The Austin Times

A Multicultural News Source

Payday loans are debt trap in disguise

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By Dedrick Muhammad & Charles Lowery, NAACP Are payday loans a good source of emergency cash? Thanks to misleading marketing, many of its consumers unfortunately think so. “Payday lending stores are opening their doors in low-income neighborhoods at a rate equal to Starbucks [opening its doors] in affluent ones,” states NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond to illustrate how payday lenders are rapidly sinking their roots into our communities. Many payday loans trap consumers by … [Read more...]

Michael Steele: Republicans at a crossroads

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One of the hardest things to do in politics, believe it or not, is to standout. Sure you can go off and say something crazy; or even do something inherently stupid that will generate attention. But most politicians and political parties don’t want that kind of attention. I’m talking about truly standing out: to be recognized for pushing against the conventional wisdom or fighting the status quo; or even better, standing against the prevailing winds of one’s party. That is a lot harder than … [Read more...]

Dear Glenn Beck: NRA gun, confederate lore has nothing in common with King

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The National Rifle Association’s annual convention was quite the event this year. The NRA, which has been in the spotlight since the brutal murders in Newtown, Connecticut, seems to be redoubling efforts to resist any legislation regulating the use or sale of firearms. Reportedly having grown in membership since the tragedy, the NRA, which was once a bipartisan organization, has become increasingly partisan and radical in its outlook. NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre has courted … [Read more...]

Why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo

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The Mexican holiday known as “Cinco de Mayo” is widely misconstrued in this country, even by people of Mexican descent.  Other people do not seem to care about the origin and cultural significance of Cinco de Mayo, they simply see it as an opportunity to go out and get drunk on Mexican beer at reduced prices.  Despite its commercialization, this holiday is of importance to many people.  This writing will attempt to clarify the meaning of this holiday and return some significance to a day that … [Read more...]

Our American Economy

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By Glenn Mollette We can have a stronger economy by creating jobs in America instead of sending them to Mexico, China, India and other parts of the world. It’s time to bring jobs back to America. Business owners should be rewarded with a corporate tax rate of only 15% if they bring most of their jobs home. This will allow them to have more money to hire more people. The right to work should be encouraged throughout our nation. People who work for a corporation should not be forced to … [Read more...]

Lateral Hazard: Tiger Woods still on track to catch Jack Nicklaus

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It's long been my thought that Tiger Woods is so comfortable at Augusta National Golf Club, that his game and his competitive soul were so bred to win green jackets, that he will pass Jack Nicklaus on the all-time majors list because he will stockpile two, maybe even three more green jackets en route to 19 total major wins. And after an eighth consecutive Masters without a Tiger win, as we approach the five-year anniversary of his last major championship, I'm sticking with that thought. I … [Read more...]

Leave Jay Z. and Beyonce alone

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By Alice Krammer I never thought I’d mention Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and geopolitics in the same sentence. But the superstar couple is causing quite a stir by celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in Havana, Cuba — a country that has been completely off-limits to American vacationers for more than fifty years due to that Cold War relic, the embargo. Last week, Mauricio Claver-Carone, Director for the US-Cuba Democracy PAC, blasted the couple’s trip as “insulting,” saying they were “clueless … [Read more...]

Taxes! Enough Is Enough

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By Glenn Mollette I wish we could abolish the Internal Revenue Service and eliminate all taxes for every American. It's a nice dream. I think we are stuck with taxes but we should not give up the dream of cutting taxes and continuing to be creative in looking for taxes that we can eliminate. As long as we have Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid we will have taxes to pay. I am opposed to increasing taxes on any group in America, poor, middle class or the wealthy. Everybody is harnessed … [Read more...]

Don’t Blame Romney

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By Ann Coulter   We spent billions of dollars and billions of words on an election to switch from President Obama, a Democratic Senate and a Republican House to President Obama, a Democratic Senate and a Republican House.   Every election predictor was wrong, except one: Incumbents usually win.   Republicans have taken out a sitting president only once in the last century, and that was in 1980 when Ronald Reagan beat Jimmy Carter. Sadly, Reagan's record remains … [Read more...]

Obama Re-elected — 9-Year-Old Black Kid Can Breathe Easy

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Brandon, a 9-year-old black kid, attended a campaign rally hosted by Michelle Obama. A cameraman interviewed Brandon, who was there with his dad. "Why does (Obama) need to win?" he was asked. "Because if Mitt Romney wins," he replied, "we'll be going back to the crop fields. We'll be picking crops." Off-screen, his father could be heard laughing.   From whom does a 9-year-old hear that Obama's opponent is a racist who, to quote the Democratic National Committee chairwoman, wants "to … [Read more...]

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