Report from the border

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Minuteman, Mar 19, 2006.


  1. jim

    jim Monkey+++ Founding Member

    That is just fouled up enough to be true. What's the name of the school, Geo. W. Bush High? Vicente Fox High? Fox-Bush High? NO!!

    jim
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    What's the address of the TX state house, and who should letters be addressed at? Or what is the main newspaper that takes letters to the editor? Or both.
     
  3. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I talked to another local guy today about this. I asked if he had heard about it and if it was true. He said that all the schools in these border towns have a large number of Mexican kids attending, but he said that as far as he new they usually walked across the border every morning to attend. He said that he doubted that the buses actually entered Mexico, they probably just went to the border crossing and picked them up once they crossed. That made more sense to me. But still it doesn't change the fact that our tax dollars are paying for it. No matter how they are getting here.

    This guy said he went to a small High School a few miles farther north, away from the border, and that the State had taken money from his school and allotted it to the school in Roma becuse they have so many more students. He said that the school in Roma has an indoor heated swimming pool, an indoor, climate controlled livestock show barn, tennis courts. If I wasn't tied up here on this location I would drive up there and take some pics.

    Maybe next time I'm down here and get a free day or two I'll go up there and maybe get pics of the buses loading up kids at the border.

    Gives new meaning to the motto "No child left behind"
     
  4. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    MM, it was called the "Robin Hood" program. The schools in wealthier districts had money taken away and given to the poorer schools. I believe it was rescinded last year. My friends that are from the valley, one who is a pertroleum engineer told me that a lot of schools down there have unbelievable facilities. For a different reason though. A lot of the drug runners "invest" tons of money in donations to the schools. For one this is where their children go to school, and for another thing it helps them in regards to their public image. A lot of the sheeple down there think it is because of their generosity, and they place their loyality with the drug runners. Foolish, I know.

    http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=16063

    <TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>'Robin Hood' Destroyed $81 Billion of Property Wealth in Texas

    Written By: George A. Clowes
    Published In: School Reform News
    Publication Date: December 1, 2004
    Publisher: The Heartland Institute
    </TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
    <HR>A 10-year attempt by education finance lawyers to reduce per-pupil spending disparities in Texas schools by means of a so-called "Robin Hood" scheme has produced a smaller spending gap but also resulted in the destruction of an estimated $81 billion worth of property wealth, according to a recent study led by Harvard University economist Caroline M. Hoxby.
    The redistribution scheme is on the brink of collapse and is likely to be abandoned soon.
    The Texas Robin Hood program involved the forced redistribution of about $30 billion annually in school property taxes, taking from so-called "property-rich" districts and giving to "property-poor" districts. Hoxby's analysis shows the plan did not succeed in equalizing per-pupil spending throughout Texas, although it did reduce the gap between the highest-spending quartile and the lowest-spending quartile from about $2,000 to $1,500 per pupil.
    That $500 reduction was achieved at a cost of $27,000 per pupil in property value destruction across the state.
    "Good intentions about redistribution are not enough in school finance: Understanding the economics is important too," write Hoxby and Ilyana Kuziemko in their July 2004 report, "Robin Hood and His Not-So-Merry Plan: Capitalization and the Self-Destruction of Texas' School Finance Equalization Plan."
    To give readers an idea of the magnitude of the wealth destroyed by the Robin Hood scheme, the researchers consider what the money could have been used for had it simply been confiscated from the wealthy instead of being destroyed. If the money had been used to create a permanent endowment fund, it would have generated sufficient annual revenues--about $1,350 per pupil--to bring per-pupil spending in every district in Texas up to the level of the top 5 percent of districts.
    The destructive consequences of the Robin Hood scheme may have been predictable to economists, but they were not foreseen by the plan's designers, who were lawyers, not economists. The intent of the lawyers, as described by Hoxby and Kuziemko, was to devise a funding mechanism that would skirt the Texas Constitution's ban on a statewide property tax.
    The Robin Hood formula was devised by the Texas legislature in 1993-94 as a third response to a 1984 lawsuit charging that the then-current system of school finance was unconstitutional, a charge the Supreme Court of Texas upheld in 1989. The court ruled the Robin Hood system constitutional in 1994, but stated the system would become unconstitutional if all school districts reached a 15 mil tax cap.
    That point is close at hand. Both property-poor and property-rich districts have responded to the incentives in Robin Hood and raised tax rates to the point where more than 80 percent of Texas pupils are in districts within half a mil of the cap.
    "A better understanding of how school finance works might lead to the adoption of schemes that are more efficient, more stable, more equalizing, less burdensome to taxpayers, and--in the long run--more likely to achieve the goals of school finance," the authors conclude.

    History of 'Robin Hood' Finance System<!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="DocumentBody" -->

    <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=128 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD>[​IMG]</TD><TD width="100%" background=/site/images/sidebar.gray.base/sidebar.gray_02.gif>[​IMG]</TD><TD>[​IMG]</TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD background=/site/images/sidebar.gray.base/sidebar.gray_05.gif></TD><TD class=thirdNavTable width=116 bgColor=#e6e7e8><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=116 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thirdNav>Advocacy for Change</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>Special Sessions on School Finance</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>Texas Supreme Court Ruling</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>Legislative Priorities</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>History of 'Robin Hood' Finance System</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>Contacts in Texas Government</TD></TR><TR><TD class=thirdNav>News Sources</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD background=/site/images/sidebar.gray.base/sidebar.gray_07.gif></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD><TD>[​IMG]</TD><TD width="100%" background=/site/images/sidebar.gray.base/sidebar.gray_11.gif>[​IMG]</TD><TD>[​IMG]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[​IMG]</TD><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Since the 1970s, the State of Texas has been involved with lawsuits challenging the system of financing public schools. Following is a chronology of the funding dilemma, its impact on Plano ISD and Plano ISD's legislative programs to address the issue. See also on this Web site, a history of Plano ISD's recapture payments to the state due to Robin Hood.[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1987 - School Funding System Declared Unconstitutional[/SIZE][/FONT]

    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]In 1987, the courts declared the system unconstitutional according to standards of the Texas Constitution. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The ruling focused not only on operating revenues and expenditures, but also on facilities and capital financing. In the ensuing years, the Legislature has tried to remain a step ahead of the courts, but has had several efforts at satisfying the requirements of the Constitution found unconstitutional. [/SIZE][/FONT]

    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]In 1992, the Supreme Court of Texas found Senate Bill 351, passed by the Legislature in 1991, to be unconstitutional in that it imposed a statewide property tax by creating "county education districts" (CEDs). [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]A state property tax is prohibited by the Texas Constitution. Following this ruling, the Legislature called a referendum to constitutionalize the provisions of Senate Bill 351 and the CEDs. The voters of the state turned down the referendum issues, with 63% saying no. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1993 - Senate Bill 7 Challenged by Texas School Districts[/SIZE][/FONT]


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The next effort at meeting the tests of equity, Senate Bill 7, passed by the Texas Legislature in 1993, was challenged by property-poor school districts as well as property-wealthy districts. Points litigated include the equity issue, the capital financing issues, and issues of adequacy and suitability. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1995 - School Districts Ordered to Give Up Excess Wealth[/SIZE][/FONT]


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The Texas Supreme Court ruled, in January 1995, that the law was constitutional at the time, but could become unconstitutional unless changes were made in the law over the next several years. Senate Bill 7 mandated that all districts having a wealth per weighted student (WADA) exceeding $280,000 must give up that excess wealth in one of several manners: [/SIZE][/FONT]
    1. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]consolidation with a property-poor district such that the combined wealth is less than $280,000 per WADA; [/SIZE][/FONT]
    2. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]tax base consolidation with a property-poor district such that the combined wealth is less than $280,000 per WADA; [/SIZE][/FONT]
    3. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]purchase of attendance credits from the State to reduce the wealth to less than $280,000 per WADA; [/SIZE][/FONT]
    4. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]purchase of attendance credits from a property-poor district to reduce the wealth to less than $280,000 per WADA; or [/SIZE][/FONT]
    5. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]disannexation of property from a property-wealthy district to reduce the wealth to less than $280,000 and attachment of that property to a property-poor district.[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1995 - Senate Bill 1 - Rewrite of Texas Education Code[/SIZE][/FONT]


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]In 1995, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1, which rewrote the entire Texas Education Code. This new law made very few changes to the school financing provisions. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1997 - Legislature Revises 'Recapture' Formula [/SIZE][/FONT]


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]During the 1997 legislative session, the Texas Legislature revised the formula for calculating the recapture amount to exclude taxes collected for debt service from the calculation. The voters approved an additional $10,000 homestead exemption in August 1998. The 1997 legislature included provisions in the revised recapture calculation to hold the District harmless from any lost tax revenues caused by the loss in taxable value due to the increased homestead exemption.[/SIZE][/FONT] 1999 - House Bill 4 Provides Some Relief to Plano ISD


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]In the 1999 legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 4. This new law increased the wealth per weighted student (WADA) that districts may retain to $295,000. This $15,000 increase in wealth per weighted student represents the first increase since Senate Bill 7 was enacted in 1993. This minimal adjustment to the wealth per weighted student provides some relief to the District regarding its equalization efforts.[/SIZE][/FONT] 2001 - House Bill 3343 Passes / Committee to Study Public School Finance


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]During the 2001 legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3343. This new law increased the wealth per weighted student (WADA) that districts may retain to $300,000 for 2001-02 and to $305,000 for 2002-03. During the legislative session the Legislature agreed to name an interim committee following the session to study public school finance in Texas. In September 2001 the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House appointed this committee. [/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The committee was charged with conducting a comprehensive review of the structure of the Texas public school finance system, including facilities and transportation issues; the method used to fund public schools; and the criteria used to determine state payments to school districts. [/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The legislative leaders have also instructed the committee to carefully consider all of the equity issues that govern public school finance and fully examine all of the revenue resources for funding public schools, including the state's property tax system. [/SIZE][/FONT]2003 - Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance Reports Findings


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The Joint Select Committee on Public School Finance reported its findings to the Legislature for consideration in the regular Legislative Session in 2003. However, the Legislative Session in 2003 produced no new funding system. [/SIZE][/FONT]

    http://www.pisd.edu/news/advocacy/robin.hood.shtml2004 - Governor Calls Special Session on School Finance


    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]In the spring of 2004, the Governor called a Special Session of the legislature. Reports were posted by Plano ISD to inform and update the community regarding the Texas Legislature's Special Session on School Finance.[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The impact on the operations of the Plano Independent School District of these efforts at equalization has been serious. Cumulatively since the inception of these equalization efforts, the District has purchased over $599 million in attendance credits from the State and other districts within the State. The District is at the tax-rate maximum of $1.50 for the general operating fund. Plano ISD has joined some 100 school districts in the state challenging the law's constitutionality. [/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]The District's financial planning for the next several years takes into account the effects of possible court and legislative actions in order to address the continued impact of recapture of local funds without negatively impacting the quality of the District's educational program. However, due to continued loss of funds, the District reduced staff and made other cuts totaling $17 million in the 2004-05 budget.[/SIZE][/FONT]
     
  5. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I was doing a little google research on this.

    Roma Texas
    http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=P.O.+Box+187,Roma+TX


    Population 7000. Enrollment in the High School? 1,621

    http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/tx/5838/


    Grades: 9-12
    Type: public
    Enrollment: 1621

    <TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD style="o: p>
    [SIZE=3?><FONT face=]


    [/SIZE]

    <TABLE style="BORDER-RIGHT: black 0.5pt solid; BORDER-TOP: black 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 0.5pt solid; WIDTH: 100%; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 0.5pt solid; mso-padding-alt: 1.2pt 0in 0in 0in; mso-cellspacing: 0in" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; WIDTH: 50%; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width="50%">
    Ethnicity

    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; WIDTH: 25%; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width="25%">
    This School

    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; WIDTH: 50%; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" width="50%">
    State Average

    </P></TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype><v:shape id=_x0000_i1025 style="WIDTH: 3.6pt; HEIGHT: 7.8pt" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://www.greatschools.net/images/pixdblue.gif" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/T/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape>Hispanic
    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
    100%

    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
    45%

    </P></TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"><v:shape id=_x0000_i1026 style="WIDTH: 3.6pt; HEIGHT: 7.8pt" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75"><v:imagedata o:href="http://www.greatschools.net/images/pixmarine.gif" src="file:///C:/DOCUME~1/T/LOCALS~1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_image003.gif"></v:imagedata></v:shape>White
    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
    <1%

    </P></TD><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
    37%

    </P></TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: black; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: black; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: black; PADDING-TOP: 1.2pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: black; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" colSpan=3>
    Source: TX Education Agency, 2005-2006

    </P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
    </P>
    An article from an NPR interview in 2002</P>
    </P>
    The Mariachi Santander ensemble, from Roma High School in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, is "arguably the best high-school mariachi in the country," says Burnett. The band dominates every contest it enters. Every fall in San Antonio, there's a competition for Texas' 100-plus public-school mariachi ensembles -- and last fall, for the third year in a row, the Roma Mariachi placed first.</P>
    </P>
    One reason is the spirited, committed musical director: 53-year-old Yamil Yunes, born in Monterrey, Mexico, to a Lebanese father and Spanish mother. He started out as a guitarist and vocalist for Latino pop bands, then converted to mariachi.</P>
    </P>
    Another reason is Roma musicians' determination to rise above stereotypes about their school -- just 300 yards from Mexico -- and their hometown. When Roma (population 7,000) is mentioned in the newspapers, Burnett says, "it’s usually because of a major drug bust, or because Starr County has again made the list of the nation’s poorest counties." Members of Mariachi Roma are acutely aware of their town’s bleak reputation, says trumpeter Jorge Yunez: "Maybe that’s why we try so hard." </P>
    </P>
    </P>
    ********************
    </P>
    </P>
    A town of 7000, in one of the poorest counties in the state of Texas, but it has an enrollment of 1620 students and one of the nicest most expansive campuses of any public school I have ever seen?</P>
    </P>
    There's something not right with that picture. I think I'll E-mail all this to Alex Jones. He's about the only one I know who might report on it.</P>
    </P>
    </P></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
     
  6. andy

    andy Monkey+++

    hey i hope this is not to far off topic but just a few days ago in VA two teen girls lives were ended by a illegal (not sure were he was from, not that it matters) but the real kicker is that he had been arrested before by other P.D.'s for other alcohol related charges and had admitted to authorities the he was here illegally...
     
  7. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I saw that on the news. It happens all the time. I lived out in California and they would arrest an illegal in the area for DUI and deport him. 3 days later he would be back to work.
     
  8. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    How are things on the border Minuteman?

    Shot that XD yet? Or the NAA mini revolver? I picked up a XD 5 inch Tactical .45 this morning, and a Service Model 4-inch 9mm. I think I am going to like them.
     
  9. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Things are pretty quiet here now. I am down close to McAllen right now. Seems to be a little less ET traffic around here. But I just found out that the company is going to start up a horizontal drilling program up around the Demitt County area. I'll probably be the one they send up there. It looks like some barren, open country. The lease road back into the well sites is 22 miles. And you never leave the same lease!

    Reminds me of the old joke. Two Texas ranchers are talking and one says "My spread is so big I can get in my truck and drive 3 days in any direction and never leave my land." the other one says " Yeah, I used to have a truck like that."

    Should be a lot more traffic up that way.

    As for the XD, I love it!!! I have the 4" .45 model and my wife has the sub compact 9mm. I just ordered tritium night sights for it and an El Paso Saddlery holster and mag holder. I don't much care for the polymer holster that comes with it. I had intended to use it as a carry weapon but I met and fell in love with another.

    I just bought a micro-compact SA 1911 and I love it. I almost passed on it but am glad I didn't. I think me and mini-me will have a long relationship together. I call it mini-me because I have the full size SA 1911 and it is an exact copy. Same OD green finish and all. The full size is my go to SHTF sidearm. I just ordered some Hoque rubber grips for it to match it's big brother. Am looking for tritium night sights for the full size now.

    The NAA is really cool too. I carry it tucked into my sun visor. I have an organizer that mounts on the driver side visor. It has pockets and slots for papers etc. the NAA fits perfectly tucked into a slot on the up side of it. Near to hand and easily accessible. I slip it into my pocket when I get to the motel or to Wal-Mart down here.

    The XD's are my bedside, around the house weapons. I don't have a lot of lease roads and gates to open here, but if I go up north I will be carrying the XD with me. The mounted flashlight is awesome. I am thinking about installing a Laserlight in it. The kind that replaces the guide rod. That with the tritium sights should be an awesome low light defensive weapon.
     
  10. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    That is great! I might carry the XD a little, just for a change of pace. I would like to find a nice commander size 1911, maybe an XSE for full time carry. While I love my Les Baer, I am starting to get a little bit nervous about it getting stolen while left in my vehicle.

    You will love the El Paso Saddlery rig. I have their belt, two holsters, and a double mag carrier all stamped.

    The laser you speak of I want to say is Lasermax. They replace the guide rod. They are very expensive, and my gun dealer told me that they tend to be not as accurate at longer distances as the Crimson Trace is. The flashlight is a very important part of the package. I need to pick up some night sights for my XD's also. My dealer told me that the Sig night sights fit it. I think they are usually cheaper.
     
  11. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    Cheaper than dirt has them (night sights) for the XD's at $62.

    http://www.cheaperthandirt.com

    item# SCP-820

    Yep, I meant "Lasermax". I heard good things about them.
    I'm going to try a set of the Crimson Trace grips on a Ruger MKll and see how I like them. I prefer the Hogue grips on my 1911's tho and CT doesn't make them in a finger molded model.
     
  12. BigO01

    BigO01 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    E.L. here is a inexpensive used 1911 that might suffice as a good truck gun .

    http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=70580969

    I have that model except mine has a barrel bushing and is two tone and so far it has run 100% with Ball and some reloads of 200 gr LSWC .

    I imagine at worst it "this used one" might need a little tuning if it did it would be a $500-600 gun still cheaper than a Colt XSE and much cheaper than you Baer and a whole bunch easier to take if it was stolen from your truck !

    Some one listed it at Gunbroker in the semiauto rifle section instead of the pistol section , might be worth considering .

    Just thought you might like to know .
     
  13. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Thanks Minuteman, that is way cheaper than I have seen anywhere else.
     
  14. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Thanks BigO01. For the cheaper 1911's I really like the Rock Island Arms. The XD is going to be my new truck gun, at least for the time being. I like the increased capacity and the XD has a solid history with LE and even more important with many friends of mine that shoot and carry them. One of whom carries it as his duty weapon. It was purchased through Davidson's so it also comes with a lifetime warranty. Another plus is the rail so that I can attach a light to it. Target identification comes before target acquisition.
     
  15. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    This is off the recent gun topic discussion. Just some ramblings from a wandering, and maybe overheated mind.

    ..................................................................

    Murphy’s law is working overtime here in S. Texas today. If something goes wrong it is always at the worst possible time.

    I live in a nice trailer house when I am on location. 14’ wide 70’ long. Two bedroom, washer and dryer, dishwasher, 3 bathrooms. I have lived in places that weren’t as nice as this. It is kind of strange to be inside a big nice mobile home with satellite TV and Internet etc then walk outside and be in the middle of nowhere.

    Anyway, about 2:30 this afternoon I am working on a report on the computer and I noticed the lights start to flicker. A few seconds later all the power goes off. I go out and look and the generator has died. So I start checking it. A couple of Roughnecks come over and we check the fuel, ok, oil, ok. We prime the thing and try to start it. No dice. Change the filters. Nope. So after an hour or so in the 95 degree S. Texas sunshine I call the rental company and tell them to get a mechanic sent out.

    Of course it's Sunday afternoon and we're miles from the nearest rental yard.
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    <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://survivalmonkey.com/forum/ />[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
    <font size=" />[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman]
    [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The rig is running fine and there is nothing I can do. A good time to take a nap. I kick back in my recliner and doze off. That lasts about an hour. It doesn’t take long for a trailer house to start warming up.[/FONT][/SIZE]

    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]I have one of those weather monitors that show the temperature outside and inside. At the start of this ordeal the inside temp was 72 the outside 95. I came into my office and spent the afternoon watching the two numbers getting closer and closer together. At 6:00 the temp inside isn’t the only thing that is getting hot. I call the rental co. and they tell me that someone should be on their way.[/FONT][/SIZE]

    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The guy shows up at 7:30. Around 8 he tells me he has no idea what the problem is. He’s going to have to take it in. I am hot, PO’d, and armed. Fortunately for this guys continued health and well-being he had the foresight to bring a back-up generator with him. He backs it in, hooks up the cables and fires it up[/FONT][/SIZE]
    [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3].[/SIZE][/FONT]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]The final score? 86 outside, 84 inside. [/FONT][/SIZE]

    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]So now I am watching the temp slowly fall. I have the ceiling fans on high and the AC set at 65.[/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]It’s funny how your prospective changes when a problem is finally rectified. A couple of hours ago I was ready to fire the rental co. and was fantasizing of all the medieval torture techniques I could get away with when the salesman comes by again.[/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]But now as the temp comes down so does my temp. Ah well, sheet happens.[/FONT][/SIZE]

    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]
    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]This reminds me of a story my Uncle told. He was working on a Rig in the jungles of Northern Luzon Island in the Philippines. They flew a little twin-engine plane 1 ½ hours from Manila to a gravel airstrip cut out of the jungle. Landing on these improvised runways are always exciting even in the best conditions. Well this time they are coming in and the pilot veers off. He announces that only one wheel on the landing gear is down. The other is hung up halfway down. They are going to circle and burn off some fuel before attempting a crash landing. He said that he had always heard of your life flashing before your eyes. He said his did. He started thinking about what a sorry SOB he had been. Cheating on his wives. Being absent from his kid’s lives and treating them bad when he wasn’t. He decided that if he was to live through this that things would be different. He was going to make amends to his family, be faithful to his wife, and treat his kids better. He was going to be a different man. As they came in on the final approach suddenly the pilots got the landing gear unstuck and they came in for a textbook landing. As my Uncle was getting off the plane he thought to himself “ Hell, I wasn’t such a bad guy after all”[/FONT][/SIZE]


    [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/SIZE]
    [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“ Hell, it wasn’t such a bad day after all.”[/SIZE][/FONT]
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  16. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Take some pics of the XD in the EPS holster along with the mag carrier. I would like to see how it looks. I think you will really like their products. You may have to buy one for the 1911 now.
     
  17. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    I will when I get home this week. I have a lot of new toys waiting for me. I am dangerous on the internet with a credit card!!!
     
  18. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    [ditto] [LMAO]
     
  19. Minuteman

    Minuteman Chaplain Moderator Founding Member

    E.L. I didn't get a chance to photo the EPS holster but if you are considering one for your XD pass on it. It doesn't fit!! The ad says that it will fit a Glock or XD. The holster is stamped on the back "Glock". Niether one of my XD's would fit in it. I even removed the tension retaining screw and it would not go into the holster far enough for a good fit. The trigger guard is too large. I talked to a friend who is a gunsmith and he told me that you have to be careful with things advertised for Glocks that will fit the XD. He said that the XD's are so new that there isn't a lot of accessories made specifically for them and since they resemble the Glock so closely many companies advertise things that are supposed to fit either. But most don't.

    But, the double mag holder fit perfectly and I also got one for the 1911. I found that if I tighten the retention adjustment screw down as far as it will go ( I had to put a small washer on the screw head side to keep it from pulling through the leather) that it fits my full sized 1911 pretty well. Nothing I would trust for a daily carry but it's good for around the property or down to the range. So I won't be sending it back but it doesn't work for the XD.
     
  20. E.L.

    E.L. Moderator of Lead Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I have an EPS holster made for my Glock that I already tried in my XD's. Won't fit. Right on, it is the trigger guard that is bigger on the XD.

    So how are things on the border?
     
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