Sisters on the Fly

Sisters on the Fly
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

Aerial of Downtown Brownwood RV Park

Aerial of Downtown Brownwood RV Park
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

Brownwood "Pioneering Spirit" Celebration Poster

Brownwood "Pioneering Spirit" Celebration Poster
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

Brownwood "Pioneer Spirit" Brochure Inside

Brownwood "Pioneer Spirit" Brochure Inside
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

Brownwood "Pioneer Spirit" Brochure Front

Brownwood "Pioneer Spirit" Brochure Front
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

Spectra State 4-H Camp Culinary Arts Group Visits Steves' Market & Deli in Historic Downtown Brownwood Texas

Spectra State 4-H Camp Culinary Arts Group Visits Steves' Market & Deli in Historic Downtown Brownwood Texas
Originally uploaded by photosteve.

All " There goes the neighborhood " attitude is Local !

John Young: There goes the neighborhood

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

At the news, McLennan County Commissioner Ray Meadows was welcoming and accommodating. It’s what one would expect in any community where diversity is valued, a community like America itself.
Meadows said Cindy Sheehan buying land in Crawford was great, in part because it “will keep [war protesters] off the road and keep traffic moving.”
Indeed, he said that Sheehan and Co. are “all just a part of summer now.” That’s the spirit.
As one who values free expression, I’m amazed at the hand-wringing about protesters showing up in Greater Waco. Don’t the hand-wringers know that protesters buy Slurpees in August just like the rest of us? Protests aren’t just good for democracy, they’ve been good for the local economy since George W. Bush became a part of it.
But I understand, also, what Crawford resident Bill Westerfield had to say.
Westerfield, 83, told Associated Press, “I wish she’d stay away. Crawford’s a Republican town, and she’s a dumb Democrat.”
Well, yes. But I have a deeper explanation as to why those who don’t like Sheehan are going to rue the day she bought land here.
Chain of idolatry
It’s just five acres on Highway 317, after all. Just a place for tents and water coolers. But let’s say she likes it so much that she builds a small ranch house, even if she’s only in town for most of August and maybe Thanksgiving, with perpetual war and the protesting of war taking her away from her beloved Crawford much of the time. Surely you sense the problem we have on our hands.
Problem? She becomes “one of our own.”
That’s a big ‘un. For once Cindy becomes “one of us,” is pronounced the “local” girl, we’ll have to treat her differently. In fact, we’ll have to stop criticizing her entirely.
If there’s any rule I appreciate since Bush bought land here, with occasional visits to his acreage including long stretches in August, it’s that you don’t criticize the local guy.
Even if he steps into the political spotlight expecting to be criticized and second-guessed. Even if his every decision bears on your future and that of your children and grandchildren. You holster what you might say, because he’s “one of us.”
That’s the problem now that Cindy is about to become one of us. I understand Mr. Westerfield’s concern.
If they heed to the bylaws of political provincialism, having Cindy Sheehan as a resident celebrity protester surely will handcuff those who might want to snipe at her.
And based on the laws of commercialism, pretty soon we’ll be driving around Waco and seeing little black window stickers with the big Roman capital “C” on them, C for Cindy, with the words, “The patriot” underneath them.
We’ll enter Crawford past a big sign, “Home of Cindy Sheehan,” with a picture of her smiling, an American flag in the background. Everybody will be rationalizing and justifying what Cindy says and does, because, well, she’s one of us — the local girl, even if she’s only here in August with her entourage.
Toadying politicians will name a stretch of highway after her — Cindy Sheehan Parkway — since she’s the local political cause made good. If you believe in your heart that what she stands for is wrong, well, put a cork in it.
For those rare people brave enough to actually express a view that differs with Cindy Sheehan’s, they’ll need to find a borrow ditch nearby to state their case. But don’t stand on the road.
The whole atmosphere could be pretty oppressive for them. They won’t feel like part of the community dialogue. They’ll be outcasts — the “kind” we don’t want here. “Crawford: Love her or leave it.”
Groupthink isn’t right, I know. I’d fight it. But I’ve seen it before, and it can be a hard current against which to swim.

John Young’s column appears Thursday, Sunday and occasionally Tuesday. E—mail: jyoung@wacotrib.com.

source: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/opinion/stories/2006/08/01/08012006wacyoung.html

Texas Governors Debate Editorial

Editorial: Perry should enter debate

Web Posted: 07/31/2006 06:52 PM CDT
San Antonio Express-News

Public policy should be preceded by public discussion, which is why candidate debates are so healthy for democracy.
Texas is facing serious problems, from immigration to education, and it is not enough for citizens to see the hopefuls on television commercials or giving stump speeches.
Of the four major gubernatorial candidates, three have agreed to participate in a debate available for statewide broadcast Oct. 5.
The lone holdout is the incumbent, Rick Perry. Whatever his reasons, he should rethink them.
The three other hopefuls — Democrat Chris Bell and independents Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn — plan to participate. A spokesman for KERA-TV, the public television station in Dallas and one sponsor of the event, told the Dallas Morning News he expects Perry to enter the debate.
We hope he does.
"We have a number of invitations before us, and the governor has not made a decision," Ted Royer, a spokesman for the Perry campaign, said. "We're about 100 days from the election, and the governor's schedule is almost completely planned."
Avoiding the debate because of scheduling conflicts would be a disservice to voters and the political process.

source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/stories/MYSA080106.1O.debate3ed.620bee.html

Former Hico police chief pleads guilty in stun-gun case

Aug. 1, 2006, 8:39PM
Former Hico police chief pleads guilty in stun-gun case

By HARVEY RICE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

A former Central Texas police chief pleaded guilty in a Houston court today to illegally obtaining and transferring 78 unregistered stun grenades, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
Charles A. Malouff Jr., 49, of Austin, acknowledged transferring the explosive devices to someone who stored them in Houston. U.S. District Judge David Hittner scheduled Malouff's sentencing for Oct. 25.
A police official in Hico, about 70 miles northwest of Waco, was unable to say when Malouff was that town's chief. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
An official with the Cypress Creek Emergency Medical Service found 78 stun grenades, high-explosive detonating cord and six improvised electric detonators in the office of a terminated employee in August 2004, according to a criminal complaint filed by an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agents traced the stun grenades to Malouff, who said they were used to train officers in the use of ballistic shields sold by his company, AP&T International Inc., according to the complaint.
Investigators said Malouff told them that, after being fired from the Bertram Police Department in October 2002, he removed stun grenades belonging to the department. He also said he removed stun grenades while employed by the Bosque County Sheriff's Department in August 2003.

harvey.rice@chron.com

source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4088023.html

.. as it relates to Lake Brownwood State Park: All Politics is Local !

Aug. 1, 2006, 11:37PM
Study: Money there to fix parks
Panel says using the levy on sporting goods as intended would save state system

By GARY SCHARRER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Texas lawmakers should take quick action to fix the state's crumbling parks system by using special tax revenue long intended for parks, according to a draft report on chronic problems facing state parks.
"We need to do what's necessary to give us the best state parks system in the nation," Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Joseph Fitzsimons said Tuesday.
All revenue from a sporting-goods tax that Texas voters approved 13 years ago should flow to state parks, according to the report by a state park advisory committee.
It also recommended unused bonds from a special bond package for parks previously approved by voters should be issued to fix the state parks.
Texas voters approved a sporting-goods tax for state parks 13 years ago, but only $15 million of the $105 million created by the tax last year went to parks. Lawmakers put a $32 million cap on the tax revenue for parks in the mid-1990s but have diverted millions of dollars from that pool for other uses.
As a consequence, many of the state's 114 parks are understaffed and operating with reduced hours. Maintenance has been delayed, and the department's vehicle fleet is aging. The state has been unable to buy or develop new parks despite a booming population.
"The current situation of our parks is critical. They are in desperate need of capital expenditures and more personnel, " said former state Sen. John Montford, who chairs the state Parks Advisory Committee.
Fitzsimons, a San Antonio attorney, appointed the advisory committee to recommend ways to deal both with immediate funding problems and to take care of future needs. Fitzsimons and his commission will consider a final report at an Aug. 24 hearing.
The state's investment in its parks clearly has been "inadequate for many years," the report says.
"We're working within the system, and we wanted to try to help the Legislature find a solution to the problem, not just be a bunch of rabble-rousers and say, 'Hey, you have a problem you need to fix,' " Montford said.
Using all of the sporting-goods tax, as intended, could fix current needs in addition to addressing ongoing major repair projects and future park acquisition. The report suggests using $15 million of the sporting-goods tax revenue each year to expand existing parks and to develop new ones.
The report also recommends park grants for local communities be increased to $25 million a year from $5 million.
"Local parks are on the front line of our parks system, and they've taken a disproportionate amount of the cuts in the last two legislative sessions," Fitzsimons said.
The grants allow communities to build soccer and baseball fields and jogging trails, Fitzsimons said, emphasizing the payback potential from the sporting-goods tax.
Gov. Rick Perry favors using money from the tax for parks but doesn't want to elaborate until the final report, spokeswoman Kathy Walt said.
"He believes that when Texans are told that's how their tax dollars are being used, the state has an obligation to keep its commitment," she said.
The condition of state parks will likely emerge as a campaign issue this fall.
The consequences of neglected parks are catching up, said Chris Bell, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, who is visiting state parks this week.
"People have been told that they can have it all and that state government can meet all your wants and needs and desires and you don't have to pay for it," Bell said. "I think people are waking up to the fact that that's simply false."
State parks are valuable, said San Antonio retired aircraft machinist George Garner.
"They are going to be mighty disappointed when these parks get run down where they are not even attractive anymore," Garner said.
Montford said he knows that funding pressures make it tough for state lawmakers.
"I'm not going to rear up and make a series of recommendations that I don't think will be palatable for the Legislature," he said. "On the other hand, we're going to look at the facts and call it like we see it."

gscharrer@express-news.net

source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4088189.html
---------------------
Editorial


July 31, 2006, 10:10PM
Tragic legacy
Without more money, every state park in Texas will deteriorate, and many will close.

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The population of Texas is growing rapidly, but the budget for expanding and improving the state park system is zero. The parks department can't even maintain what is has.
The historic Texas State Railroad that runs between Rusk and Palestine is scheduled to be closed. Its locomotives and rolling stock will be displayed in fixed positions.
Nearer to Houston, two historic plantation sites are moldering. One, a treasure trove of artifacts illuminating the lives of African-Americans in Texas in the early 19th century, is closed to the public and neither protected nor maintained.
The state parks department is reducing the hours many parks are open to the public. It lacks money to repair parks damaged by Hurricane Rita. It can't replace 10-year-old vehicles. Once a jewel in the state's crown, the park system is going to rack and ruin.
So sharp and alarming is the system's deterioration that it has become an issue in the governor's race long before the fall campaign, at a time voters usually pay little attention to politics. Perhaps Texans are growing weary of living in a state at the bottom of the barrel for almost every measurement of quality of life.
The Democratic nominee, Chris Bell, decries lack of funding for state parks. Independent Kinky Friedman ridicules the state's attempt last year to sell off 46,000 acres of parkland in Big Bend. Independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn advocates dedicating to the parks more of the $100 million in sales taxes Texans pay each year on sporting goods.
Gov. Rick Perry, perhaps by design, has been all over the map on the issue. He has said the state parks need and deserve more money; he favors increasing the sales taxes given to the park system. But he has also said the parks department should be prepared to cut its budget 10 percent, and that in some circumstances it might be good policy to sell some irreplaceable parkland in order to operate or repair other parkland.
Over the years, the state park system has been starved by legislatures controlled by Democrats and by legislatures controlled by Republicans. Unless the Legislature acts next year to significantly increase the budget, its members will leave a tragic legacy: a system consisting of closed or deteriorating state parks.


source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/4085094.html

What's being written.......

From The Brownwood Bulletin
Tuesday August 1, 2006

Op Ed: Letters To The Editor

‘Death Tax’ affects very few people

To the editor:

The R’s want to repeal the “Death Tax.” They make it sound that is such a good thing to do for the “people.” Their logic is to get the public to buy into this scam. If your old maid aunt passes and has an estate valued at $200,000 and you are to get part of that in her will, will the dreaded “Death Tax” beat you out of your share? Hell no, it won’t!
The R’s want you to believe that it will, but the “Death Tax” only affects estates of $1,500,000 or more. It affects less than 1 percent of the richest in the United States. If we repeal the death tax on the richest in America then eventually some administration is going to have to raise taxes and this affects the poor and middle class so the upper class can benefit — the rich get richer and the poor get shafted. But hey, that is the basic concept of the Republican Party. Always has been, always will be. If you enjoy being shafted, vote Republican!

Charles Stavley
May

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/08/01/op_ed/letters%20to%20the%20editor/letter02.txt

"It is alleged that Brownlee was involved in illegal activities while still a police officer, he said."

Tuesday August 1, 2006
News

Ex-cop arrested in drug roundup

By Steve Nash — Brownwood Bulletin

A former Brownwood police detective was arrested Sunday on a federal drug warrant as local law enforcement officials continued a roundup of more than two dozen methamphetamine trafficking suspects.
Britt Brownlee, 28, who resigned from the Brownwood Police Department on Sept. 28, 2005, was arrested without incident by Brownwood police and sheriff’s deputies at his parents’ home in Brownwood, Brown County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tony Aaron said.
Brownlee was charged by federal indictment with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, Aaron said. It is alleged that Brownlee was involved in illegal activities while still a police officer, he said.
Brownlee was among federal defendants who were transferred Monday morning from the Brown County Jail to San Angelo for their initial court appearance.
Twenty-seven people had been arrested as of Monday on a variety of federal and state charges, Aaron said. Twenty-two of the suspects were booked into the Brown County Jail and five others were arrested in other counties, he said.
Most of the arrests were made early Friday morning, although some were made Thursday and continued over the weekend, Aaron said, adding that more arrests are expected.
The arrests stemmed from an investigation that began in Brown County more than a year ago, Aaron said.
The indictments and arrest warrants were issued as a result of a joint investigation by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Sheriff Bobby Grubbs said.
Aaron would not reveal details of the case against Brownlee, saying only that he is alleged “to have been involved with a group of others in the distribution of methamphetamine.”
Aaron said it is alleged that Brownlee was involved in illegal activity from 2003 to the time of the indictment. When asked if the allegation covers the time when Brownlee was a police officer, Aaron said, “From these dates, you could draw that conclusion.”
Aaron would not say what prompted an investigation that involved Brownlee. “We had received information about his involvement for some time,” Aaron said. Brownlee joined the Brownwood Police Department as a patrolman on Oct. 28, 1999, and started work in the criminal investigation division on April 24, 2003, police records state.
Brownwood Police Chief Virgil Cowin said he is disappointed at the development involving his former officer.
“This is a (Drug Enforcement Agency) case. I don’t know what facts they have. I don’t know anything about their case,” Cowin said.
About 50 state, federal and local law enforcement officials were involved in the Friday morning arrests, authorities said.

According to jail records, others arrested were:
Jaime Arredondo, 29, Brownwood, engaging in organized crime (state charge).
Rene Carrasco, 39, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Julian Chacon, 50, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Matthew Coursey, 27, Brownwood, engaging in organized crime (state charge).
Ricardo Fuentes Jr., 26, Bangs, engaging in organized crime (state charge).
Miguel Hernandez, 31, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Luke Hopkins, 23, Brownwood, engaging in organized crime (state charge).
Dewayne Lopez, 27, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
John Mallone, 48, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Jeffrey Martin, 33, Brownwood, engaging in organized crime (state charge).
Colin Matthews, 33, engaging in organized crime possession of a controlled substance, possession of under 2 ounces of marijuana, possession of a dangerous drug (state charges).
Efran Rios, 22, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Oscar Rodriguez, 48, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Armando Ruiz, 36, Mangus, sealed federal indictment.
Jeremiah Salazar, 29, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.
Cheyenne Weathermon, 18, Brownwood, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of a dangerous drug (state charges).
Martin Boland, age and charge unavailable.
Adrian Chapa, age and charge unavailable.
Dennis Daniels, age and charge unavailable.
David Olalde, 26, Brownwood, sealed federal indictment.

It was the third major roundup in Brown County involving state, local and federal agencies in 18 months.
The investigation parallels a separate investigation conducted last week by the West Central Texas Inter-local Task Force and Brownwood police in which 10 people were arrested, Grubbs said.

source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/08/01/news/news01.txt

All " Fooling the Voters " is local ! " a Republican electoral strategy " ?

Fooling the Voters

The New York Times | Editorial
Monday 31 July 2006

The two bills passed by the House last Friday and Saturday reflect a single Republican electoral strategy. Representatives want to appear to have accomplished something when they face voters during their five-week summer break, which starts today, and at the same time keep campaign donations flowing from special-interest constituents who are well aware that a great deal was left to do.

One of the bills was a pension reform measure. The other was a grab bag that contains three main items: an extension of the expired tax credit for corporate research; a $2.10 an hour increase in the minimum wage, to be phased in over three years; and a multibillion-dollar estate-tax cut. That's the deal House Republicans are really offering - a few more dollars for 6.6 million working Americans; billions more for some 8,000 of the wealthiest families.

It is cynical in the extreme. Extending the research tax credit is noncontroversial, yet pressing. A minimum wage increase is compelling - morally, politically and financially - but Republicans generally oppose it. And the estate-tax cut has already failed to pass the Senate twice this summer. So House Republicans linked it to the research credit and the minimum wage, hoping to flip a handful of senators from both parties who have voted against estate-tax cuts in the past. Democrats who vote against the estate tax, Republicans think, can be painted as voting against a higher minimum wage.

This is an attempt at extortion. There is no way to justify providing yet another enormous tax shelter to the nation's wealthiest heirs in the face of huge budget deficits, growing income inequality and looming government obligations for Social Security and Medicare.

As for the House's pension bill, it is not the overhaul that Congress has long been promising. The promised bill would have meshed House and Senate versions of pension reform into a single bill that would have almost certainly passed each chamber. But the conference was fatally derailed last Thursday when House Republican negotiators, including the majority leader, John Boehner, refused to attend a meeting called by Senate Republicans to settle a few remaining differences. Mr. Boehner and his followers avoided having to vote - and lose - on items that other negotiators wanted in the final bill.

Once they had scuttled the talks, House leaders acted unilaterally, presenting a new pension bill on Friday. They said the new bill contained the provisions that had previously been agreed upon. But that remains to be seen, since the 900-page tome was passed within hours. It will be up to the senators to vet the bill. If they see fit to amend it, the negotiations will have to start all over again.

The Senate has one week before its summer recess. As the senators struggle to produce decent legislation from the House's sham bills, Americans will see the truth: their representatives in the House went on vacation without doing their job.

source: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/073106C.shtml

Destination Desdemona: Most now accept gay campground

By Sidney Levesque / levesques@reporternews.com
August 1, 2006

DESDEMONA - Crossroads Campgrounds is the kind of place where you can fish for bass, take a swim or gaze at the rolling green hills of Eastland County.
It's also the kind of place where you can catch a drag show, fill up at the margarita machine or play the Gaylywed Game with your partner. Next year, the ''clothing optional'' area is coming.
Everyone is welcome at Crossroads, but the owners say no ''gay bashing'' is allowed. In the year since Sam Mullin and longtime partner Mark Gropp opened their gay and lesbian camp, people in Desdemona say they have become more accepting of the place and its visitors.
After the camp's rainbow sign was erected, some residents objected and some unpleasant incidents took place. The mail box was painted red and a bloody dead rabbit stuffed inside. Another time, urine was left in a sealed plastic bag.
Gropp, 47, said they didn't report the vandalism.
''If they just concentrate on the mail box, I'm happy,'' he joked.
The idea of Desdemona becoming a gay camping hotspot angered many of the 200 or so people in the rural 1920s oil boomtown along State Highway 16. Desdemona is about 75 miles east of Abilene.
''Would you want them to move in next to you?'' one woman asked.
A year later, people in Desdemona are more likely to get riled up about an ongoing feud over the community center than about the Crossroads gay camp.
''People are accepting them more as they've gotten to meet them,'' said Kathy Lipsom, the cook at the Country Corner cafe and store.
Gropp said people in town have started calling them the ''rainbow boys'' instead of the ''queers.'' Mullin, 53, drinks coffee most mornings at the Country Corner and catches up on the gossip.
The pair also was invited to a community fund-raiser a few months ago.
''They're really nice to us,'' Gropp said. ''We can't say anything bad about the people in town.''
Even the neighbors are waving now.
Larry Moore, 56, said he wished Crossroads was somewhere else, but the campers don't bother anyone. ''They have a different lifestyle. That's OK,'' he said.
Without fear
Neighbors were less than thrilled when Mullin and Gropp bought land for the camp, a former 72-acre deer lease they found advertised in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The partners didn't discuss details about the camp with the seller.
''He knew we were going to do a campground,'' Gropp said. ''He didn't ask what kind.''
Gropp and Mullin said they started a gay camp to provide a relaxing place where people can be themselves without fear of judgment. There are seven or so such camps around the state.
The partners were permanent campers at a gay camp in Mexia, but they tired of the cliques. They wanted to start a camp where new friendships were encouraged.
They looked for land west of Itasca, where Gropp is a municipal judge. While Gropp makes the 93-mile drive to his job, Mullin looks after the camp and works out of their home collecting court warrants.
The partners, who wear gold wedding bands, will celebrate their 29th anniversary together Oct. 7.
''A lot of straight people can't say that,'' said Gropp, who wears his ring on his right hand. He lost his left hand after it was crushed by a cement machine when he was 13.
He and Mullin have lived in Texas for 26 years, but they are from Nebraska. ''And we were queer there, too,'' Gropp cracked.
Get campy
The pair is proud of how they turned 20 acres of raw land with no utilities into a thriving camp with a man-made pond, activity center, cabins, swimming pool and recreational vehicle hook-ups. Deer feeders have replaced deer hunters.
Special events take place year-round, including a Valentine's Day dance, Halloween costume contest and movie nights. The gay cowboy flick ''Brokeback Mountain'' is a favorite.
A recent drag show with entertainers from Fort Worth benefited a Tarrant County AIDS outreach food pantry. Gropp pointed out anyone can get the deadly immune disorder, not just gay people.
Their camp draws guests from around the state - and from around the Abilene area.
On a recent day, a city manager from a nearby town was taking a dip in the pool while a Sweetwater businessman who asked not to be identified explained why he likes the camp.
''You don't have to worry about everyone else's opinion,'' he said.
''Gay people have been chased down by a bunch of religious zealots,'' chimed in a shirtless camper with pierced nipples and ears.
Mike Hensley, 51, of Fort Worth, rode into camp with other members of the Battalion Motorcycle Corps, a group of gay bikers. He said his club appreciates camps like Crossroads that are a safe haven for homosexuals.
''At a gay campsite, you can be yourself,'' he said. ''You can get campy. You're with like minds.''

On the Net: Crossroads Campgrounds at www.crossroadscamping.com

source: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_4884837,00.html

Remember these are the Republicans who "will say or do anything in the name of GOD" !

GOP confirms it paid for calls
Party leader says effort intended to gather data, not oust moderate reps
06:18 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 1, 2006
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – The state Republican Party's top strategist, after fending off questions for nine months, has confirmed that the party paid for calls gauging the popularity of moderate Republicans in the Texas House.
One lawmaker said Monday that the effort was designed to defeat moderate GOP incumbents in primaries. But Jeff Fisher, the party's executive director, said it was an attempt to identify voters who support traditional values, so the party can court them in future races.
"The premise of the calls was not to test" state representatives, Mr. Fisher said. "The premise of the calls was Proposition 2. We were identifying Proposition 2 voters," backers of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. It passed last fall.
Mr. Fisher said the calls measured re-election prospects of House GOP conservatives, not just moderates. He said he didn't share the information with anyone. He denied any link to conservative San Antonio billionaire James Leininger's $2.5 million bid to defeat five House GOP moderates.
Though some have described the calls as a sign of intraparty strife, Mr. Fisher said no purge was attempted – only party-building. He attributed negative publicity about the calls to "a couple of paranoid state reps," whom he declined to name.
Rep. Carter Casteel, who was Dr. Leininger's top target and who lost in the March primary, mocked Mr. Fisher's account.
"If you believe that, you believe in the tooth fairy," said Ms. Casteel, R-New Braunfels. "Why, sure, Leininger paid for it [and] they targeted certain people. And they certainly didn't call me and say, 'Carter, we want to help you build traditional party values, and I know this is your district and here's what we're doing.' They never said a word."
Ms. Casteel, who helped torpedo a school vouchers bill that Dr. Leininger promoted last year, said top state leaders wanted to oust Republican moderates.
"They targeted me and people who didn't drink the Kool-Aid," she said. "I've used my brain to think. I didn't let the party think for me."
Republican Reps. Tommy Merritt of Longview and Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, who survived primary challenges by Leininger-backed opponents, said they want to see the calls' findings about themselves but that Mr. Fisher has dragged his feet.
"The party fails to be transparent with Republican incumbent legislators," Mr. Merritt said. "They are continuing the attempt to cleanse the Legislature."
Mr. Fisher said he would share the information with GOP incumbents who think they need help this fall. He said about 40 House districts were tested, though he can't recall how many have GOP state representatives.
The calls were first disclosed in November by the Quorum Report, an online political newsletter. The party did not report the spending to the Texas Ethics Commission until July. It reported paying nearly $107,000 in January for "survey calls" by ccAdvertising of Herndon, Va.
The firm's Web site says it specializes in automated calls that recognize respondents' voices and then record responses to pre-recorded questions.
Though Dr. Leininger gave the party $230,000 early in the year, Mr. Fisher and a Leininger spokesman said, the money wasn't necessarily for the calls. Dr. Leininger "does not earmark funds" when he gives to the party, said spokesman Ken Hoagland.
Reports to the Ethics Commission also showed:
•The state GOP pays for an Austin apartment for its chairwoman, Tina Benkiser of Houston. Mr. Fisher said it did the same for former Chairwoman Susan Weddington.
•Committees controlled by House Speaker Tom Craddick and Dr. Leininger provided nearly half the funding for a "stealth" effort to protect Craddick lieutenants in the March primary. Craddick allies activated the dormant Texas Opportunity PAC in late February. It spent $228,000 on a losing bid to protect Rep. Kent Grusendorf, R-Arlington. It spent $150,000 on eight other Craddick allies. Six survived the primary.
E-mail rtgarrett@dallasnews.com

source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-txgop_01tex.1.ART.State.Edition1.251afb3.html

Republican Rick Perry and Texas State Parks: Too little too late !

Bell presses Perry on park money
Texas ranks near bottom in funding of state parks.
By Asher Price
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Seeking to carve out some competitive ground on the issue of paying for state parks, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell rolled into town Monday as part of his Healthy Texas environmental tour.
Speaking at McKinney Falls State Park in Southeast Austin, Bell blasted Gov. Rick Perry. Texas ranks near the bottom in state park funding as a percentage of total state spending, according to the National Association of State Park Directors. In 2001, Texans approved a $101 million state bond package designed to improve park infrastructure. But only $54.8 million of that money has been appropriated by the Legislature.
"Rick Perry," he said, "has presided over a raid on parks funding.
"Rick Perry defied (Texas voters). He stood in the way while the parks waste away."
Amid growing criticism, Perry last week said he would sign legislation to lift the $32 million yearly cap on how much revenue from the state's sporting goods tax can be spent on parks.
"The governor wants the state parks to be the best in the nation," said campaign spokesman Ted Royer. "That's why he suggested the creation of a special panel to look at parks funding and make some long-term funding recommendations to the Legislature."
Money for parks is a growing election-year issue that combines a handful of stories particular to Texas: The stewardship of land, the preservation of hunting grounds, a historic unwillingness to use public money in a state that is about 95 percent private land, and, on a sentimental level, pride in state history.
A recent Texas A&M University study found that 80 state parks generate $1.2 billion annually in jobs, sales and income for communities around the state.
"These officials have realized that it's a quality of life issue for Texas, it's an economic driver for Texas, and it affects smaller communities enormously when you underfund their parks," said Andy Jones, a board member of Texans for State Parks, which supports park funding.
McKinney Falls, which is visited by more than 115,000 people each year, has seen some of the problems witnessed in other state parks. The roof of the visitors center, which is closed Monday through Friday to save on utilities and is open for only six hours on Saturdays and Sundays, has suffered water damage.
The park has an operating budget of $116,000 for 2006, but the staff has identified $3 million in maintenance projects.
"If we could hire more staff, I think our park visitors would be much happier," said David Shirley, the park superintendent.
Bell has proposed directing all the revenue raised by the sporting goods tax, more than $100 million a year, to state parks and channeling the 2001 bond money to the parks as soon as possible. The state park advisory panel that Perry put together has called for as much as $500 million for repairs.
Representatives for Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman, independent candidates for governor, also said they support lifting the cap on using money from the sporting goods tax.
A spokesman for Strayhorn said she supports park acquisition and last year opposed the sale of public land near Big Bend, but in the past she has proposed privatizing concessions in some state parks to keep up their hours.
"The governor does not have the power single-handedly to increase funding, but he's not putting pressure on the Legislature to make parks a priority," said Friedman spokeswoman Laura Stromberg.
"We don't have an actual (park financing) plan at this point," she added.

asherprice@statesman.com; 445-3643

source: http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/1parks.html

Willie: Dixie Chicks 'Got a Raw Deal'

NEW YORK — Willie Nelson says the Dixie Chicks "got a raw deal" from a disapproving public following their criticism of President Bush.

"I think the fact that they were overseas and onstage had a little bit to do with it because you're speaking to other people about our business," the 73-year-old country crooner said in an interview in this week's Time magazine.

The trio caught harsh criticism after lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003 that the group was "ashamed" Bush was from their home state of Texas.

Nelson said he was surprised his remarks about Bush a year earlier during an overseas news conference didn't incite a similar controversy.

"I said 'He's not from Texas and he ain't a cowboy, so let's stop trashin' Texans and cowboys.' It got a little chuckle, but I didn't get run out of the country," Nelson told the magazine.

Nelson recently launched his own XM Radio channel and published "The Tao of Willie," in which he offers his philosophy on subjects ranging from marijuana to war.

source: http://www.wacotrib.com/hp/content/shared-gen/ap/Recordings/People_Nelson.html

Former Brownwood officer held in drug case

By Celinda Emison / emisonc@reporternews.com
August 1, 2006

BROWNWOOD - A former Brownwood police officer was among those arrested on federal and state drug charges during a sweep that began Friday and has resulted in more than 20 arrests so far.
Britt Don Brownlee, 28, of Brownwood, was arrested at his home Sunday and on a two-count federal indictment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
Bond was denied for Brownlee, according to records at the Brown County Jail Monday.
Brownlee began working as a patrol officer for the Brownwood Police Department in October 1999. He was promoted to the criminal investigation division in 2003 and resigned from that post in September 2005 to work in real estate, Brownwood Police Chief Virgil Cowin said.
''I'm disappointed,'' Cowin said Monday. ''I hope he can go from here and get his life straightened out.''
Brownlee and other federal suspects have been transported to San Angelo for arraignment. Those facing state charges will be adjudicated in Brown County, Sheriff Bobby Grubbs reported.
The drug sweep was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brown County, in which suspects were served with state and federal warrants for a variety of offenses including possession of a controlled substance, engaging in organized crime and federal conspiracy charges.
Federal investigators were continuing their investigation Monday and could not be reached for comment. Officials have said 23 arrests have been made. However, local officials could account for only 18 of the defendants.

Arrested on federal charges:

Britt Brownlee, 28, Brownwood

Rene Carrasco, 39, Brownwood

Julian Hernandez Chacon, 50, Brownwood

Miguel Angel Hernandez, 31, Brownwood

Dewayne Elias Lopez, 27, Brownwood

John James Mallone, 48, Brownwood

David Alan Olalde, 26, Brownwood

Efran Octavio Rios, 22, Brownwood

Oscar Rodriguez, 48, Brownwood

Armando Ruiz, 36, Mingus

Nathaniel Jeremiah Salazar, 29, Brownwood

Arrested on state indictments of engaging in organized crime

Jaime Arredondo, 29, Brownwood, released $25,000 bond

Matthew Clark Coursey, 27, Brownwood, released $25,000 bond

Ricardo Fuentes, 26, Bangs, in custody, $25,000 bond

Luke Reese Hopkins, 23, Brownwood, in custody, $25,000 bond

Jeffrey Wayne Martin, 33, Brownwood, released, $25,000 bond

Colin David Matthews, 24, Brownwood, released $45,000 bonds; also charged with possession of a controlled substance; possession of a dangerous drug, possession of marijuana.

Also charged:

Cheyenne Weathermon, 18, Brownwood, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of a dangerous drug; released on bonds totaling $17,500

source:http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_local/article/0,1874,ABIL_7959_4884846,00.html
---------------------------
Tuesday August 1, 2006
Brownwood Bulletin
Archives: Search Results

Enter search word(s):

New Search
You searched for: britt brownlee Displaying 1-20 of 26 result(s) found.

Brownlee named police detective
Brownwood police officer Britt Brownlee was trying to figure out what he d done wrong when the lieutenant called him into his office and gruffly told Brownlee to close the door. That s usually not a good sign, Brownlee said. with a real serious lo...
2.2K - Apr. 10, 2003; scored 1000.0

Detective: Peel said he was trying to uncock gun when weapon fired
Casey Peel told a Brownwood police detective he was trying to uncock a revolver in his bedroom the night of Sept. 3 when the weapon fired, killing 21-year-old Chris Rodgers, according to testimony Wednesday in 35th District Court. Detective Britt Bro...
3.6K - May. 19, 2005; scored 811.0

Wounded man lies to police about drug deal gone bad
An Austin man with Brownwood ties was driven to the Brownwood hospital Thursday with gunshot wounds to his legs, claiming he had been shot here in a robbery attempt. But Austin police said the man was shot in what was initially reported as a home inv...
1.9K - Apr. 3, 2005; scored 741.0

Brownwood netters compete in fall tourneys
The Brownwood tennis team has been busy this fall, preparing for the upcoming spring season. Some Lion players competed in a tournament over Halloween Weekend, Brownwood hosted a JV/Junior High tournament and the Lions hosted a Middle School tourname...
5.3K - Dec. 7, 2000; scored 741.0

Many local elections are already contested
A 19-year-old Brownwood man, arrested early Thursday, made a break from the municipal court Thursday morning, leading several police officers on a foot chase before being recaptured. Isaac Anthony Suniga had been arrested on outstanding warrants arou...
1.9K - Feb. 23, 2001; scored 666.0

Police arrest man for pot
Police arrested an 18-year-old Brownwood man for drug possession after a traffic stop. Police reports said Michael Ryan Ellis was charged with possession of marijuana after Officer Britt Brownlee discovered a quantity of the drug and some paraphernal...
1.1K - Jan. 30, 2001; scored 666.0

Grand Jury returns 50 indictments
A Brownwood man on probation for robbery was arrested recently on drug, weapons and other charges, police and jail records show. Weston Helge, 24, of Brownwood, was arrested May 25 for possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a fi...
3.2K - May. 30, 2004; scored 612.0

Man arrested for attempting to hit officer with car
A 17-year-old Comanche man was arrested Sunday for evading arrest after nearly hitting a Brownwood police officer with his vehicle. Roy Lee Ortega attempted to escape capture while officer Britt Brownlee was working a call at Festival Park in the 310...
1.3K - Mar. 6, 2001; scored 612.0

Preparing for the unthinkable
Brownwood Bulletin Shots fired! Shots fired! The scene is one from a nightmare. Gunsmoke thickens the air. Sweat drips to the floor. The sound of sirens, gunshots and screams resonate inside the hallways of the Brownwood Middle School. Whoa. Brownwoo...
3.0K - May. 29, 2002; scored 586.0

Officers find victim bound in back room
With hands bound, feet and mouth bound with duct tape, an employee of the Sticks Restaurant on U.S. Highway 377 struggled to kick the freezer door, loosen the screwdriver pinning the door and free his co-worker from the icy tomb. Brownwood police off...
2.1K - Jul. 17, 2001; scored 553.0

Airport in full operation
Flight operations are back in full swing at Brownwood Regional Airport in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, airport manager Mike Wilson said. At this point I think we re pretty much back to normal, Wilson said. About the only visible ...
2.8K - Sep. 27, 2001; scored 553.0

Police investigate stolen electronics
Mr. Jackson? Brownwood police officer Lynn Beard asked as he approached a man Friday morning in the Brownwood Municipal Court lobby. Yes? the man replied. You re under arrest, Beard told the man. Joseph Jackson, 20, of Brownwood, was arrested for ...
2.5K - Jul. 28, 2003; scored 553.0

Trial recesses after illness in juror s family
District Judge Steve Ellis recessed Casey Peel s manslaughter trial after a half-day of testimony Tuesday after learning a juror s mother was hospitalized with a possible heart attack. Ellis excused the juror for the afternoon and sent the rest of th...
2.0K - May. 18, 2005; scored 553.0

Officer s report describes man who died in jail
Brown County Jail personnel were attempting to put a straight jacket on a combative Christopher James who had made references to methamphetamine and disregarded jailers and police officers attempts to calm him when he stopped breathing, a Bro...
5.3K - Apr. 14, 2005; scored 478.0

Brownwood police officer breaks finger in wild arrest
At first, Brownwood police officers were told, a 36-year-old man wanted on misdemeanor warrants was willing to turn himself in. Then officers learned it wouldn t be that simple: Someone informed police the man wasn t going to jail without a fight, ac...
2.7K - Mar. 24, 2004; scored 478.0

Man dies using outdoor heater inside
James Wetterman s co-workers in Howard Payne University s maintenance department knew something was wrong when the quiet, 61-year-old groundskeeper didn t show up for work Monday morning. Wetterman s supervisor and another co-worker went to the garag...
3.4K - Mar. 5, 2003; scored 478.0

Man arrested for hitting two women with car
A Brownwood man was arrested early Sunday morning for hitting two pedestrians with a car and then fleeing from the scene without rendering aid, a felony offense. Marco Martinez, 27, was arrested after Brownwood police officers responded to the call a...
2.1K - Apr. 11, 2001; scored 478.0

Peel sentenced to probation in shooting death
Casey Peel was sentenced to 10 years probation Monday and fined 10,000 for the Sept. 3 shooting death of a 21-year-old man. Jurors convicted Peel, 18, on Friday of criminally negligent homicide in what Peel s attorney, Lee Haney, maintained was an a...
3.4K - May. 24, 2005; scored 478.0

Missing teen found
Brownwood Bulletin Jessica Netherton, a 17-year-old girl reported missing from her home Saturday, was found unharmed and staying at a friend s house in Brownwood. She said she was with Robert Soto and his family the entire time. She didn t want to r...
1.0K - Jul. 10, 2002; scored 370.0

Grand Jury returns 36 indictments
A number of cases relating to the manufacture of methamphetamines saw the arrestees indicted during the April 5 session of the 35th District Grand Jury. According to District Attorney Sky Sudderth, 36 indictments were returned by the Grand Jury again...
5.0K - Apr. 20, 2001; scored 370.0

| 1 | 2 | Next >>

Police Explorers ready for real-life experience
JIM LOOBY/Brownwood Bulletin Police Chief Virgil Cowin (center) pauses for a photo with the first class of Explorer Post 1150 after officer inductions. Back row, left to right; Aaron Allred; Roman Zambrano; Jerrod Baker; Michael Adams; and Karen Doug...
3.5K - Jan. 18, 2001; scored 370.0

Officers overcome violent outbreak
A large, thrashing man who d just been committed to a mental hospital was determined to take sheriff s investigator Billy Arp s gun. Arp was equally determined that the man wasn t going to get it. After the struggle Wednesday afternoon at the Brown C...
3.2K - Sep. 14, 2003; scored 370.0

Law enforcement works hard to protect and serve citizens Steve Nash
Seems we ve had an unusually high number of full-bore house or business burglaries in Brownwood the past few weeks. I m not suggesting we have a burglary wave or epidemic, and I haven t tried to track any trends or statistics. But just from reading p...
4.0K - Oct. 21, 2004; scored 370.0

Otero sentenced to 32-year term
Carl Otero blamed alcohol and pleaded for probation Thursday as he faced jurors who d just convicted him of breaking into a south Brownwood home and sexually assaulting a woman. Jurors sentenced Otero, 33, to 32 years in prison after finding him guil...
3.9K - Apr. 8, 2005; scored 370.0

Teen disappeared after leaving for a walk
Brownwood Bulletin When 17-year-old Jessica Netherton went for a walk late Saturday afternoon, her family thought she would be home in 15 minutes. She never returned. "She was laughing and helping me put away groceries, said Wanda Netherton, Jessica...
2.3K - Jul. 9, 2002; scored 370.0

Two arrested on drug charges
Brownwood Bulletin Guns drawn, Brownwood police officers entered a motel room Friday, yelled Police! and arrested two people on drug charges. More arrests are possible, police said. Police had a warrant to arrest one of the suspects and to search a...
3.0K - Jul. 30, 2002; scored 370.0


<< Previous | 1 | 2

source: Brownwood Bulletin Archives @ www.brownwoodbulletin.com

Reggie White on Americas Religious Right: "Really, in many respects I was prostituted,"

Wayne Besen - Daily Commentary
Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Public Revelations

I remember a few well-meaning friends telling me that I was "overreacting" when I expressed outrage over Mel Gibson's sinister portrayal of Jews in his biblical blockbuster, "The Passion of the Christ." Thanks to Gibson's well oiled PR machine, even smart people were able to justify, as mere "coincidence," Gibson's full-cast of beady-eyed Jews with noses longer than Toucan Sam's.
It was Gibson's other enduring passion, bountiful booze, that finally revealed the actor to be the hatemongering anti-Semite that I had suspected. Last week, he was arrested for drunk driving by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies in Malibu. According to the report, in addition to threatening the arresting officer and trying to flee, Gibson said, "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," and asked the officer, James Mee, "Are you a Jew?"
In today's tightly scripted world, nothing is more entertaining than watching public relations give way to embarrassing public revelations. Sometimes, the expensive and controlled image campaign is no match for the out of control star who imbibed too much cheap Champagne.
Whether it's Tom Cruise's fanaticism, Michael Jackson's fetishism or Mel Gibson's fascism, it is a rare treat to see genuine personalities escape the guard of watchful publicists.
The ugly emergence of the true self is not relegated to Hollywood stars. For the past several years, ex-gay groups have worked diligently to appear as if they loved homosexuals. But, Alan Chambers, the leader of the ex-gay group Exodus International, told Focus on the Family's online magazine that gay people are inferior.
"I think their long-term goal is to portray themselves as equals, as people who are the same as heterosexuals, that their lifestyle is just as legitimate as heterosexuality," Chambers said last week.With one burst of unfiltered honesty, Chambers threw away years of work presenting his organization as compassionate and mainstream.
In an equally candid moment, President Bush recently gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel an unwanted massage, causing the flabbergasted fraulein to flinch. Earlier that week, his true nature came bumbling forth in a foreign policy conversation with Tony Blair. "You see," he told the British Prime Minister, "the thing is what they [The United Nations] need to do is to get Syria, to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over." While these incidents were inconsequential, they were a rare window into Bush-style diplomacy that offered a hint at why the globe is currently on fire.Fortunately, good can also occur when people escape their handlers to speak from the heart.
Former 'N Sync star Lance Bass decided that coming out is easier than hiding out in outer space. He revealed that he is gay on the cover of People Magazine and has so far been an eloquent spokesperson."The thing is, I'm not ashamed and that's the one thing I want to say," Bass says of his decision to come out.
"I don't think it's wrong, I'm not devastated going through this. I'm more liberated and happy than I've been my whole life. I'm just happy."
In another outburst of honesty, conservative Minnesota mega-church pastor Gregory Boyd has become America's most articulate advocate of separation of church and state. In a shocking series of sermons, he revealed that he thought right wing spin was overshadowing Scripture.
"America wasn't founded as a theocracy," he preached, according to The New York Times."America was founded by people trying to escape theocracies. Never in history have we had a Christian theocracy where it wasn't bloody and barbaric. That's why our Constitution wisely put in a separation of church and State.
"When the church wins the culture wars, it inevitably loses," he continued. "When it conquers the world, it becomes the world. When you put your trust in the sword, you lose the cross."
In a similar manner, former football star and conservative preacher Reggie White started speaking the truth before his untimely death in 2004. White was upset about the way he was used by the far right to promote religion. In 1998, he even took part in a virulently anti-gay ad campaign that said gays could go straight through Scripture."Really, in many respects I was prostituted," White revealed to NFL Films.
On Saturday, White will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, one of his great achievements was not on the defensive line, but bucking the religious right's party line.
In the black hole of the human soul, some people, like Boyd and White, finally see the light. On other days, in a drunken haze, a floodlight reveals the darkness of one's true passions. Sometimes, even good PR can't hide who you truly are.

source: http://www.waynebesen.com/2006/08/public-revelations.html

QUOTE

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." ~Mohandas Gandhi

.... and Brownwood is facing a Budget Deficit of 1 to 2.5 Million ?

Churches Putting Town Out of Business

Stafford, Texas, has 51 tax-exempt religious institutions and wants no more: 'Somebody's got to pay for police, fire and schools.'
By Lianne Hart, Times Staff Writer
July 31, 2006

STAFFORD, Texas — They are not the words one expects to hear from a politician or a Southerner, and Leonard Scarcella is both: "Our city has an excessive number of churches."

Scarcella is mayor of this Houston-area community, which has 51 churches and other religious institutions packed into its 7 square miles.

With some 300 undeveloped, potentially revenue-producing acres left in Stafford, officials are scrambling to find a legal way to keep more tax-exempt churches from building here.

"With federal laws, you can't just say, 'We're not going to have any more churches,' " Scarcella said. "We respect the Constitution, but 51 of anything is too much."

Stafford, population 19,227, is the largest city in Texas without a property tax, and it depends on sales taxes and business fees for revenue. Nonprofits have been attracted by its rapid growth and minimal deed restrictions. "It's thrown everything out of balance, plus providing zero revenue. Somebody's got to pay for police, fire and schools," City Councilman Cecil Willis said.

In 2003, around the time the 45th church settled in, city leaders began looking for a way to slow the pace of construction. Public meetings were held; "we had people of different religions attending, people in their religious garb, Buddhists in their orange gowns and whatever else, talking about this very openly," Scarcella said.

An ordinance eventually passed that required those who wanted to build a church — and other public gathering places, such as bowling alleys and community halls — to undergo a rigorous review process and obtain City Council approval.

Before the ordinance, "you could pretty much come in here and say, 'I want to open up a church,' and I'd say, 'OK,' " said Gene Bane, the city's director of building permits.

In his office is a large map of Stafford that is dotted with round yellow stickers, each dot denoting a church or religious facility. In some parts of town, the dots are so close together they nearly meld into a big yellow glob.

In one quarter-mile section near the city center, parishioners can choose among 17 churches. There are three small churches in the Quail Ridge Plaza shopping center, and three large brick churches on the street behind it. Down the road, the Evangelical Formosan Church is tucked behind a muffler shop.

"If you can't find religion in Stafford, Texas, you ain't looking hard enough," Bane said.

There are no synagogues in Stafford, but there are religious facilities for Buddhists, Muslims, Chinese Baptists, Filipino Baptists, Spanish-speaking Baptists, and "every other variety of Christian you can imagine," Scarcella said.

"As best as we've been able to determine, the overwhelming majority of people who attend here don't even live in Stafford; they're coming from everywhere else," Willis said. Elsewhere includes Houston, about 15 miles northeast, and nearby Sugar Land.

"I don't hate God. I'm not against America and apple pie," Willis said. "We just have to protect what's left for commercial development."

Lawyers researching ways to stop church growth here will report back to city leaders in about six weeks, Scarcella said.

Lola Onita, assistant pastor at Jesus House Texas, said churches should be allowed to spread unfettered in a country that respects religious freedom. "People need a place to worship and hear the word of God," she said.

But Nilda Martinez, who owns a flower shop between two churches, has had enough. "The churches, they're everywhere here," she said. "There are too many; the city should control it. It hurts the city when you don't have enough businesses paying taxes."

Willis said he asked the last six applicants why they wanted to build a church in Stafford. "Every one of them said they prayed about it, and God said to come here," he said. "I can't compete with that, so here we are."

source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-churches31jul31,0,6286040.story?coll=la-home-nation
-----------------

and in Brownwood ?

Home, where the cornerstone of faith begins. Brownwood is known for its deep and abiding faith. The town is the base for almost 100 churches ranging from small home churches to several quite large congregations numbering over 1,000 members. The values passed down over the ages can still be found in abundance, based on Scripture and projected through the community. Brownwood feels like home because that is where our traditions are rooted in worship and grounded in the sure knowledge of God's bounty.

Regardless of your faith needs, there is always a home for you in the churches of Brownwood and the surrounding communities. Come, see and worship.

Adventist

Seventh Day Adventist
2211 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Apostolic

Apostolic Truth Tabernacle
303 S. Broadway
Brownwood, TX 76801

Assembly of God

New Life Assembly of God
1910 Indian Creek Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Southside Assembly of God
1413 13th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Templo Elim Asamblea De Dios
2619 W. Mail Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Baptist

Ave. D Baptist Church
1105 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bangs FBC
601 S. 2nd
Bangs, TX 76823

Belle Plain Baptist Church
2010 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bethel Baptist Church
RR 1
Zephyr, TX 76890

Blanket FBC
Rt. 1, Box 168
Blanket, TX 76432

Brookesmith Baptist Church
P.O. Box 701
Brookesmith, TX 76827

Brownwood FBC
208 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Brownwood First Mexican Baptist
1600 Melwood
Brownwood, TX 76804

Calvary Baptist Church
1719 Ninth
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church By The Lake
RR 2, Post 27, Box 6
Brownwood, TX 76801

Coggin Ave. Baptist Church
1815 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Community Baptist Church
P.O. Box 3028
Early, TX 76803

Concord Baptist Church
FM 586
Bangs, TX 76823

Cross Roads Baptist Church
State Park Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early FBC
103 Garmon
Early, TX 76803

Faith Baptist Church
2001 14th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Fellowship Baptist Church
904 12th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Grace Baptist Church
103 Salt Creek Dr.
Early, TX 76803

Greater Faith Community Church
417 Wesley
Brownwood, TX 76801

Grosvenor Baptist Church
Rt. 5, Box 178A
Brownwood, TX 76801

Inglesia Nuevo Amanecer
2010 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Hillcrest Baptist Church
Ave. E & 18th
Brownwood, TX 76804

Jones Chapel Baptist Church
P.O. Box 3028
Early, TX 76803

Lake Brownwood FBC
RR 5, Post 70, Box 16
Brownwood, TX 76804

Lakeview Baptist Church
Adams St. Community Center
510 E. Adams
Brownwood, TX 76801

Little Zion Missionary Baptist
601 Cordell
Brownwood, TX 76801

May FBC
RR 1, Box 80A
May, TX 76857

Mid-Town Baptist Church
1813 3rd St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Milton Ave. Baptist Church
702 Milton Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Mision Bautista Nueva Vida
1815 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Mt. Zion Baptist Church
914 Bailey
Brownwood, TX 76801

Northridge Baptist Church
Pecan Valley Community Church
551 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
Rt. 1, Box 445
May, TX 76857

Primera Iglesia Bautista Mexicana
1600 Melwood
Brownwood, TX 76804

Primitive Baptist Church
1515 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

River of Life Community Church
2719 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Rocky Creek Baptist Church
HC 30, Box 16
Brownwood, TX 76801

Salt Creek Baptist Church
7775 N. FM 3100
Brownwood, TX 76801

Southside Baptist Church
1219 Indian Creek Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Sunset Baptist Mission
300 Simmons
Brownwood, TX 76804

T.R. Havins Unit
500 FM 45E
Brownwood, TX 76801

Victory Baptist
2202 W. Center
Brownwood, TX 76801

Woodcreek Baptist
1900 Calvert Rd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Zephyr FBC
P.O. Box 583
Zephyr, TX 76890

Catholic

St Mary's Catholic Church
1105 Main Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Charismatic

Heartland Church
Hwy. 279
Brownwood, TX 76801

Christian

First Christian Church
2411 Coggin
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of Christ

4th and Stewart Church of Christ
3201 4th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Austin Ave. Church of Christ
1020 Austin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Ave. W Church of Christ
800 Ave. W
Brownwood, TX 76801

Bangs Church of Christ
306 5th St.
Bangs, TX 76823

Brady Ave. Church of Christ
1610 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early Church of Christ
900 Early Blvd.
Early, TX 76803

Iglesia de Cristo
1412 Belle Plain
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lake Brownwood Church of Christ
Hwy. 279 at Lamar
Brownwood, TX 76801

Vine Street Church of Christ
1123 Vine St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Woodland Heights Church of Christ
P.O. Box 696
Brownwood, TX 76801

Zephyr Church of Christ
Hwy. 84
Zephyr, TX 76890

Church of God

Church of God
1045 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Episcopal

Church of the Good Shepherd
1800 Good Shepherd Dr.
Brownwood, TX 76801

St. John's Episcopal Church
700 Main
Brownwood, TX 76801

Full Gospel

Breath of Life Church
209 Garmon Dr.
Early, TX 76803

Centro De Adoracion y Alabanza
1814 Vincent
Brownwood, TX 76801

Harvest Jubilee Tabernacle
2601 Cleburn St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Interdenominational

Christian Teaching Center
2101 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Miracle Faith Tabernacle
3001 Coggin Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lutheran

Grace Lutheran
1401 1st St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Methodist

Bangs First United Methodist
301 S. 1st
Bangs, TX 76823

Brownwood First United Methodist
2500 11th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Central United Methodist
1502 2nd St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Early First United Methodist
P.O. Box 3281
Early, TX 76803

Emanuel Chapel Methodist
900 Beaver
Brownwood, TX 76801

Fisherman Chapel United Methodist
Thunderbird Bay
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lake Brownwood First United Methodist
HC 30, Post 78, Box 7
Brownwood, TX 76801

Lee Chapel AME
911 Beaver St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

May First United Methodist
201 Gay
May, TX 76857

Zephyr United Methodist
Hwy. 183
Zephyr, TX 76890

Nazarene

First Church of the Nazarene
1715 Ave. I
Brownwood, TX 76801

Nondenominational

Abundant Life Church
539 W. Commerce
Brownwood, TX 76801

Brownwood Bible Fellowship
Family Services Center
901 Ave. B
Brownwood, TX 76801

Christ Chapel
1617 N. Main Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of the Lord Jesus
1801 Brady Ave.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Church of Truth
Zephyr, TX 76890

Cornerstone Fellowship
1706 Vine/408 6th St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Downtown Bible Class
Brownwood Manor
E. Lee and Center
Brownwood, TX 76801

Living Word Church
P.O. Box 1549
Brownwood, TX 76801

New Gospel Lighthouse
215 Homewood Circle
Early, TX 76803

North Lake Community Church
Corner of Lakeshore Dr. and
Harbor Point
Brownwood, TX 76801

The Worship Center
506 Edwards
Brownwood, TX 76801

Orthodox

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
RR1, Box 115
Rochelle, TX

Pentecostal

Brownwood Evangelism Center
2515 Ave. D
Brownwood, TX 76801

Maranatha Faith Temple
1811 Main Blvd.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Nueva Jerusalem
1001 Penn
Brownwood, TX 76801

New Beginnings Pentecostal
Church of God
P.O. Box 1047
Brownwood, TX 76801

Shiloh Bible Church
P.O. Box 2146
Brownwood, TX 76804

Templo La Hermosa
1105 Victoria St.
Brownwood, TX 76801

Trinity Chapel
1040 Early Blvd.
Early, TX 76801

Presbyterian

Union Presbyterian Church
700 Fisk
Brownwood, TX 76801

source: http://www.brownwoodtx.com/we/we_dir_church.asp