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Just a pause to think

8/23/2019

A friend sent me this:
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A gun is like a parachute. If you need one, and don't have one. You'll probably never need one again.

The definition of the word Conundrum is: Something that is puzzling or confusing.

Here are six Conundrums of Socialism in the United States of America:

1. America is capitalist and greedy - yet half of the population is subsidized.

2. Half of the population is subsidized - yet they think they are victims.

3. They think they are victims - yet their representatives run the government.

4. Their representatives run the government - yet the poor keep getting poorer.

5. The poor keep getting poorer - yet they have things that people in other Countries only dream about.

6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about, yet they want America to be more like those other countries.
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Makes you wonder who is doing the math. By the way.....

1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, which is okay, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works. And here's another one worth considering...(Seems like government doesn't want to tell you what religion you can have.......until all the guns are gone.)

2. Seems we constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of money. But we never hear about welfare or food stamps running out of money?

3. The insanity I hear every day on the news convinces me that some pretty dumb and manipulative people are running for President of the United States. What is really scary is the I.Q. of the ones that do the voting. Some of what I hear is pure lunacy and totally ignorant of civics and economics.
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Some are buying into it. I don't think many have ever thought about the USA and the freedoms it stands for. The USA was never about government control, but about people's control of the government. If you don't control government, most assuredly freedoms will be taken away. Some proposals being bandied about are pure stupidity. What's really scary is the ignorance of some of the voters. I don't mean intelligence. I mean ignorance. One can be intelligent and do some really dumb things. Ya gotta think, people.

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Civics 101

8/19/2019

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The below is not intended as a criticism. However, it is intended to make you think. There are perfectly good reasons for closed door sessions. However, there are perfectly questionable reasons for government to want to hide things. The two are rarely compatible.
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EDITORIAL: Closed door meetings are a liability

By The Paris News Editorial Board

Executive session. Closed meeting. It doesn’t matter what you call it. What matters is what it means, and what it means is the public is being shut out of the public’s business.

Texas Open Meetings Act exemptions are tools available for use sparingly. They are narrow, and they are specific. They are liabilities for the governments that use them, and should be seen as such because there are criminal provisions for improperly closing the doors to the public.

In reviewing the closed meeting activity of the municipalities in this newspaper’s coverage area, including the Lamar County Commissioner's Court, The Paris News found largely responsible use of the act’s exemptions. The few violations discovered appeared to be misunderstandings of the exemptions used — which itself speaks to the importance of today’s report.

With the goal of education in mind, The Paris News has opted against filing complaints with the Texas Attorney General’s Office about those meetings. Rather, staff writers contacted affected city officials about the findings, and officials in both cities committed to ensuring the subject of potential closed meetings meet the requirements set out in the Open Meetings Act.

In total, area cities and the county’s commissioners closed their doors 63 times in the one year period between July 2018 and June 2019. During that time, some councils closed their meeting doors more often than others, and that was largely a reflection of the business before them. For instance, Clarksville City Council called an executive session 20 times during the year, citing the act’s personnel exemption 18 times. As a result of those meetings, the city hired Julie Arrington as its city manager in May and hired Donald J. Blasingame as its police chief in April.

The Texas Open Meetings Act is not a short piece of literature, nor is it completely easy to understand. It’s importance, however, should not be underestimated — it protects the public’s right to know the business conducted on its behalf. When a meeting is closed, it must be recorded in minutes or by another form, and that record is sealed away for good — not even the members who participated may review them after they leave their position.

The public should always be wary of agenda items that exclude participation. And officials who call for closed meetings should remember that just because the doors can be closed doesn’t mean they have to be — use of the Open Meetings Act exemptions is a choice, not a legal requirement. (Emphasis mine.)

Klark Byrd

The Paris News Editorial Board publishes editorials on topics of local relevance every Wednesday and Sunday.

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Bayside now Sapphire Bay

8/9/2019

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I attended last night's Townhall meeting about what is now known as Sapphire Bay.   Many of you remember Sapphire Bay as Bayside.

I will keep this commentary brief. I was delighted!!

I was very happy to see Kent Donahue back into the driver's seat as one of the developers. He will run the day to day operations. Facebook is filled today with people posting the entire meeting on line. I strongly recommend you pick one and view it before you start making up your mind about what you think Sapphire Bay might be.   Facebook intellectualism has a way of getting stupid, unless you know what you're talking about.

The entire package is pure uptown. It is not a replica of any other entertainment, residence or commercial complex in the entire DFW metroplex. It is a homogenization of all the above. It will be unique.......and desirable. Upon completion, it should total somewhere north of $1 Billion in development. Furthermore, 50% of the tax revenue should flow into Rowlett's coffers.

Sapphire Bay would become an unbelievable addition to the Rowlett re-branding. All homeowners in Rowlett will not only enjoy a normal increase of desirable real estate values, but an additional 20% just because Sapphire Bay is there.

As I see, there was only one blemish. We will lose the trolley. It was removed from the development plan because other changes in parking availability was presumably improved.   It is deemed that all is within acceptable walking distance, now. That may be fine for people without walking difficulties, but to someone that can only walk 300 feet without resting, Sapphire Bay might not be an enjoyable place to go. I would like to think that the developers might think about perhaps electric tractors pulling surries with a fringe on top as a suitable, and inexpensive, replacement for the trolley.

But, taken in total, Sapphire Bay will be an outstanding trophy for Rowlett. We can look at it and enjoy it anytime we want. It will be an enormous addition to Rowlett's good image.

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Just a pause to think

Civics 101

Bayside now Sapphire Bay

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