San Antonians

May 31, 2007
Ranger Reports — May, 2007

RANGER: Roddy, there is no consistency in the volume on Time Warner cable channels. Commercials are often extra loud, while program volumes are low. This problem varies from channel to channel, and it seems worse on weekends. At times, the loud volume causes my speakers to vibrate and distorts the sound beyond recognition.

RODDY: Here is Time Warner's explanation of the problem:

"The customer is experiencing an audio balance issue between a national programming feed and a local programming feed. For example, the Discovery Channel sends us its programming feed which has been formatted at a certain audio level. Then multiple times an hour, we insert our local advertising into that same feed. If there is a different audio level between the national programming feed and the local advertising feed, the customer will experience audio levels that don't match.

"The national programming feed audio levels can vary from programmer to programmer, so a Discovery channel audio level could be different from an ESPN channel audio level.

"Time Warner Cable's technical teams actively monitor for these variances and take appropriate action to minimize these audio differences. It is helpful when we receive customer feedback about this issue as it is an additional troubleshooting tool our technical teams can utilize."



RANGER: Roddy, on numerous occasions I have seen a uniformed police officer stop traffic on a major thoroughfare to let vehicles exit from a business or a church parking lot. Example: The shopping center next to the access road from U.S. 281 North to Loop 1604. What gives these officers the authority to stop traffic on a public street for customers of private businesses or church members?

RODDY: You aren't the only who is ticked off by uniformed officers who make extra income directing traffic for private businesses and churches. I have received similar complaints for years. The bad news: You might as well get used to the irritation of being stopped by the rent-a-cops. There is no law against hiring off-duty officers to facilitate access/egress of business customers and worship service attendees. According to a San Antonio Police Department guideline, the officers (or deputies or constables) are supposed to treat everybody fairly and avoid causing traffic backups. But the rule isn't enforced, and I know of no instance when an officer was reprimanded for favoring the folks who pay for his service.



RANGER: Roddy, I haven't heard you mention Head Start and Parent/Child Inc. lately. The new CEO is advertising for a position, "Director of Center Leadership Initiatives," with starting pay between $69,447 and $95,735! What will this person do to earn that kind of money? Also, why can't the money be used to increase the pay of PCI's low-paid employees?

RODDY: According to an aide to Parent/Child Inc. CEO Sharon Small: "No new additional money is being used for this position. The position was vacated by an employee who is now deceased."

The aide e-mailed me a two-page description of the duties of the Director of Center Leadership Initiatives. Space limitation prevents me from reprinting it, but I would be happy to e-mail or snail-mail it to anyone who would like to have a copy.

As for the plight of Head Start aides ... I share your concern for underpaid PCI employees and sincerely hope that someday the self-ordained, headline-hunting champions of the poor and downtrodden at City Hall will pay as much attention to those needy folks as they pay to stray dogs and homeless hobos.



RANGER: Roddy, I personally know two teachers in two different school districts who smoke marijuana. One is a dealer and supplies the other. I was a witness to several exchanges of baggies. What really bothers me is the fact that they can get by with this because there is no drug testing for teachers. I wish you would put pressure on local school districts to institute random testing of teachers and administrators. I assure you, the results would shock the entire city.

RODDY: This is pretty far outside my area of expertise. As far as I know, no Texas school district has instituted random testing for teachers and administrators. (If any reader knows of such a district, please send me the information, and I will print it here.)

There is a precedent for such a testing program. Earlier this month, schoolteachers in Hawaii ratified a two-year contract that calls for the development of a random drug and alcohol-testing program for teachers. Whether such testing could survive a court, challenge is currently being debated in the Hawaii news media.

Court rulings around the country have generally frowned on random testing and permitted drug testing only in cases where teacher behavior created a suspicion that drugs were being used.



RANGER: Roddy, please look into WHY there are three entrances to O.P. Schnabel Park, but on weekends, the city opens only the main gate. I inquired about this and was told that they open other gates only if the park gets too busy to allow for emergency vehicles. Apparently, people who live near the park don't want park traffic going through their neighborhoods. As a tax-paying parent of children paying to play sports at the park, I feel that we also have some rights, including the right to better traffic flow in and out of the park. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

RODDY: You are right about the reason for keeping the gates on Hetherington Drive and South Verde Street closed. Traffic to and from soccer and baseball games at the park has a negative impact on adjacent neighborhoods, and that has been a matter of concern for city Parks and Recreation Department officials. Even so, on-duty Park Police officers have begun opening those two gates on Saturdays to alleviate the traffic congestion you described. A Parks and Recreation spokesman told me Tuesday that the police will "continue to open the gates on Saturdays for the duration of the sports league season."



RANGER: Roddy, I live next to the PGA development in Northeast Bexar County, and it appears that land clearing is now in progress. Construction began about two weeks ago, and work crews are out there everyday with bulldozers, etc. Thought you might like to know.

RODDY: Thanks for the tip. I did some snooping and found out that a good deal is happening at the PGA site. Specifically: (1) Forestar Real Estate is extending Cibolo Canyons Parkway from Evans Road north and west to connect to Bulverde Road and ultimately to U.S. 281. (2) Project developers have begun constructing the sewer lines that will serve the PGA Village hotel and the eastern half of Cibolo Canyons. (3) Construction of high-end apartments has started at the intersection of Evans Road and Cibolo Canyons Parkway. (4) Preliminary work has begun on the hotel site. At the risk of sounding uncharacteristically roseate . . . the economic good news never seems to end for San Antonians.



RANGER: Check this out, Roddy. Go to the intersection of Commerce and Soledad streets downtown. The city is tearing up Main Plaza right there, but traffic on Commerce has to stop for a red light even though there is no cross-traffic and no way for pedestrians to go anywhere after crossing! It is absurd. Maybe you can get someone in Public Works to change the light to a flashing yellow.

RODDY: A Public Works spokeswoman said the red light helps protect "traffic control officers out there ... vehicles turning right onto Commerce from Main" and pedestrians who fail to "obey signage." So don't look for a flashing yellow light anytime soon.



RANGER: I was told that a gun was found in the parking lot at Memorial High School last Friday. Please look into this and see what you can find out.

RODDY: It wasn't a rumor. On the basis of a tip, the parking lot was searched and a gun was found. According to a spokesman for the Edgewood Independent School District, "Later that day, several individuals were arrested." Those individuals were not Edgewood ISD residents, employees or students. The school district's police department continues to investigate the matter.



RANGER: The other day while I was working in the yard, I noticed a SAWS truck coming down the street. I watched as a meter reader stopped at each house, got out of the truck, read the meter, then continued on to the next house. With gasoline selling for $3 a gallon, why is SAWS letting meter readers drive full-size trucks through my neighborhood to read the water meters? Is this a new policy? And if so, shouldn't the meter readers drive small, fuel-efficient vehicles?

RODDY: A San Antonio Water System official insisted that "SAWS has not changed our meter-reading policy. It could be that the reader was spot-checking the route and verifying numbers that had already been obtained by a previous reader or checking a number because of a customer complaint. It's hard to say what happened in this situation, but you can be sure that we are always working hard to find the best possible way to do the job."

The official didn't mention this, but here's what I'd like for you (and anyone else who sees such a waste of fuel by a public agency) to do: Write down the vehicle number (usually on the side of the car or truck) and/or the license number and send the information to me along with a date, time and general location.



RANGER: The Austin American-Statesman published an article (on Friday) headlined, "Customers sue Pedernales Co-op," and it said a class-action lawsuit had been filed against Pedernales Electric Cooperative. I'm attaching a copy in case you didn't see it.

RODDY: The class-action lawsuit was filed in state District Court in Travis County on Wednesday. The plaintiff is Lee Beck Lawrence, a ratepayer/member of the co-op, representing all other ratepayers/members — estimated at more than 213,000. The suit names 19 PEC executives, directors and advisory directors as defendants.

According to the suit document, "This class action lawsuit is not intended to harm the PEC or its service to its members, and neither is it aimed at the rank-and-file and dedicated employees. Instead, this lawsuit seeks to place responsibility on the officers and directors and advisory directors for a variety of wrongful practices, to recover on behalf of the member/owners the damages caused by these wrongful practices, and to reform the organization so that it operates democratically, transparently and in the best interest of its members ..."

One of the "wrongful practices" cited in the suit is the "excessive" compensation of directors and advisory directors — a topic of several recent Express-News columns by the Head Ranger.

On Friday, I e-mailed a request for a statement concerning the lawsuit to my contact at PEC headquarters in Johnson City, Anne Harvey. As I write this Ranger Report 24 hours later, she has not responded. However, the American-Statesman reported: "Bill Cunningham, a spokesman for the cooperative, said he could not comment because it is an ongoing legal matter."



TIP: It is 11:30 on May 17, and I am looking out my front door as the solid-waste truck pulls up in front of my house. Two men get off the back of the truck. One grabs my trash can and empties it into the back of the truck. The other picks up my recycling bin and dumps it right in the back with the trash!

What is the point of separating my recyclables from the rest of the trash if it is only going to be dumped in with the other trash? Why do we have a recycling program at all if this is going to happen? Why should I waste my time separating it if they are just going to dump it all together again?

INVESTIGATION: The city DOES operate TWO DIFFERENT waste-collection systems, one for garbage ONLY and one for recyclables ONLY. And they dump their materials at two different processing locations (landfill or recycling processor).

"It is strictly against city policy for crews to place recyclables in the garbage truck," a city official said. "Also, it doesn't make sense that our garbage crews would give themselves more work by collecting something they shouldn't be picking up. Something doesn't add up here, and I would need more information to properly investigate the resident's allegation."

I asked the person who provided the tip to identify the neighborhood where the mixed dumping occurred. He did so: "I live on Quicksilver Street, which is off of Hunt Lane between Marbach and Potranco."

The city will investigate further, and I will report the findings here.



TIP: Please help those of us who live in neighborhoods near the intersection of Broadway and Loop 410. Just south of the Loop, the city has been digging up the street and then doing it again. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME! The gridlock this causes is terrible, with traffic backed up for blocks. Why do they keep digging it up? We have a business just north of 410, and this has had a negative impact on us.

INVESTIGATON: According to a Public Works spokeswoman, the city did some road-improvement work on Broadway south of Loop 410 but completed that project last December. The current work involves digging up some of the road that was previously improved and installing concrete bus pads. This is meant to prevent the wear and tear caused by VIA Metropolitan Transit buses when they stop and start at bus stops.

"The pads are installed as soon as possible after the street work," the VIA spokeswoman said. "They will provide for a longer and more useful life of the street since they don't buckle under the heavy load of VIA buses."

The work is scheduled to be completed in "about three weeks" — or around June 8.

Please notify Ranger Headquarters if that more-or-less deadline is not met.



TIP: Because the high schools are so packed in the Northside Independent School District, juniors and seniors are allowed to leave campus for lunch. When they return, I see them with extra-large soft drinks or even Starbucks. And forget about their choices for different lunch options. Pizza is always on the menu as are other high-fat-content foods.

INVESTIGATION: Pascual Gonzalez of the NISD took offense at your criticisms. His quick response:

"It is true that schools are overcrowded. It is true that NISD high schools allow seniors and some juniors to leave campus for lunch ... but only WITH their parents' permission. It is a privilege granted to seniors and others who meet campus guidelines (e.g. good grades). Whatever guidance they get about where they go and what they eat is between the students and their parents. It is unreasonable for (the critic) to assume that we have control of what kids eat during their off-campus lunch time. And, yes, they may bring food products from off campus to the school.

"It is also true that pizza is always on the menu, but ALL food items served in NISD cafeterias MUST meet the minimum nutritional value dictated by the Texas Department of Agriculture. The pizza we serve has a low fat content because we use reduced-fat cheese. So the allegation that we serve high-fat-content foods is baseless and false."

Obviously there is a difference of opinion here. Perhaps the two of you could settle the matter in some sort of reduced-fat-cheese-pizza-eating contest. I would be glad to serve as a second for either of you.



TIP: In the last two or three weeks, I have received calls asking for donations for families of law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. I think I read somewhere that phone solicitations of this type are bogus. Right or wrong?

INVESTIGATION: If by "bogus," you mean "illegal," you're wrong. Such boiler-room, fund-raising operations are legal in Texas. But if you mean "bad news for contributors," you're right. Through the years, I have received many similar queries, and subsequent research has convinced me that at least 50 cents of every dollar donated to the "worthy cause" goes into the pocket of the person soliciting the donation. In addition, his supervisor and his supervisor's supervisor may also get cuts of the donation. So only 30 to 40 cents — and in some cases, much less — reaches the sponsoring group or organization.

As a result, my longtime advice to anyone who is solicited for money over the phone is: Hang up.

Incidentally, as many folks have learned the hard way, once a person sends a contribution to one of these boiler-room operations, his/her name is put on a patsy list for other boiler rooms to ring up.



TIP: I am a resident of the Majestic Towers and as such have a monthly parking contract. The 7th floor of the garage is used by residents because it provides direct access to the 6th floor of the building. For some years, three vehicles have been permanently parked in spaces on the 7th floor — covered with dirt and tires deflated. With parking at a premium in the garage, is there no law against using the garage as a vehicle graveyard?

INVESTIGATION: According to a city staffer who looked into this situation, the three vehicles in question are owned by residents of the Majestic Towers. One owner spends most of the year in Africa. ("On her return, the car is cleaned, and the tires are repaired.") Another owner is in the military and has been deployed to Iraq. And the third owner has had some health problems and cannot drive. "All three spaces are paid for on a monthly basis," the official said, "and the owners are up to date on their accounts."



TIP: A friend of mine who works for the San Antonio Water System told me that a SAWS investigation identified several employees who were going to porn sites on their company computers during work hours. I thought you might want to look into this.

INVESTIGATION: In response to a query about porn-site visits, SAWS officials reported that between Jan. 1, 2006, and March 31, 2007, 45 SAWS employees were "disciplined" for visiting "inappropriate" internet sites. The visits ranged from one second to several hours. Seconds-long visits were in most cases determined to be accidental, and those employees received "verbal counseling." Disciplinary actions in more serious cases were more severe and included "termination."



TIP: What's up with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District? According to a rumor, the district will soon be consolidated or merged with the University Hospital System. Why hasn't the public been told about this?

INVESTIGATION: It's not a rumor. It's a plan-in-motion moving toward a fact. Here's what I can tell you for sure:

City health district and county University Health System officials have agreed to establish a Joint Planning and Operations Council to (1) assess the feasibility and value of consolidation and (2) develop recommendations for "integration of specific services."

To date, JPOC members have identified several areas in which services are duplicated (e.g. prenatal care), and work groups continue to look for other areas where consolidation could improve delivery of health services to various patient populations.

There has been a woeful lack of publicity about the consolidation. The only news report I could find was published in the Northeast Neighbors section of the Oct. 12, 2005, Express-News. In the article, staff writer Chuck McCollough reported:

"... efforts are under way to merge health districts operated by the city and county, members of the District 9 Neighborhood Alliance heard Sept. 28.

"Glen Hartman, chairman of the Citizens Commission on City-County Service Integration, said Mayor Phil Hardberger and County Judge Nelson Wolff are anxious to move forward with 24 recommendations on ways to eliminate duplication of services. ...

"'Combining the health entities (San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and University Health System) will take a bit longer (than other areas of integration), but the movement to integrate city and county services is off and running ...' he said."

As far as I can determine, that is the extent to which the story has been reported in the San Antonio media.



TIP: The roundabout at the corner of Blanco and Fulton — which the majority of the neighborhood was against — has been bulldozed! Apparently the city engineers made a mistake and it wasn't centered, so they had to start over. Many dollars and 20 weeks of labor have already been spent. (They started on Feb. 19.)

Please find out: Who is eating the cost of this mistake? And how much longer will nearby businesses have to suffer because of this mistake?

INVESTIGATION: The city's Public Works Department issued this statement concerning the ill-fated, neighbors-hated roundabout:

"The asphalt-treated base did not meet the minimum requirements of the City, so the contractor was required to remove the material and reinstall it at the contractor's cost.

"The contractor is working at an accelerated pace, and we expect this issue will not have an impact on the contractual obligations for completion ... December 2007."



TIP: The entrance, the sidewalk and the pillars in front of the Majestic Theatre are beginning to look shabby. The paint on the pillars has peeled, and the metal has rusted. This is not the way a community treasure should look. Does the city know about this? Is there any refurbishing plan?

INVESTIGATION: Four groups work together to maintain and operate the Majestic: Las Casas Foundation, ACE (the management company), the Majestic Development Company and the City of San Antonio. At a meeting earlier this year, representatives of the groups agreed on the need to refurbish the Majestic's entrance. That set in motion a process whose ultimate goal is to make the Majestic look like a community treasure again.

Currently, Las Casas is coming up with cost estimates for the work, and city staffers are putting together a list of potential funding sources. Once these steps are completed, a timeline for the refurbishing will be drawn up. I will print that timeline here. (Stay tuned.)



TIP: Since approximately 4 p.m. (May 7), at least four fire hydrants in the Vineyard subdivision and commercial development have been left wide open, and they are gushing out hundreds (if not thousands) of gallons of water per minute. I called Bexar Met to report the problem, and I was told this was intentional to clear up "cloudy" water. I asked if the water was safe to drink, and I was told it was. I then told the Bexar Met rep that this seemed like a tremendous waste of water, and he agreed but said that some people just don't like cloudy water. I'm concerned about the enormous waste of a precious resource just to appease the visual water tastes of a few Bexar Met customers.

INVESTIGATON: A spokesman for Bexar Metropolitan Water District explained: Due to recent heavy rainfall over the aquifer the past 10 days, one Bexar Met well has experienced "a larger than normal level of sediment being stirred up and getting into the water. Is it safe? Yes. But all customers deserve crystal clear water. We have shut down Well #7 and are flushing it out. It is our duty and responsibility to properly flush the lines so the water is clear. This should be accomplished later today (May 8). It's not the best use of this water, but it is the quickest way to fix a problem brought on, ironically, by so much water (i.e. rain)."



TIP: I would like to report a potential environmental problem on Martinez-Losoya Road where thousands of old tires are stacked up on about an acre of land. I have complained to (various government agencies), but nothing has been done. Please see what you can do.

INVESTIGATION: The county's environmental services division sent an inspector to the area, and he "confirmed the presence of numerous tires, approximately 1,000 to 2,000, along with numerous junk vehicles."

On determining that the site was not part of a platted subdivision and therefore not covered by the county's nuisance abatement laws, a county official reported the tire dump to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. That was on April 30.

On May 2, a TCEQ investigator informed me that the agency had "already started our investigation of this facility from prior complaints, and we are in the enforcement process. We will keep you posted."



TIP: I attended a rock-band concert at the AT&T Center and ran into something very annoying and disgusting: Cigarette smoke. Some of the smokers passed cigarettes to others in need, increasing the amount of toxic fumes. Some members of the crowd wanted to be different and were smoking plants besides tobacco. I'm allergic to the smoke so I looked around to see if any ushers were nearby. They were all safe and sound, tucked underneath the floor, never to be seen until the end of the show. I know the Center has a no-smoking policy, but what good is it if no one bothers to enforce it?

INVESTIGATION: As you noted, smoking is officially prohibited in the AT&T Center (as well as other public venues, per city ordinance). However, cigarette smokers who enjoy making others suffer for their addiction often ignore the prohibition. Here is how Leo Gomez, a Spurs official, responded to your complaint:

"In the event a patron is identified as smoking inside the facility, I would urge that it be brought to the attention of the nearest usher. The patron doing wrong will be instructed to cease smoking and will be advised of available smoking areas located in the building, as allowed by the ordinance. He/she will also be warned that continued smoking will result in ejection from the building. If the individual is smoking an illegal substance, it is immediately brought to the attention of an on-site law enforcement officer."

Regarding the rock concert in question, Gomez said:

"On this specific night, some patrons were approached for smoking in the building and warned and/or ejected from the event."



TIP: I live on Longsford Street in ZIP 78209. Across from my house, water has been overflowing the curb from the water meter and running down the street for more than two weeks. The owner had a plumber out to look into the situation, and it was determined that the problem is on the street side of the meter and therefore a problem of SAWS. Workers from SAWS have been out here more than once, but they haven't corrected the problem. As I am typing this e-mail, water is flowing over the curb! PLEASE see if SOMEBODY can put a stop to this great waste of our precious water!

INVESTIGATION: The Head Ranger received the e-mailed cry for help last Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. It was forwarded to a San Antonio Water System official at 11 a.m. At 12:57 p.m., the Longsford Street resident e-mailed to say, "Boy! That was quick! A SAWS truck arrived about five minutes ago and work is being done!" When I shared that good news with my SAWS contact, she replied: "A meter tech noted the leak on April 30, a work order was issued on May 1, and someone went out there today. While I'd like to claim significant influence, the speed of response was closer to serendipitous coincidence." The Head Ranger was polite (as Rangers should always be) and didn't mention that the stories of the SAWS meter tech and the Longsford Street resident were as different as chewing tobacco and broccoli.



TIP: Head Ranger's note: A tip (and complaint) provided by a Ranger included names and information that I don't feel comfortable printing here. But I would like for the Ranger to know that I looked into the jail-personnel matter.

INVESTIGATION: After forwarding the complaint to Sheriff Ralph Lopez, I received this immediate response: "Roddy, good info. Jail Administrator Dennis McKnight has all the specifics, and he will e-mail you in a while -- in fact, minutes." McKnight followed up with this encouraging news: "When your e-mail arrived, the Sheriff and I were discussing that very issue. We are on top of it, and we are proceeding with administrative actions that could include termination."



TIP: A house in my neighborhood has tax-exempt status because the owner says it is a church. As I said, it is in a residential neighborhood, and someone lives there every day. It is appraised at over $140,000 and declared exempt from paying around $4,000 in property taxes. How is this possible? Can I do the same?

INVESTIGATION: According to information provided by Bexar Appraisal District, the property was purchased several years ago by a local Protestant denomination, which applied for and received a religious exemption because the house was being used as a "temporary place of worship." Because of your tip, BAD has asked the denomination to reapply for an exemption to ascertain if it still qualifies. A BAD official provided this exemption rule: "A residence or a warehouse or any structure can qualify if worship services are held within."


TIP: I just received an Alarm Permit Renewal notice from the City of San Antonio Police Department. It's not bad enough that we have to have a "permit" to have an alarm system in our home, but now the annual fee has gone up from $10 to $25 — an increase of 150 percent, without a word being spoken about it! I tried to contact the permit office at 207-8282, and all I got was an answering machine. I called the police department and was told that the fee increase was approved by the City Council. To require a permit for this service is ridiculous but to increase the fee for this permit by 150 percent is ludicrous! Can you please look into this?

INVESTIGATION: In the process of putting together the 2007 city budget, the City Council approved a recommendation by City Manager Sheryl Sculley to increase by 150 percent the fees for (a) new alarm permits and (b) renewal of alarm permits. The former is projected to raise an additional $179,245 for the city's General Fund; the latter, $712,730. Whether the council will spend the new revenue wisely is anybody's guess. But one thing is dead certain: After all of the 2007 alarm-permit fees are paid, San Antonio's lambkins will have 17,839,500 fewer nickels in their pockets.



TIP: Roddy, I drive my grandson to the Audie Murphy VA Hospital for appointments. The parking is free for veterans and others. But if you get there after 8 a.m., you can't find a parking space. I used to drop my grandson off at the door and join a lot of other people in the parking space hunt. I finally opted out of the search and now I go drink a cup of coffee and read a book. My grandson calls when his appointment is finished, and I pick him up. That has worked for us, but I wonder how many veterans have someone who can drop them off and pick them up.


INVESTIGATION: I am pleased to report: Officials at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, which includes the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital, have heard the appeals of you and others like you. On May 1, the hospital began providing valet parking, free to all veterans and their family members and visitors.



TIP: Roddy, while I was jogging at the UT Health Science Center (on April 27), I noticed a fire department command vehicle and two fire trucks from station #32 parked on the lot. The firefighters assigned to the vehicles were playing tennis at the Center's courts. Is it an accepted practice for firefighters on duty to play tennis?

INVESTIGATION: San Antonio firefighters are encouraged to participate in on-duty physical fitness activities as long as these three rules are followed — (1) the activities must not tire the firefighters to the point of affecting their ability to perform at a fire/emergency scene, (2) the firefighters must be able to get to their equipment quickly and (3) the activities must take place within the firefighters' first-response area.


TIP: Roddy, at a recent Spurs game, I saw City Manager Sheryl Sculley, her husband and two other city staffers sitting in front row seats. Where did they get the tickets? Is this against the city's ethics code?

INVESTIGATION: Edward Benavides, executive assistant to the city manager, provided this response to your questions:

"The city manager, her husband and two city staff were hosted at the Spurs game by Russ Bookbinder, Spurs Vice President of Operations, who attended the game with the city manager and her guests.

"This is not an ethics violation and will be reported as required."

(City officials periodically file reports of any "gifts" they have received.)

A query to the Spurs organization produced this response:

"Sheryl and Russ developed a friendship well before she got here through Jerry Colangelo (owner of the Phoenix Suns). Russ invited her and her husband Mike to a game without any strings attached."



TIP: Roddy, the airport staff mowed the bluebonnets on the airport property off of Starcrest. It was a very pretty area before they cut them down — plus, they mowed them before the bluebonnets went to seed, so we won't have any bluebonnets next year!

INVESTIGATION: Airport Director Mark Webb quickly denied ordering the massacre of the bluebonnets and suggested that the dastardly deed may have been done by Public Works, which mows the city right-of-way. He promised to conduct an inquiry.

His investigation found Public Works innocent of the bluebonnet carnage and uncovered a different villain: The city's Environmental Services Department.

The investigation was handed off to Rose Ryan, director of the ESD, and her inquiry produced the culprit:

"Dear Roddy, I found out the property mowed was the closed Wetmore Landfill (at Wurzbach Parkway and Wetmore Road), not the airport property.

"The State of Texas, through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, requires mowing of landfills as part of our compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations for post-closure landfill maintenance."

Lord love a duck.

Turns out the blood of the bluebonnets is on the hands of the well-intentioned (but often insane), Washington-headquartered, Save-the-Planet eco-flibbertigibbets.




TIP: I was in line around 7 a.m. at the HEB at the corner of FM 78 and Foster Road behind a man wearing a CPS shirt and a security badge that identified him as "Michael."

The HEB checker had to go get a form used to claim tax-exempt status for purchases. While waiting, I looked over the gentleman's purchases — sodas and doughnuts! He paid with a credit card that showed the CPS logo.

I'm all for tax-exempt organizations taking advantage of their status for official, business-related purchases, but sodas and doughnuts seem a bit out of line.

INVESTIGATION:"Michael" is responsible for technical and safety training in CPS Energy's Gas Business Unit. On the morning in question, he purchased refreshments for a training class.

The cost of the sodas and doughnuts: $12.48.



TIP: Roddy, TxDOT put blocks of sod at the intersection of Loop 1604 and Stone Oak Parkway instead of sowing grass seed. Sod is expensive. There's no telling how much more it cost taxpayers.

INVESTIGATION:According to TxDOT, the intersection is located over an "environmentally sensitive area" (Edwards Aquifer recharge zone). State "rules and regulations" forbid the agency to leave "exposed earth for an extended period time without ground cover. Thus we chose sod over seed."

You will be pleased to learn that TxDOT had enough sense not to use water-gulping St. Augustine:

"The sod is Bermuda."



TIP: The city's Public Works Department is using city employees and city money to repave a private road in District 2. The road has no name, but it's near Charles Williams Place and East Houston Street.

INVESTIGATION:A Public Works official reported: "I checked with our divisions, and we don't have any work going on in this area with city crews or contractors. If your source of information contacts you again, try to get further details."



TIP: I have lived in the Ridge Creek Subdivision in Northwest San Antonio for approximately 20 years, and during the past five years, I have noticed that our electricity goes out at least once or twice every other month.

It goes out when it rains, and it goes out in normal weather. It is off five to six hours sometimes. CPS sends out crew after crew to fix the problem, but the situation doesn't improve, and the problem continues to adversely affect residents of our neighborhood.

We need your help.

INVESTIGATION:According to CPS Energy records, there have been 11 outages in the past 12 months in your area. They have ranged from a few minutes to six and a half hours.

Utility investigators have determined that faulty underground electric cables caused most of the outages. To address the problem, CPS will replace the bad cable, and utility officials say they hope to complete the project by mid-summer.

One of those officials specifically asked me to convey to you "regrets for any inconvenience your reader has experienced."
Comments [6 Posted]: Read - Post
Go ahead, ask me anything — May, 2007

UPDATE: This question, which was published here last week, has been answered:

Q. I need your help! I am a student at UTSA, and I need assistance in locating an article. I am looking for an article by Mike Ullman, entitled, "COPS Brings Dead Flounder to City Hall." It was referenced in a journal I read, and I would like to read the entire article. The journal mentioned that it was published on Oct. 6, 1978, in the San Antonio Express-News. But I looked at the microfilm of that issue and didn't find it.

A. Two city-library archivists, Matt De Waelsche and Andy Crews, read the question, searched through the library's files and found the article in the Oct. 6, 1978, San Antonio News. (Many San Antonians aren't aware that the Express and News were separate papers, Monday through Friday, until 1984, when they were combined into the daily Express-News.)

The archivists e-mailed me a copy of the News report, which explained the fish visual aid this way:

"About 300 members of Communities Organized for Public Service brought a list of demands and a dead flounder to City Hall Thursday. ... In a prepared statement, COPS said mismanagement has caused flooding. 'What this amounts to is gross mismanagement on the part of the city manager, who instead of managing the city, merely flounders as we flood,' the release said."

Postscript: Click on the Et Cetera link for more information about what newspaper-research materials are available at the Central Public Library.



Q. I own a vacant rental house in Colonies North. The CPS Energy bill last month was $42.49, including a $15.99 city services charge. I live less than a mile away in Wilson Gardens, and my city services fee is $1.30 a month. Do you know why the Colonies North house has a higher fee than the Wilson Gardens house?

A. It is a mystery. "According to our customer services folks," a CPS Energy official said, "residents of Colonies North and Wilson Gardens are being charged the same amount for the City of San Antonio solid waste fee and environmental fee (i.e., $15.99). The only reason a customer would not be billed for these fees would be if the customer lived outside the city limits and used a commercial trash pick-up service."

So it appears that for some unknown reason, you are paying $1.30 a month while everyone around you is forking out $15.99.

Now that you know the facts, let me be the first to congratulate you for running to the phone, calling CPS and demanding to pay the higher fee.



Q. What's going on with the construction on Tezel Road between Timber Road and Mainland? This stretch of road has been closed down to one lane each way for two years. On my morning commute, it sometimes takes 30 minutes to drive 2.5 miles. And sometimes there are no construction people at the site! Would you look into this? It's absurd!

A. It will not make you feel any better to learn that I received a similar complaint from a frustrated driver last September!

At that time, a Public Works official said that the $12 million road improvement project was not behind schedule:

"The prolonged time of construction your reader mentioned has been caused by the installation of multiple utility lines each having to be installed in its own ditch. In spite of this, the construction schedule is going well and is currently about four weeks ahead of its anticipated completion date of May 2007."

WRONG. (Surprise, surprise). The project will NOT be completed this month. In fact, the same official told me this week: "The schedule for completion has been pushed back to August due to additional utility conflicts."

What a relief.

For a while, I thought the delay might be because some days nobody works at the site.



Q. I park in the Mid-City Parking Garage daily. It has become increasingly difficult to navigate the lanes because of parked trucks and SUVs (many with trailer hitches), which exceed the designated space and sometimes stick far out into the driving lane. Clearly the garage was designed before monster trucks and SUVs were imagined. My question: The garage has height restrictions on incoming vehicles. Is there any restriction on length of vehicles?

A. Simple question. Easy answer: The city has placed no restrictions on the length of vehicles that park in city facilities. If the vehicle doesn't exceed the height limit and is small enough to maneuver in and out of the garage, it is "legal."


Q. I heard that the Stone Oak area is not going to get the new automated garbage-collection system. Is that true? Personally I hope we get it, but others may prefer the old system.

A. Stone Oak will be part of the new system, but not anytime soon. The city is implementing the automated system across the community during a three-year period, and Stone Oak is at the end of that period, specifically 2010.

Incidentally, Rose Ryan, the very efficient manager of the city's Environmental Services Department, has posted on the city's Web site a color-coded schedule of implementation of the automated routes. You can see it at www.sanantonio.gov by clicking on "Proposed Automated Routes."



Q. Roddy, what is the status of the case against alleged bookmaker Richard Lee? I haven't seen anything in the paper about the investigation since last fall. Please follow up on that story and let the public know what's going on.

A. The San Antonio Police Department sent the case to the Bexar County District Attorney on April 25th. According to a spokesman for the DA, the case is "currently under review by the White Collar Crime Division. ... That is all I can state at this point because it is a pending investigation."



Q. Roddy, in your May 6 Express-News column, you stated that city employees pay $88.50 per month for health insurance. What is the cost to the city (i.e. taxpayers)?

A. As often noted in my column over the years, city employees have gold-plated benefits, and their health-care benefits are at the top of the gilded list. The CityMed Civilian PPO plan requires an employee to pay only $88.50 a month for the employee and his/her family. The city (taxpayers) pays $768.62 per month.

Other types of health-insurance coverage and the costs paid by the employee and the city are as follows:

• For employee/spouse coverage, the employee pays $63 and the city pays $560.85 a month.
• For employee/children coverage, the employee pays $37.50 and city pays $507.70 a month.
• For employee-only coverage, the employee pays $10.50 and the city pays $301.42 a month.

I doubt that anyone begrudges the employees such a great deal. I certainly don't. But I do get frustrated when employee representatives moan and groan about city-worker compensation without ever mentioning the sweet fringe benefits.



Q. Roddy, after all of the news reporting on the accident caused by the 18-year-old car thief (on Friday, May 11), I'm curious how much it cost taxpayers for the police and fire departments to remove him and his car from the precarious position between the Interstate 35 North exit ramp and Interstate 37. There must have been 40-50 firemen/police officers and dozens of pieces of equipment on the scene during the two to three hours it took to release him.

A. The San Antonio Police Department charged 35 police-officer hours to the rescue effort. At an estimated rate of $30 an hour, the SAPD cost was $1,050. "That doesn't include the cost of materiel, fuel, etc.," a department spokesman said.

The San Antonio Fire Department doesn't track cost per call/rescue. Assistant Chief Carl Wedige explained: "We are budgeted each year to maintain a level of firefighters in a ready state to respond. The resources used in a case such as this are paid whether firefighters are responding to a call or not. As such, there was no additional cost to taxpayer for this response."

Wedige said that the rescue involved 22 SAFD personnel and eight department vehicles.



Q. Roddy, because of the terrible destruction caused by a tornado in Eagle Pass, I wondered if San Antonio has a tornado warning system and/or shelters. I called 311 and the person who answered told me that I could watch weather news on television. When I asked what I should do if the electricity was off, she suggested I call the Emergency Management Operations office. I did so, and the person I talked to said, "Tornado warning system? What's that?" I concluded that there is no such warning system. Am I right?

A. The City of San Antonio has no outdoor tornado warning system and operates no shelters. However, there is a tornado-warning plan in place that involves various procedures, including emergency personnel going door to door, the use of emergency vehicle public address systems and NOAA Weather Radio alerts. Realistically, that is probably the best the city can do given the cost of installing and maintaining a citywide warning/shelter system.



Q. I need your help! I am a student at UTSA, and I need assistance in locating an article. Since you have been with the Express-News forever, I thought you might be able to lend a hand. I am looking for an article by Mike Ullman, entitled, "COPS Brings Dead Flounder to City Hall." It was referenced in a journal I read, and I would like to read the entire article. The journal mentioned that it was published on Oct. 6, 1978, in the San Antonio Express-News. But I looked at the microfilm of that issue and didn't find it. Do you remember the incident and/or the article?

P.S. I apologize for the "forever" remark. But it's true!

A. It is an interesting question, and I will be glad to put my walking cane and jar of Mentholatum down long enough to tell you that I vaguely recall a group demonstrating at City Hall and using a fish as a visual aid. But I can't say for sure that it was Communities Organized for Public Service. And I don't recall what the group was demonstrating for or against. I wouldn't even swear that it was in the '70s. (The years and memories begin to blend after the first couple of column-writing decades.) My best advice would be to check with the current COPS leadership and see if the group has a file of articles from that period. Meanwhile, if anyone in cyberspace can help this student find the article, please get in touch with me, and I will give you his contact information.



Q. This question was featured here earlier this week:

Sir, I have searched for many years in many places to learn the truth about the killing of my grandfather, J. J. Pedraza, a San Antonio policeman killed in the line of duty in October 1924. According to a family story, he was killed by a military policeman on what was then called Rattlesnake Hill. Thanks for any help you or your readers can provide in helping me obtain more information about his death.

A. J.B. Spencer, a San Antonio man who read the question, was moved by the grandson's desire to know more about his grandfather and decided to see if he could find an answer. His successful Internet search turned up this information:

Officer Joseph J. Pedraza was shot and died on October 6, 1924. Patrolman Pedraza was investigating a disturbance on East Commerce Street when he was accidentally shot by a Military Police Officer who was assisting in the investigation. Patrolman Pedraza served 8 1/2 years in the department and was 45 years old. He is on the San Antonio Police Department's Roll of Honor, and on a plaque at SAPD headquarters.



Q. Let me see if I have this straight: The Texas Legislature approved a freeze of school property taxes for homeowners who are disabled or 65 years or older without including a provision that those same homeowners would benefit from any future lowering of school property taxes. So voters across the state had to go to the polls to vote on a constitutional amendment to do add such a provision! Most 5th graders could have done a better legislative job. QUESTION: Are Texas legislators illiterate, or are they just too lazy to read the bills they vote on?

A. On Jan. 8, 1991, I told readers of my Express-News column:

An Austin pollster did some research and came up with this information about the Texas House of Representatives: "The average member is a 46-year-old male, a Democrat and an attorney, and he attends a Baptist church." In other words, a spiritual quadriplegic.

Of course, that isn't true today. The average member of the Texas House in 2007 is a 46-year-old male, a Baptist, an attorney and a Republican — making him a well-dressed spiritual quadriplegic.

Whether the tax-freeze legislation was initially passed by a Legislature dominated by Democrats or Republicans, I can't say. And I don't see any point in researching the matter. While the leadership of the Legislature has changed through the years, its derelict core has remained the same.

I know that doesn't respond to your illiterate-or-lazy question, but the fact that I'm putting this on the Web, where it can be read, should provide a pluperfect clue to the correct answer.



Q. Sir, I have searched for many years in many places to learn the truth about the killing of my grandfather, J. J. Pedraza, a San Antonio policeman killed in the line of duty in October 1924. According to a family story, he was killed by a military policeman on what was then called Rattlesnake Hill. Thanks for any help you or your readers can provide in helping me obtain more information about his death.

A. It's doubtful that anyone in San Antonio today remembers an event that occurred in 1924, but if any Web site reader can help this grandson with his research, please call me (210-250-3155), and I will put you in touch with him. Meanwhile, I have suggested that the grandson look for stories about his grandfather's death in microfilmed copies of October 1924 newspapers available at the downtown Central Library. If he finds anything, he will report the information to me and I will share it with readers.



Q. Every time I read "no tax increase," I see red. Do people not know that TAXES HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED?!! Check your last letter from the Bexar Appraisal District if you don't believe me. I know of NO ONE whose taxes didn't go up. Thanks for listening. If I am mistaken, please set me straight.

A. When politicians say, "no tax increase," they are referring to the TAX RATE, not TAXES. In the City of San Antonio, for instance, the tax rate has not increased since 1991, but the taxes for most homeowners have risen significantly because of higher property valuations. Politicos rarely mention this obvious fact, preferring to announce "no tax increase" as if they are somehow doing taxpayers a favor.

In an inflationary environment where valuations increase consistently, the only way to prevent increases in taxes is to lower the tax rate as appraisals go up. County officials, to their credit, have occasionally done that. But at City Hall, the tax rate has remained the same for 15 years.



Q. Roddy, how does the Bexar Appraisal District decide which properties to re-assess? Since I bought my home three years ago, there has been an increase in its appraised value every year ... from $90,000 to now $146,000. However, not every homeowner has seen their property appraisals increase. In my line of work, I regularly review the appraisals of properties, and I've noticed that the values of some homes have remained the same during the past three years — and in some cases much longer. How can that be?

A. The appraisal district divides Bexar County into market areas (or neighborhoods). Whether assessed values change in an area depends to a great extent on the amount of sales and/or remodeling that occurs there. In some stable (mostly lower-end and rural) areas, values change less often than in areas with a lot of sales and rehab projects.

Neighborhoods with similarly priced houses and a lot of sales activity tend to attract BAD attention more than neighborhoods with houses of differing price levels and/or little sales activity.

To put it another way: While all areas are periodically reviewed by BAD, the areas with a lot of sales activity are under the gun more frequently because BAD has sufficient evidence to change appraisals in those areas and successfully defend those changes if owners appeal the valuations.



Q. Roddy, I saw your item pooh-poohing the rumor that City Hall and CPS Energy officials were preparing to sell the utility to a private company. That got me to wondering about something: What steps would City Hall and CPS have to go through before the utility could be sold? In other words, could it be done easily?

A. Two actions would have to take place for a sale of the utility to occur:

1. CPS trustees and the San Antonio City Council would have to agree to the sale and announce the date of an election on the matter.

2. San Antonio voters would have to approve the sale. (The Texas Government Code dictates: "Unless authorized by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the municipality, a municipality may not sell a utility system, park or pool.")

The Texas Government Code does allow "the sale of an unencumbered natural gas system by a municipality with a population of more than 100,000" without an election. But to my knowledge, there has never been a serious public or private discussion of selling the CPS gas system during my 33 years at this desk.



Q. In potential tax dollars, how much money is given away (or lost) in tax breaks for properties owned by religious organizations in Bexar County?

A. Only God knows. Once a property is exempted from taxation, Bexar Appraisal District doesn't spend any of its limited resources determining the valuation.



Q. I have to rent a car locally this weekend. When I went online to make a reservation, I noticed there was no way to apply for my exemption from paying the tax that is added to the bill to pay for construction of a Spurs arena (now the AT&T Center). It's my understanding that Bexar County residents don't have to pay the tax. I called Bexar County, and no one there seemed to know what I was talking about. Any suggestions?

A. Local citizens are not and never have been exempt from paying the rental car tax. And as far as I can recall, such an exemption was never discussed during the 1999 campaign to raise the rental tax from 10 percent to 15 percent to help pay for a $175 million new home for the Spurs. (Also, during that campaign, voters were asked to approve an increase in the hotel-occupancy tax from 15 percent to 16.75 percent.) Apparently, the lack of an exemption didn't bother voters, who overwhelmingly approved the two tax increases.



Q. A couple of months ago, the city started working on Nacogdoches Road just south of Loop 410. Although the street was in good condition, the city repaved it. But that wasn't enough. The city then began digging up 150-foot portions of outside lanes, some 2-3 feet deep, laying steel rebar and pouring concrete. This has been done in several places. What's going on?

A. The city is putting concrete "pads" on the street to prevent the wear and tear caused by VIA Metropolitan Transit's buses when they stop-and-start at bus stops.

"The pads are installed as soon as possible after the street work," a VIA official said. "They will provide for a longer and more useful life of the street since they don't buckle under the heavy load of VIA buses."



Q. Roddy, after reading your (May 8) column, I'm wondering: How can we do something to cap the University Health System property taxes for senior homeowners?

A. First, the Texas Legislature would have to approve a constitutional amendment allowing counties to hold elections on a health-system property-tax cap for seniors. Then voters would have to ratify the amendment in a statewide election. And finally, officials in a county would have to either approve the cap or put the matter to a vote and let county voters make the decision.

My personal forecast of when Step One will be taken: Never.

My suggestion to advocates for Bexar County's senior homeowners: Lobby UHS trustees to provide a homestead exemption (say $25,000) for seniors.



Q. Roddy, I was shocked to see full page ads by CPS Energy in a national magazine. Why would our local monopoly need to "advertise" in a national publication?

A. Some national magazines sell regional advertising, and for several years, CPS has advertised in South Texas editions of Newsweek, Time and Sports Illustrated. The utility's objectives: (1) to keep CPS customers up-to-date on energy-related issues and (2) to make sure those customers are aware of the advantages of doing business with a locally owned energy company.

Though Texas' city-owned energy companies have not been deregulated, CPS officials are always looking over their shoulders and preparing for the day when they will have to compete for ratepayers. Instead of waiting till then to worry about the utility's image, they have opted to toot their own horn now, and South Texas editions of national magazines reach a broader audience than news releases, bill inserts, etc.

For what it's worth ... on Monday, CPS informed me that no ads are scheduled "in the near term, and there has been no firm decision on future ad placements."



Q. Roddy, I saw the item on the huge increase in the city's fee for alarm permit renewal, and I'm wondering if the council provided any cost break for people on fixed incomes who can't afford to pay the 150 percent increase? Some San Antonians might have to choose between a security/fire alarm and medicines or food on the table.

A. I regret to say (though it probably won't surprise you) that the mayor and council showed ZERO concern for citizens on fixed incomes and provided no cost break, no payment plan and no help whatsoever for seniors on fixed incomes, disabled San Antonioans or any other group of financially strapped folks.



Q. Roddy, please answer a question that I have wanted to ask someone for a long time: What is the "service availability charge" entry on my monthly CPS Energy bill? It is always the same: $4.25. That's $51 a year!

Multiply $51 by all of the CPS customers, and you come up with a staggering amount of money.

A. According to a statement issued by CPS in response to your question: "The charge covers the cost of the meter and the related costs to read the meter and generate a bill. The charge is common throughout the utility industry. In Texas, CPS Energy and El Paso Electric have the lowest charges. Austin Energy, another municipally owned utility, charges $6 a month." (The highest charge, $7.03, is paid by ratepayers of Amigo Energy in the Corpus Christi area.)



Q. Roddy, I clipped and saved an item that was in one of your (January) columns. In it, a reader griped: "During a tour of the Institute of Texan Cultures, I noticed that Anglos were missing from the exhibits of the cultures that have contributed to our rich Texas heritage. I guess Sam Houston, William Travis and Davy Crockett are mythical characters, the British didn't develop the XIT Ranch, the Irish didn't settle San Patricio County and the Scots passed up a good fight at the Alamo." What is the status of those exhibits being returned to the Institute?

A. Here is what I reported in January: "According to an institute official, the Irish, Scottish and English exhibits 'were removed for two reasons: to make room for exhibits that would attract dynamic audiences and to renovate these exhibits. Our moves have nothing to do with being politically correct or incorrect and are not aimed at removing anything from the historical record. The official provided no date for the return of the exhibits.'" Since then, a date has been set for returning the exhibits to the Institute: On or before Aug. 31.



Q. Roddy, has anyone in the media reported the names of the owners of the river-front property who will benefit from the City Council's decision to plow another $18 million into a northward expansion of the River Walk? You have mentioned "riverside property owners and developers," but I have yet to read in the newspaper or see on TV any mention of names.

A. The Museum Reach-Urban Segment of the River Walk extension, from Lexington Avenue to Josephine Street, could (and probably will) be a significant financial blessing for riverside property owners. According to a list of those owners, provided by the San Antonio River Authority, the fortunate individuals, private businesses, nonprofits and development companies are as follows:

First Baptist Church
McCullough Ave. Association (SW Bell)
SW Bell
815 Avenue B, LP
Turners Inc.
VFW Post 76
Evelyn Guerrero
Judith Lackritz
Perry Family Partnership
Alfred & Darlene Rothe
Joe Nicholson
1101 Broadway, L.P. (Cross & Co.)
Rio City et. al. (George Geis)
Steven P. Hart & Sandi Hart Taylor
Patrick Media Group Inc.
Robert & Oralia Gonzales
Samuels Glass Co.
Rio Perla Properties, LP
Glenmorangie Ltd. Partnership
Southern Foods Group
Cally N. Alexander
Lala Inc.
Quincy Prop. (Sam Boldrick)
David M. Wallace
San Antonio Museum of Art
Liberty Properties
Geis & Seeligson
Alamo River Partners - Paradigm Hotels
Fiesta Riverwalk Hotel
Berlee Lumber Company
The Estate of Ramiro Ayala
102 West Josephine Joint Venture

In sum: An impressive list of Lucky Duckies.



Q. Roddy, can you look into the work on the bridge expansion gaps on U.S. 281 north of downtown? These contractors have been "working" on this for six months, and they seem to be ripping up work that was already done. They close two lanes on weekends when there is a lot of traffic going to and from downtown, and a lot of the time you don't see anybody working.

A. TxDOT told me last week that the work would be finished over the weekend. That didn't happen. Here's the state agency's explanation: "Unfortunately, the contractor was not able to complete everything last weekend. He has a few joints left, but he assured us that the job is near completion on the joints themselves." Caveat: "While this work should be complete in the very near future, we are still going to have to utilize alternating lane closures on U.S. 281 to ensure the safety of the traveling public as the contractor completes additional work." (Yadda, yadda, yadda.)



Q. My neighborhood is on the new garbage pickup system (brown container on Monday, blue on Thursday). Now that the pickup has an automated pickup arm, what will keep citizens from indiscriminately disposing of garbage by merely putting out the correctly colored container with all manner of refuse inside?

A. To some extent it's an honor system (as in many areas of private and public life), and you're right. Some people will show their non-honorable colors. The good news: The equipment at the dumping end of the process is capable of sorting out the non-recyclables.



Q. The latest San Antonio bond issue on the May 12 ballot is being promoted as not causing a tax increase. That sure is nice, but do you happen to know how much we San Antonians are going to pay for these no-tax-increase bonds when interest is figured in?

A. If all of the city bond issues are approved, the principal will be $550,000,000. The projected interest (6.75%) on the bonds over 20 years is $524,289,113. Total bill for city taxpayers: $1.074 billion.



Q. In a recent column, you praised the city for providing free parking for decorated and/or disabled veterans at downtown meters and various lots and garages. How many such veterans honor Military City USA with their presence?

A. According to information provided by the county tax assessor/collector, these special license plates have been issued in Bexar County:

Congressional Medal of Honor — 2
Legion of Valor — 14
Purple Heart — 2,008
Former POW — 191
Disabled Veteran — 9,270

Postscript: On April 4, the Bexar County Arenas Board approved a policy granting free parking to the groups mentioned above at all Freeman Coliseum events.



Q. Now that Michael Sculley has told county commissioners that pursuing a major league sports franchise is a waste of time for San Antonio, is his position as a county consultant going to be terminated? Or is he going to continue to be paid to do nothing? Incidentally, all he did was reveal what locals with any brains have known for years — San Antonio will never be able to compete for a major league football or baseball team.

A. This may be more information than you asked for, but since Mike Sculley is the husband of City Manager Sheryl Sculley, it's probably best for everyone involved to have all of the facts and circumstances related to his county employment out in the open.

Regarding his pay:

The county's "personal services agreement" with Sculley provides for him to be paid up to $75,000, billed monthly at a rate of $48 per hour worked. He is also eligible to be reimbursed for up to $10,000 in approved expenses.

Through the end of March, he had been paid $18,089.30 and had been reimbursed $401.30 for the cost of a round-trip airplane ticket to Phoenix to meet with Joe Garagiola Jr., a Major League Baseball front office executive.

Regarding his duties:

Establishing contacts and relationships to help the county attract either a Major League Baseball or National Football League franchise was only a part of the personal services agreement approved by Commissioners Court back in December.

Here's the background for Sculley's larger assignment:

The County currently collects a 1.75% hotel/motel bed tax and 5% short-term car rental tax approved by voters in 1999 to pay off the $146.5 million in bonds issued to build the AT&T Center. Those bonds are on schedule to be paid off around 2012.

Community groups are aware of this funding mechanism becoming available, and some have already publicly stated their support for having voters approve its use for projects of interest to them — e.g, making improvements on Freeman Coliseum grounds, building a performing arts center, etc.

Sculley's mission is to develop and manage a process by which a consensus can be reached to identify, fund and develop a particular project or projects.

His contract requires him to submit a final report to Commissioners Court by mid-December.


Q. What is the City of San Antonio's current tax rate per $100 valuation?

A. According to the CIty Budget Office:
57.854 cents
On a $100,000 residence, before deducting the homestead exemption, the annual bill would be $578.54.


Q. I live outside the eastern perimeter of Camp Bullis. This morning, for the second time in a week, I awoke at 4:00 AM to the sounds of explosives, which continued until 5:00. I have lived at that location for four years, and this is the first time our neighbors at Camp Bullis have started up with that racket at such an ungodly hour. I have a high level of tolerance for the Sound of Freedom, having served in the military myself, but this seems a little too hard-core. Could you please find out what they were blowing up and why they couldn't do it during the day?

A. According to an Army spokesman:"The only training (at the time mentioned in your complaint) was the Basic Combat Convoy Course on the range firing machine guns. The Air Force unit hosting the training was not using grenade or artillery simulators during this training. Most of the units training at Camp Bullis, including the Combat Medic field training exercises, have a night fire requirement. Some units choose to fire late at night and others early in the morning. Training to improve night fighting skills is an important feature of Army combat training since our advanced night vision technology provides Soldiers and Marines an advantage during combat operations."


Q. The Express-News quoted a Service Employees International Union official as saying that the union has about 800 dues-paying members at City Hall. Is that true? Can you verify the number?

A. In March, the union had 803 members. Here are the totals by department:

Environmental Services — 187
Public Works — 113
Police (civilian workers) — 83
Parks & Recreation — 81
Library — 40
Asset Management — 39
Aviation — 35
Neighborhood Action — 35
Convention Facilities — 34
Animal Care Services — 31
Health District — 23
ITSD — 20
Purchasing — 16
Development Services — 12
Municipal Courts — 12
Convention & Visitors Bureau — 7
Downtown Operations — 5
Customer Service — 3
Fire/EMS (civilian) — 2
Alamodome — 2
Human Resources — 1
City attorney's office — 1


Q. I live on Thousand Oaks Blvd, where the city is tearing up old, perfectly good existing driveways and putting in new driveways between Ledgeview and Henderson Pass. I asked the workers about it, and they said they didn't know why. It looks like a make-work project.

A. The project is part of a "Rolling 5-year Infrastructure Management Program," a city spokewoman said. "This program sets the maintenance and installation for sidewalks, streets, traffic signal lights, etc. for the next five years. As part of this program, there are currently sidewalks and driveways being installed in this area ."
Here's the link to the IMP: http://www.sanantonio.gov/publicworks



Q. "I'm curious about the 'restructuring' going on at CPS Energy. Couple it with the local ads and commercials being bought by TXU Energy, and I have to wonder if our city utility is being prepared for sale to a private company?"

A. Periodically, a rumor flies around town about the city's selling CPS, and I have spent more hours than I care to recall chasing the gossip down a dead end street. Neverthless, I shared your question with CPS officials, and they issued this statement:

"Neither have there been any offers received nor have there been any discussions relating to the sale of San Antonio's electric and gas systems."

I can't imagine a realistic scenario in which City Hall would sell CPS.

It's just not politically doable.
Comments [16 Posted]: Read - Post
Cheers and Jeers — May, 2007

JEER: Texas still has one tax appraisal system for ordinary people and another tax appraisal system for wealthy people. Legislators did a little better job this time by pretending they were debating the subject of mandatory sales price disclosure, but the session is over now and no bill was passed. I wish some young, aggressive lawyer (and a plaintiff with standing) would spend a year or two taking this all the way to the Supreme Court. It seems like a slam dunk when I read the 14th Amendment ... "no state shall deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
— Bob Riley, San Antonio



JEER: So now we have the pandering Democratic leadership in Congress threatening to pass a law punishing "price gouging" in gasoline sales. I wonder how that will be defined? Will some range of cents-per-gallon be mandated for various political subdivisions? Cities? Counties? States? How ridiculous. Instead of passing meaningless laws about negligible price gouging, those clowns need to stop genuflecting to the environmental loons of the left and facilitate the building of some new refineries for the first time in 30 years.
— Robert Bogan, San Antonio



JEER: Texans should be ashamed of themselves. Retired public schoolteachers have not received a cost-of-living increase in SIX YEARS. Their pensions are based on their final years of compensation, and we all know that isn't a heck of a lot of money. I hear all of the grumbling about high taxes, but rarely do I hear anything about taking care of teachers and retired teachers.
— Steve Robbins, Boerne



JEER: How long will the Post Office ration 2-cent stamps, selling only 40 per day per person? I just returned from the Stone Oak Post Office and was surprised when the clerk would not sell me 64 2-cent stamps. He said there was a shortage. I asked if I could go back outside and come in again. He said, "No". Only two sheets of 20 per day per person. But there are no signs to notify customers and I haven't heard anything in the news. What's the deal?
— Bill Ault, San Antonio



JEER: I couldn't believe my eyes the other evening when I saw a meter maid putting a ticket on a car at FIVE MINUTES TO SIX! She then walked a few feet and wrote another ticket and put it on a second car at TWO MINUTES TO SIX! This wasn't in the downtown commercial district where it might make sense to ticket a vehicle two minutes before parking is free. This happened on 4th Street two blocks east of Broadway next to a large, virtually empty parking lot! Is City Hall so desperate for revenue that the meter maids have to resort to mean-spiritedness? Are our City Council members trying to make up for the cash the city lost when they gave free parking to hybrids? SHEEEESH!
— E. Frank Cody, San Antonio



JEER: I voted before we left town for a visit with my in-laws and missed all the fun. In the May 13, 2007, San Antonio Express-News, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Joe Krier was quoted as saying, "There is a core group who would vote against a free pass to heaven if it was on the ballot." Does he think that a person shouldn't vote if they are not going to vote as he does? Or vote against something? Most people don't vote now because they don't believe in the system and/or think that it doesn't matter. All I can say is they at least voted, and Mr. Krier can like it or not.
— Jerry Davis, San Antonio



JEER: I can hardly wait for gas to go to $4 a gallon. Maybe the price will force people who drive big gas-hog SUVs and pickups to go to smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles. I got rid of my gas-hog SUV two years ago. I now drive a sports coupe that gets 30 miles per gallon!
— Hank Flores, San Antonio



JEER: I love it! TxDOT is doing Loop 410 work in the Broadway area. The city is putting bus pads on Broadway near 410. And now the old Antique Mall at Broadway and 410 is being torn down, so 18-wheelers will be hauling the debris away. Two or three trucks should be able to block everything from the Courtyard by Marriott to 410. Pretty soon, Broadway will be a 24-hour parking lot and no one will be able to go anywhere. Ya gotta love the powers that be. Nobody coordinates with anyone else.
— Shirley Leffel, San Antonio



JEER: I recently visited Crownridge Canyon Natural Area off Camp Bullis Road. As I approached, I noticed that the hill behind the park, once a wooded habitat for many animals, plant species and migrating birds, had been turned into bare ground that seemed like a piece of land on the moon. You should go there and see it for yourself. It is horrible, and it saddens me to think that any builder and/or developer could see an advantage to that.
— Liz Gauna Robbins, Boerne



JEER: You slammed Republicans in the Legislature for refusing to bring property tax relief to middle-class lambkins by approving mandatory disclosure of real estate sale prices. To be fair, why don't you do some criticizing closer to home? When was the last time our majority Democratic City Council lowered the property tax rate for San Antonio taxpayers? Let's also talk about the failure of City Council's Demo-libbers to pass on CPS Energy's excess profits to ratepayers. In sum, I don't see that much difference between the donkeys and the elephants when it comes to providing relief for the middle class.
— Richard Gray, San Antonio



JEER: The city's two-block-long bike route has stolen the precious few parking spots that customers of businesses used on South Alamo near its intersection with South Presa. To add insult to injury, the bike-riding meter maiden has started ticketing our cars and trucks parked on South Presa, where there is a one-hour limit. I can't stand these idiots anymore. We need to turn South Presa into a FREE AND LIBERATED parking zone to help businesses in the area deal with this madness.
— Pancho Velazquez, San Antonio



JEER: Recently I got another piece of mail asking me to contribute to the Republican Party. Meanwhile, Republican legislators are sitting on legislation to require disclosure of the actual selling price when real estate is sold. The bill would prevent an unfair burden from falling on ordinary voters and taxpayers. How can GOP leaders expect people to contribute to the party while the leadership of that party allows a Republican-controlled legislature to give unfair advantage to fat cats at the expense of the very taxpayers and voters they are supposed to represent? Have Republican leaders learned nothing from the last election?
— Hugh Caddess, San Antonio



JEER: I am so frustrated with the lack of effort on constructing the center barrier and completing the road widening on US 281 south of Loop 410. Construction south of Basse Road went great. TxDOT completed this section expeditously. Why is the portion north of Basse not being worked on? This is VERY dangerous because of the very narrow lanes. And I don't buy the explanation that they are just following their schedule. If so, the schedule should be changed to make driving safer.
— Cliff Rath, San Antonio



JEER: My husband and I are dedicated voters. On Saturday morning we checked the Express-News to verify the location for our precinct, 2009. It was listed as: Braun Oaks Swim Club, 10555 Tezel Road. This has been our location for a number of years. Upon arrival, we found a printed notice saying the location had been moved to Coke Stevens Middle School. Upon arrival at the "new location," I asked the workers how long they had known the location had been moved. They responded, "We did not know it had been moved." There were only the two of us and the workers at the voting site. And they complained about low voter turn-out!
— Margaret Robbins, San Antonio

JEER CORRECTION: Last week, a jeerer said that CPS Energy does not offer rebates for reel (push-type) lawn mowers as part of the Mow Down Smog program. Actually, the program does offer rebates for the purchase of this type of lawn equipment. Details are available at www.cpsenergy.com (search: Mow Down Smog) or at 353-2090. According to information at the Web site, the rebate on a Push Reel Mower is $20 when a gas-powered mower is traded in and $10 with no trade-in.



JEER: Since San Antonio doesn't seem interested in synchronizing its traffic lights, I have learned to do the following: Keep at least two magazines to read during the long wait. And keep a BIG book; i. e., Charles Dickens or Stephen King, to read during the U.S. 281/1604 debacle. I use my peripheral vision to lay the material down when the light finally changes. I hope this helps other readers.
— P. David Smith, San Antonio



JEER: Looks like they are going to look up our tailpipes rather than go after the entities that are responsible for the majority of air pollution. Of course, we exhale CO2, so maybe this will be the foot in the door that all politicians have been waiting for — a tax on breathing.
— Jim Ret, San Antonio



JEER: Roddy, your Thursday column — "That dead-fish odor you smell is the stench of rotting fairness, equity" — was a great example of MEDIA BIAS. You took a common concern for all citizens and tried to point fingers at the Republicans, who are in charge of a system CREATED BY DEMOCRATS AND PERPETUATED BY DEMOCRATS for almost the entire history of Texas. You failed to mention that in your finger pointing. What about a little journalistic integrity? Yeah, that’s been gone a long time as well.
— Will Foster, Austin



JEER: Regarding taxpayer funding of city employees' benefits: Most health and dental problems are self-inflicted. Taxpayers are paying for the health insurance of those who do and don't take care of themselves. Perhaps if employees had to pay more for their insurance they would make a better effort to improve their health and dental care, saving the taxpayers some money for a change.
— Bill Kuester, San Antonio



JEER: The power brokers in San Antonio always want more money to fund their little projects, not realizing that they have already put their hands in your pocket so deep that they are beginning to tear a hole in the bottom!
— Martin Packer, San Antonio



JEER: It's official. The city has approved the installation of state-of-the-art $250,000 potties to replace the three elevators at the Tower of the Americas. The mayor said he was relieved to know that visitors to the tower will now have proper sanitation facilities while awaiting rescue. Additionally, a new public address system will be installed that will bellow out, "Fire in the hole!" after each flush. Puro San Antonio, baby!
— Richard Gray, San Antonio



JEER: I routinely drive through three major intersections around town. The first is the completely modern cloverleaf interchange at I-10 and 1604 on the NW Side. The second is the debacle known as 281 and 1604, featuring no inexpensive option for conversion into a modern highway intersection. The third is I-10 and 1604 on the East Side. The TXDoT/Bexar County/San Antonio planning from years ago will require negotiating with major retail stores to fix 281 and 1604. I wonder if the same planning folks have taken any action to make sure there is room for an interchange at the 3rd intersection in the future? If not, perhaps you and I could re-direct our children's inheritance to a strategic land purchase.
— Eric Sheppard, San Antonio



JEER: "My Oak Park/Northwood neighborhood has new sidewalks being installed on North Vandiver from Eisenhauer to Urban Crest. First, the construction crews removed and replaced existing sidewalks (which were in fine condition) on the east side of the street. Now they are installing new sidewalks on the west side of the street, where sidewalks never existed. Our street is not that wide or congested enough to need sidewalks on both sides. I am appalled that the city is spending so much money on sidewalks that are unnecessary. I will not be voting for the bonds if this is how the city "manages" our money.
— Lori Bauml, San Antonio



JEER: I don't think the "On-Air Talent" should still be working at KTKR-AM 760 for their inappropriate remarks about Allen Iverson, homeless people, and Hispanic legal or illegal members of our American society. At this point, the fired producer of "Sports Talk San Antonio" is just being made the scapegoat in the incident. If it were up to me, everyone connected to the remarks would be looking for work. You mis-use the public airwaves, that should be it. No more chances. You mis-used the public trust, you're fired!!!!
— Steve Bissell, San Antonio



JEER: Last Saturday my daughter and her family attended the night parade. As generations before them, they drove their car downtown and parked it so they would have an easier exit after the parade. Of course, the parking meter patrol was out in force, ticketing folks for failure to pay meter charges. Meanwhile, all the city "big shots" didn't have to worry about parking, given their special passes, police escorted royalty and taxpayer-provided transportation. You would think city officials would have offered a meter free day for this "Peoples" parade, and you would hope that for one day they could keep their hands in their own pockets.
— Joseph Deosdade, San Antonio



FINAL SALUTE: "Stewart Fischer, who passed away last Saturday, was the City's Traffic Department Director in the 1960s and '70s. I worked for him in the '70s, and his vision for San Antonio was amazing. (For instance, he wanted to re-route railroads around San Antonio and not through the City.) His employees will remember him forever. He treated all of us like family."
— Gary Balbaugh, San Antonio



JEER: "We opened our mail last night (April 30) and found a very well designed, attractive brochure promoting the 2007 bond package. Included was an application for ballot by mail for seniors 65 years or older. "It's as easy as 1-2-3. Fill it out, place a stamp ... mail before May 1, and your ballot will be mailed to you." Unfortunately, we were unable to get to the Post Office in time. The city fathers should be congratulated. Prior to the last election, the same brochure arrived two days after the mailing deadline. This is progress."
— Gary MacPhee, San Antonio



CHEER: "I went to a contract mail center to mail a manila envelope full of Sunday comics, a magazine and some articles to the grandson of a friend of mine who is serving in Iraq. The lady that runs the place looked at the address and asked me where he was located. When I said Iraq, she said, 'We will take care of this for you.' When I indicated I didn't understand, she said that the business would pay the postage, and she asked me to thank him for all he does. I could hardly get out of there before I burst into tears. There ARE people who appreciate and respect our service men and women. They just don't make the news."
— Tish Moore, San Antonio



JEER: "Regarding the latest expansion of the River Walk ... How many more hotels will now be built from McCullough Avenue northward to pollute our city with more and more tourists? Ugh!"
— Craig Bell, San Antonio



JEER: "I lived in St. Paul before moving to San Antonio. Definitely, we don't need unionized public service here. We had it in Minnesota, and it was oppressive. The whole county system was run by unions and the politicians who took money from them."
— Don Paster, San Antonio


CHEER: "Every day, as I make my commute up and down U.S. 281, I pray that I do not become a part of the accident statistics, and I applaud SAPD's efforts to stop drivers who feel they have an indisputable right to speed, drive overly aggressive and ignore road signs. I hope officers extend their enforcement for as long as it takes to force these wannabe NASCAR drivers to slow down and respect others."
— Kearne Anderson, San Antonio


JEER: "I just received my 'estimated taxes' for this year, and I am appalled. Nothing has changed at my home from 2006 to 2007 that warrants an increase of 24%! This is robbery. I am going to appeal this very high increase in estimated taxes. I am also voting NO on the bond issue."
— Donna Miller, San Antonio


JEER: "I was a volunteer at my old middle school for the TAKS testing week. The morning pledge and announcements were done over the classroom intercom. I was shocked that nothing was said about the school massacre in Virginia the previous day. It was treated as a non-event. When I got home, I e-mailed teacher friends in five Texas school districts and in five other states and asked each one what was said to the students about the events at Virginia Tech. In the other states, the subject was addressed in every school. But in Texas, not one school (out of 9) said anything other than TAKS, TAKS, TAKS. This is a sad commentary on the pervasiveness of TAKS. The worst mass murder at an American school in the history of the United States doesn't hold a candle to TAKS."
— H. D. Kelly, San Antonio


JEER: "In the April 15 newspaper, an article by Greg Jefferson reported that local engineering, architectural and construction companies contributed approximately $187,450 to aid in the city's pro-bonds campaign. Many of these companies listed will bid on the projects that the bonds will fund. Is this not one hand feeding the other? It seems that this type of business is underhanded and unfair to the people who may not want the bonds to pass."
— Rick Damiano, San Antonio


JEER: "I just learned that the State of Texas allows farmers and ranchers to have their land appraised according to what it will produce rather than what it would sell for. Funny how Texas legislators won't allow families who don't live on farms or ranches to cap their home valuations on what they produce -- their household income."
— Blair Young, San Antonio
Comments [15 Posted]: Read - Post
May 10, 2007
Make up a Metaphor/Simile

"A roundabout is like a merry-go-round — only a merry-go-round is FOR the children — safe and fun!"

— Contributed by San Antonio Independent School District Trustee Olga Hernandez, who used her creative writing skill to take a swing at City Hallers for building a traffic roundabout in front of Cotton Elementary School despite the protests of parents and school district officials.



"Judging a person's character by his wealth is like valuing your car by its paint."

— Contributed by John H. McCulloch, Benbrook, Tx.



"As sarcastic as saying, 'Of course, everyone wants to help Roddy.'"

— Contributed by San Antonio City Councilwoman Patti Radle, responding to my request to provide the first creative-writing entry on the Roddy's Rangers Web site