Travis County Commssioners Court
April 13, 2004
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. Phillipa dick and here with ella may nichols, right?
>> [indiscernible]
>> all right.
>> well, you all want to come on up then? This gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda. Each resident has up to three minutes. To do so. If you all would have a seat there.
>> the balloon is blocking one of the cameras. [laughter]
>> it is?
>> thank you.
>> that's not your way of trying to get you to give me my balloon, is it? Good morning, we will be happy to get your comments if you will give us your name.
>> my name is ms. Phillipa dick.
>> ic watt.
>> ella may nicole.
>> we are here this morning on behalf of our group, parents of concerned inmates being abused in Texas prisons, jails and youth facilities. We are fighting to get them released from prison. They are having our group members have a -- having big, big problems. They have been -- their lives have been threat tened, they have been -- threatened, they have been beating, we are reaching outside of governor -- our governor, mr. Rick perry, to please help us, help us to get these inmates home before some -- before some of the employees really and truly do away with their lives. They are being denied medical treatment. They are being abused in all ways, not only sexual, but beatings, like I said, and they take the money from off of the inmate's books. The group have all type of complaints. And we just are still reaching out to see if we can help get them released. I mean, these are human beings. There's no sense in mistreating them, doing them this way. They are in there on non-violent, you know, crimes like drug crime. They are in there for those type of crime. My son has done 12 years of 15 year sentence. And he's still locked up. And mr. Arthur adams told me that that's really ridiculous, he should have been out. So he agrees that something definitely is wrong there. It's because the guards have, you know, placed a death threat, you know, on his life. And they just continue to try to hold him by piling things on his record. Ms. Watt?
>> I have a nephew, he was stationed in -- in abilene and I have several letters that he have wrote to me about the guards threatening his life because they wanted to have a sexual affair and because of that, he didn't want to get involved in something like that. So they told him if he didn't consent, that his family will be getting his body out of there. Finally, I talked to mr. [indiscernible], they had him transferred to abilene. He has not given me information that he's having a lot of problem. All that I知 asking if they could release him, I will take fully sfont deport him home. I would rather they do something like that more than having him locked up. His behavior, we haven't had any complaint that he's doing anything. He's trying to his best. I知 pleading with somebody to deport him home. It doesn't make sense having a young man, trying to get an education, trying to do right and he -- some of these guys could be good for society if --
>> productive.
>> -- if they only had a chance. We all need a chance. God gave us chances and we need to have chances for other people. Because having them locked up in [indiscernible] not getting their proper education, not getting any medical treatment.
>> that's right.
>> right food and the relative cannot really see them like they want to. It's no information that you call they won't give you any information. It's like bondage. How can we face god with all of these things letting ourselves be god when we are not. I am pleading to mr. Rick perry, president bush, whosever might be in control, to set some of these guys free. Not only my nephew, but other inmates who are doing the right thing, they are serving god, they turned their life over. That they could be of use to society, getting a job when they come home or like the parents I would be fully responsible for my nephew.
>> thank you.
>> I知 ms. Nicole, this is my son. He's been in prison 15 years. He's been abused.
>> what's his name.
>> lester nickel. I went to talk to him last week about it, they gave him a case.
>> keep talking. Keep talk being, you got to swallow your tears, baby, keep talking. Keep talking.
>> he's been beaten, they kicked his teeth out. And about two months ago, a captain jumped on him, kicked him all in the face, in the head. And I went and asked them about it, nobody done know nothing about it. The captains won't talk and the guards won't talk about it. But it was people who wrote me and told me that they had beat him. It was inmates. Because they jumped on two inmates that same day. The inmates told me if they hadn't got him off my son they would have killed him. I couldn't see him for about three months.
>> it's going to be all right, it's going to be all right.
>> it's going to be all right.
>> go on.
>> so I知 asking for somebody to please help me with my son. He been there 15 years. Without parole. Every time he come up for parole they take it away for him for some reason, I never know the rope. I asked, they never give me an answer. I talked to mr. Greg johnson, he don't know the reason why. So he supposed to be the director over the prison. I seen about a week ago and this is the case that they gave him since I talked to the captain. I talked to one captain. He told me that he was going to go talk to my son about the latest threat to his life. [indiscernible] threatened his life. When they did, they locked him up in the cell block. Then transferred him back to high security. I didn't know they was going to do that after I talked to his captain about his concern.
>> so we are just asking for everyone's help and if mr. -- our governor, mr. Rick perry, could please help us in our group and our struggle and to getting our inmate loved ones released. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you very much.
>> mr. Shepperd, appreciate your appreciation after [papers shuffling - audio interference] incredibly understanding and patient, I knew that he wouldn't mind waiting.
>> judge, Commissioners I知 here today as chairman of the board of Austin habitat for humanity, to introduce to you today our new executive director, mr. Michael willard. He comes from the habitat for humanity international, in americaus, georgia. After a worldwide search, residents coming from as far away from africa and europe, we find michael waiting for us on america's shores, we are happy to have him here today. I want to thank perry turnquist who headed up our search committee, another board member who stepped in to be interim director. We are happy to have michael here. As we begin and continue our journey to eliminate, poverty, housing in Travis County one house at a time.
>> thank you, eric. Thank you for this opportunity to come and speak before the county commission. I just want to say how happy I am to be able to move from amerikto us Travis County and to be in a place blessed with so maybe resources. Of course when we get blessed there's a lot of things that are asked of us. We need to keep in mind that there are 58,000 individuals living in unsafe, unclean, overcrowded conditions here in this county. What I am hoping to do is to see if we can help change that in Travis County through the work for habitat for humanity, that everyone who has -- who needs to go to sleep at night has a simple, decent place to live here. That's what habitat for humanity is about. We can't do it by ourselves, though. We need the support of the county commission, we need the support of the citizens of Travis County to help us do that. Because we need land to build on, we need the resources to buy the building materials in order to build the houses. So we can help these individuals and these families who are putting in their sweat equity, or helping to build their own house for someone else, then turning around and becoming tax paying citizens, through paying the mortgage of these habitat homes, that is what we are trying to do. It's a huge challenge because there's a huge need out there. But together we think that we can do that. I want to thank eric and all of the work that he has done as chairman of the Austin habitat for humanity organization, I want to thank the board of directors for all of the work that they have done in the past and the staff that are currently involved in helping us reach this goal. But we need to have more resources, we need to have more volunteers become a part of this solution, I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
>> you're welcome.
>> you're welcome.
>> pleasure working with you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> brandy berg is next. Brandy berg? Scott johnson.
>> good morning, judge Biscoe, Commissioners. My name is scott johnson, I知 the project manager for the central Texas electric lawn mower program happening not this Saturday, but Saturday April 24th from 8:30 in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon at the home depot store on south i-35 at woodward. This program has happened the last couple of years, we are trying to build on the momentum that we have. If people like -- would like more information they can reach me at 447-4595. And the purpose of the program, of course, is to have people trade in their gas powered lawn mowers, which are highly polluting, for electric models. They can buy a cordless model, which is the one that runs on a battery pack. It can cut upwards of a third of an acre or more, which is at least most yards within Travis County are that size or perhaps a little bit bigger. And we also do it for -- to try to improve water quality, people spill a lot of gas and oil in the small receptacles as they are doing their lawns as well. All of these mowers are mulching models. It's good to know when you use mulching mowers, you are not diverting grass clippings into the landfills that are overutilized here in Travis County. I would like people to think about this because buying electric lawn mowers, trading in your gas mower is relatively an easy step to improve air quality. We do recycle lawn mowers, meaning we pulverize them, heat up the part that are recyclable, form them into rebar to use for building materials, perhaps habitat to humanity uses some of those, again if people are interested they can contact me at 447-4595. The discounts for the cordless model, the most popular, is about $70 off the regular purchase price. It's not available year round, just on this day, Saturday April 24th, 8:30 to 2:00, just at the home depot in south Austin, south i-35 at woodward. We have accorded model as well, which helps people who don't have -- don't have as much money to spend on a cordless model, it plugs in, works just fine, though, that model is discounted by about $30. Breaks it down to about $150. Plus tax. Very affordable option for people. I would be happy to answer any questions about this.
>> questions?
>> appreciate it.
>> thank you very much.
>> thank you very much.
>> anybody else for citizens communication, whether you sign in or not? Freddie brandenberg is not here? Okay.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 5:54 PM