COUNCIL AGENDA JUNE 27, 2001

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.

WE NEED YOUR HELP ... this page costs money to keep on-line PLEASE help us keep it going WE NEED SOME DONATIONS!!!!!!!! ....

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."-Plato

Here's some advice Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school during a speech about 11 things the students didn't learn in school. He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1. Life is not fair -- get used to it.

Rule 2. The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3. You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn both.

Rule 4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule 5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping...they called it opportunity.

Rule 6. If you mess up, it's not your parents fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7. Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9. Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10. Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The people, in delegating authority, so not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know, and what is not good for the people to know.

AGENDA - COUNCIL MEETING -WEDNESDAY - JUNE 27, 2001 - 9:00 A. M. COUNCIL CHAMBER - SECOND FLOOR - CITY HALL
901 BAGBY - HOUSTON, TEXAS

5. RECOMMENDATION from Director Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department for approval to begin negotiations with LAKEWOOD CHURCH to redevelop Compaq Center - DISTRICT C - GOLDBERG

THIS IS THE SECOND CHANGE ORDER FOR THIS COMPANY, AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY...WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS HUGE DISCREPANCY? IF IT'S THE DESIGNER THEN LET'S HOLD HIM RESPONSIBLE. WE ARE PAYING OUT MULTI-MILLIONS TO OUTSIDE COMPANIES FOR MANAGING THESE PROJECTS....WHY DIDN'T THE PROJECT MANAGER CATCH THIS BEFORE NOW? WHY IS IT WE THE TAXPAYER ALWAYS HAS TO CARRY THE BURDEN OF THESE COMPANIES MISTAKES? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE "CONTRACT COMPLIANCE" DIVISION?

1. Bates Engineering & Service Connection $ 75,000.00
2. Cotton Restoration, Inc. $ 14,500.00
3. DuPont Flooring System $ 20,000.00
4. GE Energy Rental $ 107,318.00
5. Britain Electrical Company $ 205,000.00
6. Vossler Plumbing Co., Inc. $ 14,500.00
7. Siemens Building Technologies $ 300,000.00
8. Service Master Clean $ 100,000.00
9. Interior Technologies $ 160,000.00
10. Johnson Controls, Inc. $ 112,000.00
11. Gilbane $ 500,000.00
12. Belfor USA $ 40,000.00
13. Walter P. Moore & Assoc., Inc. $ 18,500.00
14. AWC, Inc. $ 133,762.40
15. Puffer Sweiven, Inc. $ 26,255.00
16. Certified/LVI Environmental Services, Inc. $ 259,000.00
17. Honesty Environmental Services $ 73,000.00
18. AAR, Inc. $ 259,000.00
19. Contra-Pac, Inc. $ 60,900.00
20. Naztec, Inc. $ 492,925.00
21. Consolidated Traffic Control $ 277,800.00
22. U-M Enterprise $ 70,206.00
23. M&M Asphalt & Supply $ 14,987.60
24. Environmental Consulting Svc. $ 10,000.00
25. Allied Emergency Restoration $ 120,000.00
26. Grinnel Fire Protection $ 15,000.00
27. McLemore Building Maintenance $ 15,000.00
28. ABCO Moving & Storage co., Inc. $ 20,000.00
29. Coastal Technical $ 36,080.00
30. Siemens Cerebus $ 14,500.00
31. Excaliber $ 97,625.00
32. Boyer, Inc. $ 100,000.00
33. Avaya, Inc. $ 954,311.41
34. Graybar/Square D Electric $ 150,000.00
35. Gomez Floor Covering, Inc. $ 118,743.00
36. Emergency One, Inc. $ 100,000.00
37. Bayou City Works $ 25,000.00
38. Eagle Construction & Environmental Svc., LP $1,200,000.00
39. End O Pest Coastal $ 21,000.00
40. ACURID Commercial Svc. by Orkin $ 21,000.00
41. Gillen Pest Control $ 42,000.00
42. Cypress Creek Pest Control, Inc. $ 105,000.00
43. Holders Pest Control Co. $ 21,000.00
44. ABC Pest, Pool & Lawn Svc. $ 21,000.00
45. Pro-Tec Pest Control $ 42,000.00

LET'S SEE SOME ACTUAL JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH HUGE AMOUNTS ...... THESE CONTRACTS LOOK LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FLOODING TO PAY OFF SOME BUDDIES.

31. ORDINANCE appropriating $3,553,774.00 out of Airport System Consolidated 2000AMT Construction Fund and approving and authorizing Project Development Agreement between the City of Houston and CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC for Construction Management Services at George Bush Intercontinental Airport/Houston, Project Nos. 490D and 490T; CIP A-0322.13; and partial assignment of related construction contracts and laboratory testing contracts after they are awarded on the Terminal C Renovation Project - DISTRICT B - GALLOWAY

32. ORDINANCE appropriating $500,000.00 from Street & Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund and approving and authorizing contract between the City of Houston, Texas and the TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER CORPORATION for a Transportation Master Plan Study, GFS N-0729-01-2; containing provisions relating to the subject - DISTRICTS C - GOLDBERG and D - BONEY

WASN'T THIS DONE BY METRO FOR THE RAIL PROJECT? AND IF NOT .... WHY NOT? WHY ARE WE REINVENTING THE WHEEL? AND AT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S A MIGHTY COSTLY WHEEL

38. ORDINANCE appropriating $133,550.00 out of Street and Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund and approving and authorizing amendment to professional services contract (approved by Ordinance No. 98-1130) between the City of Houston and LIN ENGINEERING, INC for the design of Monroe Road Improvements from Fuqua to Almeda-Genoa Road, CIP N-0574-01; providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Street and Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund - DISTRICT E - TODD

THIS WAS A SHELVED PROJECT .... WE HAVE ALREADY PAID LIN MORE THAN A MILLION FOR THIS ... WHY ISN'T THIS PROPERLY LABELED AS A CHANGE ORDER? AND AGAIN, WHY ARE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S SCREW UP?

39. ORDINANCE appropriating $1,720,340.00 out of Street & Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund and approving and authorizing professional services contract between the City of Houston and HVJ ASSOCIATES, INC for Pavement Management and Maintenance Program, N-0667-02-2 (N-0667); providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Street & Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund

HVJ HAS NEVER MANAGED A PROJECT. THEY ARE A TESTING FACILITY. WHAT QUALIFIES THEM NOW? (THE FACT THAT HE HAS RAISED MONEY FOR THE MAYOR???) THIS IS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THE SMALL AMOUNT OF PROJECTS WE HAVE IN FY 2002 CIP .... UNTIL WE THE CITIZENS KNOW THE COMPLETE STORY ABOUT THE AUDIT THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY CONDUCTED CONCERNING THE FRAUD IN THE POT HOLE & ASPHALT OVERLAY PROGRAMS, AND WHICH CONSULTANTS / CONTRACTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE ...... WE NEED TO HOLD OFF HIRING OUTSIDE COMPANIES FOR ANY OTHER MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS.

52. ORDINANCE accepting $3,693,000.00 in funds from the Metropolitan Transit Authority as provided in the second funding period implementation agreement for special City Projects and Future Designated Projects and depositing such funds into the MTA Special Projects Fund, appropriating $3,693,000.00 out of MTA Special Projects Fund, $2,997,000.00 out of Street and Bridge Consolidated Construction and $3,039,000.00 out of Water and Sewer System Consolidated Construction Fund; awarding contract to PATE & PATE ENTERPRISES, INC on low bid of $8,210,251.85 approving and authorizing professional services contract for engineering testing services with TERRA-MAR INC in the amount $285,000.00; and approving and authorizing professional services contract for construction management and inspection services with LOCKWOOD, ANDREWS & NEWNAM, INC in the amount $658,000.00 for Kirkwood Road Pavement Improvements from Bissonnet Street to Bellaire Boulevard, GFS N-0575-01-3 (N-0575-01); providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Street and Bridge Consolidated Construction Fund, Water and Sewer System Consolidated Construction Fund and the MTA Special Projects Fund - DISTRICT F - ELLIS

LAN designed this project, it's a conflict of interest to give them management of the construction & inspections.

56. ORDINANCE appropriating $4,002,828.28 out of Water and Sewer System Consolidated Construction Fund, awarding contract to KINSEL INDUSTRIES, INC on low bid of $3,393,764.00 and approving and authorizing professional services contract for engineering testing services with ATSER, L.P. in the amount of $100,000.00 for Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation by Sliplining and Pipe Bursting Methods, GFS R-0266-23-3 (4257-29); providing funding for contingencies relating to construction of facilities financed by the Water and Sewer System Consolidated Construction Fund

WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH ATSER RECEIVING ANYMORE CONTRACTS FROM THE CITY AT THIS TIME .... WE BELIEVE THEY HAD A PART IN OVERSEEING MANAGEMENT OF SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE REPORTING FRAUDULENT NUMBERS FOR FINISHED PROJECTS AT PW&E .... UNTIL ALL OF THE CULPRITS HAVE BEEN MADE KNOWN PUBLICLY .... (BUT THEN AGAIN, FRED MARTINEZ IS ONE OF CAROL ALVARADO & THE MAYOR'S PETS.) WE BELIEVE FOR THE GOOD OF THE TAXPAYERS PW&E SHOULD HOLD OFF ON GIVING OUT ANY MORE OF THESE CONTRACTS. ESPECIALLY TO THE SAME PEOPLE.

59. ORDINANCE consenting to award by the Houston Area Water Corporation of the Design-Build-Operate contract for the Northeast Water Purification Plant to MONTGOMERY WATSON CONSTRUCTORS, INC - DISTRICT E - TODD

WE BELIEVE THIS ONE IS A "DO OVER" ... PERHAPS MORE ABOUT WHY NEXT WEEK.

63. ORDINANCE appropriating $200,721.00 out of Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund as an additional appropriation for Renovation of Carnegie Branch Library, GFS E-0008-01-3; under construction contract with R.T.G. BUILDING COMPANY; approved by Ordinance No. 2000-330 - DISTRICT H - VASQUEZ

a. RECOMMENDATION from Director Building Services Department for approval of Change Order No. 6 in the amount of $205,029.00 on contract with R.T.G. BUILDING COMPANY for Renovation of Carnegie Branch Library

SIXTH? SIXTH CHANGE ORDER?????? WHY ARE WE TAXPAYERS BEING ASKED TO FOOT THIS BILL????

64. ORDINANCE relating to employment conditions, compensation and benefits of classified Police Officers of the City of Houston; ratifying an agreement between the City of Houston, Texas, and the HOUSTON POLICE OFFICERS' UNION reorganizing certain classifications, ranks and pay grades within the Houston Police Department, and containing other provisions relating to the foregoing subject; suspending the operation of certain ordinances; providing for severability; and declaring an emergency

HOUSNITCH HAS A QUESTION:

WE ARE GREAT SUPPORTERS OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND WE ARE GLAD TO SEE THEM GET A MUCH NEEDED WELL DESERVED RAISE, AND MORE BENEFITS. BUT IF WE GIVE THEM ALL THESE BENEFITS .... DO WE HAVE ANYTHING LEFT TO TAKE TO THE BARGAINING TABLE FOR OUR FIREMEN? THEY ARE JUST AS DESERVING, AND YET HAVE NO BENEFIT PARITY? "declaring an emergency" ? OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS IN CRISIS .... WE BELIEVE WE HAVE AN "EMERGENCY" HERE TOO.

From:

To: <SNITCH@housnitch.com>

Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 9:03 PM

Subject: City Money

Everyone is wondering where all city revenue has gone. Mayor Bob never has
to float a "loan" to pay city employees. Well, about $30,000 went to pay for
council chairs. The records of payment are hidden among various accounts. I
hope these council members' butts are comfortable sitting on our pay raise
AHHHHHH come on...those chairs being so expensive was a long time ago, and actually i think while Lanier was still Mayor...there's enough of Lee Pee's wastes that we can leave Lanier's alone.

From:

To: <SNITCH@HOUSNITCH.COM>

Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 1:00 PM

Subject: Tunnel system and Braes Bayou flooding. Let's close the barn door now that the horse is loose.

TUNNELS
The downtown tunnel system connects the basements of almost all of the
downtown buildings. If one floods they all flood. We need emergency
floodgates in the tunnel system. At critical points in the system we should
install some bulkhead rails and a set of drop bulkheads. When a float switch
is tripped the bulkhead drops and isolates the tunnel section. We also need
to install some emergency storm water pumps. This will serve to prevent
future occurrences of massive flooding. The Tranquility garage is tied into
the bayou place parking system. The latter is at a low level. When water
comes in it floods the whole system. There need to be some automatic
floodgates at any parking garage entrance that is below the 500 yr flood
elevation. People died in those garages this time. Don't let this repeat
itself. Making these changes will cost money but will pay for itself the
next time a basement stays unflooded. The sun is shining but there is still
that hole in our roof. Its too late to fix it once the flood starts.

BRAES BAYOU
The easy way to fix Braes Bayou area flooding is to deepen it. Just get a
big marine dredge and head upstream from the ship channel. Make it 50 feet
deeper. The bottom should be at least 30 feet below sea level. It is true
that we can not lower the outfall hydraulic profile which is sea level but a
deeper channel should carry much more water than the alternative of a wider
channel which some have proposed. Such a channel with its bottom at least 30
feet below sea level would also allow barge traffic to go upstream. The low
water level would be sea level. We will also be able to fish for saltwater
fish in the lowered bayou.

GREAT ENGINEERING THERE. (AND COMMON SENSE TOO, WHICH IS SERIOUSLY LACKING IN THIS ADMINISTRATION)

From:

To: mayor@cityofhouston.net

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 3:09 PM

Subject: Day of Recovery

Please clarify this, we are spending way too much time debating this issue: Did not the Mayor announce that all nonessential City employees did not need to report to work and that it would be a "Day of Recovery."

WELL DARLIN.....THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD HIM SAY....

From: A Houston Firefighter

To: <snitch@housnitch.com>

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 3:06 PM

Subject: Was everything done?

Brenda,
A couple questions for you to ask of the Mayor:
1) Was everything possible done during the recent emergency?
A) No, 1200+ firefighters were not recalled to duty to assist and provide
rotation to the exhausted crews, This should have been done Friday Saturday
Morning as soon as the Federal Disaster Declaration was requested.
2) Why aren't fire apparatus in a city prone to street flooding spec'd to
handle 3 feet of water without blowing an engine (THANX E-ONE).
A) Uh... I Dunno
There are many more of course, but the bottom line is, 2 shifts were
standing by waiting for word to come in and go where we were needed, but the
recall never came. I am hearing of many who called in and were told they
weren't needed. The 2 shifts held Saturday (B from who worked from Friday @
6:30am and C who was scheduled in at 6:30am Saturday), were valiantly doing
everything in their power to the point of exhaustion to ensure the safety of
the citizens needed a rotation setup at each of the evac sites. A general
recall should have been put out on the air to the news media (whom we are
supposed to get such direction from in a disaster situation). I have heard
that some felt most of us could not have made it in, but that is ridiculous,
it may have taken longer, but we could have made it somewhere eventually.
The police chief had the werewithall to see his crews needed held and did
such a thing. I just wonder why the city didn't use every resource available
to it in such an event. These men and women are already familiar with the
city and with the procedures to be followed as well as command and control
structures. We all know, he doesnt make the decisions anyway, so which of
his staff dropped the ball...AGAIN...
Brenda, The crews who were out there deserve the appreciation of everyone
for going above and beyond and adapting when faced with such an event.
Thank You
YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY DESERVE THANKS AND MUCH, MUCH MORE .... AND THEY HAVE IT FROM US HERE AT HOUSNITCH, AND I'M SURE THOSE WHO READ US ... NOW TO GET LEE PEE'S HEAD OUTTA AL HAINES BUTT & MAKE THE ADMINISTRATION TRULY "MEET & CONFER" , AND GET A CONTRACT SIGNED SO YOU GUYS CAN GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.

From:

To: SNITCH@HOUSNITCH.COM

Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 7:34 AM

Subject: HERB LUM

The biggest waste of taxpayer money in any City of Houston department is Herb Lum. He does absolutely nothing! There are doorknobs at PWE that are more productive than he is. Why Tom Rolen and Showri Nandagiri want this anchor around their neck is a mystery.

Herb is Martha Wong's affirmative action experiment gone awry, and is now protected by Gordan Quan. Originally, Hilda Garza Scott put him in that position to make sure that he covered up Fred Martinez's screw ups and reward him with more work.

Gordon says that Herb is being discriminated against. He has a valid point. Nobody likes a lazy, disorganized, and incompetent person who is wasting taxpayer money. Get rid of him! For half the money you can get somebody to do twice the work.

WELL, WE DON'T AGREE THAT HE'S THE BIGGEST WASTE OF THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY...BUT WE DO THINK THAT ANY MONEY PAID TO HIM IS A WASTE....

From:

To: SNITCH@HOUSNITCH.COM

Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 10:32 PM

Subject: New class at the HFD academy

Hi Brenda,

Sorry I haven't written in a while.

Jew don has a solution for the HFD manpower situation.

There is currently a class going right now that has 5,,,that's right 5 cadets. These are all cadets who were fired from the academy during there tenure there.

Jew don thinks if we hire back all the losers, we can fix things. These 5 will go through a 4 week class and then be put back into the system.

Just what we need, rookies with political ties, who couldn't make it the first time............so give them another chance.

The instructors have been told,,,,the 5 "will definitely" graduate this time.

Thought you and the other citizens should feel safer now.

Keep up the good work and thanks.

AREN'T YOU AS GLAD AS WE ARE THAT JEW DON IS TERM LIMITED OUT????

From:

To: <SNITCH@housnitch.com>

Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 1:32 PM

Subject: 2001 regional reps.Two soccer teams (Houstonians) of the city of houston parks and recreation
dept. is going to the 2001 regionals in memphis tenneessee. THE KIDS WOULD BE
SLEEPING SIX TO A ROOM WITH ONE QUEEN SIZE BED AND SLEEPING BAGS. This is the director's decision. But he is taking five city employees with him who have
nothing to do with these teams. Yes the city is paying room, food a
transportation for them for a week. The kids have to pay for their own hotel
and food. The city have not financially supported these kids in their years
of competing to get to this point. Oh! i stand corrected, the city supposedly
paid for some thing. The teams just never received or benefitted from what
monies were given. And this is a fact. So could some bodies tell me where the
money to support these kids is? AND COULD THESE KIDS GET THE HELP THEY NEED
AND DESERVE. They are representing the city of houston.

From: City Snoop

To: <Brenda@Housnitch.com>

Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 12:12 PM

Keep up the good work! Did you know that Hollingsworth went into to Mayor
back in February and told him he was quitting. The Mayor told Hollingsworth
he had to remain until after the election in November. Did you know that
Denny Piper is looking for another job? Did you know Haines has told his
closest people he is leaving in November too? Why?
And how many people does the Mayor need to run HIS office. He has four
girls in there. He wants to look good so he has a hispanic, a black, a
older white lady and a latino. What is the need? You still cant get a
question answered from that office. Rose is the only one that he needs.
Why not get back money and trim that staff.

ANYBODY BUT BROWN IN 2001, WELL ALMOST ANYBODY ....

From:

To: <brenda@housnitch.com>

Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 7:07 PM

Subject: my opinion

in my opinion Carol Alvarado should resign or get out of the race. It
really stinks. What is the word on the street about this?

LOAO...SAME AS YOURS, BUT SEEMS THE MAYOR THRIVES ON THESE DYSFUNCTIONAL PEOPLE

From:

To: SNITCH@housnitch.com

Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 8:51 PM

Subject: Open records request

I noticed your mail about the open records request for employees job ratings. You can get that same information from each Department (HPD, PW, Parks, ect). Each Department has to keep their on Personnel files. The Department of Human Resources is a useless Department. This department hires more temporary employees than most departments and they still can not do their jobs. This department should be done away with and let each individual department handle personnel matters, worker's comp, safety, ect. Doing away with this department would save the City a lot of money. Each department already handles the same paperwork as the Dept. of Human Resources. There is a lot of duplication of paperwork. This department needs some serious looking over.

PERHAPS IT WILL GET IT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS

From:

To: Brenda Flores <brenda@housnitch.com>

Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 3:29 PM

Subject: Re: mayors secretary

the article in the newspaper this weekend showed that carol alvarado is
definately trying to push the ethical envelope. it is time to dig deep on
her, phone records, travel records, vacation time, all trips she claimed for
the democratic party, phone messages, donor lists, she is up to no good and
abusing the mayor's office to get there. Brown is supposed to decide on
tuesday whether or not she has to go. Hopefully he will make the right
choice - but knowing him he probably wont.
HE HASN'T MADE ANY RIGHT ONES SINCE TAKING OFFICE...NO TIME TO START NOW. AND BY THE WAY MS. ALVARADO IS HIS SENIOR ADVISOR/ HISPANIC LIAISON, NOT HIS SECRETARY.

Subj:	The Fair Weather Trolley Folley
Date:	6/24/01 12:59:33 PM Central Daylight Time
From: To: housnitch1@aol.com (housnitch)

TO ANYBODY LISTENING ~ ~

In response to a question (paraphrased) "If Monorail is so good, why has not Metro adopted it ?",
I submit the following:

I honestly don't understand why Houston avoids Monorail. It is mostly the "establishment" that does. Most of the individual citizens whom we have talked to think it sounds good, preferable to Light Rail streetcars. (Except for some Sierra Club members, who get their directions from Sierra Central to support Light Rail). Most people don't know the difference between "Monorail" and Light Rail and they really don't get excited at this time because any possible benefits to them of a rail line are many years in the future. Despite the fact that the last Metro Board in 1990 studied and selected a Monorail design, the present Board and Authority have neither published nor discussed publicly the advantages/disadvantages of this technology and why it is or is not suitable for Main Street and commuter lines.

As far as the "establishment" is concerned, there are probably several reasons.

** Ignorance of the technologies involved, and simple inertia.

** Fear of the unknown and untested, by them.

** The belief that it is untouchable politically since Lanier won election by trashing rail and it was Monorail that he trashed.

** The fact that the City is presently dealing with numerous contractors for the roadways and utilities, the same ones who would be installing Light Rail, but not Monorail.

** The Houston Chronicle, being part of the "establishment", does not favor Monorail so the public gets no description or discussion of it, and the other media do not find Monorail to be newsworthy.

** No Monorail provider has come forth publicly with ads and conferences or even presentations at conferences on "Alternative Transit Technologies".

** The Metro Authority has conducted a media blitz for Light Rail (supported by several prestigious institutions such as The Greater Houston Partnership, Sierra Club, The Chronicle, etc.) which has been quite effective, and has included a few falsehoods about Monorail to cover up the fact that this Metro Board has never evaluated Monorail.

** Designers of the Main Street beautification project, and other developers, have been led to believe that the streetcar line is necessary to development of Houston.

** Even if the Mayor were to be convinced that Monorail lines would benefit the City more than light rail, he is pretty much honor bound to support his appointees, which include Ms. DeLibero, whose career is single-mindedly dedicated to light rail.

It does all come back only to politics and/or money. None of the reasons above have anything to do with whether or not Monorail will provide better public transportation than light rail or be technologically or economically superior.

Subj:	Re: TAKE IT OFF THE TOP MAYOR!!!
Date:	6/22/01 11:33:21 AM Central Daylight Time
From: To: Housnitch1@aol.com

No surprise that Orlando is trying to abolish the OIG since he lists city hall as the address of his personal businesses.

HOUSNITCH LOVES THE OIG. WELL, THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH FROM THERE .....

Subj:	Re: Tunnel system and Braes Bayou flooding
Date:	6/21/01 4:16:31 PM Central Daylight Time
From: To: Housnitch1@aol.com

I don't think that "we" need to do anything about the tunnels downtown. Those buildings are owned by real estate companies (for the most part) and they should put in flood prevention measures if the want to pay for it. I don't want to pay for their lack of foresight, nor should I!

ACTUALLY, MOST OF THEM ARE OURS

From:

To: Snitch@housnitch.com

Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 4:31 PM

Subject: Jew Don Boney

Jew Don Boney is on the take! He is being given money by United Engineers, among others, to get work for them. And he doesn't mind taking away from white firms to help his black brothers. Isn't this illegal? I heard that last year he spent a month in rehab for his coke addiction. Maybe that's why he needs the money. I hope he does not resurface in any type of public office once he gets term limited out. The man sets race relations back 20 years.

THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE CITY ORDINANCE THAT PREVENTS JEW DON FROM COMING BACK...(AND JOHN CASTILLO WHO WE HEAR IS PLOTTING THE SAME IF HE DOESN'T MAKE COMMISSIONERS COURT)....THAT IS THE ORIGINAL REASON AL CALLOWAY HAD TO GO...AS TO THOSE OTHER ALLEGATIONS...DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF? BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TO GET IT INVESTIGATED!!!

THIS EDITOR IS EXPERIENCING SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS .... THEY TEND TO SLOW ME DOWN SOME WHAT. I AM GETTING THEM TAKEN CARE OF, BUT THEY WERE A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING, AND NOT SO EASILY REMEDIED. WE WILL CONTINUE TO POST NEW PAGES, AND ARTICLES. PLEASE BEAR WITH US .... THERE ARE NO SO CALLED "BENEFITS" WITH THIS JOB. IN FACT WE ARE CONSTANTLY PAYING BILLS JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME USUALLY WHEN THE RED SHUT OFF NOTICE COMES DUE, SO A HEALTH PROBLEM IS AN ADDED STRESS/EXPENSE.

WE ARE STILL COMMITTED TO BRINGING ABOUT A CHANGE IN HOW OUR CITY IS RUN, AND FOR INTEGRITY & ACCOUNTABILITY IN THOSE WE HAVE ELECTED / APPOINTED TO OFFICE AND WHO SPEND OUR MONEY.

THOSE OF YOU WHO SUPPORT US, PLEASE REMEMBER US IN YOUR PRAYERS ... THOSE WHO DON'T SUPPORT US ... WELL I'M TOO ORNERY TO GO WITHOUT A HELL OF A FIGHT.

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