Memo: To Councilman Floyd Price:

Please explain how you can lead an effort to spend $250,000 or so for a new entrance to the city cemetery because the city is going into the mausoleum selling business, but can only find $35,000 in city funds to provide relief for those citizens who cannot afford to heat their homes.

Is it really necessary to build a new entrance just because the city is going into the burial arrangement business; which I hear is not a “repeat customer’ type of industry anyway? Is it because you feel that people who can afford this type of burial arrangement won’t buy if they have to go through the existing entrance because they might be scared to go through a “scary” part of the neighborhood?

Thank goodness we have had a mild winter; otherwise, the council may have had to scrounge around to find another couple of thousand bucks to keep the “living” warm.

Signed,

A cold and shivering Eastsider



Memo: To VP Cheney,

Shot anybody lately that you might have forgotten to tell us about?

Signed,

Cockeyed Joe



Memo: To U. S. District Judge Sam Cummings:

Let’s see, former state board of education member Montie Hasie, along with 3 of his business associates are found guilty by a jury of their peers on criminal charges which include money laundering and conspiracy. Then, Hasie’s attorney files a motion for acquittal and you deny the request.

Now, all of a sudden, you flip flop, reverse your decision and all of a sudden Montie Hasie is no longer packing his PJ’s and getting ready for his vacation at La Tuna?

Please, explain how someone who has been found guilty by a jury is all of a sudden not guilty? Did the jury convict on phantom evidence? Was the jury that incompetent? If so, why did you not say something during the trial? If the possibility exists that a judge can so easily overturn a jury’s verdict, and do so without explanation, why would any citizen want to, or bother to serve on a jury?

Signed,

An unhappy potential juror



Memo: To AJ reporter James Gallagher

In a story in the Saturday March 4 edition of the AJ about the District Attorney’s race between Tommy Turner and Matt Powell, you refer to Rebecca Hernandez as an “unhappy crime victim”. Question: When have you ever met, or heard of, a “happy” crime victim?

How happy do you think Ms. Hernandez should feel

after she had her civil rights violated and was humiliated by someone who had sworn to uphold the law and protect this city’s residents? And then had to watch helplessly as the former cop Blake Littlejohn walked away with a slap on the wrist; because the DA’s office was so incompetent in this case?

Signed,

A former subscriber



Memo: To victims advocate Pam Alexander, with the Lubbock Victim’s Assistance Service

In the same story referred to in the above memo, you are quoted as saying that your organization did not offer assistance to Ms. Hernandez “because her outstanding warrants qualified her as a criminal”.

As someone who leads a non profit organization funded with federal tax dollars, do you get to decide who qualifies as a “victim” or is the criteria you applied in this case a federal guideline which your organization has to abide by?

Or, is it something that you just came up with so that you wouldn’t have to bother with a case such as this?

If a person has an outstanding warrant for not paying a traffic ticket and happens to fall victim to a crime such as assault or even worse, rape, will your organization not help them because they have an outstanding warrant against them and you consider them a criminal? Do you check a victim’s background before deciding to offer assistance or not?

Did you even bother to look into Ms. Hernandez’s situation to see what the outstanding warrants were all about? Does it make the crime that took place in this case, any less disgusting just because the “victim” had outstanding warrants? Does it make the victim any less of a victim?

Signed,

A taxpayer who would rather not have his tax dollars fund an organization that seems to pick and choose which “crime victims” they help



Memo: To all city and county elected officials

Does it not bother any of you that Hispanics and African Americans in this city and county, who you represent, get stopped and searched in disproportionate numbers both in the city by the LPD and in Lubbock County?

Signed,

An anonymous Hispanic driver who promises to never forget to use his signal light when making a turn



Memo: To Christy Martinez Garcia, Candidate for LISD School Board-At Large

Congratulations on taking a leap of faith and deciding to take a stand for education! As you probably already know, there are many issues surrounding our education system that never get discussed;

like high drop out rates, a high rate of high school teen pregnancies, equal education opportunities that lead to higher education opportunities, and, community school closings, among many others.

For stepping out and “walking the walk” I say “Congratulations and Buena Suerte”!

Signed,

A concerned citizen who has heard the false slogan, “no child left behind”, one too many times



Memo: To Tom Martin, candidate for Lubbock Mayor

Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German empire in 1871; also known as the “Iron Chancellor”, once said “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election”.

No reason for this memo; just thought you might enjoy a quote by von Bismarck.

Signed,

A city voter



Memo: To Mayor Marc McDougal

OK. We know that you are a “short timer” and also, have just a short time left in office. But can’t you at least act interested during council meetings and not be in such a hurry to take care of city business so you can go to another property closing; or wherever it is you go? Just think, you only have a couple of months to break your own personal “recusal record”.

Never mind, from what I hear, you’ll never see this anyway. Apparently you don’t read this “minority paper”.

Signed,

You’ll never know since you don’t read this “minority paper”



Email: acruztsc@aol.com