Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, August 3, 2010,
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 a full three minutes. Major darren long is first. And he brought backup today.
>> [laughter] and diane blankenshin our hrmd director is second.
>> good morning, commissioners, i just want to take an opportunity to let y'all know, i know the judge and i have already been talking about this. That for the third consecutive year in a row we've attained our certificate of compliance from the texas commission on jail standards and i want to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of the hard work. First, these are my four captains, they work very hard. But awful the correctional officers and support staff throughout the correctional system. That come to work every day. Just like the mailman, rain, sleet, snow, anything like that. When everybody is off on holidays and vacations, those posted are manned 24/7, 365. A lot of times we have conversations on sometimes people in the media kind of bash us like last week, but -- but they usually don't put out the whole story. So i look forward to the opportunity in court to defend that one.
>> we saw a little bit of that yesterday.
>> [laughter]
>> but i am mainly here to recognize all of the hard work and achievements of our staff in the sheriff's office and the correctional system. They are very dedicated professionals. And we're here to support them. Sheriff hamilton is very proud of 'em. I know i am. The captains are, so it's a good day.
>> we were out of compliance how many years?
>> well, a few years -- spotted tee here and there -- spotty here and there. But three years in a row, all of the support that you give us on capital improvements and staffing keep us in compliance because all of the staff that we have and all of the funds that are needed to keep the jails up to standards is very vital to the system. And i appreciate all of the support from the commissioners court. And the citizens of travis county that pay the taxes to help us pay for it. So it's a good day for us.
>> thank y'all. I mean that's really something that i feel should be highlighted. Hopefully the media will pick up on it and say the outstanding job that you are doing so the taxpayers can realize that it's not easy to maintain jail standards. There's so many other counties that are not in compliance with jail standards. Folks. So i think it's just a big plug to travis county. Thank you.
>> keep up the great work.
>> thank you.
>> thank you.
>> y'all have a good day.
>> thank you.
>> diane blankenship is next. We need to congratulate her on completing her first week of employment at travis county.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> i just wanted to come today and introduce the newest member of the hrmd team. This is ms. Kimberly austin smith. She joins us as the new staffing, training and employee relations manager for the hrmd department. Letting you know a little bit about her. She attained her bachelor of science degree in political science at the university of kansas. She's completed all of her course work also from the same institution. For her master's in public administration. Almost 20 years of governmental h.r. Experience coming from the city of topeka, kansas, where she served as the assistant hr director and human resources director. Most recently at the austin area urban league at their h.r. Director. We are so pleased to have her on board. Thank you.
>> appreciate being here and look forward to a long and healthy relationship serving our citizens.
>> we are so pleased because this is the first time in a year that the hrmd has been fully staffed. Which everybody has told me we're finally fully staffed. They are very excited about that. So kim completes our team. We are ready to start all of the work that the team has already -- is already working on.
>> looking forward to working with you.
>> very much so, thank you.
>> you are not in kansas anymore.
>> i'm not in kansas anymore.
>> [laughter]
>> i don't know if that's good or bad, i don't really know.
>> well, your name predestined you to live here.
>> that's exactly right. Happy to be here.
>> there you go.
>> welcome.
>> thank you so much.
>> thank you.
>> welcome.
>> glen nestle is next.
>> when sheriff
>> [indiscernible] told me that i have certain rights i took for granted those were constitutional rights. The sheriff, deputies denied those and central booking they made up policies and procedures in lockup, they called each other liars, i received no medical attention, save blood tests for blood sugar, i am prediabetic, but i have other diagnosed problems. I have full blown aids, the cell that i was in had a toilet ring with fecal matter, three quarters of an inch by an eight inch thick, which
>> [indiscernible] every time i flushed. Fecal matter contains viruses, bacteria, other infectious living organisms that departments in it. Deposits in it. People of color represent 70% of the h.i.v. Aids caused in 2008 and there are at the most risk of exposure to unclean condition. The police officer that gave me my breathalyzer failed to follow procedure. He -- he had me breathe into the intoxilyzer, before that he opened up a red packet, took out a white wipe, wiped off the end of the tube, put a mouth piece on it, asked me to give a blood sample. No
>> [indiscernible] wipe is to be used because it renders it inadmissible. The county attorney used this type of evidence in prosecuting me and other citizens of the united states. They are not doing their due diligence, guilty of bad ethics and breaching their fiduciary responsibility. Also made aware in my case of evidence that was tampered with making it prejudicial, evidence fabricated, inadmissible. The county is on legal notice. I do not have to go to individual elected officials. I am an unusual case. I was a county risk manager. And i have had extensive litigation experience in previous jobs. I looked at the county attorney's files, something very few people that are arrested for a dwi and a controlled substance and had the charges dismissed for lack of evidence. Most people rarely do that. I have tried to contact local democratic elected officials, i was naive, no one was interested. I am going to the police monitor's office to file a complaint on officers roan, garcia, gilbert and jennings. They lost my first request to file a complaint. I had to follow up and request two parallel processes go forward. I have been told by the police monitor's office to express -- to expect no satisfaction from that process. I have been intimidated already on the phone by police officers and i have been warned by people friendly to my cause outside of the state to -- to watch my back, that my personal safety may be at risk because i am putting police officer's careers and their pensions on the line if i should follow this to the logical conclusion. As well as my loved ones well-being on the line. I am going to the city council and to the police monitor's office this week. I will then focus on my civil rights complaint with the justice department for the things that i have described are tangential to the underlying complaints
>> [buzzer sounding] i contacted the d.a., the texas attorney general and the texas bar regarding the issues that fall under their purview. I would like to also say that my father fought in world war ii and was a jewish pow in a nazi pow camp. Because of that, i'm not just going to let this go. I -- in his memory and what he went through, i need to -- i need to follow up on these things.
>> thank you, mr. Nestle.
>> thank you.
>> morris priest is next. And he'll be followed by ronnie reeferseed.
>> thank you, judge, commissioners, morris priest, speaking on my own behalf. I did get a contact from the texas alliance for life and they wanted us to thank senator john cornyn and senators kay bailey hutchinson for stalling the vote on the house bills -- house resolution 5175 and senate resolution of -- of 3628. It's the -- it's the disclose act, which is basically the fairness doctrine. You know, all of y'all are familiar when we have these things that we see, you know, even in citizens communication and other venues or at hearings that we have and we hear people talk about the media, you know, many people in this community feel that the main stream media is not reflective of what's really going on, whether it's print, television, radio and so some of us really value things such as access television. I know that recently i've had the ability to get on access station on channel 10 at 10:00 on wednesdays. Front line texas. And it's a good forum to have and some of us feel like, you know, that's the only thing that we do have. Is citizens comments or access television or internet -- type, you know, medias. But i did want to say that recently in our community we've had this division. I know that many people are familiar with the police union recent one. I just want to encourage people at this time. I was up yet about comments nelson lynn der made go, white people should fear black people when they go over to the east side. School is getting ready to start, it's a good time to support people like monte christo, which schools supported buying school supplies. I do have an appreciation for mr. Linder. I know that the statesman, working with these toll road issues, toll groups, i know that the statesman even presented sal costello from using our blog because the mudslinging got so bad. I do have appreciation for mr. Linder. I don't put him in the same category of texans against tolls, but i do think his mudslinging got up to the level of sal castle although. The employee draft situation with marc ott, we do have a lot of problems in our communication, there is a fairness issue. One of the things that i think that really gives me hope, not only my faith, but, you know, i really don't know why i like commissioner davis more than i like our county judge. I like both of the men, i --
>> he's more handsome.
>> i love both of the men. It may be because my dad served with mr. Davis in the fire department.
>> [buzzer sounding] but the thing of it is just because someone, you know, there's a great appreciation that i have for all of the county employees. They are world class. I know sometimes we're hard on our elected officials. And i know that -- that we do have to keep a balance. But, you know, not everything is a race issue. And i just want to encourage people to -- to realize that -- that things get pretty convoluted with these sound bites. Just wanted to let people know that we need to stick together. Thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
>> thank you.
>> mr. Reeferseed.
>> all these -- anyway, paying homage to the late great, george carlin, you will have to picture in your mind the signs or last week's weather. Anyway, this is of course, ronnie
>> [inhale] reeferseed. And i -- i'm here to talk about kids, stop imitating us so-called grownups, live life with joy now because with that first hit off of a joints or cigarette, or that first swig of alcohol, you have just killed your precious childhood. Now as an adult you can say hello to bills and obligations and criminal adults, et cetera. So avoid the bills, the potential jail time, no, kids, you don't want any of that. Avoid it, conserve the gift and you, too, grownup, conserve the right of life on our garden planet by protecting and defending our precious u.s. Constitution, mankind's greatest invention. This is it. Because some voters from arizona -- are being sued by our kenyan born indonesian subject so-called president obama, his thug handers have decided to attack the 11th amendment, no federal involvement in state business. Through our precious constitution for what? Clearly lock step servitude to the criminal banksters who destroy economy's worldwide by design and have been for decades, now the imf, nafta
>> [indiscernible] hit the sand with our dollar torn into paper like the
>> [indiscernible] republic suffered from. What's next? The u.s. Representative from texas recently object begin dr. Ron paul said recently our involvement in afghanistan is an ill advised quagmire, no end in sight, 10 years, trillions spent, nowhere for it to go. After all, victory never really defined, defeat it inevitable, for what? Billions of tax dollars from hard working americans are ending up lining the pockets of corrupt afghani officials. The point that sending aid money to afghanistan is not making poor people over there better off, it is making poor people here worse off. Not helping average citizens anywhere. Of course, that's what dr. Paul says. Close quote. Call 888-322-1414 for weekly updates from dr. Ron paul. Call (512)974-2250 to ask our mayor to please stop poisoning our tap water with toxic cluj that is killing -- sludge that is killing us. Thug-gangs, stop the funding that -- the killing by -- by granting absolute freedom for family farms to compete with poison ladened food crap shoved done our throats by the scum in charge. Help save family farms, help feed and save the world by emptying the jails, ...
>> [buzzer sounding]
>> locked up bernacke, larry summers, the entire
>> [indiscernible] regime, thank you so much.
>> thank you, mr. Reeferseed. Those are the five who signed in to speak under citizens communication today. Anybody here who didn't sign in?
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, August 3, 2010, 2010 12:30 PM
