|
|
Sound Off | |
12/20/08 |
         
|
Sound Off is where citizens can express their views on matters of concern to Llano residents. The usual caveats apply: Nothing defamatory, follow the "K.I.S.S." rules , and no anonymous submissions. If you don't have the strength of your convictions to use your real name and where you reside, it won't be published in Klee's Kaleidoscope. If you wish to have your name withheld from publication I'll be glad to do it. Disclaimer The opinions or views expressed herein are those of the authors and are published as a public service. They are not to be construed, explicitly or implicitly, as reflecting those of Klee's Kaleidoscope or the owner of this web site. Sound Off has been expanded to include news releases submitted from time to time by various local agencies that may have particular interest to Llano citizens. Submission of material will constitute consent to publish unless you specifically state otherwise. Klee's Kaleidoscope reserves the right to make editorial corrections to improve readability but will not make any substantive changes to the material submitted. E-mail all material for publication to Klee's Kaleidoscope. A Reader comments on “Bankruptcy is Preferable to Bail Out” article (December 22, 2008) I spent a lot of time in my professional career handling bankruptcy cases.I have been appalled at the misinformation being put out by the main stream press. Your article is the first I have read that accurately describes a Chapter 11 process. Ronnie Rudd, Marble Falls Re: Canada & America Needs [sic] A Leader Like This! (December 22, 2008) The Australian PM, John Howard, never gave
this speech. It is a hybrid that first appeared around January 2008 when
what Howard actually said was combined with a 2001 editorial by Air Force
veteran Barry Loudermilk that was published in Loudermilk's local Georgia
paper, the Bartow Trader. [Editor’s Comment: Mr. Moore’s submission was posted "as is" without editorial correction to content or title. While Snopes explains that the remarks attributed to Australian Prime Minister John Howard are a hybrid of remarks made by Mr. Howard and others, Snopes concludes: “The individual statements attributed to Australian government officials … are thus essentially accurate” but notes that Australia has not adopted a formal policy to force some Muslim groups out of the country. In summary, Snopes’ investigated claim regarding “E-mail quotes statements from Australian government officials about Sharia law and Muslim extremists” are TRUE, according to Snopes and are not “pure homegrown in America” as Mr. Basden asserts.] Canada & America Needs A Leader Like This! (December 15, 2008) A Statement from Australian Prime Minister John Howard submitted by Ronald Moore of Sunrise Beach Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. “Immigrants, not Australians, must adapt. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians. “This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom. “We speak mainly English, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!' “Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. “We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.' “This is our country, our land, and our lifestyle, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE If you aren't happy here then leave. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country you accepted.” Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American and Canadian citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths. Ronald Moore, Sunrise Beach A Reader Writes in About Unilateral Street Name Changes (December 8, 2008) An Editorial Response Follows Dear Mr. Klee: Your December 1 column titled "Another Community Gets Parkerized" amounts to yet another of your ad hominem and generally baseless attacks on Precinct 2 Commissioner Henry Parker. I will examine your piece by its three principal parts: THE NEW 2ND PRECINCT OFFICE I know very little about the 2nd Precinct offices other than the fact that the previous offices for Commissioner Parker and the JP were very much substandard. I fail to see how Henry Parker will benefit significantly from the new office since he is not running for re- election. EXTENDING THE LLANO COUNTY BOAT RAMP I am a bit more familiar with Commissioner Parker´s work to obtain an extension of the boat ramp at Llano County Park. You imply rather darkly that Parker´s chief motivation was to subsidize "fellow stripped bass fishermen." I know of no nudist fishing guides or anglers, so I assume your reference was to "striped bass fishermen." Your premise is erroneous, since there is no logical reason to believe that striper guides or aficionados are the only constituency for an extended public boat ramp on the southwest portion of Lake Buchanan. In point of fact, most existing private and public ramps become unusable during low lake conditions. At the moment the only working ramp on our side of Buchanan is at Paradise Point. In point of fact, striper guides will benefit very little from the new boat ramp. Most guides keep their boats in the lake. The major constituency for a longer boat ramp is the public. The Lake Buchanan Conservation Corporation, an eclectic group, endorsed Parker´s plan for the extended launch ramp. This was an endorsement from a public-spirited non-profit group of citizens. LBCC has 116 members including 90 individuals who share the organization´s goals of improving Lake Buchanan. There are 26 business members - nine of whom are fishing guides CHANGING TWO "ALEXANDERS" Most egregious is your assertion that Parker pressed to change names of two of the three "Alexander" streets in Tow offhandedly as a favor to a "friend." My wife and I own and operate Cottonwood Cove, an 11-cabin lodge in Tow and we frequently have 60 guests of varying age and health situations. We pressed Henry Parker for a change when we came horribly close to hosting a tragedy because an EMS ambulance went to the wrong Alexander street in response to an EMS call. Your account of the EMS call is laughably flawed. Almost nothing you wrote is correct. You say an EMS 911 dispatcher received a call for help at an address on Alexander "Street" in Tow and misdirected the ambulance to either Alexander "Drive" or Alexander "Trail." I made the 911 call and a followup call and the 911 dispatcher knew where help was needed (161 Alexander "Drive"). The ambulance crew misunderstood and went to Alexander "Street" in Buchanan Lake Village - 3.6 miles from the site of the emergency. The reason for my call was a genuine emergency. Late in the afternoon of September 18, a South Texas woman was rushed from the lake by her companions and carried to a lounge chair on our front lawn. My neighbor, Carol Lock, is a retired surgical nurse and immediately recognized that the lady was having a heart attack. EMS records showed that my first call was received at 6:02 p.m. and the ambulance was dispatched at 6:05. But the ambulance didn´t arrive promptly and I made a second 911 call. The dispatcher raised the ambulance crew on their radio and asked for their location. The response was "Buchanan Lake Village:" almost four miles away. The ambulance arrived at 6:20 (per EMS records) and left with the patient at 6:33 p.m. The woman was in dire condition and had to be Careflighted to Austin. She said my first call as at 6:02 p.m. and the ambulance was dispatched at 6:05 p.m. It arrived on scene at 6:20 and left at 6:33. Once they arrived at the correct "Alexander" address, the EMS crew was supremely professional. I make the same appraisal of the EMS dispatcher. The mixup was caused by the multiplicity of "Alexander" streets, drives and trails in a town of around 500 people. Henry Parker´s actions in getting the "Alexander" streets renamed was an act of governmental responsibility - not a fiasco. You seem to believe that changing an address is an insuperable burden. In point of fact, changing an address with the Social Security Administration should not mean a delay in payments. The Post Office routinely "forwards" mail to changed addresses for more than a year. Your other quibbles are equally risible. Is it too much of a burden to ask a citizen to change his/her street name when the possible outcome of duplicated names can mean life or death for an EMS patient? By the way, I note that you disparage Parker and Ron Moore jointly because Moore designated three roads in "Long Grove" with "similar names." I don´t believe either of us can find "Long Grove" in Llano County. Is it near Lone Grove? I would recommend you avoid a second career as an EMS dispatcher. Sincerely, Paul Freeman Owner Cottonwood Cove 161 Alexander DRIVE Tow, Texas 78672 Editorial Response to Mr. Freeman’s Letter to “Sound Off” I contacted Mr. Freeman and thanked him for pointing out the two “typo’s” in the article.” I also responded to some of the matters he raised in his “Sound Off” letter: As for "THE NEW 2ND PRECINCT OFFICE," Parker would benefit from having such a new facility for the remainder of his term and as a legacy. I make no assertions as to a person’s motivations for doing what they do. To my knowledge, Mr. Parker has made no formal announcement of his not re-running for election but that’s immaterial, he can always change his mind later on. I have never disparaged Parker as a person; I've only challenged his actions while serving as Commissioner for the 2nd Precinct. As for "EXTENDING THE LLANO COUNTY BOAT RAMP," the Lake Buchanan Conservation Corporation is comprised primarily of members who have proprietary interests in having the boat ramp extended, and include striper fishermen and guides. They are not as eclectic a group as Mr. Freeman indicates. My objections, however, have not been as much about the extension of the boat ramp but the contemplated use of boat ramp funds beyond their intended and authorized purpose i.e. general park improvements, cutting down trees, landscape renovations, facility construction and the like. As for "CHANGING TWO "ALEXANDERS," after looking further into the matter, it appears that Mr. Freeman’s description of the EMS call-out events occurred as he described them. However, the issue is the street name changes, not the details of the EMS call. Contrary to Mr. Freeman’s claim, I made no assertion that “Parker pressed to change names of two of the three "Alexander" streets in Tow offhandedly as a favor to a ‘friend.’" My exact statement was that Alexander Drive was not changed “… where a friend of Parker’s purportedly lives.” Again, I simply pointed out the facts and let the reader draw his or her own conclusions. Mr. Freeman was helpful in this regard. He informed me that Max Alexander, owner of Alexander Boat Dock, lives and works at the terminus of Alexander Drive whom I understand to be a friend of Parker’s along with Ron Milam who also lives on Alexander Drive and purportedly is a friend of Parker's. As an aside, Mr. Freeman also lives on Alexander Drive - the street that did not have its name changed. Changing a street name from Alexander Street to Cozy Lane is no guarantee that an EMS call will not be misdirected in the future. One may argue there is less likelihood of confusion by doing so but there are several county streets with the word “Lane” in them already and one more, arguably, only adds to the problem. Wouldn’t it be better to simply provide additional training to the EMS dispatcher? I've been advised that the EMS unit involved has now initiated a policy requiring the dispatcher to double check the address, thus assuring that the driver is absolutely certain of the dispatched destination in the future. Another and perhaps the best solution would be to install GPS units in each of the EMS vehicles. Aside from the unnecessary inconvenience to many of the residents in Tow, my main objection to the changing of street names is the manner in which it was done i.e. with no consideration for the residents that were affected by the change. A public hearing in the matter should have been conducted and input from the community allowed to be presented before action was taken. There were far better solutions to the problem than the one that was taken. Harvey H. Klee, Klee's Kaleidoscope An Open Letter to Judge Wayne Brascom (November 17, 2008) My wife and I donated money to the Buchanan Dam Library. We purchased an engraved brick and it was installed at the entrance to the library. Recently we were made aware that the brick had been moved and installed under the drain spout at the EMS annex. I would like the brick removed and returned to me. I also want this matter investigated by you personally; I demand a complete investigation as to who moved the brick and under whose authority it was moved. We donated money in good faith to support the community in which we chose to live, and do not appreciate the insult inferred by this action. The library may certainly keep the money, but we do not chose to have our names there anymore, considering the sentiment of such an action. Thank you, G. Richard Grayum, Buchanan Dam Which Candidate Has the Most "Commander in Chief" Experience? (October 27, 2008) Question: What is America's first line of missile interceptor defense
that protects the entire United States? Answer: 49th Missile Defense
Battalion of Alaska National Guard. Submitted by Pat Hoffman, Llano Twenty-one Reasons Why Liberals Don't Like Sarah Palin for Vice President (October 27, 2008)1) She is a Woman.2) She does not believe in killing babies, born or unborn. 3) She is NOT endorsed by Susan Sarandon, Jane Fonda, Rosie O'Donnell, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Geraldine Ferrara, Barbara Walters, Helen Thomas, Ellen DeGeneris, Ted Kennedy, Keith Olberman, Chris Matthews, Barbra Streisand, David Letterman, or others who fervently believe in a Woman's Right to Choose. 4) She is married to a Foreigner--a species called 'Native American'--meaning her five children are halfbreeds. 5) She has on more than one occasion expressed PRIDE in the United States of America . 6) Unlike decent, self-respecting Democrats everywhere, she has a 17-year-old daughter who became pregnant out of wedlock. 7) She is a member of the American Rifle Association / actually owns firearms / and knows how to use them. 8) She has killed a moose, among other animals--and spreads the propaganda that it is hunters, through their license fees, that keep American wildlife from becoming extinct. 9) She often does her own grocery and other household shopping. 10) She drives a car, and flies a plane. 11) She chose to give birth to a defective child, rather than allow a skilled Abortion Doctor to kill it for her. 12) She refuses to apologize for seeking the termination of an Alaskan State Trooper just because he applied a gentle taser to his 12-year-old stepson (who, of course, happened to be Gov. Palin's nephew). 13) She is inexperienced. And she refuses to admit that her duties as the chief executive in the State of Alaska are nowhere near equal to those of a public servant who was once a Community Organizer, or that of a United States Senator who has carried the awesome burden of overseeing a staff of political appointees. 14) She has a son who is in the U.S.. Military, soon to be deployed to the Persian Gulf--probably making her prejudiced against all the peaceful Muslims in that part of the world. 15) She is on Oprah Winfrey's 'Do Not Invite' list. 16) She professes to be a Christian, but has no 'Spiritual Adviser'--even though Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who served Sen Obama in that capacity for 20 years, is now available. 17) She isn't really a 'beauty queen,' as advertised. She was only the runner-up in the Miss Alaska Contest; and Alaska is not a very populous state, anyway. 18) The Obama-Biden ticket is favored over McCain-Palin, 80% to 20%, by our friendly allies in France. 19) Her children are not properly trained in hygiene. (Did you see her 7-year-old daughter shamelessly lick the entire palm of her hand at the Convention, then use it to slick down the hair of her little brother?) 20) She is of mixed English, German, and Irish ancestry--and you KNOW you can't trust the Limey's, Krauts, or Micks. 21) Back to No. 1: This is the one that really galls modern, liberal 'feminists.' Gov. Palin is a Woman, a female-type wife and mother, who shaves her legs, wears makeup, dresses smartly, often cooks meals for her family, doesn't give a hoot about the National Organization for Women or the all-powerful Teachers Unions--and obviously will never, ever fit in as a member of the Washington Elite. Submitted by Pay Hoffman, Llano
The Bailout Cost (October 13, 2008) If you think the federal bailout cost is $700 billion, guess again. To get the monstrosity passed in Congress, $112 billion was added to the proposal (some estimate it at $150 billion in additional earmarks). That’s when Mike Conaway, U.S. Representative, 11 District flip-flopped and decided to vote for what he previously rejected, following in lock-step with Senators John Cronyn, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rep. Lamar Smith. Both Democratic and Republican nominees for president, self-professed agents of reform, also followed the cattle call to back the bailout. Here’s a sampling of the crap that was added:
So we’re now $812 billion deeper in debt. Well, it’s actually worse than that – following the fat cats’ bailout, the U.S. Senate approved a $25 billion bailout for the auto industry! And, $37.8 billion more is being loaned to AIG from the Federal reserve bringing the current total up to $874.8 billion and additional fat cat "bailouts" are indicated. Meanwhile, I’ve lost 22 percent of my retirement savings and the prognosis is that it will get worse before it gets better. Ironically, stocks went up considerably when the bailout was first voted down then took a nose dive after the millstone passed. That’s what you get when the government that caused the problem in the first place attempts to solve it. (Name withheld by request) Llano County Park will replace Lake Travis as the ultimate tourist destination for the power boat crowd Llano County Park, adjacent to Black Rock State Park, will be attracting larger boats and more upscale boaters in incoming summers even during drought times. Llano County Judge Wayne Brascom and Llano County Precinct Two Commissioner Henry Parker are planning an extensive conversion of this family-orientated ten acre Lake Buchanan park located on RR 261 between Tow and Buchanan Dam. Judge Brascom and Commissioner Parker have approved building a $700,000.00 boat ramp and boat trailer parking lot. The concrete boar ramp will be four hundred and fifty feet long. This will allow boaters to enter Lake Buchanan at its lowest levels, and will allow very large boats to launch from the park. A sixty foot turn around will also serve as landing pad for EMS helicopters. The paved parking lot will be close to the shoreline, which currently boasts over one thousand feet of sandy beach shoreline and dozens of beautiful oak trees. With the addition of the 450-foot boat ramp and the paved parking, Llano County should be able to make LBJ and Lake Travis much safer by luring the large “go-fast” boats to the more spacious and less crowded Lake Buchanan. Commissioner Parker has stated that he would like to construct the proposed new Llano County Precinct Two offices on the front of the park site so he can keep an eye on the park, which is allegedly going to undergo a name change to “Henry Parker Park.” Recently, Commissioner Parker announced his decision to close the park at dusk for non-boaters and locals because they make too much noise. Commissioner parker also stated that his decision to remove all of the large garbage bins in the park was to prevent them from being abused by local residents who fill them up with household trash. A four hundred fifty foot boat ramp and a paved boat trailer parking area may sound excessive and expensive to local taxpayers; however, it’s needed to change the area from a sleepy fishing village into a hot tourist destination. It will be very exciting to see the large cigarette styled boats and their passengers flying across Lake Buchanan at 65 mph. When these boats crank their large block engines and race across Lake Buchanan, you will hear the exhaust for miles and you can see the large wake and water spray from the shore. A necessary next step will be getting the power boat associations and the bass fishermen associations to halt the Texas Parks & Wildlife from stocking the non-indigenous stripers into Lake Buchanan. This will increase the black bass and white bass fish populations. The power boat crowd and the bass fishermen as a base for the tourist business will totally change and enhance the Buchanan Dam area. Again, thank you Judge Brascom and Commissioner Parker for converting Llano County park into a tourist destination and the future commercial home of the Llano County Precinct Two offices. Richard Grayum, Buchanan Dam Some Windmills Need Electric Power to Run (Posted August 11, 2008) Good morning, Harvey: The greenie prattling about "alternatives" reminds me of a favorite joke: about the Aggie engineer who spends his career working on a solar-powered night light. I worked for Texas Utilities Co. and recall what some of our engineers reported after they made a visit to a California wind farm - this some 20 years ago. There was no wind but the big turbines were turning -- albeit slowly. A close inspection revealed that some wind turbines were fitted with electric motors. The electric company ran the "backup" motor when there was no wind because "wind power" was subsidized and the company made a couple of cents per kilowatt by using conventional electric sources to get "wind power." Some "alternative," eh? Paul Freeman Tow, Texas Reader Writes about Frustrated Attempts to Build Christian Camp Mr. Klee, are you aware of the unbelievable difficulties we have had building Charis Hills Christian Camp in Castell? Ron Moore, Llano County's consulting engineers, and the Commissioners Court have cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have been accused of being Christian cultists and child abusers for wanting to build a Christian camp for kids with learning disabilities. It appears that litigation is inevitable, but it is a hard decision for our board because of our Christian stance. David Vinyard, Kerrville Note: Mr. Vinyard is President of Brisco Hall, Inc.
An Update on the Galveston ISD Attempt to Silence Free Speech (Posted November 19, 2007) Hi Everyone! I just wanted to give you an update of the eventful week I’ve had! After GISD got hammered on the fact that they couldn’t sue as a unit/governmental entity, Feldman comes out and says, Oh, no, we weren’t suing as a district; we’re suing as individuals! Using taxpayer’s money of course. Well I had been contacted by 2 firms and spoke to Anthony Griffin who is a civil rights attorney in town and is handling the plaintiffs on the DOJ we’re involved in with the district. But he wanted a $10K retainer should it go to court. After Feldman pulled out the individual suits, Liberty Legal said they couldn’t help if suits were brought by individuals. But when I went to talk to Tony Buzbee, he had no problem defending me regardless of how they came at me and would do it pro bono. He felt the publicity alone would make up for monetary issues. He is the biggest, baddest attorney in Galveston County and possibly the state. Talk about politics makes strange bed fellows! But I knew if I was going to fight, I needed a big dog. He issued a wonderful letter to the district Thursday morning and it was in the paper Friday morning. By Friday afternoon, our superintendent issued a statement saying that she’d had enough of the attention being taken away from the children and she recommended to the board that the matter be dropped. (Isn’t she caring?) When I pressed the reporter if she’d spoken to any board members, she hadn’t – “Cleveland hadn’t spoken to any board members.” Well, please… so the reporter called the board president who didn’t know a thing but said the matter would need to go to the board. That’s correct of course! So the matter is not on the board agenda for Wednesday but I’m going to ensure that it is on the December Board meeting!! They are going to do this in public!! I just want to thank everyone who helped encourage me, support me, educate me, speak out for me – it means a lot to me. It kept me strong throughout. And I believe that by working together, we’ve all achieved a great success that we can build upon! The school districts in Texas and the nation have been put on notice that we will not back down! I am compiling a list of the people who contacted me from other states with similar issues. We will go nationwide with this! It is a shame what these districts are doing and are not doing! But together in a united way, we will be a force to be reckoned with! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AGAIN!!! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! Sandra Jones Tetley GISD Watch Katy Citizen Watchdogs Have Their Say About Free Speech (Posted November 5, 2007) October 25, 2007 Galveston Independent School District P.O. Box 660 Galveston, TX 77553-0660 Attention: The GISD Board Of Trustees & GISD School Superintendent RE: An Open Letter To The GISD Board Of Trustees & GISD School Superintendent Dear GISD Board of Trustees & GISD School Superintendent: Let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Christopher E. Cottrell and I am the Co-Founder of a taxpayer watchdog group in Katy, Texas known as “The Katy Citizen Watchdog$”. Ms. Sandra J. Tetley, with GISD Watch, has been sharing with me some recent developments in your school district. Specifically, I am referring to the apparent threat of legal action against GISD Watch by your school district in what the district perceives as statements of a slanderous nature. As a fellow citizen watchdog I felt compelled to comment on the current flap. I guess I should preface my remarks/opinions by saying that I am not a lawyer, nor do I profess to be an expert on anything, but I will say, as a fellow concerned taxpayer, that I am appalled that your school district considers anything on the GISD site as slander. I have looked at the site, and while I haven’t studied the site in detail, I personally do not see anything that could be considered slanderous. There is certainly a great deal of critical commentary on the site, but I do believe that commentary and slander are not one in the same. In addition, I saw district news and district facts but once again I am having trouble as a layperson understanding how any of that could be considered slanderous. What am I missing? The folks at GISD Watch want the same thing that the Katy Dogs want; that being a board, superintendent and school district that are both transparent and accountable to those of us that are paying the freight. Believe me, I didn’t come up with this theme; there were some very smart men several hundred years ago that believed so strongly in that concept that they fought a revolution over it. Please try and not take this the wrong way when I say, is it possible that all of you should get a thicker skin? How is it that the word “dissent” has become a four-letter word? Why have some of us lost our natural distrust of government? When did school districts and elected official become exempt from public criticism? Are school districts and trustees always right in everything they do? When did having a differing view warrant legal action? When did school board trustees and superintendents forget that they report to the voters? When did school districts decide that they have some divine right to rule an area as a fiefdom? Do you believe that tax dollars represent some kind of entitlement program? When did government become supreme in this nation? When did it become ok for government to believe that they don’t need to be accountable or transparent to taxpayers? What happened to taxation with representation? How did the term “grassroots activist” get twisted to mean “educational terrorist”? Like it or not Texas has become “ground zero” of a taxpayer revolt that is catching on nationwide. The Watchdog movement in Texas has been leading this effort. Watchdogs have found the internet to be a very powerful tool for those of us that have become very, very concerned about the state of public education and the way in which our hard-earned tax dollars are being managed and spent by those school trustees and superintendents that have been entrusted with the oversight of those dollars. The Katy Dog web sites have received both statewide and national attention. I have personally spoken to folks in California, Florida, Missouri, Nevada, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and earlier this year I went to Boulder, Colorado where I addressed a new watchdog group and their board of trustees. I have also had the opportunity to visit with people in various districts in Houston. We are also very proud to say that the folks over at GISD Watch had been monitoring our site for some time before contacting us. We have also visited with concerned taxpayers in Columbus ISD and just last summer we helped the Cy-Fair Citizens kick-off their fight against taxpayer waste and abuse in their district. With the help of Americans For Prosperity in Austin, the Katy Watchdog$ organized the first-ever Texas Watchdog Summit this past April. This was the first meeting of citizen watchdog groups from around the state; a chance for all of us to figure out how we can become more powerful in Austin and how we can all help each other in our individual battles with our local school districts. I dare say that the folks over at GISD Watch share many of the same beliefs and goals as we do. Those being: · We are people who want the very best education for our children, but at the same time we don’t believe that you have to break the bank doing it. · We believe in putting more money in the classroom and less into administration and “Taj Mahal” school construction projects. In other words, we believe that teachers should come FIRST, not administrators, superintendents, school trustees, building contractors or architects. After all it won’t be any of those individuals that secure our children’s college admissions. It will be the teachers that accomplish that task. · We believe that an education will be the only thing we will ever give our kids that will ever be worth anything in their lives. · We are concerned that that education is not the first priority of school districts. Let me clue all of you into something; taxpayers in this state are angry and they are getting angrier every single day. Our ranks are growing daily as more and more taxpayers begin to come out of their apathetic stupor and begin to realize what is REALLY going on in their school districts. We are tired of wasteful, irresponsible and sometimes fraudulent school district spending. We are sick of “blank check” bond initiatives that only encourage wasteful, irresponsible and sometimes fraudulent school spending. We’re tired of school districts operating deficit budgets. But most of all we are really weary of school districts “passing the hat” before they have made absolutely sure that their own economic house is in order. Folks, it’s really quite simple. We have got to begin changing our ways. All school districts need to realize that we cannot continue down the path that we have been on. We cannot continue spending money like it’s going out of style. We need to learn how to build smarter and cheaper. We need to understand that we can’t have it all and realize what is really important in providing a quality education and what is not important to that effort. Priorities need to be shifted so that education becomes the first and only priority. Face it, test scores are down all over this state and nation. Public education in Texas and in the U.S. is in trouble and it has been in trouble for quite awhile. We all need to work together to try and find answers. Suing grassroots activists isn’t going to accomplish anything other than wasting additional tax dollars that could be spent more constructively on education. I am urging you all to take the lead and immediately open a dialogue with GISD Watch. Listen to what their concerns are and try and set aside any personal bias and work with them in trying to find common ground on issues facing your district. Please, and I can’t emphasis this enough, don’t take the adversarial approach our Board took when we announced our formation in August of 2005. Sandra and her group are taxpayers just like all of you. What they want is hopefully you want; that being a quality education at a reasonable and fair price. Sincerely, Christopher E. Cottrell Co-Founder/Katy Citizen Watchdog$ Reader responds to “Sexual Predators among Texas Educators is Growing” series (Posted September 10, 2007) I must say, it is very interesting to hear this has come to light. I went to high school with Taylor’s wife, Stephanie, in Paint Rock and Clayton Taylor was my basketball coach. “Tammy’s” Parents are correct in their assumptions that Taylor’s current wife was a student at Paint Rock when their relationship began, and Stephanie’s father was also a school board member at the time, if that doesn’t make it anymore disgusting. Sorry, that this had to involve a family and high school girl, but at least it may put an end to Taylor’s inappropriate relations with his students. Name withheld on request Citizen Protests Failure of County to Protect Law Enforcement Personnel
I was approached to make a contribution for the purchase of safety (bulletproof) vests for the deputies of Llano County. I simply cannot believe that the Llano County lawmakers, county judge and commissioners, if you will, would allow our peace officers to be unprotected on the job. In these changing times those safety items are a must for officers who protect us and enforce the law. It appears to me there is a gross lack of good judgment on the part of those who spend our tax money. I hope that there are others beside myself in Llano County who feel strongly enough about the matter to protest the failure to protect those who protect us. Sy Shiffman Sunrise Beach Village Regional Medical Center, YES! Llano Memorial Hospital, NO! Summary of events of July 20, 2004 My mother, Loyce Workman, was an energetic, intelligent, active 87-year-old woman who wrote beautiful letters, kept a daily journal, played bridge with a killer instinct, and worked the New York Times crossword puzzles in ink. She was cute – bright blue eyes, tiny trim body, and a penchant for beautiful clothes. She was involved. She played bridge twice a week, attended church, and thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the Red Hat Society and our monthly neighborhood coffees. She was in tune with the world around her, well informed, well read, and very well liked. And she was my best friend and my strongest ally. Starting in 2000, my parents employed a full time caregiver, Linda B_, who took over much of the housework, drove them to their bridge games, took them shopping, and gave them mobility to enjoy their lives more fully. She lived in an apartment behind Mom and Dad’s house. In mid June, my 94-year-old father took a fall, forcing him to become bedfast. He was admitted to Hospice care on the 17th of June, and failed rapidly. The stress of this ordeal was terrible for my mother, and on June 30, she had a TIA that prompted us to call 911. EMTs came to the house and took this incident quite seriously, although Mother was almost fully back to normal by the time their visit was over. They told us that another such incident within 24 hours would prompt calling a life-flight helicopter from Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, because that was the only nearby place that could treat this problem. Several hours later, she again showed signs of slurred speech and slight confusion, so we again called 911, and within 30 minutes Mother was on her way to Austin via helicopter. Once there, she was observed, treated, and kept for two days in order to monitor her blood pressure and to regulate her medicines. With my father barely alive at home, Mother was insistent that she go home as soon as possible, so we left the hospital on July 1st, returning to my father’s bedside. Dad died on July 6th. His memorial service was held on July 9th, and Mother was brave and composed through the whole ordeal. On July 10th, she began writing the many thank-you notes, composing letters to inform friends in far away places, and completing the paperwork for the insurance companies and the other business required by Dad’s death. I spent every day with her. At night, I slept at her house. Then we arranged for an emergency alarm button to call Linda or me automatically. On July 18th, I slept at home for the first time in nearly a month. Linda arrived each morning before 8am, and was there while Mother bathed, and assisted her with dressing if she needed it. On the night of the 19th, I left and went across to my house in the early evening, returning to Mother’s about 9:30 p.m. Mother was still at her desk, and looked up to say that she had just written the last thank-you note – for Linda, and asked if I would read it. It was a lovely letter – caring and sweet, expressing her gratitude to Linda for the loving care she had given my father in his last months of life. I hugged Mom, said it was late, and that she needed to go to bed. I stayed until she had finished her bedtime routine, told her I loved her, and left, locking the door behind me. At about 7:40 the next morning, my phone rang. It was Linda, frantic with worry. She shouted, “Call 911, your Mom’s fallen. And come quick.” I called as I scrambled to dress and ran across the street. Mom was on the floor, naked, just outside the shower. Her towel had been hung in its place. Her shower cap was on its hook. Linda was on the floor at Mom’s side, holding a cloth to her bleeding head. I knelt beside her and said, “Mom, I’m here; can you hear me?” She reached for my hand and mumbled an answer. I asked her to squeeze my hand. She did. I put my hand on her foot and asked her to push. She did. I asked if she hurt, and she nodded. Within about ten or fifteen minutes, the ambulance appeared, and the two male EMTs came in. I told them that Mother was on blood thinner, and that she had a history of TIAs. I gave them a quick medical history, and said, “You need to call LifeFlight. NOW!” The EMT looked at me and said, “No, we’re going to take her to Llano Memorial.” I again asked if LifeFlight might not be a better idea, and was again told that they were going to take her to Llano. I then asked, “Can I go in the ambulance with her?” I was told “No”. So my husband and I took our car from the garage and followed the ambulance out the driveway. They turned left – away from the hospital, with no lights, no siren, and in no hurry. We turned right, and went from our house directly to the hospital. We did not speed. We arrived in 19 minutes from our driveway to the door of the hospital. I rushed inside with Mother’s insurance information and said, “That was my mother who just arrived in the ambulance!” And the clerk on duty asked, “What ambulance?” They weren’t there. Ten minutes later they weren’t there. Fifteen minutes later they weren’t there. Twenty minutes later, while I cried and paced the floor, they finally arrived. They slowly drove into the parking lot, gently backed up to the door, and the driver slowly slid out of his seat and sauntered back to the door to let the other EMT out. Inside the ambulance was a female EMT, not the man who had been at our house. And the driver made some smart remark about how pretty the other guy had become on the trip. They still didn’t appear to be in a rush. When Mom was finally in the Emergency Room, she was still responding to verbal commands, she could squeeze and push on demand. She was unable to open her eyes, but tried to talk. Lots of things happened very quickly, and now I’m not sure of the order in which they occurred. We learned the CAT scan machine had been inoperative since the previous afternoon, so they were unable to diagnose or treat Mother for her head wound. We learned that Llano Memorial not only doesn’t have a neurologist on call, but that there is no neurologist in the entire area. I asked that Mother be sent immediately to Austin by helicopter, but learned that she had to remain there long enough to be evaluated before they could call the helicopter. My mother was bleeding to death internally. But they had to evaluate her before they could call an air ambulance to get her somewhere so she could be helped! By the time everything was done and Mother finally arrived in Austin, she was beyond help. She bled to death inside her head while two emergency technicians decided it was more important for one of them to get off work than to take my sweet, loving Mother to the hospital. I don’t know that the three or four hour’s difference between what happened and what should have happened would have meant the difference in my mother’s life. But I do know that whatever chance my mother might have had was taken away by the actions of these two EMT’s. She didn’t have a chance to live because the judgment of these individuals was so flawed that they did not consider my mother’s condition to be an emergency. She remained in a coma and never awoke again, and she died two days later. April 16, 2007 It has been nearly three years now and I am able to say the words Llano Memorial without rancor. But I will never use Llano Memorial or its facilities for my medical care; nor will I send any loved one to Llano Memorial. I have learned the reason my mother died was not because the EMTs chose to get off work at the end of their shift – it was a policy decision from the top at Llano Memorial. They were told, “No overtime.” So if they had a patient in the back of an ambulance, they changed shifts. Llano Memorial will deny this. But the EMT who went on duty that day told me that herself. She said she knew that we would eventually sue the hospital over my mother’s death, and that she kept records for that reason. When the EMTs entered the hospital with my mother obviously suffering from a bleeding head wound, the doctor on duty looked at her and asked, “Why did you bring her HERE?” Meaning, you know we can’t treat a head wound! But the EMTs had instructions to bring in every case….revenue is revenue. And so they brought my mother to a hospital with no operational CAT scan machine. And she died. They brought my mother with the bleeding head wound to a hospital with no neurologist on staff or on call. They brought her for the revenue. And I blame Llano Memorial and the administration at the hospital and their policies and their money grubbing, damn the patient, let’s make the bucks attitude. We did not sue Llano Memorial. In these days of tort reform, the life of an eighty-seven year old woman isn’t worth much – even if she was the cutest, sweetest, smartest, best mom in the world, and your very best friend. Are you sure you want these people to be part of the Regional Medical Center? I don’t. Marilyn Workman Hartl Kingsland, TX “Where are the "Letters to the Editor" complaining of this travesty?” Dear Mr. Klee, You asked where we are; so I’ll tell you where we are. We are too afraid of the power of the local political machine to take a stand. I would love to stand up in front of Commissioner’s Court and raise holy hell about many of the things that our beloved elected officials are doing for and “to” us; however I once felt the power of the District Attorney’s office in Harris County when I was the injured party, but the offender had friends in “high places” I am not about to put myself in a position to be bankrupted, or have my taxes raised arbitrarily, or the roads in front of my home torn up for no reason. The corruption in this county is so pervasive and so disgusting that it rivals anything we ever heard about in the days of Earl Long or LBJ in Duval County. And the people who perpetrate this continuing corruption exhibit such a veneer of self-righteous morality that it makes most people sick. It is amazing to me that Judge Floyd has not snuck out of town in the middle of the night; and instead, he boldly swaggers about, loudly pontificating in all the local gathering spots. The audacity of some people is more than I can imagine. If you manage to get Ron Moore fired, it will be a great service to the people of Llano County. He is an incompetent, arrogant blowhard, and it is long overdue. Your weekly newsletter is a bright spot in an otherwise dismal arena of local journalism. Thank you for your contributions to open government enlightenment. I respectfully ask that you not print my name….retaliation is a favored tactic in this area. (Names withheld by request) [Editor’s Note: The authors’ request for anonymity is not unique. Many individuals have shared similar experiences and concerns with me over the years. In most all cases, their failure to come forward emanates from their fear of retaliation. Nonetheless, Klee’s Kaleidoscope will continue to post submissions to Sound Off from credible sources, be they anonymous or otherwise, in its efforts to improve the quality of government in Llano County.]
Doctor Responds to "Scribbling Can Be Deadly" article Electronic Prescriptions Are the Way to Go. I read with interest your article about electronic prescribing. I would like to let you know that we have just begun our 4th year of use of an electronic prescription system at Marble Falls Minor Emergency Center. It not only checks for drug interactions, but also assures that we are not prescribing a drug similar to anything that the patient has ever had an allergic reaction to It also makes suggestions on potential ways to use the desired medication an avoid any problems. It is wonderful. There is no way a physician or pharmacist can keep up with the potential drug interactions or cross sensitivities. I agree with you that electronic systems like this are the way to go. Mike Dickey, M.D. Marble Falls
Parent Responds to "Sexual Predators in Our Schools" Harvey: Your article about child predators in our schools is very disturbing to me, to say the least, and should be more disturbing to all of our citizens. I know that there are a lot of "bad" people out there, but to have them so close to our children and grandchildren makes me sick. Our kids are our future. When people in such "respected" positions are NOT respectable and can't control their twisted cravings, it ruins these young people for life. I home-schooled my son and more and more people are doing it all the time. Although my son came through fine, he didn't have the fellowship and interactions with classmates. It's too bad that ADULTS who are supposed to be encouraging our kids to want a good education are actually making it impossible for them to enjoy school.. If things don't change in our system and the administration doesn't handle these the problems the way they should, there may be vigilantism rising. Predators, before you think about harming our children, watch your back! There are some people who won't put up with this behavior. Thanks for letting me vent. Neva Burfiend - Buchanan Dam
R.G. Floyd Responds to “Bloss v Moore – An Update” article Harvey, Your statement in the Dec. 11th article is incorrect. Ron Moore was hired for the DNR position by me after only three applicants filed. The only one of the three both qualified and available within any reasonable time frame was Mr. Moore. Moore had never held this position before, but had rather been working under a grant from the State to implement 911 addressing. This has never been a part of the DNR responsibility. When the grant expired, Mr. Moore left on his own, having no further funding for this function. Judge Dodgen did not "let him go"!! In addition you had made comments about my participation in the Public Information request submitted. On advice of the county's attorney, this request was submitted to the AG, and was physically sent by said attorney as much of the information requested had been previously submitted or did not exist. The Act does not require the "creation" of a document. The AG opinion received was for the submission of only three items of the many requested, not for every single one of them as you have stated. You know Harvey, there actually may be one or two of your readers who believe you. If you would like to know the truth about a matter affecting our county, my suggestion would be not to rely any further on any present source you are using but call the County Judge. I have been a very truthful judge, having no reason to hide or color any matter, and I believe Judge-Elect Brascom will be the same. R.G. Floyd, Llano County Judge [Editor’s note: Judge Floyd refers to the article: “Bloss v Moore – An Update” posted December 11, 2006. which is a report of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Opinion No. OR2006-12839. Judge Floyd is “correcting” information that was never stated in that article. A comparison between the “Update” and Judge Floyd’s letter to “Sound Off” will confirm this. Mr. Moore was initially hired by Llano County Judge Dodgen to implement a 911 compliance program. Floyd states, in effect, that Moore was “let go” when grant funding was no longer available for this position. Semantics aside, Moore had previously worked for the County, left county employment, and was later rehired by Judge Floyd. Those are the operative facts. In response to a discovery request, Floyd failed to produce any documents that would confirm there were three applicants for the Department of Natural Resources opening or that a job posting was ever posted for the position filled by Moore, much less a job description for the new position. Judge Floyd further states: “The AG opinion received was for the submission of only three items of the many requested, not for every single one of them as you have stated.” (Italics added) A reading of the “Update,” however, indicates that I had never made such a statement. Judge Floyd suggests I call the County Judge if I “would like to know the truth about a matter affecting our county." If left to the Judge or the local media, however, one would never have known about the lawsuit filed against one of the county’s department heads, a lawsuit that is essentially based on an alleged abuse of authority. Whether Judge Floyd has “no reason to hide or color any matter” remains to be seen. I simply reported on the Texas Attorney General’s Opinion. See the accompanying Article, “The Truth Shall Set You Free.”] Reader responds to “Veterans Day Forgotten” article Harvey, I, too, am concerned that our veterans are being forgotten. The end of the draft back in the 1970s has effectively disconnected most of today's citizens from the reality of war and military service. I have been fascinated with the personal accounts of WWII veterans for many years. Finally, after reading and listening to amazing stories from that major historical event, I founded Camroc Press to save as many personal histories as I can. Our latest book is at the printers now, the memoir of a combat infantry officer who fought with the 9th Division in North Africa, Sicily, and Europe until wounded at the Siegfried Line. Future projects include the diary of a flight-line mechanic with the Tuskegee Airmen, a French war bride's story, and the memoir of a combat engineer in the assault on the Rhine. Saving the stories of those affected by war has been the most gratifying thing I've ever done. Fortunately, there are now many resources and ongoing documentation efforts available to help. I would be happy to talk with any veterans' group or individuals about recording and preserving their personal accounts. It is important to the nation's history. Anyone with questions or a manuscript to submit for consideration can contact me through the Camroc Press website or call (325) 247-5147. Regards, Barry Basden, Llano [Editor’s Note: Camroc
Press publishes and sells books on military history. They focus primarily on
personal stories, diaries, letters, and memoirs as a way to understand how
combat affects those caught up in war. Camroc Press can be contacted at: Camroc Press, LLC | PO Box 801 | Llano TX 78643 Publishing Military History www.camrocpress.com]
Llano Elementary School Conducts Yearly Veterans Day Program Harvey, We have known each other ever since you came to Llano County. I have to slightly disagree with you on Veterans Day observations. The Llano Elementary School puts on a Veterans Day Program every year and I have had the pleasure of being the speaker for the last two years. You can find out more about this from Nita Fields, the school counselor. Luke Rogers, Llano [Editor’s Note: Further information supplied by Mr. Rogers indicated that no elected official was present at Llano Elementary School to honor our veterans – not even a member of the Llano ISD Board of Trustees! The program was held on Monday, November 13, 2006, right after Veterans Day. Apparently Mr. Rogers and I have no disagreement – the youth remembered, our “community leaders" did not. My appreciation goes out to Llano Elementary School and Mr. Rogers for their honoring our veterans in this fashion.] But is it Constitutional? Sir, Hopefully, since you are an attorney, you can explain something to me. In reference to Texas school finance, what has really changed? I thought the basis for this situation was the following: * Most, if not all, Texas school districts were at the maximum $1.50 tax rate. * The judicial system stated this equated to an illegal state property tax. If the above 2 statements are true, what has really changed other than the Governor and Congress has reduced the maximum tax rate to $1.33 value? Does anyone really believe that the schools districts will now be charging less than the new maximum tax rate? And if most, if not all, Texas school districts are still going to be at the maximum tax rate ($1.33), don't we still have an illegal state property tax? FRED DUECKER Editor's Comment: Good point! Law Enforcement Update re Cyber Crimes (Posted June 5, 2006) A message from Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General The proliferation of child predators using the Internet to target young victims has become a national crisis. One in five children will be solicited for sex online in the next year. As law enforcement, we must do everything we can to prevent Texas children from being victimized by this new breed of child predator. As you know, my Cyber Crimes Unit investigators have been working undercover since 2003, patrolling chat rooms frequented by children. These investigators have become very adept at presenting themselves as underage girls and boys. Within minutes, they are approached by adults who are sexual predators on the prowl, using the Internet to set up what they think will be a sexual rendezvous with a young teen. Although we have arrested nearly 80 of these offenders, many more remain at large. That is why my office continues the effort to educate parents and children of the kind of criminal activity that goes on in connection with wildly popular social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Xanga. For the past few months, my top Cyber Crimes investigators and I have been developing and holding a unique series of town hall meetings for parents and students to teach them about Internet safety. We have been met with overflow crowds and urgent questions from parents and students alike. In Plano, a standing-room only crowd of over 700 parents and children filled the high school auditorium to participate in this interactive presentation about the risks of online child predators and the steps they can take to protect their children. In Odessa and Texarkana, we talked to hundreds of concerned Texans about the danger of posting personal information in chat rooms, on networking sites, and on blogs. Parents were warned that within 20 minutes, an online predator can find out a teen’s first name, last name, phone number, family member names, e-mail and home address, age, interests, school name, location, and directions to the teen’s house, all from a screen name that contained the teen’s first name. In Tyler, our Cyber Safety Officer Paul Aleman warned parents and students that children should not trust people they meet online. Investigators reminded teens that what happens online CAN hurt them and urged them to talk to a parent or guardian if they are approached by a stranger online. We also reminded students that they should never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online. Parents were cautioned to keep the computer in a common room in the house and limit their child’s use of Web cameras. These town hall meetings are our latest effort to help arm parents with the tools they need to keep their children safe online. We also stand ready to assist law enforcement with training and investigative support in the area of child exploitation. Police or sheriff’s departments can contact us for information about resources, Texas statutes, technical assistance, or training opportunities. Call (800) 252-8011 or e-mail me at greg.abbott@oag.state.tx.us. Computers and the Internet have revolutionized the way we live. But along with this great progress, comes new dangers and responsibilities. I thank you for your commitment to children and the future of Texas. Reciprocity in Immigration Laws (Posted May 15, 2006) G'Day, Harvey, While I resided only a few months in Llano County (4
mo. at Buchanan EDITOR’S COMMENT: Chapter 3, Article 33 of the Mexican Constitution provides: “The Executive of the Union has the exclusive right to expel from the national territory, immediately and without necessity of judicial proceedings, all foreigners whose stay it judges inconvenient. Foreigners may not in any manner, involve themselves in the political affairs of the country.” Under the Mexican Constitution, Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:
Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:
Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:
Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons:
Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says,
Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:
Mexico annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States under their immigration laws. According to an article written by J. Michael Waller in Online Human Events, Mexico’s immigration laws ensures that foreign visitors and immigrants are:
The law also ensures that:
These facts should help point out the hypocrisy of the whining protestors who favor illegal immigration and the radical elements and politicians that support them. Klee’s Kaleidoscope Reader Responds to Immigration Issue (Posted May 15, 2006) Dear Senator Frist: There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran aliens. 1. Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen. Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without paying the price. 2. There are no jobs that Americans won't do. Illegal aliens are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage. 3. Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by illegal aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children. 4. Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy. Illegal aliens constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents. 5. This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280
million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled
and founded by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is
not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time
or another. 7. There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote." Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to get the Hispanic vote is a dead end. 8. Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. During World War I, Mexico allowed German spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. Today Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their school children. 9. Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is avalid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to trash another nation? 10. There is a labor shortage in this country. This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage. 11. It is racist to want secure borders. What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price? For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stake-holders in this country. The interest will be steep either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here? There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in 2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves. David J. Stoddard U.S. Border Patrol (RET) Contributed by Billy Ratliff Llano
Reader Responds to “NET Funding – Alternates Need to be Explored” article - Posted April 3, 2006 Hi Harvey, Regarding your article “NET Funding – Alternates Need to be Explored”, I would like to offer the following comments; Asking regular citizens to monitor drug dealers has the potential for putting a lot of good citizens in harm’s way. Drug dealers are frequently drug users and as such are prone to irrational behavior which can often involve firearms. Last year, a Llano County Deputy Sherriff was killed during a routine traffic stop by an overly-paranoid drug dealer. I believe the reasons for the drug dealer’s paranoia have yet to be made public, but it is my understanding that he was convinced that the Llano County Sheriff’s Department was out to get him. I can only imagine the potential for serious harm if ordinary citizens were to act as a “Drug Watch” force. If even a trained, armed Deputy Sheriff can be taken off-guard, then I think that asking ordinary citizens to take on the risk of tangling with drug dealers is unreasonable. However, I do have a constructive alternative to propose. Within the counties that compose the 33rd district, I would suggest that there are number of retired law enforcement officers. If an Auxiliary Law Enforcement Organization was created, I believe that retired law enforcement officers could be recruited to serve in such a force in effective numbers with no pay. There are two reasons for this assumption. First, I believe that anyone that has spent a career in law enforcement is motivated by a great deal of civic responsibility. Second, such an organization would offer retired law enforcement officers with an opportunity to keep their certifications current and therefore would enable them to take on additional part-time jobs that require police certification. Police officers can only keep their certification valid by working for a law enforcement organization. I am personally aware of a retired San Antonio Police Officer who ran such a program. He deployed a 150-man force which represented no incremental cost to the City of San Antonio. They were quite successful in decreasing gang presence in malls and in reducing crime in general. There is no reason the basic principles could not be applied within the 33rd District, even if the numbers involved in the force may not be as high as was achievable in a dense urban center like San Antonio. All that would be required is that the program to be created and operated by a person who is knowledgeable in how to run such an organization. This would involve recruiting and qualifying candidates, as well as scheduling and deploying the Auxiliary Force in coordination with the existing law enforcement agencies. The advantage of such an Auxiliary Force is that it would be composed of experienced, trained, and armed law enforcement officers. A career spent in law enforcement would equip a person with much better skills than the average citizen to handle the challenges involved in drug-law enforcement. I would hope that this suggestion is pursued by the counties in the 33rd District. Drug problems don’t stop at county lines. We all have a problem that can probably be most effectively addressed by a multi-county task force rather than a county-oriented task force. An obvious problem would be the administration of the program as there is not really a 33rd District law enforcement organization. Perhaps others better informed than I could suggest an organizational structure that would be effective. However, even a county-oriented Auxiliary Law Enforcement Organization would still provide an effective increase in manpower with little cost to the county. Regards, Bob Thompson, Sunrise Beach
|
