Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 152, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2001 Page: 3 of 14
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CHEROKEEAN/HERALD of Rusk, Texas - Thursday, July 19, 2001 - Page 3
Letters
What Will Railroad Museum
Ultimately Cost Taxpayers?
The citizens of Rusk are being asked to go
the polls on August 11 to okay the spending of
$300,000 dollars of economic development tax
proceeds for the construction and maintenance
of a rail road museum.
The $300,000 is supposed to be the cities'
matching share of a $1.5 million dollar TxDOT
enhancement program grant.
When a city or entity receives a government
grant, we as citizens 0 need to understand
the one basic reality of government. Our
form of government has no revenue-producing
capabilities other than taxing its citizens.
Whenever an entity receives a grant it is
nothing more than your government returning
tax dollars that you have paid. There is no
free lunch.
Before voting on the railroad museum we
as responsible citizens need to ask and obtain
the answers to some very basic but crucial
questions:
• How many people will be employed by
the new museum?
• Who will pay their salary and benefits,
today, tomorrow, and in the years ahead when
grant money is no longer available?
• Who will pay for the daily upkeep and long
term maintenance of the museum?
• What will be housed in the museum, and
where will it come from?
• How will the museum generate an economic
value of $300,000 plus its annual upkeep to
the citizens of Rusk.
Are we really a wealthy enough city to
designate $300,000 of our tax money to create
employment for less than a hand full of our
citizens and call it economic development?
The fact that we have a surplus of $300,00
in our economic development fund greatly
disturbs me as a taxpayer.
Is it time we examine the actions and goals
of our economic development board? Does our
board have a mission statement? A five, 10,
15 year plan as to what Rusk is to become
in the future? An active marketing plan for
the city and it's future? Does our economic
development board understand tax abatements
and the powerful tool it is in enticing industry
to a city?
Maybe it's time we replace our current "meet
and eat group" with men of vision, dedication
and commitment to the future of our city.
The city of Rusk sits in the middle of what
us former "city folks" call the Hill Country of
the new millennium
We have only to look to our north at the cities
of Jacksonville, Whitehouse and Bullard to
realize that economic growth is happening all
around us. It is time we stop being a welfare
city, dependent on the state payroll for our
survival, and plan our future and quality of life
and the legacy we leave our children.
In closing I am reminded of a radio commercial
brought to us each morning by Austin Bank of
Rusk: "Those who fail to plan, plan to fail."
EDWIN C. JOHNSON
Rusk
ifexas i
National
Bank
t=J
Member
FDIC
We're here to serve your
complete banking needs!
A
Cryer Makes Odyssey to Mexico
Driving 3,500 miles inMexico
is a bit like riding the "Steel
Eel" in San Antonio.
Both gasoline and the toll
roads are also more expensive
than in the U.S. However, only
the very short-sighted miss
the chance to take a roll road
when available. Bucks saved
by taking the free road put you
behind every beer and pipe
truck in Mexico. And between
construction work, road holes
and a massive number of speed
bumps, the free road gives both
you and your vehicle quite a
beating.
Driving into Mexico City
(the largest on earth) with no
map, no spare and no Mexican
insurance, gave me a large
dose of road anxiety. At one
point a policeman informed
me I had made an illegal right
turn. He was impervious to
my pleas of being an ignorant
tourist, and directed me to pull
over to the curb as he broke out
his paper work. Seeing myself
embroiled in much ado, I did
what seemed expedient; I fled.
After all, he was afoot and
I was motorized. I figured if
he could find me in a city of
22 million people, then it was
God's will and I'd better go to
jail like a gentleman.
My good fortune remained
intact however, and within an
hour I was residing at a swell
hotel in the Zona Rosa. I had
come to Mexico with a pickup
load of gifts and supplies for
my village in Yucatan.
Dr. John Goodman of Rusk
flew down and joined me for
five days in Villa Linda de
Yaxachen. I could not have
selected a more amiable travel-
ing companion, and one with a
great deal of personal pluck.
Twice each day he would tend
to patients, granting each suf-
ficient time to express his/her
problems in detail.
We noted that the young
would play basketball all
night long under the recently
installed flood lights. Every day
I had BINGO which was a suit-
able tool for giving things away
without showing favoritism,
followed by English classes.
While a sizable number had
expressed interest in learning
English, they learned it could
not be accomplished quickly
and the class became very
small. I also ran a free tax
service to Oxkutzcab a large
town 22 miles away.
At first it seemed strange
that many did not know their
birth dates or how old they
were. It is because they have,
happily, never filled out a form
in their lives while still very
poor. God has answered my
prayer and the village is much
improved over 10 years ago
when I began.
They even have a telephone
in the Mayor's store that
sometimes works. When Dr.
Goodman returned to Rusk,
he gave Linda the number
and she reached me there at
the end of the world, telling
me of the deluge that struck
Rusk.
Being the only person who-
spoke English did lend itself
to some loneliness, but the
villagers are always gracious
and kind. Their children are
uncowed and quited curious.
They crawl all over you with
their muddy little bodies, and
have to be shooed away like
pesky gnats when you need
privacy.
Their animals are largely
in pitiful condition not out of
cruelty or neglect, but simply
because the people haven't
enough for themselves.
Though I do not enjoy mud
being my soap and files being
my companions, I had to return
early since I had, upon arrival,
found both town pumps out,
and felt compelled to spend
much of the money I had
planned on living on for a new
pump and its installation. But,
like the doc said, '"That's what
God sent you here to fix; quit
whining about it.
RAY S. CRYER
Rusk
Pictured left to right are Robin Rodriquez, Lewie Byers, Melanie Essex and
Robin Tarrant
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Home appliances, electronics, lawn & garden and tools
Sale prices in effect Saturday, July 21st only
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903-852-3231
Knox Ray Men's Wear
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Saturday 9 am - 3 pm
South Side of Square in Rusk
Come In And Save!
sale
399"
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on guaranteed or your money back. This advertisement includes many reductions, special purchases and items at our everyday low price. Items at most larger stores. Outlet stores excluded. Environmental surcharges extra. SEARS IN-STOCK PROMISE ON ADVERTISED
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Whitehead, Marie. Cherokeean/Herald (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 152, No. 22, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 19, 2001, newspaper, July 19, 2001; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth152474/m1/3/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.