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8 Editor:
On behalf of the taxpayers of Bastrop Independent School District and the Bastrop County Taxpayer’s Association, I am requesting that the Bastrop Independent School District reconsider the expense and installation of the electronic message sign proposed for a highway near Cedar Creek High School. The BCTA considers this expense, said to be in the neighborhood of $40,000, as frivolous, especially in the increasingly serious economic times in which we find ourselves.
I understand that the money for this sign is available due to cost under-runs on Cedar Creek High School and the performing arts center. For this the responsible contractors and the BISD board are to be congratulated, but the availability of these funds is not justification to spend them unwisely.
I also understand that due to restrictions in parliamentary procedure, the two board members who wisely voted against this measure, John Eaton and Linda Apostalo, cannot bring this matter up for reconsideration. Accordingly, someone else will have to step up. Please.
In addition to the matter of the unnecessary expense, there is the important matter of safety. I know you were reminded in a recent public meeting of the famous $20 million lawsuit judgment against American Airlines pertaining to the electronic sign at DFW airport. If this has somehow slipped your mind let this e-mail serve as a reminder. Lives could be lost as a result of your decision to proceed with the Cedar Creek sign and you would bear full responsibility.
The BCTA was recently formed due to the widespread perception that few local politicians seem to care about the taxpayers of Bastrop County. There is ample evidence for this including statistics from the Texas Public Policy Foundation which reveal that Bastrop County ranks as the 12th most highly-taxed county out of 254 Texas counties. Our taxes seem far out of proportion to our moderate size. The high level of Bastrop County taxation is directly traceable to a series of unwise spending follies, which were approved by leaderless voters in low turnout elections.
The electronic sign does not rank with most of these past spending follies in dollars and cents terms, but it is a symbolic example of wasteful spending. Few issues could be more clear-cut.
The BCTA does not have battalions of employees or full-time paid lawyers, but we do have a rapidly growing membership and many sympathetic business and political leaders.
Among the activities we will employ in the future is a voter guide in which we will do our best to fairly judge the attitude of local politicians concerning spending and taxation. Here is your chance to earn a gold star.
Robert Parmelee
Chairman, Bastrop County Taxpayers
Association
Bravo and THANK YOU Mr. Parmelee.
Ditto!!
Well said, Mr. Parmelee.
Kudos to Eaton and Apostalo for their responsible assessments and votes on this point.
That much money for a stupid sign!
That money should be spent on the kids in school,not a sign.
The board made a big mistake. It will prove very costly in the next few years. Remember, there are board elections every May.
I didn’t vote for the board this last May. Unless more people vote, we will have the same board members as last year.
The sign is now up and I have seen it.
I am amazed that it cost in the neighborhood of $40,000. I was hoping that the sign would be higher and wider for 40 grand. I wonder what the price would have been if it was sold to a small business rather than a government bureaucracy.
It is very hard to read while driving at 60+ mph along 21.
I think the sign should have been higher to be seen at farther distances.
JMHO
Don’t know what everyone’s upset about? It’s just the government throwing our own apathy in our faces.