Travis County Commissioners Court
April 15, 2008
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is first, this item gives residents an opportunity to address the Commissioners court. On any matter not on the agenda for up to three minutes. Gus pena is first. And he'll be followed by -- by susan nesan.
>> good morning, judge, how are you doing Commissioners. Gus pena. One first request, please, you know that I always advocated for the issues of the senior citizens, the youth, ensure that all youth programs, especially summer job programs for the youth are fully funded and expanded if possible to employ as many of our youth as possible. Keep them out of trouble, occupied during the summer doing something productive instead of out there in gangs and crime. We met with more federal officials last week regarding housing for -- for homeless veterans. I know a lot of people are advocating for homeless individuals as a whole, but this specifically deals with veterans that have been left out of the loop. I want to thank the following people that paved the way for us for a meeting in washington. Our former h.u.d. Secretary, henry cisneros, former mayor of san antonio, I want to thank also congressman al green of houston for taking the lead on this issue. And congress, congressman lloyd doggett, our local congressman here in Austin, for also a strong advocacy for the veterans and other people as a whole. What I知 talking about is h.u.d. Vash program, styled veterans affairs supportive housing. It's vouchers for -- for -- to provide homes for homeless veterans and families. A lot of veterans have families there out in the streets. The last count that we had going to different camps and different areas visiting homeless individuals and veterans is 2,750. That is a very, very low estimate, also. But it is on paper, substantiated by names and documentation. I want to thank, also, a good friend of mine senator james webb. I follow marine corps vam veteran, a former secretary of the navy back in the 70s, he's the senator from virginia. He was very helpful in helping us out in washington, going to continue to go back to washington to testify in the financial committee. I also want to thank my cousin fredico pena, he helped out as advocacy for us in washington, also, housing veterans and their families. And -- and last item that I want to talk about is, judge, you know, you -- you know you have a lot of respect that -- we have a lot of respect for you and of course our -- your fellow Commissioner, but especially you because there was an article in the paper on Saturday that says travis may ease job barrier, I don't like the word ex-con, I like the word ex-offenders. Anyway one quote was very, very appropriate, said we're weeding them out before we have a chance to show their skills. Said county judge Sam Biscoe, chairman -- judge of the Commissioners court and chief proponent of a new county policy stated it's my guess we're losing a lot of good applicants. That's true. I want to thank you for your wisdom and your vision and your sensitivity to this issue because a lot of people have been falsely accused and also incarcerated falsely for a lot of things they didn't do just because sometimes they didn't get something written down on paper. Anything thank you for your lead. I also ask all of the Commissioner, mayor, city council, governors, everything they can think of to fully support this issue because you are the only one, I thank you for that. God bless you all. Keep up the good work.
>> I feel a lot smarter now.
>> susan eason, followed by stefan
>> [indiscernible]
>> you all are together?
>> we are.
>> good morning, my name is susan eason, the executive director at the arc of the capitol area. Steve is one of our board members, by the way. We are here today to express our heartfelt thanks to you, judge Biscoe, the Commissioners, the fine people who work in the health and human services department led by sherri flemming for the gift of the one-time emergency funding to replace united way funding. We know how much work was involved in this decision. We are truly appreciative of the many staff hours that went into the process. It has been so encouraging to those of us affected by the united way decisions to see the county step up and help absorb the loss. But most importantly, I want to thank you on behalf of 2000 of our clients who cannot be here today to speak for themselves. They can't be here because they can't sometimes express their thoughts, but they would be here, they would be here if they could, they would thank you from the bottom of their hearts. I have been here many times before to speak to you about other things, primarily the basic needs collaboration which you have also funded and supported. Today I also thank you on behalf of the 2,000 people that we provide services to in Travis County. Who so desperately need community support. You stepped up and helped and we are most grateful. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> my name is steven finolio. I wanted to thank the Commissioners court on behalf of the board for your vision in helping us in a very difficult time. The -- the -- the defunding by united way, we were a partner with the united way for many, many years, came as a surprise to us. I知 a taxpayer, I知 a business person and I want to pledge to you from the -- on behalf of the board that we will be good stewards of this funding and we appreciate your confidence in us. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thanks for all you do.
>> thank you.
>> for the record, if I get thanked again this morning, I知 taking the rest of the day off.
>> [laughter]
>> jennifer gale. Jennifer gale.
>> jennifer gale, where is she?
>> [laughter] come on.
>> hi
>> [indiscernible]
>> hello.
>> > good morning, ms. Gale. Judge Sam Biscoe. County Commissioner Margaret Gomez, county Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, county Commissioner sarah eckhardt, let's say a prayer for Ron Davis and his family member. I can't think of anything more painful than losing a family member. Today ace special day for all of us, tax day. Everyone needs to get out there and file their extensions. So we can pick up that three or $600 that we have coming to us. The -- the -- also I want to talk about -- about -- the bus company, the resolution that I have handed out to you. I -- I had got passed with lee leffingwell and betty dunkerly in February of 2006. They -- that stopped the strike. Then just a few days after that. I知 -- I知 suggesting that if we do a resolution of Travis County Commissioners court, we can get another -- we can stop the negotiations, they should have already come up with a good five year contract for our bus operators. And the end of the two chair system where you hire younger drivers for older drivers. Older drivers become more obsolete. We need to -- we need to call congressman doggett, you can reach congressman doggett at 916-5921. Congressman doggett, if you call him at 916-5921 you can tell him that our veterans could use some housing and former council candidate gus pena is fighting for housing for our homeless veterans that are -- that are a quarter of which are on the streets. 25% of those you see on our street are our veterans that have fought for you, put their lives on the line. We don't have medical care for homeless or for veterans in our country. But let's at least give them housing so that they can get out and earn a good job and lead a good life like they did when they are in the service. I want to thank the Austin american-statesman for putting my birthday in the Saturday April 12th. That was very nice of them. We have an election coming up in -- in a few weeks for the city of Austin that's not being brought out, the Austin american-statesman has not asked me one question. Austin chronicle has not asked me one question. Neither have been on either editorial boards. We need to get out there and push -- we only have 30,000 people vote in the d.a. Election for rosemary lindbergh, we should do much better in the county of travis. We also need to recognize the fact that our teachers are only graduating 58.2% of our students and they are probably socially promoting many of those. We should be cutting their pay by half. They are asking us to give them more money when we are graduating only half of our students. And I知 also asking that in order to fund our teachers and get better education that we ask the people that are here illegally from the country of -- of canada and country's south of us to return home so that we can probably educate our children and get jobs for our citizens. Thank you.
>> thank you.
>> phillip a. Dick. Ms. Dick will be followed by -- by deanna williams.
>> ms. Gale?
>> good morning, to you, judge Biscoe and the rest of the panel. Good morning to you. I am here as you know I am the president of -- of parents of concerned inmates being abused at Texas prisons, jails and youth facilities. And we are having our meeting, April the 24th, 2008 at the oak springs library and the meeting will be from 6:00 to 8:00 and I will be showing the film where -- where mr. -- mr. Barack obama's campaign manager has made me and my group. We are talking about our inmates being hung and killed in state prison from our group. We're talking about death threats that has been -- has been launched against our inmates. In our group. I would appreciate it with everyone that needs to come out to 3101 rosewood avenue at the oak springs library and attend the meeting with us. I知 sorry to hear about mr. Ron Davis' death in the family as well. And he has me and my family's sympathy. Also, I have here where -- where he's -- mr. Pena and I and the rest of them are correct we have a lot of innocent people in state prison. My son happened to be one of those people. I have here, judge, where -- where you and I have went over and you obtained this -- this information here for me in 2005, October the 14th. And it states that -- that wackenhut first, the community justice center, which wackenhut operated opened in 1998, so mr. Hutchins could not have served time there in 1992 or 1993. I went through my son's, not my -- not this son, I have two sons. They were in -- in wackenhut together. I somehow or another say you need to go through your other child's -- you know, letters and things and lo and behold I found my son's letters from wackenhut explaining everything that happened to him. So my son was there in 1993 and 1994. And they shipped him from -- transferred him from here in Travis County, straight into huntsville, Texas, state prison without any judge sentencing my son to state prison. He's innocent and he doesn't belong there. He has death threats against his life. They have beat my child. They have put his eye almost out. They have almost killed my child. And this is my son.
>> [beeping] and I want my son home immediately because he is innocent and here's his letters to prove that he was in wackenhut in 1993 and this proves that wackenhut was in existence in 1993.
>> wackenhut in Austin, Texas?
>> Austin, Texas.
>> good morning, judge Biscoe, the rest of the panel. I知 a little nervous about being here. This is my first time being here. But I would like to state that my son also is innocent. He did some time for stealing and drugs and he served his time and some prisoners lied on him to get theirself out of jail. They made a deal with the district attorney. To get themselves out of jail. Out of prison. And my son didn't talk to them or say anything to them when the police brought him down here, he was just about to get out of jail for serving his four years for stealing and drugs. And -- and they -- they heard his conversation to me, telling me what the police was trying to make him say. That's how the prisoners from -- from the conversation talked to me, that -- that testimony against him. When we were in court, one of the prisoners got mad at the district attorney because they didn't give him the deal that he was supposed to get so they read his testimony. He wouldn't come down and retestify when we had -- when we had the second trial. The first trial it was -- it was saying innocent and -- 8 saying innocent, 4 saying guilty so they had to have another trial. The second trial a lawyer went against him so they could close the case. I don't know why he did that but they wanted to close the case. So they took the -- the lawyer did not give him -- what you call it when you have -- when you have -- want to have another hearing and he knows he wasn't that type of lawyer. He let the time expire on his appeal. He was not an appeal attorney. He let the time expire on purpose. So we got a court appointed attorney. To help him and he saw a lot of things that they did illegally to my son, plus they took his rights from him. They didn't let me testify in the second trial to explain what had happened. They were just going by the lies and -- and testimonies of the prisoners. Who they made deals with. They didn't let my sister testify to say how his health was because at the time she was addressing his health. Didn't let his girlfriend to testify to say that she was with him. He said that wasn't necessary. He didn't let her testify in the first trial to say where he was. All they wanted to do was -- is take the statement from the prisoners that made a deal with him. To -- to put the blame on my son. He had been shot in the head in 1972 is why his memory is like it was. Whatever somebody would say he would believe, but about three or four months ago when I visited him, and he is -- his life is being threatened where he is, he's in gatesville, he was in amarillo and I have some disabilities and I couldn't ride there for -- so I sent a copy of my medical records to show them, prove to them that I and my cousin couldn't ride therefore so they sent him to --
>> [beeping] to gatesville. I知 asking would you please help my son, timothy lee frank because he's not guilty of the crime he was convicted of. Thank you very much.
>> thank you. Anybody else for citizens communication whether you signed in or not?
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.
Last Modified:
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 8:51 PM