Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 (Agenda)
Citizens Communication
Next is citizens communication.
this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court on any matter not on the agenda.
by the way, I notice that several residents have come to speak on item a 1.
my request is that you wait until we call that item up.
citizens communication is for those who have come to give comments on anything not on the agenda.
anything not on the agenda today.
so ...
richard frances here on an item on the agenda?
>> a 1.
>> okay.
jim sylvester.
is the first speaker.
and jim will be followed by andrea sloan, ms. Sloan are you here on an item or citizens communication?
>>
>> [indiscernible]
>> okay.
citizens communication.
>> does this go along with item no.
4 as well?
>>
>> [indiscernible]
>> jim sylvester, Travis County sheriff's office.
as you know, the sheriff hamilton and I are always involved in a lot of different community aspects.
not to take away from the proclamation that's going to be issued today.
we will also be here for that to support the Austin-Travis County family violence task force and that proclamation.
the package that I've just handed out to everyone is in regards to the partnership that's created from the sheriff's office and Texas advocacy project for domestic violence and awareness campaign that the sheriff's office is partnering with for the month of October.
we have reached out to virtually all of the independent school districts in Travis County and the head coaches and the athletic directors in those school districts have agreed to wear the purple ribbon for domestic violence awareness month on all of the varsity football helmets for the month of October.
they have also agreed to do psa announcements at all of the football games.
westlake high school at their jumbotron has agreed to put on a psa.
if you are not aware of it, safe place, Texas add advocacy project and the sheriff's office puts on a contest every year, those are going to be played on the jumbotron, push cards that will be handed out to the games, about domestic violence awareness, we thought it would be a great opportunity to express to everyone in the community and especially to the different isd's and school districts in their support for this campaign effort.
we think that it's going to be a big success.
the high school football players, we have met with, really embrace the concept and coaching staff embraced it and we think it will be a big success in the community.
we've had a lot of feedback from other school districts outside of the Travis County, wanting to know why they weren't included.
we have said we will get you next season and kick this off.
virtually every school district in the surrounding area wants to be involved in this program next year, to ramp this up.
also during basketball season, February is teen dating violence awareness month, all of the isd's in Travis County have agreed to be part of the campaign awareness for teen dating violence and they will be wearing ribbons on the basketball uniforms in February.
it will be a great opportunity to talk about the dirty little secret in the community about family violence and addressing those issues and making everybody a lot safer in their families.
thank you.
>> I'm andrea sloan, the executive director at Texas advocacy project, we are here today in partnership with the sheriff's office to talk about how excited we are, because we think that getting the players involved in talking about teen dating violence actually can have some pretentious effects and also kind of stop it where it's happening.
thank you for your time today.
>> thank you, glad to see you.
>> florence, were you here on an item?
you are with them?
good to see you.
good speech.
ronnie reeferseed.
followed by morris priest, followed by john k.
kim.
>> thank you, sir.
yes, I'm ronnie
>> [inhale] reeferseed singing yippee, I ain't no yuppy I'm a freedom fighter for the family farmers, realizing freedom thanks to everyone -- with old mcdonald grows some hemp, everybody win, all of the crops become more valuable, competition is the key __ more organic crops means more money for especially you and me, no satan death crops go away, we the eat more healthily.
with legalized hemp and marijuana overnight I predict here and now the number of farmers in our country will at least double right here in the u.s.a., we can stop the killing from ultraviolent mexican drug thugs by killing their number one cash crop, marijuana.
and no we don't need our overworked troops to fight yet another battlefield, governor guardasil.
instead we need absolutely freedom for family farmers here at home right now, soon to be president ob/gyn dr. Ron paul will help deliver freedom, peace, prosperity to our struggling family farm communities.
by the way, having more rich farmers, family farmers helps everyone with more trucks, with more tractors, et cetera, more full-time farmers means more full-time workers.
less unemployment.
hello.
so instead, no governor guardasil wants to send more u.s.
troops to be killed fighting drug thugs this mexico.
look, we're already in six, at least six countries fighting counter productive wars thanks to so-called president peace prize.
sotoro says he doesn't want to consult congress because he mostly wants to "maintain u.n.
credibility".
no!
so-called president peace prize there's nowhere in your job description, check the u.s.
constitution.
that you swore to protect and defend.
please do not force our troops to grow opium for global drug thug terrorists.
instead, liberate our farmers here, please top the killing of black babies everywhere.
headline: u.s.
black babies are more likely to be murdered in the womb than allowed to draw their first death.
that's black genocide.
wake up brothers and teenagers, let's stop the killing with freedom.
why was the -- by the way, why was Texas straw poll canceled?
because we only have two texans on the ballot?
hum ...
no, it's because our straw poll was canceled because dr. Ron paul was going to smash governor guardasil hands council.
not a peep from ourzel lot controlled lame scheme media.
hey, they are just too busy talking about israeli stooge federal reserve bankster stooge herman cain to run against peace prize bankster stooge obama.
to learn more visit www.americanfreepress.com, info wars.com, stop the killing, help save our world.
>> thank you, mr. Reefer seed.
>> you are cutting me short.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners, morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
I did get the report from the governors at the capitol about the situation down south of the border, Texas border security and strategic military assessment.
the report is out and I think the people down at the capitol -- I thank the people down at the capitol for sharing that information with me, todd staples, doc, everybody down there.
I did want to say that I saw that anne colter had a new book out called demonic, already in one of the half price book stores, right between antlers in the tree top and 50 yards from the out house by will he make it.
>> [laughter] but anyway -- somebody got that one.
but anyway, yeah, this border situation, the people, the government is not for it, but the people are.
the latest poll that came out yesterday says most of the citizens are for the military going down there.
I did want to mention that not only, you know, I think mitch winehouse is probably going to make its way to Austin.
you remember amy winehouse, no, no, no, we're going to have a campaign similar to that when it comes to our elected officials and their bonds.
no, no, no.
amy winehouse, she was into music, horses and kids but I think that it's going to be a pretty good thing if he makes it down here.
going to be a musical event.
but anyway, I think that rondella hawkins, linda and other people have done a great job down at Austin access television.
from what I have talked to, some of the producers about three of us are going to be doing a show, it's going to be a documentary.
I think it will be entertaining as well as informative.
I did want to let you know a lot of things are going on in the community.
of course I called you, judge, the other day about occupy Austin wall street event.
yes, they are already in town.
I thought they were going to be here for -- for two weeks, but they're going to be here for two months.
but anyway, just thought that I would let you know that they are here.
and they are easy to spot.
you can be ray charles and spot these guys.
all that you have to do is listen to them for a little bit because
>> [singing], I don't think the elevator goes all the way to the top.
if it does, it's kind of like that pink floyd song, hello, is anybody in there, in there, in there?
__
>> [laughter] I thought you guys might need a little cheering up.
>> [laughter] but anyway, I tell ya, we've been podcasting the campo meeting the last two months.
next month is going to be the last time because I had to send in my substitutes because I wasn't going to be able to make it these last three months.
but I know that you were entertained by that, judge.
anyway,
>> [laughter], we had -- I had a lot of michael morton, that's a story that I thought that I covered three or four years ago, actually it was five years ago, he's free at last.
so are a lot of other people.
but anyway I had a whole lot of information, but stay tuned.
the revival is continuing.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
>> [ applause ] dr. Kim is next, followed by gus pena.
>> thank you, your honor, good morning.
>> good morning.
>> I greatly appreciate you and I have been here almost one year, since October 19th, 2010, until today.
almost every Tuesday.
and I pray and appreciate america and the Texas and the Travis County.
as a great, greatest government ever in human history.
and I also have been here to educate american lawyers and Texas lawyers, Travis County lawyers.
I read wonderful article today after 25 years of imprisonment, d.n.a.
will free man.
this is written by chuck lindell, Austin american-statesman.
so this case still continues, not the finally resolved.
I would like for him to apply for pulitzer prize for this article.
the article still continue, but the man was wrongfully convicted for crime.
as a murder in the Texas court 25 years ago.
and the problem was, the judge and
>> [indiscernible] hold the evidence that could release him 25 years ago.
according to this article.
but the case is still pending.
let me let you know this is a court -- this is the court of Travis County.
judge john k.
dietz and scott jenkins, steven yelonoski and the sheriff's office.
I respect the sheriff's office.
they evicted me from the court after five years hearings.
no trial.
no trial.
mistrial.
after five years, continued.
so that I cannot spoke, but I dearly appreciate you.
you still allowed me to hear to speak to you.
and I received a letter September 29th, 2011, so the court of appeals threatened me -- the court will dismiss your case because you did not file brief.
I filed the brief June 14th.
another one June 15th.
another one, June 20th.
this one example brief.
46 pages.
the create, we should honor those people.
lowed to me.
you didn't file brief.
I filed three times.
they made me wait one hour in the court.
they gave -- but, but, but oh, we didn't -- horrible
>> [indiscernible] what did you do with this?!!
>> thank you, dr. Kim.
mr. Pena.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, gus pena, proud east -- native east Austin night, proud united states marine corps veteran, served during vietnam.
I want to welcome back my 23rd weapons battalion, united states marine corps, stationed at camp mabry.
we used to be stationed at barton springs road in 1973, they moved it in 1977 to camp mabry.
welcome back my brothers marines.
we pray for you, your return, we pray that you recover from the many ailments that you bring back with you and from the war.
I want to thank you, also, Commissioners court for funding more corrections officers, more patrol -- or deputy patrol units.
we need them out there, crime is increasing.
don't believe the news.
crimes is on the increase.
bill maclemore, I want to thank him, also, former lieutenant colonel, retired army vietnam veteran, former assistant secretary of veterans affairs for helping homeless marines and also helping out army, navy, whatever army personnel, veterans that are homeless.
judge and Commissioners, one of the things that occurred after passing the budget at the city of Austin was a lot of good social service agencies that were left unfunded.
when the city of Austin can hire or contract out consulting services at the tune of $100,000 to $250,000, this is a disgrace to the city of Austin and taxpayers of Austin.
they cannot fully fund all social service agencies.
you know, cash cow, Austin energy, they could find $3 million in there easily do a line item readjustment.
I'm a former i.r.s.
investigators, I can tell you there's money there.
you can do an adjustment for social service agencies, they need the help out there.
the need is greater.
two out of five people are living in poverty.
two out of five.
I would guesstimate that the joblessness people, the people without jobs out there, it's about 10 and a half percent.
it's higher than what anybody else is telling youment don't believe the news out there.
it's higher.
people just give up.
many of vets becoming homeless, veterans becoming homeless, it's a disgrace to the united states of america.
one of the proudest countries in the world.
we're not the richest anymore.
china is.
I think that it's a disgrace that anybody will have the homeless people in our country.
social service agencies it's a disgrace not to fully fund them.
judge, Commissioners, I want to thank bob knicks and wayne, that's a personal issue for me and my family, I want to thank them, they came out and helped out the people.
a society's worth is measured by the treatment of the less fortunate.
there's an old saying back in '69, '70, don't forget, hire the vet.
kiss your children.
hug your children.
tell them that you live them.
because you might not have them tomorrow.
we need help for truancy prevention, dropout prevention, we need people that care about our kids that will help educate them on math, algebra, geometry.
thank you all very much.
volunteer to become a mentor and tutor.
thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Pena.
>> thank you, gus.
>> anybody else for citizens communication?
we ran out of forms. Anybody for citizens communication who did not sign in because of no forms available 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.
