CORPUS CHRISTI REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

76th Leg: A Bill Allowing Gov. Bodies to Keep Information Confidential if it Relates to "a Financial or Other Incentive Being Offered"

2007-10-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

Dear Solly,

As A Member of the House Committee On Economic Development

Can You Please Explain SB 1851 (by the 76th Legislature) Relating to public access to governmental information and decisions, including revisions to the public information law?

Do you agree or disagree with the Bill?

Does the Economic Development Committee have any jurisdiction over this type of legislation?

How was there not a companion bill in the House?

· Economic development information (new 552.131, SB 1851): A new exception will allow governmental bodies to keep information confidential if it relates to "a financial or other incentive being offered" to a business prospect or if it relates to a trade secret or commercial or financial information of the business prospect. After an agreement (for tax incentives, utility discounts, land development, etc) is actually made between a governmental body and a company, the details of the financial incentives are public. It is not clear from the statutory language whether information about financial incentives offered but not taken will become public. We believe it will.

Economic Development

Chair

Vice Chair

Representative
Joe Deshotel

Representative
Joe Straus

Members

Representative
Lois Kolkhorst

Representative
Jim Dunnam

Representative
Geanie Morrison

Representative
Solomon Ortiz Jr.

Representative
Marc Veasey

Committee Clerk
Ben Fitzgibbons

Address
EXT E2.118
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910

Phone
(512) 463-0794

Committee Jurisdiction
The committee shall have seven members, with jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to:

(1) commerce, trade, and manufacturing;
(2) economic and industrial development;
(3) job creation and job-training programs;
(4) hours, wages, collective bargaining, and the relationship between employers and employees;
(5) unemployment compensation, including coverage, benefits, taxes, and eligibility;
(6) boiler inspection and safety standards and regulation;
(7) labor unions and their organization, control, management, and administration;
(8) weights and measures;
(9) advances in science and technology, including telecommunications, electronic technology, and automated data processing;
(10) the promotion of scientific research, technological development, and technology transfer in the state;
(11) matters relating to cooperation of state and local governments with the scientific and technological community, which includes industry, the universities, and federal governmental laboratories; and
(12) the following state agencies: the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office, the Texas Emerging Technology Committee, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Workforce Investment Council, and the Texas National Research Laboratory Commission.

Texas Legislature Bills By Committee Economic Development 80th Legislature Regular Session Report Date: 10/15/2007
Number of Bills: 77 Report Sections: Bills In Committee | Bills Out of Committee
Bills In Committee (25):

HB 193	Author:	Guillen
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 236	Author:	Alonzo
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 262	Author:	Coleman
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 327	Author:	Leibowitz
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 351	Author:	Anchia \| Gonzalez Toureilles
	Last Action:	02/01/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to prohibiting a grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund to a recipient who employs an undocumented worker.

HB 451	Author:	Thompson
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 456	Author:	Rodriguez
	Last Action:	04/18/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the employment of certain day laborers; authorizing the imposition of an administrative penalty.

HB 936	Author:	Burnam
	Last Action:	02/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 1490	Author:	Woolley
	Last Action:	03/28/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to initial claims under the unemployment compensation system.

HB 1528	Author:	Jackson, Jim \| Berman \| Harper-Brown \| Laubenberg \| Paxton
	Last Action:	03/28/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to prohibiting a grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund to an employer who employs one or more persons who are not lawfully entitled to be present and employed in the United States.

HB 1629	Author:	Chavez
	Last Action:	03/14/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the transfer of adult education and literacy programs from the Texas Education Agency to the Texas Workforce Commission.

HB 1874	Author:	Aycock
	Last Action:	02/27/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to industrial development corporations.

HB 2097	Author:	Bailey
	Last Action:	03/05/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to the eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits of certain individuals who perform services for educational institutions.

HB 2331	Author:	Parker
	Last Action:	03/28/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the repeal of public prevailing wage rate laws.

HB 2517	Author:	Davis, Yvonne
	Last Action:	03/13/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to damages for certain harassment by an employer.

HB 2865	Author:	Swinford
	Last Action:	03/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to eligibility for certain unemployment compensation benefits.

HB 2867	Author:	Swinford
	Last Action:	03/21/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the recovery by the Texas Workforce Commission of unpaid unemployment compensation contributions and improper unemployment compensation benefits.

HB 3163	Author:	Ortiz, Jr.
	Last Action:	04/04/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to the proportional distribution of money from the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas emerging technology fund to different regions in this state.

HB 3218	Author:	Elkins
	Last Action:	04/11/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to state agency rules affecting small businesses.

HB 3254	Author:	Pitts
	Last Action:	03/20/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to prohibiting employers from requiring employees to make certain charitable contributions.

HB 3276	Author:	Elkins
	Last Action:	03/20/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to the use of an employer assessment to fund certain employment and training investment programs in this state.

HB 3339	Author:	Burnam
	Last Action:	03/21/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to use of the money from the Texas enterprise fund to promote renewable energy technology.

HB 3825	Author:	Morrison
	Last Action:	04/18/2007 H Left pending in committee
	Caption:	Relating to unemployment compensation information confidentiality, and providing penalties.

SB 486	Author:	Shapiro
	Last Action:	05/04/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to the Texas emerging technology fund.

SB 1425	Author:	Brimer
	Last Action:	04/24/2007 H Referred to Economic Development
	Caption:	Relating to economic impact studies and other financial issues affecting municipalities and counties that attempt to recruit or retain special events.

Bills Out of Committee (52):

HB 48	Author:	Chavez \| McClendon \| Guillen \| Castro \| Pena
	Sponsor:	Zaffirini
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Vetoed by the Governor
	Caption:	Relating to distributions from the employment and training investment holding fund.

HB 49	Author:	Chavez \| Deshotel \| Puente \| Dutton \| Thompson
	Last Action:	04/19/2007 H Considered in Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the minimum wage.

HB 580	Author:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	04/19/2007 H Considered in Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the adoption of an alternative base period for computation of unemployment compensation benefits.

HB 581	Author:	Deshotel
	Sponsor:	Van de Putte
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to exempting from certain employment restrictions the employment of certain children engaged in the direct sale of newspapers to the general public.

HB 584	Author:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	04/12/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to an increase in the total loan amount available under the owner-builder loan program.

HB 611	Author:	Thompson
	Last Action:	04/13/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits of certain employees who provide at-home infant care after the birth or adoption of a child.

HB 641	Author:	Coleman
	Last Action:	04/13/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to application of the minimum wage to certain governmental entities.

HB 754	Author:	Dutton
	Last Action:	04/13/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to payment of wages to certain employees who miss work to perform jury duty; providing a criminal penalty.

HB 972	Author:	Hodge \| Smith, Todd \| Hughes \| Keffer, Jim \| Deshotel
	Last Action:	04/19/2007 H Considered in Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the eligibility for unemployment benefits of individuals who are unemployed due to certain labor disputes.

HB 1188	Author:	Morrison
	Sponsor:	Shapiro
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective on 9/1/07
	Caption:	Relating to the Texas emerging technology fund.

HB 1196	Author:	Kolkhorst \| Parker
	Sponsor:	Janek
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective on 9/1/07
	Caption:	Relating to restrictions on the use of certain public subsidies.

HB 1205	Author:	Keffer, Jim \| Gonzalez Toureilles
	Sponsor:	Eltife
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Vetoed by the Governor
	Caption:	Relating to the prohibition of certain employment discrimination regarding an employee who is a volunteer emergency responder.

HB 1277	Author:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	04/19/2007 H Considered in Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits based on the claimant's availability to do part-time work.

HB 1333	Author:	Farabee
	Last Action:	04/16/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the release of job opening information to certain individuals.

HB 1392	Author:	Turner \| Chavez
	Last Action:	04/17/2007 S Referred to Business & Commerce
	Caption:	Relating to the right of an employee who is a parent of a child enrolled in a special education program to time off from work to meet with certain persons affecting the education of the child.

HB 1467	Author:	Deshotel
	Sponsor:	Brimer
	Last Action:	05/23/2007 S Removed from local & uncontested calendar
	Caption:	Relating to reservations of the state ceiling and priority carryforward classifications for certain projects under the private activity bond allocation program.

HB 1489	Author:	Woolley
	Last Action:	04/19/2007 H Laid on the table subject to call
	Caption:	Relating to the use of certain surplus revenue in the unemployment compensation fund.

HB 1617	Author:	Darby
	Last Action:	05/08/2007 S Refer to s/c on Emrg Tech & Econ Dev by Pres
	Caption:	Relating to the qualifications for appointment to the board of directors of certain economic development corporations.

HB 1952	Author:	Anderson
	Last Action:	05/15/2007 S Referred to Business & Commerce
	Caption:	Relating to the eligibility of new electric generating facilities and new industrial facilities that use gasification technology for economic benefits authorized by the Texas Economic Development Act.

HB 2029	Author:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	04/12/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to block grant funding for certain workforce training and employment programs and functions by the Texas Workforce Commission.

HB 2059	Author:	Miles \| Dukes \| Allen, Alma \| Cohen
	Last Action:	04/12/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the right of an employee to time off from work if the employee or the employee's child is a victim of family violence or a violent felony offense.

HB 2120	Author:	Deshotel
	Sponsor:	Williams
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to the operation of the unemployment compensation system and computation of an individual's unemployment compensation benefits; providing a criminal penalty.

HB 2185	Author:	Woolley
	Last Action:	04/24/2007 H Considered in Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to liability for the refund of certain unemployment compensation benefits to the Texas Workforce Commission.

HB 2278	Author:	Deshotel
	Sponsor:	Brimer
	Last Action:	06/21/2007 E Effective on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
	Caption:	Relating to a nonsubstantive revision of statutes relating to business and commerce; including conforming amendments.

HB 2308	Author:	Rose
	Sponsor:	Hegar
	Last Action:	05/19/2007 S Committee report printed and distributed
	Caption:	Relating to the requirement that certain economic development corporations hold a hearing before spending funds to undertake a project and to the authority of those economic development corporations to allow voters to elect to limit the period during which or the projects for which the tax is imposed.

HB 2572	Author:	Thompson
	Last Action:	04/12/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to a requirement that a recipient of money from the Texas Enterprise Fund provide a health benefit plan for its employees.

HB 2625	Author:	Murphy
	Sponsor:	Hegar
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective on 9/1/07
	Caption:	Relating to the determination of prevailing wage rates in Texas counties.

HB 2660	Author:	King, Tracy
	Sponsor:	Eltife
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to the use of money from the Texas economic development bank fund for rural rail development.

HB 2866	Author:	Swinford
	Last Action:	05/09/2007 H Returned to committee
	Caption:	Relating to liability for obtaining improper unemployment compensation benefits.

HB 2947	Author:	Eissler
	Last Action:	04/25/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to the regulation of staff leasing services.

HB 3037	Author:	Rose
	Last Action:	05/08/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to employment leave to comply with certain family or medical obligations; providing a civil penalty.

HB 3074	Author:	Creighton
	Sponsor:	Uresti
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to advertising of entities that contract with local workforce development boards.

HB 3161	Author:	Ortiz, Jr.
	Last Action:	04/17/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to advisory committees that recommend entities receive grants from the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas emerging technology fund.

HB 3440	Author:	Parker
	Sponsor:	Harris
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to projects that may be undertaken by development corporations for the development, retention, or expansion of certain airport facilities.

HB 3446	Author:	Rose \| Keffer, Jim \| Deshotel \| McCall \| Gonzales
	Sponsor:	Eltife
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective on 9/1/07
	Caption:	Relating to the promotion by the governor's office of economic development of Texas manufactured products; providing civil and administrative penalties.

HB 3497	Author:	Keffer, Jim
	Last Action:	04/13/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to economic impact studies and other financial issues affecting municipalities and counties that attempt to recruit or retain special events.

HB 3694	Author:	Deshotel
	Sponsor:	Janek
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to the enterprise zone program.

HB 3749	Author:	McClendon
	Last Action:	04/17/2007 H Committee report sent to Calendars
	Caption:	Relating to use of money from the Texas enterprise fund for rail projects.

HB 4065	Author:	Otto \| Straus \| Strama
	Sponsor:	Watson
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Vetoed by the Governor
	Caption:	Relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a pilot program to provide grants for the construction of certain facilities for job training and employment services.

HCR 97	Author:	Rose \| Raymond
	Last Action:	05/01/2007 S Referred to Education
	Caption:	Urging the U.S. Department of Labor to reconsider the proposed reduction in student training slots at the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, Texas.

SB 194	Author:	Jackson, Mike
	Sponsor:	Bonnen
	Last Action:	05/22/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to the eligibility of certain individuals with terminally ill spouses for unemployment compensation.

SB 637	Author:	Van de Putte
	Sponsor:	Rose
	Last Action:	05/22/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to use of the money from the Texas Enterprise Fund to benefit small businesses.

SB 679	Author:	Williams
	Sponsor:	Woolley
	Last Action:	05/04/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to the use of certain surplus revenue in the unemployment compensation fund.

SB 700	Author:	Lucio
	Sponsor:	Elkins
	Last Action:	05/18/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to state agency rules affecting small businesses.

SB 1023	Author:	West, Royce
	Sponsor:	Thompson
	Last Action:	05/22/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to limiting use of money in the Texas Enterprise Fund to recipients that provide health benefit plans.

SB 1105	Author:	Watson
	Sponsor:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	05/22/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to the Texas Economic Development Act, including the eligibility of property for economic benefits authorized by that Act.

SB 1152	Author:	Carona
	Sponsor:	Deshotel
	Last Action:	05/21/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to an exclusion from unemployment compensation chargebacks for certain employers of continuously employed part-time employees.

SB 1365	Author:	Williams
	Sponsor:	Eissler
	Last Action:	05/21/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to the regulation of staff leasing services.

SB 1424	Author:	Brimer \| Harris
	Sponsor:	Smith, Todd \| Patrick \| Pierson \| Zedler
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to the municipalities authorized to use the other events trust fund to attract certain sporting events and to the comptroller of public accounts' responsibilities regarding those events.

SB 1485	Author:	Lucio
	Sponsor:	Guillen \| Homer
	Last Action:	05/18/2007 H Placed on General State Calendar
	Caption:	Relating to the establishment of the Texas Rural Development Fund and to the establishment, operation, and funding of certain programs for rural economic development.

SB 1523	Author:	Wentworth
	Sponsor:	Dukes
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective immediately
	Caption:	Relating to facilitating and supporting efforts of certain municipalities and counties to promote economic development, including hosting certain major sporting or athletic events.

SB 1619	Author:	Lucio
	Sponsor:	Morrison
	Last Action:	06/15/2007 E Effective on 9/1/07
	Caption:	Relating to the confidentiality of certain employment information, including unemployment compensation information; providing criminal penalties.

Hector P Garcia Institute of Education, Integrity, Culture and Public Policy: Corpus Christi Watchdog Authority: Fwd: [Bay of Pigs] Judge Westergren h

2007-08-01T01:05:00.000-07:00

Actionable?

Well dont just stand there!!

Get To Work!!!

Hector P Garcia Institute of Education, Integrity, Culture and Public Policy: Corpus Christi Watchdog Authority: Judge Westergren has been given the opportunity to produce the ...

The Serpent IN the Garden January 14, 1996 Houston: Inaction Allowed Abuser To Roam For 10 Years.

2007-07-18T02:45:00.000-07:00

If this was leaked to the media did the Corpus Christi Caller Times tell us about this pedophile?

Did the Caller publish any stories on this matter?

And the CCISD Board did they inform the community?

The Serpent IN the Garden January 14, 1996 Houston: CCISD board President Henry Nuss AQUIESCED. CCISD eagerly supplied pedophile with young patients - even after he had been publicly charged.

CORPUS CHRISTI - James Plaisted was a respected child psychologist, a deacon in one of the city's largest Baptist congregations and the father of four.

He also was a child molester so brazen he escorted little girls into church and fondled them under his coat while listening to the sermon.

Parents knew. So did church pastors, school officials and state regulators. But few did anything to stop him, and those who tried were remarkably unsuccessful.

It took 10 years to get Plaisted behind bars. Only he knows how many children he molested during that time.

Last month, Plaisted - already serving a two-year federal prison term for luring a Texas patient to Boston to continue molesting her -was brought back to Corpus Christi in chains.

He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting four girls and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

State regulators have yet to revoke his license to practice psychology.

""I think the Plaisted case is the model of what happens when the system fights with itself," said Susan Snyder, a Kingsville attorney and former prosecutor who tried to lock up Plaisted in 1992.

""Obviously, there have been safeguards in place to prevent this man all along, but either (state officials) were too lazy or too busy, or too scared of the politics of going and yanking this man's license," Snyder said. ""It's not the legal system failing. It's the people within the legal system that refuse to let the legal system work."

It's not as if no one tried.

Carmen Alvarado, the mother of the first child to accuse Plaisted more than 10 years ago, sought criminal charges against the therapist and filed an ethics complaint with the Texas Board of Examiners of Psychologists. She alleged that Plaisted had fondled her son's penis during a late-night counseling session.

Alvarado called the Parkdale Baptist Church, where Plaisted, 46, was a deacon.

""They said they were leaving it in God's hands," she recalled.

""I don't think they were thinking straight at the time."

She went to other parents. She got no help.

In the end, it was just her son's word against Plaisted, who told a Corpus Christi jury in 1986 that the 6-year-old child was a habitual liar and a pyromaniac who derived sexual excitement from setting fires. It didn't help that a new prosecutor was assigned to the case just before trial.

The jury acquitted Plaisted; his practice continued.

""It made me mad because when I went for help, all I asked was for them to testify," Alvarado recalled. ""We lost because my son was the only witness we had."

""It was a very tough call to make," said another victim's mother. ""And looking back, I really should have crucified him, but I didn't. I chose not to after talking to my attorney. He told me it would just really traumatize my daughter."

The Corpus Christi woman, who asked not to be identified, said she did confront Plaisted and his wife, who were neighbors in 1984, when her daughter was allegedly molested while spending the night with one of Plaisted's daughters.

""He did not deny it," she said. ""He said he could have done it

in his sleep."

Plaisted's wife laughingly added that she and her husband often made love at night, and he would not remember the next morning, the woman said.

The woman, who was also a member of the Parkdale Baptist Church, recalled telling church officials later about Plaisted's molestations.

""But it didn't seem to make any difference," she said. ""The church really backed him up, and a lot of people left the church after that."

Plaisted's attorney, Doug Tinker, refused to allow the Chronicle to interview his client. The criminal defense lawyer, who earlier this year represented Yolanda Saldivar, who was convicted of murdering Tejano star Selena, declined to discuss the Plaisted case.

The victims' families have since sued the church for negligence, but Parkdale's lawyer argues the congregation should not be held responsible for Plaisted's actions.

""It would be the church's wish to get this thing resolved without causing any additional hurt to anyone," said attorney Van Huseman. But he added, ""If a child gets molested in the middle of the service, how does that get to be the pastor's fault?"

Plaisted - a Nebraska native who served in the Army in Vietnam -came to Corpus Christi in 1982 with impeccable credentials, having earned his doctorate in clinical and child psychology from Auburn University in Alabama in 1981.

He quickly built a private practice, and over the years, developed a good reputation as an expert on brain dysfunction.

The Corpus Christi school district, along with local pediatricians, eagerly supplied him with young patients - even after he had been publicly charged. Members of the church also sought his help, and he had hospital privileges at the prestigious Driscoll Children's Hospital, a South Texas institution known both for quality care and charity.

Neighbors described Plaisted as pleasant, reserved, well-spoken. He was methodical, they said, and liked to work on projects around the house.

Plaisted recruited some of his victims from broken homes, showering the children with gifts, inviting them and their parents to Thanksgiving dinners. One 9-year-old girl who spent the night with Plaisted's daughter told prosecutors the psychologist molested her on the sofa in his living room while he and the children watched the movie "Home Alone"

on video.

He curried favor with his victims' parents by lending them money and refusing repayment, or by buying them air conditioners and other gifts. One mother even acted as a character witness for the therapist during the Alvarado trial, unaware that her own child was being molested.

""The bottom line is this guy had complaints filed against him at the psychology board - and they are serious - and the board doesn't notify the school about the complaints," said Jerry Boswell, director of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a group funded by the Church of Scientology (SEE CORRECTION) that documents cases such as Plaisted's. ""And the school is still referring children to this guy."

Corpus Christi school administrators said they used Plaisted infrequently for psychological testing of students, although school records and correspondence indicate he was a consultant from 1983 until he was indicted for child sexual assault in late 1992.

School administrators have identified records of five students referred to him for psychological testing between 1985 and 1992. There are no records prior to 1985.

School board President Henry Nuss, who has served on the board for seven years, said he first heard of the Plaisted case when he was contacted by the Houston Chronicle last week.

""We certainly should be more selective in who we're using," he said.

After Plaisted was charged in the Alvarado case in April 1986, Robert J. Garcia, the school district's special education director, wrote to the state psychology board to ask about the psychologist's record. The agency's executive director replied that Plaisted's license had been suspended, but because the psychologist was in the process of suing to get it back, he remained licensed to practice. The letter gave no details about the nature of the complaints.

""He was given a clean bill of health by the only agency that had anything to say about it," said Dr. Adrian Haston, a psychologist who coordinates the school district's psychological services, and who, years ago, shared an office with Plaisted.

Haston emphasized that none of the schoolchildren referred to Plaisted were molested. ""And we never had anything untoward, any problems of that sort," he said.

Asked why the district would risk using a psychologist once accused of being a child molester, Haston replied, ""This is something the district did, and you can ask the director of special education why."

Garcia said in a recent telephone interview that he could not remember whether he knew about the child molestation charges at the time he wrote to the psychology board.

""All I know is we asked for what his status was and they said he could still practice," he said. ""We knew he was under review, but we didn't know what for.

""Look, the state board of psychologists, they're the ones that allowed him to continue to practice," Garcia added angrily.

""If anyone should be asked as to why this guy was allowed to continue, it should be the state board of psychology."

Pressed for further details, Garcia abruptly ended the interview and hung up the phone.

Although Plaisted was acquitted in August 1986 in the Alvarado case, the psychology board continued its investigation and ruled in November of that year that Plaisted had violated professional standards.

The board officially suspended his license for two years, but said he would be allowed to resume his practice in three months.

Meanwhile, Plaisted challenged the suspension in state district court in Austin, arguing the psychology board had unfairly considered allegations that had not been introduced during his hearing, denying him the opportunity to defend himself against them. The judge agreed, and in January 1987 reversed Plaisted's suspension.

While the board was investigating Plaisted's case, they were contacted by Corpus Christi psychologist George Kramer.

Kramer, who had hired Plaisted in 1982 before Plaisted was licensed, told the board to subpoena records of the state Department of Human Resources. It did, and found other instances of alleged molestation by Plaisted.

In April 1989, the board reached an agreement with the psychologist that allowed him to keep his license if he agreed to be supervised for 11/2years. Plaisted was to treat children only in the presence of an associate or in a location where he could be observed by a television monitor. He also was to pay to have Corpus Christi psychologist Joseph Horvat supervise his casework.

Horvat met with Plaisted weekly, but after a year - convinced that Plaisted was doing nothing wrong - he recommended the supervision be terminated six months early. The board decided to continue the supervision.

""I have found no evidence in any way, shape or form of any behavior on his part which could be in any way construed as unprofessional or unethical," Horvat wrote to the board.

Included in one of his reports to the board was a review of Plaisted's treatment of an 8-year-old girl - a child Plaisted was later charged with molesting.

The board's general counsel, Barbara Holthaus, acknowledged past actions taken by the agency were inadequate.

""With hindsight, of course it wasn't appropriate, because look at what happened," Holthaus said. But she said the board has since added lay people to its ranks and has a new, tougher state law giving it better enforcement powers.

""Now, if we get a report that a psychologist is molesting a client, we can go before a judge and say we want to temporarily suspend the license," she said.

Holthaus said the board has filed a motion to revoke Plaisted's license, but Plaisted is fighting it.

""It's all kind of moot, because he's incarcerated," she said.

Soon after Plaisted completed his board-ordered supervision, Corpus Christi police received new information from state child welfare workers that Plaisted had been molesting girls at his office, in church and at home in his hot tub.

Former detective Eric Michalak, who now works in Colorado, remembered taking the Plaisted case to a Nueces County assistant district attorney for prosecution.

""He wanted to get a warrant for the doctor and arrest him, because we had very strong evidence against him," Michalak said. ""We had multiple victims and you had a guy in the position he was in, where he had access to all these victims.

You would want to take quick action rather than let it go on for so long."

The prosecutor was overruled by then-District Attorney Grant Jones, Michalak said. ""(Jones) just said, `We're not getting a warrant. We're taking our time.' He wanted the kids reinterviewed by one of the prosecutors.

""Any time you go after someone like that, there's a lot of politics that come into play," Michalak added. ""Instead of stepping in right then, and bringing it out in the open and taking it to a grand jury (for indictment), they delayed."

Jones contends that any delay in prosecution was an effort ""to tie the case down tight. We didn't want to lose him twice,"

said Jones, on whose watch Plaisted was acquitted in the Alvarado case.

Jones called it ""outrageous" the psychology board still hasn't revoked Plaisted's license.

""They should have done it in 1986," he said. ""What they want to do is wait around until you go to trial and you convict him, and then they come in behind your conviction and revoke his license. Well, what's he doing in the meantime? He could be out in the community molesting kids for two years."

Michalak said the case was finally taken to the grand jury several months later after he leaked the information about Plaisted's investigation to the local media.

""It was taking too long, and it wasn't being handled like another case," he said. ""And it was because he was so prominent in the community."

Plaisted was finally indicted in Corpus Christi in October 1992. He posted bond, closed his practice in Corpus Christi, and negotiated an agreement with the psychology board to place his license on inactive status until he could prove his innocence.

He then moved to Boston, where he enrolled in Boston University Law School and successfully completed his first year of studies by May 1994.

While in law school, Plaisted began calling a former patient - the girl whose treatment Horvat had reviewed in Corpus Christi. Plaisted convinced the girl's mother - who was also a patient of his - to bring the girl to Boston for additional therapy.

Plaisted's plans were foiled when a policeman setting up a speed trap in his neighborhood accidentally intercepted on his police radio a sexually explicit telephone call between the girl and Plaisted, who was using a cordless phone.

FBI agents were called in, six other calls were taped, and Plaisted was arrested on June 3, 1994, after he met the girl, then 13, and her mother at the train station and took them to a budget motel.

""The mother wasn't aware" of the molestations, said Adolfo Aguilo, an assistant Nueces County district attorney. ""The mother had a borderline personality disorder - she developed dependency on people -and unfortunately for her the person she developed a dependency on was Dr. Plaisted."

Sgt. Michael Harpster, a police detective from suburban Boston who helped arrest Plaisted, described him as ""very congenial, almost shy."

""He'd answer questions very courteously, but he didn't show any outward signs of knowing the seriousness of the situation," Harpster said.

Last January, Plaisted was sentenced by a federal judge in Boston to a two-year prison term after he pleaded guilty to transporting a minor across state lines to engage in illegal sexual activity.

The Corpus Christi conviction and sentence came almost a year later.

In the end, Plaisted admitted molesting four victims. But prosecutors say no one will ever know how many others failed to come forward.

""I imagine there could be several other victims. Through his practice and the church he probably had access over the years to thousands of children," said Aguilo, the Corpus Christi prosecutor who eventually secured Plaisted's guilty plea.

""To me, any kid that came in contact with this guy was a victim in some way or another," added Michalak.

When Plaisted was sentenced last month, it was a bitter emotional meeting for many of his young victims and their parents, who had been called as witnesses in case Plaisted decided against the plea bargain.

Parents said Plaisted stood up straight, held his head high and looked the judge in the eye. And when he saw the relatives of his former victims, he acted as if he were attending a reunion of old friends, they said. One parent said Plaisted looked as if he thought they were there as supporters or character witnesses.

""He turned around and gave the families a big smile," Alvarado said. ""I couldn't believe it."

Alvarado, who sued Plaisted in civil court, has received a settlement for an undisclosed amount. Her son, now a teen-ager, is still struggling with his past abuse, she said, and she continues to feel betrayed by those who would not join her in speaking out years ago.

""I told them if they had helped me in the beginning, none of this would have happened," she said.

Plaisted timeline

Key dates in the career of Dr. James R. Plaisted:

January 1983: Licensed to practice psychology in Texas.

October 1984: Investigated by Texas Department of Human Resources for allegedly molesting a neighbor's child.

April 1986: Charged in criminal case for allegedly fondling a boy during therapy.

August 1986: Acquitted by jury in Corpus Christi.

October 1992: Indicted for sexual abuse of three Corpus Christi girls.

December 1992: Closed Corpus Christi office; moved to Boston to begin law school.

June 1994: Arrested by FBI agents for luring a 13-year-old former Corpus Christi patient to Boston.

January 1995: Indicted by Corpus Christi grand jury on three counts of aggravated sexual assault for incidents years earlier involving the same girl.

January 1995: Sentenced to two years in federal prison in Boston case.

Dec. 7, 1995: Sentenced to 40 years in state prison by a Corpus Christi judge after pleading guilty to five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Texas State Representative House District 33: Keep Your Promises Solly. Remember Miller? Why are CCISD Students still running at large during school d

2007-05-25T02:17:00.000-07:00

Texas State Representative House District 33: Keep Your Promises Solly. Remember Miller? Why are CCISD Students still running at large during school day hours?

Friday, May 25, 2007

Keep Your Promises Solly. Remember Miller? Why are CCISD Students still running at large during school day hours?

CCISD: Why are CCISD Students allowed to run at large during school day hours?

Education is for our Children, our Youth, our Future. Children and Youth need constant redirection and set boundaries at home and at school as well. When a minor is allowed to run at large during the school day hours whether it is in the halls, leaving or returning a closed campus or simply unaccounted for is irresponsible of the caretaker whose custody in which he / she is placed.
Kenedeno

An absent student is one who does not arrive at school in the morning and is absent for the WHOLE Day. The student was never on campus. The Parent is responsible for the student getting to school (requiring the student to attend school). If the student does not get to school it is the Parent’s responsibility not necessarily the Parent’s fault. There are circumstances where the student will walk in the front door and out the back door without attending a single class. This is where the attendance officers need to improve their due diligence like the old days.
Once the student is counted present in the morning; the Parent has required the student (child) to attend school. Once the student is verified in attendance at the beginning of the school day the student is in the custody of the School.
If the student is tardy or skips class (on campus or off campus) this happens on the watch of the school. The Parent if informed should cooperate and communicate with the School Counselors Administrators and the Attendance Officer to correct the behavior. The Security and Attendance officer should take notice and tighten the belt. This is a security issue as well; there is no excuse for students coming and going outside of the lunch period and it is imperative that attendance irregularities be dealt with within 24 hours. This is easily done with our modern technology.
Instead, what we are seeing is the Attendance Officers documenting the absences as they accumulate and filing on the Parent and student when the number of absences are achieved.

Solly, did you forget about the issues and the kids at Miller and CCISD as a whole?

South Texas Chisme: Chisme roundup

Posted on May 15, 2006 at 06:55:18 PM by Jaime Kenedeno ... sources at ccisd downtown have said that a miller hs asst. principal has become a whistleblower. ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/05/chisme-roundup.html - 48k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Solomon Ortiz Jr. on the ballot for State Rep D33!

I am Jaime Kenedeno of South Texas. A simple Google search will inform you more of WHO I Am. ... The credentials of Noyola and the CCISD / Miller fiasco was ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/08/solomon-ortiz-jr-on-ballot-for-state.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Truth? you cant handle the truth!

That hadn't happened in years, that is why Miller was facing sanctions from the feds (before noyola's time). And Kenedeno is right, we can't support the ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/07/truth-you-cant-handle-truth.html - 35k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: New block walking program in Corpu$

Posted on May 29, 2006 at 01:28:04 AM by Jaime Kenedeno ... Roy Miller’s political skills, vision brought Corpus Christi into the modern era ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-block-walking-program-in-corpu.html - 42k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Lets see how you dance to this tune

All the Talk Radio stations will be talking about the Miller HS issue as well as ... From: Jaime Kenedeno [mailto:kingalonzoalvarezdepinedaxiii@gmail.com] ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/07/lets-see-how-you-dance-to-this-tune.html - 46k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Race for State Rep. District 33 gets HOT

It said that the whistleblowers name at Miller was former assistant ... Jamie Kenedeno, no I just thought it would be fun to do something like that poem. ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/07/race-for-state-rep-district-33-gets.html - 43k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Who's the REAL enemy?

... Sr. attempts to manipulate the vote and his performance at Miller HS last year. ... Jaime Kenedeno/Haley, Who Knows why he writes anything that he does. ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/09/whos-real-enemy.html - 53k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: PULP FICTION & The Award Winning Caller-Times

... an article on July 23rd entitled PAPER WON’T REPORT RUMORS AT MILLER HIGH, ... Thanks for watching my back, Kenedeno. At 4:19 AM, Jaime KenedeÃ±o said. ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/07/pulp-fiction-award-winning-caller.html - 22k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Dangerous chisme?

When we write something us here at Kenedeno & Associates believe it to be true. ... in example will be the one that Danny Noyola was removed from Miller. ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/06/dangerous-chisme.html - 27k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: HD 33 shuffle

Danny Noyola, Sr., recently reassigned from Miller HS principal to Moody assistant principal, ... Posted on July 3, 2006 at 09:51:17 PM by Jaime Kenedeno ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/07/hd-33-shuffle.html - 37k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

South Texas Chisme: Once again the Caller times tells only half truth

-Jane Wall – Current teacher and former Miller HS journalism instructor “As a Precinct chair, ... Political Pulse: Kenedeno’s Political Pulse ...
stxc.blogspot.com/2006/08/once-again-caller-times-tells-only.html - 32k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Parkdale Bank: According to Gambi Gamboa, "John Longoria, Carol Scott and Dwayne Hargis already have chosen and will officially choose Roland Barrera

2007-05-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

Parkdale Bank: According to Gambi Gamboa, "John Longoria, Carol Scott and Dwayne Hargis already have chosen and will officially choose Roland Barrera as soon as Fri

After analyzing the recent events surrounding the resignation of CCISD Board Trustee Harry Williams (1 of 3 at large district positions); one thing IS clear. That one thing is Due Process (or lack of it). Immediately one's memory of search firm fiascos and the CCISD Board tool of choice, the Interim Superintendent buffer / scapegoat. The process was elaborate and ethical reasons or rule were claimed as the reason for the process.

Well, why such a rush fellas?

Why is the CCISD board in such a hurry to fill this position?

A Superintendent position and a Trustee position; one we wine, dine and lodge and the other we announce for applications for a month or so and "narrow the list down" from 20 to 5 in most expedient fashion. Now, making a long story short we have 20 candidates who invested their creative, intellectual and professional abilities into a work product they hope will be scrutinized by the Board and be successfully competitive. A good letter of interest comes only from the heart. The application is at times tedious but at least it is more objective than the TAKS. Updating one's resume and with a list of references most meaningful to the position and all of this for 15 to get thrown in the trash can and the 5 resumes remaining are to place on public display

full story here

"I'll be as hardy of mind as I am of body. I'll be a straight-shooter and a square-dealer. My family name will be sacred My word will be as good as any contract. I'll remember the Alamo. I'll stick by my friends. And I'll eat more chicken-fried steak."

"IN THE KNOW": Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga & The Primrose Path & Rangel Law School @ Texas A&I University.

2007-05-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

"IN THE KNOW": Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga & The Primrose Path & Rangel Law School @ Texas A&I University.

Subject: ["IN THE KNOW"] Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga & The Primrose Path & Rangel Law...
To: kenedenonews@gmail.com

[ http://storkclub-winchell.blogspot.com/2007/05/irma-rangel-legacy-relating-to.html]
http://www.ibcmemorial.org/irma.html

Monday, May 7, 2007
Carlos Truan | Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Luci0 : The Primrose Path & Rangel Law School @ Texas A&I University.

Or posture for another agenda?

Who at that time wanted a Pharmacy College?

Celanese, King Ranch, URI?

Now we have this unorthodox legislation for an Engineering School @ TAMUCC?

This is a Developing Medical Community with the ability to become the finest in the world. Medical Nanotechnology is already here, $ are already here.

The Political Faction at TAMUCC will find their equilibrium eventually. An engineering school @ CCSU / TAMUCC is obtuse to the medical assets we have accumulated and the Philanthropy already well rooted in South Texas.

Irma Rangel Legislation was for the establishment of a law school at Texas A & I

The Age of Winchell: Irma Rangel Legacy : Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University.

Hugo Berlanga | Henry Cuellar | Edwards, Al | Todd Hunter | Eddie Lucio

Bill:

SB 646

Legislative Session: 71(R)

Council Document: 71R 1835 MHT-D

Add to Bill List

Last Action:	02/28/1989 S Reported favorably w/o amendments

Caption Version:	Introduced
Caption Text:	Relating to the establishment of a law school at Texas A&I University.

Author:	Truan

Subjects:	Education--Higher-- General (I0231) TEXAS A&I UNIVERSITY (U2467)

Companion:	HB 1630 by Rangel, Identical

Senate Committee:	Education
Status:	Out of committee
Vote:	Ayes=9 Nays=1 Present Not Voting=0 Absent=1

--
Posted By The Advocate to Google Yourself Corpus Christi at 5/07/2007 02:46:00 AM

Nueces De La Parra: Nobody kicked Joe Elizondo off of the CCREDC Board. He was inebriated and "with" females not his wife. Ask Denise about the "Bache

2007-05-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Nueces De La Parra: Nobody kicked Joe Elizondo off of the CCREDC Board. He was inebriated and "with" females not his wife. Ask Denise about the "Bachelorettes' dancing w/ her hubby?

If the situation was reversed I would definitely be the bad guy. Maybe I should go yell at Juan's next event "WHO GIVES A F//K" and chant the CCREDC mantra Chorus. "JUAN MORE" "JUAN MORE" and ask him if he remembers? Juan must be held to a higher standard. Keep the reigns tight on him and everytime he starts to veer byte his a$$.

LOL

Joe Elizondo, surely he is a gentle man and a member of our leadership INFRASTRUCTURE? However, there must be HOUSECLEANING and the "Pulling of Weeds" that poisons us from the Top Down.

Elizondo began chanting JUAN MORE, JUAN MORE over and over (increasing in menacing heckle tone). Everyone ignored him so he continued with the JUAN MORE, JUAN MORE escalation. Then the Guitar Guy with the HAt "straight off of the sunset strip" was suggesting songs (lead ins). Elizondo yelled, "WHO GIVES A FUCK" and some other MINUTIA (uncalled for). He was directing his disrespect at the stage. My wife & I at the same time said, "HEY" and we turned to him with a meeting of the eyes. His group separated and Elizondo departed in a new truck. The others with him were friendly & charming before and after.

"IN THE KNOW": Remember The Crime Stoppers "Vandalism" of the Corpus Christi Country Club Golf Coursehigh powered members who control our nation’s eco

2007-04-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

"IN THE KNOW": Remember The Crime Stoppers "Vandalism" of the Corpus Christi Country Club Golf Course? Were there not high powered CCCC members who control our nation’s economy & industry. This work of fiction written by Hal Bray set here in Corpus Christi; I just thought you guys might like it. BTW, cant find that particular Crime Stoppers announcement. They tore up the CCCC Golf Course. Who is they?

This should be included with the Oso Golf Course Land Deal.

2007-04-05T05:39:00.000-07:00

County: Tell us more on courthouse

Commissioners hear idea to turn building into a legal center

By Beth Wilson Caller-Times
April 5, 2007

The 1914 Nueces County Courthouse may be priceless to preservationists, but local developers are putting an $11 million price tag on restoring its legal legacy.

County commissioners didn't offer the courthouse to Judson Partners, a group with a plan to turn it into a law center, but indicated Wednesday they were interested in hearing more from the state and other developers.

In a commissioners workshop meeting, developer Dan Judson presented his plan to buy the building and find the private funds to renovate it and bring in a law center that eventually would become affiliated with a law school.

a Law School in South Texas (with an ethics watchdog student body) and a new Kenedy Board of Directors (transparently structured)

County Judge Loyd Neal said he'd be interested in any deal that made financial and historical sense for the building that was the site that handled the county's business through much of the previous century.

"We have a long way to go from workshop to reality," he said. "If you make a good offer, we might sell you a courthouse, and I'm not sure I'd want a reversionary clause."

Commissioner Chuck Cazalas said any sale discussion would have to consider value of the land in addition to the building.

Neal said later that he has no estimate of the value of either the land or building and he's not sure the county would be able to sell the courthouse because a deed restriction was placed on the building when the county accepted grants from the Texas Historical Commission.

John G & Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation and John G Kenedy Trust (KFATSO)"Kenedy Foundation And Trust" ATTORNEY & "Caller Times LEGAL SPECIALIST" (As well as in House Counsel) Jorge Rangel and wife Guadalupe Rangel of Corpus Christi Beat Magazine and along with Anne Armstrong on Tx A&M Univ. System (College Station) Board of Regents. She wants a Law School in South Texas.

Judson said that if the county is willing to sell the building to his group, it is willing to put in about $200,000 for further studies to determine what would be the best use for the building that's been vacant since 1977.

This should be included with the Oso Golf Course Land Deal.

Judson said Wednesday a law center or school would keep the legal history of the building intact and two restored courtrooms could be used in learning. He has spoken to some law schools in Texas but said it is too early to say which ones. He has not received confirmation of interest in establishing a branch campus or center here.

He said he's also interested in using the building for residential and office space. While he doesn't have firm costs for such projects, he said renovation and the land could be between $11 million and $15 million and would be entirely privately funded.

"We are crystal clear that you don't want to use taxpayer money," he said.

Commissioner Peggy Banales, whose precinct includes the courthouse near the Harbor Bridge, said she wants to restore the courthouse to "its grand ole' lady style," but confirmed the county didn't want to put any more taxpayer money into its restoration or renovation.

A $2.85 million renovation of the building's south wing exterior was completed last year.

Community donations and county funds provided the local match of $950,000, but in 2005, commissioners declined to put up $1.76 million to match state grant funds to continue renovation. Cost for complete restoration has been estimated as high as $30 million.

Any contract to sell the building likely will include a clause returning it to the county if it isn't completed. Neal said Wednesday he's not sure whether the court would ask for such a clause.

The building can't be demolished until 2025 because a deed restriction was placed on the building when the county accepted renovation grants from the Texas Historical Commission.

Judson said he expects the county, if the county proceeds, to go through a public process to approve the sale and a renovation project, including asking if other developers are interested in any courthouse reuse plans.

Commissioners took no action to approve Judson's plan but authorized county staff to confer with the Texas Historical Commission, which must approve any changes in the building as a condition of accepting state grant funds.

"We will certainly consider this further under the advice of our county attorney and others," Neal said.

The county must notify the state of any changes, including transfer of the building, said Stan Graves, director of the commission's Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. He said the commission prefers historic courthouses remain county-owned, used for government and open to the public.

"The specific idea of using the facility as a law school has a certain appeal in that it would allow the courtrooms, judge's chambers and other major spaces to remain in the use originally intended," he said in a written statement. "Such a proposal would be preferable to something that would change the original structure and intent of the building."

Contact Beth Wilson at 886-3748 or HYPERLINK mailto:wilsonb@caller.com wilsonb@caller.com

2007-03-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

What EDC members do

March 25, 2007

According to its contract with the city, the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp. has six basic tasks. The city pays $475,000 per year for these services.

Create and implement programs to promote prosperity and expansion of existing industries.

# Recruit new industries.

# Negotiate tax incentives - up to $3,700 for each job created.

# Provide a quarterly report of the EDC's progress.

# Create studies on the region's economy, and participate in efforts to halt base closure.

# Conduct any and all other lawful activities that aid the economic prosperity and development of the city.

How its leaders are chosen:

The EDC is governed by a board of directors. Directors serve three-year terms and cannot serve more than two terms. Five members are appointed by the city, one of which is the mayor; three by the Port Authority of Corpus Christi. The remaining members are appointed by the membership. Terms are three years. Directors can serve two terms. Board members receive no compensation. Membership is generally open to anyone who can donate money and is approved by the board. Contributions of less than $2,500 are directed to the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce. In 2002, 10 companies gave $25,000; eight gave $10,000; 12 gave $2,500. Other companies give in-kind donations, such as radio or television commercials. Nueces County has the option of appointing two board members, but does not participate in the organization.

On the agenda:

Persuading city leaders to expand the use of tax subsidies to lure new business. Currently, the city offers about $3,700 for each new job. EDC officials complain they sometimes miss out on opportunities because the incentives offered are too small to compete. Incentives vary widely around the state. Abilene's Industrial Development Corporation offers as much as $17,000 for each new job and 15 percent of relocation costs for equipment. McAllen can offer as much as $1,000 per each job created. Lubbock offers $10,000 for each employee making $75,000 annually.

Amarillo is known for sending checks for millions of dollars, along with letters telling businesses that the checks can be cashed if the company relocates and brings a certain number of jobs. Corpus Christi has about $5 million set aside if a project comes down the pike - and there are other unspent funds earmarked for projects, according to CEO and President Roland Mower.

All of the cities have other incentive packages for property tax abatements and provisions for state funding.

EDC officials want to raise that ceiling for businesses that bring higher investments or better-paying jobs, as much as $20,000 for each new job.

The players:

Jim Barnette: nominated by membership. Immediate past chairman. Partner in Fulton/Coastcon Construction.

Irma Caballero: director of the city's economic development department.

Mike Carrell: nominated by Port Authority. President of Frost Bank.

Joe Elizondo: treasurer of the EDC. Nominated by city. President of the Greenwood Door Company.

David Engel: nominated by membership. President of Engel Investments.

Henry Garrett: mayor of Corpus Christi.

Gene Guernsey: nominated by city. President/CEO GGR Inc.

Judy Hawley: secretary of the EDC. Nominated by Port Authority. Texas business development manager, Advanced Acoustic Concepts.

Al Jones: former member of the board. President of American Bank.

Tony LaMantia: nominated by membership. President L & F Distributors.

John LaRue: Executive director of Port Authority.

Ed Martin: nominated by the city. Now serves as chairman. President of Berry Contractors/Bay Ltd.

Colleen McHugh: nominated by membership. Attorney. Former partner in Bracewell and Giuliani.

Roland Mower: CEO/President. Former president of the Bryan-College Station Economic Development Corp.

Charles Patton: nominated by membership. President and COO AEP Texas.

Dennis Payne: nominated by membership. Vice president of Valero Refining.

Gloria Perez: nominated by city. President Asiel Enterprises. Former member of the Corpus Christi Business and Job Creation board, a city authority.

Paul Trevino: nominated by membership to replace Jones. COO Christus Spohn Hospital Shoreline.

2007-03-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

Economic development group's effectiveness is hard to measure

By Dan Kelley Caller-Times
March 25, 2007

Most folks want one. City government wants to create them. To do it, the city relies on the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit group it helped establish.

How is the EDC doing?

"If you judge the EDC by the number of new jobs, I don't know I'd call it a roaring success," said Al Jones, a former member of the EDC's board of directors. "We've not been successful in luring a large employer."

But if the EDC isn't doing a good job, how would the city or the taxpayers know?

Trying to understand the EDC can be like grasping the fog that shrouds its 13th-floor office in One Shoreline Plaza. Taxpayers spent more than $3.8 million supporting the organization since 2000. What taxpayers received for that investment is unclear because little public documentation exists.

The EDC is a nonprofit organization - not a city department - with a $1.5 million annual budget. In 2004 the city and Port of Corpus Christi paid the EDC $475,000 and $170,000, respectively. More than half of its funding historically has come from public sources, the rest from private industry donations. Slightly more than half of its board members are nominated by public agencies.

Critics say the organization is designed to sidestep accountability.

"It doesn't have transparency," said Butch Escobedo, an insurance broker and LULAC member. "It doesn't have oversight."

What critics call secrecy, EDC officials and authorities on the subject of economic development describe as confidentiality - a necessary ingredient, they say, in luring industries. Corporations depend on secrecy for competitive reasons, and oftentimes don't reveal their identities even to the EDC.

The EDC provided the Caller-Times with board meeting minutes, internal audits and other documents it believes it is not required to provide.

Whether those documents are public records depends on whether the EDC is considered a governmental body or a contractor. That decision depends on an interpretation of its contract. A 1993 attorney general's opinion states that the EDC's contract with the city has to show an "obligation to provide a measurable amount of service in exchange for a certain amount of money, as one would expect to find in a typical arms-length contract for services between a vendor and a purchaser."

"I'd be really surprised if they could really pass muster that it's a true contractual relation," said Charles Daughtry, a lawyer in the Houston-based firm of Daughtry and Jordan and a volunteer lawyer for The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.

According to its contract with the city, the EDC negotiates the use of monies from a one-eighth-cent sales tax. The group doesn't have to tell anyone whom it is negotiating with until those subsidies are sent to a city board for approval.

Five such agreements have been reached. Two companies accepted the subsidies, which could potentially total $685,000.

Little information

The city has never asked for a performance audit to find out if the EDC is doing a good job.

If it did, how far the city would get is unclear because in 2005, the city and the EDC entered an agreement limiting the scope of information the city could request.

On at least one occasion in 2005 the EDC sought and received an opinion from its accountants declaring that it did not have to account for its use of public funds. That opinion, contained in a review of accounting procedures given to the Caller-Times by the EDC, found that 38 percent of a sample of expenditures lacked authorization from management, and 26 percent lacked supporting documentation such as receipts or invoices. The review did not detail how much money was involved.

Donald Deis, a professor of accounting at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, said knowing the amount of money involved in the transactions would help evaluate the importance of the auditor's finding, but "the rates themselves suggest something needs to be done."

The city's contract with the EDC requires it to give quarterly reports, and in the past it also issued annual reports.

The quarterly reports consist of an oral presentation to the City Council, and they are only required to contain the number of contacts the EDC has made. They don't appear in written form, according to Roland Mower, president and CEO of the organization.

The EDC no longer stands by its previous annual reports, which detailed explosive job growth.

Jobs did come to Corpus Christi between 2000 and 2005, but other jobs left almost at the same rate as the new ones were coming, a fact that was not listed in the reports. And some of the jobs were projected to materialize years in the future, according to Jim Barnette, immediate past chairman of the EDC's board and a longtime member of its hierarchy.

NEED FOR DISCRETION

Top directors in the organization are adamant about the need for discretion.

"Most corporations considering relocating or expanding require complete confidentiality either because of their competition or (Securities and Exchange Commission) rules regarding disclosure," said Barnette. "As a result, our EDC was organized as a private, not-for-profit corporation that would not be subject to the Open Meetings Act so that corporations could contact us regarding their plans and maintain their required confidentiality."

Mower said he might not know the identity of the companies considering the city for business opportunities, because the consultants hired by corporations to scout locations often refer to their clients under code names.

Mower gave the Caller-Times access to the organization's board minutes and provided an undated list of businesses - described only by code name and information on the type of business - and the results of the contacts.

Standard practice

Experts in the field of economic development say the need for secrecy is normal, and helps companies retain key employees during transition.

"When you announce a closure, your employees find new jobs or sabotage equipment," said Jeffrey Finkle, president and CEO of the International Economic Development Council, a Washington, D.C.-based economic development trade group. If that is done prematurely, Finkle said, site-selecting consultants may never deal with a city again.

But in the absence of public information, how do voters and the politicians they elect know whether they are getting their money's worth?

They could look at the numbers.

The number of jobs created in Corpus Christi grew by less than 1 percent annually between 2000 and 2004, and by approximately 1.9 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. Those figures lag behind both the rest of Texas and the country as a whole.

But is that the EDC's fault?

Finkle said judging the success of an EDC depends on the community.

"In Youngstown, Ohio, which has lost half of its population since 1960, simply retaining an employer might be considered a success," Finkle said. "In Las Vegas, the question might be how to diversify the economy."

Typically, Finkle said, agencies have goals or studies that guide their thinking and allow observers to track their progress.

It appears that the only study detailing what projects the EDC should pursue since its re-formation in 2000 was released in 2006. When asked for other EDC studies, Mower pointed to a survey of the local workforce that made no overt recommendations as to the direction the organization should go.

Barnette said the goal in those early years was simply to get Corpus Christi noticed.

"We didn't have a bad reputation," Barnette said. "We had no reputation. Our goal in the first few years was to do nothing but get us on the map."

Tracing its own history, the EDC stops at 2000. But its genesis and many of its main players date back at least to 1986. It was the brainchild of an insurance agent named Loyd Neal, who later became mayor and now is the county judge. In 1986, he was chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

About nine years later, the EDC merged with the Chamber of Commerce and the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, as part of the group known as the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance. In 2000, the Business Alliance collapsed under a rash of audits and the EDC reorganized as a free-standing entity.

Through the years and several name changes - the Corpus Christi Area EDC, the Corpus Christi Business Alliance, the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance and, most recently, the Corpus Christi Regional EDC - the key players have remained largely the same. Jones has served on the board since the beginning. Barnette has served at various times, along with his longtime partner in the construction business, Joe Fulton.

In the past, the county government contributed $80,000 annually to the EDC, but it has halted that relationship. Some county officials question the EDC's effectiveness.

Singapore Technologies

In 2001, U.S. Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz brought in a strong lead - aircraft maintenance firm Singapore Technologies. The company seemed ready to come to the city. The city was required to offer subsidies to the company. In the end, the company bought a plant in San Antonio at bankruptcy auction. County officials blamed city officials for delaying the deal.

Two county officials, Tyner Little, executive assistant to the Commissioners Court, and Commissioner Oscar Ortiz, the congressman's brother, said the deal soured the county on the EDC.

Barnette said the Singapore Technologies situation wasn't the reason the county opted out.

"They found a facility that had a very favorable price," Barnette said. "It was not a result of a fight between the city and the county."

Former County Judge Terry Shamsie said the county stopped using the EDC because of a budget crunch.

Neal, who was mayor when the Singapore Technologies deal fell through, said the county is likely to begin participating with the EDC again, but is not able to do so this year. He did not say how much money he believed the county could give.

"I asked them to come up with a proposal to give to me after the second day of January," said Neal, who was sworn in as county judge that day. "Are we as happy as we could be on job creation? Of course not. It doesn't mean organizations like this don't have a place."

He said job creation figures would improve if local industries could find qualified applicants for open positions.

SLIP THROUGH CRACKS

Losing Singapore Technologies wasn't the first time the EDC saw a major project slip through the cracks.

In 1987, the EDC, under a slightly different name, pushed for a plan to lure a defense contractor making surveillance blimps. The project never materialized. That same year, McDonnell Douglas pulled back on plans to build an aircraft assembly plant here.

Again under a different name in 1999, the city lost a call center to Kingsville after that city offered a $100,000 subsidy and easy access to bilingual workers.

With that record comes criticism from the community, which can point to a long list of half-steps and failures.

Many fault former EDC CEO Ron Kitchens for overstating the performance of the local economy.

Kitchens says he was just repeating the information given to him by companies announcing new jobs.

Kitchens was in Corpus Christi from 2000 - after the loss of the call center prospect but in time for the Singapore Technologies campaign - until 2005. He took a job in Kalamazoo, Mich., as head of an economic development group he described as twice the size of the Corpus Christi EDC. In announcing Kitchens' departure, Barnette said the EDC's next task would be to find "another Ron Kitchens."

Irma Caballero, the city's lone employee - her title is director - of the city's economic development department, said that criticism may have been warranted in the past. It is, however, too early to judge Mower, who moved to take the job as the EDC's president in mid-2005. Her job includes coordinating city departments - like utilities, planning, zoning, and the board that gives final approval for subsidies - for prospective businesses. She also acts as the liaison between the city and the EDC.

"There was no economic development plan for the city," said Caballero, who is in charge of the department with a $184,000 annual budget. "By January (2006) we had a plan. One thing we all agreed on is the EDC needs to focus on higher-quality jobs."

Before his election in 2005, Councilman Jerry Garcia said he had questions about the EDC. He doubted the number of jobs the EDC claimed were created, but said he got a better picture of what was going on after talking with board members.

"I was hearing a lot of rhetoric from different factions," Garcia said. "Some of these men and women on the committee, I know them. I talked to them. I was saying, 'Why isn't this public, why don't people know this?' "

Contact Dan Kelley at 886-4316 or kelleyd@ caller.com

2006-06-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Regulations change, county colonias don't

No action so far on developer rules; no new grant funds received by Nueces

By NANCY MARTINEZ Caller-Times
June 12, 2006

The thought of border-style squalid living conditions on the outskirts of the Sparkling City by the Sea didn't seem to cross legislators' minds almost 20 years ago when they authored laws to do something about those conditions.

That changed last year when state Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa's bill recognizing colonias in Nueces County became law.

The law gave county commissioners the authority to impose and enforce stricter rules on the developers of unincorporated land, requiring them to provide paved streets, water and sewer lines. The law also exempted Nueces County from a statistical quirk that made the county ineligible for state funding despite the plight of the people in the colonias. Previously, because Corpus Christi accounts for most of the county's population, the city pushed the county's median income too high and its unemployment rate too low to qualify for colonia assistance, throwing a statistical mask over these pockets of poverty.

What is a colonia?

Politicians, state agencies, social services and people who live there all conjure different images for colonia. According to the Texas Secretary of State, a colonia is a community along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, such as potable water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe and sanitary housing.
Another law also was passed last session that made funding available to all areas that met the new criteria - that median household incomes not exceed 75 percent of the state average.

So far those laws haven't changed anything for the people of the colonias in Nueces County. The aid requires action by county officials - action that hasn't occurred. They must adopt and enforce the rules for developers.

Commissioners have said for months that they were going to take a vote on whether to adopt the model subdivision rules. Since the laws were passed last June, County Engineer Glen Sullivan has said his staff was working on fine-tuning the rules for developers. The new laws went into effect Sept. 1.

"(The proposed new rules) are almost ready," Commissioner Betty Jean Longoria said Friday. "A lot of it is the legality that you have to go through to put them together. It's just really a matter of someone looking into it and deciding what we need."

Commissioner Chuck Cazalas said he thought Longoria was working on it. "I really don't know," he said. "I don't think I have any colonias in my precinct."

Commissioner Oscar Ortiz said he was unclear about the laws and what was the next step for commissioners. But he did say he was aware of the problems in colonias and that "we need to look at the funding to make sure that the state provides money for their mandates."

"The county has to decide what it is that we want and what we can afford as far as enforcing any rules and regulations that we may adopt," Ortiz said. "Eventually we will come up with a plan."

Attempts to reach Commissioner Peggy Banales and County Judge Terry Shamsie were unsuccessful.

Even if commissioners vote to adopt the new rules, Sullivan pointed to another obstacle. He says he has no staff to enforce the rules. The funds - from the state's water development board, of which neighboring San Patricio County has received millions in the past two decades - are available only if these rules are enforced.

There are myriad definitions for colonias. Politicians, state agencies, social services and people who live there all conjure different images for colonia. Other definitions include exact distances from the border or a measure of income and unemployment rates found there.

According to the Texas Secretary of State, a colonia is a community along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, such as potable water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe and sanitary housing.

Beginning in the early 1990s, the 1,600 colonias along the border began receiving help from state officials.

One of the most active state agencies in helping colonias is the Texas Water Development Board's Economically Distressed Areas Program, established in a 1989 law to provide water and wastewater services to colonia residents who couldn't afford them. The law also required that new rural residential subdivisions have water and wastewater services.

Border colonias have received $501 million in Economically Distressed Areas Program funds for 93 projects that cover 781 colonias. More than $44 million more remains available, according to state reports.

San Patricio and Bee counties, though not on the border, were included in the long list of counties approved for state funding for first-time water and wastewater projects. That's because those two counties met low-income and unemployment requirements.

Not so for Nueces County, until Hinojosa's sponsored exemption from those requirements.

Although people in the colonias were poor, the overall numbers for Nueces County weren't low enough to qualify because Corpus Christi's employment and income rates skewed the picture. To be eligible, the entire county needed a per capita household income of 25 percent below the state average and unemployment rates 25 percent above the state average.

Qualifying for the funding only was part of the process, said Josephine Miller, who was San Patricio County judge when that county qualified. She said getting the millions in grants for colonias in San Patricio County wasn't easy. She and her colleagues had to make it a priority.

Miller said she recalls the commissioners sentiments while working on the county's budget: "One of the people on the court said they didn't think it was too much of the American Dream, at the end of the 20th century, that there ought to be running water."

Nueces County grants administrator Roxana Hunt said the county always is looking for grants to help colonia residents.

The county was awarded a $90,000 comprehensive planning study grant in 1998 from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. That study, which found and analyzed 36 colonias in the county, recommended a five-year capital improvement plan.

No further work has been done on it because the two grants the county applied for were denied, Hunt said.

So far, the county has used $3.1 million in funds for colonia projects through programs such as the Office of Rural Community Affairs, the Texas Community Development Program and the South Texas Water Authority. A small part of that total amount was paid in matching funds by the county.

Hunt said the estimates of colonias are not accurate because colonias have grown since the study. She said there is much more work to do. Part of that job is educating people about the conditions that exist in colonias.

"There are so many people out there who believe it isn't anyone's problem to correct these issues - and there are even more who have no idea Nueces County has colonia issues," Hunt said.

Before last year's law was enacted, county officials didn't have the authority to enforce the laws at Tierra Grande, near Petronila, or any of the other colonias in the county.

Hinojosa used conditions at Tierra Grande to explain the need for the law.

"Septic tanks overflowed with human waste. Parents carried their children through the wastewater to the county highway so they could catch the school bus. Mail was not delivered for a month. Cars and trucks were ruined. Tests showed that well water - the main water source for cooking, washing and bathing, had three times the acceptable amount of E. coli bacteria. Conservative estimates numbered some 10,000 persons living in 40 to 50 colonias, in third-world conditions," his bill read.

Tierra Grande was born when siblings Birdie Yvonne Messer and the late Winston White Jr. sold their deceased father's ranch- and farmland in 1978. The developers then divvied it up to people who wanted a place to call their own.

These people arranged to pay the developers for the land a little at a time, in contracts for deeds. Residents moved trailer homes or built modest dwellings with whatever materials they could scrounge. They would allow other family members to set up their dwellings on their land, and soon the situation became too many homes on too little land.

All of these residents had no electricity, clean drinking water or flushing toilets. Many of them say the developers gave them empty promises of providing these services.

Documented minutes from county commissioners court meetings in 1978 noted the substandard conditions. The documents also note that county officials tried to force developers to improve the standards. Threatening letters were sent to the developers. And once, the county sued the developers. Some residents ended up with free land after that suit.

Hinojosa's bill called for:

Allowing Nueces County to prevent future substandard housing from springing up;

Providing the assistance of a colonia ombudsman; and

Making Nueces County eligible for Economic Distressed Areas Program funds from the state.

So far colonias still are proliferating in Nueces County. Signs advertising farmland for sale can be seen next door to the Tierra Grande colonia and in other places along the county's rural roads.

Keta Caballero, a Secretary of State's Office colonia ombudsman who works on the border, has come to Corpus Christi a few times this year to oversee meetings by the county's grant department where a mix of state and local officials gathered to figure out what needs to be done next. Only Commissioner Banales personally has attended a meeting.

Officials with the Texas Water Development Board said the agency is waiting until the current projects are complete before taking new applications for the more than $44 million in funds available. Those projects need to be beyond the design phase before funding new ones, said program administrator Amanda Lavin .

"Adopting and enforcing the model subdivision rules is the first step in a detailed and complicated process," said Neil Haman, another water development board employee who works in the Harlingen office. Haman recommended the county hire someone with experience to help apply for the funds.

So far, Nueces County commissioners haven't put colonias on their meeting agenda.

2006-06-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

CORPUS CHRISTI REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION