Thanksgiving -2007

What do you have to be thankful for? A great mom and dad; wife and kids; a safe country protected by the best military in the world; a real living breathing Constitution that protects our rights; Courts that follow the law; and even the political campaigning. We can ask for or want more, but we should be thankful for what we have. We have so much more than people from other countries. We have to be doing a whole of right things. We don't see people trying to leave the U.S.A. People from all over this world come to our country to make it theirs too. They can't be blamed for that desire. They come to escape hunger, war and persecution. They want what we want -- a safe, peaceful healthy place to raise their family. If that is the reason for their arrival, it's hard to criticize them. To live free and in doing so, not infringe on our rights, is okay. Assimilation is part of their coming -- to be a citizen, a citizen of this country - for good or bad. I am thankful for my life and hopeful to those coming to this country want to be a part of this country and not establish a mini-country from where they came.

S-CHIP RALLY - November 17, 2007, San Antonio, Texas

Milam Park, San Antonio, Texas. House Speaker Pelosi capped a speakers' platform full of local representatives, county and city medical officials, doctors, students and recipients of the S-Chip benefits. To the right is a photo of Speaker Pelosi, Congressmen Charles Gonzalez, Cuellar and Rodriguez [behind the post]. It was quite impressive to have Speaker Pelosi at the rally. It was easy to see why she is such a leader in the House.

Inns of Court

Arbitration - the good, the bad and the ugly. That was the title of the presentation tonight at the meeting of Inns of Court in SATX. An arbitration company representative was on the panel pushing the virtues of arbitration and he did a darn fine job too. He made a lot of sense. But there was an audience of attorneys. The audience contained many opponents to the unilateral overbearing tactics whereby arbitration is a take it or leave it option in just about every contract that a consumer has to enter into - mortgages, credit cards, securities, buying your old car and working for your employer. If you do a deal with anyone that is in writing, and if you read carefully enough, you will see that you have agreed to binding arbitration. If the slab cracks - arbitrate. Your stock broker drains your account -- arbitrate. The loan company is giving you the runaround -- arbitrate. And, when you get to arbitration as a consumer [$125 charge] you get to arbitrate with the big-boys hand-picked arbitrator. The consumer has strikes to deselect arbitrators too, but what do they know. As one attorney said, "this is the consumer's one and only chance to have his case heard." One would think that consumers would have a right to have the award reviewed without much of a problem -- wrong. It just does not happen as it would "delay" the arbitration process. What do you think? Do you even care?

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Here we go. Today, there was a reception at a local club in San Antonio to celebrate the 25th year of Branton & Hall's partnership in the practice of law - plaintiff's law that is. James Hall and James Branton have been leaders in the San Antonio and South Texas legal community because of their preparation, intellect, and integrity. Just about every county and district judge and the entire 4th Court was at this reception. The kind words by Mayor Hardberger and Judge Mireles were really uplifting for Jim and Jim and the entire audience of attorneys and their families. This gathering was put together by B&H's junior partners, Sonia Rodriguez and Fernando Cruz, and their fellow staffers. I was truly impressed with the admiration shown to these gentlemen and their family. The celebration was neat to attend and to be a part of.