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| This Website Is Full. Starting With The December 25, 2000 Newsletter, All Future Editions Will Be Posted In The Llano Ledger 2, Found By Clicking http://maxpages.com/llanoledger2. |
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| **********************August 30, 1999*********************** While the County Judge and his cronies on the Llano County Commissioners' Court crow about the new budget and tax rate, readers are reminded the tax burden is indeed increasing. As required by statute, our illustrious officials posted a public notice of THEIR proposed tax increase in one of the local papers (_The Llano News, Aug.19,1999). According to the notice, all four Commissioners as well as the County Judge have voted a 2.9% increase in the total tax revenue from properties on the tax roll. If the figures stand, the average County tax on homesteads in Llano County would increase 7.15%, -- despite the proposed tax rate remaining the same as last year. Readers are reminded a public hearing will be held by the Commissioners' Court September 1. It is indeed interesting the average tax burden will apparently increase over 7%, despite little to no inflation nationwide. ... Will our officials ever get enough? Apparently, property appraisals by the Llano Central Appraisal District have once again skyrocketed. Our illustrious County Judge and Commissioners are apparently taking advantage of this ongoing fiasco to once again shaft the taxpayers. While our illustrious Chief Appraiser Gary Eldridge has been previously targeted twice in _The Ledger and will be featured again in the future, suffice it to say for now, I have received complaints from citizens living all along the lakes' chain from Tow to Horseshoe Bay. Worse yet, the egregious overappraisal of properties has directly led to this area being declared a property-rich school district. Consequently, this year (as in years past) taxpayers will be looted an additional $2,271,306 (Robin Hood). This money goes directly to the state and accounts for $.37/$100 evaluation of the school tax rate. Mr. Eldridge, his cronies in the Appraisal District, as well as his predecessors are directly responsible for this ongoing fiasco and egregious injustice. Sadly, we no longer "own" property in this nation. In effect, the government does. We pay "rent" (taxes) to our "masters". If you don't pay the "rent", the property you never really "owned" is seized by government and sold to another taxpayer sucker. --Most convenient for our self-serving bureaucratic leeches, no? Worse yet, property rights are continually under assault. Outrageous? Certainly. Yet, we remain too timid and scared to stand up and speak out. Worse yet, few of us bother to vote. -- Our corrupt and abusive officials certainly continue to laugh at us with good reason. After all, we willingly tolerate this abuse, don't we? While bureaucratic leeches at all levels of government continue to suck us dry, the political Left concerns itself with gun control and further attempts to eviscerate the Second Amendment. Conversely, the Right is pre-occupied with the alleged "New World Order" and supposed internationalist efforts to impose "One World Government". Both political extremes have apparently forgotten the average taxpayer, -- the guy or gal just desperately trying to survive. Interesting, no? ... We do get what we so richly deserve, don't we? It's time to wake up. The "enemy" is no longer merely foreign, but domestic as well. ... The bureaucratic leeches looting and sucking us dry, -- destroying civil, constitutional, and property rights in the process. Tim Chorney, Publisher (Scroll down for earlier edition.) **********************August 23, 1999*********************** As stated in the last edition of _The Ledger, a request for information under the Texas Open Records Act was sent to Llano County Sheriff Nathan Garrett. Mr. Garrett has responded. The request will be presented first, then his "response". Commentary will follow. ************************************************************ Sheriff Nathan Garrett Llano County Sheriff's Dept. 100 W. Sandstone Llano, Tx. 78643 Tim Chorney, Publisher The Llano Ledger http://maxpages.com/llanoledger Rt 2 Box 464A Buchanan Dam, Tx. 78609 August 9, 1999 Re: Request For Information Dear Sheriff: This is a request for information made under the Texas Open Records Act, Government Code, Ch.552, Public Information. For calendar year 1999 would you kindly provide the following statistics: (1) The mean stay of prisoners in the Llano County Jail. (2) Average jail time before a hearing in the case is held. (3) Number of attorney visitations at the Llano County Jail. (4) Number of habeas corpus writs filed with the appropriate court (County or District) served on the Sheriff. (5) Daily average jail population. (6) Percentage of prisoners held on narcotics-related charges. (7) Average bond imposed for narcotics-related charges. (8) Total number of prisoners moved to Kerrville (or elsewhere), plus the percentage of those prisoners held on narcotics-related charges. (9) Percentage of jail population held on charges brought by the Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET). (10) Percentage of prisoners held on narcotics-related charges who subsequently have had all charges dropped. The Texas Open Records Act requires you to act on my request within 10 days. As the Chief Administrative Officer, the Act (Ch.552.201) identifies you as the officer for public information. The Act also provides civil as well as criminal penalties for your failure to act in a timely fashion. Thank you for your consideration and anticipated cooperation. Regards, Tim Chorney, Publisher The Llano Ledger cc: File ************************************************************ Nathan Garrett Sheriff, Llano County 100 W. Sandstone-Room 200 Llano, Texas 78643 August 17, 1999 Mr. Tim Chorney Rt. 2 Box 464A Buchanan Dam, Texas 78609 Dear Mr. Chorney: In response to your request for statistics, I would advise you of the following (numbered according to your letter). 1. Mean stay of prisoners-statistic not kept 2. Average jail time before hearing-statistic not kept 3. Number of attorney's visitations-statistic not kept 4. Number of writs of habeas corpus-statistic not kept 5. Average daily population-average of the monthly average- 16 6. Percent held on narcotics charges-statistic not kept 7. Average bond for narcotics charges-statistic not kept 8. Percent of prisoners moved/held on narcotics charges-statistic not kept 9. Percentage of prisoners held on charges brought by NET-statistic not kept 10. Percentage of narcotics charges dropped-statistic not kept Sincerely, Nathan Garrett Sheriff ln CMRRR#z217801484 ************************************************************ ... Well, well, well. The Sheriff's ability to stonewall IS indeed magnificent, isn't it? ... Years of experience, right Nathan? Interestingly, Mr. Garrett carefully covered his hindquarters as well by sending the "response" Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. -- My apology to the taxpayers for the unnecessary $2.98 expense this illustrious official apparently thought warranted to protect himself. Garrett's lack of cooperation, although not surprising, is nonetheless stunning to see in print, isn't it? At least he's true to form, -- most consistent in fact. On Friday, August 20, 1999 a complaint was filed against him with the Texas Attorney General for failure to provide information as requested and required under the Texas Open Records Act, Government Code, Ch.552, Public Information. For calendar year 1999, the Sheriff was asked to provide 10 jail statistics germane to several ongoing investigations conducted by this publication. ... He "generously" provided one. Aren't we lucky? Readers should understand the investigations involve the jail-rapes of two female inmates as well as numerous credible allegations of civil and constitutional rights violations perpetrated on Llano County residents by the Sheriff and his minions. A third investigation involves the deliberate attempt by the Narcotics Enforcement Team (NET) and the Sheriff's Department to overpopulate the jail, thus forcing the construction of an unneeded new law enforcement center and jail facility. Worse yet, local judges are apparently cooperating in the ruse by imposing excessive bond on drug defendants in violation of Eighth Amendment proscriptions. ... Why in fact are you stonewalling, Nathan? -- Are you afraid the statistics will support the allegations? If there is indeed no substance to this, why not release the information? Why not clear the air? More pointedly, if there is truly a case to be made for a new law enforcement center and jail, why not have the courage to stand up and make it? Don't you owe the taxpayers that much? The Sheriff's assertion 9 of the 10 requested jail statistics are not kept is simply not credible. Even if true, they can be easily calculated from other data kept by jail officials. What about it, Nathan? ... Records are not kept of attorney-prisoner visits? You have no idea of the number of NET arrests or the bonds imposed? No record is kept of prisoner transfers to Kerrville? You and the "Boys" don't even know when charges are dropped? -- Stretches credulity, doesn't it? Garrett is clearly stonewalling to protect himself and his cronies. If not, he's egregiously incompetent and unfit for office. Yet we, the taxpayers, are being looted by our illustrious officials to build a new law enforcement center, -- despite no independently conducted study to assess the need. Interesting, isn't it? While no final county budget has been approved, it is anticipated taxes on the average homestead will increase some 7% this year, -- despite little to no inflation nationwide. Why? Poor management of taxpayer funds? Greed? Why isn't growth paying for itself? Although taxpayers have already been looted by the Commissioners' Court to pay for the land acquired for the new law enforcement center as well as apparently for the architect's fees to date, no firm cost figures nor financing arrangements have been announced by our stalwart officials. To add insult to injury, the Sheriff continues to stonewall by refusing to provide the public with jail statistics critical to any reasonable assessment of the true need for the proposed facility. Brilliant, isn't it? The Sheriff, County Judge, and the Commissioners apparently think the people are stupid as well as gullible. ... The digging will continue. From the sole statistic "generously" provided by the Sheriff, it is quite clear it would be far cheaper to house prisoners at Kerrville when "necessary", than to build a new law enforcement center and jail facility to accommodate the occasional overflow. Readers are reminded the new Criminal Justice Center in Travis County has already exceeded twice its original cost estimate, -- and the facility has yet to be finished. Do we want the same here? ... Time to bend over, -- the royal shaft is once again on the way. Tim Chorney, Publisher |
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