Dear Editor,

Taxpayers in Goliad County have every reason to believe that they have been exposed to pothole-filling mentality by the operators of a multimillion dollar county business. There are numerous instances which support this conclusion. Take for example five instances of fairly recent examples:

Case #1. The so-called auto allowance of $10,000 which is paid to each commissioner without the requirement for documentation of official travel. This is in addition to a salary of $43,000 and is over and above an additional reimbursement for travel to distant meetings and training sites. This type of auto allowance was paid earlier to a previous commissioner who had been incapacitated and unable to travel. Businesslike procedure? You be the judge!

Case #2. An unnecessary tax rate increase to make up for an anticipated $500,000 shortfall. This rate increase combined with a likely increase in property evaluation presents a double whammy. The $2.3 million dollar offer by the Navy for a facility which was given to the county would have covered the expected shortfall for almost five years.

Case #3. Public announcement by certain members of the court that they would not contest uranium mining resulted in a loss of bargaining power and in all probability encouraged UEC in many instances including their failure to provide what many consider adequate reimbursement guarantees in the event of water contamination.

Case #4. After-the-fact tax abatement for a rich company with no guarantee of jobs for Goliad County residents and other questionable benefits not defined. The nicest thing that can be said about this is poor judgement.

Case #5. Failure to appreciate the necessity of supporting those who train to go in various ways to protect our country. If this attitude had prevailed in 1941, we would all be speaking Japanese or German.

The activities of the five members of the commissioners court have been compared to a poker hand. Three of a kind does indeed beat a pair. And the beat goes on. Citizens should attend the commissioners court meetings whenever possible. Keep what you barn in there, and vote in the next election. Pothole mentality is a danger not only to today’s voters but to our children and grandchildren.

John Caldwell,

Goliad