Questions Un-Answered
by Ron West 2/3/05
Ken Sapp has loudly complained that I called him the spokesman for the incumbents on the council which he totally denies. In today's LNO Column he seems to do a flip-flop and calls Mr. Maury Siskel a "Ron West disciple". Just for the record, that is not true. Mr. Siskel is a friend and associate but neither a disciple nor a lackey as Mr. Sapp tries to imply. The article he wrote was apparently his own work with input from several other people. Name calling seems to be one of Mr. Sapp's strong suits.
Mr. Maury Siskel is an individual that I have known for the past couple of years. He keeps me on a mailing list he maintains and supplies me with a wealth of information on world events that I might not otherwise see. Based on his column that asked Mr. Sapp a lot of tough questions, I can see that it would make Mr. Sapp uncomfortable. As you read his article with "answers" any real substance to them is hard to find.
One of the toughest questions seems to relate to Mr. Sapp's assertion that he was campaigning for bigger exemptions for Seniors. His "evidence" of support for his idea from council members relies on his own verbal interpretations of their support for his position. Based on past history, I wouldn't take that to mean that anyone would have seen any increases in exemptions had Mr. Sapp and friends defeated the freeze. One point that seems to escape them (or maybe it doesn't) is that taxes would inevitably go up on Seniors and Disabled even if they had increased the exemptions due to ever increasing valuations.
Mr. Sapp can take heart in that (my interpretation of ) his support for ever increasing taxation is supported by the Monday editorial in the Fort Worth Star Telegram calling for the repeal of the current 10% annual cap on increases in property valuations. (This editorial was opposing the 3% cap that Governor Perry has proposed.) There just never seems to be enough money to please the politicians! I wonder if Mr. Sapp is for these unlimited increases in the interest of "fairness:?
In Mr. Sapp's column he opens the door to new and perhaps even more important questions that deserve answers when he makes the following statement:
" It is indeed unfortunate that a small group of residents can make broad allegations of city officials also engage in numerous taxpayer funded "freedom of information" witch hunts. I am not suggesting that they should not have a right to these requests but the public should know how much city time, and expense is being devoted to these efforts. I will deal with this in more detail in a future article because I believe the taxpayers of this city have a right to know how much time these activities are consuming."
Is Mr. Sapp for completely closed local government? Is his "I will deal with this" a threat to cut off such sources of information if he is elected to office? Is he ignoring the enormous costs associated with defending wrongful actions by city employees? Is he defending the council's right to pass all laws without citizen input? Is he defending the current methods of limiting information to citizens? I do agree with one part of his statement - "I believe the taxpayers of this city have a right to know".!
There is a cost associated with every Texas Open Records Request but I have only submitted approximately 12 requests since September 2004. (Average about 2 a month.) Each and every request was to see information that the city would like for us not to see. Much of the information gained has already been publicized on this web site or on LNO and more will be published on the information already gained. You can read the requests for yourself to see which ones you think Mr. Sapp would deny. I would contend that the cost with complying with such request is a basic and necessary cost of citizen oversight of our local government. Texas Open Records Requests
By the way - the "small group of residents" that he continually complains about is the same "small group of residents" that passed the Senior Tax Freeze and elected two new members to the Council last year. My own hope is that this type of exchange is read and passed on by our citizens, that "small group of residents" will be heard again in May. I may make a lot of noise but I am only one vote.