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This publication is dedicated to & maintained by those of us who really care about this city. We are many --- (and growing stronger with more people joining our ranks everyday). We are the nameless , faceless city, county, state, federal, and corporate taxpaying citizens & workers who are sick of the "good ole boy system" here in Houston, Texas --We were born on 7-30-1999. We are --- married & single-male & female, maintenance worker to Deputy Directors. We are the faceless civil servants who year after year do our job. We are the one's who see the hard earned tax $$s of the citizens in this area used & abused and given away to enrich a few greedy people with each new administration. Our hobbies include: Watching our backs---as we try to bring you the truth of what is happening in Houston, and getting the REAL information out to the public.

THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF DEMOCRACY!

Dear Readers,

Last week's council meeting, held on Wednesday, September 13, 2000, was indeed a site to behold! This editor was on the edge of her seat as our city council FINALLY became a cohesive force of 8. That our City Council members would actually, finally, stand as a majority & tell this Mayor, and his administration, NO MORE! brought tears to my eyes. We have endured so much waste, so many corrupt, blatant attempts by the current administration to simply forego the input, the advise of our elected Council Members, that we had wondered if the day would ever come. But it did Dear Readers, and IT WAS GLORIOUS!!!!!!

The Mayor tried to deny Council Member Todd his right to speak, even going to the point of telling the Council Member that "HE (the Mayor) decided who's time it was, NOT Council". Imagine, that our Mayor has gotten so brazen as to say HE is the authority in this great city ... and NOT our Council Members. Hey! Lee Pee .... Being powerful is like being a lady , Mayor--- if you have to tell people you are --- you aren't  ---Margaret Thatcher

At one point as the Mayor was spewing his vitriolic diatribe on the public, Council Member Bell reminded the Mayor that he had NEVER attended a budget meeting, when the Mayor shouted back "I don't have to!" Where upon Council Member Bell stated "Mayor Lanier did!"....Lee period Pee period Brown then yelled at the Council member "I'm not Lanier"...and Darlins......that's when this editor shouted out loud,,,,"You better believe it, Lanier had a LOT more class than you do!" I'm sorry, guys, but we have waited so long for this moment ... I just got caught up in it!

When Council Member Todd called for a motion to rule the "chair" out of order, (chair being Brown) I just had to second it from the audience. IF any of you get a chance...try to catch this remarkable exercise of the power of the vote, The very foundation that this nation, this state, this city was founded on. God Bless ALL you Council Members who finally stood up & fought FOR the taxpayers of this City ...... and for those of you who didn't vote with the 8...

SHAME ON YOU! LET THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY KNOW YOU FOR THE SHEEP YOU TRULY ARE!!!!! For you are not leaders, to have allowed this rape of our city coffers, watched the struggle to gain even the most simplest of answers from this Mayor and his administration, and not stood with your brothers! 

The Mayor was on the evening news saying that he had seen true Washington politics come to Houston. Darlins, we've had true Washington politics ever since Lee Pee was elected to his position. Want some examples ..... hmmmm, lots of blaming everybody in the City BUT his administration .... NEVER accepting responsibility for the actions of HIS decisions. An attitude of "I'm the boss, how dare you question me!", An attitude that he & his flock were above the laws, rules, ordinances, policies & procedures. Need I go on? This Mayor BROUGHT Washington politics to Houston when he left there & came back to our City. (One can only pray he takes them back out when he finally leaves!!!!) Let's look at some of the high lights from last week's press, before we shine the light on the regular cockroaches we look at every week...Housnitch

Sept. 13, 2000, 10:25PM

City Council votes to cut property tax 
Big setback for Mayor Brown 
By MATT SCHWARTZ 
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle 

City Council on Wednesday took a roundabout route to lower the property tax rate by just under 3 percent, handing Mayor Lee Brown the biggest defeat of his three-year tenure........ Councilman Mark Ellis had proposed a rate cut ...... But after considerable debate, Councilwoman Annise Parker delayed a vote on it for a week. The delay effectively killed Ellis' proposal ......But it was quick thinking and an even quicker finger that gave tax cut proponents their victory........ After more than two hours of debate and recognizing that he did not have the votes to win, Brown called a 10-minute recess to try and negotiate a consensus on the issue. During that recess, however, Brown never met with any of the rate rollback supporters. Instead, he and Mayor Pro Tem Jew Don Boney Jr. and other administration officials huddled privately. The meeting then broke for lunch. It appeared then that a deal, at least for a delay of the vote, would be worked out. But when council reconvened, Councilman Rob Todd immediately pushed his button to get on the list to speak. Brown recognized Todd immediately. Todd called the question on the ..... rate motion. Under council rules, calling the question cuts off all discussion and forces a vote. Brown could have countered by requesting a roll call vote that probably would have thwarted Todd's call of the question, but he did not. The vote to retain the current 6-year-old tax rate failed. Voting against the current rate were Councilmen Chris Bell, Ellis, Mark Goldberg, Bert Keller, Carroll Robinson, Orlando Sanchez, Todd and Bruce Tatro -- the same eight who supported Ellis' proposal to lower the rate. Afterward, some of those who voted to keep the current rate ...... appeared stunned by the defeat ........ Proponents had pushed for the rate cut, arguing that it was the only way to force the Brown administration to curb spending........"A lot of us feel that the time has come for the city to get smarter about the way we conduct our affairs and the way we do business," Bell said. 

Alternate property tax plan draws controversy 
By MATT SCHWARTZ 
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle 

One day after voting with the majority to win a property tax rate cut, Councilman Carroll Robinson said Thursday he would offer a compromise to bail Mayor Lee Brown's administration out ...... Saying he wanted to be "an independent voice of reason," Robinson said he was willing to drop a ..... property tax rate cut for all property owners in favor of one targeting senior citizens. Robinson's proposal, which he planned to announce at a news conference today, surprised and angered colleagues with whom he voted only the day before. Wednesday's vote, which will lower the city tax rate .... was the biggest defeat of Brown's three-year tenure, but Robinson's proposal could help him overturn much of that loss .....   "Mr. Robinson obviously thinks it's more important to share it with the media than with the mayor," Brown said through his spokeswoman, Laurie Fickman ........ 

Housnitch Please Forward to your email list.  Thank you.

CARROLL G. ROBINSON
Houston City Council
At-Large, Position 5
Houston, Texas

Dear Fellow Houstonians:

I recently voted to cut the city's property tax rate.  I did so because I know the city can afford to do it without having to cut essential city services such as police protection, fire fighting, emergency medical services (EMS), solid waste collection and others if we better manage the city, our money and expenditures.

I also didn't think it was fair to put up $20 million dollars of taxpayers' money for a new downtown arena and not be willing to give something back to taxpayers in the best economy in our nation's history.

Even without a property tax cut, the city will take in millions of dollars more in tax revenues this budget year than we did last year.

There are also a number of innovative ways that the city can raise more money for the budget without raising taxes.

(1) Putting up 2,000 to 2,500 more parking meters throughout the greater downtown area.  It has been estimated that we could generate $6 to $12 million new dollars from the fees and fines the meters would generate.
(2) Increase our collection rate for delinquent traffic tickets.  It has been estimated that every year the city accumulates approximately $30 million in delinquent traffic tickets and only collects 1/3 of them.  That's about $10 million dollars.  If we could increase our collection rate to 50%, a reasonable amount that could be achieved by outsourcing delinquent collection and using the Internet to allow Houstonians to pay their fines by check or credit card, we could recover an additional $5 million on top of
the $10 million we now collect and budget.
(3) In January the city should ask the Legislature to change state law and allow us to receive any surplus funds collected by the Sports Authority for Parks and Libraries and other essential city services.
(4) Refinance some of the city's bond debt using interest rate swaps and conservative derivatives to lower our annual debt payments thus freeing up
general revenue dollars for use on basic city services.
(5) Use the "affordable housing 1/3 increment" from Tax Increment Financing Zones (TIFZs) to issue bonds to help build affordable housing.  This would free up more Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds for use on economic development and neighborhood improvement projects.
(6) Creation of what's called a 4B Economic Development Corporation to allow developers to use their own money and the revenue from their projects to issue tax-exempt bonds to do more economic development projects.  A 4B
Corporation would help reduce the number of tax abatements granted by the city thereby generating more revenue for city services.

These are just a few of the many ideas that are out there.

Is the issue of more and better city services solely a question of more money or does it also include better management and more innovative and entrepreneurial thinking, projects and programs?

Why is tax relief, even when it is targeted to senior and disabled citizens a bad thing, especially when the city will still be taking in more revenue this year than we did last year?

I respect all my colleagues on Council, but as a public official I am accountable only to the people of our great city, the legal limits of the law, my personal principles and God given conscience.

No one should expect all African-American elected officials to vote the same way every time on every issue.  To do so would be foolish, small minded, bias and resorting to stereotypes.

There are going to be times when elected official disagree on public policy and what is in the best interest of our city.  These policy differences should not be turned into financial , political or personal vendettas.

President Harry Truman use to say that the buck stopped at his desk.  If any public official claims to be the only person in charge, they may want to take all the credit for the good but they also can't blame others for any mistakes.  They have to take it all, the bad with the good.  Either you are in charge or you are not.

At City Hall, serving the best interest of all Houstonians requires a "we" mentality and team approach as opposed to an "I" personality if we are to continue Building A Better and more inclusive city. 

Carroll G. Robinson

Houston City Council
At-Large, Position 5
Houston, Texas
 (Nice to have you back in the fold Carroll, thanks for the talk on "Thresholds"  Sunday.)

Sept. 16, 2000, 5:24PM

Partisans should butt out of city business 
By MAYOR LEE P. BROWN 

Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle 

Boy do I miss former Houston City Councilman Ray Driscoll. He was the only conservative member of the City Council who criticized Harris County Republican Party Chairman Gary Polland for sticking his nose into city business last summer when Polland tried to make reducing property taxes and cutting city services a campaign issue.

After council's failure to approve the current tax rate on Wednesday by an 8 to 7 vote, it appears that Polland and his fiscally irresponsible cronies have gained a stronghold in council not only with conservative members, but also with two alleged Democrats, Councilmen Carroll Robinson and Chris Bell.

Somehow, Polland must have convinced Robinson and Bell that reducing property taxes by less than $15 a year will launch their political careers skyward. I guess these council members care more about their futures in partisan politics than they do about maintaining the city's financial health and the quality of city services.

Last Wednesday's failure to approve the current property tax rate of 66.5 cents per $100 of assessed home valuation in favor of a reduced rate of 64.67 cents per $100 will reduce the city's general fund by approximately $15.4 million.

Tax rate reduction proponents claim that the city can easily trim $15.4 million worth of fat from the fiscal year 2000 budget.

Yet, Republicans like Gary Polland have not demanded similar cost-cutting measures in Harris County or the state of Texas.

Last year, I instructed every city department to tighten their collective budget belts and they came through with $27 million in savings.

We can't expect department heads to make additional cuts in fiscal year 2000 without hurting the average Houstonian, who depends on safe streets, quality fire protection and summer programs for our youth.

In the short term, the city's financial health could be in jeopardy, according to Wall Street bond rating agencies. This property tax rate reduction could either lower our bond rating or increase the cost of borrowing money to pay for necessary equipment and complete capital projects already approved by the voters. These are projects that the public wants, that neighborhoods need, and mysteriously enough, some council members don't want to pay for.

Cuts to the general fund also will limit our ability to respond to rising health-insurance costs, the need for police and firefighter raises and cost-of-living increases for our more than 14,000 civilian employees. I don't think it's fair to punish city employees, who work very hard to provide high-quality services citizens need, by ignoring a fair and just compensation package.

Within the next 30 days I will have to consider cutting the budgets of every city department, including police and fire, in order to ensure a balanced budget, as required by law.

Since more than 55 percent of the city budget funds public safety services, including police and fire, we are currently analyzing how to decrease their budgets, as well as make cuts in other departments, which may include reducing operations for libraries, recreation programs and multiservice centers.

Believe me, I am not looking forward to cutting any service the city provides to the public. But, the misguided council members who did not approve the current property tax rate leave me few options.

Where's Councilman Driscoll when I need him?

You may have instructed every city department to tighten their budget belts...but YOU have yet to negotiate even one P W & E contract with the taxpayers in mind. YOU have not once reined in that monique mcgilbra in BS with her "run away" spending. YOU have given away the store and are only pitching a giant fit, because NOW the REAL leaders of this city have said enough is enough. YOU have structured "deals" behind Council's back, and set YOUR supporters up with some real "PORKY" projects. Council has just decided that you won't practice those Washington "PORK" politics here in Houston anymore. YOU are just whining because they nipped your little give away in the bud. Get over it,  BECAUSE THE MINUTE YOU START PULLING ANY MORE OF YOUR SHENANIGANS, these same 8 Council Members will VOTE DOWN ALL your agenda items, until YOU give up. (Do you really want a "LAME DUCK" administration for the remainder of  your time you still have left here????? WELL .....  DO YOU?) Oh yeah Lee Pee, Driscoll would have called you out a LONG time ago!

"Talent is God given, be humble. Fame is man given, be thankful. Conceit is self given,.... be careful" (John Wooden).

Subj: op-ed: "Setting the Record Straight"
Date: 9/15/00 3:57:09 PM Central Daylight Time
From: mellis@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Mark A. Ellis)
To: Housnitch1@aol.com

Setting the Record Straight

Mark Ellis, Chris Bell, Carroll Robinson, Bert Keller, Bruce Tatro, Rob Todd, Mark Goldberg

There seems to be a great deal of confusion about what is going on with the City of Houston’s General Fund and our financial position. That’s not surprising given all the propaganda that has been disseminated throughout our city. 

Contrary to what the Brown administration would have you believe, the city has had substantial increases in revenue over the past five years. A large portion of the city’s increase in revenue has come from your property taxes and increases in assessed valuations from the Harris County Appraisal District.

The total approved Fiscal Year 2001 General Fund Budget is in excess of 1.2 billion dollars in revenues, an increase of approximately 25 million from last year’s budget. 

Increases in the assessed value of property in the City of Houston, combined with the effective tax rate of $0.6467 / $100 of assessed value, yields a considerable increase in property tax revenue to the City. Property taxes are not the only source of revenue for our city, our strong economy has given us increased revenue from sales tax collections, cable and electrical franchise fees, and other sources. 

The budget adopted earlier this year can and will be fully funded. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. There is no need for cuts in city services. Budgeted increases in debt service payments, pay raises for public safety officers, and other items will be funded. 

The Mayor talked a good game while selling his "hold the line" budget, but spending an additional $36 million from General Fund revenues cannot realistically be portrayed as holding the line. However, he was not satisfied there. He wanted to have that $36 million plus another $16 million by keeping the tax rate at $0.665. 

Some argue that the tax cut offers individual citizens very little – only $16 on a $100,000 home; but collectively it means a lot to the City -- $16 million.

First -- We trust the taxpayers of Houston to make wise and prudent use of their money. Also, we believe that many individuals and businesses have been hoping for tax relief. They will not find it from their School District or from Harris County.

Second – If you can’t "hold the line" during times of significant economic prosperity, there is little hope that you can during hard times. The City of Houston must begin to curb its insatiable desire for spending. This small effort at tax relief begins to enforce some measure of fiscal discipline on our present administration.

We are equally offended at the remarks of Mayor Brown and other elected officials who have claimed this as partisan politics. Please, do not allow partisans on either side to tell you it was. The Council members who voted in support of tax relief were a diverse group with many divergent views and political philosophies. This was not a Republican victory or a Democrat defeat. It was a victory for the taxpayers.

Mixed among threats of retaliation against individual Council Members, such as promising to halt public works projects in their districts, was the outrageous claim that this would hurt the City’s bond rating. This is simply not true.


When evaluating the capacity and willingness of municipal governments to repay their General Obligation Debt, one must examine four basic analytical areas: economy, financial performance and flexibility, overall debt burden, and lastly the administration. 

Standard and Poors ratings guide says, "…the number one criteria for rating is the overall economic condition…" Our strong economy has given us the increasing property values and the opportunity to grant a modicum of tax relief. Our debt service is budgeted, calculated and paid from a distinctly separate portion of the tax rate. Those obligations are met first before any expenditure on "operations and maintenance" is made – and both budgets are fully funded.

It has been said that individual Council Members cannot have much impact in a "strong Mayor" system like we have here in Houston. This past Wednesday, eight members, three of who are freshmen, spoke as one for Houston taxpayers.

AND IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEBODY DID!!!!!

(All letters and e-mail correspondence become the property of HOUSNITCH and housnitch.com. Unless otherwise expressly requested, we are entitled to publish all such correspondence. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity, and for content that might get us sued, or to withhold their publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of our editors or sponsors.)

Subj: Re: Setting the Record Straight
Date: 9/15/00 7:01:48 PM Central Daylight Time
From: 
To: Housnitch1@aol.com

Brenda,

Thank you for sharing this information with us. Keep up the good work being our watchdog at city hall.
Hey, can we count on you watching folks during legislative session? Let's talk.

YES ... LET'S TALK

Subj: Re: Setting the Record Straight
Date: 9/15/00 7:12:58 PM Central Daylight Time
From:
To: Housnitch1@aol.com

Amen !! The amount is not important. The fact that someone remembers who's money it really is real issue. Thank You.

AMEN DARLIN!

Subj: The right thing to do.
Date: 9/15/00 7:18:24 PM Central Daylight Time
From:
To: btatro@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us
CC: mgoldber@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us, rtodd@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Todd Robb), mellis@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Mark Ellis), bkeller@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Bert Keller), cbell@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Chris Bell), crobinso@cnl.ci.houston.tx.us (Carroll Robinson)

Councilmen,

You did the public a great service by reining in our out of control Mayor. That's exactly what the public elected you to do and what you are paid to do. You're earning your pay and the public's trust.

On the other hand, Brenda Flores, the firebrand behind Housnitch, is an unpaid volunteer. She depends entirely on donations to perform a remarkable service for the people. Donations don't always cover her expenses. Her rewards are mostly spiritual. That's A damn shame.

Each of you fellows probably spill more money than the total amount of her donations. Why don't y'all spill a little on her? She's more than deserving.

Better yet, why don't y'all organize a fund raiser ? You may even find a way to obtain a grant.

Don't expect any sympathy as a donor. If you screw up she's gonna ride you asses in spite of your sponsorship.

WELL, WE GOTTA AGREE WITH MOST OF THAT LETTER, BUT IT ISN'T BRENDA FLORES THAT MAKES HOUSNITCH. IT'S ALL THE SNITCHES WHO HAVE TAKEN STANDS AND HAVE SAID ENOUGH IS ENOUGH...THEY PROVIDE THE FUEL...I JUST BLOW THE HOT AIR ON IT SO IT'LL FLAME UP! BUT YOU ARE DEAD RIGHT ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS. I SPOKE AT A RATHER LARGE GATHERING RECENTLY ... AND AN AUDIENCE MEMBER WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WE EMPLOYED ... UH ... NOT ONE. NO ONE GETS PAID FOR DOING THIS. MANY TIMES I'VE HAD TO ASK THE LORD RATHER LOUDLY TO REMEMBER THAT THE PHONE BILL IS DUE TO PLEASE SEND AN ANGEL TO HELP PAY IT .... HE ALWAYS SENDS IT ... MAYBE NOT AS FAST AS WE'D LIKE ... BUT HE DOES SEND IT. TO THIS LETTER WRITER, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.  WE'RE GLAD YOU TOLD THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO NOT EXPECT ANY SYMPATHY FROM US .... BUT BELIEVE ME ... THEY KNOW! SOMETIMES I ACTUALLY FEEL SORRY FOR THEM WHEN WE HAVE TO APPROACH THEM WITH THE WEEK'S LIST OF BS. BUT THEY ARE ALL CHAMPIONS, (well not ALL of them, but the majority anyway!)

Subj: RE: Setting the Record Straight
Date: 9/15/00 7:51:32 PM Central Daylight Time
From: 
To: Housnitch1@aol.com
I sent all the folks listed below a nice email thanking/congratulating them for their success on the tax vote. Thanks for forwarding this one, and I used your email links on the housnitch page to address my email. 

THANKS DARLIN FOR ALL YOU DO

Subj: Re: Setting the Record Straight
Date: 9/16/00 5:26:34 AM Central Daylight Time
From: 
To: Housnitch1
Hi there,
I just have to think your picture is on many peoples dartboards at city hall. I am sure your name is not used in the sweetest of terms either. But I think its great and really enjoyed reading this update. One has to wonder why certain people just seem to think that the truth will not be told, but it happens again and again. I hope everything is going well with you and can't wait for another update. 

DARTBOARDS? ..... HEY! WE COULD MARKET THAT MAKE A TIDY SUM! MY PHOTO ON EACH DART BOARD, OFFER IT TO ALL THOSE STOOGES .... LOL WHAT A GREAT IDEA.

Subj: Re: Setting the Record Straight
Date: 9/17/00 10:33:50 AM Central Daylight Time
From:
To: Housnitch1@aol.com

The editorial by Lee Brown, in the Houston Comical this morning, was more whine than substance. Of course he was supported by Julie Mason that liberal's liberal who never had an original thought in her life. Her editorial (and even though it wasn't on the editorial page was nothing more
than an editorial) was even more vitriolic than Lee's. Of course no one ever accused Lee Brown of being a mental giant.

As a taxpayer I get angry when the mayor threatens the citizens with cutbacks in essential services when he doesn't get his way. This is nothing but blackmail, pure and simple. Lee Brown has enough touchy feely programs to reduce that he doesn't need to cut essential services. We've already
seen how his lack of attention to public works has resulted in millions of dollars of lost water resources this year.

Anyone who watched the news Friday night also saw our Mayor get up and extol the virtues of the new arena deal as being "a good deal" Seems like hiz honor said the same thing last year. I can only say to the mayor that confiscating taxes from the citizens to provide sports palaces to multimillionaires is not a responsibility of government. I fail to see how the citizens who are footing 70 plus percent of the cost only receive 2 percent of the profit can be a good deal.

Citizens hold on to your billfolds and pocketbooks. With Chuck Watson supporting the new basketball arena expect a move within the next two years to either build him a new arena for hockey or spend millions refurbishing the Summit. (Remember the millions we spent on the Astrodome to keep Bud happy). News item in Sundays sports (gag) section of the Comical that Tenrun stadium may need major renovations because of poor design. Looks like the taxpayers are going to get stuck making Drayton happy again. Look for this to happen in the next 5 years.

I LOVE A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!

Thank you for all you do for the citizens of this city. You have all undertaken an enormous task that has been made a LOT harder with the current Mayor and his Administration. You are not paid NEARLY as much as the job you perform is worth.

Speaking of Fred Martinez, we hear that at last Friday's Tejano Democrat ROAST & TOAST of Carol Alvarado, that Fred was the winner in a auction to have lunch with Carol. Seems she went for $1500......hmmmm, I'm personally reminded of the last conversation I had with Carol, she told me that "Money is the name of the game, it's what makes the world go 'round. Get over it"  Fred was the high bidder for lunch with the Mayor too, but the Mayor only went for $800 dollars. (would be kinda funny if it wasn't OUR money Fred was using to buy these lunches!)

"In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects."

-J. W. Fulbright

 Be sure & catch your "Snitch" report on 90.1 FM Sunday's at 7 pm.

WE NEED YOU ... This is your page ..... help us with it...ANY DONATION WILL HELP.... PLEASE...... P.O. Box 55423 Houston, Texas 77255   713-722-9258

tell em what you think darlins, we get tired of telling  them by ourselves.......

CITY HALL

HOUSNITCH

"He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." 
-Albert Einstein

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