At the Special Olympics , errr Special City Commission meeting tonight there was an effort to formalize the contentious $20 per hour practice fee at the Sports Park (Now why did I know I would be writing about that pig, again?). Everyone remembers that no one could recall who put it on in the first place? Well, low and behold, someone who wasn't in the blame-circle the first time around was going to be tossed the hot potato by ordinance. Of course I am speaking of Charlie Cabler. It was interesting that the language stated "or his designee", allowed him to keep the potato in the air long enough to toss it to Chris Patterson, or Tuffy (*rhymes with Scruffy) Martinez. Pretty cool deal for those sitting behind the table, raising fees and getting to blame someone else who isn't answerable to the voters. They seem to do this sort of thing a lot. We have tons of committees throwing around millions of dollars in a strange arrangement of "officer of non-profit corporation." They all have weird sounding initials, CAAC,BCIC,GBIC,BEDC,ETC (last one is not one of these committees, but I heard it was being discussed). There must have been something wrong with the proposal, because Roman Perez questioned it, and it was tabled.
Lets see how it looks the next time the potato rises into the air when it comes off the table. Could we please rename it the "Hot Potato Ordinance"?
The long and short is, I think there are FAR to many unelected people running around spending other people's tax dollars. I think this should stop.
It is about accountability.
It is about transparency.
It is about time.
"Of course I know. It is my business to know." -The Merovingian
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Who is going to control all these new "fees"?
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Did Charlie Cabler understand he was beign set up to take a political bullet for these bunch of former commissioners?
W.
"Its about accountability, its about responsibility, its about time". You have so nailed Scruffy's new campaign theme slogan.
Scruffy is way too literate to make the "its" mistake in his campaign slogan. He asked me to inform you that it's "it's".
It's about accountability.
It's about responsibility.
It's about time.
/s/ Scruffy's Executive Assistant
If an average Joe and his family want to go to the sportspark and play on the soccer fields, its free. If you have a party out there and ten of you want to play soccer, it free. We are promoting that. Fees will not be charged for kids wanting to play on these fields if they are not on an organized youth league. If you are a youth organization like BOYSA wanting restricted access to these soccer fields for eleven months out of the year for the next fifty years, then there is a problem. Try to see if you or your family can play soccer at Oliveira Park during those even months when they are occupied. You will be thrown out. They currently have a contract where they pay the city $1 for the entire year. They use the lights, the fields, the bathrooms, own the concession stand, and really own all the fields. Now, if this organization cost s the taxpayers over $50k a year for lights being used out there, another $30k on limited maintainence by the city, shouldn't they pay a fee. They won't let you the average taxpayer play there unless you enroll your child in their league. How is that fair. Oliveira fields are ruined because BOYSA wont stop playing on the them long enough for the city to fix them. Now, in promoting the Sportspark, we want to sell the idea that we can hold regional tournaments for high school soccer, girls softball, etc. What kind of attraction will it be if the fields are destroyed from constant use, no grass, just muddy fields. I dont think anyone would be hosting anything down here. The fields can handle recreation play but not league play. Does that make sense or should I explain better. NOw you have BOYSA coaches wanting to move theire practices to the sportspark. 1300 hundred kids on these fields everyday for eleven months out of the year? Are you starting to understand? Its pretty clear. We are not charging the kids, we are charging the organization. 1300 kids times 80 dollars a kid. do the math. A concession stand that brings in roughly 3 thousand a week. do the Math. Sponsorships that pay BOYSA. Do the Math. Charging a user fee to relieve the taxpayer from having to maintain the fields is helping the taxpayers who want to see their taxes going toward streets and police and fire etc. Fertilyzer is expensive. Marking the fields are expensive. Buyint 14 thousand dollars worth of goal posts for BOYSA and paying the huge utility bills come from the taxpayer's pocket. I would much want kida and families not in a organization using these fields tan to tell these families that they can't play because the fields are reserved for other kids to practice on. What would you prefer. Can you have an honest opinion? Do u have a kid in BOYSA? MInd you currently there are many areas that these kids can play and practice for free and Oliveria is one of them. I coached for over a decade and I always found a place to practice. I think we have a responsibilty to protect our new fields at the Sportspark. Fees are not new. We are the last city in Texas to charge user fees. Those fees just go back into maintaining the beautiful fields without having to burden the taxpayer. We can never profit from building parks but we can at least recoup some revenue to the upkeep. Does it make sense to u now?
im waiting for a rebuttle because I dont know any blog owner who would just 100% agree with what I write because its me. Now, communication is good when people can debate in a good manner. Besides some mispelled words, I thought my letter was alright.It was four am in the morning.
Commissiioner Atkinson
Field user = taxpayer, Atkinson.
Do the math.
Do you REALLY not understand that?
Dont you know that a huge amount of kids and coaches from BOYSA are from matamoros. They don't pay taxes. You really don't know the issue. Let's just hand over the keys to the Sportspark. Ya right!!!
Kinda' like a "huge" number of BND laborers are from Matamoros who don't spend their wages here, Atkinson?
Still not too quick on the uptake, are you fella?
Memo to: Scruffy's Executive Assistant
RE: Grammar Police
See the link. I will try to down load grammar check to my Blackberry.
Ya, that's why there was a need for a couple of casa de cambios right across the street from Amfels. Workers cashing their checks and changing them into pesos. Why put two casas de cambios right at the exit of Amfels. Please be smarter than what you appear to be.
Please don't make that error again. Special Olympics is run much better than city commission meetings. Second thought - the participants in Special Olympics are also better than the participants at commission mtgs.
Mero,
Over the last couple of days, I have written three comments to Bobby Wightman Cervantes on his blog. He chose to reject them.
First rejection
Thank you Bobby. I will be looking forward to your vote on election day.
Second rejection
Regarding your post, thanks for agreeing with me.
$900,000 would have been better spent by using $300,000 for an endowment for a scholarship program for the MPPM program. You can build a bench for the city with these future public servants. They will have real world experience with Brownsville, their home. AND it will be cost-effective. The community volunteered to serve in all those committees, why should a private firm get free money for OUR work? Bobby it might have been better had you attended more than one meeting. The rest of the money could have been saved to implement the changes or pay for repaving Iowa Street, quality of life or for that extra toilet at the sports park.
The toilet reference was a joke.
Lastest rejection
You amaze me, ol' Bobby. I write a legitimate comment on your blog on Imagine Brownsville, a comment I know you would agree with because it makes sense, and you filter it out. Fred Drew heard me talk about this two years ago and applauded, but you stick your fingers in your ears hoping I'll just go away.
Why is it so hard for you to realize that I might actually help Brownsville and force oversight? You are so filled with hate towards me that you'll ignore me. I agree with some of your more reasonable points, but you can't be objective about me and my ideas. It's a shame really. If I win, I will make a difference. Iowa Street will be one of my priorities along with the more underappreciated parts of town. I can only hope you'll come around one of these days.
What do you think about this Mero?
I need your vote this May, Mero. I hope you will honor me with it.
http://www.voteroman.com
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