Interesting how audits in the city of Bryan go, and how they get reported in the Eagle. Mary Kaye Moore (MKM) makes perfectly legal transactions within the city and she is treated like a criminal. Though in reality few criminals get three front page stories written about them - stories that continue to accuse even after exoneration. The Bryan Business Council (BBC) spends hundreds of thousands of dollars with zero real oversight and the Eagle reports “No wrongdoing found in business council probe.”
Perhaps one of the more telling statements in this morning’s article was where the Eagle proclaimed that “[t]he BBC does not deal with taxpayers money.” This seems to be a common sentiment amongst the good old boys. This is their money to do with as they see fit. No need for rules on expenditures. Whether the city collects money from rent on public property, oil and gas proceeds or taxes, this IS the people’s money and needs to be treated as such. That includes full oversight and the avoidance of conflicts of interest.
The BBC spent $5,000.00 to try to provide a name for a private investment; they did this with no oversight, and the Eagle finds no wrongdoing? Yet MKM makes legal and audited transactions within the city for public service and they write three front page stories about the wrongdoing. This is why so many of us are up in arms about what is happening in Bryan. Yet, because much of this is being done by old families who go to church with us, play golf with us and smile nicely at us, many have been content not to rock the boat. Folks, they are taking your tax (and other) money and using it in ways to benefit themselves, without giving you a say in it. It is time to throw the tea in the harbor, and the bums out of office.
The real ruse lays in the fact that this “audit” is not a look at the likely wrongdoing. It is, in fact, diversion from the elephant in the room. While we may bristle at spending $2,800.00 on a Christmas party, that is indeed small potatoes compared to land deals made with public funds that bring financial benefit to those making them on behalf of the public.
A true audit of the BBC would look into land sold and bought that came directly from its members, their families or close associates or nearby land owned our bought by these people to take advantage of the deals being made with public money.
One does not have to speculate to question Chris Peterson’s involvement on the BBC. This man is an attorney who makes his living by negotiating on behalf of developers. Talk about the fox guarding the hen house. Additionally Peterson has been directly involved in the campaigns of many council people in both Bryan and College Station. His efforts in this regard relate directly to his business, which means that his interests are not based on the best return for all the people in Bryan. Putting Chris Peterson on this Council is very questionable practice. The voters of Bryan should not tolerate this.
Finally, let’s look at the make up of this Council. Do you suppose that it is representative of the population of Bryan? Why, when we have single member districts for our City Council, do we not also seek equal representation on this crucial council? The BBC has, for the most part, been made up of wealthy white businessmen most of whom are directly involved in develoment. These are not people who represent quality of life values connected to economic development and important to our citizens - things such as environmental concerns, economic development in minority areas, parks and green spaces, community space, or (dare we suggest) public art. Looking at these things as the accoutrements of attracting business is a very different perspective than looking at them as the substance of a quality of life that we want for our families and our community. The members of the BBC seem to have always thoroughly represented the former perspective, with little regard that most of the people of Bryan are more interested in the latter.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The Fox Guarding the Hen House
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This was sent today to The Eagle and to David Watkins, Bryan City Manager:
This is a quote from the article in Sunday's Bryan Eagle entitled Bryan Audit Urges New Rules for Spending. "The business council does not deal with taxpayer money. Its revenue comes from oil and gas proceeds, and hangar rentals at Coulter Airfield."
Our question is simply -- if, in the minds of the BBC, the Eagle, and the City of Bryan, it isn't taxpayer money, we would like to know whose money it is. Just because the money they are spending is not derived from tax dollars doesn't mean it isn't taxpayer money. At least, that's what I think you would find the opinion of most citizens to be.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The real truth about Dennis Goehring's dealings has yet to surface. Just give it time. We are watching you buddy boy. Your days are numbered.
It seems that Geohring has the confidence of the city council. I really know very little about the whole BBC split up. It would be great if we could hear from those who know more. Where there tensions before the health science center? Are these two distinctly different factions?
Goehring thinks he is a god, a Junction Boy idol, and that everyone owes him a favor. His ego is uncheckable. He acts like a proud member of the KKK and wants the poor taxpayers of Bryan to build him a fancy retirement home near Traditions, with no questions asked. He must be able to blackmail people to get $10MM from the city for an expensive retirement community and the HSC. The A&M Health Science people who agreed to steal this money from the poor people of Bryan should also be hung from a tree and left blowing in the wind. They have no moral conscience to take that kinda money, simply in exchange for attaching "Bryan" to the HSC name. They were going to put that center in the B/CS area anyway, so it is all about Goehring's ego and wanting to thumb his nose at the city of College Station. Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered!
redhawk, you said, "The A&M Health Science people who agreed to steal this money from the poor people of Bryan should also be hung from a tree and left blowing in the wind."
If I'm not mistaken, it was P. David Romeii who brokered the deal on the HSC side. While I don't think Goehring is a saint, there are many other players involved with this deal that think it will benefit Bryan as a whole.
So do you think that the HSC will not benefit all of the people of Bryan? One thing is for sure, the people of north Bryan did not get a say in this deal.
The Eagle wrote an article not too long ago talking about the estimated return on investment this will bring to Bryan. Will all the citizens of Bryan not benefit from that additional revenue?
As far as your comment about north Bryan residents not having a say in the deal, residents of Bryan have a say every year by electing the city council members. That is why it is so important to go vote!
Anon, thanks for your contribution and the good point you make about voting. I would point out, though, that getting fair representation is exactly why we have single member districts for city council. This representation is also crucial on other critical committees, boards and councils such as the BBC. This representation does two very important things. The first is obvious. It makes sure that important decisions are being made by all of the citizens and not just an elite group. The other very important thing that it does is provide opportunities for leadership development from all areas of town.
The people of Bryan would have benefited without the center having to be inside the city limits. It could have been a block away inside College Station and still have been great for both cities. The true cost is not ten million. You have to analyze the time value of money until the entire amount is recouped and add the amount of lost interest payments to the total amount. It could end up being closer to twenty million before the city breaks even.
I would think that the citizens of Bryan would want a larger part of the $2.7 billion impact TAMU has on our community. While the $20 million dollar investment (using loop8720’s number) would not be recouped immediately, cities like Bryan need to be looking for long term returns on investments.
The HSC will absolutely spur development in Bryan. I predict that citizens of Bryan will be looking back to this point of time thinking how silly they were for not wanting the HSC in the city limits!
I really have no opinion on the overall value of the HSC, but one has to wonder if the BBC negotiated to Bryan's best interest. I suspect that the deal could have been made at far less cost. It seems that College Station was not all that interested and though the University could have put in on their own property let's face it, why would they look a gift horse in the mouth?
The issue here is not how much Bryan will benefit from the HCS. It is how much more will Bryan Benefit by having it at this location. It seems that the difference in having it here and on campus is not really all that great.
More than anything Bryan looks a little foolish for having gotten the go ahead for one sum only to have come back, a little like Homer Simpson holding out a hand full of money, say, "daho! take what you want."
But hey, it's better than a chicken processing plant. Things are looking up.
Conlee, Bienski, Hardeman, and the new City Manager Watkins are doing a lot of shady things lately and violating open meetings laws to push there agendas through. Watkins is a disaster and better hope Conlee gets elected. The people serving on the BBC didn't like that the council overlooked their choice for a new BBC member and put someone Moorhead didn't like on it instead. That's why he quit. It needed to be disbanded anyway and still does. What a waste of tax money. It's never been successful or paid for itself. The HSC will be a good thing in the long run for Bryan though.
Anon, Can you tell us what sort of shady deals these councilmen are involved in and can you give us some evidence of violations of the open meetings act?
Not long ago in College Station there was a city council elected that went gunning for the city manager. I hope that whoever is elected will seek to work with the existing city staff. We do not want these to become political appointments to be traded out every year or two. What specifically has Watkins done that you do not like?
That will be for the District Attorney to decide. The violations become a criminal investigation, making councilmembers subject to possible jail time, as College Station found out.
Again, Anon, Can you tell us what sort of shady deals these councilmen are involved in and can you give us some evidence of violations of the open meetings act? Is there a grand jury investigation of this alleged, yet unmentioned crime?
The problem with using Anon instead of choosing a Pen name, is that the Anons can really get mixed up, as in this flow of information. There are two or three different people posting info, all called Anon. If people were encouraged to pick a pen name, then we could follow postings more logically.
Why doesn't Bryan have the same quality and quantity of restaurants, stores and entertainment as College Station? Why are your property values lower and your tax burden worse?? Why are so many people leaving Bryan and moving to College Station?
Did this all start when Bryan lost the area's first shopping mall or did it have something to do with not taking care of your streets when they started to decay? Maybe it was the shortsighted decision to use aboveground utility poles instead of going underground with your electricity. You name it, and your governmental leaders have really done some serious, long-term damage that you are all paying dearly for now.
So, load up your truck and move next door. We use our tax revenue to keep our streets looking good.
Speaking of Bryan's city manager, David Watkins, I heard that one of his initiation tests was to yell at one of the councilmen. They had someone posted outside his office to confirm that he did as told, and he passed with flying colors. Then last month, Watkins got his head shaved and welcomed to the bro'hood. Cool! Where do I sign up?
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