AltWeeklies Wire
Q&A with Eric Lane, president of the San Antonio Chapter for Americans United for Separation of Church and Statenew

When Americans United was founded in 1947, some in power were pushing to fund certain private religious institutions with public tax dollars.
San Antonio Current |
Bárbara Renaud González |
04-26-2012 |
Policy Issues
Obama Administration touts rule change to aid undocumented familiesnew

This month the Obama Administration announced plans to tweak a long-standing immigration rule, rolling out the newest partial fix that, if implemented, could help thousands of mixed-citizenship families caught in immigration limbo. With Obama moving into campaign mode, needing support from a booming Hispanic population largely disappointed with first-term record on immigration, the announcement served as a well-timed hit — the National Immigration Forum declared it a “tremendous victory.”
San Antonio Current |
Michael Barajas |
01-27-2012 |
Policy Issues
Bond Package Projects Coming Out of Woodwork for a Share of Anticipated $596 millionnew

There’s this quiet, almost collective groan out of City Hall when talk turns to our largest-ever bond package starting to take shape. Everyone’s got their hands out, palms up, seeking cash just a month after city officials wrapped marathon budget sessions — sessions filled with community groups and organizations pleading for funds. Hoping to ride Mayor Julian Castro’s framework-for-the-future plan, those who packed a series of bond committee hearings over the past month insist their projects — from refurbished baseball diamonds to multi-million-dollar redevelopments deals — are “SA2020-aligned” in cult-like fashion. “Everybody’s eying this thing like it’s a fucking ATM,” quipped one city official.
San Antonio Current |
Michael Barajas |
11-03-2011 |
Policy Issues
Tax Breaks Wealthier Institutions Keep Schools Running Low on Pencilsnew

In their last legislative session, Texas lawmakers cut $4 billion from the education budget to balance state coffers, sending school districts scrambling to make up for financial shortfalls.
San Antonio Current |
Tony Cantú |
10-06-2011 |
Policy Issues
Do Private Prisons Save Money?new

Private-prison detractors have long accused businesses in the incarceration-for-profit game of cutting corners to boost revenue.
San Antonio Current |
Michael Barajas |
09-07-2011 |
Policy Issues
Tags: Prisons
SAPD’s Internal Affairs Attacked, Sidewalks and Sodomy, Benchslaps Over Sonogramsnew

The Austin-based Texas Civil Rights Project, working with a number of local community organizers and victims’ rights groups, released a report last week criticizing the San Antonio Police Department’s citizen-complaint process, claiming the department still suffers from officer misconduct and lax oversight.
San Antonio Current |
SA Current News Team |
09-01-2011 |
Policy Issues
San Antonio’s New Smoking Ordinance Explainednew

Smoking, according to City Code, is “inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, weed, plant, or other combustible substance in any manner or in any form.”
San Antonio Current |
Greg Harman |
08-22-2011 |
Policy Issues
Tags: smoking ban
Car-Theft Conundrumnew
Are we throwing more money at car theft even as the problem decreases -- or is car theft decreasing because we're throwing more money at the problem?
San Antonio Current |
Kiko Martinez |
02-07-2007 |
Policy Issues
Tags: public policy issues
Chokenew
The political spin is that increased tobacco taxes will discourage smoking, but that doesn't seem to agree with financial estimates from the Texas Comptroller's office.
San Antonio Current |
Dave Maass |
12-20-2006 |
Policy Issues
Tags: public policy issues