Travis County Commissioners Court
November 17, 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.
cindy perryington is first, followed by bryan hopkins, followed by gus pena.
>> good morning.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, cindy perryington, hrmd.
i would just like to take a moment this morning to introduce brian hopkins with the Austin torros.
they have decided to name their opening game of the season Austin employee -- or Travis County employees appreciation united.
i will turn it over to brian so he can tell you a little bit about it.
>> judge, Commissioners, thank you know your time, I'm brian hopkins with the Austin torros, a proud affiliate of the san antonio spurs here in Austin.
excited to start our fifth season on November 27th this year.
as parts of that, we thanking throughout our fifth season, all of the communities and the people that have supported us here in central Texas and in Austin and so our opening night we would love to make it Travis County employee appreciation night.
so we'll be honoring public service throughout the evening as well as making announcements and hopefully having an exciting game as well.
>> thank you.
>> thank you so much.
>> thank you.
>> what do you all have scheduled?
>> we have the houston rockets half I can't tell, the -- affiliate, rio grande valley vipers.
>> they have a pretty good time.
>> not as good as Austin.
>> I hope not.
>> this game is the day after thanksgiving, we are hoping everybody will have a houseful of company and bring all of their company down to the game and have a big time.
>> really generous of you, thank you for doing this for us again.
>> thank you.
>> gus pena, followed by ronnie reeferseed, followed by jimmy castro.
>> judge, good morning, gus pena, proud united states marine corps veteran.
first of all, I wanted to thank all of the people who attended the veteran's day parade.
it is an honor for us veterans to see all of the people out there, especially the children.
i'm hope thank their school district did not count them absent or unexcused absence, but it is disgraceful for our country not to have a holiday for the students to participate.
lucio wanted to come over here, but school is mandatory and priority.
i don't want you to get in trouble.
having said that, one of the things that I would like to bring up to you, judge Biscoe and I think Commissioner Eckhardt, you are part of the trimeeting with the Austin independent school district and city of Austin, a lot of our kids are -- and parents are being filed on and referred to the justice of the peaces because of problems where the attendance clerk is not doing their job, his or her job in correctly getting the notification from the parents as to -- as to why their students were excused.
a lot of people going out there and I am going to tell you what, I am very, very upset about this, I was on the dropout task force, from '98 to 2000, specifically the dropout specialists were given their job.
we asked for this position to be established for prevention of dropouts and also absences and so anyway they are very, very -- you know, they are going -- they are very aggressive, shouldn't do that.
they look at situation first and then determine whether it's excused or unexcused, whether it merits going to the justice of the peace.
that's a hassle for a lot of people.
granted some kids and parents are not getting their kids to school and keeping them there in school where they should be.
but let's have discretion, something that y'all need to look at.
mentors and tutors, our kids need a lot of help in math and other subject matter.
we need to help them succeed and achieve scholastic excellence so they can graduate, let's cut the dropout rate because it is high.
judge, one of the things that really concerns me, also, as a former eeo federal investigator is that equal opportunity.
now, I don't mind two or three times when people go up there to your office, sign in in the signup sheet.
but when it comes more, you know, of occurrence and then we bring up the issues about personal issues and people -- people, you know -- a new policy, whatever, on citizens communication, that concerns me and we should be given equal opportunity and put the signup sheets over here instead of allowing people to sign up in your office.
to me that's not acceptable.
might be a little issue to y'all, not to me it's not.
give the people opportunity over here downstairs, everybody is busy, too.
i need to get out of here, too, so that does concern me.
anyway, last item, whatever your position is on iraq and afghanistan, please show your support and spread your appreciation to all of our military troops.
they have act faced immensely to protect -- sacrificed to protect our country and freedom.
they come back, many of them have mental health issues, substance abuse, alcohol abuse issues, we have dealt with them, currently dealing with them right now, the issue is this show your support to our country and god bless our troops, thank you.
>> flannery: thank you, mr.
pena.
>> mr.
reeferseed.
>> pardon me, I have to ask, can you wait to start the time before I ask this question, if I can?
i mean, I looked throughout the agenda, but I didn't see the -- the issue -- number -- the item no.
26, I think.
was that -- was that about the new rules that -- that was written about in statesman, that issue was not on the agenda.
>> not on today's agenda.
>> I can speak to that?
can I start my three minutes over.
>> I think that you have two minutes left, doesn't he?
>> come on.
well, county judge, Sam Biscoe will be cracking down to end bad Commissioners court decorum, displaying my signs after my measly three minutes to speak is merely my non-violent expression of political ideas guaranteed by our first amendment.
as crucial to the survival of the republic if not the planet.
i have handed to each of you last time a handy copy of our sacred constitution, you swear to protect and defend, but please try to understand it.
my non-violent display of political ideas where the background whenever plausible is not a crime, now or ever.
listen to your other arrogance, your own anointed powers.
now as county Commissioners and from now on with this silly draft will include evidently your power to choose what garments we commoners or varmints are allowed to wear in your presence.
accordingly, we commoners or varmints with you not express ourselves in any way beyond the three minutes that you grant us to address your lordships.
of course some unsuspecting person that happens to read by political signs might be exposed to new ideas political or otherwise?!!
call the sheriff!
my father won a silver star as well as a purple heart in world war ii, for our nation who sacrificed our lives for our freedoms are spinning in their graves right now, just keep crapping on our sacred constitution, you arrogant, delusional, ignorant spoiled brates who decide for the rest of us just what portion of our sacred constitution the supreme law of our land that you feel happens to fit into your own lazy tiny mind surrender to the build a burgers, the evil global elite that bank center military media complex of scum evidently rules you all to.
here and now I'm stating my intention to replace perhaps my very own Commissioner from precinct 3, who in this particular case is the main source of this arrogant scheme to destroy our sacred constitution for the sake of some personal vendetta, I might run for something else, www.freepotnow.com is a place to leave your support and more for myron knee reeferseed revolution of love.
264-16289 or e-mail me at freepotnow@gmail.com for your ideas.
thank you very much.
>> thank you, mr.
reeferseed.
mr.
castro?
>> followed by paul lavina, who will be followed by dan mansour.
>> thank you judge, good morning, judge Biscoe and Commissioners, my name is jimmy castro here on speak on my obey behalf.
for -- my own behalf.
for those high school students planning for a summer job and everyone else looking for a job, now is the time to add those business skills employees are looking for from a.c.c.
continuing education.
this first slide shows classes that are essential for every resume at the a.c.c.
austin's cad learning center continuing education cad classes.
autodesk certification courses.
this program prepares students for autodesk certification preparation, autodesk certified user exam, autodesk certificate sighed expert exam.
then the certification is granted.
at the cad learning center you can get the certification for the following applications.
autocad, auto desk architectural desk stop, civil 3 d and autodesk interventor.
certification is granted when you successfully pass a specific certification examination.
how much does the certification cost?
the certification preparation class is $175 for an 8 hour class.
the certified user exam is $150.
the certified expert exam is $150.
how long does it take?
the preparation class is 8 hours long.
the exams are timed and can take up to three hours.
the autocad certified users and certified expert exams are two hours each.
how do I sign up?
you can register in person right behind the highland mall on the fourth floor across from the elevators.
register for classes there or call the office.
finally, Austin community college, not only wants to help you apply for that job, they want to help you get that job.
thank you, judge, Commissioners.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, mr.
castro.
would the following individuals please come forward.
paul levina, dan mansour, dan mansour, morris priest.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> I have stated before to the city of Austin and they have chosen not to do anything in spite of the high rates of poverty and unemployment.
and ignorance in east Austin.
my name is paul levina.
when we arrived in this barrio in 1998, we were living the tough life so I decided to work with families right away
>> [indiscernible] police raids became check points, road block, the school district denied good employment so did the city and the state.
driving unemployment up to 20% in the schools, communities, young girls trying prostitution, families became desperate in the projects for d.p.s.
run identity theft operations and insurance agents bribed about their protection.
back then, a young
>> [indiscernible] there was charging top rates in his insurance business
>> [indiscernible] was killed.
he didn't care.
in the early 90s young blacks and hispanics were growing up young and smart, I thought they had a chance to change their elders' suffering.
i noticed gangs from other neighborhoods, so east side schools, privileged economic zones
>> [indiscernible] experience.
johnston, l.b.j.,
>> [indiscernible] and by 200420 square miles of east Austin was a waste lands of talents and skills.
the top brass at a.p.d., mayor todd, chief watson, they all knew.
bishop aymond didn't care, ronnie earl didn't care, rabbi freedman didn't care.
you didn't care.
they dropped out, joined the drug trade by the end of forgione's term, 1800 were
>> [indiscernible] while caucasians graduating from lasha.
>> [indiscernible] became southwest key.
volunteers were banned and the principal jumped off at the request.
that's how you create criminals out of good citizens.
you deprive them of good education,
>> [indiscernible] your own and you tax them.
crime is more than two-thirds in response to your ticket rates, your stop and search, your hiring practices, your business protection, your i.d.
theft, insurance support, racist educational system, corrupt judges and all of the hell you get from t.v.
networks.
change these policies and crime rates will drop.
thank you.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
mr.
mansour.
>> judge, Commissioners, good morning.
pleased to sit before you and announce that the del valle clinic will be opening, grand opening November 19th at 9:30 a.m.
the clinic was a stand alone newly constructed clinic to replace the one room country clinic that we've had out there for about three years.
it -- it is quite a -- a building and it's going to facilitate treating the employees retirees an dependents who live in the southeast part of Travis County.
the time is 9:30 a.m.
on the 19th.
the location is 3518 south farm-to-market road 7973, located directly behind the southeast community center.
we hope that you can attend the grand opening and we're very excited about the building, facilities management did an outstanding job and the construction we've had -- we've had the -- the it support get the building up and running, but especially we want to thank the court for your support of the clinic program and the wellness and health program that's we have been able to bring before the employees.
it's made a major difference in our health care and the costs of health care.
>> thanks.
good thing happening.
>> it is.
>> thank you, mr.
mansour.
>> thank you.
>> mr.
priest if.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners, my name is morris priest, speaking on my own behalf.
txdot is experiencing problems collecting their tolls, they have $3.2 million that they have in outstanding unpaid tolls and they have only collected $82,767 of these unpaid tolls.
of course, they were willing to write off $52.5 million of -- for these tolls that they haven't collected by not asking the people that owe these back tolls to pay 90% of their fines.
150,000 plus vehicles that have these delinquent tolls and fines and they have only collected from 5,202 vehicles, 74% of the people in Texas that drive these toll roads basically they are speaking of the four, three of them in the central Texas area, 74% pay with a tex tag, 16% pay by mail, 10% pay by cash.
as I previously announced in Commissioners court, we don't make any money on these cash toll booths, they are a break even proposition, so it's just a enormous waste of time and money and effort.
now we see that our courts may be burdened.
the maximum fine is $25 for not paying the tolls, but if it goes to the court it will be $448 per toll.
more money that will never be collected, much like the drivers responsibility program.
very old figures that I last saw the driver responsibility program assessed over a billion dollars, collected 300 million.
100 million drivers with no license registration, insurance, inspection.
if you are wondering why the postal service is doing so bad, it's another bank bailout, fallout, over 8 billion as the post office calls it bulk mail, but as most of us call it junk mail, was sent out every year by the banking institution for people to get credit cards, that number is now going to be down to $1.5 billion this year.
another wasted revenue stream our government is doing.
today is the day, Sarah palin is going rogue.
>> [laughter] next up, we're talking about the recycle issue that we have here in the city of Austin now that we have found out that they are going to hire blow horn, I strayhorn to help us with that issue.
also the next thing, kirk watson wants to move union pacific off of mopac.
how do you spell fat chance?
i think that the best thing that we can do is move our city election from may to November.
so that we don't get stuck with these people with 35 endorsements that only get 7% of the vote and not even get half of the vote for mayor.
one of the things that I think we can do is if we come up here and speak out, I have been successful everything from the r.v.
park to las manitas, mid town live, all issues in this city, if you go to the capitol, work with your legislators, come these meetings and get involved you can have the long lasting track record that I've had with one success after another.
the worst that I have ever done is a partial win.
>> thank you mr.
priest.
>> 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, November 17, 2009 1:40 PM
