HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[Johnny French]

Once again the C-T chooses to publish a name-calling article to counter criticism of the City Council's actions. Although mainly directed towards the critics of the plan the Council endorsed for developing the area of the Coliseum, that article lumps those critics with the folks trying to keep developments in the Packery Channel area from steadily decreasing vehicular access to the beaches. This is a false premise, of course, but even if it were true and a comprehensive "loyal opposition" existed, neither this Council nor this newspaper should continually demonize the critics. Both would be better served if they took to heart something the San Antonio Express-News yesterday quoted San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger as saying: "We are a community and because we disagree doesn't mean we are either heroes or villains."

Much of the criticism has lately arisen because specific information about potential developments has been kept away from the public until major decisions and commitments have already been made. Big, expensive developments inevitably invite questions which in turn invite criticism when they go unanswered. Particularly ironic because the C-T just last Sunday made a front-page issue of it, the City Council has to draw criticism any time it publicly belittles an attempt by a citizen to obtain information under the Texas Public Information Act. This is especially true when the information the citizen is trying to obtain is for the Council's benefit. Even when that isn't the case, the PIA itself gives ample reason for the Council to treat its citizens with more respect when they invoke the statute, which states at its beginning:
"Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created."

Rather than call people names, Mr. Barnette and the C-T might spend more time assisting the people to decide for themselves what developments are good for them by providing complete and un-biased information. Both they and the Council should be very careful to give both sides of an issue, for if you try to put lipstick on one pig after another, folks will learn to expect a pig every time they see you get out the lipstick. In case that metaphor escaped you, a Ferris wheel and the label "world class resort" are examples of lipstick.
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Caller.com

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URL: http://www.caller.com/ccct/contributors/article/0,1641,CCCT_879_4478242,00.html

Don't let nay-sayers sabotage the city's enormous potential
By Jim Barnette
February 18, 2006


The City's Economic Summit was recently held and attended by over 160 officials and business leaders from the region.

One of the goals of this ongoing process is, to quote our Mayor Henry Garrett, to try and get everyone on the same page regarding economic development. The facilitator, Bill Fruth of Policom Corporation, emphasized how important this was to maximize our potential in all areas of our economy, including the tourism and convention industry.

In addition he showed statistics and proof that to increase our per capita income we had to place more emphasis on targeting primary industry. But he certainly did not say that the tourist and convention business was not important to our economy; it certainly is. Visitors bring millions of dollars to our city annually.

I believe we live in one of the finest places in the world, although we do have some drawbacks, namely some people who are automatically against anything and everything.

These are the people often referred to as nay-sayers, who seem to relish their contempt of anything that will move our city forward and help grow our economy.

These are the same people who criticized the building of Whataburger Field and the new American Bank Center on the Bayfront. These are same people who don't want the Packery Channel area to develop into a world class destination, and for use of our local citizens as well.

They are also the same people who are more than willing to criticize anything but never offer any positive, useful input in return except for their own selfish purpose.

I want to be clear . . . I believe there are well-intentioned people who offer their constructive criticisms. These comments are always welcomed and encouraged. Those should not be confused with the nay- sayers.

And now, following a thorough Request For Proposal process, the city has commenced negotiations with TRT Development Corporation to finalize a plan for the highest and best use of the Coliseum area that will continue to memorialize our World War II veterans and heroes.

Of course the project should conform to the Master Bayfront Plan and make economic sense to both the city and the developer.

Once again, our City Council is being beset by the nay-sayers who are opposed to the plan even though the plan is not finished.

We should give the process a fair chance. I happen to know Bob Rowling with TRT, and my bet is it will be first class in all regards. Mayor Garrett and our City Council deserve nothing but praise and the unified support of all our citizens for their visionary leadership to move our city forward.

We have voted millions of our tax monies to invest in our city's economic future. We did so because we wanted growth, and specifically the right kind of growth. And now, when we have large corporations from outside our community willing to invest their money here, once again the nay-sayers pull their heads out of the sand and begin an organized campaign of berating the Council with nasty phone calls, e-mails and letters to the editor.

This is a downright shame. These new developments will be used by, and benefit, local citizens as well as visitors coming to our area. We have primed the pump with our tax dollars and now large firms are willing to invest and take a risk on us for the future.

This is a time we should celebrate, not berate, our City Council. I urge all the citizens of Corpus Christi to let your mayor and council members know you support them for their time, vision and energy to help make our city what it really deserves to be . . . a growing and thriving city of which we can all be proud.

I particularly urge the nay-sayers to take the time to look before they continue to leap into the lake of negativism.

These are good, quality projects that will benefit us all.

The best is yet to come for Corpus Christi. You, too, tell your council persons you appreciate their efforts, as they are tiring from only hearing from are those who don't have anything better to do than criticize anything that comes along.

Give them a chance to move our city forward. We will all benefit.

Jim Barnette is chairman of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation

[mastergunner]

Makes me wonder what Mr. Barnett's cut in all of this is. This is how I see it. Schnexdoodler didn't want competition from Landrys with their bayfront plan so he strongarmed the council to overnight change their support for it, wonder how much money that cost Schnexdoodler, and with his altimatums to the council on OUR beach and OUR newly built channel his resort like many say is going to be built if the beach is closed or not. Now that Schnexdoodler's resort is a done deal the council is back to the bayfront and since is apparent that Mr. Barnett and Bob Rowling with TRT are good friends, imagine that, no wonder the development committee and the council are bringing back the exact same thing that just two years ago they said no way in hell will there be a ferris wheel on the bayfront, now they say it is better than sliced bread. I need to get on one of these committees so I can get a piece of the pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been all over the world and never have I seen such retarded people running a city.
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Hardheads should be the state fish of Texas

[Guest]

In the interest of full disclosure , Mr Barnette is owner of Coastcon construction and partners with Fulton Const. of most of their major projects. These two construction companies will , most likely , be major recipients of the construction dollars spent for these projects.

[rabbit]

And the Mayor, City Council and the Caller Times gets the rest.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[jerry]

I could care less with what they do with down town. It does not require me to give up any of my rights. They don't get it. Its not the development its the right to full access.
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Broken or not fix it!
NRA Life member
CCCTKF

[rabbit]

They get it. Its just that they wont admit it in so many words and they will try anything to misdirect or deceive the public.

When I was a little guy learning right from wrong I was told that lying and stealing and cheating were wrong and if I did any of that I got my behind spanked. Maybe I missed something in the telling because today it seems that cheating, lying and stealing are just being POLITICALLY CORRECT
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.