The right stuff to know for Lubbock
With Lubbock’s May municipal elections moved to November, a change forced by COVID-19, two-term Mayor Dan Pope suddenly finds himself in a frighteningly close race with an unknown party disc jockey who has stolen valor issues and an inconsistent political track record. Given the lack of name ID, exaggeration of his military record and minimal … Continued
What is Shelley Luther hiding? Nothing, according to Shelley Luther; let’s make that clear at the outset. We talked with the beauty shop operator turned Senate District 30 aspirant today, just eight days before the special election. Luther answered with no hesitation a question about whether she’d ever been fired from a public school district. … Continued
Republican malcontent state representative Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio) just published to Twitter an editorial in the Galveston County Daily News under the headline We Need to Get Rid of the Two Party System. And while it wouldn’t merit notice ordinarily, as not much attention is usually paid to a state rep’s op-ed pieces, this one … Continued
Mount Rushmore National Memorial has long been a bucket list thing for me. Those lists, allegedly compiled by people of a certain age, were, in reality, chiseled in stone decades ago by the dedicated work of elementary school social studies teachers, with the final flourishes applied in senior civics class and by a myriad of … Continued
As parents and children engage each other in new and potentially rewarding ways, one hears so many stories from newly formed “schools” in every home that one could run a regular column on the anecdotes from parents who have now assumed the role of parent, principal and professor all in one. One “school principal” reported … Continued
A politburo (/ˈpɒlɪtbjʊəroʊ/) or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties.[1] It is present in most former and existing communist states (Wikipedia). After consulting with no one before closing Lubbock six weeks ago, Mayor Dan Pope has decided a committee of 20 are necessary to decide when and how to open Lubbock. Their … Continued
2020 will forever be remembered as the year we were told to go home, so long as we had a home, and starve in order to save ourselves. Hyperbole? Sure. But it’s close enough. By the end of this month we will have seen what is likely to be the largest cumulative loss of wealth … Continued
“You can get out of my office right now,” said Fat Tony. All I’d done is ask a question. I’d no idea the man was so emotional. “I really don’t know how you got in here in the first place,” he said. “Get out.” Okay, I’d kind of wondered the same thing but I’d assumed … Continued
(Or, why commissioners must not fund deputies for constables) The Sandstorm Scholar has already noted Jody Barnes’ proclivity for language most find abhorrent. That incident took place before Barnes was elected Constable Precinct 2. However Constable Barnes is no better an actor than citizen Barnes. His penchant for bigoted speech hasn’t changed. The complete story is … Continued
Jackie and Christy* are Lubbock County employees. Both are female; but that’s pretty well where the similarities end. Jackie comes to work when she feels like it. She’s paid whether she shows up or not. Hers is an appointed position. She has a title. And she is paid quite handsomely, $120,000. Probably much more. If … Continued
Several months ago some kids moved-in up the block and they’ve been zooming up and down the boulevard in pickups with loud mufflers ever since. It’s a genuine hazard. I’m not sure what to do about it. Worthless kids. You know the type. You can’t call the police over these things; it’s too much to … Continued
It was December of 2016 when State Senator Charles Perry addressed Lubbock County Commissioners about the need to improve Woodrow Road. Perry came armed with suggestions on how to fund the improvements necessary to make Woodrow Road safer. The commissioners politely ignored the senator and instead voted to spend $6 million, more than enough to … Continued
“________ ________ is crooked.” Fill in the blanks with your least trusted, least liked elected official. We’ve all heard it; many of us have thought it. Our incredulity at the absence of good sense in certain public decision-making processes lends support to the idea there must be some sort or kind of illicit benefit at … Continued
The short answer is, yes; if Lubbock County continues spending at the same rate as the last four years we will be broke, bankrupt, in a year. The numbers don’t lie. According to the latest figures from outside auditors, in the last four years Lubbock County’s unrestricted reserves have shrunk by 75 percent. In 2014 … Continued
In its 3-to-2 vote to rush a $100 million road bond to voters in May, the Lubbock County Commissioners Court proved Monday you can change some of the faces, but bad habits linger like a fungus. It was farcical, but no one was laughing. The saga began last week with the disclosure Expo Center promoters … Continued
“Why did you say that about ____________?” Fill in the blank. Everyone is someone’s favorite, even the Sandstorm Scholar. And sometimes they’re our favorites too; holding public officials accountable isn’t always a barrel of laughs. But even among those who appreciate accountability journalism and its companion op-ed pieces, many will become uncomfortable when it is … Continued