Chad’s Morning Brief: Ted Cruz Talks Syria, Immigration, & Obamacare, San Antonio City Council Passes LGBT Ordinance and More
Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of September 6, 2013. Give me your feedback below and tune in to The Chad Hasty Show for these and many more topics from 8:30 to 11am. Remember, you can listen online at KFYO.com or on your iPhone/Android with the radioPup App.
1. Ted Cruz Talks About the Big Issues (link)
You have to give it to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, he doesn't back away from the controversial issues. In El Paso yesterday, Cruz spoke about the border, Obamacare, and Syria.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday continued his campaign against the White House’s health care plan during a tour of this El Paso army base, finding an ally in the president of the city's 1,700-member chamber of commerce.
On immigration, however, El Paso's business community is at odds with Texas' junior senator, said Richard Dayoub, the president and CEO of the El Paso Greater Chamber of Commerce.
Cruz's Fort Bliss visit, where he held roundtable discussions with business leaders, capped off a short border visit. He traveled to the Rio Grande Valley earlier in the week, but a trip to Laredo was canceled following an emergency Senate Armed Services Committee meeting on Syria. Despite the abridged trip, Cruz said he heard a clear message.
“It doesn’t matter where in Texas you are… The no.1 concern small business owners are raising right now is Obamacare,” he said. “When you ask them, 'What are the challenges facing your business?' the answer that comes over and over again is that Obamacare is the biggest job killer in this country.”
Dayoub said that position is in line with the results of a recent survey about the state of the El Paso's businesses.
Cruz said he was optimistic that Congress could work together on a solution if partisan politics took a back seat. The majority of Americans who live outside of Washington, D.C., are clamoring for some sort of reform, he said. But he added that he loses hope because he sees Democrats and the president using immigration reform as campaign fodder for upcoming elections.
“I call on President Obama to stop looking for an issue in 2014 and 2016 and instead focus on areas of bipartisan agreement,” he said.
On Thursday, Cruz also reiterated his stance that military action in Syria is not in the best interest of the United States.
“I am continuing to listen to the arguments raised by this administration, but at this point I am deeply, deeply, skeptical,” he said. “In my view, President Obama has not laid out a credible case that putting the United States in the middle of a sectarian civil war in Syria advances our national interest.”
He said that doubt was fueled by credible intelligence that indicates seven of the nine rebel forces in Syria have ties to terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda.
Again, we need more people like Ted Cruz in D.C. and less people like John McCain.
2. San Antonio City Council (link)
The San Antonio City Council voted 8-3 on Thursday to approve a controversial ordinance. The goal of the ordinance is to prevent discrimination in the City.
The City Council voted 8-3 Thursday to approve adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of classes protected from discrimination in San Antonio.
Council chambers erupted with emotion — red-clad supporters of the updated nondiscrimination ordinance applauded and offered a standing ovation, while blue-shirted opponents sat silently. People from both factions quickly began exiting chambers.
Supporters, some draped in rainbow flags,broke out in a "SI SE PUEDE" chant as they headed to Main Plaza in celebration.
Because there were eight affirmative votes, the ordinance takes effect immdeiately.
The council voted 9-2 to add similar protections for veteran status. Councilman Ray Lopezmoved to split the vote to avoid accusations that nondiscrimination ordinance supporters used veterans to leverage votes.
Council members Elisa Chan, Ivy Taylor and Carlton Soules voted against adding LGBT protections. Chan and Soules voted against adding veteran status protections.
The council listened to more than three hours of public input Thursday before taking a vote.
Councilman Diego Bernal, who spearheaded the effort to update the city's policies, said the ordinance is not going to take away anyone's right to free religion or free speech.
"This ordinance does ensure that everybody in our community is created equally," Bernal said.
Mayor Julián Castro dispelled notions that the proposal hadn't been vetted enough and said it garnered support from all corners of the city.
"This ordinance fundamentally is about ensuring whether you're white or black, Christan or Jew, straight or gay, this city belongs to you," Castro said. "This ordinance is about saying there are no second-class citizens in San Antonio."
After Bernal finished his address to those attending the meeting, supporters gave him a standing ovation while opponents sat silently.
Earlier in the day, he endured threats from opponents that they would recall him and anyone else who voted in favor of the measure.
Councilman Ron Nirenberg said passing the NDO makes sense.
"The heart of the debate has centered on whether or not sexual orientation, gender identity and veteran's status should be added to the list of protected classes that currently includes race, religion, sex, national origin, age and disability," he said. "Each of those classes, it would seem, deserves protection from discrimination because of past oppression or a high potential for bias."
Here is the question I have. Was San Antonio discriminating before this passed?
3. A Bump Started It (link)
On student was killed and 3 were injured when a 17-year-old Houston area student was bumped into.
A 17-year-old charged in the fatal stabbing of a fellow Houston-area student has told investigators the altercation began when he bumped a different youth in the school cafeteria.
But Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Thursday that gang rivalry appears to be the motive in the slaying at Spring High School in Spring.
Luis Alonzo Alfaro was being held on a murder charge in Wednesday morning’s killing of 17-year-old Joshua Devon Broussard.
Alfaro made a court appearance early Thursday where details of his interview with detectives were disclosed. Alfaro, who’s jailed on $150,000 bond, also asked for a court-appointed attorney. He has another court appearance set for Friday.
Classes have been canceled at Spring High School, about 20 miles north of Houston, until Monday.
Other Top Stories:
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