by Ron West
The incumbents want to retain their seats on the NRH Council and facts, their records and truth is not going to stand in their way. With substantial support from the closed club that has been ruling our city (as evidenced by the endorsement list for Mr. Lewis), we are seeing the beginnings of yet another campaign to spew lies and misinformation in the effort to retain their current dictatorial power over the city.
The latest examples of this are now appearing on the internet, with a new website created by a new "limited liability corporation" created by Joe Tolbert that is publishing the slanderous misinformation of Ken Sapp. The following quote is taken directly from that website including the spelling:
"This website is dedicated to the preservation of North Richland Hills values. Our political action committee has a positive vision for our city and is disturbed by the actions of a group of political activists who, through use of negative and deceptive communications, want to undo much of the progress our city has experienced.
These political activists have adopted views that are consistent with the Liberitarin party and are opposed to organized and planned development of our community. They view our neighborhood parks as elitist expenditures, are opposed to the investments in our new firestations and have actively campaigned against them. They prefer patched asphalt roads versus more durable conctete construction, are against efforts to enhance the appearance of our city with Parkways such as North Tarrant, and oppose any investment in infrastructure to attract new business to boost sales and property tax revenue.
Disclaimer: Political Advertising "on this Site is paid for by: NRH4U.com, LLC, Joe Tolbert, Treasurer"
Control of the council is so important that truth goes by the wayside. The above paragraph would indicate that the new Council people, Nancy Bielik and Jo Cox, have made efforts to slow the progress of the city. This is just patently untrue. The implications about the challengers opposition to progress across the city are likewise patently untrue. If there are negative and deceptive communications being distributed, they must be referring to the material distributed by the city in opposition to the Senior/Disabled Tax Freeze or the tax revenues received from TIF#2.
Don't you find it strange that the incumbents and their representatives continually make charges that their "opposition" is using "negative and deceptive communications" yet they never point out a single example of such "negative and deceptive communications"? Wouldn't you think that if they are aware of deceptions they would take the time to publish them? This website attempts to publish the facts that are known or published. Our comments are based on quotes from the current city royalty (incumbents) or their spokesmen. I have every confidence in the voters in NRH and their ability to read and think for themselves.
The new site goes on to demonstrate some of the majorities disregard or contempt for the two new council people and their disregard for your judgment and participation in the city:
"The “Opposition“ has been successful in motivating small segments of our residents to vote in their favor while the majority of NRH citizens remained home on Election Day. The 2005 election year is a critical one as the election of two or more candidates from their “slate“ in addition to the two elected last year will provide them with the Council majority and significant negative changes to our city environment."
Note that the implication is that the small minority of total voters who supported the Senior/Disabled Tax Freeze were somehow "incapable of thinking for themselves, deceived or misinformed" and that had they "understood" they would have voted differently. (This seems to ignore the facts that the freeze was passed by more than a two to one majority of people who voted and was the second time the voters had approved similar issues beginning with the Constitutional change at state level.) They still believe that the "majority" of the citizens in NRH support higher taxes on everyone - including - the elderly and disabled and likewise support their runaway spending habits. They try to justify their holding the tax rate by illustrations of just how little of your total tax bill they get to spend. (They always want more of your money!)
They go on to imply that the two newest council members will be party to "significant negative changes to our city environment" if they are joined by two of the challengers. Perhaps they will take the time to give a single example of anything either of the two new council people has done that would qualify them for such slander.
Fortunately for the citizens of NRH, the incumbents for the most part have public records to run on along with published documentation. We don't have to come up with lies and slander to talk about their positions because they have acted on the positions. Budgets approved without questions, runaway spending, illegal ordinances and enforcement of them, closed government, hidden new ordinances and cryptic agendas would all be subject matter for discussion. Holding the tax rate for the next 5 years is in city plans and in writing indicating their intent to continue to raise taxes via increasing valuations. They have neither discussed nor considered tax relief for our citizens based on the rapidly increasing revenues from all sources to our city.
The incumbents attitude towards us as citizens is further demonstrated in their arrogant disregard for citizens who speak before them in council session - only to be berated for unlimited periods of time by the Mayor and council members. The incumbents attempt to make everything a "safety issue" when they want to control your private property despite the fact that no facts exist to support such claims.
This new website of theirs is just one of their efforts to disseminate false and misleading information. As you read their material, do your own research and look for any "facts" they include (if any). For the most part, I believe that we all can anticipate one of the most negative campaigns ever by the incumbents and we can likewise expect that they will not address any real issues facing the city. The only issue they want to talk about is how to slander the challengers who may actually represent all citizens instead of the elite few.
I would like to invite any readers of this website to please notify me personally of any item or fact published on this site that is in anyway false, misleading or deceptive. Upon receiving such information, if a correction is necessary, I will publish it for all to see. Send your information to: publisher@nrhonline.com