Travis County Commissioners Court
June 23, 2009,
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next.
this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda for up to three minutes.
gus pena is number one, morris priest number 2, ronnie reeferseed number 3.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, glad to be back over here.
and have my boy lucio present in the audience, glad to have him back and keep him healthy, just got out of the hospital again Sunday.
trying to keep him healthy, away from dell children's.
summer school is in session, slow down to 20 miles an hour or otherwise posted.
use common sense, slow down for the safety of students and others safe.
i'm sure that you heard the news of 117% increase of foreclosures in Travis County is documented in Travis County records.
it is not indicative of a turn around of the economy or positive turn around in the economy.
i know most or all of all are really working closely and keeping in tune with these figures, it's not good, it's catastrophic and counter productive for the citizens and residents of the Travis County and city of Austin.
the census will be more important this go around than others, even though others were very important.
what does the census do.
it brings back more elected officials, more funding, jobs, et cetera.
so it's very important when we do establish a committee or -- we are hired to -- to -- to count the people in the census to do a thorough job because everybody should be counted, Texas will get more funding, more positions as far as the legislature is concerned or maybe congressional district members, elected officials.
please support our military veterans, I'm going to say it again, I'm a marine corps veterans, coming back with mental health issues, post-traumatic stress disorders, they need jobs, job trains.
a lot of veterans stand to lose their homes.
i think there is a program by where they can abate the -- I think they have money in order to help out with their mortgages, anyway just call either Travis County or call your state and local elected official or your congressman.
reentry programs are needed.
there are no jobs here to people coming back.
they want to go back into a position that's low paid, not even there, not too many jobs for the people.
the city proposed to eliminate funding for 700 summer job program positions for the youth.
this is catastrophic and next go around, next budget, it's going to be very, very sad because they have proposed to cut a lot of positions, a lot of programs, a lot of the library hours which I can understand, but not summer job program for the youth.
keep them productive and active during the summer.
some of you are members of the community action network, interact with Austin independent school district city officials.
let me tell you one thing, what the Austin independent school district does, if you are going to go, you need to attend summer schools you have to pay a tuition of $1,789 for the first session.
they claim they have vouchers, some sort of alternatives for payment, but let me tell you something, a lot of kids will not be able to go to summer school because of the required funding or price of summer school, this is not acceptable
>> [buzzer sounding] I will finish up.
we need to allow the students to recover the credits that can go towards graduates.
thank you very much.
judge, thank you for the call for lucio.
our prayers have been powerful and keep up the good work, thank you all very much, have a good day.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, mr.
priest?
>> judge, Commissioners, you know, I'm always happy to see my judge's smiling case and Commissioners court, I want to tell each and every one of you all that I really appreciate you all.
i think you are the most outstanding government body that I have ever seen.
>> thank you
>> [laughter]
>> club le bare last week at the city council, I can't say the same thing about them, last week the item 79 was club le bare, the newspaper article was wrong.
it says the club had to get a liquor license to meet the lease requirement.
the things that was was that the reality tore had a kick out clause which we never got to see.
they were kicked out of their last location because the city allowed them to be there.
there was a lot of lawsuits over there.
the city council decided the planning commission and neighborhood contact teams don't have standing, one business owner two doors down from this establishment that did have standing was not allowed to speak nor was I allowed to speak.
i was told by my mayor -- I thought that he would at least go out as a lame duck, he went out as a cooked goose.
he told me that I couldn't speak.
told me to sit down, accused me falsely in a public meeting of interrupting an attorney that told had he to stand behind him and if I had any questions tap him on his back, I was invited, unbeknownst to him.
he didn't realize that I do have a constitutional right and due process and there are things such as equal protection under the law.
14th amendment, first amendment, title 6, open meeting record violations, unintended consequences of learning to slam dunk a strip joint close to another strip joint just barely within the limit of two schools.
one of the councilmembers said we need to seek an a.g.
opinion on it, a close call, a jump ball.
i did get to talk to bill, he did say we would have a meeting, I finally got laura morrison to call me back.
i did talk to the tabc people, I do think there will be multiple protests, yes, I do have a constitutional right to protest this.
we do have a right to talk to the tabc.
i've got the protest forms.
they were all real nice people.
they didn't treat me real mean, ugly, nasty.
but I guess that's why I come down here so much.
i think sometimes our media doesn't address these things as they should, I appreciate the county judge having a forum that we can do these kind of things, I have never been ill treated by the county, county staff, county attorneys, they always return my calls, nobody returns my call from the city council, there the first time ever.
so many things were so untrue.
so many mischaracterizations, I wouldn't even be so nice to say it was mischaracterizations, it was lies, it was evil.
they had four meetings, one -- one planning commission --
>> [buzzer sounding] then the -- the lawyer comes, the people didn't even know that the lawyer came.
and they had the conversation the people come to a meeting and find out we didn't even know all of this was done behind our backs, we were told we weren't going to get standing, not even be allowed to speak.
this is going to affect neighborhood associations, areas where they have neighborhood associations or contact teams because -- now because of this ruling they will no longer have standing.
but I think the -- the saga will still continue, I think we will prevail in the end.
>> thank you, mr.
priest.
mr.
reeferseed is next, followed by larry tucker.
>> okay.
you can reach me now at
>> [indiscernible] at yahoo.com.
ronnie reeferseed here about the nonsensecal nature of the war with iran.
mindless designed in our zionist controlled need that our entire political system is ruled by zionist dead enders.
danger from the ancient civilization of persia, ie iran, the people there have not attacked anyone for well over 100 years.
imagine if the u.s., u.k., france, germany, if any of our allies had such a tradition of peaceful statehood.
the world needs more countries like iran who only fought defensively against sadam hussein's u.s.
backed 10 year war between iran and iraq.
iran was among the first nations to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
israel, on the other hands has never fully revealed anything about their samson option of worldwide anilation about the weapons of mass destruction.
our last president to stands up to israel was jfk, he said no to david ben gurion, he said no the u.s.
will not supply israel with the means to end all life on our garden planet.
i believe israel is
>> [indiscernible] prime minister david ben gurion's last official act was to give the go ahead for the assassination of jfk.
our zionist controlled media is trying to drive us over the cliff into worldwide war with iran, especially iran.
who benefits?
the running dogs who actually prefer an end to all life on our garden planet instead of any real change to that bigoted totalitarian regime of israel.
why attack iran?
we have already reduced iraq to a rubble and chaos and servitude to israel and her neo constitutions here.
we haven't overthrown iran since ray back in 1953, these facts can be more fully researched online.
also online we can all learn more by visiting www.infowars.com.
11:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m.
weekdays, 4:00 to 6:00 to Sunday afternoons, alex jones broadcasts for free on 901-point f.m.
another great source is the weekly newspaper american free press online for free right now, citizens can subscribe to
>> [indiscernible] american free press dot net.
ob/gyn Ron paul writes regularly for them since only afp gave dr.
paul any real coverage to his ongoing revolution of love for liberty in our sacred constitution.
thank you so much for your attention.
>> thank you.
>> and ditto on admiration for all of you all.
thanks.
>> mr.
tucker.
>> good morning, my name is larry tucker, I'm the Commissioners court's appointee to the city of Austin's animal advisory commission.
i have excited news I wanted to share with you.
the resolution city council approved on January 15th.
approve a resolution directing the animal advisory commission to evaluate and make recommendations on policies and programs proven to be effective at reducing the killing of homeless animals, including but not limited to policies and programs related to reducing intake, increasing live outcomes of sheltered animals.
by councilmember randi shade, shade, councilmember martinez and morrison that passed.
i am happy to report to the Commissioners court that we did evaluate those programs, policies, procedures from other markets and we have come up with our recommendation and wanted to read it today.
dear mayor and council, this is addressed to council -- the council.
dear mayor and councilmembers, on January 15th, 2009, you passed a resolution observing that the city of Austin has a long standing goal of ending the euthanization of adoptable pets at its animal shelter but we have much to do to meet this goal.
in directing us to evaluate and make recommendations on policies and programs, to be effective at reducing the killing of homeless animals, including but not limited to policies and programs related to reducing the intake and increasing live outcomes of sheltered animals.
we have dedicated five commission meetings to implementing your direct active and we thank you for the opportunity to provide input on this important subject.
report summary: is our conclusion that with a renewed focus on the dedication to life saving solutions, Austin's town lake animal center could save as many or more than 90 percent of animals that enter the shelter within 18 months.
austin is a progressive community of animal lovers who overwhelming support our city's pets.
the city of Austin along with non-profit organizations like emanci pet, Austin humane society, Austin pets alive, animals trustees of Austin, fix Austin.org, aswcp and others, improve the outlooks for homeless dogs and cats.
austin can and should quickly join the ranks of america's no kill communities.
recommendations to increase live outcome, a, comprehensive adoption program.
town lake animal center should immediately design and implement a comprehensive program to reduce adoptions of impounded animals.
this program should include, number one, off-site adoption locations throughout the city and cat, staffed seven days a week in high traffic areas.
Commissioner Gomez and I had a conversation about this, I think that we have a good plan to accomplish that.
this is a life saving program of highest importance to reduce Austin's kill rate and can be expected to save several thousand additional lives each year.
number 2, mechanisms.
such as partnership with emanci pet.
to increase the capacity of the shelter to take more impounded animals available and ready for adoption.
>> [buzzer sounding]
>> may I continue?
>> about 30 seconds more.
>> okay.
all right.
i just want to hit the bullet points and I will give you each a report.
large scale foster volunteer program.
reduce recommendations to decrease shelter intake.
reduce euthanasia of animals, replicate policies like cities like reno, nevada, reduce feral cath cateuthanasia ...
revise admission of animal services.
b, ensure a compassionate staff that reduces the status quo.
letter c, public involvement and candor.
d, explore outsourcing possibilities.
number 4, conclusion, we sincerely thank you, the Austin city council and the Commissioners court for giving us the opportunity to provide our recommendations for implementation of policies and programs that will reduce intake and increase live outcomes at town lake animal center.
we firmly believe that the right policies and programs in place can and should quickly become -- quickly become a national leader, Austin should become a national leader in animal sheltering saving of the lives in 90 percent or more of the communities impounded dogs and cats.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, mr.
tucker.
give us one copy, we will distribute it.
why don't we get a follow-up report in three to four months, puts it on the agenda, that way we'll have a bit more time to discuss it.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, appreciate your service, you are the county appointee?
>> we, I am up for reappointment on July 31st, I believe.
i would appreciate being -- having the opportunity to make sure that these policies and programs are implemented.
i appreciate your reappointment.
thank you.
>> thank you.
that does it for citizens communication.
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:
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:31 PM