Travis County Commssioners Court
October 15, 2002
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next. This gives residents of Travis County and other counties an opportunity to address commissioners court on any matter not on the agenda. First this morning is gus pena. Good morning.
>> good morning, judge, commissioners, gus pena, president of east Austin concerned hispanics. I have something here that really touched home and I want all of you all, I'm glad steve February williams is -- steven williams is here. I had a relative of mining to an appointment at the Pflugerville clinic. It's very serious that my relatively need an operation that involves a -- the brain. There were complaints out there that there were individuals that were very rude to them, wanted to know what he wants is the statement they made. I don't think this is the type of interpersonal skills that we need at the clinics when we have people that are poor, don't have insurance, and very low income cannot afford insurance. I don't think this is the type of experience or attitude that they should be -- have to experience. The other relative went to speak to the social worker regarding these issues, the social worker told my other relative "don't say anything because if you do, they will close the clinics." This is a statement from her. I have her name is judy. Judith, excuse me. I don't think this is appropriate. Now another thing also, we are not talking about just latinos, african americans, anglos, did not receive the notice about the increase in co-pay to $10 per scription. This is not acceptable. Talking specifically about precinct 1 where I'm sorry, precinct 2 where my mom lives. I think it's not acceptable. If we have a governmental entity, you are going to notify the people about the increase in changes or increase in co-pays, that will affect their livelihood because many are on fixed income. They are poor, can barely afford to pay much less one prescription or co-pay for one prescription and much less five or six. So I'm asking you all, judge, sit down and have a meeting with steven williams, the director, whomever that title is, the Pflugerville clinic, many of you all can sit down with us, many of these issues at the Pflugerville clinic because there are problems out there, many problems at the city side, at brackenridge hospital where I was in the hospital, at seton hospital where I was there at the hospital for heart problems. So I think this has gone long enough and it should be aggressively addressed to whereby a clinic doesn't have to feel uncomfortable about receiving services or fragmented services at a clinic. They don't deserve this. They deserve respect. They are taxpayers, of them is my mom, commissioner Sonleitner. When that happens to my mom, I get angry. I get very angry. And when I get angry, people better watch out. Usually I do make professionnal presentations here at the city and school board. When it hurts and hits close to home, it really hurts. So judge I'm respectfully demanding to have meetings [buzzer sounding] an sit down with this gentleman over here, assigned supervisor as to why these things happen. There are other issues confidential that -- I will wrap up, that I will not mention on camera, on tape, but I watch to file a -- I want to file a formal complaint regarding the health clinic over there. We need to talk turkey. We can't have employees saying that we heard it might be closed if you keep on causing problems or making certain statements. Not acceptable. Anyway, I am waiting to hear from any of you all, specifically you judge Biscoe, I want that meeting and I want it immediately. You all can make time for taxpayers. Thank you all very much.
>> thank you.
>> gus, if you will do the kindness of visiting with stephen and getting the information about those dates and those people. Let me assure you item no. 15 on our agenda today is about the brand new Pflugerville community center and clinic that will be built a couple of blocks away from the current site. Our presence in Pflugerville is not going away. It is becoming a permanent fixture there, we are no longer be in rented space, much larger be able to serve more clientele. They are not going anywhere other than a couple of blocks, it's a good move.
>> I appreciate that, but I also want to make it very clear that the clinics and employees should follow clear, consistent policies, procedures or laws that are set forth by federal guidelines, your guidelines or state guidelines. It's fragmented, people need to be educated. What I am going to do is this, I'm in the going to do that because I need to go to a doctor's appointment. But I'm going to have a meeting set up with some of you all, stephen williams, have you all and my sister involved, she's the one that witnessed all of this. I'm demanding a meeting with you all. Judge Biscoe.
>> we hope along with that building we will have brand new attitudes as well.
>> gus, I'm happy to participate in that meeting with stephen, we will handle it at at pfnt level if that's all right.
>> thank you very much. Kenneth schnieder is next.
>> my name is kenneth schnieder, north ridge acres, capital city coal lopal a few miles down the road. I finally got Sonleitner's picture, right next to it. This will be on the internet. They told me it's going to be capital city colonial, more on there. We will see what they put on there. I gave them all of the paperwork. It says on there that the water stinks outs there in the ditches, they are dying from it, everything. This one -- this is what the ditches look like out there. This is our future. I go through about 100-gallons of water a week on account of my dogs and everything,ian give the dogs the water out of the tap. We have got to drink out of bottles, bottles in there for drinking water. We cook with the water. We don't use the water except to flush the commode, that's it. Sonleitner said we deserve to live this way. That's what Karen Sonleitner said. We deserve to live this way. The reporter told me that's what she told them. I love to be on tv, which is wrong all the way around. In the next month or so, we get some good commissioners that thinks of the people. Of course I tell you it's pretty bad, that will not stand against -- we have to fix this problem. I saw a debate on tv they were talking about it and everything. About roads and all of that, I don't think we need any kind of rail. I know you all -- I don't know how many times in the paper and everything been defeated. The roads ain't that bad, takes a few minutes to get in town. I don't care how many roads you build, it's still going to be the same because you are not going to get anybody out of their cars to ride a bus. Ian ride behind the stinking bus because of the smell. I have to go around every time I see a city bus. There's no reason why we have to spend money for light rail, for roads, you need to take and fix the neighborhoods up. So you don't have to live this kind of stuff. I think the neighborhood should come first over roads, parks, and $100 million whatever, all of that kind of stuff. I think we teed to have the colonial neighborhoods right in your back door instead of worrying about roads, parks, trees, salamanders, bugs, everything else, they get grants and everything. When you can't fix the colonial neighborhood right down the street from us, it don't make any sense to me at all. This is nine years. Nine years going through this here mess! We have to haul water in, for drinking water. Our dogs have to be out there in this stuff. Ian put my dogs outside in the back yard, I keep them inside on account of all of the sewer running down the streets and everything, the back yard is a says pool. Like the -- cess pool. Like the lady from mexico city, she will come out and take pictures and everything, she says this is a disgrace to the commissioners. This is a disgrace to have commissioners that we have to have a third world neighborhood, it's a disgrace. Nine years, ain't just yesterday, nine years trying to get basic human services. Buses buzz the kids ought to come before, I think we have enough roads. I don't think we need to build any more roads, you can put all of the trains you want out there on trails, rails everything, all of the buses on rails, but I don't think they are going to fill them. I can understand about these buses and everything, what's happened to -- to people having their own business? Instead of the city stepping in and doing everything for them, the county has to do everything for them. What happened to the people having -- having the bus service, why can't they have their own, why do we have to pay taxes to them, pay the school, property taxes I mean the sales tax and all of that kind of stuff, why can't public service do that kind of work instead of taking out of taxpayers? If they want a rail, why can't a private entity get in there and put a rail in.
>> you are about a minutes over.
>> I just can't understand that kind of stuff. I just hope mike hanson gets in there and cleans up this here county. We need people like mike hanson to clean this up.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 10:25 AM