" ... I'm talking about the elderly, working poor, and children). Reducing CEO pay is not the be-all, end-all solution, but the system seemed to work well in 1965 when the ratio was only 20:1 vs. what it is now at 286:1. I'm not asking for socialism, just social responsibility so we can take care of those who can't take care of themselves. 3...2...1...anticipated responses: "You're a socialist; you're a communist; who's going to pay for this; you support welfare kings/queens; you can't have it both ways, i.e., you can't be a free market capitalist and advocate for social responsibility; I don't want the government in my life; Texas should secede from the United States; Trump won, the voters have spoken; the issue discussed in the article is ridiculous; where is the evidence; where is a cite to an authoritative peer-reviewed article; this solves nothing; I'm rich and I don't care; I work for my money and I don't want to give it to the government; let the churches take care of the poor, etc." Go Indians. Peace.

WO-S has won 80% of its games over a 40-year period. Think about that for a moment. Impressive. Plus, they have a nice collection of what really matters, championship hardware. Strong resume from a strong program. Tip of the cap to Newton. Solid argument for the #2 slot. Go Indians. Peace.

+1...agree 100% about taking care of the elderly, working poor, and children. Go Indians. Peace.

In general, true. Individual legislators come and go, i.e., voted out, resign, die, but both major political parties are to blame for pork barrel legislation. (R) and (D) share the blame for the problem.

The national debt results from pork barrel legislation; it's not the fault of Medicare alone. I agree the federal government can, should, and must do better with the taxpayer's checkbook. At least from the study conducted by USC, the Medicare program is paying claims competitively with private insurance. Perhaps that's a start. Go Indians. Peace.

What are the specific differences in Medicare in 2007-2012 vs. 2014, 2015, 2016 or 2017? Cite a study that compares the pros and cons. How did Obamacare affect or change Medicare? The point of the study was the payment of claims. In this particular study, the Medicare program competed about equal with private insurance (at least where federal law allowed competition; cf., prescription drugs where Medicare, by law, can't compete with private industry). The study had nothing to do with enrolling the underinsured or uninsured. This study represents the basic premise that there is one program where, after years of practice, the government seemingly got it right. Is it perfect? No. Is it a total failure? No. It's somewhere in the middle. It proves that if Americans work together, we can find a system that provides basic healthcare to the elderly, working poor, and children. The Left goes too far with their platform and so does the Right. Find common ground and move forward. Go Indians. Peace.

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Correct...keep reading...that is where the regulatory function comes into play. We can reel in the pay of those non-innovating CEOs...let's give it to the workers in R&D. They can use it to pay high premiums. Now, I gotta go. Wife is tapping her foot asking me to get things ready for tomorrow's flight. Go Indians. Peace.