The lifeblood of our civilization today is energy. New innovations in energy technology are arising faster than we can keep up with them. Many of these developments have the potential to enhance our quality of life by dismantling the current infrastructure of corporate dependence that holds us as captives, contributing to a cleaner environment, and by creating high tech and green collar jobs that can’t be outsourced, while others will become obsolete and burdensome soon after being implemented. The city has been looking into waste gasification and nuclear power as potential revenue generating ventures and I think it is important to bear in mind that these are not clean, renewable resources and that there are many more options available that are safer, more equitable and beneficial to our local economy while also being more attractive to potential future residents.
There is an energy renaissance underway in this country, right now. Towns and cities are realizing that they can reap more of the profits and better insure accountability when local people take the initiative, work together to make solid long term investments, and start up these energy projects independently. Aggregate community owned and operated wind farms and biorefineries are up and running, there are models for compact and discrete rooftop turbines that can help power homes and commercial businesses relatively cheaply, municipalities are opting to utilize solar panels, designing new buildings with sustainability in mind and providing tax incentives for the public to do the same, and fuel is being created from landfill gas and grass and woodchips. With all the amazing potential we have right here dormant around us, is it really in our best interest to invite a Japanese company to come in and build a nuclear power plant or to haul in tons of garbage from other towns to be incinerated?
There is talk of plant to be built in San Angelo that will process mesquite to produce energy. I think that a project like this would be most beneficial if it did not simply use combustion to supply power for “the grid.” If we began to look at mesquite as a source of diverse products that would require companion enterprises, we could really begin to diversify employment options for locals and strengthen our local economy. Mesquite has the potential to produce liquid fuel that could be purchased in our community for automobiles, or fine lumber for floors and cabinets, or pellets for efficiently heating homes and schools and businesses, mesquite bean meal sells on the internet for $13 a pound and it is actually a quite delicious, nutritious and helps to regulate blood sugar. We are selling ourselves short to simply allow someone funded by the DOE to come in and harvest our resources so that they can sell it by the kilowatt to someone in Dallas or Ohio.
Around the country public libraries are being powered with solar energy, high school students are designing systems and installing solar arrays in their schools as science projects, small locally owned and operated cooperative wind farms are in operation using discrete designs, native prairie plant species are being harvested to produce energy while improving the soil, surface and groundwaters and sequestering carbon dioxide… This all barely scratches the surface.
I asked the city council on Tuesday to investigate all the options, let the public be involved in the renaissance, let us know what they are doing and planning so we can tell them what we think about it. There are so many changes happening in our world today, that it has never been more crucial that we pay attention and thoroughly research, and the more of us that are involved, the more effectively that can be accomplished.
There is no better way to market San Angelo in this day and time, than to become a real model for sustainability by implementing recycling programs, fostering conservation of land and energy, and by creating commerce from the renewable resources indigenous to this area. I can confidently say that the solutions to our energy needs in the future will be regional. Not large power plants, and massive transmission lines, but homes and offices and cities on closed loop systems producing their own power. There is not anyone in our community who will not benefit from initiating the creation of a whole new network of commerce in our community that raises awareness, increases capital expenditures, helps us to meet state and federal mandates, stimulates the local economy, fosters energy independence, and nurtures the environment, which is our true life blood.
The future of energy is promising and exciting. We are shedding paradigms of oppression disguised as Convenience. It's really just a matter how far ahead or behind we want our community to be.
Imagine... instead of investing $100,000,000 in a plant that will incinerate trash to sell power to the grid, we invest in mesquite ethanol plants, at $8,000,000 a pop. Each plant would create 30+ jobs, and we could support a dozen or more of these, because the plants must be small in order to make the transport of material feasible. We would be helping farmers and ranchers, creating lots of jobs, producing our own fuel locally, improving our existing water suppy, increasing our economic INDEPENDENCE, and... we could invest the money that is saved from diverting investment funds away from losers like gasification and nuclear power in urban rooftop verticle axis wind turbines and solar parking canopies, making rooftops and parking lots in San Angelo components of a collective renewable power plant where, potentially, we can all be shareholders.
For anyone interested in learning more, you can start here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XB5iOtxlpCs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yldo0dR8Fs8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ5kX5Yw4eY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X2eNyqP9k8Q
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4-DPTEjZKtY&mode=related&search=
http://youtube.com/watch?v=yNLQ359ex-U&mode=related&search=
http://www.metaefficient.com/archives/renewable-power/rooftop-wind-turbines-ready-for-commercial-use.html
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=45371
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/tau--fct062206.php
http://www.tcpl.org/about/solar.html
http://www.mge.com/images/PDF/Brochures/SolarPower/SolarParkingCanopy.pdf
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2006/2006-06-30-01.asp
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/12/america/NA-GEN-US-Green-New-York.php
http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=9CB92AE3-15C5-5FE8-B0ED784EAB945906
http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org/library/admin/uploadedfiles/Accelerating_the_Shift_to_A_Carbohydrate_Econo.htm
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/sep06/bring.htm
http://www.maui-tomorrow.org/issues/energy/07/03_12community.html
http://www.crest.org/repp_pubs/articles/issuebr4/issuebr4c.html
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Indecision As Art Form
I deeply regret I was unable to attend last Thursday's School Board meeting. Bearing in mind that Board trustees are unpaid, they seem to be dedicated to proving the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”
In particular, there was a list of summer projects to get done at Central presented by Asst. Superintendent Jeff Bright. It caught my eye because after the defeat of the bond, I had, in an online reply to a gosanangelo article, suggested nearly the exact list of obviously needed, and very doable tasks at Central as a possible demonstration that someone in SAISD understands the word “maintenance”. No rocket science here, things like fix some broken plumbing, chip rust and repaint, take care of a few ADA access problems. Basically the sort of projects Hi from the comics might find in Lois' Job Jar.
In truth, every project on the list should have been taken care of years ago. As has been mentioned here and elsewhere by many others, the fact that SAISD has been so poor a custodian of that which we have already bought them helped many voters decide not to give them another gob of money until we had some assurance they could take better care of the toys they already have. In truth, Bright's list of jobs should have been given a unanimous “go” the first meeting after the bond went down. By last meeting it really should have been a no-brainer, and instead it failed 6- 1. There was doubt expressed that local contractors might not have been given a fair shot, or there was not enough time to complete all the jobs by school opening. By putting off the possible start date until late July, Board has guaranteed the latter concern.
Quibbles, details, draffsack and havers! This was one time the need to get something done and possibly convince some voters that maintenance matters outweighed the ever-so-cautious dotting of “i's”. By failing to gather their collective courage and make so basic a decision, the Board has in essence made a decision, a decision to accomplish nothing this summer. That seems to be the thing they do best, that is dither until it is too late, then do the wrong thing for no better reason than an unavoidable deadline. The bond itself was a prime example, not until the final meeting before the legal deadline did Board approve placing the bond on the ballot, then publicly drove a stake through it by spending two hours wrangling over the Crockett site and alienating their own task force. Considering I have been told Board had really wanted the bond on the Nov. '06 ballot, that's not exactly warp speed.
Shortly after the May defeat of the bond I met with Superintendent Bonds. I came away well impressed, in fact she made the point that maintenance was high on her list of priorities. Dr. Bonds is not free to do anything she desires, by design, she is charged with implementing policy passed by the Board. So long as the Board insists on punting the ball on first down, Dr. Bonds' options are somewhat limited.
I cannot read minds, I do not know whether Board thinks some electoral miracle will pass the bond we recently thumped come November. Matters not, even if they are that delusional, under any circumstances the Central campus will be in use for several years to come if nothing else serving during new construction. The $500,000 in overdue projects would have directly improved the campus for student and teacher alike. Looking back at the last couple meetings the word “postponed” comes up on more agenda items than not. If this is the best this lot can do, we the voters need to start thinking of new faces to put in those seats.
In particular, there was a list of summer projects to get done at Central presented by Asst. Superintendent Jeff Bright. It caught my eye because after the defeat of the bond, I had, in an online reply to a gosanangelo article, suggested nearly the exact list of obviously needed, and very doable tasks at Central as a possible demonstration that someone in SAISD understands the word “maintenance”. No rocket science here, things like fix some broken plumbing, chip rust and repaint, take care of a few ADA access problems. Basically the sort of projects Hi from the comics might find in Lois' Job Jar.
In truth, every project on the list should have been taken care of years ago. As has been mentioned here and elsewhere by many others, the fact that SAISD has been so poor a custodian of that which we have already bought them helped many voters decide not to give them another gob of money until we had some assurance they could take better care of the toys they already have. In truth, Bright's list of jobs should have been given a unanimous “go” the first meeting after the bond went down. By last meeting it really should have been a no-brainer, and instead it failed 6- 1. There was doubt expressed that local contractors might not have been given a fair shot, or there was not enough time to complete all the jobs by school opening. By putting off the possible start date until late July, Board has guaranteed the latter concern.
Quibbles, details, draffsack and havers! This was one time the need to get something done and possibly convince some voters that maintenance matters outweighed the ever-so-cautious dotting of “i's”. By failing to gather their collective courage and make so basic a decision, the Board has in essence made a decision, a decision to accomplish nothing this summer. That seems to be the thing they do best, that is dither until it is too late, then do the wrong thing for no better reason than an unavoidable deadline. The bond itself was a prime example, not until the final meeting before the legal deadline did Board approve placing the bond on the ballot, then publicly drove a stake through it by spending two hours wrangling over the Crockett site and alienating their own task force. Considering I have been told Board had really wanted the bond on the Nov. '06 ballot, that's not exactly warp speed.
Shortly after the May defeat of the bond I met with Superintendent Bonds. I came away well impressed, in fact she made the point that maintenance was high on her list of priorities. Dr. Bonds is not free to do anything she desires, by design, she is charged with implementing policy passed by the Board. So long as the Board insists on punting the ball on first down, Dr. Bonds' options are somewhat limited.
I cannot read minds, I do not know whether Board thinks some electoral miracle will pass the bond we recently thumped come November. Matters not, even if they are that delusional, under any circumstances the Central campus will be in use for several years to come if nothing else serving during new construction. The $500,000 in overdue projects would have directly improved the campus for student and teacher alike. Looking back at the last couple meetings the word “postponed” comes up on more agenda items than not. If this is the best this lot can do, we the voters need to start thinking of new faces to put in those seats.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Cumulative Voting
There is a system out there called cumulative voting that has been brought to the attention of the charter review committee. I am still studying it, but want to get your reactions before giving you my thoughts. More information is available here. One of the committee members submitted this paper(updated 7/25/2007) on why he thinks we should consider it. One issue is how this would be done on voting machines such as ours. I'm sure it can be, I just don't know the difficulties involved with the programming and testing.
You will likely hear more about this in the future. Some cities, such as Amarillo, are already using this instead of the traditional Single Member District method of selecting elected officials.
Please give us your feedback either here or by e-mail.
You will likely hear more about this in the future. Some cities, such as Amarillo, are already using this instead of the traditional Single Member District method of selecting elected officials.
Please give us your feedback either here or by e-mail.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Water Water Anywhere?
Water has been in the news a lot lately. First there is some disappointing news from the test wells just west of here. The results show they were getting too much sand from the wells at that location, which makes it unsuitable for a well field. It is likely that drilling in another location will solve this, but we won't know until the next test well is drilled. It would be a shame if we can't get to the water because of the sand.
The next big news about the water is the rate increase. It may not seem like it, but a heck of a lot of work was done to keep the rates down. They have been working on this for over a year. This has been a balancing act of 3 competing objectives.
The First objective was to keep the water and sewer departments finances transparent and independent of the rest of the city finances. Up until a few years ago, a significant part of the water departments revenues were moved into the general fund, even when the water department was loosing money. After the previous rate increase, the council finally took steps to eliminate that transfer, and make the water department effectively a stand alone, revenue neutral department. There are some areas, like the lake and park police, that need to be looked at, but the water department is not being drained by the rest of the city government. The decisions they made much earlier on the water fund reduced the rate increase that would have been needed otherwise.
The next objective was to have a safe, dependable, well functioning water system. Almost a year ago a fire destroyed the Honeycreek Apartments. What should have been a relatively easy to contain fire got out of hand for two critical reasons. First, the nearest hydrant to the apartments was broken. It had a tag on it indicating that it had been awaiting repair for a while. When they found a working hydrant, the pressure was too low to adequately fight the fire. The water department didn't try to raise the pressure for fear of busting a main. Soon after the Honeycreek fire, the city council instructed the city manager and staff to come up with a plan to correct the current problems and a long range plan to prevent a recurrence. As part of a two day workshop the initial results were presented and these became the foundations of what is now the capital improvement plan. They were starting to implement this when the 27 inch main broke just before Christmas. The situation was very bad, but it would have been worse if the planning hadn't been started in the summer. The council and city government were late in getting started, but at least they had started. We now have a clearer long range plan for fixing and maintaining our cities infrastructure.
The last objective is to keep the rates fair to all rate payers, keep the rates affordable, and to not have a regressive rate that hurts the poorest water customers. The final rate for the lowest water user is about half what was initially proposed. First, they when to a tiered or stratified rate structure where the larger water meters, and thus the largest water users, paid a proportionately larger increase than the smaller water users did. They looked at financing and repayment options by the hundreds, looked for savings, and eventually came up with a plan that traded a little initial pain for a faster solution, and a plan where our grandkids won't still be paying high interest payments.
There is still a lot that needs to be done and is being done for the long term health of our water system. We are eventually going to have to start using underground water and build a pipeline and plant as part of that water source. We must get better at addressing maintenance issues. We do need to build in money saving technologies such as remote reading water meters. Water, like all of our infrastructure, is an ongoing project. The city government has it's work cut out, and we need to keep watching to make sure they do it.
The next big news about the water is the rate increase. It may not seem like it, but a heck of a lot of work was done to keep the rates down. They have been working on this for over a year. This has been a balancing act of 3 competing objectives.
The First objective was to keep the water and sewer departments finances transparent and independent of the rest of the city finances. Up until a few years ago, a significant part of the water departments revenues were moved into the general fund, even when the water department was loosing money. After the previous rate increase, the council finally took steps to eliminate that transfer, and make the water department effectively a stand alone, revenue neutral department. There are some areas, like the lake and park police, that need to be looked at, but the water department is not being drained by the rest of the city government. The decisions they made much earlier on the water fund reduced the rate increase that would have been needed otherwise.
The next objective was to have a safe, dependable, well functioning water system. Almost a year ago a fire destroyed the Honeycreek Apartments. What should have been a relatively easy to contain fire got out of hand for two critical reasons. First, the nearest hydrant to the apartments was broken. It had a tag on it indicating that it had been awaiting repair for a while. When they found a working hydrant, the pressure was too low to adequately fight the fire. The water department didn't try to raise the pressure for fear of busting a main. Soon after the Honeycreek fire, the city council instructed the city manager and staff to come up with a plan to correct the current problems and a long range plan to prevent a recurrence. As part of a two day workshop the initial results were presented and these became the foundations of what is now the capital improvement plan. They were starting to implement this when the 27 inch main broke just before Christmas. The situation was very bad, but it would have been worse if the planning hadn't been started in the summer. The council and city government were late in getting started, but at least they had started. We now have a clearer long range plan for fixing and maintaining our cities infrastructure.
The last objective is to keep the rates fair to all rate payers, keep the rates affordable, and to not have a regressive rate that hurts the poorest water customers. The final rate for the lowest water user is about half what was initially proposed. First, they when to a tiered or stratified rate structure where the larger water meters, and thus the largest water users, paid a proportionately larger increase than the smaller water users did. They looked at financing and repayment options by the hundreds, looked for savings, and eventually came up with a plan that traded a little initial pain for a faster solution, and a plan where our grandkids won't still be paying high interest payments.
There is still a lot that needs to be done and is being done for the long term health of our water system. We are eventually going to have to start using underground water and build a pipeline and plant as part of that water source. We must get better at addressing maintenance issues. We do need to build in money saving technologies such as remote reading water meters. Water, like all of our infrastructure, is an ongoing project. The city government has it's work cut out, and we need to keep watching to make sure they do it.
Hiatus
It's been a while since we've posted here. It's not that there aren't important issues out there. I have been busy working for a living and doing research. Expect to see articles on water, economic development, elections, the city charter, etc. in the near future.
Sorry I have been so slow in posting lately. Will try to do better.
Sorry I have been so slow in posting lately. Will try to do better.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Random Thoughts from an Unquiet Mind
I {suffer from; co-exist with; adapt to; or just plain have;} a mood disorder that keeps me on the shy side of a good night's sleep rather often. As I start this, it is 3:00 AM, and I have come in from a walk. I have heard of the demise of the songbirds due to environmental poisons. Believe it not.
In my neighborhood, just off Bell St. I have come in from an hour's worth of nocturnal serenade that is worth passing along. One has to move about a bit, then sit quietly just to tone down the ever vigilant watch-dogs, but it is worth the effort. I was able to hear at least four birds, distinctly separate by position, making a variety of calls worthy of a Hollywood special effects studio. One particular Caruso of the night was notably dominant, pitching out variations on a theme ranging from chirp-chirp-chirp to too-wheet too-wheet to chitter-chitter, closing out with a nearly basso profundo throat clearing noise. His friends in other trees would respond, but Caruso was clearly the class of this American Idol show, and seemed to know it.
Interestingly, I just spent a week on site in the wilds of Gouldbusk, Texas. The crew bunked in a ranch house about 15 miles southwest of East Undershirt, middle of nowhere. We watched a doe cross casually munching at midnight upwind of us on the porch, the stars and planets were spectacular, but I heard more birdsong tonight here in Angelo than I can recall in the wild. Anne Matthews has a book out “Wild Nights” telling about her two year survey of New York City, especially the lower east side. She documents coyotes, foxes, even flocks of turkeys in the abandoned sections of one of the most densely populated cities on the planet.
I have allowed a consuming political passion to dominate my time, I am likely to continue following that passion. In this, I am reminding myself, hoping to remind the reader, take the time, sit still and alone. Let the stray thoughts you have no time for during the day to wander casually across your mind. Promise you, it will not be wasted time, a comfortable porch swing is a good investment.
To some degree, we overestimate ourselves as far as our impact on nature. I have seen deer grazing shrubbery on Paseo De Vaca. On my side of town coyote, fox and bobcat have been seen, and skunk frequently smelled. Horned toads still thrive anywhere they can find an acre of ground where no one poisons the ants they eat. One bit of advice, if you spot a predator species in daylight and it does not run from you, RUN FROM IT! It will almost certainly be rabid.
Since I seem to be in Dear Abby mode, let me get simple: Do not seek confrontation, but do not run from it; seek serenity, treasure it when you find it, but expect it not; and keep the mind open to serendipity. This last word, “serendipity”, is my favorite six syllable word. The closest new age terminology comes is “Thinking outside the box”, a newspeak term for being open-minded enough to recognise a gold nugget when one trips over it while searching for the car keys. Looking back, some of the best things in my life popped up while I was searching for something else.
San Angelo is a great place to live. I hope I do not come across as a naysaying critic. If I did not love this town, I wouldn't take the time to try to improve things. No, I do not think I am always right, another bit of advice. As I have told people, I not only don't expect everyone to agree with me, I know I don't always agree with myself. I strive for some continuity of thought, but from time to time I go trolling through my archives and find something I wrote say 5, 6 years ago. I end up sitting gap-mouthed and thinking, “Jeez, had a bad hair day, huh?”.
To the extent I have a point today it is this: be true to your passion. Mine is political, other people give time to a wonderous array of charitable causes. The almost inexhaustible resevoir of volunteers here continues to amaze me. Find something outside yourself, give some of yourself to that cause in whatever measure you can afford, you will find the reward is in the effort itself.
In my neighborhood, just off Bell St. I have come in from an hour's worth of nocturnal serenade that is worth passing along. One has to move about a bit, then sit quietly just to tone down the ever vigilant watch-dogs, but it is worth the effort. I was able to hear at least four birds, distinctly separate by position, making a variety of calls worthy of a Hollywood special effects studio. One particular Caruso of the night was notably dominant, pitching out variations on a theme ranging from chirp-chirp-chirp to too-wheet too-wheet to chitter-chitter, closing out with a nearly basso profundo throat clearing noise. His friends in other trees would respond, but Caruso was clearly the class of this American Idol show, and seemed to know it.
Interestingly, I just spent a week on site in the wilds of Gouldbusk, Texas. The crew bunked in a ranch house about 15 miles southwest of East Undershirt, middle of nowhere. We watched a doe cross casually munching at midnight upwind of us on the porch, the stars and planets were spectacular, but I heard more birdsong tonight here in Angelo than I can recall in the wild. Anne Matthews has a book out “Wild Nights” telling about her two year survey of New York City, especially the lower east side. She documents coyotes, foxes, even flocks of turkeys in the abandoned sections of one of the most densely populated cities on the planet.
I have allowed a consuming political passion to dominate my time, I am likely to continue following that passion. In this, I am reminding myself, hoping to remind the reader, take the time, sit still and alone. Let the stray thoughts you have no time for during the day to wander casually across your mind. Promise you, it will not be wasted time, a comfortable porch swing is a good investment.
To some degree, we overestimate ourselves as far as our impact on nature. I have seen deer grazing shrubbery on Paseo De Vaca. On my side of town coyote, fox and bobcat have been seen, and skunk frequently smelled. Horned toads still thrive anywhere they can find an acre of ground where no one poisons the ants they eat. One bit of advice, if you spot a predator species in daylight and it does not run from you, RUN FROM IT! It will almost certainly be rabid.
Since I seem to be in Dear Abby mode, let me get simple: Do not seek confrontation, but do not run from it; seek serenity, treasure it when you find it, but expect it not; and keep the mind open to serendipity. This last word, “serendipity”, is my favorite six syllable word. The closest new age terminology comes is “Thinking outside the box”, a newspeak term for being open-minded enough to recognise a gold nugget when one trips over it while searching for the car keys. Looking back, some of the best things in my life popped up while I was searching for something else.
San Angelo is a great place to live. I hope I do not come across as a naysaying critic. If I did not love this town, I wouldn't take the time to try to improve things. No, I do not think I am always right, another bit of advice. As I have told people, I not only don't expect everyone to agree with me, I know I don't always agree with myself. I strive for some continuity of thought, but from time to time I go trolling through my archives and find something I wrote say 5, 6 years ago. I end up sitting gap-mouthed and thinking, “Jeez, had a bad hair day, huh?”.
To the extent I have a point today it is this: be true to your passion. Mine is political, other people give time to a wonderous array of charitable causes. The almost inexhaustible resevoir of volunteers here continues to amaze me. Find something outside yourself, give some of yourself to that cause in whatever measure you can afford, you will find the reward is in the effort itself.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
This is my third Memorial Day reflection. With all the barbeque's, sales, etc. we must not forget that this day is set aside to honor those who "gave the last full measure of devotion". We also need to remember those who are still giving as we enjoy our freedoms.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Voter Turnout
I keep hearing people complain about the "low voter turnout" for the last election and blaming it for the failure of the bond issues. In a city of 90,000 why did only about 10,500 people vote on these issues. Let's take a closer look.
First off, 90,000 is the total population of San Angelo, not the number of people who could vote. You have to remember that those younger than 18 can't vote. Then add in those that have lost their voting privilege for felony convictions or mental disorders. Add in those that aren't here legally or haven't been here long enough to be residents, and you end up with around 55,000 eligible voters. According to the city website, there were 51,686 registered voters in the last election. Of that number, 27% voted. This is the highest turn out for a spring election in at least 10 years. This is higher than the 21% that turned out for the last sales tax election, a very hotly contested issue. Texas averages about 14% as a state for spring elections. Even our last November election only had 33% of those registered vote. We have to go back to the last presidential election before we break 50%. Off year and non-general elections just don't get much turn out.
The reality is that this last election had a much higher that expected turn out. I am sure the mayor's race was a factor, but it seems the big issue was the school bonds. Our local voters don't usually go to the polls in the spring unless there is something on the ballot that really grabs their attention. Normal spring elections are a yawn, so they leave it to the die-hard voters to decide the issues. This spring, the SAISD information campaign grabbed the voters attention. They turned out in record numbers. The results tell what they thought of the information campaign.
First off, 90,000 is the total population of San Angelo, not the number of people who could vote. You have to remember that those younger than 18 can't vote. Then add in those that have lost their voting privilege for felony convictions or mental disorders. Add in those that aren't here legally or haven't been here long enough to be residents, and you end up with around 55,000 eligible voters. According to the city website, there were 51,686 registered voters in the last election. Of that number, 27% voted. This is the highest turn out for a spring election in at least 10 years. This is higher than the 21% that turned out for the last sales tax election, a very hotly contested issue. Texas averages about 14% as a state for spring elections. Even our last November election only had 33% of those registered vote. We have to go back to the last presidential election before we break 50%. Off year and non-general elections just don't get much turn out.
The reality is that this last election had a much higher that expected turn out. I am sure the mayor's race was a factor, but it seems the big issue was the school bonds. Our local voters don't usually go to the polls in the spring unless there is something on the ballot that really grabs their attention. Normal spring elections are a yawn, so they leave it to the die-hard voters to decide the issues. This spring, the SAISD information campaign grabbed the voters attention. They turned out in record numbers. The results tell what they thought of the information campaign.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Online Survey
The school district has their survey online here. It doesn't take long so go take it and give them your input. This is a chance to talk back about the bonds and the future of our schools.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Yard Sign Nannies
The elections have come and gone, pardon us if we went into single issue mode over the school bond. Definitely time to move on to other subjects. One might have predicted San Angelo would not be long in presenting us with a new topic, and we are not disappointed.
Zoning is always a testy subject. Striking the correct balance between the rights of a property owner, allowing development to happen without undue regulatory encumbrance, and possibly, if one is very lucky, even helping economic development with far-sighted planning is a delicate job at best. My personal view on the subject tends towards the most "delicate" hand on the central planning wheel possible. A fine example of getting bogged down in details was the years long process involved before allowing citizens on small lots to build hail protection carports for their vehicles.
For several years now, the Santa Rita community has put on a Music in the Park super block party featuring a local band, hot dogs, games and such in Santa Rita Park. Residents have put out signs like the candidate yard signs we saw last month to advertise the event. This year, after apparantly having solved the other dicey details of zoning and having too much time on their hands, code enforcement opted for "aggressive enforcement" of 12.607 of city ordinances, and has sent forth one Rudolfo Ybarra to curb infractions of this long-ignored provision: to wit, he is knocking on doors and insisting that the "Funky Monkey" (for the musically impaired, this is the band playing tonight) yard signs be removed.
My first thought when I heard of this was that if they carried this over to garage sale signs we would see a storm of unrest the likes of which have not been witnessed since Mayor Lown proposed to monkey with our trash cans. Then I read the rest of 12.607 and found that "Auctions, Estates, and Garage Sales" are specifically exempted. Well, thinks I, no problem. Somebody donate a rusty bicycle, put a for sale sign on it, and put up yard signs promoting the "Funky Monkey Santa Rita Music in the Park Garage Sale". Oops. closer reading reveals the garage sale exemption is hedged about, allowing one sign on the residential lot where the sale is, and two "off-site" signs, which must "clearly indicate the street address and name of the person responsible for the sale". The party is in a public park and many off-site signs were put up.
This takes me back to my original concern over garage sales in general. At least on my side of town, it sometimes seems half of San Angelo is spending weekends selling its junk to the other half. I can scarce travel a block without seeing either a sale or a sign reading "Yard Sale" with an arrow pointing to a side street. But wait! Someone alert Mr. Ybarra! Almost none of these signs have the requisite information of name and address, there are often more than two, not to mention, most advertize "Yard Sales", not "Garage Sales". This tide of illegality must be nipped in the bud, to quote Barney Fife! Come on Mr. Ybarra, show us the stuff you're made of, take your life in your hands, and go mess with the yard sale ladies. Be sure and arrange for police backup, I'd rather stand between my aunt and her favorite soap opera.
Fun aside, it does seem better use could have been made of enforcement man-hours. Community events such as this should be encouraged in any part of the city, and for the record, I am not in Santa Rita, nor do I plan to be at this function. It seems the only cure is for Council to reasonably amend the existing ordinance, the sooner the better.
Zoning is always a testy subject. Striking the correct balance between the rights of a property owner, allowing development to happen without undue regulatory encumbrance, and possibly, if one is very lucky, even helping economic development with far-sighted planning is a delicate job at best. My personal view on the subject tends towards the most "delicate" hand on the central planning wheel possible. A fine example of getting bogged down in details was the years long process involved before allowing citizens on small lots to build hail protection carports for their vehicles.
For several years now, the Santa Rita community has put on a Music in the Park super block party featuring a local band, hot dogs, games and such in Santa Rita Park. Residents have put out signs like the candidate yard signs we saw last month to advertise the event. This year, after apparantly having solved the other dicey details of zoning and having too much time on their hands, code enforcement opted for "aggressive enforcement" of 12.607 of city ordinances, and has sent forth one Rudolfo Ybarra to curb infractions of this long-ignored provision: to wit, he is knocking on doors and insisting that the "Funky Monkey" (for the musically impaired, this is the band playing tonight) yard signs be removed.
My first thought when I heard of this was that if they carried this over to garage sale signs we would see a storm of unrest the likes of which have not been witnessed since Mayor Lown proposed to monkey with our trash cans. Then I read the rest of 12.607 and found that "Auctions, Estates, and Garage Sales" are specifically exempted. Well, thinks I, no problem. Somebody donate a rusty bicycle, put a for sale sign on it, and put up yard signs promoting the "Funky Monkey Santa Rita Music in the Park Garage Sale". Oops. closer reading reveals the garage sale exemption is hedged about, allowing one sign on the residential lot where the sale is, and two "off-site" signs, which must "clearly indicate the street address and name of the person responsible for the sale". The party is in a public park and many off-site signs were put up.
This takes me back to my original concern over garage sales in general. At least on my side of town, it sometimes seems half of San Angelo is spending weekends selling its junk to the other half. I can scarce travel a block without seeing either a sale or a sign reading "Yard Sale" with an arrow pointing to a side street. But wait! Someone alert Mr. Ybarra! Almost none of these signs have the requisite information of name and address, there are often more than two, not to mention, most advertize "Yard Sales", not "Garage Sales". This tide of illegality must be nipped in the bud, to quote Barney Fife! Come on Mr. Ybarra, show us the stuff you're made of, take your life in your hands, and go mess with the yard sale ladies. Be sure and arrange for police backup, I'd rather stand between my aunt and her favorite soap opera.
Fun aside, it does seem better use could have been made of enforcement man-hours. Community events such as this should be encouraged in any part of the city, and for the record, I am not in Santa Rita, nor do I plan to be at this function. It seems the only cure is for Council to reasonably amend the existing ordinance, the sooner the better.
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