Travis County Commissioners Court
January 3, 2012 (Agenda)
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is next.
this item gives residents an opportunity to address the court for any item not on the agenda.
gus pena first, followed by ronnie reeferseed, sidney pairington also.
mr. Pena.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners.
gus pena, proud native east Austinite, proud united states marine corps budget.
budget, start working on the budget this year.
we have a lot of people that are homeless.
as with the city of Austin, 17 agencies were not funded.
we talk about with quality of life for people in Austin-Travis County.
Austin rates go up.
why wait 17 years for the rate to go up, rate increase.
two of the things that concern us, and we've been meeting with various groups of people throughout the city of Austin, is that the churches right now pay the residential rate and now they are going to be -- if proposed and passed, will be paying the commercial rate, which is higher.
and that is not good.
what is it going to do?
it's going to cut the funding that they do to help out the poor, the needy, the homeless.
and not only that, but this electrical rate, proposed electrical rate is a bad time.
I am here to tell you if you go on the bus, you talk to homeless people, the good people that lost their homes, a motel with other family members, it isn't good in this economy.
I don't know why people say we're so prosperous.
prosperous for whom.
not prosperous in Austin, Travis County.
jobs, economic development are needed.
it's not getting done.
downtown, and I love charlie betz and I know the rest of the people, the 86th street association, I respect them, I support them, but you people we have to build affordable housing now.
I've said this for many years, let's clearly define affordability.
affordability means $500, $600 for rent, apartments or duplexes.
zero capacity right now.
zero inventory.
the higher tier, you are going to find $1,100, $1,200 a month.
people can't afford that.
people don't have the high wage jobs need to do sustain their livability.
homeless veterans, it is a disgrace that we in the united states of america, the government allows homeless vets to keep on being homeless.
we need to help out the veterans.
they don't have dental care.
if you are not wounded, you are not disabled or retired, you don't have dental care benefits at the veterans administration.
we have a proposed meeting with the secretary of veterans affairs in washington, senator john cornyn has been very helpful in our congressional inquiries for improving veterans health care.
housing not too much in going on, it's a disgrace.
I'd like to commend beverly hernandez.
she used to be a nurse at montopolis neighborhood center, then they moved her to st.
john's.
she retired last showers.
over 25 years of service.
her husband is a social worker at st.
john's and we would like to commend her and thank her for her service to our community.
>> [buzzer sounding] a society's worth is measured by its treatment of less fortunate.
let's help the people out and the veterans.
thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Pena.
mr. Reeferseed.
>> happy new year to all.
thank you.
hip, hip hooray, which is right around here somewhere.
it's a bumper sticker I've got.
but anyway, hot digety.
I'm ronnie reeferseed singing hallelujah, time to wake up by golly, for days our lame scheming media and hucksters have decided to mention the name of soon to be president ob-gyn dr. Ron paul in between stories of romney care and the new flavor of the month santorum.
the raging anybody but dr. Paul campaign has hit the wall in iowa.
why?
iowans practice real dempsy where votes are tabulated by real human beings.
not hackable.
so-called voting, close quotes, machines.
like we stupidly have in Texas.
real citizens testifying about who they support and why.
what a concept.
you know we are winning when the opposition from our lame scheming media now are saying a victory by dr. Paul in iowa suddenly doesn't mean anything.
huh?
it doesn't stop here.
if you want to join our ongoing ever extrapolating ob-gyn dr. Ron paul revolution for love of liberty and our precious tyranny shattering constitution, get on line.
type p-h-o-n-e.ron paul 2012.com.
join the grass roots activists like me, and after over 2500 calls coming out of my house, my efforts have been hijacked by some operative who has evidently infiltrated the phone for Ron paul revolution, but they can't stop everyone from grass roots activist.
type p-h-o-n-e.ron paul 2012.com.
they give you a script and dial the numbers for you.
I was on sixth street holding up my two Ron paul signs when somebody knocked me down to the concrete with a blow to my head.
this wasn't the first time and won't be the last.
I stand up to the organized crime thug morons in my ongoing campaign to help save our world, feed the future and absolute freedom for family farmers.
all family farmers will be much richer no matter what they grow after hemp marijuana is legalized.
visit info wars.com, american free press.net, lew rockwell.com, and to do more type phone.ron paul 2012.com.
yippee, we are wing.
come to brave new books for the next two republican debates victory parties.
Ron paul debate victory parties at 19th and guadalupe this week.
twice.
celebrate life, liberty and victory for our ob-gyn dr. Ron paul --
>> [buzzer sounding] -- who has delivered well over 4,000 babies so far, been a proud husband for well over 50 years, and who gets more support from more troops than all those other candidates combined.
>> thank you, mr. Reeferseed.
>> thank you.
>> sidney parington.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners.
hrmd.
I'd like to introduce our on site rep for united health care.
this is rowna ochoa wells.
she is settled in on site and she will be providing assistance to any employee who needs help on any united health care vision or prescription issue.
she is located in h.r.
right now in the 700 building on the fourth floor.
she's available on our email system and by phone.
I also wanted to remind everybody that the formulary went into effect January 1st.
if you are experiencing any problems or you don't understand how that's going to impact you, you can contact myself or rowena will be glad to help you.
we're also going to have a representative from prescription solution, clint sullivan, on site tomorrow and the next day to deal with anyone one on one that wants to talk about anything that is happening with formulary and how it relates to them.
we also are starting to implement long-term care tomorrow.
I start my first meetings tomorrow.
we're going to have meetings for about five and a half weeks.
I've got 85 meetings scheduled during January and the first week and a half of February.
this is for long-term care.
it's going to be a new product for us and we're trying very hard to get a 10% enrollment so we have a minimum enrollment.
family members can apply.
active employees will be guaranteed issue which means they don't have to answer any health questions.
no matter how bad their health is, the company has to take them.
any family members, spouses, grandparents, siblings, children, can apply for coverage but they will have to be underwritten with some health questions.
this is a new product for us and everyone is real excited to see it come on line.
if we get our 10% minimum, it will go into effect April 1st.
>> just to clarify, this is -- long-term health care is for assisted, you know, when you've got to go into an assisted living circumstance.
>> it can be either if you are put in a facility because of disability.
you can actually be treated at home.
and we've got two options that allow you to be treated.
one by skilled nursing and one by a family member, and you still get the same amount that you signed up for as long as you qualify because of your disability.
so it's -- most people think of it as nursing home, a way to help pay for nursing home, but it actually could be while you are in your own home because your benefit lasts longer then because you get a 50% benefit if you are at home.
we've got some really interesting plans.
everyone really needs to attend the meeting because it's something that requires a little bit of explanation.
that's why we're having so many meetings.
we want everyone to have time to attend the meeting.
we've got early meetings and late meetings, so we have plenty of time.
>> [buzzer sounding]
>>
>> [inaudible].
>> it's been sent out by email.
I've also got it, they will be posted around as well so check your emails.
I'll send it out again today.
>> so any question about basic insurance coverage should be directed to miss ochoa wells?
>> for united health care.
dental is another company.
vision --
>> vision, medical, pharmacy.
>> yes, goes to rowena first.
we can probably still help in h.r., but with we'll probably be second it to rowena first.
>> welcome, rowena.
>> thanks for the warm welcome and I'm here to help so please contact me.
>> thank you.
>> thank you very much.
>> morris priest.
the the the.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners, morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
happy new year.
I just hope that you had christ in your christmas which is what the whole season is about.
and just wanted to say that this year moving forward that I would hope that our elected officials whether they are on this court or city of Austin or state would listen to their constituents, not just their ilk or their brand or party.
and I would encourage that y'all do that when we get in these spirited debates.
I do know that we have an excellent staff here whether it's danny hobby or anna bolin who he had the pleasure to talk to quite some time this morning, and too numerous to mention.
when we have issues such as in the past with fireworks or things, herschel lee and others and, of course, our fire chief here at a.f.d., Austin fire department, sometimes the city and the county are not on the same page and sometimes it's -- we don't really like to see our fire chief join hands with our fire marshal on issues that sometimes we have these issues such as diversity.
we didn't have diversity back when people joined the fire department years ago.
of course I know mr. Davis is aware of this and we also didn't have to spend $850,000 for solely race based hiring.
and there's a lot of issues that are sometimes political issues and the reason I brought up the christ, some of us think that the 10 commandments are a guiding force.
some people it's easy to be a patriot and easy to be a george washington or Ron paul worshiper because then you don't have to face the accountability in the end.
but I did want to say that, you know, I've corrected ronnie and other people with their noise here and I'm not someone that other people normally do, but sometimes when I call people out, I can be fairly harsh, but many times what's not seen behind the scenes or recognized when it does happen publicly is sometimes that's just a reaction from the treatment that I've received.
I think the issue such as campo not giving out backup material is something we may have to take up after the November election.
because many much us are working already this last month in unseating local incumbents.
I know janet beebe is really on a lot of people's radar hoping you will replace bradley in Williamson county.
and, of course, we have our own situation where our city council that I think can only be resolved by recalls so.
I think we're going to have to have some recall elections.
>> [buzzer sounding] many of us aren't focusing on the national front but looking at what we can do at home.
thank you all, god bless you, and I hope we will have more listening elected officials this coming year.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
dr. John k.
kim.
>> thank you.
happy new year all of you.
I previously said this court is the best court across the nation, across the whole of the world.
this morning -- you're fine, dr. Kim.
>> this morning I met angel right here in this court.
I met an angel in this court right here.
the angel is the first person in my life time of 30 years, over 30 years in the united states.
she came to me, said happy new year.
she's Commissioner Margaret Gomez.
she is the first person of american officials who came to me, shook hand, happy new year said to me.
she is the first one of the whole nation of american government, american state, Texas local, this is the first one.
and also morris priest, he told me he's looking for my democrat news.
I have great news here.
and also ronnie found my cat.
he found it and gave it to me.
this is a sign.
I was hospitalize odd January 1st at 4:00, emergency room for four years.
while I was writing my anger to -- to prosecute, protect.
create court order full of fraud and violations.
I felt the pain left aside.
I couldn't continue.
finally I couldn't wake up my wife, she has to go to work till 10:00 at night because I lost my job.
college professor job.
Austin community college, president steven continueslow and the government -- kinslo and glenn hunt fired me.
>> [indiscernible] they hired four lawyers, two law firms, lied to the court, Travis County, district court and court of appeals.
I filed appeals.
and finally the court of appeals sent to me trash saying that my opinion was too late, but I filed appeals July 2007, four years ago.
they dismissed it for continue.
continue.
so the court continue, but finally does the court hire asking
>> [indiscernible] keeping me from the court.
March 20, 2011 --
>> [buzzer sounding] -- but they lied to me.
this record all -- every page contains fraud by the court and the government attorneys and lawyers and judges.
thank you.
>> thank you, dr. Kim.
let's call up item 3, then we'll pick up the consent items and number 2.
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.
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