Opinion

January, 2020

• 24 January

  Op-Ed: How Dual Credit Courses could save millions of dollars for School Districts

  

  A big trend in high school public education is the “Dual Credit” course. This type of course provides students a parallel avenue to take college courses while at the same time getting high school credit. …
• 20 January

  Analysis: Voters elect Texas’ judges. The state might take that power — but it’s risky.

  

  There are any number of ways to pick good judges, bad judges and those not-quite-rare-enough WTF judges, and none of those selection methods is foolproof. Texas elects judges, relying on voters to sort through pages …
• 16 January

  Borderplex Alliance CEO issues statement on USMCA Ratification

  

  On Thursday Jon Barela, CEO of The Borderplex Alliance, released the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), passing the U.S. Senate. “For more than three years, The Borderplex Alliance has engaged in vigorous …
• 14 January

  Op-Ed: Hurd on the Hill – Iran is not a victim

  

  Over the past week, you may have seen news coverage of the death of Qassem Soleimani and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The events that have unfolded over the last few weeks …
• 13 January

  Op-Ed: Does Teacher Ego prevent the adoption of Ed Tech?

  

  My friend Kevin Honeycutt used to tell a story of a professor of American Literature who was droning on about a particular short story in his class and became increasingly frustrated with a student in …
• 7 January

  Video+Quotes: Cornyn: Key Senate Committee Passes USMCA

  

  WASHINGTON –Tuesday, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) gave the following remarks in advance of the Senate Finance Committee’s passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. Excerpts of his interview, as well as the full video clip …
• 6 January

  Op-Ed: El Paso Electric Plan: Record Low Solar Price, Unnecessary Gas Plant

  

  El Paso Electric’s (EPE) agreement with Hecate Solar is not only a good deal, it may be record-setting. In a November 18, 2019 filing with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC), EPE applied for …
• 1 January

  Op-Ed: Another Professor Disses Smartphones, Joins Historic Line of Haters that Turn Out to Be Wrong

  

  I am a big fan of the podcast “Pessimist Archive (PA).” If you have never heard of it, the PA documents with humor the sadly regular, negative reaction that society, usually western society, has to …

December, 2019

• 31 December

  Hurd on the Hill: Protecting Free Trade with Mexico and Canada

  

  The U.S. House has done its job: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been passed and is on its way to the U.S. Senate. Those of us who live and work in South and West Texas …
• 27 December

  Analyzing 2019: The 86th Texas Legislature

  

  The Texas Legislature’s 86th regular session was marked by school finance reforms and easing the pressure of some of the nation’s highest local property taxes. The state’s top three leaders — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan …
• 20 December

  Analysis: A 2020 holiday fantasy for Texas officeholders looking to 2022

  

  Even the kids in the elected class have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, dreaming at the end of another year what might be next in politics, and for them. We get these …
• 7 December

  Letter to the Editor: Deny EP Electric purchase by JP Morgan, Make EPE a City Utility

  

  The purchase El Paso Electric (EPE) by JP Morgan’s Infrastructure Investment Fund (IFF) should not be allowed by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT). Approval hinges upon the sale being in the “public interest” …
• 7 December

  Letter to the Editor: Narrow Roads to Save Pedestrian Lives

  

  The seven-year-old girl killed in a crosswalk several weeks ago was, unfortunately, only one of a string of victims on El Paso’s dangerous roads this year. Pedestrian deaths like these are preventable. Our city’s traffic …
• 3 December

  Op-Ed: Assigning the Parents Homework: Homework as a socio-economic indicator

  

  A recent tweet went out where a parent mentioned that her daughter was only able to complete her homework after she had been able to use a home printer, a laptop, home internet service, a …
• 2 December

  Analysis: Texas candidates have one week left to sign up or shut up

  

  In one week, we’ll know who’s going to have a primary. Who is going to have a fight in November. Who’s quitting. Who isn’t quitting. The table will be set for a big 2020 election …