DALLAS (Mar. 30, 2009) -- Dallas ISD students involved in the Education is Freedom (EIF) nonprofit program got a big boost today as the University of North Texas Dallas Campus announced plans to offer $2.5 million in scholarship assistance for tuition, fees and other costs at the future UNT Dallas between 2010 and 2015.  The financial aid program comes at a critical time, as money for college continues to tighten. Any student who successfully completes EIF’s rigorous program and meets the admission requirements of the UNT Dallas Campus will be eligible for the scholarship funds. Read EIF CEO Marcus Martin's Paycheck is only one benefit of college from Monday's Dallas Morning News. “This is great news for Dallas ISD students involved with EIF,” said David Biegler, EIF’s Chairman of the Board.  “For many urban youth, going away to college isn’t a viable option because scholarships typically cover tuition and fees only, but not room, board and living expenses.  For Dallas ISD students to be able to live at home and still get a terrific education at our city’s only public four-year institution will be truly impactful.” ...

Delta Sigma Sorority, Inc. North Dallas Suburban Alumnae Chapter and North Dallas Suburban Foundation present their 8th Annual Charity Golf Tournament Saturday, May 30th, 2009 Riverchase Golf Club, Coppell, Texas Register online at www.miraclegolfconcepts.com For more information, call or email: 214-452-7835 info@dstndsa.org

I received the above DNC commercial yesterday regarding Republicans recently released alternative budget plan. In the commercial, Democrats borrow from the Sesame Street theme by saying that it is brought to us by the number "zero." They hit the zero theme over and over, asserting the Republican budget is without numbers. So I went to the 19 page Republican Road To Recovery document to see if the Democrats were exaggerating their claims against their rivals. With all the noise the GOP has made regarding the Obama budget, surely they offered a concrete plan in helping to dig America out of what their plan calls "the worst (economic) storm since the 1970's" (no doubt a dig at President Jimmy Carter). ZERO actually sums up the Republican Road To Recovery. I went through their proposal line by line, and it offers nothing new by way of ideas or proposals. They simply wrote down the rhetoric and complaints levied against the President and his party over the last few weeks. All this time they been telling us they were working on an alternative budget, and this is what they came up with? In the Road to Recovery document, Republicans say they will ...

I have to say that I was moved by my son and his effort in the Frederick Douglass Academy Oratorical Competition. Isaiah took 1st place in the 1st grade division. He recited a portion of Barack Obama's Inaugural Address, and now they're calling him "Little Obama" at school. When we were looking through the some of President Obama's campaign speeches, I couldn't get my son to bite on any of the ones I liked. He said no to the Iowa victory speech, no to the pivotal speech on race, and no to the Democratic acceptance speech. But when we read through the Inaugural Address, he said "that's it." We started with about 4 lines and 2 paragraphs. I mean he is in first grade right? But he asked for more so we went further into the speech. In the next line, Obama talked about "petty grievances", "recriminations" and "worn out dogmas." I remembered this to be my favorite part of the address, but was unsure if I wanted to put the pressure on him to recite what I thought would be a difficult passage. I looked at a word I might substitute for recriminations and though I ...

One of the best blogging couples you'll find @ What We're Doing updates Dallas Furniture Bank's 40 under 40. According to WWD, " 40 Under 40 was a two-pronged affair, combining a baking challenge with the celebration honoring young civic leaders. The Beat Condos pool and cabana area and its spectacular view of the Dallas skyline was the perfect backdrop for the event." Click here to read the rest of the post, including the recognition of Catherine Cuellar and Eric Johnson.

Did you know that in the United States, DVT affects up to 2 million people annually? DVT-related PE is the most common cause of preventable hospital death and complications from DVT kill more people each year in the U.S. than breast cancer and AIDS combined. I kind of missed DVT Awareness month, but that doesn't mean that we can't become more aware about a preventable complication that strikes so many each year. Check the YouTube below and visit www.preventdvt.org for more information. The Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis and its National Patient Spokesperson, Melanie Bloom, widow of NBC news correspondent David Bloom who died in Iraq due to complications of DVT, fulfilled their commitment to educate Americans about the dangers of DVT by putting word on the street through a mobile campaign, Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT.  This included a stop at Methodist Dallas Medical Center last week.

In a statement directed at Americans nervous about the auto industry, President Barack Obama outlined his administrations further involvement in helping the struggling auto makers.  That includes the Obama administration forcing GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner to resign. The President said that the plans formerly submitted by GM and Chrysler are unacceptable, and he wants them to take another run at it.  In the meantime, they will have to submit to guidelines set by the federal government in order to receive additional federal funds.  Obama said GM and Chrysler will have "limited additional periods of time" to produce plans that inspire confidence from the American citizens who their are asking to give them aid. He also called on others to make concessions, including auto workers and their unions, auto dealers, and suppliers. Though much of the news is bleak, Obama cited GM producing the 2008 North American Car of the Year (Chevy Malibu), and Chrysler for the Buick's recognition in the area of reliability. Obama said that the business plans submitted to the government were "not strong enough" and additional measures were necessary for them to become viable once again.  The first step to that end was his auto task force pushing ...

Dallas, TX, March 28, 2009- On Monday, March 30th, Si Se Puede PAC will unveil its new website, www.sisepuedepac.com . As Texans continue to struggle with a financial crisis exacerbated by ineffective politicians like Governor Rick Perry, Si Se Puede PAC seeks to advance a progressive agenda that improves the quality of life in the Lone Star State. "My wife, Nakita, and I created Si Se Puede PAC in order to give progressive Texans from all backgrounds a real voice in their government," said Si Se Puede PAC co-founder and Dallas attorney Eric L. Johnson. "Now through our website, progressive Texans will have a forum in which they can discuss politics, learn about volunteer opportunities in their communities, and support state and local political candidates who share their progressive views on issues like education, health care, criminal justice, the environment, and of course, the economy." The website currently features a profile of Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, who was supported and endorsed by Si Se Puede PAC in 2008. Additionally, Si Se Puede PAC will regularly blog about politics and public policy with the hope of creating a positive dialogue towards finding progressive solutions to the problems that plague our state. Si Se ...

I like to keep up with what U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson is doing in Washington, but don't always have a chance to share all of the info.  I'll periodically post a Congreswoman Johnson Roundup where I can get a little bit more of her work out to the family. CONGRESSWOMAN EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL RELEASE OF FUNDS TO DALLAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS Washington, D.C. – (March 27, 2009) Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson today announced that Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic and Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Clinic, both community health centers in Dallas, will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic will receive $522,803 and Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Clinic will receive $238,685.  The grants are for expanding services at existing community health centers. “Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic and Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Medical Clinic offer one-stop medical and dental care for people of all ages, no matter whether they are insured or uninsured,” Congresswoman Johnson said.  “Both clinics employ extremely committed staff members who go above and beyond every single day.  I am proud that these two community health centers are ...

The only thing that truly matters is the behavior of Dallas Police Officer Robert Powell. His behavior towards Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats, as captured on his own dashboard camera, is simply unacceptable and indefensible. View Dallas Morning News Story on Kunkle apology here. Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle did not accept the actions of Ofc. Powell nor did he try to defend it. At a press conference on Thursday, Chief Kunkle rebuked Powell in the strongest possible manor. It took too long for this to come to light and it’s troubling that a Plano police officer is reported to have initiated the action, but I don’t know enough to comment on that part of the story. I feel strongly that after a complete investigation, the offending officer will be fired for detaining Moats from spending those last precious moments with his mother-in-law and not allowing him to be there for his wife who was witnessing her mother die. Chief Kunkle was asked how are officers trained to handle a situation such as Powell’s. "I don't know how you train for these circumstances, other than to hire people with common sense and good people skills,” said Kunkle according to the Dallas Morning ...