Columns

To the editor: CNBC recently published a story with this headline: “The U.S. national debt is rising by $1 trillion every 100 days.” That astounding rate of increase adds up to $3.65 trillion per year, or $14.6 trillion after a four year presidential term.

To the editor: America is repeating trends of history. The study of history is critical to understanding the present.

To the editor: 3:00 a.m. and the power is out due to strong overnight thunderstorms.

Redecorating is stressful: trying to decide on the right colors for the sofa that go with the wall color…that you haven’t painted yet, and then finding the exact rug that will tie it all together. All this planning takes me back to the days right after I married into the family of 4 teenagers.

Uncovering family history that has remained hidden for decades can be really exciting, but also more than a little of a shock to one’s system, to learn what one’s ancestors went through, at a time when we, frankly, have it pretty easy in most ways. Sure, there are some things that are tough for our generation, including assuring our democracy works effectively and justly, amid all the current political divisiveness. Yet earlier generations in my family also faced some tough but very different obligations of citizenship. . .

My “gardening” over the past several years has been waist-high. In boxes.

C APITAL Highlights Early voting began Monday, April 22 for municipal, school board and various bond elections. It ends on April 30 with Saturday, May 4 being election day.

T EXAS History Martin Dies, fire-breathing founder of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), came out of retirement on Apr. 26, 1952 to run for Texas’ new at-large congressional seat.

The City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority planned to use condemnation proceedings as a last resort to acquire land for their new joint electric plant, according to LCRA General Manager Charles Herring. He said an effort would be made to negotiate to buy the land from landowners but, if necessary, the City of Austin and the LCRAwould condemn the property in the public interest. Herring said it was necessary to build the plant to serve LCRA’s 800,000 customers. Herring noted no one had volunteered the use of their land for the plant.

As I walk the streets of San Miguel, I am amazed at how many people are talking on their phones. Since legs are the main transportation vehicle in town, streets are busy, not New York City busy, but always pedestrians strolling to or from somewhere.