Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Throw The Bums Out!

This is without doubt the most duplicitous and scheming City Council ever. Now, once again, they are resorting to procedural shenanigans to undermine the tremendous grassroots effort to protect our beach access.
We have had enough! With the exception of John Marez, the Mayor and the rest of the council have consistently supported the interests of big money over those of the public. And they have been crooked and two-faced while doing it!
It is incumbent upon the voters to look among themselves and find good, honest candidates that wont sell out to big money.
It might be a good idea to start recall petitions if the Council succeeds in trumping the long worked for beach petitions.
At the very least all of these people should be turned out in the next elections and never again given the public's trust in elected office. Posted by Picasa

Sunday, July 23, 2006

Corpus Christi Caller/Times, Chief Cheerleader For Beach Giveaway


This is a letter to the editor I wrote to our local newspaper today.

The lead in-house editorial in today's paper, (Sunday, July 23) once again reinforces the Caller/Times' position as the chief cheerleader for the give away of public beach access. Big bucks developers from near and far can rest assured that they will find a friend and a collaborator in their gleeful pursuit of pillaging the public's beaches.The TIF over the Packery Channel (pun intended)was sold to the public as much as an environmental issue as an economic plan. Many believed, wrongly, that the channel would improve the water quality of our local bay system.Others favored it as a closer route to open gulf waters. Of course many were looking ahead to reaping huge profits from a ditch and jetties created with bond money and public funds.It was sold in the U.S, Congress as a "beach replenishment"plan.There was nothing in this measure that would cause the public to believe they might lose access to the beaches.Your editorial states "The Beach Access Coalition believes that driving on the beach is the equivalent to public access to the beach." I am speaking for no one but myself but I say that is exactly right. Driving on the beach is the only practical way to provide the largest amount of beach access. Driving on the beach is far less environmentally damaging than is the building of parking lots and access roads.The driving force behind this whole issue is the desire of foreign and out of town developers to take away public beach rights for their own enrichment.It seems the Caller/Times editorial board is solidly in the amen corner for the big bucks operators and once again thumbs their noses at the local citizenry!Sincerely,Dicky Neely

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Evening Surf

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Beach Access Coalition Places Beach Closure On Ballot

This picture illustrates what the big bucks developers and most of the elected officials in Corpus Christi envision as an ideal beach experience for the public.
They don't want the public to have a say in how our beaches are used and they want to change our traditional beach access.
Fortunately the Beach Access Coalition, a grass roots organization, with the aid of hundreds of volunteers, has succeeded in getting enought qualified signatures to put the city ordinanace closing over 7,000 feet of public beach to vehicular access to a vote in the coming April elections of next year.
A second referendum measure will be qualified soon which will also go before the public. This item will require any future beach closing or altering decisions be made by public vote and not left to a city council.
The next goal will be to get the vote out. A big turnout will almost certainly guarantee a victory for the regular, working families and beach goers. This election will also be deciding the campaigns for city wide office holders and others. Only one member of the City Council has had the courage to stand against the big money pressure, John Marez, He should be returned to office and the rest, including the mayor should be turned out of office. Posted by Picasa