I’ve been thinking a lot
about the current trash contract. People are still upset about the whole
process. Most people I talk to feel that there is or at least should be a great
deal more to the story. They feel that the citizens of this city were not given
adequate information on how the selection process was handled. They wonder how
there can be consistent over billing and unauthorized fees on a contract for at
least 10 years without someone in city hall catching them. They wonder where
reports, audits, investigations, etc. that should be readily available just don’t
seem to be there. After almost 3 years, this should be old news but every time
I’m recognized in public someone asks me “What’s up with the trash contract and
why don’t I have real answers to my questions.” It’s going to take a while but
this is my attempt to answer my friends, neighbors and fellow citizen of San
Angelo as I see it.
Just to keep the record
straight, I’m not a professional journalist. Never claimed to be. I have
written a few articles that might qualify as journalism. They were unpaid submissions
and therefore technically not professional. No one is paying me to write about
any of this. I’m a blogger. Have been since 2004 when we first put
ConchoInfo.org online as a forum on the Sales Tax Election. After that
election, and reviewing the results, my friend Jim Ryan and I decided to keep
Conchoinfo up and online and use it to put out our best effort at analysis and
opinion on local issues such as taxes, water, bond elections, etc. We were both
lucky we had the time available to do the basic but often hard research on issues,
and we developed a bit of a following, a certain amount of credibility, and
have been a part of creating change here in the Concho Valley. Conchoinfo has
slowed down on posting over the last few years. I have a new job and a house
full of people living with me. Takes up more of my time than I anticipated. And
we lost Jim Ryan last year. He is greatly missed. So the output has been small
and often through other outlets as comments on stories there. I’m interested in
getting information, analysis, and even my opinion out there but receiving
credit is not why I do this.
I am putting this on
Conchoinfo because there is probably no one
involved in this that I’m not
going to irritate. The way I see it City Hall has made numerous
mistakes, but so have the reporters and news organizations and media and the
companies involved in the contracts, etc.. And some of these mistakes have been
and are still being made by people I respect and hope to still call friends
when I’ve finished posting what I have to say. Still, one thing I’ve learned on
my journey through life so far, even the best people make misteaks.
It’s going to take awhile to
write this all out. You and I will both need to come up for air sometimes. I’m
going stop here with some links that might come in handy to help us
communicate. Comments will be allowed. Encouraged even, but they will be
moderated as well. Respect the people that participate on this blog and we’ll
be fine. I am also posting this on facebook and the same applies there.And I'm adding some links here that might be useful. These deal references and terms that are spread all over this issue. This not to accuse anyone of anything. This is so that when someone is accused of something, you;ll have an accurate idea of what they are being accused of.
More in a couple days.
