Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 30, 2006 Page: 4 of 18
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State Capital Highlights
Officials differ on session
By ED STCRUNG
Texas Prtna Association
AUSTIN — Something it float-
ing in the Texai sky and it’* big
enough to obscure the sun. To
some observers it looks like a
Spring cloud, to others, it’s more
like the airship Hindenburg. But
nelly, it’s just a question: How will
die Legislature, in a 30-day special
session, fix the state’s Unconstitu-
tional tax system?
Since the late 1980s the Legisla-
ture repeatedly has failed to agree
on something better than “Robin
Hood,’’ the court-ordered wealth-
sharing formula that requires rich
school districts to contribute a por-
tion of their tax revenue into a pot
divided among poor school dis-
nicts.
And, during those 20-odd years,
the Legislature forced school dis-
tricts to pay an ever-increasing
share of the cost to fond education.
Now hundreds of districts are tax-
ing at the cap rate of $1.50 per
$100 valuation.
Texas' top officeholders are
looking toward April 17, opening
day for the 79th Legislature’s third
called session, each with different
perspectives on how to proceed.
• Gov. Rick Perry called the spe-
cial session with the sole purpose
of getting lawmakers to fix the
state’s broken property tax system.
• Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who
presides over the Senate, wants to
expand the call to include school
finance reform.
• Even House Speaker Tom
Craddick, R-Midland, who hereto-
fore has kept a lid on any proposal
that smells like a new tax or throws
money at a problem, is talking in
conciliatory terms.
But Perry seems firm in his re-
solve to limit the Legislature’s
business to property lax reform,
because the Texas Supreme Court
ruled the property tax system must
be made constitutional by June I
“or else.’’
• Adding pressure to the court-
imposed deadline are Carole
Keeton Strayhom, Richard S.
“Kinky” Friedman and Chris Bell,
candidates for governor.
The challengers are banging
drums and tooting fifes for reform,
and if Perry’s leadership fails to
produce acceptable results, they
likely will win points with voters in
the November election.
All three say they arc for teacher
pay raises, and Perry says he is,
too. But Friedman has given his
teacher-pleasing idea the catchiest
title: “The No Teacher Left Behind
Act.”
The water provided to our com-
4 menity is substandard.
This issue remains unresolved,
and TCEQ’s only recommendation
is for the community residents to
voice their dissatisfaction. It is im-
perative for everyone to get in-
volved to ensure our water quality
improves and is maintained. We
will all benefit if we vote for board
members who are willing to listen
and take necessary actions.
If you are tired of paying for
poor quality water, please attend
4
Letters to the editor
Opportunity for change
To the editor:
the annual meeting on Saturday,
April 8, at 10 a.m. at the VFW Hall
in Livingston. Your opinions are
important, and our candidates, who
will make a positive difference,
need your support. If you have
mailed your proxy already, you will
have the opportunity to change it
and support improved water in our
community by voting for: Ron
Cobb, Larry Fenstad, Bob Steger.
Bobbie Shoemaker,
Water Action Committee
Onalaska
Hidden agenda for property?
Comptroller cuts off payments
Also, Strayhom, in her role as
state comptroller, stopped a
$10,000 payment to a Washington,
D.C., lobbying and public relations
firm used by the governor’s Office
of State-Federal Relations.
Strayhom said an audit by her
agency found that payments made
to The Federalist Group were to go
to a third party, Ogilvy Public Re-
lations Worldwide, a firm that does
not have a contract with the state of
Texas.
Earlier, Strayhom stopped fur-
ther payments to Cassidy & Asso-
ciates, another Washington, D.C.,
lobbying firm that is under contract
with the Office of State-Federal
Relations. She said an audit shows
payments to the firm have already
exceeded the contracted limit of
$330,000.
Gov. Perry’s office brushed off
Strayhom's action, calling it a pub-
licity stunt, and saying the money
was used to promote tourism.
To the edltvr:
Regarding the letters concerning
on Mangum Rond, Ms. King
and Ms. Martin are so right!
I bought a house four and a half
yean ago and moved from Spring
hacauac I thought this would be a
wonderful place to rear a grandson.
BOY, WAS I WRONG.
We have put up with leaking wa-
ter pipes and I just found out the
piiin water lines run UNDER MY
HOUSE. Lake Livingston Water
Cp. will do nothing but point fin-
gers elsewhere.
Approximately three months ago,
a-day fine.
I am a single grandmother on So-
cial Security and rearing a grand-
child. I can’t afford such a system
and think this is SO WRONG!
By the way, the INS across the
road from me has city water and
sewer run to it. Does this sound
fair'?
I have had my septic system
checked and rechecked and there is
nothing wrong with it. It has been
pumped out twice and didn’t even
need it. I have been more than will-
ing to comply with state regulations
and upgrade my system and/or
Strayhom files suit against
state
On March 24, Strayhom sued
Secretary of State Roger Williams
for making it unreasonably difficult
for independent candidates to get
on the ballot for the November
statewide election.
Williams said his office would
manually examine the signatures on
her petition, rather than sample
enough signatures at random to be
statistically accurate and quicker.
The Strayhom campaign wants
the state's chief election officer and
the road from me, all of a
the Polk County permit
has demanded we in-
stall aerobic systems or pay a $200-
an appointee of Gov. Perry, to audit
Jtoe. "but "was told by"tlio j^mil «gnatures_ now^ftrouih th^end of
department I would not be allowed
Don't be cruel
To the editor:
t
I
Thursday evening at the Barney
Wiggins Memorial Arena in
Livingston, a rodeo competition
between the 4-H Club and the FFA
chapters will take place at 7 p.m.
I’d like to remind the officials in
charge of this activity that an edito-
rial [letter to the editor] ran in this
4 newspaper after last year’s popular
evbnt citing the cruelty to a little
lamb by using the same tiny animal
near and over again as a roping
toigct for young ladies cm horse-
back who threw the lamb down
hard against the ground, tying and
Immobilizing it, frightening the
helpless creature and rendering it
totally dazed and unable to stand
afterward, following so many such
attacks, to the point that someone
had to help the lamb stand up so
that it could become a victim again
of subsequent ropmgs and lyings.
The question asked in that letter
to the editor about this cruel and
Unnecessary torture was, “Is this
; the only one lamb or other small
gntmal in Polk County which could
be used in this so-called sport?”
Officials, please, if this event is
to be featured again this year, and
perhaps in subsequent years.
nJLASE use a different animal for
each successful roper!
any work on the existing septic
system. AGAIN, it was aerobic, or
get out.
I’m tired of the permit office
threatening me about our septic
system. If there is a hidden agenda
to get our property, please let me
know. You can certainly buy mine.
Also, as far as I’m concerned, this
is discrimination against single
grandmothers on fixed incomes.
Sandra Stanley
Livingston
the signature-gathering period on
May 11.
Williams refused, and said his
office would not begin the task
until after May 11.
Strayhom and Friedman need
45,540 valid signatures each in
order to get a spot on the ballot.
TABC enforces aggressively
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission has begun to send
officers into bars to arrest drunken
patrons. The fine is $500 and/or jail
v
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POLKCOUNTY
ENTERPRISE
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER p£§?~]
Telephone Number 936-327-4357
(USPS 437-340)
WEBSITE: www.EastTexasNews.Com
E-MAIL: polknews@livingston.net
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3.1987. Entered as Periodical
Matter at the Post Office at Livingston, TX.
cnrmai ai nrMgTMnrr
agree that it’s the ONLY
course to follow!
Barbus While ......
.........Ext. 102
Emily Banks..........
........................News Editor.............................................
.........Eat 1*3
VanThomai
..........Sports Editor...........................................
.........Eat. 107
....................Area Newe Editor....................................
VicU Collar . ...
.........Eat. 104
Vanrti Rnahicr
Snecial Feature Editor..............................
.........Eat. Ill
Cordon LeBarron........................ Photographer
naniimoN nE’PABTMt'NT
Paul Holley
........................Cameras/Platcmaking..............................
.........Ext 119
.........Ext Ilf
Adrian Dwia
.........Ext. 120
LmTotki.............
.........Ext 120
(vannsmnN ntsaiTMCMT
.........Ext IIS
........................Grapbic/Typcsel.......................................
.........Ext IIS
Kfoccy
.........Ext IIS
fi’a UvS
MATES -*2000
intentions in 2006 and beyond.
DX. Marram
reflection imm|||
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THK POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
from page 1
in accordance with county policy.
Commissioners were slated to
discuss employee time reporting for
payroll as outlined in the county
personnel management system dur-
ing Tuesday's meeting at the re-
quest of Precinct 3 Commissioner
James J. “Buddy” Purvis who al-
leged that a couple of his men were
not going to get paid because the
secretary did not add their hours
up.
“It wasn’t that Nola (County
Treasurer Nola Reneau) wasn’t
going to pay them, it’s that she
wanted them to come in and pick
up their check and sign their time
sheet,” Judy Isaacs, county person-
nel director, said. “We get this
every pay period from different
ones - either they’re not complete
or they haven’t signed it.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner
work on, according tb Hammock,
who________—! *
used for the purchase of security
v*.-J*
A request from Precinct I Justice
of the Peace Darrell Loogine to set ^ — ■ rr
a fee relating to motor vchWblgO- tartiaft k; a ufoimriow located in
IMM1
The final
jteHisti,i,*fi
Product I, waabffMva*
can M
nwmv. 0f notification system and bring a
Tommy Overstreet and Precinct 2 recommendMkm to tf* churti* a
Commissioner Ronnie Vincent ,____Jk > ,i & * ,
both said that the men in their de
partments look over the time sheets
and sign off on them after the sec-
retary has added the figures.
Following some additional dis-
cussion, it was decided that a letter
outlining the county policy will be
placed in each employee’s next pay
check and that the policy will also
be read at the next court meeting.
“I think we’ll solve that at the
next court meeting. We’ll read it
for everyone to hear and if the pol-
icy is not adhered to in the future,
then they won’t get a paycheck,”
Thompson said.
Commissioners approved author-
izing the county judge, sheriff and
county auditor to negotiate and sign
contracts on behalf of Polk County
pertaining to the IAH Detention
Center services.
“1 received a phone call from
Bob Prince with CiviGenics (the
company that operates the facility)
and the U.S. Marshal’s Office is
interested in entering into a con-
tract with the county to house in-
mates in the facility,” Sheriff Ken-
neth Hammack said.
The sheriffs recommendation of
equipment to be purchased through
the 2005 Homeland Security grant
program was approved. To be eli-
gible for the funding, there must be
a program or project in place to
lion interlock, aa — r,TTT, :’ 7~ „
Article 17.441 of the Ttxos Code Catwftlitlum **”**■ **7
of Criminal Procedure, wro Itefogforbitefor<»purgtae»ofA
proved. The foe will be $10 pH newer osed robber dw 950 loader
month end will apply re any** with tbc wdeor «de of one need
who Has been released from j*# tot fSdleudto ftw Precfoct 3.
a conditional bond by a magistrate • Trie foHoWm* eifors to purchase
Commissioners approvedactibn county lax forodreure properties
regarding the ctiunty’t policy ter *ttrt approved;. $5®# w*® AWta
bridge rtpair/reptoccdkittit. < ttnem far Tittt Si, 230 acre, D.
Additionally, the ink df county Williams Survey, Abstract No. 754
roads by heavy/ovenroight vehicles and $1,025 from Freeman for Tract
was also discussed, etlhougfc ft* 52, .250 tore, D. WtHfoms Survey,
item was deleted from the agenda. >• AMTOctN*. 754. t , .
It was decided M ,**Y i* fi**# m#* * **«h *
visit with the oilier eogMfosMwra. mbciof report was received w pro-
come up with a phut for fame 1)9* MM*. ,
of notificetion system and bring a : Commissioners approved a teim-
recommendation to the: court at * bUrsenteM resolation for capital
later date. ; )* purohrocs * date a*d alre ap-
Commissioners ratified the cdh- proved budget revitians as pre-
tract awarded to Dtiplteham Con- tented by the MUaty auditor and
tractors Inc. on the engtheer’a req- fttetoet umendutems as submitted
and reviewed by foe court-
■PpOUVWlB oBHBWItoW**
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Other business included approval
*T the ptotoMMl aotion forms.
IfMCII *“ saaeufgp •'
During reports from department
heads and elected officials,
Ovantroat reminded everyone of
'.«hs 61* annual , Trere**?!*****
Livestock Shore which began
Tuesday and goes through Friday.
He added.that this year’s show is
----- * in memory of former
iinviuia iiiv. ren hi* viigwrowi *
ommendation of bids jeceived-ior
the Texas Community Develop
ment Program contract for the
Moscow Sewer Plant prater lire
improvements. • ’ *>
“This is strictly a housekeeping
deal. The work’! been completed,"
Thompson said.
Transfer of the emergency medi-
cal services contract from Goldstar
EMS to Americare EMS Folk
County was approved.
“Over the last 18 months, Gold-
Star has fallen on some hard limes.
A large portion of die company is dedicated In memory ot
in bankruptcy and it broke ilk# the commissiorter Bobby Smith.
________.An. A.... In .■iri" 1 ■
company will toon cease to exiet,
Boyd Dickens said, informing the
court that he and some of his for-
mer GoldStar colleagues art open-
ing up Americare EM$ .Folk
County and will continue to hbnto
the subscriptions local residents
had with GoldStar. !'
“It’s the same people, the same
equipment, doing the Mine thing
and adhering to the same comnct
we have in place,” Thompson said,
recommending the issue he
evaluated in six months.
A revised interlocal agreement
with the City of Corrigan for Stray
• Thompson distributed certificates
■s. several department heads and
elected officials whose employees
completed a cows* using the Texas
AskaciatibR ofCoumies’ simulator.
Vincent announced that dffectiva
April 5, Precinct 2 Road and
Bridge is going to four 10-hour
days. However, the office will re-
main ape* Monday through Friday,
WgiN RMV• rey»
Re*. Sam SteHe of die First
rmvyvcnm tpw. wpenro »»
meeting *Mh prayer and Joe
Reeder led the pledge of allegiance.
f
> is
%'
oversteps boundary
Dear Annie: My husband,
George,” and I have been caring for
my mother-in-law for the past three
years. Unfortunately, we can no
longer continue and must put her in
a^nursingfacility.
The problem is her doctor. He
is trying to dictate which facility to
put Mom in. He wants her at the
place where he is on staff, but we
don’t like that facility. We much
prefer a different home, but the
doctor does not have staff privi-
leges there. Now he refuses to fill
out any medical forms or tum over
her medical records to anyone, and
he is generally making our lives
miserable.
--row
Annie's Mailbox
. ■ -.'i - •
me. What should I do?
Soto
Dear Sate: Singing is am
likely to be a sexual sugitilute, hut
it certainly may be emtoimmltv
satisfying to yOur husband.___
love with his duel partner? Tit
viously had a connection with
woman and didn’t want you l9
part of it. The two of you need to
find your own connection, and this
“f
rithflB
vttR
some. Tee, Aero is a riik, but are
Bay. ptenuteg to sheher Jared for-
ever? What happens when they’re
M Mom to
Dear Canada: We’re glad
your mother had the backbone to
We have since found another may involve counseling. Ask Kin
doctor for my mother-in-law who is to go with you so you can work oh
much more cooperative and whom your apparent estrangement and
we like a great deal. Do we have find ways to strengthen your irer-
any recourse against the original riage.
doctor? Can wc report him some- Dear Anale: This it for
where” - Fed Up in New Jersey “Oklahoma Parents,” who said due
Dear Fed Up: According to “system failed" their 24-year-tod
the New Jersey State Board of son, “Jared,” who was Mo dfags
Medical Examiners, your doctor and has been in and out ot jail fof
has 30 days to provide the records domestic abuse, possession and
after receiving a written request failure to pay child support. The
from the patient, or whoever the system didn’t fail your son - YOU
patient has designated. Physicians did. ,
may not refuse to release a copy of I speak from experience. At 19,
the medical records if they are with barely a high school educa-
needed for treatment by another tion, I was living it home, collect-
health care provider, although you ing the dole and working tody long
do need to pay for the costs of re- enough to keep collecting it. I, MO,
production. If Mom’s new doctor had plenty of reasons to blame oth-
still doesn’t have the necessary era for my situstion,.byt eventually,
information, you can file a com- my mother had enough and threw
plaint with your county medical me out. That Was the best thing the
society or the New Jersey Board of could have done.;, f ...
Medical Examiners. Twenty-four 1 to*
Dear Annie: Please help me. b*PP'l> married ,wMl four weodto-
My husband has been singing duets ful children and a thriving cireer.
with a female vocalirt. Could the This never would h*t« happened H
singing be his way of finding an my mother hod* t h»< fob cotoag*
outlet for his sexual needs? He to do what she foil wa, right She
shows no affection toward me at continued to pfovlq* Mfopift to A*
all. (emotionally toft#
We’ve had no sex for the past on*y ** * m** F**
13 months. I’m not included in his °wn. My prttoWn
singing practices or the gigs where my aurvival
they perform. This situation is when hot i*
nearly driving me to a mental honed when I j— ^
breakdown. I’ve asked him to stop worey *bout what I would fat ter
singing with her, and he has, but it the next week.
hasn’t changed his attitude toward These parent* foould,.^ fog
feet
enough to turn things, around. Wo
hope Jared’s parents are paving
t*"’-/ . /
Aimte’a MaHbox is written by
Kathy Mitchell and Maricy Sugar,
tenghtee .editors of ftw Ann
Landers column. Please e-mail
to
i—or
Write- to: Annie's Mailbox, F.O.
Box 111196, Chicago, IL dftdll.
To uted out more Shoot Annie's
Mdilbdx, sod re id features by other
Creutors Syndicate writers *mI car-
toonists. visit the Creators Syndi-
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 124, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 30, 2006, newspaper, March 30, 2006; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth788625/m1/4/: accessed July 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.