Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Toll Lanes For Corpus Christi?
A recent story in our local daily said that "officials" are considering building toll lanes on South Padre Island Drive, which is our main thoroughfare.
What a lousy idea! I am against any toll roads, anywhere, that are now or have been built with public taxpayer money. As far as that goes, I am not sure there is any justification for toll roads.
Our elected officials seem to be continuously consumed with finding new ways to reach into our wallets. They are afraid to just come out say they want to raise taxes so they nickle and dime us to death with fees, charges, sur-charges, licensing and so forth. Then they start upping the ante on these things regularly.
It also is yet another way to further divide society between the haves and the have-nots. Those that can afford it will travel in unencumbered ease while the hoi polloi will just have to eat cake!
We have a lot of problems but toll roads are not the answer!
A recent story in our local daily said that "officials" are considering building toll lanes on South Padre Island Drive, which is our main thoroughfare.
What a lousy idea! I am against any toll roads, anywhere, that are now or have been built with public taxpayer money. As far as that goes, I am not sure there is any justification for toll roads.
Our elected officials seem to be continuously consumed with finding new ways to reach into our wallets. They are afraid to just come out say they want to raise taxes so they nickle and dime us to death with fees, charges, sur-charges, licensing and so forth. Then they start upping the ante on these things regularly.
It also is yet another way to further divide society between the haves and the have-nots. Those that can afford it will travel in unencumbered ease while the hoi polloi will just have to eat cake!
We have a lot of problems but toll roads are not the answer!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
Goodbye Skip!
The hapless Skip Noe is nearing the end of the line as Corpus Christi City Manager.
Noe's resignation was accepted and he will be given a 90 day period to wrap up his stay in office. He will, of course, leave with a rather comfortable severance package as he leaves his $178,000 + ,with perks, a year job.
In accepting Noe's resgination, during a rare Sunday meeting, the City Council also announced that the mayor and the council will do the ground work in the next city manager search.
That's a good idea. In past years the city has spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money hiring search firms to seek and vet city manager candidates. These high priced firms have had a lousy track record.
Frankly, it might be time once again to start looking at the City Charter and reconsider our form of city government. The city manger-weak mayor form which we have had had for years isn't working well. It is time to go to a strong mayor type of governemnt in which the mayor is the chief executive of the city and is accountable to the voters.
The hapless Skip Noe is nearing the end of the line as Corpus Christi City Manager.
Noe's resignation was accepted and he will be given a 90 day period to wrap up his stay in office. He will, of course, leave with a rather comfortable severance package as he leaves his $178,000 + ,with perks, a year job.
In accepting Noe's resgination, during a rare Sunday meeting, the City Council also announced that the mayor and the council will do the ground work in the next city manager search.
That's a good idea. In past years the city has spent tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money hiring search firms to seek and vet city manager candidates. These high priced firms have had a lousy track record.
Frankly, it might be time once again to start looking at the City Charter and reconsider our form of city government. The city manger-weak mayor form which we have had had for years isn't working well. It is time to go to a strong mayor type of governemnt in which the mayor is the chief executive of the city and is accountable to the voters.
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