The Playlist: Public Opinion

There was also a flurry of news this week about embattled University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall, who has been accused of being on a “witch hunt” against University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers, including the revelation that Hall believed Powers would be gone by the end of 2013. So, next on the playlist, we have “Witch Hunt” by Rush.

The future of the Texas Memorial Museum is threatened by massive budget cuts, so we added Chuck Prophet’s “Museum of Broken Hearts.” And we included Frank Zappa’s “Why Johnny Can’t Read,” because Texas public school students continue to lag behind the national average in reading scores.

A story about Texas prisoners being buried with dignity prompted the addition of “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie,” by Buddy Miller’s Majestic Silver Strings. That is followed by Elbow’s “Grounds for Divorce,” because the Texas Supreme Court heard arguments this week regarding whether same-sex couples legally married in other states can be granted divorces in this one.

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Pauken’s claim that the state’s higher education system is “elitist” was called into question by Texas Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes, so we added Sia’s “Academia.” And we close with Green Day’s “At the Library,” in light of federal funding cuts jeopardizing Texas libraries.