Author Archives: bshirley

GPA on list of good non-profits

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From a few days ago in the paper. Houston Greyhound Pets of America among the best non-profits in the city…

-bill

Nonprofits lend a bigger helping hand
Houston groups ranked at top in national study

By MIKE SNYDER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
June 19, 2003, 11:45PM

For every dollar it gets from donors, the Houston Area Women’s Center spends 84 cents on shelter and services for domestic violence survivors.

Only 16 cents goes to fund-raising and administrative costs.

Such efficiency is characteristic of Houston’s largest nonprofits, which rank among the nation’s best in a new study evaluating the financial health of some 2,500 tax-exempt organizations around the country.

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to silence dissent is morally treasonable

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Teddy Roosevelt may have been his own breed of war monger in his day, but he appreciated what was important in this country, and stated it plainly.

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”

— Theodore Roosevelt, The Kansas City Star, May 7, 1918

In March, Tom Daschle, Senate minority leader, said that President Bush had failed “so miserably at diplomacy that we’re now forced to war.”

Congressional Republicans promptly suggested that the comment bordered on the unpatriotic.

Teddy made the comment during WWI, and would have entirely disagreed with the reaction.

Daschle paraphrased Roosevelt thusly: “It’s unpatriotic to hold one’s voice in a democracy under any circumstances, right or wrong, regardless of one’s view of the president, whether he’s right or wrong.”

A sentiment as solid today as it was 85 years ago.

-b

HISD Job Fair

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Last friday I went to the HISD Job fair. It was a mad house. If you want confirmation that the economy sucks, showing up there would provide you with it. First, the room was too small and the tables too close.

There are 5 schools with 9 HS math positions open. I know there to be 10-20 people looking to fill those. Reagan, which I wanted, does not have one open. The most interesting that do are Milby and Wheatley. There is one school with 5 openings (which makes one wonder). It is, of course, the one which would be the worst commute for me. Westside directly out the I-10 freeway from me. It is a relatively new school, but the commute would be daunting.

There should be callbacks this week from Milby and/or Wheatly, if they’re interested.

-b