Post on 17-Jan-2016
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VOLUME FOURI S S U E 1003.05 .15
VOLUME FOURI S S U E 1003.05 .15
4-B: Out of Excuses | Apocalypse Averted in Canyon Lake | Colby On Net Neutrality"Bro
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table of contents
8Citizen
SoundcheckThe ONLY guide of i ts kindfor the NB/SM Metroplex!
12
14Sports
Jinder Mahal ups the anteat Block Buster Wresting!
1st WordTime has run out
for Meek's excusesregarding 4-B.
3
6Unfair Pie Chart
We prove our point using faultylogic and disingenuous methods.
It's the only reportage somepeople respect.
7
County BeatAre you a construction worker over 55 years of age? Tom of Canyon Lake wants you to shoot your wife somewhere else.
Best of the WurstY'all's sample ballot, y'all.
4
Last WordOn Net Neutrality.15
The County ’sMost WantedLook Daddy! Mommy’s in the paper!
Ask a MexicanGustavo of fends intwo languages.
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Our inbox blew up over 1,000 Ways to Die and Hoarders producer Jay Hix Jones’ plan to stage, and then film, a Christian revival event on local rivers this Memorial Day Weekend. There’s so very much to say about this, and we’re going to say it next week, rapture notwithstanding.
Meek’s Defense, DeconstructedOk, this 4-B thing is getting out of hand. Every time 4-B Uber-Consultant/Chamber of Commerce President Michael Meek speaks to the press about 4-B, he’s careful to note that the program was approved by voters. This is intended to relieve Meek and 4-B from any responsibility regarding the City’s corporate welfare program. We think it’s important to clarify, once and for all, exactly what the voters approved, so we went back to the Microfiche and pulled the language right off the ballots. Commit the high points to memory, and repeat them back when Meek, or 4-B President Bob Gray, or any member of City Council tells you anything otherwise. The emphasis is ours. Take notes.
Back in 1995, New Braunfels voters approved the following: “The adoption of an additional one-fourth (1/4) of one percent sales and use tax within the city, with the proceeds thereof to be used and applied in the manner and to the purposes authorized by Section 4B of Article 5190.6, V.T.C.S., as amended, one-eighth (1/8) of one percent restricted to street and drainage projects and the other one-eighth (1/8) of one percent to be used for projects restricted to land, buildings, and equipment for library/learning centers, parks/golf course, public safety, municipal buildings, convention center, and other related facilities, including the maintenance and operating costs of any such projects mentioned above.”
It’s pretty clear that voters thought they were getting roads and drainage.
In 2000, after the tax had been running for a while without anybody taking too close a look at the situation, a curve ball was tossed into the the situation, and a few minor tweaks were made to 4-B. This ran as Proposition 1: “Authorizing the use of economic development sales tax collected pursuant to Section 4B of
Article 5190.6, V.T.C.S., capital improvement fund to be used
for the purchase of land, buildings, equipment, facilities and improvements of amateur and youth sports venues,
including ball parks, athletic fields, stadiums, related facilities
and including the maintenance and operating cost thereof.” This appears to the casual reader that the community would be getting more of something, but only through comparison to the original, 1995 ballot language can one see that a whole pack of goodies were being taken off the table. All kinds of stuff. Hmm.
Then there was Proposition 2. This is where it gets really interesting. In one move, they abolished a previous one-fourth of one percent tax, which had been administered under 4-A, and then reinstated it under 4-B. This plan looked really good to whomever took the time to read the ballot. Emphasis is ours:
“The abolishment of the economic development sales tax collected pursuant to Section 4A of Article 5190.6, V.T.C.S. within the City for the promotion and development of new and expanded business enterprises at the rate of one-eighth of one percent and the adoption of an additional economic development sales tax within the City at a rate of one-eighth of one percent to be used to undertake all lawful projects as described in Section 4B of Article 5190.6, V.T.C.S., including but not limited to auditoriums, projects related to entertainment, convention, tourist and exhibition facilities, amphitheaters, concert halls, and public parks, park facilities, and events, open space improvements, learning centers, municipal buildings, museums and related stores, restaurant, concession, and automobile parking facilities, related area transportation facilities, and related roads, streets, and water and sewer facilities, recycling facilities, and related roads, and projects to promote new and expanded business enterprises including facilities to promote job creation and retention, job training facilities, and public safety facilities, streets and roads, drainage
Continued on page 5.
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COUNTY BEATCOUNTY BEATWITH NICK ROGERSWITH NICK ROGERS
Development PulledPlans for a government-assisted apartment complex in Canyon Lake met verbose resistance from some home dwellers in that area who have expressed concerns that such a development will bring unwanted problems to their area.
The project’s coordinator, Rainer Andrews, had initially sought approval from County Commissioners for his project. While the facility doesn’t require approval from the Court, having it will award the project two pointsq. The awarding of government contracts for such facilities is a competition, whereby the award goes to the project with the most points within that project’s district.
However, after a raucous February 25 meeting with citizens about the project, Andrews withdrew his recommendation for support from the Court, with the hopes of resubmitting for approval after he holds another meeting with area residents on March 11.
“The meeting wasn’t that bad, but at one point there were five or six people talking or shouting at once and it just wasn’t productive, from my perspective,” said District 3 Commissioner Kevin Webb. “Because the developer ended up pulling his request for a resolution of support, I guess it was an effective meeting for those protesting.”
The Terrace at Canyon Lake is planned to be a 62-unit complex for economically struggling seniors aged 55 and over, which is the government definition of a senior. Those qualifying for residency would have to make $12,360-$28,260 per year.
Andrews’ project proposal states that there is, “Zero affordable apartments units for senior citizens in the Canyon Lake area,” but that analysis shows a need for more than 1,000 such units and that as the senior population increases, so will the need.
“While I don’t really think government should be in the housing business, my experience in retirement planning tells me that it is nearly impossible for us to plan for our increased life expectancies and – even though we hate to think about it – a lot of folks will end up in this type of housing,” Webb noted. “So, I do think these developments have a place in our community. I think that had this particular one been proposed in another location, it may have been successful in garnering community support.”
Precinct 4’s Jen Crownover laid out a case for the need of such housing during the Commissioners’ Court meeting.
“I have seen firsthand the poverty-stricken conditions that some of our own friends and neighbors live in,” she said. “To ignore that is unacceptable, in my opinion.
“I have personally knocked on more than 2,500 doors,” she continued. “In this area, I have been bitten by dogs and fallen through wooden decks at the front door to talk to voters, and sat on couches in rundown RV dwellings with tarps for roofs, and no AC or heating.”
“I do believe that something like this would be a good thing to provide an affordable, respectable, clean and safe alternative for folks in this situation,” Crownover argued. “If you believe that this doesn’t exist on ‘this side of the lake,’ in our precinct, then I urge you to try to better understand our community.”
Some of the facility’s opponents, however, are concerned by what they claim are “north side” crimes filtering into their “south side” area.
One opponent, who only introduced himself as Tom, said that the project would bring “the projects” to the area. Tom’s apocalyptic vision included “some 55-year-old construction worker” who gets drunk after work who comes home “and shoots his wife.”
However, calls to government-assisted senior living apartments within New Braunfels, was met with chuckles and emphatic denials when asked if they had seen an increase of crime at their facilities.
Opponents also argued that a senior living facility should be closer to the hospitals in New Braunfels, and that there aren’t enough emergency responders to handle the 62-unit complex. Many of the opponents, including Tom, who showed up to the Commissioners’ Court meeting were older than 55.
Canyon Lake’s EMS division, however, doesn’t foresee any such problems.
“Adding 62 living units would mean less than 100 people and that’s a very small percentage of the population we serve, therefore it would have a relatively small impact on the number of EMS transports we would anticipate to respond to,” said Shawn Wheery with the Canyon Lake EMS/Fire Department. “I’m not overly concerned about the increase of potential call volume.”
Both Webb and Crownover lamented the amount of “misinformation” being spread among opponents.
One such piece of misinformation is that the apartment complex would dominate the site line to Canyon Lake. However, the complex will only sit on six of the 30 acres at the intersection of FM 3424 and FM 306. The other 24 acres cannot be developed on for 30 years, according to Andrews’ proposal. As well, while the complex calls for a three-story and a two-story structure, the buildings will be terraced far below the site line of surrounding neighborhoods.
Jeanne Slupik complained to Commissioners that Andrews sought the Court’s support before he met with area residents. She then asked that at citizens’ committee be formed to discuss the proposal, calling it a “Canyon Lake betterment issue.” Slupik lost to Crownover in last year’s primary race.
Crownover warned that if the senior living facility is scuttled, another contractor could develop the entire 30 acres with something residents could find much more invasive.
“One thing I would caution my fellow resident with, is the fact that this is an unincorporated area of the County,” she said. “The only thing we can truly control lies within the boundaries of our own property lines. On this very piece of property, in our current situation, it would be completely possible and conceivable for a developer to come in, buy it, and cover it with a 500-unit high-rise apartment complex. Yes, this example is extreme, but believe me, it could be done.”
Webb is hopeful that opponents will gain a better understanding of what is being proposed, first of all by noting that the facility is not a Section 8 housing system, but a “Section 42 project, which is very different. These developments should stay well maintained for at least 30 years.”
“I think as people understand how these projects differ from the old housing projects and see the benefits they could provide, we may see some of these applications be successful in some areas of the County,” he said, with a caveat. “However, in some parts of the County, as long as anything is subsidized by government in any way, it’s going to be unpopular.”
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Continued from page 3.
and related improvements, demolition of existing structures, and general improvements that are municipally owned, development or redevelopment of closed military bases, development and expansion of affordable housing, as well as any other improvements or facilities that are related to any of the above projects and any other project that the board determines will promote new or expanded businesses enterprises, and the acquisition of land, maintenance and operations expenses for any of the above described projects and removing all cap restrictions currently imposed on the Section 4B Corporation allowing free and unencumbered use of all money collected.”
Wow! Look at all that great stuff we were going to get!
What this new language did was introduce the concept of “related roads”, rather than roads in general. This is how they are trying to get around the fact that “their” money can’t be used on streets. What they really mean is “won’t” or “not obligated to”, which is different that “can’t”. My 12 year-old understands this concept. It’s matter of will, not rules. And certainly not what the voters had in mind in 1995 when they approved the original tax, nor what they were expecting when they agreed to adjust the language in 2000. They thought they were getting a bunch of cool new junk for the community.
I’m pretty sure we could make a good solid case that just about every road in town is somehow “related” to - and we’re paraphrasing here - auditoriums, projects related to entertainment, convention, tourist and exhibition facilities, amphitheaters, concert halls, and public parks, park facilities, and events, open space improvements, learning centers, municipal buildings, museums and related stores, restaurant, concession, and automobile parking facilities, related area transportation facilities, water and sewer facilities, and recycling facilities.
In the end, that thing they threw in as a afterthought about taking the handcuffs off as far as spending as much as they want was the coup d’grace. “…removing all cap restrictions currently imposed on the Section 4B Corporation allowing free and unencumbered use of all money collected.” Oh man, that was great. Heck, if we’re getting all those sweet tasties, why not let 4-B spend without restriction?
Just in case you harbor any lingering doubt about what the voters’ intent was when they approved the 2000 scenario, here are some quotes right out of the Houston-owned
Herald-Zeitung from the weeks leading up to the 2000 election. Emphasis ours:
From the Editorial desk of the HZ: “The city also collects a one-fourth of 1 percent sales tax called the 4B tax, which also refers to its enabling legislation. One-eighth of that goes to streets and drainage projects and one-eighth of that goes to other improvement projects.”
And, if that weren’t damning enough, the editorial goes on to say:
“If approved, no limits would be placed on the amount of money spent on needed streets and drainage or any other legal project for the 4-B sales tax.”
We know. That’s more then enough evidence to shut both Meek and 4-B President Bob Gray down on the subject, but these guys have moxie. They will continue to insist that 45-B monies cannot be used for streets and drainage, and furthermore, that the electorate wanted it that way. So here’s another tidbit from the HZ, this time from a member of Council serving at the time of the election, to drive home the point. Former District Three Councilwoman The Debbie Flume had this to say at the time:
“Should Proposition 2 pass, my hope is that the 4B board and city council will heed the words of the people and allocate a large portion of this fund to address the immediate problems pertaining to streets and drainage.”
Looks like The Debbie already had concerns that we might get screwed on this deal, and she was right. There’s more, from more people, but space is limited and this horse has been dead for a while. We’ll rest our case with that. Put Meek’s excuses on notice that they will no longer be accepted as valid.
Here’s what the voters didn’t approve: Millions of dollars to the Scooter Store, Grande Cable, Silver State Helicopters, Leisure Pools, Ashley Furniture, New Braunfels Smokers, Buc-ee’s, etc. None of that was explicitly mentioned on the ballot, or even conceived of by the voters, but Meek managed to get it done. 4-B has the will for those projects. Nobody said “can’t” to those deals. Nobody’s saying “can’t” to new ones, either.
Dead. To. Rights.Recently, we found out that 4-B has been doing Chapter 380 deals for years. These are arrangements that use cash directly from the City’s general fund for corporate welfare purposes. So, while Meek and Gray will steadfastly maintain that 4-B funds can’t be used for roads, and that the voters wanted it that way, there’s no argument to be had that General Funds can’t be used for streets and drainage. None. So if you don’t feel like listening to the excuses made about voters
approving a massive corporate welfare program, bring up Chapter 380. Let them squirm under that heat for a while.
For the record, none of the cities that City Hall has cited as examples of great Chapter 380 success stories - namely San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Arlington and Plano – have 4-A or 4-B boards. These guys are double-dipping the living heck out of the local taxpayer for the purposes of corporate welfare. Hooray. We’ve said it before and we stand by it: Michael Meek is a flipping genius. Disingenuous, to be sure, but brilliant nonetheless. As for Bob Gray, well, the jury’s still out on him. Depends on how long he allows himself to be Meek’s whipping boy.
Hey kids, let’s put on an audit!We’ve requested every 4-A and 4-B contract ever entered into by the City, along with the City’s contracts with Meek’s Chamber of Commerce. We’re going to audit 4-B’s history and throw it down in black-and-white for y’all. The cost for the discs is about $500. We’re having a bake sale, so to speak, and selling our extremely rare, incredibly elegant TX Citizen bumper stickers for $25 each in an effort to raise those funds, and give you a chance to participate in some journalistic adventurism.
If you’d like to get a piece of this, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/txcitizen and check out the post we’ve pinned to the top of the newsfeed.
Time is of the essence, as we only have until Monday to get these funds raised - information requests have a deadline for pickup, and if that deadline is missed the City can legally deny any future requests for the same data. Then we’ll never know what happened to all those amphitheaters, museums, and parking lots.
\m/
Mike ReynoldsPublisher/Editor-in-Chief
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$2,265,076.89(80.28%)
Income fromMembershipDues
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Is there City Hall �nancial data you’d like to see unfairly graphed?Send your suggestions to news@txcitizen.com.
Every week, we present local government data in a patently unfair format, comparing apples to oranges, as it were, in order to arbitrarily make a point. This week: Comparing the income streams for the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce - a private drinking club business organization whose ostensible charge is to lobby City Hall on behalf of its members. Let’s have a look at where their money comes from, and see just who Chamber staff actually answers to. The Chamber’s combined income from dues and taxpayer funds for 2013 was $2,711,948.89, and it broke down like this:
Whoa. The Chamber - a private club - brings in over 400% of the value of its membership dues in taxpayer cash. Holy cow. We certainly didn’t see that coming. Less than 20% of Chamber scratch comes from its actual job. Talk about corporate welfare. Oh boy. Oh man. Somebody… somebody bring us a chair. Wow. Dang. Wow. We need something to bite on, over here. Good thing we keep nitro in our Life Alert bracelet. We’ll leave it to you to decide with whom to expect the Chamber to stand when the interests of your business or job con�ict with the political preferences of City Hall. #suckers
This Chamber of Commerce income stream analysis scores 8 of a possible 10 sausages on the Con�ict of Interest Wurst Scale:
Bonus: Conflict of Interest Wurst ScaleBonus: Conflict of Interest Wurst Scale
Chamber Membership Data Source: 2013 990 Filing for the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce
All Other Data: City Hall Website - nbtexas.org, Fiscal Year 2013
TXCITIZEN.COM 7
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8 AD SALES 830.358.2493
Thu 3.5
Adobe VerdeJosh Holden
6pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenJam Night
6pm
Phoenix SaloonJunior Nash
5pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
Billy’s Ice HouseJeff Jacobs Band
8pm
Gruene HallChris Ruest Band
6pm
The Pour HausJade Marie Patek
8pm
Riley’s TavernSammy Dale
9pm
Fri 3.6
Adobe VerdeMayeux & Broussard
6:30pm
The Happy CowAC and The Bad Billys
8pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenThe Fillmore Experience
6pm
Phoenix SaloonScott Boddicker
5pm
The Beaumonts
w/ Texas T & the Shine Runners
9pm
Watering Hole SaloonKathy Bauer Band
8pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
Alpine Haus RestaurantOff the Grid Polka Band
6pm
Billy’s Ice HouseDunVille
8pm
Black Whale PubTBA
8pm
Gruene HallHurray for the Riff Raff
w/ Joe Pug
8pm, $15
The Pour HausBrent Michael Wood
8:30pm
Riley’s TavernShinyribs
9pm, $20
Vineyard at GrueneJeff Vaughn
7pm
Sat 3.7
Adobe VerdeBru Erdman
6:30pm
The Happy CowThe Hadlock Brothers
9pm
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenThe Jamie Krueger Group
1pm
The Texas Saints
6pm
Phoenix SaloonJesse Stratton
9pm
AJ’s Ale HouseRock & Roll Sing Along Piano Bar Show
9pm
Billy’s Ice HouseLC Rocks
8pm
Black Whale PubTBA
8pm
Thanks, Kent.
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Gruene HallLone Star Swing
1pm
James McMurtry
w/ Bryan Hayes
8pm, $12
NB Farm to MarketKen Raba
9am
The Pour HausTravis Parker Band
9:30pm
Riley’s TavernBig John Mills
9pm
Vineyard at GrueneMatt Kersh
7pm
Sun 3.8
Oma Gruene’s Secret GartenSmokehouse Guitar Army
2pm
Pepper’s Blues
7pm
Phoenix SaloonAdam Johnson
3pm
Lucas Taylor
7pm
Geronimo VFW #8456Bob Appel
3pm
Gruene HallBret Graham
12:30pm
Garrett LeBeau
5pm
The Pour HausNate Rodriguez
8pm
Vineyard at GrueneCourtney Patton
7pm
Mon 3.9
Billy’s Ice HouseCorey Kane
8pm
Gruene HallBret Graham
6pm
The Pour HausTroy Stone
8pm
Tues 3.10
Watering Hole Saloon
Slim Bawb & Lil’ Howard
8:30pm
Billy’s Ice HouseAustin Gilliam
8pm
Bonzai Steak & SushiSmooth Jazz
w/ Sam Harriss
6pm
Gruene HallAdam Carroll, Gordy Quist, Owen Temple
6pm
The Pour HausOpen Mic w/ Jon Magill
8pm
Wed 3.11
Phoenix SaloonSwing Dance Night
8pm
Billy’s Ice HouseAaron Stephens
8pm
Gruene HallThe Georges
6pm
The Pour HausRussell Bisbey
8pm
Vineyard at GrueneZack Walther
6pm
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830.643.1400
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The Continental ClubClub Lineup:
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10pm, $10
Gallery Lineup:
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Cowboys DancehallGranger Smith
7pm, 21+ $17, 18+ $25
Floore’s Country StoreSean McConnel
w/ Jamie Lin Wilson
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Luckenbach Dance HallHayden Whittington
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T & C Miller
4pm
Cody Joe Hodges
8pm
Sam’s Burger JointMingo Fishtrap
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Stubb’s BBQBig Gigantic
Matisyaha
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Sat 3.7
Cheatham Street Warehouse
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w/ Aaron Stephens
9pm
The Continental Club
Club Lineup:
Redd Volkaert, 3:30pm
Planet Casper
w/ Heybale!
10pm, $10
Gallery Lineup:
Hillary York, 8:30pm
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Floore’s Country Store
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7pm, 18+, $12-$15
Luckenbach Dance Hall
Doug Moreland, Brian Burns,
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12pm
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Quiet Company
w/ Swimming with Bears
8pm, $10-$45
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7pm, Outside, $27-$125
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Hair & HeartsHair & Hearts5th Annual
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Saturday, March 21at Oma Gruene’s Secret Garten!
1263 Gruene Road
BBQ & Bands begin at 1pmRaffle & Silent Auction
Saturday, March 21at Oma Gruene’s Secret Garten!
1263 Gruene Road
BBQ & Bands begin at 1pmRaffle & Silent Auction
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By Gustavo Arellano
Dear Mexican: Recently, I visited
a viejecita in an assisted living home.
As I’m getting on in years myself, I
wondered how I would fare in such a
place. Fortunately I like to eat cottage
cheese, but I would like some salsa
with it, or better yet, an occasional
jalapeño en escabeche. Are there
places for those of us who like spicy
Mexican food? Perhaps you have
answered this question already in
Taco USA, but I have been so busy
lately that I have not yet cracked the
cover of my copy.Sabor Para Mi
Dear Flavor for Me: Time was when the
Mexican could boast that we raza would
never join cruel gabachos in exiling our aging
parents to senior homes—that we let them live
by themselves because mami y papi were tuf
enough, or at the most housed them in their
golden años in the casas of our youngest
sibling because that’s what mija was born
to do. But Mexicans tend to embrace the
gabacho proclivity to abandon the familia the
longer we’re in the U.S.
“Growth Of Racial And Ethnic Minorities
In US Nursing Homes Driven By Demographics
And Possible Disparities In Options,” published
in the July 2011 issue of Health Affairs,
showed that the number of Latinos in nursing
homes grew by 54.9 percent between 1999
and 2008, while the number of gabachos
decreased by 10.2 percent.
While the researchers blamed poverty
and a lack of access to better medical options
for the increased rates, maybe all those old
gringos are moving out because they don’t
want to spend their last days living with
Mexicans? Anyhoo, the way those nursing
home rates are going, Sabor Para Mi, I
don’t think you have to worry about the lack
Mexican food at your retirement home, but
rather cottage cheese—what Mexican likes
that cochinada?
Dear Mexican: Why is it that when
black families are shown in commercials
on TV they are usually— scratch
that—always portrayed living in nice
neighborhood, living in nice houses and
even though they seem to just be chilling
at home, they’re all hanging out dressed
to the nines. Not to mention the youngest
member of the family usually talks like he
just graduated from Harvard! Meanwhile,
when a Mexican family is portrayed on
television, the only thing that’s missing is
the cockroaches crawling down the kitchen
walls in the background? And why and
where is the so-called Mexican American
Defense League or some other kind of
worthless raza representation arguing
this point? Are they afraid their corporate
media masters might call them out as
INTOLERANT or HATERS or any other tag
that might threaten their important JALES
and big fat City Hall payChecks???
Growing up in Los Angeles, I was
always taught that the raza was brave
and strong and fighters when it came
time to get down. But unfortunately,
that seems to be nothing but a fairy tale
because for the most part, all I’ve ever
seen in my people is a bunch of meek,
subservient pushovers. We seem to be
more preoccupied these days about
how “Black Lives Matter” than our own
social political situation.
Shame on Us
Dear Wab: It’s one thing to be rightfully
concerned about the horrible representation
of Mexicans on television (a good antidote?
The wonderful Cristela on ABC), but to whine
that blacks are getting too much positive love?
After more than a century of being depicted as
toms, coons, mulattoes, mammies and bucks?
The Republican Party called—they want their
token racist Mexican back. OBLIGE THEM…
Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net,
be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @gustavoarellano or follow him
on Instagram @gustavo_arellano!
ASK A MEXICAN!
!
MOST WANTED
$300REWARD
COMAL COUNTY ’S
MEDELLIN, JESSE RODRIGUEZMale • 5’07” • 200 lbsDOB: 01/01/1976CHARGE: Possession of a controlled substance pg 1 under 1 gram and theft of property under $1500 with 2 or more previous convictions
DEIMEL, ANDREA MICHELLEFemale • 5’04” • 145 lbsDOB: 11/02/1979CHARGE: Motion to proceed with adjudication for abandon endanger child
DELAFUENTE, RENE SALAZARMale • 5’09” • 165 lbsDOB: 03/09/1970CHARGE: Failure to appear for driving while intoxicated w/child under 15 yoa and bail jumping and fail to appear
GILBERT,JIMMY LEEMale • 5’05” • 145 lbsDOB: 12/19/1966CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation for possession of controlled substance
BLAKE, CHRISTOPHER JHEROMEMale • 5’11” • 210 lbsDOB: 09/11/1987CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation for possession of a controlled substance and tamper/ fabricate physical evidence
HAMMOCK, JAMIE SUNSHINEFemale • 5’03” • 120 lbs
DOB: 07/02/1971CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation for
possession controlled substance
HARMER,NICHOLETTE
Female • 5’04” • 110 lbs
DOB: 12/27/1982
CHARGE: Driving
while intoxicated
3rd or more
LEWIS, LYLE RAYMale • 5’11” • 185 lbs
DOB: 08/31/1985CHARGE: Failure to appear for fraud and
theft property over $1500 under $20k
and bail jumping and fail to appear
MECKEL,LINDA GAYE
Female • 5’05” • 160 lbsDOB: 11/27/1963
CHARGE: Motion to revoke probation for
possession controlled substance
HARRIS, RYAN WAYNE
Male • 5’08” • 230 lbs
DOB: 12/23/1982
CHARGE: Motion to
revoke probation for
burglary of habitation
The names listed have been released in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act. This is a true and accurate account as of Monday, March 2, 2015 at 9:13 am and may not be current by the time it is read. Do not try to apprehend anyone. These are listings of criminal warrants with the Comal County Sheriff ’s Office and are not indicative of guilt or innocence. Officers are to verify the status of each warrant prior to making an arrest. Any person is innocent of wrongdoing unless proven guilty in a court of law.
FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST OF COMAL COUNTY’S MOST WANTED. Callers will remain anonymous. 830.620.3400 - 24-Hour830.620.3411 - Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm
BEVERLY,NATHANIEL DAN JRMale • 5’05” • 150 lbsDOB: 04/02/1991CHARGE: Failure to appear engage in organized criminal activity- forgery and forgery financial instrument
TXCITIZEN.COM 13
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14 TX CITIZEN 14 AD SALES 830.358.2493 TXCITIZEN.COM 15
Last WordWith Kelly Colby
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evening of hardcore mayhem!
TXCITIZEN.COM 15
On Net NeutralityPart of the reason why we need less
government is because, even at current
levels, it’s a full-time job trying to keep up
with the ways The Man is sticking it to you.
It’s like dealing with an octopus pickpocket:
no matter how many hands you’re watching,
there’s always one more finding its way to
your wallet. Because of this, you could be
forgiven for missing the administration slyly
bypassing Congress and deciding to have the
FCC apply Net Neutrality to the internet. Take
notice that Net Neutrality is capitalized; it’s a
title, not a description, and the title is about
as deceptive as any other euphemism coming
out of Washington. Net Neutrality probably
won’t usher in the apocalyptic damage that
some of its opponents have described, but you
can be certain it will not be benign. In the
long run, Net Neutrality will damage the very
nature of the Internet (exactly the opposite of
what it was supposed to do) and ensure that
long-term innovation is stifled.
While this falls squarely on the
shoulders of the Obama administration, that
this is the fault of the Democrats is purely
coincidental. Stupidly expanding government
is a bipartisan enterprise. The Republicans
could have just as easily been on the wrong
side of this one, and unless there are some
surprising and much welcomed changes to
the Republican Party, it’s certain that what the
Democrats have wrought, the Republican will
not tear asunder (They’ll even use it to their
own advantage, in time).
Net Neutrality was billed as a way to
ensure that all Internet traffic was treated
the same. Like most liberal causes, it was
wrapped in the cloak of fairness and big
business interests were held up as the
danger. Also like most liberal causes, it had
no basis in reality.
The argument went that ISPs could
decide to offer priority to certain types of
traffic and slow down other types. Such
a plan had been suggested for services
like Netflix, but nothing of the sort had
ever been implemented for any prolonged
period. Even ISP giants with near-
monopolies couldn’t manage to control
content flowing to their customers as they
wanted. The free market had done an
admirable job of keeping the Internet open
without regulation. The customers want
what the customers want, and no business
could stand in the way of that economic
truism for any length of time.
In essence, the FCC is instituting new
rules in an effort to solve a problem that the
free market has already solved. Some content
is more difficult to bring to the consumer than
others. Netflix provides an excellent example
of this. Streaming video content requires a
good deal of bandwidth, and that requires
more, and more expensive, hardware for the
ISP. Because this represents a cost, it must be
covered somewhere. ISPs might love the idea
of telling Netflix that they must pay more for
access to the ISPs consumers, but the reality is
that those consumers aren’t willing to accept
that they can’t get Netflix from their ISP. Up
until this point, ISPs have charged varying rates
to consumers for greater levels of consumption.
Time brings down the cost of the bandwidth
and, in the end, all consumers benefit without
paying extra. Problem solved.
Fans of Net Neutrality have suggested
that ISP giants that have a monopoly
or near monopoly in certain areas will
change this equation and be able to censor
content. These types of monopolies have
been in effect for longer than the Internet
has been publicly available, though, and
they haven’t done so yet. What have they
been waiting for? More to the point, who
cares? What business of the government’s
is it how these entities do business? If your
response is that the ISPs have monopolistic
powers that are damaging to the market,
ask yourself who gave them these
monopolistic powers in the first place.
The greatest danger of Net Neutrality,
of course, is that it trades a nonexistent
overlord for a very real one. The FCC
placed the Internet under Title II control
(something that they probably don’t have
the authority to do) in order to give them
the power to decide how content is treated.
They’ve promised us that they intend to use
this power to ensure all content is treated
equally, but that isn’t a requirement. Even
if the current administration uses this power
with restraint (something they have shown no
propensity for), the next administration might
not be so noble. In theory, the FCC is free
from partisan influence. In practice, nothing
could be further from the truth (something
that this move, encouraged by the Obama
administration, shows pretty clearly).
The power to determine how content is
treated is just the beginning. Title II is a wide-
reaching designation. It affords the FCC the
same regulatory power over the Internet
that it has over telecommunications. That
means control over regulation, pricing and
taxation. I expect that we will see a stealth
attempt at censorship and the collection of
sales taxes before Obama leaves office.
Not that it matters if we don’t; the power
that this move provides is not going to be left
unwielded for long.
I suppose the promise of a free and
open Internet was always too good to be
true. I expect that Net Neutrality will mark
the beginning of a slow, winding slide into
regulatory hell for the Internet. Regulatory
capture will ensure that innovation is
strangled. Taxing authority will diminish its
utility as a medium of trade. Last, but not
least, political correctness and special interest
will reduce the content to pabulum.
Make no mistake, I’m not trying to
apply the apocalyptic vision I mentioned at
the beginning of this article to the passage
of Net Neutrality. The Internet is such a
marvelous invention that it will mostly likely
be decades before the government is able
to ruin it in any meaningful way. When they
finally do, it may mark the end of an era,
but it will hardly be the end of the world. I
expect that some new innovation will make
the Internet unnecessary or anachronistic
with time, but it’s a shame that it will have to.
An even greater shame, though, is that the
people who helped to pass Net Neutrality
have absolutely no sense of irony. Perhaps
the coming lesson will help.
Last WordWith Kelly Colby
You can read more from Kelly Colby at yourfirstshrug.blogspot.com.
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