Travis County Commissioners Court
December 29, 2009,
Citizens Communication
>> good morning, let's call
to order this voting session
of the Travis county
commissioners court.
commissioner Eckhardt is
expected to join us in just
a few minutes, she did
indicate she would be just a
few minutes late.
turning to the agenda, we
have been asked to pull item
no. 22, and to postpone
items 25 and 26, our county
clerk wants to be here for
those items and cannot be
here today and the others
are ready.
citizens communication is
first.
and this gives residents an
opportunity to address the
court on any matter not on
the agenda.
one resident has signed in.
gus pena.
>> good morning, judge.
>> good morning.
>> I told you yesterday i
was not going to be able to
make it today.
but I had to.
i have been doing this, i
don't toot my horn talking
about what I have done, but
i have been doing activism
since 1967 when I was a
proud student at johnston
high school, when my english
teacher, I will not mention
her name, may she rest in
peace, gracias, saying that,
she punished me, sent me to
the vice principal.
i got a spanking.
i had to go to the school
board meeting.
that was my first activism.
before that my dad lucio may
he rest in peace, crystal
cities, where the mexican
american politics started.
having said that, i'm a
little bit tired of business
as usual.
i'm a little bit tired and
really concerned about how
people are treated, the
poor, the needy, the have
nots, less fortunate and the
homeless.
for example, I will give you
a for example.
you go to a -- seton, you
are treated, your bill comes
out to 48,000, four hours,
mri, cat scan, 48,000, given
morphine and some medication
more potent than morphine,
$48,000 and seton wants to
keep all of that money and,
you know, you have to go to
court for it.
you have to fight.
you have to fight for what
is right.
anyway, that is abusive.
talking about health care
reform.
a lot more health care
reform needs to be taking
place, not only in the
country, but here in the
state of texas.
seton, for one, is supposed
to be a charity hospital.
has become less of a charity
hospital, more of a painful
stay.
anyway, hospital districts,
seniors with medicare will
no longer be treated at the
clinics for dental work.
you have to wait hours,
intake occurs, then an
appointment will be given to
the applicant.
this process needs to be
re-evaluated.
this needs to be
re-evaluated for
effectiveness or lack of
effectiveness.
people are denied services
because they don't have the
documents to substantiate
residency or income or proof
of -- people that have
helped them out, donated
money to their cause.
you can give them a 30 day
temporary card, you know,
it's gotten to the point
where this is criminal.
and commissioner Gomez, i
speak to everybody, not only
is it in precinct 4, but
it's prominent -- prevalent
in the precinct, but we have
a lot of poor people,
precinct 1, commissioner
Davis you have said it many
times, we have a lot of poor
there.
i know a lot of people in
your precinct, family,
friends.
this system needs to be
revamped.
you all as commissioners, i
told the city council and
the mayor, you need to
re-evaluate this.
look at what's happening
there.
a lot of things are
occurring that are hurting
people.
two families that I know
have been evicted.
landlords were asked to
postpone eviction, wait
until after the new year's.
people have hard hearts,
they evicted them.
four days to leave, where
are they going to go, adds
to the homelessness.
as a landlord you deserve
your money, you deserve your
property.
have a kind heart.
help the people out.
kids are going to be
homeless.
happy new year, continue the
march and changes need to be
made even in the governor's
position and elsewhere.
anyway, thank you all for
hearing me out.
i hope that you will do
something about the hospital
district.
>> thank you, mr. pena.
>> commissioner Gomez?
>> judge, I would just
simply like to say that from
the Travis county
government, I would like to
extend condolences to the
barrientos family for their
sudden loss of wife and
mother emma.
she was a long-time county
employee and contributed to
this community.
many, many hours for the
betterment of everyone.
also, to our former
colleague, karen sonleitner,
condolences on the loss,
sudden loss, as well, of her
father over the weekend.
and again you have our
heartfelt condolences and
know that we -- you have
friends here.
also, to the aguirra family,
last wednesday, lost susan,
she, too, was a long-time
county employee that worked
in various county
departments and so today
i'm -- to her children and
her mother and her brother,
our sincerest condolences on
behalf of the Travis county
government.
thank you.
>> commissioner, I really
applaud you for doing that.
but if you don't mind.
>> not at all.
>> could we have just maybe
a moment of silence for
those that you mentioned.
>> absolutely.
>> thank you.
judge?
>> let's add ruby hancock,
the wife of the city city
council member passed away
today, her funeral is today.
>> thank you, judge, let's
have a moment of silence for
those names that were
mentioned please, thank you.
amen.
>> anybody else 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, December 29, 2009 12:30 PM
