Travis County Commissioners Court
February 14, 2012 (Agenda)
Citizens Communication
Citizens communication is first and this item gives residents an opportunity to address any matter not on the agenda.
gus pena is first, he will be followed by ronnie reeferseed, and the third speaker will be dr. John kim.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, gus pena, proud native east Austinite, proud united states marine corps veteran.
got a couple of items to discuss.
got a lot of kids that are going to be graduating or needing help.
I would urge that you all increase the positions for the summer job program for the youth.
increase the funding if it's possible.
we need to keep these students active, engaged, involved in something positive instead of being in the streets.
it would be a lot helpful to get them gainfully employed and they could enter the job force when they graduate.
judge and Commissioners, one of the things we've been working actively and y'all know, you've read it in the paper, seen it on the television, is the proposal of Austin energy department to raise electrical rates.
we have experts, we have a lot of experts telling the city council and the city hierarchy at Austin energy we do not need the increase f we do need the increase, not at the rate they are requesting.
it is an increase that would be catastrophic, adversely impact the churches and small businesses and the low-income, low socioeconomic status.
it's going to hurt the community, but why after 17 years wait now to shove it down our throats or try to shove it down the throats.
I think the public is going out speaking to city council and demanding transparency and accountability.
this is a copy of item number 10 and it is authorize negotiation of amendment to legal service agreement with a law firm here in Austin to the tune of $1,450,000 to represent the city of Austin in front of the public utility commission regarding the electrical rates and other issues.
why?
when we couldn't fully fund social service agencies this past year, we have close to $2 million contract, and my admonishment to city council was don't we have a legal department and if so why you do not hire competent attorneys to represent issues on Austin energy, parks and recreation issues, land development issues.
another thing also is why at the tune of close to $2 million when you couldn't fund social service agencies.
I know this is city of Austin but this affects each and every one of us.
it is adversely impacting and affecting y'all too.
the other thing is Austin energy has been here for many years.
why now all of a sudden we're getting hit with the rate increase.
my concerns are these to y'all and I address it to y'all because y'all speak to elected officials is that why now.
why --
>> [indiscernible] it will impact the poor.
I'll leave it at that.
I want to let you know we need to hold people accountable at the city of Austin and it ain't good, mentors and tutors needed for kids that are hurting in math and --
>> [buzzer sounding] -- other stuff.
anyway, y'all have a good day and volunteer to become a mentor.
thank you, judge.
>> thank you, mr. Pena.
that was speaker number 1.
speaker number 4 morris priest would please come forth.
mr. Reeferseed.
>> thank you, sir.
yes, I'd like to ditto gus pena's ideas about costly consultants and I'll tell you why they are doing it.
it's called agenda 21.
look into it, people, it's a sick plan to destroy everything.
yes, I'm still ronnie reeferseed yodeling yoo-hoo to miss Eckhardt and miss Huber and current judge county Sam Biscoe who certainly knows how to run a meeting, yes, sir.
on the other hand, last night at the campo meeting, their new rules about their citizen communication segment was an exercise and embarrassment for that particular chair is completely or live use to our crucial u.s.
and/or Texas san constitution.
the campo board ran through a vote on said item number 7 without letting me, a properly signed up person, without letting me speak.
I had to yell "out of order, wait, you didn't let me speak." oops, they said, sorry.
go ahead.
we'll just pretend to listen to your constructive criticism about item number 7 but by the way they've already voted and they just won't have to vote again.
they decided not to bother with voting again.
those overpaid so-called public servants must prove their absolute disdain for the public input by ignoring my ideas.
out of order.
they at least had encouraged the ideas from mr. Roger baker by admitting that his criticism was both relevant and reflective of a new way of looking at the issue.
and then they ignored his ideas.
until some day down the road, I think is what some such hog wash.
ignoring citizens' input from both me and roger baker demonstrates their arrogance and absolute oblivion to their actual oaths of office.
an oath, by the way, is a promise to stick to the program.
they swear to protect and defend the Texas and u.s.
substitutions by acting like and thinking they just don't have to.
like I told them last night, our precious constitution is the supreme law of the land and if they pass anything in violation of the constitution, it is actually null and void.
quote, congress shall make no law violating freedom of political speech.
sound familiar?
the Austin city council is a congress, the Travis County Commissioners court is a congress, your local school board is a congress that has to obey the rules.
what rules?
the supreme law of the land.
our tyranny shattering constitution is the standard.
they all swear to uphold.
get it?
even after the meeting when I was trying to inform the chair about his errors, ms. Eckhardt couldn't resist arrogantly interrupting me because she wants to.
>> [buzzer sounding] sorry, charlie, miss Eckhardt, but I wouldn't even talk to you.
thank you.
thankfully miss Eckhardt did back off enough and we need more citizen communication in public a-- participation in public affairs, not less.
be sure to tell them at the ballot box like we did
>> [inaudible].
>> thank you, mr. Reeferseed.
dr. Kim is next followed by morris priest followed by dan mansr.
>> thank you, your honor.
good morning, everyone.
I really appreciate all of you.
america is the best ever in human history and Texas and Travis County court.
I really appreciate all of you.
I wish you a great day all day long, especially my honorable judge Sam Biscoe.
I am here to declare the court order
>> [indiscernible] the court of appeals justice by david collier and jeff rose and lisa goodwin.
their court order violate the Texas constitution, the u.s.
constitution, but their court order is a fraud.
and also it is trash, like a piece of trash.
I declare, I not accept the court order at all.
I demand all three justice step down the court, leave the court permanently and not come back anymore.
I will take appropriate actions to remove all of them.
as we see the paper, this is the so-called student comment sheet.
exercise is for me.
they have my i.d.
they have my i.d.
and wrote down their
>> [indiscernible] in 2006, June -- no, July and August.
they evaluated me as a very good professor.
so I have to read this letter, but Austin independent school -- no, Austin community college president kinslo has a ph.d.
and new one --
>> [indiscernible].
he also refused to release all of the --
>> [indiscernible] there is no i.d.
like trash.
must have i.d.
they cut in half, they list half.
district court dismiss it in 2006, 7, 8, 9, 10, court of appeals dismissed to 7, 8, 9, 10 right now.
they are criminals.
I don't want to take anyone to the court.
last week several travelers kidnapped
>> [indiscernible].
they released 29 hours after, but american government
>> [indiscernible] to my son more than 10 years ago from right here Travis County.
to the jail 25 a month as a terrorist.
and a
>> [indiscernible] south korean government.
they fail to refuse to release
>> [indiscernible].
is a multi-million dollar compensation.
I just speak right.
todd swindle says he is awaiting second coming jesus.
>> [buzzer sounding] no, jesus is here with me all the time.
all of the things about how american government, Texas government, Travis County government wronged me for 24 years.
I just plead to all of you correct it.
that's it.
I speak, I spoke and wrote.
that's it.
>> thank you, dr. Kim.
>> thank you, sir.
>> mr. Priest.
>> thank you, judge, Commissioners, morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
I did want to say that I understand dr. Kim's situation and I really appreciate a lot of things that we've discussed and I've encouraged him not to develop an unforgiving spirit because it can certainly distract.
you know, when we look at situations such as campo, really a real embarrassment.
we've seen sea recent stories in the news about an individual being arrested at Travis County and many people thought with the situation with the lady deported overseas that that couldn't happen here, but we see individuals in jail and it wasn't even him for four days and we see situations over and over again.
we see people we can't do anything about our elected officials yet we have elections.
some people say it's electronic voting but I think it's the fact we rarely if ever get an opportunity to replace anyone.
we do have that chance in Williamson county with janet beaty and some other local races here I think we're going to be successful on in precinct 3.
precinct 1, possibility -- of course, I think all of our current constables are going to be outed, which is pretty good news.
I think that what we have to really realize is we're dealing with people that actually don't know what they are doing.
in the campo meeting last night about how the entire board including a senator who was then chair didn't realize that they were broke.
and I had expressed this many times with txdot saying that they only had $1.1 billion and then they spent 1.1 million on maintenance.
he had 21 questions but if he would have answered the one question the first meeting wouldn't be in this situation with $4.50 for gas and many in the nation will be paying $5 for gas.
we have a transportation model.
it's a silver train.
people want to know what they call these different things.
the red line is the sober train.
like the sober ride.
then we have the lit fantasy rail that they think they are going to have downtown.
but you know, we've talked to the same people at the federal level and they said that the Austin area doesn't have a prayer in any of this federal money.
even if they did, it would just be seed money and we already seeded millions that were asked to put into the now red line.
but basically, you know, when you look at all these situations, it's kind of like bears and campos have the sustained problems. They have a terrible front desk.
when I went up there it looked like a tupperware party, the clerk was watching t.v.
and knitting and basically toll me to move out of the way so she could watch television.
have a very irresponsible desk at campo and same thing with the planning commission.
>> [indiscernible] as far as some people call the choker or the cursor, we have this failed leadership.
>> [buzzer sounding] the same aggressive style we see their staff has so it's condoned by their attitude.
but we're going to have a pretty good amazing video coming out soon called something to the effect of the comedy of politics and I think it would be very enlightening.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
and dan mansur and dr. Deer and company.
good morning.
>> happy valentine's day.
>> happy valentine's day.
>> today marks the 7th anniversary of employee wellness and health clinic.
our first health clinic opened seven years ago and joseph pena and martha moody and you can see the staff has grown as has the number of clinics.
and I've asked dr. Deer to discuss some of the major accomplishments of the clinic in three minutes.
so dr. Deer.
>> two minutes, 45 second now.
>> [laughter]
>> he's a fast talker.
>> since the opening of the clinic seven years today the ribbon was cut and the clinic was opened, 4,019 employees have visited the clinic on one or more indication.
in fiscal year 2011, 5,880 patient visits.
in addition 489 regular physicals and
>> [indiscernible] were performed in the same fiscal year.
the advantage of a clinic is that we have a lot of time to spend with patients and we can talk to them about lab work and changing behaviors.
answering any questions they may have about their medications and things.
and that has helped change the behavior of individuals.
the clinic provides smoking cessation medications and we we did have the baylor study and so far of the people that completed the study, that have completed the study, 30.5% have quit at 26 weeks.
we also help employees adopt healthy behaviors by offering personal trainers, challenges, registered dieticians, weight watchers, mammogram events and education classes and health fairs.
and we also --
>> on my left is sherri benson hamilton.
she's a lvn and rosey is our medical assistant at the clinic.
there are three others missing, they are in clinic, that's dr. Lynn stewart, dr. Margaret bound, marty munoz is another registered nurse and regina gonzales.
so like dr. Deer said we started out with three and now we have nine employees.
so --
>> I would like to thank the court for your continued support of the clinic --
>> [buzzer sounding] -- to provide employees with all the results is
>> [inaudible].
>> be sure and tell everybody about the dieticians that we have on staff as well and that's very helpful.
>> thank you very much.
>> keep up the good work.
>> thank you.
>> those are the persons who signed in to speak under 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.
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