Send us your information in regards to anything that concerns you about our community or respond to something that you may have read on this page.  If you would like to participate please email your information to Joe Martinez at martiz956@yahoo.com.  No emails or contact information will be posted unless otherwise stated by you.  Your thoughts will be posted as sent.

WASTE OF COUNTY TAXPAYERS MONEY

Money is tight, but not at Webb County.  The Webb County Commissioners Court has authorized the Webb County Public Defender to send 5 to 10 of his staff attorneys to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend a legal conference.  "The 9th Annual Public Defender Retreat" will be held at Imperial Palace, but the attorneys are too good to stay there and are staying at "nicer" hotels on the strip, like Caesar's Palace and Donald Trump's Hotel.  Everyone in our country is tightening their money belts, but Webb County Commissioners believe in loosening the purse strings for the Public Defenders who have a reputation for being arrogant with their indigent clients.  Who is in charge of over looking the budget?  Do these attorneys (even the one who was recently arrested by Texas State Troopers for a DWI Charge) really need to go to Las Vegas for a legal conference?  Aren't there any conferences they can go to in Texas to receive their legal education credit hours?  I think so---look on the internet and you will find these conferences.  Taxpayers BEWARE of government spending of our hard working tax dollars!!

signed V.R. 3/8/09

UISD HIRES NEW POLICE CHIEF AND PAYS UP $20,000 MORE IN SALARY

Call me naive but I don't see the reason why the UISD Board hired a new Police Chief in Ray Garner shelling out an extra $20,000 in the process.  You would think that the New Chief would have to earn his due before such a raise could be merited.  A pay increase that high usually takes at least what 5 or 10 years to earn if not more.  Either it was one Terrible business decision in their part or some terrible corrupted move by Bobby Santos or the other trustees or the whole bunch all together Santos by the way recently got a hefty raise himself he is hovering at over $100,000 grand a year.  I wonder how the officers under his watch feel seeing a new chief come in and rake it in as a UISD Taxpayer I am appalled and angry at such behavior by Public Servants that we entrust with our votes. 

Signed Anonymous Taxpayer 3/11/09

HARD TIMES CALL FOR TRUE LEADERSHIP

This is the time in which our local leaders need to step up to the plate for the working class citizens of Laredo and Webb County.  The economic situation around the world has been plumetting at a record pace.  Day in and day out we hear of people loosing their jobs.  Sure it might not be as bad in Laredo but it has affected some families and it will continue to do so as long as our local government leaders continue to take that me first attitude.  Why hasn't anyone proposed a plan to decrease their salaries or the salaries of the friends that they hired as political favors.  Come on gentlemen its hard times like this in which the community cries out for true leadership.

Signed Anonymous 3/13/09

Same Old Dirty Politics as Usual in Laredo

We will never ever get rid of corruption in Laredo by our Public Officials as long as we have Public Servants like Councilman Mike Garza.  I find it hard to believe that he would be naive enough to shove a 4% raise for the City Manager Carlos Villareal down our throats while the nation suffers thru its worst economic situation in years.  How much does Carlos Villareal make in a year?  How much does the average citizen in Laredo make?  It's disgraceful that the other Council Members went with the flow newly elected public officials such as Cindy Liendo and Juan Narvaez were put into office to block such recomendations by overzealous council members but instead they are now feeding the problem and our good mayor well of course he won't stick up for the taxpayers and leave his friend Carlos Villareal without his raise.  As a taxpayer and a citizen of Laredo I am outraged at our City Council Members who voted in favor of the raise.  If your in disagreement with this issue please contact your Councilmember and voice your concern please don't let Mike Garza and Carlos Villareal continue to laugh in our faces all the way to the bank.

Signed Outraged Citizen 4/8/09