The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 51, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 22, 1998 Page: 4 of 15
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Issues & Opinions
®fje JSartrop gHfottttetr
Texas’ Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Since March 1,1853
Semi-Weekly Since Sept. 5,1977
Devoted to the welfare of the people of Bastrop
County. Published 104 times a year, Thursday and
Saturday by Westward Communications, LJL.C.
at
The Bastrop Advertiser Phone:
908 Water St. < (512)321-2557
P.O. Box 459 or (800) 303-2557
Bastrop, Texas 78602 Fax:(512)321-1680
e-mail: basadv@onr.coin
Subscription rates: $36 per year or $20 per six
months delivered in county, $40 per year deliv-
ered out of county, $55 per year delivered out of
state (all are payable in advance). Periodic postage
paid at Bastrop, Texas 78602. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to:
The Bastrop Advertiser, P.O. Box 459,
Bastrop, Texas 78602-0459
Publisher: Steve Taylor
Advertising: Janice Butler
Editor: Davis McAuley
Sport*, entertainment editor/
production manager: Keith Magee
Staff writers: Jason Suchomel (nfews),
Elen Moore (features, events)
Contributing writers: John Stotarek,
Ernest Shnmons, Donald Wiliams
Contributing photographers: Charles Bell,
Michael Arpador, Louie Vaaqueu
Circulation: Brenda SharirU
Classifieds, subscriptions: Carolyn Wright
Office manager: Cindy Pavllard
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The Bastrop Advertiser (USPS045-020)
Member National Newspaper Association
Texas Press Association
South Texas Press Association
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If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice
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Colorado Wildland
Fire Strike Team
thanks Bastrop for
hospitality, support
Dear Editor:
On behalf the members of the Colorado
Wildland Fire Strike Team, we want to thank
everyone for the support and hospitality that has
made us feel at home even though we live over
1,000 miles away.
, We came down several weeks ago from
around Boulder, Colorado with six fire engines
and 16 firefighters. Our mission is to work
closely with the Texas Forest Service and local
fire departments to help manage fires quickly
and efficiently while preplanning and identifying
dangers in the area.
We are no strangers to the disastrous fires that
have affected so many lives in the area: In the
late 1980s and early 1990s, we had several large
fires in our county alone that destroyed over 50
homes with fire intensities so great that fire-
fighters could only concentrate on getting people
out *
We could only protect a fe wjiomes because
they had enough defensible space (removal of
vegetation around the house to reduce the fire
intensity) to keep firefighters from getting
burned over and possibly killed. This type of
situation is very real in this area and we have al-
ready seen the effects since we have been here.
We are a mix of firefighters from volunteer
fire departments, city departments and the
United States Forest Service. We need this kind
of interagency cooperation to battle these intense
fires. When we came to Bastrop we realized that
almost every person in this area has a disastrous
situation they are living in. It will take years to
reduce this risk, but the Texas Forest Service
and local fire departments have done an impres-
sive job and seem committed to continuing the
effort together.
With the help of the citizens and firefighters,
hopefully everyone will be able to reduce their
risks. We are around for another couple of
weeks and win try whatever possible to help.
Thank you again for the support and cooper-
ation we have received, The Colorado Strike
Team —City of Boulder, Boulder Rural Fire
Dept., Cherryvale Fire Dept., Poudre Hie Au-
thority and United States Forest Service —
Boulder District.
Justin Dombrowski
Firefighter with The Colorado Strike Team
o
Dear Editor:
In-service training
best ever for Shub
In nine years of teaching, four of them at
Bastrop High School, I have to say that this
year’s in-service was the best that I have experi-
enced. I speak for many of my colleagues when
I say that the mini-conferences scheduled by
Betty Richardson with the cooperation of other
district personnel have prepared us well to go
back into our classrooms and continue providing
quality education to our students.
Presented by both consultants and BISD
teachers and administrators, the sessions covered
a wide array of practical information including
technology in the classroom, designing better
tests and strategies for reaching students from
diverse backgrounds. Teachers chose which ses-
sions to attend, allowing them to focus on in-
formation relevant to their assignments. The ac-
cess to numerous quality sessions is but one way
BISD treats personnel with professional respect
Additionally, Principal James Richardson's
willingness to try new ideas provides the flexi-
bility which our high school needs to function at
its highest level. With eight permanent class-
rooms completed and more grant funded tech-
nology on the way, James Richardson and our
staff look forward to improving the academic
performance of all of our students.
Sincerely,
Samantha Shub
BHS English
Firemen thanked
Dear Editor:
We, the Ruble and McKey families, wish to
express our thanks to the firefighters, Texas For-
est Service and police personnel for the great job
they did during the grass and brush fire July 31.
We can't thank them enough.
We would also like to thank the people of
Bastrop who made contributions and other help.
Thanks and God bless each of you.
Vernon and Aimer Ruble
Joe and Sandra McKey
Susan McKey
Fish tale amuses Spooner
Dear Editor:
In the July 30 addition of The Advertiser I
was amused to see the photographs of L.C.
Smith and Hoyd Bartsch with “their catch of the
day.” I say I was amused because there were
several things to consider before accepting the
story as truth. *
For the first thing, no two men could legally
possess that many sharks, snappers and ling in
any one single day of fishing. If anyone did be-
lieve this tall tale, it should be the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Game Wardens, who should ad-
dress this with the two fisherman. But again, I
believe your home grown Bastropian recognized
this as a true tall tale, with the two men having
as much fun by submitting it as I had reading the
article and seeing the photographs. I think the
game wardens realized this, too.
Secondly, I had earlier mentioned I was
amused. The fact is I was on the Pelican out of
the Deep Sea Headquarters on that exact day this
catch was recorded. I, with 37 other men,
women and children had gone off shore some 70
miles on a 12-hour trip. I was very amused when
my parents showed me the picture in The Adver-
tiser that matched the pictures I had taken. In
fact, Mr. Smith and a portion of Mr. Bartsch
even showed up in my photograph. The day was
Wednesday, July 22.
L being a Bastropian, even noticed the two
hoisting their drinks on the dock upon our re-
turn. I thought they looked a bit familiar, but
now living in Austin for the past 15 years, was
not sure when I saw them.
Lastly, the proprietor of the Deep Sea Head-
quarters was standing beside me when he took
the picture which appeared in The Advertiser.
He stated that these two men had asked him for
a picture with the catch.
Hopefully this will clear up the tall tale con-
cerning this fishing excursion. I would hale to
see these two fisherman be chastised over a sim-
ple “fish story.” I have fished all my life and
admit telling a few myself. The ecology minded
should also take heed in my words and base
their statements on facts rather than tall tales.
Next time, L.C., Floyd, loo'k around first!
You never know who's watching these days.
And I, for one, enjoyed their tall tale on the
fishing trip out of Port Aransas. I can't wait for
their next out; g!
William Spooner
Austin
Dear Editor:
watching.
Hans Yeager
Cedar Creek
If you pick up a copy of the proposed county
budget, it will be fairly obvious that the elected
officials are boosting their salaries at more than
twice the rate of inflation for the second year in
a row. If you pick up a copy of the school dis-
trict budget, it will be obvious that the cost of
special education is increasing at more than five
times the rate of inflation. With just a little
homework, you will have the fucts to deflect the
excuses of politicians. You will be able to voice
your suggestions with confidence.
If you are a property owner, look at yotar tax
bills over the last two, three, or five years. Are
they growing anywhere near the rate of infla-
reduced. As a result, you should be willing to
spend as much time and/or money to help im-
prove the stale and local government as it would
take to move to another state or county.
Second, with a public company, there are of-
ten institutional investors with a big stake in
building shareholder wealth. Their watchdog ef-
forts are likely to be for your benefit as much as
theirs. Things aren't so simple in our state and
local government While there are some large
institutional investors in the state government to
keep an eye on the state, there aren't many at the
local level. So who's watching the local govern-
ment? You must! Additionally, in the cash of
your government what's good for the institu-
tional investors isn’t always good for the indi-
vidual. InstitutionaLinvestors can benefit from
minimizing pollution laws and by lobbying for
special tax exemptions for themselves, both at a
cost to the individual.
You have to watch the state and local gov-
ernment yourself or they will take advantage of
you because there are incentives for them to do
so. Politicians are only human. As an investor in
your state and local government, you need to
take the time to get the financial reports of the
state and local governments (budgets) and voice
your opinion before they are voted on. With the
exception of the school district, the local gov-
ernment budgets are much easier to understand
-If you own property or purchase anything,
you have invested in the state and local govern-
ment. This government has similarities to an in-
vestment in a public company. As an investor in
a public company, you are eligible to vote for
the board of directors. As an investor in the state
and local government, you are eligible to vote
for the school board, a county commissioner and
the judge, your state representative, state sena-
tor, and your city councilman (if you live in a
city). If you are an investor in a large conglom-
erate like Procter & Gamble you are very likely
to use some of their products. As an investor in
your state and local government, you certainly
use some of the products and services they pro-
vide. At the yery least, you are likely to drive on
the state, county, and city roads. And, you enjoy
the law enforcement protection offered by these
governments.
If no one is watching the board of a public
company, they are likely to guide management
of the company to produce wealth for them-
selves and the board members rather than for the
shareholder. If no one is watching the govern-
ment to be sure they are serving the people, they
are also likely to serve themselves. As an in-
vestor in a large public company, you probably
leave it up to the other investors to keep track of
the business. You may not bother to vote for
their board of directors. Similarly, you might not
vote for representatives to your state and local
governments. You feel comfortable that others
are watching for you.
You shouldn't feel that way about the gov-
ernment! There ar^eeeugh differences between
your state andJOcal government and a public
company that you shouldn't trass them both with
the same cavalier attitude. First toe government
is a very illiquid investment. YouWan't move
from county to county and state to Stale with the
same ease you can buy and sell securities. The
switching costs associated with moving are great
tfon? No, they are growing much faster. Are you
getting almost 50 percent more service from
your local government than you were five years
ago? That is how much the cost has increased
for the city, county, and school districts in Bas-
trop County over the last five years. That is four
times the rate of inflation over this time period.
Don't assume that your little voice will not be
heard. If you vote, you are gaining a voice. But,
voting for a politician because you like them
doesn't choose a good representative any more
.than choosing a car strictly by a color would
produce the best choice in a car.
The politicians don't have to care at all about
the people who don't vote. They only have to be
nice to the faces of the people who vote for
politicians based on who they like. Meanwhile,
the politicians can be taking advantage of your
taxes with impunity. If you take the time to be
an intelligent Investor in your state and local
government and vote based upon facts, you are
among the very few to whom the politician must
listen.
Only about half the people are registered to
vote. Often more than half the registered voters
don't vote. I would bet that less then half of the
people who vote know the positions of the
politicians for whom they are voting. That
leaves less than 12 percent of the people having
any meaningful input into the functioning of lo-
cal government.
Given the small constituencies, if you are an
intelligent investor in your local government,
you are among a powerful few voters. The
Democratic primary runoff race for the County
Judge was won by only 27 votes out of 4,345
votes cast. You can be sure that the candidates
are going to be responsive to your requests if
you present yourself as an informed investor in
the local government You are one of those 27
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McAuley, Davis. The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 145, No. 51, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 22, 1998, newspaper, August 22, 1998; Bastrop, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1178331/m1/4/: accessed May 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bastrop Public Library.