Texas Progressive Alliance Round-Up W/ Reminder That Texas Independence Was Won Near Houston

At the bottom of this post is the weekly round-up of the Texas Progressive Alliance. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas.

With the round-up this week comes a reminder that the final battle of Texas independence was won in the vicinity of Houston. The deciding battle of Texas independence was the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto.

Above is a painting of that battle that was completed in 1895. The painting was done by Henry Arthur McArdle. (If you click the link, you can see a number of paintings by Mr. McArdle.) 

The water in the background of the painting is now part of the Houston Ship Channel.

Here is a history of the Texas Revolution from the excellent Handbook of Texas Online.

You can make what you want of Texas breaking free of Mexico and the subsequent history of Texas, but I’d just like to make the point that critical points in Texas history took place in the Houston-area, along the Texas Gulf Coast and in the interior of Texas not far from the coast.

I’m telling my liberal and Democrat friends that Texas is a lot more than just Austin. I get tired of an Austin-centric view of Texas. The Houston-area is a center of Texas history and Harris County is moving into the Democratic column. 

Let’s consider Texas as a whole and not just one place. 

The round-up—

Human tragedies are mounting in the Barnett Shale as study after study shows high levels of toxins in the air. The only ones who can’t seem to find anything wrong are the regulators. TXsharon asks, “Will the EPA intervene in Texas?” at Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

Why did the US forcibly detain a Mexican human rights advocate? CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know.

Bay Area Houston says Tort Reformers in Texas suck.

The Texas Cloverleaf presents the Kay Coward Bailey Hutchison plan for health care mediocrity.

Off the Kuff takes a look at Cameron Todd Willingham’s supposed confession, and finds the evidence for it lacking.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson states that no matter what you hear, transportation schemes are continuing, despite “death” of the TTC. EOW also had a guest post this week on the PEC: Pedernales Electric Cooperative: Who’s Electing Your Board Representative?

“Other big names” may enter the Republican primary for governor if Perry and Hutchison can’t get their acts together, according to a right-wing talker in D-FW and passed along by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

The folks at Texas Vox would like to thank everyone who participated in Blog Action Day on climate change last week. Following that trend, check out our round-up of Texas Blog Action day posts, let us know who we’re missing, and read up on the Business of Climate Change.

WhosPlayin posted an update on gas drilling in Lewisville, and also breaks the story that a local group is looking to ban smoking in public places in Lewisville.

refinish69 reopens Doing My Part For The Left with the latest installment of his series Homeless in Austin — An Insider’s View Part 7.

Mean Rachel got to see President Obama speak in College Station on Friday.

We have known for a long time that Governor Perry is a bottom feeder, but letting an innocent man die and then refusing to get at the truth about his execution? Well, I would not want that on my conscience. Let Libby Shaw at Texas Kaos bring you up to speed in his posting: All the Good Hair on the Planet Won’t Make the Cover Up Go Away.

Neil at Texas Liberal ran a picture he took this week of the confluence of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou in Downtown Houston. This spot, important in the founding of Houston, is still a place of connection. If connection could be found in the hot and hellish Houston of 175 years ago, we can