City Government Must Protect Public Property, For A Change...

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The contention around the Memorial Coliseum and what to do with it is symptomatic of a long time problem in Corpus Christi. There are, and has been, some on the City Council and in city government who are always ready to give away public property to private developers for large, over reaching, grandiose projects in the name of "development." The American Bank Center was built to take away the functions of the Memorial Coliseum. However this has not worked so well because smaller organizations and events cannot afford the fees for that "Cow Palace." And the American Bank Center has been a loser for the City guv losing over $11 million so far!
But the Memorial Coliseum has been allowed to deteriorate and now the pro-development crowd, in the name of "doing something" about the Coliseum, want to give away this prime, bay front public property so a huge project with high buildings, private residencies, hotels, restaurants and God knows what else can locate right on the bay front. The project looks as if it was designed by a mad architect on LSD!
This is progress? For this you want to destroy the ambiance and familiarity of one of the city's best assets?

Joe O'Brien; Our Local Don Quixote




Our local Don Quixote
Is Mr. Joe O’brien.
He fights waste and fraud
Wherever he can find ‘em.
Some say he’s tilting at windmills
But he’s fighting governmental ills!


Joe O'Brien is one of my local heroes. He has for years, much to their chagrin, tried to hold our local governments accountable.

Coliseum Follies



Coliseum follies
By Leon Loeb
Saturday, September 5, 2009 (published in the Corpus Christi Caller/Times)

Frustrated by the overreaching redevelopment proposals for Memorial Coliseum and the breathtaking lack of competence, discretion, and moral compass that brought them to us, I was ready to join the chorus for demolition.
Then a friend reminded me of some history: While World War II was fresh in their minds, our parents and grandparents erected buildings all over this nation and called them war memorials. They built them with the expectation that the sacrifices of family, friends, and neighbors would be forever honored.
They didn’t expect their descendants to demolish and replace these memorial structures with apartments and shopping centers. Is it moral for this generation to demolish the building, deal off the site for private development and create a “new memorial” from the old plaque? Absolutely not.
Another friend recalled that we had done a lot of listening to the public involvement in the bayfront master plan, the downtown redevelopment committee, the Coliseum committee, and my South Wharf proposal.
The Coliseum committee’s concept, developed after listening to citizens, is consistent with everything else we heard: We want a place that feels like it’s “ours.” We want a place on our bayfront where we can have a school dance, a craft show, a wedding, or quinceañera. We want a café, a shop, a drink stand, and some nice restrooms near McGee Beach. We want shade. We want a recreation center. We want to learn more about the wars in which our neighbors have fought and died. We want free parking. We want a facility which is public and maintains the memorial
character of the site. In other words, we want something like Memorial Coliseum once was, and a little bit more.
How did we get from that simple concept to mammoth, heavily subsidized, private ventures that take over public space?
The Coliseum committee concept included a few small tenants and concessionaires paying rent. It is a huge leap from there to building apartments on McCaughan Park. Even asking the question of the city’s legal department shows a lack of comprehension or willingness to dismiss the politics of our public spaces that’s
astonishing. Time and again this skirmish has been fought. The people of Corpus Christi do not want public spaces used for private development. Can’t our leaders understand, abandon the “public-
private partnership” dream, and move on?
Common sense says razing Memorial Coliseum won’t be cheap or fast. There is a lot of concrete underground, and thousands of citizens believe that the structure is important for memorial, architectural, or even sentimental reasons. Given the millions of dollars it will cost to clear the site, and the inevitable delay,
disharmony and legal cost of any attempt, working with the existing building seems both economical and expedient.
Can we afford to have the public facility we want? We can afford the Nueces County Fairgrounds, Whataburger Field, and American Bank Center. My conclusions? Commercial development of the Memorial Coliseum site should be permanently off the table. It is
the wrong thing to do. Besides, our city government can’t handle the process. Learn to live with and honor the Coliseum; it is the path of political feasibility. Execute the bayfront master plan and the concept developed by the Coliseum committee. That is what the community has said it wants. How difficult can it be?

Below: An email I sent to Mr. Loeb:

Dear Mr. Loeb,
I read your piece concerning the future of the coliseum the other day and I congratulate you on writing the best thing on the subject I have yet to read. I think you hit the nail on the head.
So far the developers, the mayor and several council members have only shown interest in maximizing the redevelopment of the area and have favored these large, elaborate plans which are promising more bay front clutter, diminished views of the bay, more loss of
green space and public parks and a total disregard for the purpose and history of the building.
Like it or not the Memorial Coliseum is a local landmark and many have special memories of events there. World War II, and those who died in the service of their country, should be remembered and not allowed to just slide into the oblivion of ancient history.
The public has an interest, a paramount interest I feel, in what happens to the city's most important attractions, that is the bay and the Padre Island and Mustang Island beaches.
Though labeled as "aginners" and other choice epithets, people who are opposed to the many over reaching development plans, to use your very appropriate words, are not necessarily opposed to all development but to the kind of development which alters the character of the city and would deny public access.
I hope everyone in the city, and especially the city government, will read your piece and consider the wisdom and correctness of your position on this issue and I certainly endorse the sentiments you so ably expressed.
Best wishes and thanks,

Coliseum Bay Front Plans Favor Developers At Public Expense

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The long running fiasco over what to do with the Coliseum on the Corpus Christi Bay front continues to get "curiouser and curiouser!"
The interests of the public have always taken a back seat in all of the proposals put forth over the last several years. The process has been pretty strange and the most ardent supporters of allowing development plans, which include huge, grandiose projects, have been in such a rush to get it done they have overlooked deed restrictions which state much of the land must be used for public park space and that no demolition of the building be allowed without a review by the state's board concerning historic buildings.
So now the scope of the project, if it is to be allowed at all, is reduced in square footage so the new plans are now composed of taller structures.
The pro-development factions would not be satisfied unless every inch of bay front or beach property has been developed, leaving the public on the outside looking in, that is unless one could afford to pay for the view of the water!

Under The Wings Of The Gulls...#3

Under The Wings Of The Gulls #2

Under The Wings Of The Gulls

Los Tres Malditos De Tejas!

Rick Perry will be challenged by Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Republican nomination for Governor of Texas in the primary of 2010. John Cornyn may be looking ahead to the 2012 Presidential race. Imagine a Palin-Cornyn ticket! Guvmint Lite!
Perry and Hutchison are engaged in a race to the right in order to appeal to the Republicans of the state, which, they believe, will ensure a victory in the general election to follow.
Cornyn continues to be the classic example of the "empty suit" as he continues his vacuous rhetoric and self aggrandizement. Cornyn's explanation of why he opposed President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, was a perfect example of his demagoguery. Hutchison, too, opposed Sotomayor in a hypocritical attempt to cozy up to the Texas far right and demonstrates she is not worried about the Latino vote in the state. Maybe she should be.

Rick Perry's Border Boondoggle

Yessir, ole Governor Rick Perry is a real "conservative" all right! This staunch right wing conservative spent $2 million dollars of federal money installing 17 cameras along the border to help prevent the entry of illegal aliens. The program planned to have 200 cameras along the border.
The cameras helped to generate 8 drug busts and 11 arrests. 300 illegal aliens were reported.
It's hard to see how the program, in effect for over a year now, could spend so much and accomplish so little.
Perry's office has claimed the program a great success and wants to spend yet another $2 million!
This from the governor who turned down millions of federal dollars for unemployed Texans!

Sherriff Jim Hickey: A Blast From The Past...




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Today's Caller/Times(Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012) featured a story concerning abuse of the drug forfeiture program by an area sheriff.
Sadly, this is not a new thing in south Texas. Back in 1993( I think, close anyway) the Sheriff of Nueces County was involved in a scheme misusing drug forfeiture money.
Sheriff Hickey used large sums of this money to pay his personal attorney, Brad Condit, who was not a county employee, for legal services that had not been rendered but as a contingency fund for future litigation the Sheriff thought he might be the subject of. Sheriff Hickey also gave himself a substantial raise and he did so without any word or consultation with the county commissioners.
Hickey purchased two Heckler-Koch 9mm machine guns with some of this money. He then gave these weapons to the King Ranch security force.
There was much more to this story; Hickey paid himself a large sum from this fund, which received matching funds from a Federal program, saying his pay was too low compared to other sheriffs in large counties, he bought worn out, used vehicles from a relative and many other abuses.

City Favors 'Go Green' Plan...

The mayor of Corpus Christi, Joe Adame, has endorsed a plan for the city to go greener in some of it's operations. This plan includes wind power, solar power, more recycling and hybrid city vehicles. All a good idea. There is a shadow on the horizon however...the proposed coke fired power plant with the rather deceptive name, Las Brisas!

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Solomon In A Snit! His Brother Is Not Placed On LRA Board!

U.S. Representative Solomon Ortiz is in a snit and says he may "take back" $3 million earmarked for the Ingleside Local Redevelopment Authority which is trying to develop plans to make up for jobs lost with the closing of Naval Station Ingleside.
Ortiz is angry because his brother, Nueces County Commissioner Oscar Ortiz was not named to the board. Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal, who heads the Commisioners' Court, was. There is no love lost between Neal and the Ortiz brothers.
Representative Ortiz was quoted in the Caller/Times as saying "If they think they love Loyd Neal more than they love $3 million then I can't change their minds. If they love Loyd Neal more than the $3 million then go with Loyd Neal!"
This is a form of extortion, perpetrated by an elected offical, against a local governmental entity with public monies made availible by a President which Rep. Ortiz did not support, and done for the advancement of a family member.

Rick Perry In Town To Sign Windstorm Insurance Bill

Bob Hall Pier Water Pipe Leak Costing $6,500 A Month!

Corpus Christi City Council Once Again Reverts To Closed Meetings!!

Joe's CC Diner!

Where you can get anything you want, if you are a fat cat!
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Once Again, Once A Week City Garbage Collection Rears It's Ugly Head!

Tow Truck Rip Off On Padre Island
















Please check out the banner on the bottom of the page. This worthwhile group is seeking counselors and other positions for their summer programs. Here is a link for more information.
http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/
The Fresh Air Fund is also in need of hosts for this summer. Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and home to a child from the city to give a fresh air experience that disadvantaged children never forget. Below is a link which explains everything.
http://freshair.smnr.us/
Here are some links to a nice Polish lady's blogs with pictures from Poland, her dogs and other things.
http://foto-donata.blogspot.com/
http://foto-dona.blogspot.com/
Here's a link to my old friend Dave Terry's photo blog:
http://daveterryphotography.com
port a cam link
http://www.corpusbeach.com/portacam2.htm
This link is for the We The People newspaper.
http://www.wethepeoplenews.net/

Ethics Regulations? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Ethics Regulations!

Today They Laid Old Rocky Down


















Today they laid old Rocky down
They put a good man in the ground.
Now Rocky was a wonderful soul
Playing his blues just never got old.

Rocky would pick up his harp and wail
And sing the blues as if he were in jail.
And you knew he was the real thing,
He was blind, black and how he could sing.

Rocky played ‘bout everywhere around.
Folks would come to see him from out of town.
He sang about women, drinkin’ and automobiles
And most anything else that had that blues feel.

Now Rocky wasn’t that old, he was only 57
But if there is such a place he’s in blues heaven.
I bet that the blues angels are havin’ a hell of a jam
And Rocky is out front and really layin it down.

Everybody loved Rocky, he was a great blues man.
He’s left it for us to carry on as well as we can.
But I know some night I will hear a cryin’ blues harp
And it will be Rocky Benton playin’ out in the dark.

He will be singing the blues cause they can’t go away
And I’ll have the blues then like I have ‘em today.
I’ll think about Rocky and the good times we had
And those harmonica blues never made me feel bad!

Rocky Benton, Corpus Christi's "Main Man," Passes Away

Rocky Benton was Corpus Christi's "main man!" No local musician was more admired and loved by so many. His passing leaves a huge hole in the local music scene.
Rocky's road to the blues began in Silsbee, Tx. about 20 miles south of Beaumont where he was born to hard working parents of moderate means. He was second to the youngest of 6 children, and was no stranger to trouble and pain. As a young child he began to lose his vision and was blind at the age of 4. At the age of 6 he attended the Texas School for the Blind in Austin where he learned to read Braille, started his education and got his nickname "Rocky".
He said one of his teachers called him 'Rocky'. His teacher would tell him that he knew someday he would drive by a billboard somewhere and would see "Rocky Benton" up in lights. The name stuck with him and since then he has had his name in lights on many a marquee.
Music came to play a role in Rocky's life at an early age. He said he grew up listening to old gospel tunes that his mother played on their record player and sang for him.
Rocky was introduced to the harmonica by his uncle Bill who could play only one song. He was fascinated with it and wanted to be able to play. Rocky got his first harmonica at the age of 6 and later learned to play drums and keyboards. At the age of 10, Rocky was performing professionally as a drummer and singer in an Austin Jazz band led by James Polk.
"I came up in a day when a kid playing a bar was kind of like an act", Benton said. "Even if I was not the headliner, it seemed I was always somehow the center of attention."
Rocky first played Corpus Christi at the Downbeat Club, while attending high school at the Texas School for the Blind.He moved to Corpus Christi in the early 80's and hooked up with Mike Cross, another excellent musician, and they made a team!
Rocky's stage prescence was powerful. He wore a leather belt that resembled a western holster belt which held twelve harmonicas in different keys. The letters "R O C K Y" were emblazoned on the back.
'Rocky' was the real thing, a consummate blues singer and a great harp player. His audiences loved him and there was no one who enjoyed rocking the house more.

Rick "Secesh" Perry!!

Governor Rick Perry Takes Leave Of His Senses!
Hints Texas May Have To Secede From Union!


Texas Governor Rick Perry is obviously running scared lately. He has been doing a lot of public appearances and kissing up to the right wing but he has really gone over the top hinting that Texas may need to secede from the union at some future date.
This is nuts! And Perry said that Texas had reserved the right to secede when it joined the union. That is not true. And even if it were the War Between The States settled such ideas. Texas did reserve the right to split into five states when it joined the United States in 1845. This was all part of the free state, slave state debate of the day. This proposal was never seriously considered.
I was born in Texas in 1947. I am a history buff and have read Texas and American history. For years I have heard folks mistakenly claim the notion of possible Texas secession. Frankly, I think that is an outrageous idea and I don't think most who said such a thing have ever seriously considered the ramifications of such a hare brained idea.
Rick Perry is not an honorable man. He has shown he will kiss ass and drop to the lowest common denominators in society to gain some political support.
I am not a Republican and I am not very fond of Kay Bailey Hutchison but I hope she kicks his ass! It is enough to make me think of registering as a Republican just so I can vote against Perry in the primary!

2009 City Council, Mayoral Election, Put Foxes In The Hen House!

A Good Idea For The Coliseum...Seriously!!

Today's newspaper carried a story about a new movement to allow casino gambling in Texas. Of course all eyes in Corpus Christi turn towards Padre Island beaches because that is far and away the most desired, coveted location for all of the big time projects around here.
This possibility of Texas Gulf Coast casinos may or may not be a good idea but it is not a good idea to put them on Gulf beaches. Padre Island development needs to be slowed down, not accelerated. It seems that we have trouble around here remembering that hurricanes happen! The function of Padre and Mustang Islands as a barrier to storm surge doesn't seem to matter to the many ambitious, and often foreign or out of state, developers.
In Corpus Christi there is a large, publicly owned building that is vacant, in need of repairs and near the water on the Corpus Christi Bayfront. It would be perfect for a casino.

Developer Seeks Tax Zone For Proposed $50 Million Development Along Packery Channel




More local development is in the wind. (click on pics for larger image.)

The results of the city election are still warm and today's Caller/Times featured the headline "Tax Zone Sought For Padre Island."
The new mayor and city council are expected to be all in favor of giving tax free zones and such things for what this developer says will be a "high end complex of restaurants, condos, a marina..." Plans include five or six restaurants, a boardwalk, a marina and a hotel with a conference center. He also says it could bring "nightlife and retail that has been missing on the island."
Oh my goodness!
Like all such developments they will expect the city to build infrastructure and the local and state taxing entities to give them a huge break.
He also says it will be a "high end" development. No one ever does a "low end" development do they?
Oh yeah, there is also a small matter of hurricanes. People seem to think there will never be another to strike this coast. How short the memories!



Please check out the banner on the bottom of the page. This worthwhile group is seeking counselors and other positions for their summer programs. Here is a link for more information.
http://freshairfundcounselors.smnr.us/
The Fresh Air Fund is also in need of hosts for this summer. Host families are volunteers who open their hearts and home to a child from the city to give a fresh air experience that disadvantaged children never forget. Below is a link which explains everything.
http://freshair.smnr.us/

Here are some links to a nice Polish lady's blogs with pictures from Poland, her dogs and other things.
http://foto-donata.blogspot.com/
http://foto-dona.blogspot.com/

port a cam link
http://www.corpusbeach.com/portacam2.htm

Joe Adame Defeats Henry Garrett For Mayor

Real estate developer Joe Adame has been elected as mayor of Corpus Christi, defeating the incumbent Henry Garrett. So much for the mistaken notion that incumbents can't be beaten.
Adame ran on economic development and won by a large margin. However only 16% of the registered voters bothered to vote. So Adame took over 60% of that 16%. This was considered a good turnout! That's a disgrace right there!
With the election of Adame and the return of Mark Scott and Brent Chessney to the city council, along with newcomer Chris Adler, it looks as if the foxes are now in charge of the hen house.

Nueces County Jail...

Rick Perry's Marie Antoinette Moment!




On Thursday, March 12, Governor Rick Perry said he would reject about $555 million from the federal government for expanded aid to unemployed Texans.
Perry has been all over the map about whether or not he will accept federal dollars as part of the economic stimulus plan.
The money in question would extend benefits for Texans who have been laid off during the economic downturn.
Perry did agree to accept $17 billion from the proposed plan he says will go to other purposes. You might read that as "toll roads!" ...To be operated by private companies, a really lousy idea!
By rejecting the $555 million targeted for unemployed workers Perry said he is protecting employers from higher taxes.
"Employers who have to pay more taxes have less money to make their payroll" said Perry. He said this would cause higher taxes and businesses would have to raise prices on their products, Perry told a news conference. "The calls to take the (stimulus) money and sort out the consequences later are quite troubling to me."
That's vintage Perry, all his concern is for employers, mainly big time corporate employers, and zero concern for those who have lost their jobs.
This is a heck of a legacy to carry into his reelection campaign. It seems likely Perry wont get much support from the workers who have lost their jobs and whose unemployment runs out!
Just to make matters worse Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken has warned that the state's unemployment compensation trust fund could be operating at a deficit by October and could fall into insolvency in the future. In light of this Perry still wants to turn down the money.
Perry, expecting a strong challenge from Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for the gubernatorial nomination in the
Republican Party, is attempting to move to the right of Hutchison and to reinforce his conservative creds.
It will be interesting to see how it all works out but in the mean time Perry is using working and recently laid off Texans as pawns in his political game.

Ingleside Sailors Find Out Where Their New Home Port Is

Rick Perry Waffles On Bail Out Money



Texas Guv Rick Perry was one of the right wing governors who recently indicated they didn't want any Federal bail out money. Citing his "conservative principles" he voiced his opposition to some of President Obama's programs to send money to the states. Firmly standing on his convictions Perry said he wouldn't take that money.
But that was a bluff and he quickly folded and grudgingly accepted the Federal cash.
He will, for the first time, face stiff opposition in the Republican primary since Kay Bailey Hutchison, the current senior U.S. Senator from Texas, has announced her intent to run for the Republican nomination for Governor.
His campaign might be in serious trouble if he had turned down the offered $313 billion in road and bridge repair money. He may still be in trouble as he has indicated he might put most of that into projects to build toll roads in Texas. There is little support for toll roads in Texas.
As usual Governor Perry is always looking out for the big money and shows little concern for those in Texas struggling to make ends meet in this current economy.

Local White Elephants

Padre Island Bathhouse A Disaster

The much vaunted bath house on Padre Island has been closed for some time now. It seems it is falling apart and will be very expensive to repair, or more likely, to replace.
This is just another example of the squandering of tax money by our local elected officials. Folks who have been here for any length of time know that the Island always wins when it comes to the battle to maintain beachfront structures.
This gaudy bathhouse, which opened in 2002, cost about a million bucks to build.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Chuck Cazalas has an office in the building. It seems that Commissioner Cazalas, and the other commissioners, have really let down their constituents by failing to monitor and proceed with upkeep on the building which may be too far damaged to rebuild.
According to news reports a leaky water pipe caused the floors to rot out to the point of collapse. That seems to be something that could have been prevented with just a modicum of maintenance.
The commissioners set aside some $240,000, taken from bond money, to put toward repairs. This may be a woefully inadequate amount.The bath house demonstrates a lack of responsibility for the proper use of public money.

American Bank Center, Biggest Local White Elephant?

The American Bank Center was touted as being an economic engine for the area. It has done so to a degree by booking many popular shows and events which have helped contribute to the local economy. This has come at a price however. According to news reports the city has lost $11.1 million since 2004. And the losses climb each month. This is a losing proposition for the city.
This just reinforces the notion that the city just can't get anything right!

Effects Of Las Brisas


It is ironic that the day after the Corpus Christi city council refused to support reconsidering the Las Brisas project President Obama was speaking to the Parliament in Canada and telling them that the United States would engage them in ways to address pollution within the borders of the two countries.
The Las Brisas project will, among other pollutants, release large amounts of SO 2 which is a key ingredient in causing acid rain which affects Canada and the U.S. but falls disproportionately in Canada.

Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds; Built It...They Don't Come!

The Richard Borchard Regional Fairgrounds is a money pit. It is losing tons of money. It was overly expensive to build and it is located in Robstown which is even more remote and out of the way than is Corpus Christi. Now County Commisioners Oscar Ortiz and Betty Jean Longoria are throwing a snit fit because the County Court voted down even more unneeded expansion in the form of an arena. Just what we need, another arena in this area, paid for by taxpayers, which will lose even more money!

Term Limits Proposal Is A Loser!


Term limits is an infringement on voter’s rights and unfairly inhibits an individual’s right to run for an office.
A voter should have the right to vote for the person he or she thinks most qualified, period. There should be no such arbitrary restriction placed on office holders.
Term limits is a copout. The concept is undemocratic. It’s a kind of supposed easy fix for what some perceive to be the problems with elected officials. The notion of term limits says that voters are not smart enough or able to vote good candidates into office so we should have a steady changing of individuals regularly in order to be rid of these scoundrels which we, somehow, elected into office! One argument often heard about long serving elected officials is that they become corrupted with too long a time in their position. This is wrong, if a person of incorruptible character is elected they will remain uncorrupted.
Term limits proponents say it is difficult to defeat incumbents. Perhaps, but incumbents often lose elections, it depends on the record of the incumbent and the case made by a challenger. If the incumbent is popular with the voters or is doing a good job it should be difficult to unseat them.
The notion that a revolving door for office holders will somehow give us better government is plain wrong. Indeed the opposite may be true and it could become difficult to find people to run if, in the end, they know they are only going to be in office for a limited time.
This current proposal would limit the mayor and council members to eight years of service period, and would combine years served as council member and mayor. In other words if someone spent four years on the council that person would be limited to four years as mayor should they be elected to that position. This is extremely illogical and restrictive. This places an unfair constraint on the office holders and the voters.
The voters already have the power to limit terms at the ballot box.
It is the duty of the voters to do their due diligence when selecting office holders. It is also the duty of the voters to closely observe the representation they receive and be ready to elect a new office holder should the current one be found wanting. The responsibility for the honest and effective administration of government lies with the voters. They should actively pursue and jealously guard this prerogative.

Clean Energy...Really?

Texas Speaker of the House Tom Craddick To Step Down



Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Tom Craddick has said he would not run for the office in the new session of the state legislature. If there is one thing he can do it is count votes and they just aint there for him now! This is good news for Texas. Craddick's rule as the most powerful politician in the state has been arrogant, autocratic and straight from the playbooks of such disgraced Republicans as Tom Delay, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.

Below is an article from AP about the situation. (The layout is a bit screwed up for reasons I just don't quite understand. It's my computer or Blogger, I just don't know.)




Texas House speaker said to throw in the towel

By APRIL CASTRO and JAY ROOT – 2 days ago

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, the longest serving Republican in state elective office, has apparently given up his hard-fought bid for a fourth term in the post, leaving the door open for a rival Republican who is a relative newcomer.
Craddick aides and allies said Sunday the Midland oilman, the first Republican to lead the House since the Civil War era, told his supporters that he did not have enough votes among his fellow members to remain in the powerful job.
"I talked to the speaker. He has dropped his candidacy and released his pledges," Rep. Will Hartnett, a longtime Craddick supporter, said Sunday. "He just decided it was getting too tight."
Craddick's dwindling support became insurmountable as Rep. Joe Straus, gained
strength. Shortly before word of Craddick's surrender spread, Straus, R-San Antonio,
released a list of 85 pledges of support, more than enough to win the election on Jan. 13.
"It is time for a new tone and an atmosphere of trust in the Texas House of
Representatives," Straus said, upon announcing that he had secured enough support to
win the race. "Having received the commitment of a strong majority of my colleagues, it is my goal to restore civility, fairness and transparency to the House of Representatives and its public-policy making process."
Republicans hold a 76-74 majority in the House. The narrow partisan split and divided GOP loyalties mean House Democrats will play a decisive role. All but four House Democrats endorsed Straus.
Most Republicans threw their support behind veteran Amarillo Republican Rep. John
Smithee, who entered the race Sunday.
"We're going to need a little bit of help from a higher power and that's where we're
looking," Smithee said after members of the Republican caucus meeting Sunday night
voted to support him.
At a downtown Austin steakhouse, where Craddick addressed the House Republican
caucus, Craddick rushed through a throng of reporters to get into the restaurant.
Republican Rep. Leo Berman, of Tyler, said the caucus members were not deterred by
Straus' hefty list of supporters. He said they would start calling them to bring them to their side. Berman said he wasn't worried that they were already pledged to Straus because he said they had previously been pledged to Craddick.
Craddick has been a lightning rod of controversy in Austin. He famously faced down a
rebellion at the end of the 2007 session after replacing his rules advisers and claiming "absolute" authority to brush aside challenges to his rule.

Smokers Unhappy About New Smoking Ban!

City Council Considers Smoking Ban in Bars and Other Public Places


The cartoon is one I did in 2001 about the first attempt by the city council to ban smoking in restaurants. They created a situation with smoking and non-smoking areas in the same buildings. That didn't work.

The Corpus Christi City Council has passed a second reading of a new city ordinance that will ban smoking in bars and some other public places. Bingo parlors are excluded.
Of course many bar owners, and others are in strong opposition claiming property owner's rights and individual rights are threatened. The bingo parlors were able to gain their exclusion citing the fear that they provide a considerable amount of charitable donations from their proceeds and, my goodness, they don't want to deprive these charities of their money! They cited studies that indicate such bingo games in places with smoking bans have shown a decrease in funds. The bar owners also claim they will lose money as well.
These claims are largely unsubstantiated. A look at such studies indicates that those that show a loss of revenue were financed by tobacco companies and smokers' rights groups, No objectivity here!
It also seems that studies that show no substantial loss in incomes have been produced by anti-smoking groups. Probably not much objectivity here either. It doesn't seem that there have been any scientific, objective studies done so far.
That shouldn't matter. There are no longer questions about the health threat posed by smoking and inhalation of second hand smoke. The evidence is conclusive and show real health hazards.
Tobacco smoke is a hazardous material. Courts in all jurisdictions have upheld the concept that it is illegal and prohibited to allow hazardous, carcinogenic materials to be released in the atmosphere. The rights of smokers and bar owners are trumped by the rights of the public to breath clean air. It's just that simple.

Escobar Fires Smith

Corpus Christi City Manager Angel Escobar has demonstrated that his whim is a law unto itself. He fired Police Chief Bryan Smith on trumped up, phony charges totally unrelated to the original cause of Escobar's so-called investigation. It is a sad day for accountable, responsible city government.

New City Manger Makes First Official Action: Suspends Police Chief!



So the interim city manager's first act, after finally agreeing to be the real city manager, is to place Corpus Christi Police Chief Bryan Smith on paid suspension. Why? Because Chief Smith allegedly made "disparaging" remarks about the city manager, some council members and other public officials during a private conversation that was recorded.
Does one lose the right of freedom of speech because he is the chief of police? Since when is making "disparaging" remarks, in private or otherwise, a punishable offense?
The naming of Angel Escobar as the new city manager has not been one of the city council's brightest moments. Quite frankly, the history of city managers here in Corpus Christi has been a sorry narrative of ineptness, incompetence and sometimes out right crookedness and makes one ask how long do we need to continue with this sort of city government.
If making "disparaging" remarks about elected and other public officials is a crime then many in our community are multiple offenders!

City To Give $1 Million To TAMUCC

Today's local newspaper featured an article which reports that the Corpus Christi City Council has agreed to give $1 million to Texas A&M University Corpus Christi to help develop a new mechanical engineering program.

The article:

By Sara Foley
November 12, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI — The City Council will give $1 million in sales tax revenue
toward Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's proposed mechanical engineering
program.
The funding, which the council approved 7-2 Tuesday, only can be used to reimburse
the university for money it spends on retrofitting laboratories and buying equipment
while establishing a mechanical engineering major. It won't pay for marketing,
scholarships or professors' salaries.
Councilmen Michael McCutchon and Mike Hummell voted against the funding, in part
because they questioned if helping the program was an appropriate use of sales tax
money earmarked for economic development.
"I have strong reservations using local taxpayer money to underwrite a program at a
university," Hummell said. "There are engineering programs all over the state that aren't
getting this kind of money. They just step up and get it done."
The new engineering major has yet to get final approval from the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board and the Texas A&M University System Board of
Regents.
Trent Hill, A&M-Corpus Christi's vice president, said the university wouldn't take the
city's money unless the program is approved. The coordinating board and the regents
gave the program preliminary approval, but the university has to finalize its degree plan
to get final approval, Hill said.
The money comes from a one-eighth-cent sales tax that goes toward economic
development in the city. The city's business and job development corporation
recommends to the council how to spend that money.
Councilman Larry Elizondo said he initially had trouble seeing the program as
economic development, but now sees it as an investment in the economy.
"If we want long-term results, we're going to have to see these types of long-term
efforts," he said.
Corporation board chairman Eloy Salazar pointed to Amarillo as an example of another
city that used sales tax revenues to help higher education.
Amarillo's economic development corporation gave $6 million toward Texas Tech
University's pharmacy school and more than $1 million for an engineering program at
West Texas A&M University.
Hummell also questioned if there was sufficient demand for an engineering program.
Whether South Texas could support engineering programs at the Corpus Christi campus
and nearby Texas A&M University-Kingsville has been debated in the past year.
Hummell brought up a letter from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that
said the university shouldn't set up an engineering school because engineering programs
at other Texas universities didn't have enough students to fill their seats. That letter was
written about the university getting an engineering school, which is different than the
scaled-down plans to set up a major.
"Having an engineering school that is empty in Corpus Christi isn't going to help us any
more than having any of the other empty engineering schools in the state," Hummell
said.
Councilman Bill Kelly disagreed.
"I realize the goal of economic development is to increase the size of the pie," he said.
"It's just as legitimate to help Corpus Christi get a bigger slice of the existing pie."
The $1 million pledge from the city is a third of what the university told the state it
would raise to cover the program's startup costs.
If the university raises the $3 million, then state Rep. Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus
Christi, said he will ask the state to pay for the remaining startup costs.
He said his negotiations with state officials led him to believe the state will pay the
remaining cost.
Hill said the total cost to set up the program isn't clear.


Kudos to Councilmen Michael McCutchon and Mike Hummell who had the good sense and courage to vote against this proposal.
Certainly higher education is important and the city should do what it can to help promote local colleges and universities but is the City of Corpus Christi able to give up public lands and tax revenues for TAMUCC? What about Del Mar? Should we not help them with some city tax revenue? Does the city have this kind of money laying around that we can afford to donate all this?

Judge Carl Lewis Has Died



















Yesterday came the news that local Juvenile Court Judge Carl Lewis had died of a heart attack. This was shocking news.
Carl was a good judge in a difficult job and he handled it very well.
I knew him in quite a different light. He was also a blues man, a singer and a harp player. He and his band, Carl Lewis and the Dead Beats, have entertained around here for years. Accompanied by lawyer buddies David Bright and Tyner Little on guitars, they were always crowd favorites.
Carl had a fabulous voice and probably would have had a future in the music business should he have dropped his day job!
Condolences to his family and his many friends and to all he had offered a helping hand or who loved his music. Rest in peace.

Nueces County GOP Gets Down In The Muck With Ads

The Nueces County GOP recently produced a political ad so dirty, deceptive and untrue that two of our local TV stations refused to air it. Congratulations and thanks are due for KZTV channel 12 and KRIS TV channel 6 for having the good sense to turn down such political muck.
KIII TV channel 3 ran the ad.
The ads were attacking local Democrats Abel Herrero and Juan Garcia who each represent districts in the state house of representatives.

Postscript: Oct. 1, 2008; These ads are now appearing frequently on cable TV. I subscribe to Time Warner, which apparently has no standards which must be met by political advertising.

Hurricane Ike Victims Need Our Help!