It has been almost a year since Council agreed it would be a nifty idea to exercise some oversight as to the 20-plus advisory Boards/committees/commissions we have here. As I recall, we were going to start with Civic Events and move forward about one per month.
The idea was that each Board would be reviewed at least once every two years or so (surprisingly co-incidental with Council terms) for: let's short-circuit this; What have you Done for Us Lately.
I have served on one Committee, testified before several. I applaud the theory of opening access, I am all for Open Government / Open Records. San Angelo is ahead of the pack there. Nonetheless, comes a time we need to look back and see what is or is not actually working. We have Boards which routinely post cancellations due to lack of business; we have boards with overlapping areas of interest; (how many Downtown/Hysterical District Boards do we have: 6-8, a dozen?)
It is not a huge budget item. No Board member is paid; some meetings provide maybe pizza or finger sandwiches for a mid-day meet, BUT as to city staff support, someone has to open the door, record the minutes, provide staff advice and lock up after the puppies get done meeting. Not a huge item per meeting, but we have mid-twenties, 12 times a year times a few bucks per? Doesn't take long to move into 6 figures. Not saying Staff is overpaid, but they get paid more to supervise than I miss in pay when I show up.
I am a patient man, but a persistent one. I'm not going anywhere, when do we start Board Review?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thoughts on Startups
During the City Council meeting this week, while they were discussing garage sales I came to an important realization. With the zoning restrictions we have in place, and the restrictions they want to place on garage sales, none of the top 3 computer companies in the world could start today in San Angelo. Apple, HP, and Dell all started by doing business out of a garage at home.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
A Valentine's Day Message
My latest missive had to do with a Street Maintenence Tax. This year Valentine's Day coincides with another important date: Initial filing to run for City Council. Anyone running has to be doing it for love, it sure isn't the princely sum of $45 a month
All the even numbered seats and Mayor are up for challenge. Four out of seven, there is potential for change here. I do not play the endorsement game, and my SMD is not up in any case. I'm not even suggesting any particular Council member is in need of being replaced. A lot of people got a chuckle out of the accusation I was a "lap-dog" for Council, seriuosly, we have a good Council now, better than most in my opinion, BUT...
Any job is well served by competition. Wal-Mart's prices might be higher if Target weren't right around the corner and breathing down their neck.
We are fortunate we don't "get what we pay for" on Council. At $45/ month, it costs Councilmembers to serve. SAISD, we are even luckier, we have not had an election for SAISD in three cycles, nothing corrupt, but no competition.
Hey guys, May will bring on a few changes. Algore's global warming might finally kick in. Side bet: we will see a 100 degree day before May 15.
Oh yeah, back to politics, May will bring a new Council, new issues, who knows, possibly a new New. No offense Mayor, that was too good to pass up.
I would love to see contested elections all around; even if all incumbents win, they will be better for having had a challenge.
If you are bothering to read this obscure Blog, you are interested. I literally can't afford it, and my boss can't really afford to give me two Tuesdays a month off. Maybe retired, maybe independent owner, maybe you can afford this volunteer post, because God's honest, that is what it is.
All the even numbered seats and Mayor are up for challenge. Four out of seven, there is potential for change here. I do not play the endorsement game, and my SMD is not up in any case. I'm not even suggesting any particular Council member is in need of being replaced. A lot of people got a chuckle out of the accusation I was a "lap-dog" for Council, seriuosly, we have a good Council now, better than most in my opinion, BUT...
Any job is well served by competition. Wal-Mart's prices might be higher if Target weren't right around the corner and breathing down their neck.
We are fortunate we don't "get what we pay for" on Council. At $45/ month, it costs Councilmembers to serve. SAISD, we are even luckier, we have not had an election for SAISD in three cycles, nothing corrupt, but no competition.
Hey guys, May will bring on a few changes. Algore's global warming might finally kick in. Side bet: we will see a 100 degree day before May 15.
Oh yeah, back to politics, May will bring a new Council, new issues, who knows, possibly a new New. No offense Mayor, that was too good to pass up.
I would love to see contested elections all around; even if all incumbents win, they will be better for having had a challenge.
If you are bothering to read this obscure Blog, you are interested. I literally can't afford it, and my boss can't really afford to give me two Tuesdays a month off. Maybe retired, maybe independent owner, maybe you can afford this volunteer post, because God's honest, that is what it is.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Street Maintenence Tax
This Thursday my article in favor of a Street Maintenence Tax was published in the Standard-Times. I won't reprint it here, it is available at www.gosanangelo.com
I do want to expand on the topic and cover some issues that came up in comments at gosanangelo.
I was promoting a diversion of one-eigth cent of the existing half-cent tax to streets. As is our current half cent tax, this is regulated by state statute. Actually, it could be twice that, but has to move in eigth-cent increments. It cannot increase our total tax, we are capped there by state law.
It can only be put in effect with voter approval. Council can decide to give us the option, but only if voters approve can this happen. As I mentioned in the article, unlike the 4B we now pay, a street tax HAS to "sunset" or come up for reapproval by voters again, every four years.
Legislature has provided for the street tax in a capped city to take place in one ballot proposition. In other words, we cannot find ourselves in the absurd position of approving a street tax but not approving the reallocation of the 4b tax.
The sales tax eigth-cent has to be accounted for. It cannot be used for new streets. It cannot be used for sidewalks along streets. It can only be used for "maintenece of existing streets". Sealcoat, potholes, total resurface if needed, yes.
I mentioned in the article; an eigth of anything sounds small, but here, depending on the economy and total sales tax receipts that is at least $1 million, $1.5 million
in a good year, and we've seen a bit better than that. Now we are talking eigth-cent that could replace the general fund money we now spend on streets.
Here we come to why this is a winner. While the limits on using Street Maintenence sales tax revenue are strict, the use of the general fund money freed up is limited only to what a home rule city can do now. Money is fungible. If we decide to spend that $1.5 money doubling up on street expenditures; if we decide to spend it on employee benefits; if we decide to use it for (Heaven forfend) tax reduction: we can do any of the above or any mix of the above. I would hope for some reasonable mix.
Look at it this way, if you had any involvement in last year's budget process, wouldn't you have absolutely loved a buck-and-a-half wiggle room?
The down side, if one wants to call it that is this. The 4b tax we just extended without a sunset had certain specific projects in it that are now locked in from coliseum/fairgrounds improvements to river improvements to sports facilities. Let us not forget the "water" issues, but those, being on ballot, are inviolable, they will be done. Uh, no, it won't pay for all the Hickory costs, sorry about the voters who thought that, but no one ever quite said that, best case 4b will pay about $30 million out of $150 million.
No the down side is if we approve a Street Maintenence Tax, the City of San Angelo Development Corporation will have less money to spend on what I rudely call "corporate bribery". I cannot buy the idea of government picking winners and losers and doing it better than the market. Governments love to brag on it when "economic incentives" work and hope voters will forget the ones that don't. Anybody remember Taylor Publishing? If you know someone who can use a nice empty building east of town, we have one; CHEAP!
Me, I have a job, might like better pay, but I'll get that on my own before the city gets it for me. I'd be happy with good streets to get to and from work on.
I do want to expand on the topic and cover some issues that came up in comments at gosanangelo.
I was promoting a diversion of one-eigth cent of the existing half-cent tax to streets. As is our current half cent tax, this is regulated by state statute. Actually, it could be twice that, but has to move in eigth-cent increments. It cannot increase our total tax, we are capped there by state law.
It can only be put in effect with voter approval. Council can decide to give us the option, but only if voters approve can this happen. As I mentioned in the article, unlike the 4B we now pay, a street tax HAS to "sunset" or come up for reapproval by voters again, every four years.
Legislature has provided for the street tax in a capped city to take place in one ballot proposition. In other words, we cannot find ourselves in the absurd position of approving a street tax but not approving the reallocation of the 4b tax.
The sales tax eigth-cent has to be accounted for. It cannot be used for new streets. It cannot be used for sidewalks along streets. It can only be used for "maintenece of existing streets". Sealcoat, potholes, total resurface if needed, yes.
I mentioned in the article; an eigth of anything sounds small, but here, depending on the economy and total sales tax receipts that is at least $1 million, $1.5 million
in a good year, and we've seen a bit better than that. Now we are talking eigth-cent that could replace the general fund money we now spend on streets.
Here we come to why this is a winner. While the limits on using Street Maintenence sales tax revenue are strict, the use of the general fund money freed up is limited only to what a home rule city can do now. Money is fungible. If we decide to spend that $1.5 money doubling up on street expenditures; if we decide to spend it on employee benefits; if we decide to use it for (Heaven forfend) tax reduction: we can do any of the above or any mix of the above. I would hope for some reasonable mix.
Look at it this way, if you had any involvement in last year's budget process, wouldn't you have absolutely loved a buck-and-a-half wiggle room?
The down side, if one wants to call it that is this. The 4b tax we just extended without a sunset had certain specific projects in it that are now locked in from coliseum/fairgrounds improvements to river improvements to sports facilities. Let us not forget the "water" issues, but those, being on ballot, are inviolable, they will be done. Uh, no, it won't pay for all the Hickory costs, sorry about the voters who thought that, but no one ever quite said that, best case 4b will pay about $30 million out of $150 million.
No the down side is if we approve a Street Maintenence Tax, the City of San Angelo Development Corporation will have less money to spend on what I rudely call "corporate bribery". I cannot buy the idea of government picking winners and losers and doing it better than the market. Governments love to brag on it when "economic incentives" work and hope voters will forget the ones that don't. Anybody remember Taylor Publishing? If you know someone who can use a nice empty building east of town, we have one; CHEAP!
Me, I have a job, might like better pay, but I'll get that on my own before the city gets it for me. I'd be happy with good streets to get to and from work on.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
They keep on giving
The elections have been over for three months now and we will soon be seeing the impacts. In just a few days the smoking ban will go into effect, and we will finally see the impact this ban will have on local businesses. I hope the small neighborhood bars can weather this storm.
We also had a hint of the impact the Hickory water project will have on the local economy. They finally admitted in the last city council meeting that city water bills will have to go up by an average of $10 to $20 just to pay for the construction of the project. That is before they actually throw the switch and start pumping Hickory water. When that happens, if the city estimates are close, another $10 to $20 will have to be added to our water bills to pay for the utilities, people to operate the system, and everything else it takes to operate and maintain this project for the next 30 years. This doesn't take into account the fact that we're likely going to be draining the aquifer faster than it can recharge. We will probably have to fight lawsuits from the people who live over the aquifer whose wells are going dry. We might actually still have water there when we pay off the loan.
I'm sure some of you want to know who made this all possible, and the simple answer would be to check the campaign finance reports. They are on the city website under the city clerk's election section. All of Speak Out San Angelo's reports are there. Unfortunately both Smoke Free San Angelo and Citizens for San Angelo's Future are late with their required January 15 semi-annual filing. Hopefully, they will correct that ASAP. Once you check those reports, I'm sure you will know the appropriate way to thank everyone involved.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Cradle of Civilization
I typically write about local issues, but events in Egypt have distracted me (and the White House and the State Dept and anyone else not living in a cave).
This morning's news shows ABC lead. Somehow Chritianna Amanpour got personal interviews with both President Mubarak and his new and controverial VP. Fox news gave up and did its entire show talking about the Superbowl, live from the stadium. You don't think that might have had something to do with Fox having the broadcast rights tonight?
The one item that caught my ear; a "Man-on-the-street" interview with an Egyptian protester: In perfect English he said "We need a book, something like your Constitution. If we get that, we get tired of a President, we don't have to do this, we just don't re-elect him".
This unnamed Egyptian showed more understanding of our representative democracy than most of our own voters have! We have the immense luxury of not having to risk our lives and shut down the whole economy, we have these fabulous things called elections!
At this point, nobody, least of all me, can safely predict how Egypt will shake out. A lot of the experts were unsure about a "domino effect", possibly moving to Lebanon, maybe even Syria, and while it hasn't uttered a mumbling word, the House of Saud has to be scared silly.
Let us hope for the best, that is really all we can do. Let us also take a moment to remember that anonymous Egyptian "man-on-the-street". We HAVE what his people are risking lives for. Turn out on election days and help keep it
Just for fun, I'm not calling the game, I hope for a good game, a close one, but my money is straight over. OK, 27/21 and I ain't saying who.
This morning's news shows ABC lead. Somehow Chritianna Amanpour got personal interviews with both President Mubarak and his new and controverial VP. Fox news gave up and did its entire show talking about the Superbowl, live from the stadium. You don't think that might have had something to do with Fox having the broadcast rights tonight?
The one item that caught my ear; a "Man-on-the-street" interview with an Egyptian protester: In perfect English he said "We need a book, something like your Constitution. If we get that, we get tired of a President, we don't have to do this, we just don't re-elect him".
This unnamed Egyptian showed more understanding of our representative democracy than most of our own voters have! We have the immense luxury of not having to risk our lives and shut down the whole economy, we have these fabulous things called elections!
At this point, nobody, least of all me, can safely predict how Egypt will shake out. A lot of the experts were unsure about a "domino effect", possibly moving to Lebanon, maybe even Syria, and while it hasn't uttered a mumbling word, the House of Saud has to be scared silly.
Let us hope for the best, that is really all we can do. Let us also take a moment to remember that anonymous Egyptian "man-on-the-street". We HAVE what his people are risking lives for. Turn out on election days and help keep it
Just for fun, I'm not calling the game, I hope for a good game, a close one, but my money is straight over. OK, 27/21 and I ain't saying who.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fries with that?
I left the last Council meeting with a strange feeling. The discussion on the garage sale ordinance and garage sales in general made me think that I had wandered into a board meeting of McDonalds. It made me think they were trying to create the next happy meal.
There are a number of issues associated with garage sales. Parking, trash, outside storage, safety, etc.. The vast majority of these are already addressed by ordinances dealing with traffic, parking, public nuisances, signs, and the health code. Granted, these ordinances are often ineffective. They don't help with the problems created by garage sales. Of course, they also don't help with a rowdy super bowl party or family barbeque. They won't help when smoke easys start cropping up after the smoke ban goes into effect. They don't really help if you neighbor is just a slob, garage sales or not.
So why did I think happy meal? A happy meal is a standardized, commoditized, lowest common denominator set of products combined around fad based marketing. They're probably okay for an occasional meal when out shopping with the parents, but not close to balanced nutrition. It's a one size fits all solution that can pass for a meal targeted at kids and their parents.
The garage sale discussion seemed headed for a happy meal solution. A one size fits all solution to the fad issue of the day targeted against a specific group. The basic ordinances that address the real issues were talked about because they failed. On problem after problem, whether it was parking in alleys, outside storage of items, trash, etc. the refrain was that the current ordinances took too long or were ineffective. The gentle push was for a garage sale ordinance that limited the number and addressed again what the other ordinances already couldn't handle. We could easily end up with a happy meal of an ordinance. One that's not very nutritious, one size fits all, and driven mostly by the current fad issue.
Let's fix the problems with the current ordinances that don't work. I don't want to hear the council asking if we want fries with the next ordinance.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
New Year's Message
The Standard-Times poll for New Year's day asks whether 2011 will be better or worse. Among the omens and portents, gold closed the year over $1,400 and silver cracked $30. Same time, Germany is making rude noises about bailing out of the Euro. Merkel is hanging on by the fingernails and the productive populace of Germany is disgusted with picking up the tab for the profligate Greeks and Irishmen not to mention the Spanish and Portugese whose cards are maxed out and their bartab is soon coming due.
San Angelo is actually in relatively good shape, but we cannot insulate ourselves from a world full of foolishness. Canned goods friends, canned goods and commodities, just in case. Even in good times I advise having at least 30 days of food/water stocked; pretend that for some reason you cannot leave your house for a month.
I am not "into" buying every harbinger of doom. Remember when first bird flu, then swine flu was going to mutate and result in a pandemic eclipsing the Spanish flu of WWI? Perhaps you recall the massive eruption of an unpronouncable volcano in Iceland, all of Europe trembled in fear of nuclear winter. Turned out the bigger, if less photogenic problem was honest Icelandic fishermen trying to become international bankers. Ponzi would be proud, Bernie Madoff would be embarrassed, and if I had that kind of money, I would "short" the Euro this year.
Another note; from the west coast, across the northern Plains states, to the American northeast and on to most of Europe, hundreds of thousands of air travelers spent the holiday week camped out in airport terminals. Algore will have to further increase his "carbon footprint" flying about in his private Gulfstream to remind us of the eminent demise of Western Civilization due to global warming. Again with an old saying "Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get". Hope you checked your antifreeze, Mon. morn is supposed to be 23 degrees.
Enough of the fun part, back to local matters. It looks as though we will continue with Harold Dominguez as City Manager. I wish Harold the best, would offer my congrats if he does get a better paying job, but my opinion, we are lucky to have him. God knows we've had worse.
Last year was an anomaly. Revenues were down, Council and staff waded deep into the weeds making up a $2 million+ shortfall without curtailing essential services. Angelo did better than a lot of Texas cities, BUT... Something I hope we don't see again is the shortcuts on the budget process.
A legacy of the Mayor Lown era, an item Conchoinfo is proud to have had our small part in, was Sec. 59A of City Charter. It insists that Capital Improvements shall be on the table "no later than 5 months before final date for submission of the budget". Moving that from practise to ordinance to Charter was a real accomplishment. In our past, in some cities to this day, when one reads "Capital Improvements" think "Earmarks". Tennis fans want lighted courts. Rodeo fans wants fairground improvements. As Yul Brynner said in "the King and I", etc. etc. and so forth. Typical year we have Cap Improv projects suggested that exceed the total city budget for about 5 years.
Obviously there has to be a winnowing process. Sec. 59A puts rule of law to the process. Hearings are held, public comment is taken, and the "wish list" is prioritized from "we need this NOW" to "maybe in a couple years" to "well maybe someday if we win the lottery" to fuggedabowtit.
Last year, this got not much better than a kiss and a smile as staff scrambled to make up the deficit without raising taxes. Hard times make for hard choices, I'm not saying we were poorly served, but this time around we have plenty of notice. Let's do it right this year.
I will once again suggest that Council consider setting aside one-eigth cent of our half cent sales tax to a "Street Maintenence" tax. The money could only be used for improvements of existing streets and by Texas Statute, has an automatic 4 year "sunset", voters will get to look at it after 4 years.
If we have this, something over $1 million/year comes out of general budget and money being fungible, could be used for anything the law allows the city to do. For instance, a park to replace Northside Rec.
Speaking of which, a terrible decision. I'm not 100% in favor of the current caliche pit, but before we closed Northside we should have at least budgeted, if not built, its replacement. Now Lakeview has one more reason to believe it is San Angelo's "red-headed stepchild". The only quadrent in town without a real city park.
In my last missive here, I spoke of buying 12 volt air compressors for myself and brother-in-law. Turns out both of us had ocassion to use them them and Stripes' little quarter-suckers were bereft of our pocket change. Also our smokes and beer purchases, lotto tickets and other incidentals, including the $200 or so a week I used to spend on diesel for the work truck.
Prediction time. Council, in my opinion wisely, chose to let the electorate have its way on the smoke ban, with exceptions agreed to by the winners. I opposed it, but I will live with it. By this time next year, Council will move to exempt bars. By then, we will be looking at real world, not pipedreams. The smokefree crowd will not have flooded the smoking bars with new business, especially the small beerjoints. Some bars will be hurting, some out of business, perhaps some moved out of city limits with resulting loss of revenue to the city. With that reality to support such action, Council will exempt bars along with pipe shops and bingo halls. Unfortunately, it will cost a few bar owners and their employees the investments and jobs, but hey; who ever told you life was fair?
All in all, I look to a good New Year. I'm trying not to let the TCU win/over influence that, but overall, San Angelo has the potential to be an island of stability in an unstable world. I am proud to have been born here, happy to live here. Shalom, peace, and a prosperous New Year to all. Keep on truckin' !
San Angelo is actually in relatively good shape, but we cannot insulate ourselves from a world full of foolishness. Canned goods friends, canned goods and commodities, just in case. Even in good times I advise having at least 30 days of food/water stocked; pretend that for some reason you cannot leave your house for a month.
I am not "into" buying every harbinger of doom. Remember when first bird flu, then swine flu was going to mutate and result in a pandemic eclipsing the Spanish flu of WWI? Perhaps you recall the massive eruption of an unpronouncable volcano in Iceland, all of Europe trembled in fear of nuclear winter. Turned out the bigger, if less photogenic problem was honest Icelandic fishermen trying to become international bankers. Ponzi would be proud, Bernie Madoff would be embarrassed, and if I had that kind of money, I would "short" the Euro this year.
Another note; from the west coast, across the northern Plains states, to the American northeast and on to most of Europe, hundreds of thousands of air travelers spent the holiday week camped out in airport terminals. Algore will have to further increase his "carbon footprint" flying about in his private Gulfstream to remind us of the eminent demise of Western Civilization due to global warming. Again with an old saying "Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get". Hope you checked your antifreeze, Mon. morn is supposed to be 23 degrees.
Enough of the fun part, back to local matters. It looks as though we will continue with Harold Dominguez as City Manager. I wish Harold the best, would offer my congrats if he does get a better paying job, but my opinion, we are lucky to have him. God knows we've had worse.
Last year was an anomaly. Revenues were down, Council and staff waded deep into the weeds making up a $2 million+ shortfall without curtailing essential services. Angelo did better than a lot of Texas cities, BUT... Something I hope we don't see again is the shortcuts on the budget process.
A legacy of the Mayor Lown era, an item Conchoinfo is proud to have had our small part in, was Sec. 59A of City Charter. It insists that Capital Improvements shall be on the table "no later than 5 months before final date for submission of the budget". Moving that from practise to ordinance to Charter was a real accomplishment. In our past, in some cities to this day, when one reads "Capital Improvements" think "Earmarks". Tennis fans want lighted courts. Rodeo fans wants fairground improvements. As Yul Brynner said in "the King and I", etc. etc. and so forth. Typical year we have Cap Improv projects suggested that exceed the total city budget for about 5 years.
Obviously there has to be a winnowing process. Sec. 59A puts rule of law to the process. Hearings are held, public comment is taken, and the "wish list" is prioritized from "we need this NOW" to "maybe in a couple years" to "well maybe someday if we win the lottery" to fuggedabowtit.
Last year, this got not much better than a kiss and a smile as staff scrambled to make up the deficit without raising taxes. Hard times make for hard choices, I'm not saying we were poorly served, but this time around we have plenty of notice. Let's do it right this year.
I will once again suggest that Council consider setting aside one-eigth cent of our half cent sales tax to a "Street Maintenence" tax. The money could only be used for improvements of existing streets and by Texas Statute, has an automatic 4 year "sunset", voters will get to look at it after 4 years.
If we have this, something over $1 million/year comes out of general budget and money being fungible, could be used for anything the law allows the city to do. For instance, a park to replace Northside Rec.
Speaking of which, a terrible decision. I'm not 100% in favor of the current caliche pit, but before we closed Northside we should have at least budgeted, if not built, its replacement. Now Lakeview has one more reason to believe it is San Angelo's "red-headed stepchild". The only quadrent in town without a real city park.
In my last missive here, I spoke of buying 12 volt air compressors for myself and brother-in-law. Turns out both of us had ocassion to use them them and Stripes' little quarter-suckers were bereft of our pocket change. Also our smokes and beer purchases, lotto tickets and other incidentals, including the $200 or so a week I used to spend on diesel for the work truck.
Prediction time. Council, in my opinion wisely, chose to let the electorate have its way on the smoke ban, with exceptions agreed to by the winners. I opposed it, but I will live with it. By this time next year, Council will move to exempt bars. By then, we will be looking at real world, not pipedreams. The smokefree crowd will not have flooded the smoking bars with new business, especially the small beerjoints. Some bars will be hurting, some out of business, perhaps some moved out of city limits with resulting loss of revenue to the city. With that reality to support such action, Council will exempt bars along with pipe shops and bingo halls. Unfortunately, it will cost a few bar owners and their employees the investments and jobs, but hey; who ever told you life was fair?
All in all, I look to a good New Year. I'm trying not to let the TCU win/over influence that, but overall, San Angelo has the potential to be an island of stability in an unstable world. I am proud to have been born here, happy to live here. Shalom, peace, and a prosperous New Year to all. Keep on truckin' !
Saturday, December 25, 2010
A Christmas Carrel
Merry Christmas all. All told, it has been a good year. Personally, I count myself fortunate to be if anything, over-employed. It's been two weeks since I saw my house in daylight during the work week. While I had the misfortune to break my arm and lose 3 months work, I had the good fortune to find work as soon as I was able. Still paying off some of that "vacation", but at least I am able to do so.
Thanks to OT and the NFL, I was able to do some Christmas shopping yesterday, modest, I don't think my contribution will turn the economy around, but I did my part.
One gift I bought myself and my brother-in-law was a 12 volt air compressor/tire inflator. I was encouraged to choose this gift by my first "Scrooge Award" winner; Town and Country stores under the new Stripes management. A couple months ago I left work and quickly noticed I had a low tire. pulled into the handy T&C to discover they no longer had air hoses at the pumps. I had to pump 3 quarters into a box at the edge of the parking lot to get three minutes worth of air pump. Same problem last week, only now it is $1 for 4 minutes! Stripes, if you wonder why you see my smiling face in your check-out line less often, there it is. Not to mention, Bell north and Bryant south T&C are the closest Angelo offers to a truck stop and this quarter-sucker device is worthless to an 18 wheeler with 100PSI tires.
Comes to mind, I had one of the bar-owners affected by the smoking ban ask me about challenging that rule as an illegal "takings", or imposed reduction of property value. I told her that after extensive research, I had yet to find a smoke ban overturned by the courts. The courts have so far (correctly in my opinion) ruled that cities have wide latitude to do all sorts of silly, progressive, or just plain "out-of-the-box" things and see how they work.
May I suggest a new ordinance? Any business with more than three gas pumps must provide tire inflating air, free, at the pumps stations. Ya' know, just like a more friendly T&C used to.
Something else I found while shopping yesterday: Angelo has a good many mentally challenged drivers and another cadre of plain rude ones. I have driven on a CDL for a living for over 30 years with no accidents and one (60 in a 55) violation. I do this by defensive driving. I assume the "other guy" is going to do the stupidest thing possible, and I am too seldom disappointed. Parking lots scare me more than streets and highways. I am healthy, I've taken to parking WAY out at the edge and walking. Safe bet: I get in the store and out of the lot more quickly than the fellow who hunts for the close spot and then has to wait on traffic to get out. I'm halfway home before he gets out of the HEB lot.
Brings me to my second Scrooge Award. Even out at the edges, I must have seen a dozen new vehicles parked across 2-3 spots, presumably to prevent door dings on the precious new truck. Being filled with the spirit of Christmas (OK, also a healthy fear of security cameras) I resisted the urge to "key" these hogs. Folks, if it's too pretty to put into traffic, encase the thing in lucite in your yard and admire it twice a day. I remember a friend in NC, bought his first "new" car in 10 years. I watched him take a small ball peen hammer, wrap it in burlap, and gently rap the driver's door under the handle. SAY What!? says I. He told me "now I don't have to get mad, cry, or lose sleep over the first dingbat that opens their door into mine. Upon reflection, a sensible attitude. We allow civilian volunteers (or used to) after training to issue valid tickets for illegal parking in handicap spaces. I volunteer to ticket vehicles taking up two or more spaces, excepting trailers of course. That would be more fun than vandalism.
A third Scrooge Award, this one to any company, credit cards especially, which imposes penalties for late pay on weekends/holidays. I first came on this with a Bank of America Card payment. Due on a Sunday. I went to the local branch, put my over-minimum payment in the mitt of a BOA employee on Saturday. The rest of the week I work to make sure that check is good. Imagine my surprise when BOA assessed me a $35 late pay fee next month since I had not paid them by noon Friday (while I was busy earning the money to pay them). Ran into this again this week, a Chase bill due on Sunday the day after Christmas. No local branch, so I had someone deposit the money Thursday and used Chase's automated pay-by-phone to authorize an account draft Friday. This will cost me $15, just because they can.
Gov't agencies, even courts, even the IRS fadaluvagawd, set back due dates falling when they aren't open to the next business day. If it's good enough for the IRS, it should be good enough for the mega-banks thee and me spent a $Trillion or so bailing out. Where's our late fee, and it ought to be a hell of lot more than $35!
I do have a fourth Scrooge Award, but this one I hold for my next missive to the Standard-Times.
Shifting gears without a segue here, I tripped over another gift most of us can give; body donation. Grave robbing has gone out of fashion, but medical schools and legitimate research facilities desparately need our bodies when we have "shuffled off this mortal coil". I have arranged for Texas Tech to receive mine. Get past the ghoulish, it is a win/win. My poor estate will not be hit with a 5 figure burial cost. Tech pays for pick up, paperwork, even returns at least a symbolic portion of cremated remains of whatever is left. So long as they make sure I'm really, really dead first, it matters not a whit to me if the students get me before the worms do.
I understand some religions place value on interring the complete body, I would never try to talk someone into violating a religious principle. Otherwise, think on it in the spirit of Christmas. Death is a real part of our lives. My gift, or yours, might give the gift of a new doctor or medical advance to the next generations.
Thanks to OT and the NFL, I was able to do some Christmas shopping yesterday, modest, I don't think my contribution will turn the economy around, but I did my part.
One gift I bought myself and my brother-in-law was a 12 volt air compressor/tire inflator. I was encouraged to choose this gift by my first "Scrooge Award" winner; Town and Country stores under the new Stripes management. A couple months ago I left work and quickly noticed I had a low tire. pulled into the handy T&C to discover they no longer had air hoses at the pumps. I had to pump 3 quarters into a box at the edge of the parking lot to get three minutes worth of air pump. Same problem last week, only now it is $1 for 4 minutes! Stripes, if you wonder why you see my smiling face in your check-out line less often, there it is. Not to mention, Bell north and Bryant south T&C are the closest Angelo offers to a truck stop and this quarter-sucker device is worthless to an 18 wheeler with 100PSI tires.
Comes to mind, I had one of the bar-owners affected by the smoking ban ask me about challenging that rule as an illegal "takings", or imposed reduction of property value. I told her that after extensive research, I had yet to find a smoke ban overturned by the courts. The courts have so far (correctly in my opinion) ruled that cities have wide latitude to do all sorts of silly, progressive, or just plain "out-of-the-box" things and see how they work.
May I suggest a new ordinance? Any business with more than three gas pumps must provide tire inflating air, free, at the pumps stations. Ya' know, just like a more friendly T&C used to.
Something else I found while shopping yesterday: Angelo has a good many mentally challenged drivers and another cadre of plain rude ones. I have driven on a CDL for a living for over 30 years with no accidents and one (60 in a 55) violation. I do this by defensive driving. I assume the "other guy" is going to do the stupidest thing possible, and I am too seldom disappointed. Parking lots scare me more than streets and highways. I am healthy, I've taken to parking WAY out at the edge and walking. Safe bet: I get in the store and out of the lot more quickly than the fellow who hunts for the close spot and then has to wait on traffic to get out. I'm halfway home before he gets out of the HEB lot.
Brings me to my second Scrooge Award. Even out at the edges, I must have seen a dozen new vehicles parked across 2-3 spots, presumably to prevent door dings on the precious new truck. Being filled with the spirit of Christmas (OK, also a healthy fear of security cameras) I resisted the urge to "key" these hogs. Folks, if it's too pretty to put into traffic, encase the thing in lucite in your yard and admire it twice a day. I remember a friend in NC, bought his first "new" car in 10 years. I watched him take a small ball peen hammer, wrap it in burlap, and gently rap the driver's door under the handle. SAY What!? says I. He told me "now I don't have to get mad, cry, or lose sleep over the first dingbat that opens their door into mine. Upon reflection, a sensible attitude. We allow civilian volunteers (or used to) after training to issue valid tickets for illegal parking in handicap spaces. I volunteer to ticket vehicles taking up two or more spaces, excepting trailers of course. That would be more fun than vandalism.
A third Scrooge Award, this one to any company, credit cards especially, which imposes penalties for late pay on weekends/holidays. I first came on this with a Bank of America Card payment. Due on a Sunday. I went to the local branch, put my over-minimum payment in the mitt of a BOA employee on Saturday. The rest of the week I work to make sure that check is good. Imagine my surprise when BOA assessed me a $35 late pay fee next month since I had not paid them by noon Friday (while I was busy earning the money to pay them). Ran into this again this week, a Chase bill due on Sunday the day after Christmas. No local branch, so I had someone deposit the money Thursday and used Chase's automated pay-by-phone to authorize an account draft Friday. This will cost me $15, just because they can.
Gov't agencies, even courts, even the IRS fadaluvagawd, set back due dates falling when they aren't open to the next business day. If it's good enough for the IRS, it should be good enough for the mega-banks thee and me spent a $Trillion or so bailing out. Where's our late fee, and it ought to be a hell of lot more than $35!
I do have a fourth Scrooge Award, but this one I hold for my next missive to the Standard-Times.
Shifting gears without a segue here, I tripped over another gift most of us can give; body donation. Grave robbing has gone out of fashion, but medical schools and legitimate research facilities desparately need our bodies when we have "shuffled off this mortal coil". I have arranged for Texas Tech to receive mine. Get past the ghoulish, it is a win/win. My poor estate will not be hit with a 5 figure burial cost. Tech pays for pick up, paperwork, even returns at least a symbolic portion of cremated remains of whatever is left. So long as they make sure I'm really, really dead first, it matters not a whit to me if the students get me before the worms do.
I understand some religions place value on interring the complete body, I would never try to talk someone into violating a religious principle. Otherwise, think on it in the spirit of Christmas. Death is a real part of our lives. My gift, or yours, might give the gift of a new doctor or medical advance to the next generations.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Surprise
There is an interesting item being brought back on next weeks City Council agenda. It's a letter of intent with Siemens to “design and implement a land fill gas project.”
I'm a bit concerned this is an attempt to resurrect a project that was tabled indefinitely in 2007. In 2006, Siemens brought a proposal to build a waste to energy gasification plant at our landfill. There are similar projects all over the world. Some seem to be successful, some have been dangerous failures. By 2007, a number of questions were raised about the safety, true operational costs, etc. and the item was “ tabled indefinitely.” Now, the last meeting of the year on a date that was changed when everyone is busy with Christmas and travel plans and the end of the year, etc. this is put on the agenda with almost no real public discussion for several years.
It could be this is not the gasification project proposed in 2006. It might just be a way to capture the natural methane the landfill produces and then do something useful with it. That could be a good thing, but shouldn't a project such as that be put out for competitive bid? When was the RFQ put on the street? How many bids were received? Did we go to Siemens about this or did they come to us. Would be nice to know if good background information is in the agenda packet, but that didn't make it to the city website yet so who knows.
This issue needs public input and discussion. Sneaking it in the last agenda of the year is not the way to do it.
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