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!!

A Plague Upon All of Our Houses by Chad Rice

  In the last few years the citizens of Lubbock have been the victims of a hostage taking. We unabashedly gave away the freedom, which can only be found in the free enterprise economy. We stepped quietly aside, while our elected officials took a pro-monopolizing standpoint, when it came to the LP&L/Excel merger. We allowed LP&L to mobilize a propaganda campaign in our community, as if they were a private entity, and slowly marinate our minds in all of the great things that LP&L has done for us. This is a lie. LP&L has received a great deal of money in the form of subsidies and tax incentives. This means that anything LP&L has done for you personally, quite honestly, you have paid for already. After all isn't this company owned by the citizens of Lubbock? In the wake of the merger between LP&L and Excel energy locally, the service seems to have taken a serious dive.

  I have lived in Lubbock for six years and dealt with LP&L for only about half of that time, thankfully. However, those three years, I can honestly say have absolutely been some of the most stress filled dealings that I have ever had with any company. On one occasion in particular, I had been on hold for forty-five minutes and right when I'm ready to hang up the phone, someone answers. I think to myself , "finally I will be able to put this to bed.", but alas my hope was shattered when a voice crackled over the line only to respond to my relief with a hateful, " What?! " , not hi, my name is ---- how may I help you today, or even just how can I help you. Now this did not put my angst at ease after the lengthy forty-five minute wait and listening to their absolutely retched recordings of classical music. No, it made my blood boil and that day I began to ponder over many of the issues concerning LP&L. In many cases they treat people as if they are there for nothing more than constantly refreshing the piles of money that they spend on new vehicles, and other perks. This company is little more than a government shill.

  Now, what do they really mean when they say that LP&L is owned by the people? Well basically there is really only one thing they can mean, socialism. I mean isn't that the very definition of socialism when the people own the means of production. Over the decades I think we have learned one thing, if anything, these Utopian ideas while sounding great do not function well and are easily corrupted. Do not be mistaken, corruption is a disease, one that must be met with action. One of the things that I have learned in my life is this, where corruption exists so shall hubris. In my mind hubris is a symptom of corruption, and typically follows an infection like a fever. At this point in time, I personally believe that the city of Lubbock and her citizens are being held captive by an entity of our own making. A beast that has grown and will continue to grow too unimaginable proportions and wields an unchecked power.

  I propose, simply this. We take LP&L, and over the next few years we audit the books, with an independent auditing firm of course. This would do a few things; it would give us an idea of what an earnings statement really looks like for the year, and give us a truly honest, and up to date, value for the company. At which point I believe every citizen should have to make a choice. That choice would be this; to take the company and at the very least split it back up to foster some competition; to sell it off to private entities and attempt to make a profit, or at least to regain the losses to the taxpayers.

  This company while well intended has become a big, blue and white, ball and chain dragging Lubbock into an endless abyss of economic despair. It is a never ending crisis for them, even though they are the only game in town. Remember that when there was a proposed tax increase, our city officials chose to raise your rates instead, but really is it not the same thing. Have you had enough? I have...

Chad Rice from Facebook entry

Price Recall Petition Declared Invalid,AGAIN!!

  Lubbock city secretary declared another recall petition targeting Floyd Price is invalid. Mr.Price is a staunch supporter of the LP&L "robber barons" and is no friend of the people. Mr.Price is an ex-cop and part time LSO "gestapo" member. Gordon Harris pledged to continue to try and remove Price in the next election.

BUMMER!!

Another "nutty" Idea In Levelland

  Lawlessness has been common in Levelland. Cops were corrupt and some got exposed. Now the Levelland ISD board has cleared the way to allow teachers to carry guns on campus. Most teachers are either wimps or just weaklings. To bring back the "gunslinger era" on any campus is as "off-the-wall" as it gets. The first time a gun gets discharged with no safety on or a student gets their hands on a teachers gun the "shit will hit the damn fan". Levelland is a hick town and this idea would have Wyatt Earp gagging.

Carl Tepper sends "nauseating" email to subscribers

  The "nauseating" paragraph below was sent in a republican party weekly mailout by Carl Tepper. The above screen capture also reveals Tepper may have violated the Lubbock Republican Party charter by promoting McDougal Properties using party email list. Mr.Tepper has never been accused of being a "smart guy". That would be slander and defamation of character.

> County Commissioner Patti Jones – Jane Cansino and I missed listing an important sponsorship at the CRC Luncheon a couple of weeks ago. Cmsr. Patti Jones was a Silver Sponsor and one of the first to step-up and donate to this important RPT initiative. It should also be noted that Patti sponsors, contributes and/or volunteers to most every event for the Republican Party in Lubbock County, whether it’s her election cycle or not. We so appreciate her help and leadership.
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The republican party email list is NOT supposed to be used as a promo for any republican office holder. Tepper has now went into "La-La Land" and he might need a mental evaluation.