Nixon in 2023

05/13/2024

Happy, Dia de Los Madres!
Happy Mother’s Day!

05/03/2024

There are times that one may come to feel as if you stand alone in topics. Somehow pointing out the correct way things should be done has become enough reason to be labeled as a trouble maker.

The fact is that there are ways that things are to be done and are the correct way. The people of Nixon are held to that rule book or set of laws. We should not expect the people to be held to a standard that isn’t the same for those elected to serve and represent Nixon’s Citizens.

Due to the fact that Nixon has suffered due to dumb decisions as well as not doing the right thing, has lead to untrust. The citizens continue to point out the same things. Issues that I have shared as well as posted for others.

Do not give into the distraction of being labeled as something that you are not. We all know right from wrong and everyone has a voice to point out the issues that have long been swept under the rug and ignored.

Here is the perfect example of people agreeing on just 1 issue. Someone shared this with me and all I could say was, “I know! I say the same thing!” Just like many of the citizens.

Let’s pay attention to the comment below.
“Nixon no valen quatcha!!!”

Do not accept this service or let others tell you it’s on a to do list. This has been going on for a long time and, should have been fixed “If” the city cares for its citizens first.

Get out and vote! Do your part and don’t think you are alone. There are actually a lot of people that think just like you.

(Click on the photo to see the actual post and the comments. It’s the same thing over and over.)

05/03/2024

Mr. Jack Rogers is running for city council. He is active with the Methodist church as well as a citizen who is willing to represent you.

Again Good luck to everyone.

04/24/2024

With early voting underway you actually have the ability to pick the person who will represent you. You get to decide if things should stay the same, or if things should change.

If you feel that the community is going the wrong direction and should change, this is where you can speak and make your voice heard.

Do not wait for someone else to do the right thing. Do not give away your right to be heard. Take your time and make it a priority to vote for your community.

We seem to see all the small things that come from a small township. We celebrate our relationships and try to let other choose, but where has that gotten our home town?

Look at the type of attention that Nixon has received. I know that bad news spreads better than good news, but now is the time to invest in our home.

So take some time and make a choice and let your voice be heard. I received this from one of the candidates who is running. If you want to have your sign posted, reach out to me and I’ll post it.

Let’s recognize those running and give everyone a chance. Good luck to everyone.

04/18/2024

I guess it was just luck that I actually talked to 2 of the 3 candidates since the last post. So far they are willing to sit down and cover some basic questions. These are the following questions I thought of.

04/17/2024

As spring warms up we prepare ourselves for another election. This year will be different from last year in that we will only be choosing from 3 candidates to fill two positions on the city council. When I say we, I am talking about the people from Nixon, and not necessarily those that only vote.

Due to the “Rules,” many of you may know I was disqualified from running for Mayor. It pleases me that the rules are followed. At the same time, it saddens me to know that a few made that decision. The same people that continue to make bad decisions looks like they will be reaping what they have sown.

Yes, your vote matters. An election at this level directly affects you, your family, and your hometown. In the last election the difference of a couple of votes secured the final seat on the city council. The race was exciting and very close. Then again, I had a senior platoon Sgt. that said "Close" only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.

Not only does your vote decide the representative that is supposed to represent you, It will be a decision with consequences that will affect everyone. So, let’s see or talk about some of the decisions that have brought us to where we are today.

How many of you voted for,….. a new City Hall? Some of you must have voted for it or the city council in their own minds thought it was a good idea. After all they represent you and you cannot say that they did it all on their own, would you?

How is that possible if they represent you? Are they not supposed to do the will of the people? Would that be a bad decision made by you or them?

Question: Was anyone there when the ‘Not a Bond Election decision,” was made?
Ok Moving on. How many of you decided to support your candidate and voted for them? I would like to believe that people vote because it is a right as a citizen of these United States. So here is the question.

Question: How many of you believed a candidate only to have that candidate disappoint you? Well, this year make sure you vote for someone that said they would do the job and fulfills their commitment. From last year’s election we had people that swore that they were the ones for the job, and just quit on you.

Question: How many of you voted to spend taxpayer funds on a Cinco de Mayo fiesta losing an “Estimated” $37,000? Not many, because it was done in an executive session.

Question: How many of you decided to pay the Nixon Historical association another $15,000 for the second year in a row?

Question: Who’s idea was it to not only pass a budget with $15,000 going to the historic group as well as $25,000 to the little league? We also had a bulk brush tax and who voted for that?

Decision after decision has been made, and now does it make sense that there are no funds for your fireworks? No, it doesn't but again, this is where the citizens are left to face the music. The historic association spent funds that were set aside for them and brough their receipts to the city council. Did they get refunded their expenses? NO! it was tabled.

Question: If they did have funds, why wouldn’t they meet the commitment that they added, voted on, and passed? Are they expecting funds in the future? Is the city broke? Is that is why it was tabled?

Question: Did the Little league get their funds? No. $25,000 given to the little league but not really. They were told to go spend and bring the receipts to get refunded.

Question: Hmmm, you mean like the Historical Association did and have been put on pause? That’s not how business is done. You cant tell the city to pause on the Unconstitutional Street tax.
So, have all these decisions, or bad decisions finally come home to roost? There was a very thin line between money made and spent. A 4% difference to be exact.

The same issues that plague our country are being seen here in Nixon. If we want to follow the rules, lets follow the rules all the time, and everybody. You, me, the city, everybody. As per the rule book it is those elected to office that are responsible for making decision for the betterment of our community and its citizens. Each one of them have created the situation we are facing right now. If we are still living in the United States they should be transparent, as well as be held responsible for all of this.

Instead, if you have been watching and paying attention for the last 2 years there is one thing you can expect. "YOU" will be left to pay the bills and climb out of a hole that seems to be getting deeper and deeper.

Question: What good does it do to have a million-dollar city hall if there is no money? All these bad decisions have been made and have come at a cost. Now you might be thinking did we need those millions of dollars spent on a building or a better water system?
It would appear that items that were entered into the budget, voted on, and passed can’t be paid up.

Question: So what is the current status of the city of Nixon?

There was a huge effort made to open up the budget and remove the bulk brush tax. It was hard and supposed to be harder to remove anything from the budget. So my question is,

Question: Why does it seem that the budget is being changed to create a job? A job that wasn’t posted, advertised, it wasn’t put out to the public. It just became and was done overnight. We are even seeing commitments made going haywire and on and on and on?

Question: Is it just when the citizens make a request that they are made to go through the ringer? Just to have something changed on the budget? Because it seems that there are things happening and going on that seem to suggest that the rules don’t really apply to the city. Or is it just me???

I don’t know about you, but I believe that the next city council better understand that there is not an endless supply of money. You cannot expect for the citizens to continue to pay for p**s poor decisions. Something should have happened a long time ago. Those that are elected need to be held accountable and held responsible.

This election is going to be very important. Many of you have sat and watched as we keep getting closer to a cliff. You need to vote for someone who will do the right thing, as well as hold them responsible. You also better look for someone that can solve some pretty big problems. Candidates need to be willing to fight and do more than spend money and dig holes.

The ugly truth is it is your decision. It's your decision “IF” Nixon will beat the odds and make a comeback. I will make it a point to talk to those running for the positions. Stay tuned.

Send a message to learn more

04/08/2024

What do you want to know from a candidate running for city council? What is a question that you want to have answered?

04/04/2024

If you see something, you should say something. I was contacted that someone witnessed what was thought to be sewage being spread out on the road. I can not confirm or deny but since I was given pictures, I thought I would share. If you know or have seen this share what you know.

If you have pictures or video, I’ll share it and hopefully get some answers. Documentation is important and necessary due to the unbelievability of some accusations.

Can anyone identify the chocolate morsels in the picture? How about a sample of the puddle? This was from a city vehicle supposedly.

04/02/2024

What seems to be your concerns or questions for the city of Nixon? Rules seem to be applied only when it is of convenience and not because it is the right thing to do.
Was there a bond election for the building of a new city hall?
Were positions advertised as they were supposed to be done, by the rules?
Did applications get received for the City Manager position as stated during prior meetings, as they were supposed to be done? It seems that things are said and rarely followed thru by the rules.

What kind of questions does the community have on topics that we can look into?

02/16/2024

Update to my circumstances.

02/16/2024

Busy busy day.

02/15/2024

The first hurdles has come up. Let those trying to undermine a citizens rights come out. Show yourself.

02/15/2024

I had the opportunity to meet Allen Schoolcraft as well as The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott today. If I am going to do something, I would like to get advice from the right people. Reading is good, but I would like to hear about experience and good advice as well.

God bless Texas!

02/09/2024

I have been slowing down a bit on the content, for that I am sorry. I have just been bombarded with ideas and choices.

Since last year the purpose was to have discussion and transparency to actions or events surrounding the city by posting on various different topics on how the city runs its business.

It has changed to the point that I am being asked what is going on now. I held a forum on live and that was a learning experience. I realized there is so much tec out there that is used on a daily basis. So how can one use these tools to bridge the gap from the citizens to their representatives?

Now im stuck on how to creat a virtual product that gives access to you and everyone else to not only get information, but have a connection to the city.

The answer is due to our citizens time being valuable and not able to attend every meeting. The second part is giving the people the relationship with someone who will have their best interests at heart. Not a push over or someone who will cower to difficulties, that come with the task of service.

After conversations and nights like tonight as well as some good people, Nixon people. I have decided on getting into another problem and fight.

01/30/2024

April Foster!! Here you go.

The last city meeting tackled a couple topics that led to the opening of the budget and adjustments across the board. One of the main items was a “Bulk Brush” fee that was added to the utility water bill. Citizens and businesses alike were not happy with the charge and the implementation of the fee. After several attempts to ask for readdress, a change was due to the continued efforts of several members of the community. The result, the city found a way to get rid of the bulk brush fee.

Ginger Pena and Jessica Smith have been aggressive in their efforts to change the fee. Several outspoken members of the community have stayed on course and addressed different concerns at meetings. Ginger started a door-to-door petition of the citizens of Nixon to ask for the matter to be readdressed. A town hall forum was also held as well. All these events were to support our own movement to bring attention to topics and address changes that were made without full disclosure.

There was a dialogue between city members and the community covering this one topic. With the amount of technology that we have today, information disseminated over different platforms would go a long way to keep the citizens aware. This task could be made more effective with a consistent message as well as being presented in both English and Spanish. The effort is actually something we all do on a daily basis and would need to be formatted for the public’s use.

In turn the city described several issues that have plagued the city and done so repeatedly causing city members to react by trying to create a solution. La Fleur mentioned numerous people taking advantage of the low cost of fees at the dump. Family members were being escorted by citizens to take advantage of the city facilities. This was not something that people were aware of and should be considered theft to the citizens.

I would think that a problem like this only creates more undue stress on the citizens and those officials that are serving in elected positions. Enforcement of laws, rules, and policies have to be consistent in creating a basis for the management of the city as well as its operations. Again, this would be informative and put out across the different platforms. Not only to let the citizens know about the issue, but to also give each citizen the responsibility and pride for a community that seems to be turning the corner and trying to move forward in a positive manner.

There also would seem a different population is present that may not be informed or loyal to the city and its citizens. I held a small forum that could be another tool used by the city council to hear what’s going on as well as share issues that may not be known. The issue should not be the numbers present, but the conversation and the use of technology to spread information. One city member said she was planning on doing a Q&A, so that is a sign of positive change.

We all think the grass is greener on the other side, when if we all take care of our piece of the pie, each of us would set an example for others to do the same thing. “IF” we have a consistent message, that is, for the entire community that is being led by members of our community who represent the people. Our rules apply to us as well as the benefits of being members of our community. Until we set up one, we can’t have the other.

All in all, it is a win-win situation. Yes, there are several topics that can be addressed to include the way business is done. But the truth and victory go to Nixon’s own. The people won and that is a good thing. Let’s not worry about the size of the victory. Do not look at the specifics and find something to nit pick and remain angry and focused on what he said or she said. I ask that you step back and see what has been done since the beginning of this little page.

Since 2023 there has been a lot of good news. You may ask what that might be? What is so good that we should celebrate? The answer is here. It is in the conversations that are being held every time you meet another person from Nixon. Now the conversations are changing. This one event/topic is a small example of the power that the people really have. If you want a government that reflects the ideas of the people, it’s your voice that counts. At times you may be the only one. People may not want to stir up the pot. Some have become comfortable in the current situation due to its benefit to them. To others it may be seen as hard work. If so, aren’t you worth it?

However, it isn’t about “I” or “Me.” Not when it comes to the “TOWN” that you call home. For some time, people have been segregated and kept or taught to let others solve the issues only to then be critics. So where did that get you? Do you not know that this entire Nation, to include the Republic of Texas and then the State of Texas was made by doing and not sitting on your butt.

Nixon is your town, and the word town describes various elements. You can’t have a town if you don’t have people. If you want a good town, your people need to participate and work together to make it better. That is what you would have seen at the last city meeting. That is what you missed. For some of you, you have waited for something to happen, and it did. If you want Nixon to improve it is going to take effort from everyone and not just the council. They did an amazing job, and it was impressive. I just hope more people will be part of the solution, and not stay comfortable with the old. Do not let this opportunity for you to make your town a better place become a regret.

01/30/2024

FYI, the bulk brush tax is gone. The last city meeting was an event to witness.

01/22/2024

It’s been said that no one attends the budget meetings. So, I will join the rest of Nixon’s trouble makers and see if this is going to be worth it, or if everyone had a reason to not go. Wish me luck!

01/17/2024

Mandatory Fees on Utility Bills

A general law city has no authority to add mandatory non-related fees to its utility or other bills. The authority of a home rule city is not clear, but many cities have nonetheless imposed such fees.

In Texas Attorney General Opinion No. JM-338 (1985), the Texas Attorney General was asked whether a general law city may assess a six-dollar charge against all homeowners and business owners in the city. The charge would appear on monthly utility bills, and the proceeds would be used to finance the city’s police department. The facts made it clear that the six-dollar charge was intended to raise revenue, not to cover the expenses of administering utility services. Concluding that the additional fee was unconstitutional, the Attorney General stated that:

any charge or fee imposed by a municipality for the purpose of raising revenue is considered a ‘tax.’ Municipalities functioning under the general laws have no inherent power to tax. They possess only those taxing powers that the legislature or the Constitution expressly grants them. We find no statutory authority…for the method of taxation that you describe in your letter. Thus, the $6 charge against all homeowners and business owners is not a proper method for raising revenue to support the police department.

The document below is signed, notarized, and proof that the Bulk Brush was added as "REVENUE." There are a lot of issues with this budget but the focus here is the "Bulk Brush.'

Forget the fact that another "Street Fee" is below and doing the same thing. Money is collected on both of these 2 fees labeled as "Revenue," even though it is listed above in the opinion of the Attorney General as being Unconstitutional.

Its up to the people on where to go from here.

01/17/2024

Un official de la ciudad de Nixon Les llamo “Idiotas!” Por no attendar a las juntas del ciudad sober las finanazas!

01/17/2024

After briefing the council I left. They went into Executive session and it was loud. The things that were yelled were heard outside by the Gonzales Inquirer and another citizen.

“The Chamber of Commerce is filled with trouble makers.”

“Something about the people are Idiots.”

Despite any attempts to make anything better, it is evident that the council members simply believe they no longer represent the people. Nor do they need the peoples opinion.

So there will be discussions with citizens, District Judge, state representatives, TML, and the Attorney General simultaneously to find resolution, or look into the argument of “Incompetency” and the necessary steps needed to hold some accountability.

I have a presentation as to the Unconstitutional act of adding fees to utility rates. I briefed it tonight at the meeting and it’s on video @ Gonzales inquirer.

As for the council members, anyone living in Nixon more than 6 months can go the the District Court and start a petition to remove the council member for “Incompetency.”

This has been escalating and at every meeting there is a chance to de-escalate the problem. Despite efforts to bring it up, it’s nice to know that a “Couple” people don’t like their jobs or duties.

The people are mad. Worse, the people are hurting and being overlooked and abused. It will really be up to the people to decide what should be done.

Now the council is mad because they no longer get away with spending. Instead of defending their actions, they can’t. So they are now the victims and it’s just the people.

I will put another meeting together, try to go live without so much interference. I will brief on what I think should be done, but it is in the hand of the people. It can get done!

So what do you have to lose, you are already being taxed up the butt. The council doesn’t listen to you anyway, one of them thinks we are all Idiots, and others acted like nothing is wrong with all the failed decisions made for years, which is costing everyone.

There is blame to go around, but the fact is that the responsibility is on those elected to do the job. It’s on the Mayor who is over all in charge.

01/17/2024

It’s a closed session, but that didn’t stop the insults or what was heard.

“IDIOTS!” Who are the IDIOTS?

“The people in town drive you crazy!”

This is unacceptable, and calls for actions. Standby for a course of action that will be specific to the action the people can take.

01/12/2024

The meeting we held was intended to bring the citizens together to speak and have a dialogue with each other on what has been going on.

Hopefully this can be something that those elected to serve would use to know what their supporters feel and think about what is going on in our town.

From there we can move forward on ideas that we see as possible solutions. Thank you for those who were present and across social media sharing and discussing these topics and caring for your home town.

What are your thought and ideas for possible topics you would want to be discussed?

01/11/2024