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May 31, 2008 The Demise of the White American Male

Three months ago the Dallas Morning News ran a story about a family who relocated to Garland after Hurricane Katrina. Supposedly their house had been burglarized and the "N" word spray painted on the walls of their home. This prompted a former black Plan Commissioner to write an email to Councilman Jeffus expressing outrage.

We should all feel outrage when innocent people are victimized. But why did this former Plan Commissioner consider this incident a city wide problem of "regional bias and bigotry" that Councilman Jeffus was somehow responsible to change?

The question the writer posed to Jeffus was, "how do you propose we address what appears to be a recurring cancer (racist behavior) that has surfaced in our city over the last few months?" This is an unfair question because it implies that Jeffus was closing his eyes to racist behavior by not doing more about this alleged "recurring cancer" even though the incident was being investigated by the police. To the writer of the email it did not seem Council, and Jeffus in particular, was doing enough.

It's unfortunate that this incident happened but in my opinion racism, whether these acts be directed against whites, blacks or browns, may never be entirely eradicated until Jesus comes back. There will always be people who hate and discriminate. Nobody in our society condones it. We have passed laws that punish the guilty, but that does not mean the problem will ever completely disappear.

Whatever Happened to Equal Opportunity?

It was Martin Luther King who called for a colorblind, less race-and-gender conscious society. Unfortunately his "I have a dream" vision has evolved into a government-mandated group spoils system. Over the last 50 years laws have been passed making it a criminal offense to engage in the kind of behavior described in the Dallas Morning News article. Yet, the problem still exists because what society needs is a change of heart, something only God can bring about.

What is very freightening these days is that hate-filled and incindiary sermons are coming from some black pulpits fanning the flames of hatred against people who are not considered minority.

Laws are on the books prohibiting discrimination in employment, in housing, in education, and other areas of life. Is it any wonder that white folks are asking why, all things being equal, a minority with a lower score on a police sergeant's test is hired over a white man who scored higher?

These days if one is a white male trying to get into college, character and a high grade point average do not count for much except getting bumped to the bottom of the list in order to accommodate someone whose skin color carries priviledge. With inclusive victimhood, everyone on campus can be entitled to special compassion and programs except white males who are acutely aware that their institutions have demonstrated little interest in them as a group.

It was the 1964 Civil Rights Act that created the EEOC and Section 703(j) of that act states: "Nothing contained in this title shall be interpreted to require any employer . . . to grant preferential treatment to any individual or to any group . . . on account of an imbalance." Section 703(a) forbids employers to "limit, segregate, or classify" employees based on their "race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

If this is the law, how did the Clinton Administration get away with making a statement that "a white male will not be considered for attorney general?" Hello, Janet Reno!

And how about the statement made by Clinton appointee Mary Francis Berry, that "civil rights laws were not passed to give civil rights to all Americans"—only to "disfavored groups," such as "blacks, Hispanics, and women." Is it fair that white males in our society today are being disenfranchised and discriminated against? Are white men only needed to toil and pay increasingly higher taxes in order to pay for more entitlement programs?

I applaud the work of MLK, but look what's happened over the years to his dream of a level playing field for everyone regardless of race or gender. We've come a long way since the 60's, yet today the white person is constantly being challenged to prove he is not racist. Our Council could not vote to raze Eastgate without a black man speaking before the Council and pulling out the race card. The white man cringes at the thought of such an accusation and is constantly turning himself inside out trying to prove something he may never have been in the first place ... a racist.

When I think of where our society is going I feel frustrated and angry. What started out as a demand for equal opportunity in the 60's has evolved into ongoing affirmative action, quotos, entitlements, and reverse discrimination and a mentality that says, "let's blame the white man for all our problems." When will this end? Whatever happened to individual responsibility and accountability?

The way I see it, over the last 50 years politicians have created a monster that frequently rears it's ugly head in the form of "race baiting." MLK's vision of society was one in which every person would be judged on the content of their character and not the color of their skin. MLK's vision has morphed into something he never intended.

Over the last 50 years our "guilt ridden" and/or self serving politicians and educators have pushed hiring quotas, affirmative action programs, dumbed down education, bussed kids out of neighborhood schoools, increased entitlements to astronomical proportions, and offered incentives in every area of life to help minorities improve their standard of living. And with all this, the white man is still being blamed ... blamed for deliberately spreading AIDS into the black community, blamed for WW2, blamed for not supporting the PLO, blamed for the drug epidemic among minorities, blamed for the high drop out rate among black high school students, blamed for 9-1-1, blamed for incarcerating too many black criminals, and despite all the entitlement programs there is always the underlying accusations that white folks are not doing enough. It's never enough .............. never enough .............. never enough.

DART Board Appointment

Is it understandable that today some of us are wondering why the Mayor is pushing Council to appoint his friend and campaign supporter to the DART Board before a search has been made seeking the most qualified individual? Doesn't this smack of cronyism?

I can only hope that the Council does the right thing and appoints the most qualified person to the DART Board. This was the dream MLK expressed many years ago when he publicly opposed preferential treatment for anyone. In keeping with MLK's dream, let this Council insist on a level playing field where everyone has an equal chance based on qualifications. That will take guts on the part of this Council -- a refusal to be pressured into making appointments based on anything other than objective criteria.

THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE

Singer Rene Marie, subs 'black anthem' for 'Star Spangled Banner'

'Can you imagine what it would be like if we had a white national anthem?'

Posted: July 02, 2008

1:46 pm Eastern

A singer who was to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" at the presentation of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's State of the City address yesterday substituted the "Black National Anthem" without notifying anyone, because she says as a black, she just doesn't feel American.

"I pulled a switcheroonie on them," Rene Marie said in a report in the Denver Post.

In a video of the event, Marie had been introduced by city council president Michael Hancock, who said she would sing the national anthem. Instead, she sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as the "Black National Anthem," to the tune of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Audience members were bewildered, council members outraged and the mayor expressed his disappointment.

"We were as surprised as anyone that jazz singer Rene Marie did not sing our national anthem at today's State of the City ceremony, as our staff had requested. As I listened to her sing, I assumed she would eventually move into the traditional Star Spangled Banner," Hickenlooper said in a statement.

Council member Charlie Brown said, "There is no substitute for the national anthem. Period. This is the State of the City address. It's not an NAACP convention."

Some of the strongest reaction, however, came from Denver area residents who were participating in the forum page on the controversy at the Rocky Mountain News.

"Can you imagine what it would be like for whites if we had a 'white national anthem'?" speculated "Jan8." "I heard someone saying this had nothing to do with race? What?"

"Was she asked to sing the Black National Anthem? Obviously her color is more important to her than this country. Is it a 'black pride thing'? Is she trying to tell us she wished the U.S. were a black country?"

The newspaper reports said the singer explained she had decided months ago not to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" anymore.

The Post reported she was being interviewed by a Russian broadcaster who asked her what it was like to be American.

"And I realized I didn't feel like an American, and that bothered me a great deal," the singer said.

The singer told the Post she deliberately didn't tell anyone her plans, "because I don't think it is necessary for an artist to ask permission to express themselves artistically."

Hancock said the stunt was "inappropriate, and he's been getting hate-filled e-mails over her actions.

"As if I made the decision to do this – I'm receiving a lot of hate mail," he told the paper. "I've received quite a few e-mails that are quite nasty."

Also on the Rocky Mountain News forum page, "Dinty," concluded, "A total lack of respect for the occasion."

Among the hundreds of comments, "scotterjag" added, "all i can say about her, and anyone who supports her, is CLASSLESS! when given the chance to sing The National Anthem, it should be considered an honor, and not one's personal platform to express their views. if you want to express your views like that, I'll buy you a one way ticket to any other country you want to live in, and you can get the hell out of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!"

The Obama Tidal Wave

We are witnessing a political phenomenon with Barack Obama of rare

magnitude. His speeches have inspired millions and yet most of his followers

have no idea of what he stands for except platitudes of 'Change' or that he

says he will be a 'Uniter'.

The power of speech from a charismatic person truly can be a powerful thing.

Certainly Billy Graham had charisma. Both his manner of speech and

particularly the content changed millions.

On the extreme other hand, the charisma of Adolph Hitler, too, inspired

millions and the results were catastrophic.

Barack Obama certainly is no Hitler or a Billy Graham, but for many

Americans riding on the Obama Tidal Wave it is just like a surfer who might

be ecstatic and euphoric while riding a tidal wave, but the reality of the

ride is what happens when it hits shore.

Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama:

* He voted for partial birth abortion.

* He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions.

* Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government (quotas)..

* In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing as being too

severe.

* Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair.

* Admitted his use of marijuana and cocaine in high school and in college.

* His religious convictions are very murky.

He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il and

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

* Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be to have

a conference with all Muslim nations. Why?

* Opposed the Patriot Act.

First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance reform.

Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.

* Supports universal health-care.

* Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.

Supports granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

* Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.

* Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.

Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security.

* Wants to make the minimum wage a 'living wage'.

* Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes. (241 votes Demo, 10

votes Republican)

* Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.

* Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports

increasing the amount of tax paid into Soc. Sec. Tax Increase.

*He voted No on repealing the alternative Minimum Tax which now hits middle

income brackets. Tax Increase.

* He voted No on repealing the 'Death' Tax. Tax Increase.

* He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. Tax Increase.

* Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded...which is not true.

* He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that

takes some doing.

If your political choices are consistent with Barack Obama's and you think

that his positions will bring America together or make it a better place,

then you will probably enjoy the ride and not forward this Email.

If you are like most Americans that after examining what he stands for, are

truly not in line with his record, it would be prudent to get off the wave

or better yet, never get on, before it comes on shore and undermines the

very foundations of this great Country. We have limited time to save America

or the Supreme Court as we know it.

Inaction is action.

If you agree this is important, pass it on. The mainstream media will not do

it for you!

Bill Brown

History has proven that a democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) usually followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations have progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith

From spiritual faith to great courage

From great courage to liberty

From liberty to abundance

From abundance to complacency

From complacency to apathy

From apathy to governmental dependency

From governmental dependency back into bondage

Thanks to these duped voters, we will now progress rather quickly from the “complacency to apathy” stage to the “apathy to governmental dependency” stage. And, then we will awake some morning and find ourselves in the “governmental dependency back into bondage” stage!

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. . . . . Ronald Reagan

#2 CITY COUNCIL BUDGET INFORMATION

Take a look at the Council budget. The Mayor's personal assistant receives $67,999 in salary plus other benefits. Why doesn't this figure remain part of the City Council budget? Why transfer it out to another department? Answer: to make it appear that Council is actually spending less money than they did a year ago. How very clever! The taxpayers are still picking up the tab. In actuality the Council budget has increased by $68,000 plus.

1. What does the City Council budget entail?

The Council budget provides funding and support for Council activities as they conduct City business and represent Garland and its citizens.

FY2008-09 Approved Budget $176,693

2. What kind of items are covered?

The City Council budget funds the following items:

Monthly stipend for Council members (per Charter) 49,088

Assistant to the Mayor 67,999

Refreshments/meals for Council meetings and work sessions 13,325

Wireless Internet access 5,940

Cell phone reimbursement 8,000

Postage and printing/copying fees 1,425

Misc office supplies, business cards, etc 4,400

Professional services (Council retreat and other) 21,800

Travel, registration costs for TML & NLC conferences,

as well as local events 72,715

_______

Total Approved Budget $244,692 Salary/benefits charge-out (67,999)

Net budget $176,693

3. How large was last year's budget?

FY-2007-2008 $182,460

4. How much is projected for next year?

The City Council FY2009-2010 budget is currently being reviewed by the City Council Administrative Services Committee.

August 30, 2009 WHAT IS A "PERFORMANCE BASED" AWARD?

The City of Garland is presently around $7 million dollars in the hole. That deficit, however, has not kept City Manager, Bill Dollar from coming up with his own version of a Ponzi scheme called "performance based awards" by which he can reward people he considers to be "performers." Since there are only 17 people who qualify as "performers," and the award to Mr. Schwertner remains confidential, the total cost of this Ponzi scheme also remains "confidential." What these 17 individuals have done, above and beyond what they are being paid to do is also "confidential." But I digress! Here's how Dollar's creative scheme works.

(1) Cut employee salaries across the board by 1.15% *

(2) Eliminate step increases for police and fire.

(3) Take some of the savings gained in 1 and 2 above and use the money to award selected people considered to be "performers." Unfortunately, we only have 17 "performers" who deserved this recognition (see list below). Hopefully the police, fire and the rest of the employees don't think of themselves as deadbeats since they received no award.

At present our country is in a recession. More and more people are out of work. GISD had 3000 people apply as substitute teachers. The City Manager is not worried that anybody will quit their job -- after all, where are they going to go? Why are the little guys once again having to "suck it up" while the high-paid honchos get "performance money awards" for doing their job? Isn't it time that every city employee bite the bullet and just be thankful to have a job and health insurance? The Council is scheduled to vote on this budget shortly. Hold your elected officials accountable if they pass this budget without challenging the unfairness of these Performance Based Awards.

*We are still attempting to ascertain if the 1.15% across the board salary cuts included everybody from City Manager, Bill Dollar to the guy who cuts the grass -- or were exceptions made here also?

August 30, 2009

TAXPAYERS WANT TO KNOW how the Chamber of Commerce is spending our $$$

Every year, for the last ten years, the City of Garland has been subsidizing the Chamber of Commerce. In the year 2000 it was $300,000 and this amount has grown each year until at present we are now giving the Chamber close to half a million bucks a year. Unfortunately, how the money is being spent remains a big secret. Since Mayor Jones has twice run on a platform of open and honest government, we are asking him to come out of the "hot air closet" and do what he promised ... MAKE THE RECORDS PUBLIC.

According to the Economic Development Services Agreement dated 17 October 2000, Section 3, Accounting and Auditing, an annual financial audit is to be conducted by an independent accounting firm and provided to the City every year. In addition, the Chamber is to provide the City with monthly accounting reports of all expenditures made by the Chamber under the Agreement. Have these reports ever been discussed during a Work Session? If not, why not? Or, do they reach the City Manager's office and go no further?

When an open records request for the audits was recently made, the City Attorney refused to honor the request citing "Confidentiality." So all you taxpayers out there -- think about this: The Chamber has received approximately $3,776,406.00 of your hard earned money, but where it's going is STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. Aside from subsidizing hefty salaries, expensive luncheons and generous expense accounts what is the Chamber doing with your tax dollars? Call Ron Jones the "open and honest government" Mayor of Garland and ask him to put some walk behind all that talk he makes during election time.

Sept 3, 2009 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE ANNUAL AUDITS

The Economic Development Services Agreement, signed by Mayor Spence in 2000 is very clear. Section 3 specifically states that the Chamber of Commerce is to produce to the City an annual financial AUDIT plus monthly accounting reports of all expenditures under the Agreement. In return the City pays the Chamber a specified monthly sum of taxpayer money (presently it's over half million dollars a year).

It appears however, that this Agreement is not being followed. In 2008 the Chamber made a presentation before the Audit Committee consisting of Chairman Rick Williams, Councilmembers Barbara Chick and Preston Edwards. Apparently the hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid out to the Chamber was considered so insignificant that a presentation to the entire Council was never made.

The Audit Committee was informed that audit reports (annual and monthly) are available "upon request" but apparently nobody on the Council thought it important enough to request them, or the City Manager did not think they are important enough to distribute. So, like mushrooms in a dark cellar, the taxpayers have no idea how the Chamber spends the hundreds of thousands of their hard earned money because this information is considered CONFIDENTIAL!

Questions:

1. The Economic Development Services Agreement reads that an independent auditing firm that is "reasonably acceptable to the city" must performs the audit. What does "reasonably acceptable" mean?

2. Rumor has it that the person auditing the Chamber's books is a good ole boy who has ties to both the City and the Chamber. Is this what is meant by a "reasonably acceptable" INDEPENDENT auditing firm? And acceptable to whom? To the Council? To Bill Dollar? To the Chamber?

3. Who is this "reasonably acceptable" independent firm that has performed these audits for the last ten years? Let him answer to the citizens if he is actually doing an AUDIT or just a cursory review of the books.

4. Does this "reasonably acceptable" independent auditing firm have any ties to the City or Chamber? If so, how independent can it be? Sounds like a conflict of interest to me!

5. Has the Mayor requested to see any of the monthly reports thus far for 2010 that the Chamber is obligated to furnish the City? Have all Councilmembers seen them?

6. When an open records request was made to see these audits, it was denied citing "CONFIDENTIALITY." If the Chamber has been responsible for increasing the tax base in Garland, why would they not want to the public to know how the money was spent?

The Chamber is obligated to provide the City with monthly financial statements and the City Manager is obligated to pass this information on to the Mayor and Council. Specific requests by individual Councilmembers for this information SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY. Where is the accountability.

7. How can we improve this situation? One way is to return to a City funded - Economic Development Board similar to the City of Plano. Their Board is funded through the City Budget. They have 5 top-notch employees on loan to the Board. All information including how tax dollars are spent is open for public scrutiny. Plano's annual EC budget is $835,000 but this Board has brought in millions of dollars in new business every year.

Mayor Jones should request a comparison of how other cities are functioning in the economic development area, and compare track records! Let's see which cities close their books to the tax payers. It's time to bring more accountability to the way Garland does business.

Next year Chamber's contract comes up for renewal. Do the tax payers of Garland want to continue this "confidentiality" nonsense with audits done by an independent firm who is only "reasonably acceptable" to the City? Have we lost our minds?

As Chair of the Audit Committee, citizens are asking Rick Williams to request that the City Manager distribute these annual and monthly reports to the entire Council as stipulated in the Agreement. It should not be up to each Councilmember to have to ask for information which should be provided to them on a monthly basis.

Now that the Chamber is spending 20% of their time on workforce training at the college, and no longer pays rent, why is the City still paying them 100% of the money stipulated in the Contract when we are only getting 80% of their time?

When Mayor Jones ran for election he ran on a platform of OPEN AND HONEST government. Is this what he considers OPEN and HONEST government to be?

Does anybody have a problem with all these "confidentiality" labels that keep tax payers in the dark like mushrooms growing in the bowels of City Hall? As Councilman Jackie Feagan often said, ENUF IS ENUF!

to thoroughly peruse the audits or even ask pointed questions regarding the numbers contained therein.

This information should have been available to the public without a private citizen first having to get an Attorney General opinion to force the Chamber to release the information. Even though the audits have finally been released, the Chamber is still not in compliance with the agreement they signed in 2000 because they were also supposed to furnish the City with monthly accounting reports. That adds up to 72 months of monthly accounting reports still missing. Will Council hold their feet to the fire? Does the Mayor have the guts to demand they deliver what they agreed to provide? Tune in tonight and watch the Council meeting. See for yourselves who on the Council speaks up and who sits there as if clueless.

Since the Chamber will now be subsidized on a yearly basis, and since 20% of their time is shared with the DCCCD (college district) the City might be better served with an in-house marketing team. It will be impossible to know if taxpayers are actually getting what they are paying for now that the Chamber's time is divided.

Frankly, I don't trust anyone who does business like this Chamber has done and jacks the citizens, and the Council, and the staff around by withholding vital information. Perhaps the time has come for them to stand alone financially and raise money through membership and events much as other cities are doing.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Every year, for the last ten years, the City of Garland has been subsidizing the Chamber of Commerce. In the year 2000 it was $300,000 and this amount has grown each year until at present we are giving the Chamber close to half a million bucks of your hard-earned tax dollars. Unfortunately, how the money was spent from 2000 to 2005 remains a big secret.

According to the Economic Development Services Agreement dated 17 October 2000, Section 3, Accounting and Auditing, an annual financial audit is to be conducted by an independent accounting firm and provided to the City every year. In addition, the Chamber is to provide the City with monthly accounting reports of all expenditures made by the Chamber under the Agreement. Have these reports ever been discussed during a Work Session? If not, why not?

When an open records request for the audits was recently made, the Chamber refused to hand over the information citing "confidentiality." The City Attorney then sought the opinion of the Attorney General who ruled in favor of the citizens. The Chamber was now obligated to make the records public. To date the Chamber has yet to release these audits .

Aside from subsidizing hefty salaries, expensive luncheons and generous expense accounts what is the Chamber doing with your tax dollars? Call Ron Jones the "open and honest government" Mayor of Garland and ask him to put some walk to all that talk he makes during election time. Let's not forget that back in 2000 Mr. Jones was Assistant City Manage Where are the audits, former Assistant City Manager? It would be unconscionable if the Council would negotiate a new contract with the Chamber, while the Chamber refuses to comply with the Attorney General's ruling and make the audits public.

Where is the accountability you promised the citizens Mayor Jones? Where is the promise of open and honest government? Talk is cheap and hot air is free. Why are you being so tight-lipped about these audits, Mr. Mayor and former Assistant City Manager? Do you know something the rest of Council does not? Why are you pushing to approve a new contract, Mr. Mayor?

Council must remember, the Mayor only has ONE vote. You are elected to represent the people. So please do the right thing by the taxpayers and demand the Chamber produce the audits before a new contract is even considered.