The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 257, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 10, 2003 Page: 4 of 24
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Sunday, August 10,2003
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Wanda Gamer Cash, Editor and Publisher
David Bloom, Mantvynx Editor
Baytown rising
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Letters to the editor
Children need fire safety program
positions to reduce the deficit
mold, the cost of remediation,
Perry’s family and the employees
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About Us
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the slack, why do you not expect
the same from your managers?
Please do not cut this very
important program from our
. schools. Our children need fire
prevention safety,
companies.
Later in the 2003 Legislation
Session, Nixon sponsored the
tort reform bill on behalf of the
insurance industry and the tort
reform groups. These were the
same organizations that were
ly, and the urgent need to
address mold contamination.
Nixon had an opportunity to
address the Texas Department of
Insurance during one of many
historic mold hearings held
across the state and in Austin.
stood watching homeowners in
i con-
The Bad
Service
chambe
Michael
Center,
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—
City of Baytown
---City Hall
2401 Market St.
Baytown, Texas 77520
Goose Creek CISD
Goose Creek Administration
Building
4544 Interstate 10 East
P.O. Box 30
Baytown, Texas 77522
281-4204800
Superintendent
1 Barbara Sultis
Fred Hartman, Publisher Emeritus
1950-1974
Test
the
This lack of compassion in
itself should be criminal.
John R. Cobamwias
Houston
Texas president of Homeowners
Against Deficient Dwellings
7
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Founded 1922
Board of Trustees
District 1 - Phelitria Barnes
2814264256
District 2 - Rosa Rodriguez
281420-2550
District 3 - Weston Cbtten
281426-5384
District 4 - James Lewis
------- 281428-7360---- —
District 5 - Clarence Albus
281421-5896
District 6 - Jepp Busch
281422-8898
District 7 - Steve Fischer
281420-1370 ’ ’
Members serve a three-year
term. Board meets on second and
fourth Mondays of each month at
6:30 p.m.
City Manager
Gary Jackson
2814206501
a Mayor —
' Pete Alfaro
2814206500
City Council
Driver
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Opinions
The
Safes
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From IcMg
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Let us hear from you
; The Baytown Sun welcomes letters of up
to 300 words and guest columns of up to
500 words on any item of public interest.
solidified into an action plan. It’s
amazing what can happen when we
put our differences aside and our
heads together.
Today's editorial was written by
Sioh at what is already the Houston W&nda Gamer Cash, editor and
area’s largest, business and industrial publisher of The Bay town Sun, on
pgrlj and the fifth largest in the behalf of the newspaper's editorial
wbild. board.
<<
tax revenue. Over time, that yields
benefits of less property tax,
increased services and additional
stream of residential and commercial opportunities.
development our way. All those years of dreamy talk
281424-2300
District 5 -Ronnie Anderson
281427-9084
District 6 - Coleman Godwin
2814224733
Membu's serve a two year term.
Council meets on second and
fourth Thursdays of each month at
6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the peo-
ple peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
responsibilities of the manager
can be split between the other
managers until the funds become . unlike many victims, he kept
District 1 - Mercedes Renteria III
281420-9796
District 2 - Scott Sheley ‘
281422-8008
District 3 - Calvin Mundinger
281-424-9289
District 4 - Don Murray .
the gold and conveniently ignor-
ing (he hysteria, and the claims
of frivolity.
Such is the case of State
Representative Joe Nixon,
R-Houston.
In 2001 while hearings and
legislation was being crafted to
address mold claims, Nixon
received more than $300,000 for
his own mold claim. Like many
mold victims, his life was dis-
fl
T
The city’s commitment to redevel-
opment is under way, as new staff
works with the Historic Goose Creek
Association to revitalize the old
downtown area.
Consider.’tob,-the heightened inter-
est in Baytown from Precinct 2
Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, along
with her indication that Harris
County will join the reinvestment
zone at the mall — recognition that’s
long overdue and befitting of
Baytown’s stature as Harris Countys
third largest city.
But the most encouraging econom-
ic sign is the new cooperative spirit
— and reality — among the chief
architects of Baytown’ s future. The
city, the chamber of commerce and
the economic development founda-
tion have, at last, forged an effective
partnership to market Baytown as a
business and residential destination.
The new collaboration seems to
have overcome the inhibiting poli
tics, competitive turf-guarding and
rotating personality conflicts of the
past.
The reconstituted alliance is outlin-
ing measurable, realistic goals and
strategies to achieve them, as well as
committing manpower and money.
Already Baytown is gaining more
Starts and subdivisions in all areas of J0^8, more homeowneis, more sales
the community; increased retail
investment and expansion; and high-
way construction that is directing a
Verizon Wireless rece
Power and Associate
Overall Satistactjon A
Teteohone Users in H
in a Row, Tied in 200
Night & Week!
Important Con:
credit approval, t
Return/Exchange
studies and netw
study based on re
state of Texas, ww
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development our way. All those years of dreamy talk
i Completion is at hand on Interstate about economic development has
10 and Decker Drive and construc-
tion on the east side’s Grand
Parkway loop should begin in
September.
; Cedar Crossing Industrial Park is
poised to announce additional expan-
WHEN PRESIDENT
BUSH SAID HE WAS
SENDING TROOPS TO
STABILIZE ADANGEROIK
POWER VACUUM IN THE
DIVIDED CAPTIAL OF AN
EMBATTLED AND
DISCREDITED LEADER...
A comment to the mayor: stood watching homeowners in upon hysteria and had driven up
I understand you are willing to tears pleading for help from con- the cost of insurance, forcing
sumer groups and the State companies out of business.
Legislature, while they were qui- Members of these organizations
etly collecting their own share of testified at the mold hearings,
and some were appointed to the
Department of Insurance Mold
Task Force. All while Nixon was
collecting $300,000 on his own
“legitimate” claim and crafting
an insurance welfare bill, House
Bill 4.
This hypocrisy is not limited
to Nixon. In 2001 the attorney
general’s office in Lubbock was
evacuated and remediated due to
mold contamination at the
owner’s expense. And in 1995
I GOTTA ADMIT..,
THIS |& GATING
FRUSTRATING,!!
end would have put a halt to the
false claims Qf “hysteria." “frivo-
lous” and “mold is gold.”
But he didn't. Instead he stood
silently collecting his pot of gold
while others were foreclosing
and struggling to keep their chil-
dren in good health, as well as
H udget deficits aside, things
are looking up in Baytown. ,
And without sinking into
unabashed boosterism, we want to
tell you that our community is final-
ly driving in the right economic
direction.
Forward progress is evident on
several fronts. Notably, news last
week from the federal government
confirms what we’ve known for
years: Baytown is a primary genera-
tor of jobs and economic growth in
Southeast Texas. The official recog-
nition by the feds puts Baytown’s
name in the MSA designation for
this region. Across the nation and
globally, investors who key into the
government’s statistical database will
get a more accurate profile of the
demographic and economic trends
and configurations.
Baytown and Sugar Land have
rightfully replaced Galveston and
Brazoria County in the Houston
Metropolitan Statistical Area defini-
tion. Although no tangible benefits
attach to the new title, Baytown’s
heightened name awareness is worth
millions of advertising dollars.
■ The federal designation is support-
ed by the number of existing jobs
and potential for Job creation; the
burgeoning growth of new home
*1
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OUT editorial board Guest columns should include a photograph
; < of the writer. We publish only original materi-'
. The Baytown Sun s editorial board meets ai addressed to The Baytown Sun .bearing
the writer’s signature. An address and
phone number not for publication should be
included. We askthat submissions be limit-
rnake an appointment, contact Managing- —ed to one per month. All letters-and guest
- columns are subject to editing.
The Sun reserves the right to refuse to
publish any submission.
Letters endorsing or opposing political
candidates or issues will not be published
within two days of an election, except in
direct rebuttal to. a letter previously pub-
lished in The Baytown Sun. Please send
- signed letters to: Wenda Garner Cash or
David Bloom, The Baytown Sun, P.O. Box
90, Baytown, TX 77522.
Or, fax them to: 281427-1880. Or,
e-mail us at: sunnews@baytownsun.com.
Ilwit
Reba Rachall
Baytown His position, as a state represen-
tative, would have validated the
Rep. Nixon misses chance claims byother homeowners
affected by mold contamination.
His own experience of having
his family life disrupted, his
financial situation threatened
ing his mold remediation. But
■“r' • oju.uuu to me taxpayers, oo
available. You have cut other job silent about the dangers of toxic while Nixon’s family, Gov. Rick
positions ‘^reduce the deficit mold, the, cost of remediation, perry’s family and the employees
Cornyn were safe from the haz-
ards of toxic mold, hundreds of
Texas families, looking for help
from their leaders, were left out
in the mold.
The current focus of Nixon's
mold claim is on the criminal
aspect of insurance fraud and
political payback, but the focus
should also be on the moral
aspect. How could an elected
leader, in the state that invented
the word “compassion,” stand
idle with his hands buried in the -
pot of gold while his people are
in financial ruin, poor health and
pleading for help? How could
Nixon ignore the hearings and
families who have been ravaged
financially, physically and men-
tally by mold contamination
while he collects on his own
claim and crafts legislation on
behalf of those who provided his
weekly at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Individuals are
encouraged to visit the editorial board to
discuss issues affecting the community. To
Editor David Bloom, 281422-8302.
' Members of the editorial board include:...
Wanda Gamer Cash, editor and publisher;
David Bloom, managing editor; Joseph
Lohan, city editor; Dee Anne Navarre, busi-
ness manager; Jim Finley, retired Sun man-
aging editor; and Jane Howard Lee, retired
Sun reporter.
cut a program from our schools
that has been very successful in
teaching our children fire safety.
This is a very important issue to
parents. We do not need to cut
tax dollars on our school pro-
grams. Our children are our
future. I know there must be
other ways to reduce the deficit.
This program is only $7,000.
Please tell me how a $7,000 pro-
gram cut from our budget is
going to help balance our budget
when you are willing to spend
and additional $122,000 for an
assistant city manager. 1 think the rupted while his family spent
year in a crowded apartment dur- the Texas Governor's Mansion
was remediated, at a cost of
$50,000 to the taxpayers. So
any
to help homeowners
During the summer of 2001
hundreds of homeowners across
Texas testified on the subject of and his emotions stretched to the
mold contamination of their
homes.
Many recalled months of
strange fashes, nosebleeds, and
upper respiratory illnesses and
spending thousands of dollars
for exploratory medical tests
ranging from cancer to lupus.
Some lost their memory. Others struggling with their insurance
lost their homes. And others r- ------
such as the insurance lobbyists,
lawyers, and tort reformers !
claimed, "mold is gold- and 1
mold claims were “frivolous,” i
based upon hysteria not scientif- t
ic facts. «
And then there were those who claiming toxic mold was based
.gold?
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 257, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 10, 2003, newspaper, August 10, 2003; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1185584/m1/4/?q=mission+rosario: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.