Keith Self's Blog

Congratulations to the Collin County Commissioners Court!

The Commissioners reduced your county tax rate by one half cent for 2007. They followed in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan, who said in 1989,

Common sense (tells) us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the peoples tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before.

I believe that this county tax rate reduction is a step in the right direction. Some will carp at what they call the small amount of savings per household. However, if only some private individuals gave their tax savings to local healthcare charities, the proposed public funds for healthcare grants would be unnecessary. This demonstrates the cumulative power of tax savings.

Increased freedom is another benefit of lower taxes. Again, Ronald Reagan,

My friends, history is clear: lower tax rates mean greater freedom, and whenever we lower the tax rates, our entire nation is better off.

Enjoy your freedom to choose how you spend more of your hard earned dollars in 2007!

Note: I realize that your overall 2007 tax burden may be higher because of increased property appraisals, but your burden would be even more without the rate reduction. We need both tax rate reductions and reasonable appraisals.

And one more just for fun:
Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
Ronald Reagan

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens,

1. I will be speaking tomorrow at the Frisco Republican Womens Club, Tuesday, Sept 12, at the Abbey Texas Cafe at 7185 W. Main Street, Frisco. Lunch is $12 at 11:30. Program starts at noon. The meeting is open to the public if you would like to attend.

2. The budget process is drawing to a conclusion:

There will be a Salary Grievance Committee meeting during an open meeting at 7 PM, Monday, Sept 11, in the Commissioners Courtroom, 6th floor, 210 S McDonald, McKinney .

The Commissioners Court is scheduled to approve the budget during an open meeting at 9 AM, Tuesday, Sept 12, in the Commissioners Courtroom, 6th floor, 210 S McDonald, McKinney.

3. Open and accessible government:

You may remember that one item in my 5-Point Action Plan is to move Commissioners Court Open Sessions to a more accessible location so that more citizens can participate in our county government. That is a first step in creating a more open, accessible county government. I believe that there are three elements that must be addressed before a solution is reached:

Location of Commissioners Court
Timing of Commissioners Court (e.g. time of day)
Electronic broadcast of Commissioners Court (e.g. TV, internet)

I do not have a complete answer for you, but it seems to me that these areas must be addressed in order to provide adequate access.

This issue is very much like the recent national outcry surrounding Senate Bill S. 2590, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. The bill would direct the Office of Management and Budget to create a publicly-available website that would list every entity receiving federal financial assistance, such as grants or contracts, and the totals awarded for each fiscal year. Such a website would entail very little cost and would greatly increase transparency in the distribution of government funding. Those who most deserve to know about this process, the American people, would have a tool to examine and evaluate the federal governments funding decisions and priorities. Source: Liberty Coalition. You may remember that several Senators had a secret hold on this bill. The hold was lifted this past week after the issue earned a great deal of public scrutiny.

This is very much like the end result I would like to achieve in Collin County government, where there is no question what decisions are made in the Court; that there is no question from where public funds come, or where they go. I have been tangentially involved in the budget process and am convinced that we can do better.

Sincerely,
Keith

Citizens, have a great Labor Day!

Another Public Hearing on Elected Officials Salary rates

There will be another public hearing to consider salary rates for elected officials. I am not privy to the behind-the-scenes discussions, but apparently the Commissioners Court will re-vote some of the motions they voted on Tuesday, August 29. The public notice is at http://public1.co.collin.tx.us/public_notices/Lists/
Public%20Meetings/Attachments/180/2nd%20Public%20
Hearing%20-%20Commissioners%20Court%20Agenda.pdf
Note that this public hearing is at 9:00 am, Tuesday, September 5, in the 6th floor Commissioners Courtroom, 210 S McDonald St, McKinney. I have no idea what will transpire during this meeting. If you want to attend this public hearing, please arrive early since there are very few seats for citizens to observe the proceedings. Do not let that deter you, just be prepared to arrive early. See you there!

Why do I spend so much blog space on these particular Commissioners Court public hearings? Because these hearings deal with two of my core government issues: open/transparent government and spending. These hearings are your opportunity to participate in your county government. After I take office, I will be no less welcoming of your participation. This is what makes our representative republic work.

Sincerely,
Keith