10.01.08
Disappointed beyond words
“Simply put, we’re disappointed beyond words.”
Those are the words of Jeff Maurice, chairman of the Landfill Committee of the Hutto Citizens Group (HCG), after learning of the unannounced vote to notify the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to schedule the landfill permit amendment expansion application (1405-B) for a hearing. That vote has, for all intents and purposes, put in motion the final steps that will give the corporation Waste Management, Inc. total control of our public asset, the Williamson County landfill.
Before going any further the HCG and the all the involved citizens of Hutto deserve an enormous amount of credit for their effort and ability to hold the county government to account these many months. This deal could have been done a long time ago, and without much public scrutiny, if it wasn’t for their hard work. They should be extremely proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish thus far. They’ve been patient, fair, and have bent over backwards to give the elected officials in Williamson County the space they need to make the right decision. Those elected officials, obviously, have done nothing with that opportunity and have snubbed their constituents.
Hopefully this will finally show the HCG, and all the citizens of Williamson County, that all of our current elected officials – no matter today’s 1 vote against – can no longer be trusted to do the people’s business. While it’s true that throwing only two of the bums off the commissioners court won’t change the majority on the commissioners court, throwing two out, and electing a new County Attorney, will send a strong message to the rest of the elected officials in Williamson County, that the citizens have had enough.
From the HCG newsletter [.pdf] following yesterday’s vote it’s easy to see why Maurice is so disappointed.
According to Maurice, Morrison told a member of the HCG on Monday that a vote Tuesday on the permit was “doubtful”, and after the vote occurred on Tuesday Morrison said citizens wouldn’t have been satisfied with any new contract the county might get with Waste Management anyway. “Of course, no one knows if that’s true because we never got to see a new contract,” Maurice said. (Emphasis added).
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“Simply put, we’re disappointed beyond words,” Maurice said. “It’s hard to believe that Morrison hasn’t been able to stand up to WMI in the interests of his constituents. We’re certainly looking forward to his explanation for what he has done, and we feel we are more than entitled to an explanation at our next Hutto Citizens Group meeting on October 7. It’s way past time that he explain himself to his constituents on this issue and this vote.”
The part in bold, above shows the contempt that Morrison has for his constituents and underscores the fact that he had no intention of fighting for them. The HCG had submitted, over and over again, proposals with changes to the contract that would have satisfied them. So Morrison’s statement in untrue, he just didn’t want to do the hard work his constituents deserve. Of course the HCG would have been willing to negotiate, that what happens when working out a deal – give and take. But Morrision and the rest of the court, don’t understnad that, they didn’t even try to negotiate with and for the citizens. They will just take whatver the corporation thinks we deserve.
“Over the last two long years,” Maurice continued, “Commissioner Morrison has done nothing in response to the outcry of citizens’ and local officials for, among other things, a 70-foot limit on the landfill height, steps to prevent the landfill from becoming a regional landfill, implementation of broad scale waste diversion at the landfill, expanded buffer zones around the landfill that could be used for civic purposes or the development of commercial projects that could be added to the tax rolls, efforts to protect the fledgling, but promising, development of key areas of Hutto along Chandler Road, and the removal of Waste Management’s name from the county’s landfill permit.”
The best thing about yesterday’s vote is that it means Morrison will, more than likely, be a one-term commissioner. There is a way forward for the citizens on the landfill but it will not happen if the same county government is returned. A different policy can only be pursued with as much new blood as possible on our county government.
Maurice said Morrison’s failure to take the lead in protecting his own Precinct 4 constituents, especially residents around the landfill as well as the City of Hutto, has put him on shaky ground when trying to figure out his true allegiances. “So far, what he has done has been a real mystery,” Maurice said. “At the very least, he should come forward and explain his thinking to us and to the public. We need insight into his strategy and plan, because right now what is happening doesn’t make any sense.”
When an elected official does not protect the constituents that elected them, they are abdicating the job they were elected to do. Unless they are serving another constituency. Returning these elected officials to office would be the same as telling them we approve of how they are governing. Ignoring their constituents (see above), the constitution, the Texas Attorney General, and on, and on, and on.
The three candidates to vote for to bring responsibility and accountability back to our county government are, Jaime Lynn, Mike Grimes, and Greg Windham. We also need Diana Maldonado to help us in the legislature. Accountability comes in November.