IS it time to bring in the bulldozers?

 Working to rebuild depressed neighbors for 36 years has taught me a lot of secrets.    Secrets of how to repair a floor, a wall or small holes in sheet rock are all necessary in this business.    But every once in a while I am asked to bid on a job that is impossible.    When I inspect a structure, the first thing I do is to "look at the foundation".    The foundation is the bed rock of the building.  Without a firm foundation no structure can long stand.  

 I could go into a home and tear out wall.......floors......cabinets.....and install brand new stainless steel  kitchens.......custom trim and a marble floor..............but......if        IF   there is not a solid foundation to build upon.........it is all in vain.                                       

Over the past 36 years I have seen the cost of housing triple in cost.   The sale of our precious lumber products abroad is partly responsible for that rise but there are other facts as well.    Fuel costs have doubled in the last 4 years which  raises our overhead in remodeling or new construction.   Fuel costs represent a combination of lack of vision by our national government and  pure greed of these oil companies.   That problem can only be solved by an aggressive President.  

But here in TEXAS .. any factor that raises our cost.......

RAISES THE PRICE OF THE HOUSE PAYMENT.

For easy figuring, if it costs $5,000 more for me to build, then I pass the $5,000 on to you, the buyer.    If you calculate the interest  rate for a 30 yr loan times the $5,000 you will pay { more each month   ]    and {         ]    more over the 30 years you pay on your home!

ASTOUNDING!     AXIOM.   Any increase in costs are always passed on to the consumer.   That is why it is silly and beyond ignorance to try to TAX a business.   When we allow our government to tax building materials or supplies at Home Depot or McCoys, we just raised the price of our own Construction and your own property.  

Many would argue that "the rich are getting a free ride and we must tax their businesses"; "that it is NOT FAIR".   Most businesses in TEXAS are small businesses owned by families.  These small businesses employ 86% of all workers in the USA.   You're trying to reach the ultra rich by attacking your neighbors.    The WAL-Marts, ENRONS and BANK OF AMERICAs are your targets not neighbors.

 Many who would argue to tax businesses are missing the obvious.  All they do is....pass the cost on to .....who.........the consumer.......buy....raising the price!!!           You may complain about "all the millionaires not paying taxes".    HELL........you can't touch those people.  No one can.   THE ....."super rich"......they skate'.   If you hire an accountant to audit them......they hire 10 to muddy the water.  They "out gun" you.   They will "out lawyer you".    The FAT CATS.....the  top 3 percent of the people in this country are "untouchable".   Sad......but true.  They're greedy....and they get away with murder........and have in many a court of law.  Oh......you may be able to tax some of their "toys".......but that is peanuts to them.   Best thing to do.......is............turn your back on them.   Leave them to wallow in their money.   Let them be alone.....keep your damn money.   There is no end......to the good they could do with that money........but no.............hoard it.......hide it......invest in  the oil business........where it is safe and sure to make them even richer.  

My concern is the for the working slobs.....like you and I .

Families who need to buy a house and we don't need to be adding more to the cost of builders.

Home buyers are unaware of the main reason  for the higher cost of housing.    It is my intentions to explain that here and now.

    THE REASONS ARE:

a.  cost of permit fees at the City and running back and forth

b.  duplicate permits also by all subs

c.  "tap" fees charged by the City to hook into a water or sewer 

d.   dump fees to remove debris from job site

e.   land cost

f.    duplication and redundancy of CITY governments

Items [a -- d ] represent about  $5k in unneeded cost.

The above item cost 10 times more than what it should be, about $500.    When Contractors remove debris from a job site, it is very expensive.  WHY?   The City charges citizens to use their own DUMP !!   BFI also is charged for CITY permits and CITY fees; costs  unknown to the home owners.   If anyone wants to attach a 4 inch pipe to the the peoples sewers line.......that is another $1, 800.00 CITY fee !!

Another heist by the CITY is .....charging people to tap into their own water supply.   A "tap fee" charges people 20 times the actual cost.

 YES!   To provided  their own WATER  to their homes.      A water meter that anyone can buy is about $65 at a supplier....the City price to you is $1,650..00 for it.  The actual cost  hook up to a sewer line cost about $150.00.

I know one widow living on a fixed income who has a one acre lot within the city limits and she wished to sub-divide it to sell 1/2.    Her cost to draw a line across her title paper is about $20,000.00 and a year in time if she is lucky !!!      OUT OUTRAGEOUS!!

LAND COST........the greatest cost of all.

Previously ......you could buy a nice lot for 5 to 10 thousand dollars.   

Now.......because of the CITY "requirement" it is 10 times that!  

The cost of a lot in a new subdivision in Corpus starts at $25,000.

JUMPING THRU "hoop" after "hoop"; unnecessarily the CITY makes demands on our architects and the Engineers creating delay after delay after delay.  COST ! COST ! COST !

LAND OWNERS.......loose the most under CITY oligarchy.

Remember you can't have a LOT unless it is changed from a farm into to a street.  That is called......"developed".    The people who do this are "developers".   They are usually very intelligent and savvy people who are trying to do a good job but they know the real truth.

They jump the hoops, pay the City Tribute and pass the cost on.

The best way to explain this mess to you is to use an actual example. A true life story that is going on AS WE SPEAK.   

                             RANCHER McDonald

I know a LAND OWNER who has approx 200 Acres of land annexed by the City.   He wants to "develop" his land and build houses thereupon.   Seems reasonable enough....right.     WRONG!!!

The city has told him what it is going to take for him to "develop" his property......all it will cost him is..... $600,000 dollars and for him to deed over to the city a portion of his land. 

UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!            But FACT !! 

His choice is simple:

[a]     do I bow down to this tyranny and pay it

[b]    do I  keep my land  as is

Should you decided to live in his sub-division should he  kowtows to the CITY and pay.....How much do your think a LOT would cost?

Who would actually be paying for the $600, 000.00 ?  

LASTLY .........the greatest RIP OFF of them all that the city uses to demand "compliance" to their authority......WATER.

They say a human being is 98% water.

Without WATER nothing can exist. 

The city has devised a hook and a worm with water.

You will see the city running water and sewer lines far outside the occupied areas of peoples homes and business.  You see them digging up the ground far from anything.   What they do.....is........they run these lines....all at TAXPAYERS EXPENSE......and they the LAND OWNERS who are on that road or pipe line......need city water to "develop".   So.......if the landowner does NOT "comply" with the CITY DEMANDS.....they  refuse to give him water!       Like rancher MC Donald in the story above....they are doing that to him also.     Oh......out  of the goodness of their hearts....they did allow him a small water line to run to his house and small existing needs.  He is allowed to have a bath and cook and enough for a drink of water.    He is very grateful but.....

If you and I went behind the the closed doors of the city planning you would see that they have already DECIDED what is going to happen to YOUR LAND.   It is your land....but they control it.

Their excuse is always......."it is for the common good".

                       THAT IS A TOTAL LIE

In a DEMOCRACY there is one foundational truth that is the BED ROCK of a Free Society.   

                        VIOLATE IT.....and you have TYRANNY.

That principle was the established  in in 1215. 

On that day the masses had had enough !!

LED their KNIGHTS they had delivered an ULTIMATUM to the King Of ENGLAND.   

"ACCEPT THE TERMS OF OUR DEMANDS.

or FACE US ON A FIELD OF HONOR---- TO THE DEATH.

It was the Year of our Lord 1215 and the morning was clear and crisp as King John and all  the kings men.... looked across the grassy field at Runnymede at the Knights and the thousands of forces amassed against them.   The hour drew near and a hush covered the entire valley.   The sound of birds could be heard as they scurried about for breakfast.   The silence was deafening.  

                                   THE KING BLINKED.

King John decided that it was in his best interest to go ahead and "sign" that document.  The King met with the KNIGHTS in the center of the field....under a white flag of truce.... ...and signed and sealed ....... the Magna Carta.   

The Magna Carta established individual  rights for the first time in history.   These rights were DECLARED and are now enumerated in our sacred U.S. CONSTITUTION .   The right to have and hold land is bed rock to the CONSTITUTION.

Today citizens property rights hand in the balance.   The recent case involving so called "eminent domain" sent a shock wave across the entire United States.    In June, the Supreme Court in Kelo vs City of New London expanded the powers of city governments granting them the right to seize homes, farms,  small businesses  and churches and replacing them with anything that can bring more TAXES into their greedy pockets.

IF YOU'RE NOT MAD BY NOW YOU OUGHT TO BE !!!

How do we "fit this"?

I recall my experience as a member of the OKLAHOMA SOONER football team.   It was a Monday practice session at Owens Stadium and Coach Wilkinson had a team meeting was about to speak.   We had just returned from the "red river shoot out" in Dallas where the University of TEXAS just  "kicked our ass".   We were embarrassed by the Longhorns.

You could hear a pin drop.......as we all hung our heads in defeat as mild manner Bud walked out......holding a football in his hands.....finally.........and softly he spoke....and as one would speak to a child.......with "see spot run"....'see the ball bounce"  to his cadence....he said...

" THIS     i s      a       f o o t b a l l .

WE ..... b l o c k   &    t a c k  l e .      

We .... r u n  &  k i c k  & p a s s   t h e     b a l l ."

Continuing ......Bud explained that ..."as of today  we were going to take it BACK TO THE BASICS.    We were going to re-learn how to  block and tackle."   The next weeks training is something no Sooner will ever forget.   The lesson was learned.

So.....what I say to us all here today......is

"BACK  TO THE BASICS."    As Darrel Royal aptly put it.

"dance with who brung you".

WHO BRUNG US?

OUR FOUNDING FATHERS "BRUNG US".

Listen to their words:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.

it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

There is no basis for City government in the U.S. CONSTITUTION .

No one is quite sure when and where or how Cities were spawned?   Once "IT"  began......it has spread like a virus across the land.   Driven by greed and lust for power by rich citizens living within legitimate County boundaries.   Precinct and County government is CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT.   Citizens elected and directly answerable TO THE PEOPLE.   At first "CITY"  was cute and a novel way to draw attention to a few things that well meaning people felt was "for everyone best interest".   City council STILL believe that.   They will tell you. 

"we  have " good intentions".   What is the road to HELL PAVED WITH?   

City Councils will "take your land but....it is for the common good."

"WE" will take your money.....but........"it is for the common good".

                                 PURE HOG WASH !!!!!!!!!!!!

The term "oligarchy" is unknown to most of us.....

what it means is....... "government by the few".

NOT......."WE THE PEOPLE"...........

it is now. "WE THE FEW".

Example:

Everyone is TEXAS knows that "the beaches in TEXAS belong to everyone".

All the people in TEXAS own all the beaches.   This is a FACT.

TEXANS have been coming to Padre Island since she existed.

TEXANS fly, drive, hitch hike, bike and jog to bask in her warm sun and lay on her beaches.   College people by the hundreds of thousands come to Padre Island to "let their hair down" and play.   All TEXANS expect to be able to come here and play.   But little do anyone outside of Corpus Christi know that the PADRE ISLAND has been HIJACKED by the City of Corpus Christi !!

PADRE ISLAND HAS BEEN HIJACKED.

Recently The "City Council" of Corpus decided that........"hmmmmm look at all those happy people out there.........look at that beautiful beach.......hmmmmmmm   YUM YUM.   Lets steal Padre Island.......who is going to stop us".    So..........without one vote of one residence of Padre the members of Corpus Christ City Council voted [all five of them]   to STEAL PADRE ISLAND.  

They "declared" that they had "annexed" Padre Island.

Padre Island is now......."CORPUS CHRISTI".

As the resident sat on their hands and did nothing, the CITY just came out and took over.   STOLE IT.      First thing they did was........triple the property taxes.   One working woman can not pay her electric and the taxes.......so she is living in her house.........WITHOUT electricity.    

Not only did the CITY  " annex-steal" everything in Nueces County......they took over KLEBERG County as well !!!    County lines meant nothing to them.   Their excuse is some UNCONSTITUTIONAL "edict" that has been approved years ago by lawyers in AUSTIN saying.........."you can control land 5 miles past your borders".     !!!!!!!    I know..........don't fall over.    It is RIDICULOUS on its face.    Go tell your next door neighbor ......."oh hey......I am going to take over 5 feet of your yard ....across my property line".     HA !!!!!!!!!    TRY IT!!!

YES.........that is what has been going on in TEXAS.

You want to hear.........what they call this "claiming jumping"?   

                                                    "LATTA"

PREPOSTEROUS !!!!!!!!!!!

It is not even a word.

They make them up as they go.

A few weeks ago the City Council. ....[all 5 of them ]   decided they want "take part of the TEXAS beach and turn it into a asphalt parking lot".   They closed the beach to traffic....and they are building a PARKING LOT.   A PARKING LOT.......on the beach on Padre Island.    [like in California.......where they close all the beaches.......and you have to feed parking meters........that have a one hour time limit.......and if you don't rush back within the 60 minutes time limit........you are given a nice TICKET--- only $50.00.   And if you don't pay it....they revoke your Drivers License]    

FINALLY...... seeing the hand writing on the wall ....a group of brave Citizens started a "petition".    The CONSTITUTION gives the "we the people" the right to "initiate" a "referendum" on any question.    Being good citizens we volunteers following the law............began gathering thousands of signatures of local voters to "rescind the City Ordinance closing the beach".    We worked like dogs........thousands of man/woman hours were sacrificed to the cause.    And ...........just before we were ready to turn in the signatures....we were told........."OOPS....we made a mistake" by the City Council.     We really did not just want to close the beach to build our parking lot.........NOW..........we want 1000 more ft of the beach closed........because a billionaire developer wants to build a high rise hotel there....and he does not want any of "us working slobs -common folks -mingling with his hotels guest".  After all.........they are willing to pay $150 -$400. per night for one room.

Next, the CITY called a special session......and THREW OUT our petition.

They rendered the "initiative' of the people..........." null & void".

You guessed it........the CITY has closed that beach......and is building the parking lot as we speak.

  

  it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,

  and to provide new Guards for their future security. 

The legal way to remove the  "CITY"  virus from TEXAS is well known to any Political Science student in any university in the land.   99% of all Political Science professors will tell you that "city and county government is a duplication of effort".

Having CITY and COUNTY duplicate bodies is like .........trying to give yourself a transfusion .........from one arm to the other arm.......spilling half your blood on the way over" !

Having them both....overlapping each other.....not only muddy's the water and dilutes the power of the voters, but it is wasteful.    All power should be controlled by strong County and Prescient government.    Combining services in one unit.......answerable DIRECTLY ....to the people.   All law enforcement should naturally be in the hands of a ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIAL.  A SHERIFF who can be fired by the people.  There is no use for Chief's of Police and Police who answer to no one.  

The way we do this is we begin by REVOKING THE CITY CHARTER of The City of Corpus Christi.   As GOVERNOR I shall do it legally, and remove these people from the people's buildings and hand these facilities over to the elected County Commissioners.

When the City of Corpus Christi  threw- out the petition of  the signatures of Citizens......  THAT ACT.....VIOLATED the US. CONSTITUTION.  You can only govern in this land.......with  "the CONSENT of the governed".      NO government in these UNITED STATES......can put itself above the U.S. CONSTITUTION.  

TOO MANY PATRIOTS have die for our sacred CONSTITUTION.   

 

it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

This "turn over" of CITY to COUNTY will take place in Corpus Christi yet it will be the "role model " to follow across TEXAS.   All "CITIES" need to be absorbed into each County across TEXAS.  Think of the opportunity to "cut fat".    As the County Commissioners take control they will see all the waste that has been rampant all these years.   It will be a general "house cleaning'.   The Commissioners will "cut" where it is needed............"streamline"  and remove the fat.   

As GOVERNOR of TEXAS, I will have a TEAM OF EXPERTS.........Political Scientists from all the TEXAS Universities who will assist and be available to each County and Prescient as requested.    We will be there for you.    My oath on it.

                             THE ELECTION OF THE CENTURY

TEXANS.......this next election is the one of the CENTURY.

These COUNTY COMMISSIONER races are CRITICAL.

You must scrutinize each candidate for background and philosophy of democracy.

Are they "CITY" oligarch or are they "people" believers.

Their concept of PRIVATE PROPERTY is your first clue.

Do they work for YOU.......or are you working for them.

WHO'S GOVERNMENT IS THIS?