"Elected Officials demonstrate that the concerns and input of the public, taxpayers and property owners carry little weight."
Send a message that will be heard
10/5/06
Letters to the Editor
The Cameron Herald
Copyright 2006
The Governor and TXDoT held meetings to discuss and gather input from residents of Mialm County on the Texas Corridor.
The County Commissioners Court discussed and listened to concerned citizens on the proposed and recently approved ten cent County hike in property taxes.
There is no question they listened to the voters and residents. Through the actions of these Elected Officials, they have demonstrated that the concerns and input of the public, taxpayers and property owners carry little weight.
The highly criticized and unwanted corridor continues. The continually justified and unwarranted tax increase was approved and enacted.
Now is the time to send a message that WILL BE HEARD. The Governor as well as the County Commissioners and the County Judge were elected. Let them hear your message loud and clear at the polls on the Second Tuesday in November. If they are removed from office for failure to do their job, it is justified. Possibly the next office holder will not lose sight of who they are accountable to.
Would the Commissioners Court have proposed, let alone approved, the tax increase if they were facing re-election or not running virtually unopposed?
The voters of Texas did not elect nor approve the massive undertaking of toll roads or the Texas Corridor. These projects are transforming much needed fertile rural properties into concrete mega structures. There is little doubt that the Governor would like to make these road projects his legacy.
Likewise, the legacy of the sitting County Administration is the Milam County Justice System.
A system that may have come in on budget, but one that has presented numerous challenges in the form of additional staffing levels that were not accurately identified nor planned for by the court. Staffing and retention of personnel at the Justice System is reported as also being a portion of the tax rate hike. Another justification is increased fuel costs incurred.
Who does the property owner pass along their fuel costs to?? Will the approved salary hike for the governing body off set their personal fuel costs?
If memory serves correctly, the Law Enforcement Center was not presented to the residents of Milam County in the form of a bond issue for fear that it would have been defeated.
Call it what you may, a vote, job performance evaluation or just plain housecleaning of the officials that are no longer willing to work for or listen to the people that put them in office. It is time to be heard. It is time that those who are elected to represent the residents of the state and county are reminded of who they work for.
If the proper message is sent during this election and those affected HEAR as well as listen, possibly the next increase in taxes will be to provide country roads that are drivable.
When mediocrity becomes acceptable or the norm, expect nothing greater in the future.
James A. Blain
Rockdale
© 2006 The Cameron Herald: www.cameronherald.com
10/5/06
Letters to the Editor
The Cameron Herald
Copyright 2006
The Governor and TXDoT held meetings to discuss and gather input from residents of Mialm County on the Texas Corridor.
The County Commissioners Court discussed and listened to concerned citizens on the proposed and recently approved ten cent County hike in property taxes.
There is no question they listened to the voters and residents. Through the actions of these Elected Officials, they have demonstrated that the concerns and input of the public, taxpayers and property owners carry little weight.
The highly criticized and unwanted corridor continues. The continually justified and unwarranted tax increase was approved and enacted.
Now is the time to send a message that WILL BE HEARD. The Governor as well as the County Commissioners and the County Judge were elected. Let them hear your message loud and clear at the polls on the Second Tuesday in November. If they are removed from office for failure to do their job, it is justified. Possibly the next office holder will not lose sight of who they are accountable to.
Would the Commissioners Court have proposed, let alone approved, the tax increase if they were facing re-election or not running virtually unopposed?
The voters of Texas did not elect nor approve the massive undertaking of toll roads or the Texas Corridor. These projects are transforming much needed fertile rural properties into concrete mega structures. There is little doubt that the Governor would like to make these road projects his legacy.
Likewise, the legacy of the sitting County Administration is the Milam County Justice System.
A system that may have come in on budget, but one that has presented numerous challenges in the form of additional staffing levels that were not accurately identified nor planned for by the court. Staffing and retention of personnel at the Justice System is reported as also being a portion of the tax rate hike. Another justification is increased fuel costs incurred.
Who does the property owner pass along their fuel costs to?? Will the approved salary hike for the governing body off set their personal fuel costs?
If memory serves correctly, the Law Enforcement Center was not presented to the residents of Milam County in the form of a bond issue for fear that it would have been defeated.
Call it what you may, a vote, job performance evaluation or just plain housecleaning of the officials that are no longer willing to work for or listen to the people that put them in office. It is time to be heard. It is time that those who are elected to represent the residents of the state and county are reminded of who they work for.
If the proper message is sent during this election and those affected HEAR as well as listen, possibly the next increase in taxes will be to provide country roads that are drivable.
When mediocrity becomes acceptable or the norm, expect nothing greater in the future.
James A. Blain
Rockdale
© 2006 The Cameron Herald:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Thursday, October 05, 2006
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