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During the 2009 campaign, I was asked questions
from citizens, newspapers, and other organizations. I
think it is very important that you know how I answer these
questions. Everyone has concerns and I want you to know
that I have the same concerns as you do. As I answer
questions, I will post links to what I submit to them
on this page.
Please feel free to
ask me a
question.
Questions from Organizations:
Q: How come you are no longer on any City
Boards?
A: I was on the Transportation Board (2007-2008) but the
City Council decided to combine it with the Planning and Zoning
Board. I was not chosen to be on the combined board.
The members of the City Council choose who they want on the
boards and committees. They do have my application since
they combined.
Update 06-20-2009: Since I am
now on the City Council, I am not on a City Board.
However, I do plan on attending them just like any other citizen
can.
Q: How long is the term for the position that you
are running for? How come you waited to sign up? What if
Dean Ueckert does not get elected as Mayor will he get to keep
his seat in Place 4?
A: I have a received a bunch of these type
questions. I did not plan on running this year but Dean
Ueckert decided to run for mayor which means that he will resign
his current place 4 seat after a new person is elected.
If I agreed with their decisions and votes, I would not be
running. Since I have been attending City Council meetings and workshops
regularly since April 2007, I know that I can do a good job
representing the citizens of Lewisville.
The years left for Place 4 is only one year of the
three year term that was due for election in may 2010. As for
Place 4, who ever wins, they will have to run again next year
for the full term.
If Dean Ueckert does not get elected as mayor then he
will not be in office.
Update 05-11-2009: Congratulations to Dean Ueckert for
wining the Mayor Election.
Q: I like your stance on limiting political signs, What do you think
about a group of us getting together after the election and
picking up the elections signs?
A: To recap.. My stance on political signs is
to limit the locations and the amount of signs at any one
location in the public areas. The number of signs is much
like sign pollution to me.
This is just my opinion about your suggestion…. I
suggest that you DO NOT pick up any political signs unless the
candidate specifically asks you to do it – such as volunteers, etc…
Some elections may have a runoff and the candidates will want the signs to stay
there. The signs are not cheap. At $3 to $5 per sign, they
can get expensive and add up to a class A misdemeanor quickly if
someone wanted to file a police report for theft or vandalism.
I do not know if anyone locally has ever been arrested for
vandalizing/stealing signs but I do remember some reports on TV about signs
being vandalized/stolen in other cities and police were looking into the matter.
Here is a Google search
about signs being stolen and people being arrested, etc...
According to the Lewisville sign ordinance [Click
here for the City Charter, see Chapter 11 Signs, Article
XII, Sec. 11-13, e) Political Signs], The candidate has a legal right
to display political signs in the Right of way area (but not on a
highway). I think that the candidates should pick up the signs in
a timely manner (within a week) after the election but they have
90 days to leave them displayed. In the Lewisville
Ordinance, it specifies that “Political signs may be
erected for a maximum of 90 days before such sign must be
replaced or removed. The city may remove any political sign
remaining beyond 90 days, and a five-dollar fee shall be charged
for each sign retrieved from the city.”
I would hope that the candidate would be called to notify
the candidate to pick up the signs before the city does it.
During the election season, I do not think anyone will fault you
for fixing a fallen sign and I know that it will be appreciated
by the candidate. If you would like one of my signs in
your yard or business, please do not hesitate to contact me.
[Addendum:
Issue about signs stolen....]
Q: Opponents say that the best way to fight
the illegal
alien population is through revitalization and to raise property
values to move them out and not with 287g. Do
you agree?
A: No, I do not agree. Though revitalizing an area might have a little
impact, it is not the most efficient way. There is nothing like
enforcing the law. I am for
revitalization BUT raising property values will also force the
citizens out of the area. There are many long time residents in
Old Town. Many are elderly and are on a fixed income. More
illegal aliens live crowded in a single dwelling and the cost
will be spread out over the people living there. This is a
contrast to the single American family living in a home. My
stance is that it will be far less expensive for everyone if we
just find ways to enforce the law.
As for the 287g topic, this is not a little subject… It
takes some understanding. 287g is the training needed to allow our officers to
make a difference - be apart of the regional task force. When our city has drug or gang problems, they
get the training. We have a illegal alien problem and our
department needs the training. It is the first step to really
being active to solving the problem. A way to sincerely enforce
immigration laws and do so legally in the a cost effective way.
Ignoring the problem is costing citizens a whole lot more money
than it would cost to directly enforce the law. Let’s get our
officers started on the training and the authority that they
need.
287G allows local officers access to ICE databases. It
also allows us to utilize the task forces that are aimed at
getting illegal ID scams out of our city. We can also bring in
the task force to deal with any gang issues. Hopefully, our MOU
with ICE will allow our 287g trained officers to be a part of
this regional task force. It does not allow us to arbitrarily
just ask anyone for their citizenship. The Cities that have
taken on this training find it very useful.
- To see more about the 287g program, please see my blog page
that has been there for awhile at
http://www.gorena.org/287g.htm.
As for the cost of training, the feds pay for training,
room and board. All the city pays is the officers salary while
training - about 4 or 5 weeks. This is NOT money poorly spent to
provide our officers another tool to fight crime. What
serves the community better - an ICE trained officer (a month’s
salary) or a council retreat in some expensive hotel (about
$7800)? Or the implementation of a new City Logo (see
http://www.gorena.org/lv-logo-pm.htm) in a time when I
really think we need more police officers and upholding the rule
of law.
The money from our property taxes goes to LISD, County,
and the City. That is, all that money comes from us. With LISD
spending 13+ millions on moving a school (Delay to Milliken)
because of overcrowding or whatever the current reason is? In an
area that has NOT seen new home construction in a long time. It
is commonly known that many illegal aliens live in this area.
Now they are also going to bus these kids to the new location.
That costs money too.
Over the last decade, many families have moved from the
east side of town. Many moved because they wanted their children
to have a better education as they are not learning enough,
etc.. Many have moved because the illegal aliens have moved in
the area. I am sure that you have heard related reasons from
people that moved from the area . Many businesses in the area
have left and changed due to the change of the local population.
This is currently happening at Fox and I35 (notice the
Supermercado and Mi Doctor there). Now, just think of all the
other ways illegal aliens affect our pocket books: Emergency
rooms used as clinics, crime, identity theft, no insurance, etc…
Overall, it will be cost much less for us to find ways
to enforce the law instead of allowing it to continue. |
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