Statement of Crookerology and Deaficacy (or is it Deficacy)

I was really disappointed in the second page banner story March 3rd 2002 in the Williamson County Sun.  Aside from being inaccurate, it is, in my opinion, slander.  I was legally signed up to speak on a council agenda item.  The mayor refused to recognize a signed speaker on the topic before calling a vote, but you didn't see that in the 'Sun' article.  The mayor shouted me down as I began to speak, but you didn't see that in the 'Sun' article.  The mayor adjourned the council just seconds into my address, but you didn't see that in the 'Sun' article.  Now, granted, this is the normal behavior at our council meetings, by our mayor, in my opinion.  Yet the story accused me of being disruptive.  Is there any evidence that I was, since the mayor ordered the cameras to be stopped, so that they could not record what really happened?  Could somebody tell me where a recognized speaker holding the floor is disruptive for speaking when his time has not elapsed, even though he is being shouted down by the mayor?  I was a recognized speaker, and had been granted the floor, and my time was not elapsed; it is just that the mayor didn't want this opinion aired.  That must be a second degree misdemeanor in Williamson County, according to the article in the 'Sun'.

The following are the points that I made to the staff at the 'Sun' prior to their article, which includes my words to the council as a recognized speaker whose time had not elapsed, but was being shouted down by the mayor.  See if you can get from the following information what was published in the 'Sun' (whose publisher is the holder of one of the special interest essentially free land deal leases at the airport for his hanger for a really nice polished aluminum fully custom modernized twin beach):

There are several issues here.

The first is that the mayor, whom has been removed from office by a near two thirds majority of the voters, in a recall election, refuses to leave.  Contrast her actions with those of F. Tom Ament, the former County Executive of Milwaukee County, in the exact same situation, that happened at almost the same time (he gracefully cleaned out his office and left).  While the legality about this of our mayor's actions is debated, the city business must continue.

The second is that the mayor, and all but Mr. Nobel of the city council, have engaged in an official activity that breaks federal law.  The mayor has been noticed with the law, by the attorneys of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a national association of aircraft owners and pilots, and this has been done in writing.  That, of course, follows a presentation by myself, in a council meeting in the middle of the night, after midnight, immediately following which this illegal action was undertaken by the mayor and council.  There is video tape of the council meeting where you can clearly see the mayor laughing at her ability to break federal law.  There is video tape of the council meeting February 26th, where you can clearly see the mayor laughing at the AOPA attorneys' written notice of violation of federal law.

The third is that I have attended a sit down meeting with the city manager, to acquaint him with the violations of federal law, prior to this council meeting.  He asked for the information in writing.  The city has received it, I know for a fact, because I got a copy of the writings from the airport manager at the airport board meeting February 25th, where it was an agenda item for discussion.

The fourth is that February 26th, in the city council meeting, the mayor and the city manager both claimed, and in my opinion lied to the citizens, they had not received notification in writing that 1) they have violated federal law, 2) where that federal law can be found, so that they can go look it up for themselves, 3) exactly explicitly where and how of each violation of federal law.  I showed the paperwork, that I got from the airport manager February 25th, and allowed the city attorney to make a copy, at the city council meeting February 26th.

The fifth is that I was signed up to speak on the airport control tower funding, the issue of violation of federal law.  The mayor would not let me speak.  I had to assert myself and my insistence on speaking from the audience, harshly, in order to be allowed to speak on a posted agenda item for which I had signed up to speak.  I was then shouted down by the mayor, anyway.

The sixth is the heart of the issue of the federal law violation.  The violation occurred because the mayor and the council give special interests really sweet heart land deals at the airport.  On the order of 10 cents per square foot per year, or 16 cents per square foot per year, while they charge hanger rentals on the order of many dollars per square foot per year.  The mayor and the council, that passed this federally illegal price hike on 20% of the airport users, in the middle of the night council meeting, after midnight, not as the 'Sun' explains was 'evening', said that they had to, because these sweet heart contract deals from the past prohibit them from charging the remainder of the airport users an equitable fee for the airport expense.

The seventh is where the police were called on me at the order of the mayor in the council meeting.  The council was considering an agenda item, again in the middle of the night, taken out of sequence, making another sweet heart deal at 16 cents per square foot per year.  I was signed up to speak on the listed agenda item.   The mayor would not let me speak.  I had to assert myself and my insistence on speaking from the audience.

I had just begun to speak when the mayor tried shouting me down again.  I continued speaking at an elevated level, so that I could be heard over the mayor violating Robert's Rules of Order.  The mayor then adjourned the council meeting, in the early stages of my time.  My time had just begun, and was far from expiration.

I was approached by the acting city manager and told, if I understand him correctly, that he would determine what I could or could not say on the agenda item.  He also informed me that the mayor had asked him to call the police if I would not leave.  I sat, awaiting the reconvening of the council on this special sweet heart airport lease deal, which would prevent the council from levying the airport expense equitably on this new contract (they had claimed in the past).

I asked the council for determination of a point of order, would I be allowed to speak.  Several council members said that they wanted to hear what I had to say.  The mayor ordered me to sit down, over the council members that were allowing me to continue, so I sat down.  The mayor ordered the acting city manager to call the police to have me arrested.  The council passed the special sweet heart land deal for the special interest at the airport.  There is video tape of the mayor remarking that it is usual practice to "update" leases to reasonable modern fee levels, but that this was not being done for this action.  So, I left, at the conclusion of the council meeting.

I believe that it is wrong to holler down citizens that wish to address the council, particularly by the mayor, and I believe that it is improper to edit what citizens wishing to address the council can say, particularly by the mayor, particularly when the voters have spoken on this mayor, particularly when she is doing something that is against federal law.  I believe it is malfeasance to fritter away, essentially for free, essentially forever, the public assets at the airport, particularly from a removed governmental official, particularly over the objections of the other governmental officials.  I was willing to be arrested for those beliefs, but I did not, in any way, disrupt any meeting or violate any law or rule by doing so, as the 'Sun' suggested.

Present were:
Charles 'Hoss' Burson
Ken Evans
Maryellen Kersch
Clark Lyda
Lloronte Navarrette
Jack Nobel
Sam L. Pfiester
Doug Smith

That address to the council.