THE OTHER NIGHT WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING THE POLITICAL FORUM HOSTED BY THE CORPUS CHRISTI POLICE OFFICER'S ASSOCIATION.
THIS WAS A NIGHT OF MINGLING AND HAND SHAKING. IT WAS A NIGHT OF WELL PREPARED SPEECHES AND SOME COMMENTS STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP. THIS WAS A NIGHT OF THE SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE WITH A FEW VERY SURPRISING MOMENTS SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT.
ALL IN ALL THIS EVENT WENT OVER VERY WELL. IT WAS PUT TOGETHER WONDERFULLY AND THE MODERATORS KEPT IT RIGHT ON SCHEDULE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY CANDIDATES TO GO THROUGH.
BUT THERE WAS ONE COMMON THEME LAST NIGHT AND IT CAME FROM EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE INCUMBENTS.
THEY ALL SEEM TO WANT TO TAKE CREDIT FOR THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE. THEY ALL WANTED TO SAY THAT THIS CURRENT COUNCIL WAS THE FIRST COUNCIL TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO TACKLE BIG ISSUES LIKE STREETS AND WATER.
THEY ALL WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR ADDING 13 MORE POLICE OFFICERS TO OUR ALREADY UNDERSTAFFED POLICE FORCE.
WHAT NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR HELPING PERPETUATE THE STREET PROBLEM IN THE PAST YEARS.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR ALLOWING OUR POLICE FORCE TO GET SO DEPLETED THAT IT IS WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN TERMS OF POLICE OFFICERS PER 1000 RESIDENTS.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR HELPING PERPETUATE THE STREET PROBLEM IN THE PAST YEARS.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR ALLOWING OUR POLICE FORCE TO GET SO DEPLETED THAT IT IS WELL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN TERMS OF POLICE OFFICERS PER 1000 RESIDENTS.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR CONTINUOUSLY INCREASING OUR TAXES. MARK SCOTT EVEN STATED THAT "IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT RAISING TAXES, YOUR WRONG". WE ARE SURE THAT WE KNOW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE WITH MR. SCOTT. PERHAPS THAT IS WHY HE DID NOT RECEIVE THE POA'S ENDORSEMENT.
NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR BEING THE FIRST COUNCIL IN THIS CITY'S HISTORY (THAT WE COULD FIND) TO SUE THEIR OWN FIRE FIGHTERS.
WHILE ALL OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR ADDING THE 13 ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICER TO THE FORCE, NONE OF THEM WANTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF FIRE FIGHTERS ON ENGINE COMPANIES IN MULTIPLE AREAS IN OUR CITY. THIS REDUCES OUR PROTECTION TO NOT ONLY OUR PROPERTIES BUT ALSO TO OUR LIVES!
THIS IS THE SAME GROUP OF INCUMBENTS THAT CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR TRYING TO PUNISH THEIR CONSTITUTES FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE ASKED TO DO BY CONSERVING WATER. THIS CURRENT COUNCIL WANTED TO HIT THE CITIZENS WITH A EXTRA INCREASE IN OUR UTILITY RATES TO MAKE FOR THE REVENUE LOSS.
NOW THEY SOMEHOW FIND 8.6 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY FUNDS TO USE SO THAT THE CITIZENS RATE INCREASE WILL NOT BE AS "HIGH". BUT WHERE DID THAT EMERGENCY MONEY COME FROM? WHO PUT IT THERE? THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS ARE YOUR POCKET AND YOU DID. THE EMERGENCY MONEY IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED SOMEWHERE FOR SOMETHING. THAT IS YOUR MONEY THEY ARE USING TO "HELP" FIX THE PROBLEM THEY CREATED.
SO NOW HOW WILL THAT EMERGENCY MONEY GET REPLENISHED? AGAIN THAT WILL BE FROM YOU AND YOUR TAX DOLLARS. WELL THANK YOU FOR EMPTYING OUR EMERGENCY FUNDS TO FIX A PROBLEM YOU CREATED, OH AND BY THE WAY WE DON'T MIND HAVING TO REPLENISH THAT EMERGENCY MONEY EITHER. THAT IS WHAT THIS CURRENT COUNCIL IS CREDITED WITH.
NOW THEY SOMEHOW FIND 8.6 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY FUNDS TO USE SO THAT THE CITIZENS RATE INCREASE WILL NOT BE AS "HIGH". BUT WHERE DID THAT EMERGENCY MONEY COME FROM? WHO PUT IT THERE? THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS ARE YOUR POCKET AND YOU DID. THE EMERGENCY MONEY IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED SOMEWHERE FOR SOMETHING. THAT IS YOUR MONEY THEY ARE USING TO "HELP" FIX THE PROBLEM THEY CREATED.
SO NOW HOW WILL THAT EMERGENCY MONEY GET REPLENISHED? AGAIN THAT WILL BE FROM YOU AND YOUR TAX DOLLARS. WELL THANK YOU FOR EMPTYING OUR EMERGENCY FUNDS TO FIX A PROBLEM YOU CREATED, OH AND BY THE WAY WE DON'T MIND HAVING TO REPLENISH THAT EMERGENCY MONEY EITHER. THAT IS WHAT THIS CURRENT COUNCIL IS CREDITED WITH.
WHEN YOU ASK AN ENTIRE CITY TO CONSERVE WATER, DO YOU NOT PLAN FOR A DECREASE IN REVENUE? THAT IS VERY POOR PLANNING IN OUR MIND.
THIS CURRENT COUNCIL IS ASKING THE CITIZENS TO PASS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BONDS THIS YEAR. THIS IS NOTHING MORE BUT TRYING TO RAISE OUR TAXES EVEN MORE AGAIN.
PLUS, HOW CAN THEY EVEN ASK THE CITIZENS TO PASS ANY SUCH BONDS WHEN THIS CURRENT COUNCIL HAS THE CREDIT FOR NOT BUILDING A 2008 BOND APPROVED FIRE STATION. THE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN SCREAMING FOR THIS STATION FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS NOW, WHERE IS IT? THEY HAVE COLLECTED OUR BOND MONEY (TAXES), SO WHY HAVE THEY NOT DELIVERED ON THEIR WORD AND BUILT THE STATION?
THIS CURRENT COUNCIL CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR TRYING TO RAMROD A DESTINATION BAYFRONT PARK DOWN THE THROATS OF THE CITIZENS. IT FAILED BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN MONEY WAS GONNA BE SPENT IN A WAY IT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR.
NOW AFTER HAVING THEIR GIANT PARK FAILED THIS CURRENT COUNCIL CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR TRYING TO SELL MORE THEN 40 CITY PARKS BECAUSE THEY SAY WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THEM. BUT SOMEHOW SOMEWAY WE WERE GONNA MAINTAIN A GIANT DESTINATION BAYFRONT?
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THOSE RUNNING AGAINST THESE INCUMBENTS. MAYBE THE INCUMBENTS ARE NOT WHAT'S BEST FOR THIS CITY ANYMORE.
THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER ON THE SIDE, BUT WHEN THE GRASS IS BROWN ON YOUR SIDE - IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE OTHER SIDE LOOKS LIKE, IT'S JUST A TIME FOR A CHANGE!
THIS CURRENT COUNCIL IS ASKING THE CITIZENS TO PASS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BONDS THIS YEAR. THIS IS NOTHING MORE BUT TRYING TO RAISE OUR TAXES EVEN MORE AGAIN.
PLUS, HOW CAN THEY EVEN ASK THE CITIZENS TO PASS ANY SUCH BONDS WHEN THIS CURRENT COUNCIL HAS THE CREDIT FOR NOT BUILDING A 2008 BOND APPROVED FIRE STATION. THE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN SCREAMING FOR THIS STATION FOR ALMOST 6 YEARS NOW, WHERE IS IT? THEY HAVE COLLECTED OUR BOND MONEY (TAXES), SO WHY HAVE THEY NOT DELIVERED ON THEIR WORD AND BUILT THE STATION?
THIS CURRENT COUNCIL CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR TRYING TO RAMROD A DESTINATION BAYFRONT PARK DOWN THE THROATS OF THE CITIZENS. IT FAILED BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN MONEY WAS GONNA BE SPENT IN A WAY IT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR.
NOW AFTER HAVING THEIR GIANT PARK FAILED THIS CURRENT COUNCIL CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR TRYING TO SELL MORE THEN 40 CITY PARKS BECAUSE THEY SAY WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THEM. BUT SOMEHOW SOMEWAY WE WERE GONNA MAINTAIN A GIANT DESTINATION BAYFRONT?
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THOSE RUNNING AGAINST THESE INCUMBENTS. MAYBE THE INCUMBENTS ARE NOT WHAT'S BEST FOR THIS CITY ANYMORE.
THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER ON THE SIDE, BUT WHEN THE GRASS IS BROWN ON YOUR SIDE - IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE OTHER SIDE LOOKS LIKE, IT'S JUST A TIME FOR A CHANGE!
