carol@stormzero.com – Page 6

No Hotels in Bastrop?

UPDATE: June 24 Council meeting at 1:35:46. City Manager and Mayor referenced my comments. Mayor stated that “she is in opposition of the retreat, agenda item…. it’s not an item. She is just in opposition of the retreat.”

NOT TRUE. I expressed my opposition to my estimated cost of $7,473 by doing this retreat in Rockport. My estimate was low. See the City Manager’s slide showing the actual estimated cost to be $11,730. There is NO REASON to spend that much money and hold this event outside of Bastrop County. Why Rockport? Why on a Friday? This is a taxpayer-funded boondoggle clear and simple.

If you plan meetings for any organization, you are well aware that there are plenty of locations to do so both in the County and the City of Bastrop. So, why is the Bastrop City Council meeting in Rockport?

My guess? So you can’t attend or comment. And, quite cynically, perhaps some of them want a weekend at the beach with transportation paid by you.

So much for transparency.

[Will it be broadcast live? We don’t know yet. And, when meetings are broadcast live, live public comment isn’t available so you must comment ahead of time using the Council’s online form.]

It’s very disingenuous to hold a meeting more than 3 hours, 175+ miles, each way, for an all day meeting that is allegedly open to the public.

Tell the City Council if you like (or not) spending $7,473 of your tax dollars on a Friday public meeting in Rockport.

If you don’t agree with the City Council spending this much money and holding a Friday off-site meeting 175 miles away, email them today.

Mayor Ishmael Harris
Councilman Perry Lowe
Councilwoman Cynthia Meyer
Councilman Kevin Plunkett
Councilwoman Kerry Fossler
Councilman John Kirkland

Calculating the Cost of this Offsite Meeting: $7,473

Gas cost: At 22mpg and $3/gallon, the cost each way is $24.27. Will they car pool? Perhaps a couple will but we have to assume not. If just the 5 council people, mayor, city manager, city secretary drive, that is $388.32. OR, if they use the IRS mileage rate for reimbursement, that’s 70¢ / mile or $245 per person. For 9 people, that’s $2,205 in mileage reimbursements.

Hotel cost: What’s the hotel cost for the City Council, City Manager, City Secretary, select staff, and consultant? Hotel prices according to Hotels.com run from $151 to $269 per room no including taxes and fees. Taxes? 8.25% sales tax and 7% hotel occupancy tax.

If just the 5 council people, mayor, city manager, city secretary, and consultant go, and they stay in the cheapest hotel, the room cost would be $1,208 plus 8.25% sales tax and 7% HOT tax. The meeting starts at 8:30AM so they have to stay over the night before. Drive home 3 hours afterwards? Not likely. So, for just the 9 people, taxpayers are paying $3,133 at a minimum for hotel.

[I had a summer cottage exactly 150.3 miles from my primary home, 3 hour drive. While not preferable, I periodically drove up one day and back the next, a one night stay. Preferable was driving up on Friday night and back on Sunday evening, a two night stay.]

Meal cost: Using GSA rates for meals, the allowable per-day expense is $63. Using lunch and dinner for Thursday, all 3 meals on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday, the estimated cost per person for meals is $145/person for meals. That, times 9 people, is $1,305 taxpayer dollars.

Consultant cost: Leadwell is from Austin. So, gas, hotel, meals and their fee will be paid by taxpayers. According to https://consultants.promatcher.com/cost/texas.aspx, the cost of business consulting in TX is $158.13/hour. My guess is that this contract is likely $2,000+-. When I was a business consultant, I charged half rate for travel time, client paid hotel and meals, and a flat overnight fee.

Total taxpayer estimate:
$2,205+$3,133+$1,305+$2,000=$7,473 taxpayer dollars.

Your cost if you want to comment in person?
Gas, one night hotel, 3 meals costs: $285 minimum.

But your City of Bastrop City Council plans on holding a meeting 175+ miles, each way, and calls it an open meeting with public comment.

Will it be broadcast live? We don’t know yet. And, when meetings are broadcast live, live public comment isn’t available so you must comment ahead of time using the Council’s online form.

Let them know TODAY what you think about this!

If you don’t agree with the City Council spending this much money and holding a Friday off-site meeting 175 miles away, email them.

Mayor Ishmael Harris
Councilman Perry Lowe
Councilwoman Cynthia Meyer
Councilman Kevin Plunkett
Councilwoman Kerry Fossler
Councilman John Kirkland

Vote NO on Subsidizing the Movie Industry in Texas

I’m ADAMANTLY opposed to subsidizing the movie industry. That bill is SB-22 and it’s on Sunday’s calendar in the Texas House. As we in Bastrop well know, they’re coming here without that subsidy.

Film, soda, popcorn If I wanted to support the movie industry, I’d go to movies. Think “user fees”. If I use it, I pay. I don’t go to the movies, so why am I being forced to pay for them?

I’m really sick of government forcing people to pay for that which they don’t use or need. Think DOGE. The Feds are trying to cut out excess spending and the State of Texas just spends more and more and more on things like this… everyone’s pet project. Just where is this in the Texas Constitution? Picking government winners (in this case, the movie industry) and losers (in this case, the taxpayers) needs to STOP.

My daughter told me a few years ago that one of the best lessons I taught her, one that has allowed her to save, is to understand the difference between wants and needs. Our legislators need to recognize the difference between wants and needs, between who is paying the bill and who is benefiting.

The movie industry is moving from CA anyway. Gavin Newsom is having a very hard time keeping them there, but he’s working hard at it. They’re expanding the CA subsidies. Will Texas have to do so in 2 years? This is nothing more than a race to see which state will give them the most money.

The old argument about all the jobs they’ll bring is a bunch of BS. No one ever talks about the other side of that equation: the COST of the growth that comes with them: roads, schools (have you seen the latest bond indebtedness of our schools???), WATER (we don’t have enough), infrastructure of other kinds, quality of life due to overcrowding.. The costs are massive, but those trying to sell this government waste ignore that.

Let those two multi-millionaires invest in their industry to encourage that industry to come here. I don’t go to movies and I don’t want to invest in them. I urge my rep, Stan Gerdes, and other House members to vote NO on SB22.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ADDENDUM

Will we be paying for films glorifying the Muslim religion at the same time that the Governor and others are trying to stop the EPIC development near Dallas? “Faith-based” doesn’t mean just Christianity.

See this language in the bill:

(f) A moving image project qualifies for a faith-based moving image project grant under Subsection (a)(5) if the project is designated by the office as a faith-based moving image project according to rules adopted by the office. The office is not required to designate any moving image project as a faith-based moving image project and has sole discretion to make that designation.

One denial and a court case will follow. Texas will lose that court case. Does “faith-based” apply only to Christian films? Is it defined in Texas law? I couldn’t find it. I found “religious organization”, but not “faith-based”.

Religious discrimination is illegal. It’s how Mosques, Buddhist temples and any other “church” or “worship center”, Christian or non-Christian, are built anywhere in any zone. I know of 3 such situations that occurred in neighboring towns when I was in elected office in NJ. Under Federal law, they could not be stopped. One was in a former commercial building, another on a large open tract of land, and the third in a residential neighborhood.

When any bill calls for “faith-based”, think long and hard about whether you’d want the provisions of that bill applying to other than Christian religions. Because this is the Bible-belt, I think that Texans too often think only of Christianity. But that’s not the case under Federal law. Substitute any religion you are adamantly opposed to in place of “faith-based” in the bill and decide if you’d still support it. Food for thought.

Bills Wither and Die on the Vine

To get to the Governor for signature in order to become law, Texas bills originating in the Texas House must be assigned to a committee, must have a hearing and be voted out of that committee, must be assigned to a calendar by the Calendar Committee and then must pass on the House floor.

In my business (IT), we would call every one of these a possible point of failure. But those aren’t the only ones because after passing the House, a bill goes to the Senate and the same process happens all over again.

So, last Thursday at midnight, any bill that originated in the House and hadn’t yet had a floor vote was effectively dead. DEAD. And, that night, many bills died. Texas also has a rule that bills are all single subjects, so thousands are filed each session.

Wondering how the list of bills authored or sponsored by HD-17 Rep Stan Gerdes faired? I can tell you that the one I’ve pushed now for two sessions never made it beyond committee assignment. Apparently, it found its way pretty quickly to the circular file again this session. Developers don’t want it and they have far more influence (and money) than we citizens do.

But here’s an article about a few possible (possible because they’ve not yet been signed by Gov Abbott) wins for Rep Gerdes: https://www.kbtx.com/2025/05/18/most-bills-die-texas-house-deadline-heres-what-brazos-valley-lawmakers-secured/

Eventually, I’ll post about the status of his various bills. That’s hours of work so it won’t happen before the end of the legislative session. Oh, did I mention that’s a mere 13 days away? Sine die, the end of the session, is on June 2.

It sure doesn’t look like a great session for Republicans, but then again, many of us predicted that when the Speaker vote shenanigans took place. See also: The Poison Pill, No Dem Chairs Vote Rings Hollow, and The Clock is Ticking.

Priority House Bills heading to the Senate

My comments on a couple of bills that have passed the Texas House and are heading to the Senate. Bills have to be assigned to a Senate committee, have a hearing, pass out of committee and get to the Senate floor for passage. Only then can they get to Gov Abbott for signature to become law.

HB 4623:
relating to liability of public schools and professional school employees for certain acts or omissions involving students.

I’m shocked at how many times I’m reading about educators being arrested, put on paid or unpaid leave, or otherwise accused of sexually assaulting Texas children. Unfortunately, just like abuse of the elderly, too often these things go unreported or unaddressed. That means employees just move from district to district continuing the harm they’ve done in one place at another.

Y’all have the opportunity to stop this, to hold schools accountable for not handling these issues as soon as they come to the attention of school leadership.

Please get HB 4623 into the Senate process for approval ASAP so it can get to Gov Abbott’s desk for signature.

HB 3225:
relating to the restriction of access by minors to sexually explicit materials in municipal public library collections

Please affirmatively pass HB 3225 out of committee to a full vote of the Senate. Several of us went to the Bastrop Library a few months ago, pointing out to the library board sexually explicit books that were available in the teenage section. They were in a glass enclosed area, leading one to believe that parents could see what was there. But they were on the back shelves of a dual sided book shelf so unless one went into the room (as we did) there would be nothing leading one to believe these books were available to young teens. They would not let us read from the books at their meeting and have done nothing to remove them.

I was mayor of a town in NJ when computers first came into public libraries and successfully fought for controls on screens visible by the public. It was a tough battle, but we won and our children were safer for it. This is no different. Without parental consent (like actually buying such books for their children if they want them to have them) these types of materials should not be available for children.

SENATE BILLS IN THE HOUSE needing action:
SADLY, THE tEXAS HOUSE IS SITTING ON BILLS ALREADY PASSED BY THE SENATE.

The following bills have already passed the Texas Senate and are languishing in the Texas House. This is what happened in the last session. This is what many predicted would happen in this session as soon as Dustin Burrows was elected House Speaker. And, with the end of session looming and deadlines occurring, it is happening.

SB 571 (Sen. Bettencourt) | Enhancing Transparency in Educator Misconduct Reporting
Status: Passed the Senate; scheduled for a House Public Education Committee hearing on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
Details: This bill seeks to improve accountability by requiring schools to report educator misconduct (particularly related to student safety) in a transparent manner. Proposed amendments would mandate reporting suspected abuse to law enforcement within 48 hours and eliminate confidentiality clauses that could obscure incidents, addressing gaps in current reporting practices.
SB 13 (Sen. Paxton) – Enhancing Parental Oversight in School Libraries
Status: Passed the Senate; heard on May 6, 2025, and awaiting a vote out of the House Public Education Committee.
Details: This bill clarifies and strengthens current standards in public school libraries that will prohibit sexually explicit materials, indecent and profane content. It provides transparency and oversight measures that give parents a greater role in ensuring content is appropriate for their children.
SB 371 (Sen. Campbell) – Restoring Opt-In for Sex Education
Status: Passed the Senate; referred to the House Public Education Committee, awaiting a hearing.
Details: This bill requires parental consent (opt-in) for students to participate in sex education programs, ensuring parents have control over their children’s exposure to sensitive topics. It reverses opt-out systems that may assume participation unless parents object. A hearing is critical for this bill to progress before the session’s end.
SB 1224 (Sen. Sparks) – Mandatory Reporting of Educator Misconduct
Status: Passed the Senate; referred to the House Public Education Committee, awaiting a hearing.
Details: This bill mandates that school administrators report educator misconduct, such as abuse, to local law enforcement within 48 hours, with penalties (state jail felony) for non-compliance.
SB 240 (Sen. Middleton): Protecting Female-Only Spaces | Women’s Privacy Act
Status: Passed the Senate; referred to the House State Affairs Committee, where it has been awaiting a hearing since April 28!
Details: This bill aims to ensure the privacy and safety of female-only spaces, such as restrooms and locker rooms, by restricting access based on biological sex.
SB 12 (Sen. Creighton) – Strengthening Parental Rights (Needs Amendments)
Status: Passed the Senate; heard in the House Public Education Committee on May 13, 2025, awaiting a committee vote.
Details: SB 12 does so many great things, including banning public education DEI departments in grades Pre-K—12, restores parental opt-in for sex education, and prohibits discussions related to sexual orientation and gender. However, it has some flaws so several amendments have been proposed.

tracking priority bills

Here’s the list of priority bills and their status from the TexasGOP: https://texasgop.org/89th-lp-bill-list/

Other organizations have priority bill lists, so find an organization that reflects your priorities, and check the status of the bills they’re following. Be sure to comment NO to stop bills as well!

It’s baaaack… Gateway Zoning Returns

There was a long discussion on Nextdoor a while back about development in the City of Bastrop and this election. NO, some shouted. It isn’t about the Gateway development. That’s over. Some of that land is up for sale, they said, so it won’t come back.

Caution, I said. Rezoning is afoot and zoning goes with the land, not the owner. The last application was a request for a zone change. I warned the City was moving too fast with zone changes and the public really didn’t understand them. I also warned about the City Council appointing developer and ethically-challenged former City Council member Jimmy Crouch to Planning & Zoning. I warned about stacking that Commission with developer friendly, Council buddies.

Now this article, from Thursday night’s P&Z meeting, by the Independent Texans PAC.
NOTE: I’ve refrained from suggesting who you should vote for since I don’t live in the City and I continue to do so. The title on this post is that of Independent Texans PAC, not mine. Article reprinted with permission to reprint in full from Independent Texans PAC.

Vote NO on HB3426: Digital IDs

This vote will likely take place on Friday, May 2 in the Texas House. Here are my comments as an almost 50 year IT professional:

Goodness. Haven’t we learned our lessons with hackers, with faked emails allegedly from our banks, credit card companies, brokers, etc? HB3426 is a HORRIBLE idea. More opportunities for cyber theft through digital duplication. Government is ALWAYS behind from an IT perspective. My background is 11 years with IBM and 23 years in a county IT department so I speak from experience here. We can’t ever stay ahead of the digital thieves. NO, NO, and NO! There’s no reason for this. It’s not hard to carry a driver’s license or other ID physically on your person.

Stand Up Texas!

Great read this morning from JoAnn Fleming of Grassroots America-We The People regarding the utter failure of Texas House Republicans to move GOP priority bills, to protect Texans and our Constitutional rights. Instead, we have Democrat bills moving quickly through the Texas House. Personally I’m hopeful most of them die in the Senate.

There are just 31 days left in this legislative session. More than 3 times that number have passed. And what does the Texas House have to show for it? Nothing except school choice and that was forced on them by the TX Senate and Gov Abbott. They’re going wring their hands and tell you they just ran out of time. HOGWASH!

The most important two words, I told my daughter, to be successful in college are “time management”. TX House leadership are masters at doing just the opposite and squandering time so important legislation fails to see the light of day. STOP electing these do-nothing House members. Next year, we have a chance to again clean House (literally) and elect conservative Republicans who will act like Republicans, govern like Republicans, and pass legislation that Republicans sent them to Austin to pass.

GRWTP-Forecast_-Political-Bull