Roger Settler's AGENDA 21 Proposal For City of Lubbock

Check out Roger Settler's proposals that he published recently in The Bystander

1) Immediately stop the talk of pay raises for City employees. Instead, how about this: small increases, perhaps 3% for those making under $ 50,000 per year, cuts of 5% for those making between $ 50,000 and 100,000, 10% for those making between !00,000 and 150,000, and 20% for those over $ 150,000. Social justice!

...2) Stop considering new police stations and expensive libraries. Instead, condemn or purchase existing buildings like the Omni or the church Mayor Glen Robertson talked about on 50th Street. Renovate them at relatively small cost, and move in. Crazy? In better days, the City bought the old Sears building, and beautifully renovated it into our present City Hall.

3) Put an end to renting expensive office space for City agencies. LEDA, for example, costs us $ 10,000 per month for a palatial office in the Wells Fargo building.

4) Refuse the renew the unneeded "Master Developer" contract, which costs us $ 29,000 per month, and yet has produced no tangible results

5) Don't give the old DPS building and land to the Performing Arts group. If they desire that space, let them purchase it and pay for the demolition.

6) Refuse to fund any new boondoggles like the Imagine Lubbock proposals.

7) Don't create any more TIFS which keep tax revenues out of the General Fund, and refuse to give tax abatements such as the one the City gave Wal*Mart. These entities should pay their own way like the rest of us.

Build one fire station instead of two.

9) Demand that LP&L do away with the "advertising budget".....monopolies don't need to advertise.

10) Sell unneeded assets like the LP&L "disconnection" trucks, and repair City vehicles instead of always purchasing new ones, and refuse to buy expensive new assets like the proposed "smart meters".

11) When you do buy new vehicles, don't buy Tahoes or other gas guzzlers. Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles such as hybrids.

12) Enact strict conservation rules on all governmental agencies. Turn off lights, reset thermostats, turn down air conditioning, end excessive watering, install efficient equipment.

13) Stop the practice of re-doing logos on City vehicles and signs.

14) Put in more long-term roadways such as brick as opposed to asphalt, which requires regular maintenance.

15) Save rainwater, install solar panels and windmills.

16) Set up recycling programs to encourage conservation and bring in revenue.

17) Impose limits on the amounts City employees spend for official trips, lodging, transportation, etc.

18) Establish new fees for developers and contractors and stop the practice of allowing misuse of city resources such as dumpsters, water and electricity.

19) Centralize City agencies in City-owned buildings, and pay no rentals.

20) Stop using expensive consultants and outside attorneys, and utilize resources such as Texas Tech, Lubbock Christian, South Plains and other non-profits.

21) Do maintenance on City assets when it is needed, like the Auditorium-Coliseum, rather than the discredited practice of "deferred maintenance" which only defers costs which continue to increase with time.

  Great Ideas There Roger!!