Mr. Jones sent this email to Councilmember Adams:
From: Bob Jones [email protected]
To: “[email protected]” [email protected]
Sent: Tue, October 19, 2010 4:09:49 PM
Subject: RE: Let’s start over on Proposition 1
Dear Wanda,
I am flabbergasted by the position that you and three of your fellow council members have taken on Proposition 1. Listening to your press conference last week and reading the editorial below confirms my concern that we do not have any leadership from our African American council members.
The idea that you would all place your own political interests above the needs of the citizens of the City is appalling. Proposition 1 is the ONLY effort that I have seen in the past 40 years that provided a solution and help for ALL neighborhoods in the city. This is your only chance to help your neighborhoods. Without Prop 1, we will be back to small bond issues and no predictability to our system. Most neighborhoods will be left out of the bond issues.
The idea that you are concerned City Council has not adopted an ordinance detailing all of the things you want to know is comical. That’s the job of city council. In fact, it could have been the job of City council without the charter amendment, except for the fact that we don’t have a council, now or in the past, with any political will to solve these problems. After this amendment passes, as a council member, you will be charged with the responsibility of determining how to set the rates and who, if anyone, you want to exempt within the limits of what the law allows.
When your term is up and you haven’t provided a solution for your neighborhoods I’m sure that I will hear you say “It’s not my fault!” Right or wrong, your neighbors will continue to live on decaying streets without adequate drainage, and that will be your fault.
Hopefully your community and your district will be able to find some leadership. It is certainly lacking right now.
Bob
J. R. (Bob) Jones, P.E.
President
JONES & CARTER, INC.
ENGINEERS · PLANNERS · SURVEYORS
6335 Gulfton, Suite 100
Houston, Texas 77081-1169
Tel 713-777-5337 Ext. 604
Fax 713-777-5975 Direct 713-353-7300
Reminds you of the letter that ReNew Houston sent to HISD, doesn’t it?
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 7, 2010
Vote FOR Prop 1 Campaign to HISD: “Cut the Waste, Not the Teachers”
The Vote FOR Prop 1 Campaign regrets to learn that the Houston Independent School District is taking a position against the best interests of our city, taxpayers, and most importantly our children.
HISD should do a more responsible job of managing taxpayer funds before laying off teachers and opposing a fiscally responsible plan to keep its students safe.
In short, HISD should cut the waste, not the teachers.
HISD has been rocked by at least two scandals this year, from lax oversight of more than a billion dollars in bond funds to spending millions on unnecessary overtime.
HISD needs to provide it’s students with safe passage to schools on safe and dry roads. It needs to make sure parents can pick up their kids from school after a heavy rain. It needs to make sure police and fire have quick access to schools to keep our children safe.
HISD does NOT need to use its students as a political football when it can do a better job managing its own tax dollars.
Proposition 1 requires the city to end years of wasteful borrowing and convert to a responsible, pay-as-you-go plan to rebuild our crumbling streets and help prevent flooding. It ties the hands of politicians so they cannot use these funds for any other purpose.
The politicians at HISD should take a lesson and get their own fiscal house in order before penalizing our kids.
We urge the Houston Independent School District to reconsider it’s resolution and join thoughtful leaders supporting Proposition 1 like the Houston Chronicle, Mayor Annise Parker, the Greater Houston Partnership, AFL-CIO, LULAC Council #402, Houston Police Officers’ Union, the Neartown/Montrose Super Neighborhood, Scenic Houston, Brays Bayou Association, Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the thousands of other Houstonians who don’t want to worry about high water and reaching their children at school or on school buses whenever the skies open up.
Arrogant SOB’s.
They did issue a press release apology to Councilmember Adams last night after figuring out that they screwed up, although you won’t find it on their website:
Today, we learned that one of our supporters sent an email to Councilmember Wanda Adams containing inappropriate remarks that in no way represent our campaign.
We apologize to Councilmember Wanda Adams and her colleagues, and to the entire community for the email.
We respect the opinions and leadership of all members of City Council and believe each of them is doing the best job possible representing Houstonians. Even when – especially when – people disagree on important issues, they deserve our utmost respect.
Despite differences of opinion about Proposition 1 and its approach to streets and drainage, we have and will continue to work with all Houstonians to find solutions that are fair and beneficial to everyone.
One of their “supporters”? Oh, please. This guy is the single largest financial backer of ReNew Houston, loaning them $170,000. Of course, that $170,000 will be chump change compared to the amount of money his firm will pocket from the billions in revenue that they plan to hijack from the citizens of Houston.
Councilmember Jolanda Jones was none to pleased with this attack and posted this on Facebook:
Jolanda Jones I support CM Adams! Who made Bob Jones, engineer who is 1 of master minds of Renew Houston’s Prop 1 & who stands 2 make lots of money if it passes, determiner of “African American” leadership? CAN’T support taxation of $8 – $12 BILLION w/ no rules prior 2 election. Asked 4 rules in implementation ordinance b4 election. Answers NOT given. Promises r worth as much as breath used 2 utter them! Plz vote AGAINST Prop 1.
And this about the “apology”:
Jolanda Jones RESPECTFULLY, ReNew Houston/Prop 1 should’ve issued apology 2 CM Adams. Mr. Jones also disrespected 3 other CMs Bradford, Johnson & Jones. His email spoke of all of us disparagingly. Mr. Jones isn’t just member. He represented ReNew Houston at presentation 2 Black elected officials! He’s 1 of their leaders! Last I heard 2nite, when I spoke w/ my colleagues, none of us had received apologies from them or Mr. Jones.
Jolanda Jones The purpose of my status update was 2 respond that ReNew Houston’s apology misses the point. The point seems 2 be 2 minimize Mr. Jones’ negative email 2 CM Adams which disparaged CMs Adams, Bradford, Johnson & Jones when he said “we do not have any leadership from our African American council members.” Some might argue he spoke negatively about all council members ever, including those currently sitting, when he said City Council not adopting an ordinance is “comical.” And when he said “we don’t have a council, now or in the past, with any political will to solve these problems.” It wasn’t just CM Adams that Mr. Jones figuratively slapped in the face.
Voters, just say NO to crap like this. It is embarrassing that Mayor Parker is supporting this boondoggle after all the good work she has done. And don’t just take this as a no to improving the city’s infrastructure – bring something to the voters that can withstand the light of day and it will be approved. After you collect the money that METRO owes the city for…infrastructure improvements.
I wish that Mayor Parker, Councilmember Noriega, and anyone else supporting this cash grab would read Tom Kirkendall’s essay on opportunity costs:
Unfortunately, the relatively small groups that benefit from urban boondoggles have a vested interest in preventing the voters from ever examining those threshold issues. The primary economic benefit of such public projects is highly concentrated in only a few interest groups, such as representatives of minority communities who tout the political accomplishment of shiny toy rail lines while ignoring their constituents need for more effective mass transit; environmental groups striving for political influence; engineering and construction-related firms that profit from the huge expenditure of public funds; and real-estate developers who profit from the value enhancement provided to their property from the public expenditures.
Prop 1, on the other hand, is an open-ended gargantuan tax increase coming on the heels of the massive water-rate increases already enacted, with no specific plans to reduce flooding. It is the worst sort of proposition from a conservative perspective, and deserves to be defeated.
Yes, it DESERVES to be defeated.
So let’s get the vote out and DEFEAT it. Vote NO on Prop 1. And Councilmember Costello, we’ll see you at re-election time.
Visit TheProblemWithProp1.com for more information.