TexasCHLforum.com

That part is true, from what I have been told, too. I just think that the others have jumped on that fact to use it for their ends. Isn't that just awful. We do need to stand behind Mr. Randall.

I met a very smart lady, a Democrat, at the Saturday Ladies' Day at PSC. She had a wonderful suggestion, at least it seemed good to me. She said wouldn't it be great if the developer would work with the Gun Range to build it up and make the development's theme around the Gun Range. There are so many golfing communities and a smattering of flying communities, but have you ever heard of a Shooting Community? Wouldn't that be a great place to live, where you could walk down the block and shoot your gun, then walk home ... just blocks and minutes away! Given the high number of CHL's issued in LC, that would be a win/win situation. What do you guys think? Would you buy a house in that kind of community?

I could, but you wouldn't know it was me. Too bad.

New info: I have just learned that Chris Mallios and/or Marc Edelman have aspirations to the Mayor's job and are using this argument as a springboard for a run at the office. if this is true, that makes me even more suspicious about their "evidence," that as far as I know, they have not produced ... only "quoted."

I was asked to post this info on the League City Blog:

http://blog.leaguecity.biz/

Specifically, under the heading: "Open, Honest Government?" and did so. I was not prepared for the rude reception by Mallios and Edelman and their co-horts. Mr. Cotton, you have a stellar forum, and I have been treated with respect and kindness ... quite unlike the League City Blog. I don't know what their problem is, but they have treated me in such a mean and nasty manner and seem to enjoy attacking folks, who stumble into their pit of vipers. I do hope that, if you go there, you will be treated better, though, if they know you're a shooter or a Republican, I wouldn't count on it. Just my opinion.

I will not go to the LC City Council meeting this coming week, since I found out that this is a political ploy to bring down the Mayor and put either Mallios or Edelman in his place, with Galveston County Daily News complicity. Mayor Shults still has a lot to answer for. However, adding all this other manipulation just muddies the waters to the point that I don't want to be involved. A very wise man once told me that, if you throw mud, you always get some on yourself. I will not throw mud, nor will I willingly be tricked into doing so, and that is what I think the local adolescent-behaving Democrats and the GCDN article was designed to do ... trick others into helping what I believe to be unscrupulous men bring down a Mayor that, though he may well be on his way to doing it himself, didn't need my shove added to his problems, just so the local wheeler/dealer Democrats could smear another Republican. That is just wrong!

Well, those not so nice folks have now posted my Screen Name and my last name together. I have no idea how they found it out, but it is REALLY wrong to do what they did. I asked Marc to remove my posts and take my name off his post, but it is still there, so this is done out of meanness. He lied, when he said that I identified myself. I did not. Not to mention the fact that they have insinuated that, because I like to shoot guns, I need psychiatric counseling of some kind, among many other insults, among them that I'm a racist, because I object to LC being a Sanctuary City. Well, it's good to know what Chris and Marc think of us. They'll never get my vote. However, I now have to leave this forum, because my name has been published, and I don't know what else to do. If unstable folks that read what I write or read their attacks and are inflamed by them and know who I am, they could well come after me, and in these crazy times, that is not a stretch of the imagination. Marc has really put me in danger by his irrational behavior. So, I sadly leave your company, wishing you all the best. I so much enjoyed ya'lls company.

Many Blessings!!

G-ma

Well, that's a good point. However, they have not produced those papers. I have been blind-sided by at least one of the folks who are claiming to have info, before. There are at least a few individuals that consider themselves to be in a war between the parties, and the end (Dems winning) justifies the means to bring that about. I just hope that we haven't been duped into being their pawns. However, like you, I still have this nagging little feeling that all is not exactly as pure white as the Mayor would have us believe. Even without the allegations of his opponents, the Mayor has explaining to do regarding things he has not yet addressed, as you point out. Before this goes much further, I want to see those billing records, assuming they exist, which is what one has to do when dealing with folks, who don't play nice. It just gets so frustrating.

Given Galveston Daily News' past record ... they never saw a Republican they liked or weren't willing to take aim at, even if it meant printing any lie they could conjure up ... and Jerry Shults comments above (assuming he has evidence), I'm more willing to side with Shults at this time, or at least give him the benefit of the doubt. However, I am not satisfied with League City STILL being a Sanctuary City, and citizens in record numbers feeling so unsafe that they must arm themselves. I still would like to see GDN's evidence. Whoever produces the evidence will gain my trust and confidence. So, I think it's time the two sides produced their proof. Neither the newspaper, nor the City, seem willing to address the illegal problem, which I believe is the major issue. If we had a safe city, there wouldn't be quite the need for a gun range. Given the unprecedented issuance of CHL's for the past couple of years, I'm still inclined to believe that citizens aren't feeling too safe in League City. I think that is the issue that still must be addressed, even if this brew-ha-ha boils down to merely a peeing contest between GDN and the Mayor.

As I sit here typing this, I still stumble over the bicycle racks and Port-A-Potty by the Police Station, so that the builders can pick up illegals at a convenient location and to keep the illegals from peeing and pooping on the convenience stores. If Shults were 100% honest, there would be no "conveniences" for the developers at City, thus Taxpayer, expense. So, until League City ceases to be a Sanctuary City, I will choose to believe neither of them, as I cannot see where either are forthcoming by presenting their evidence that proves their position.

I still plan to attend the City Council meeting and ask why the City is still a Sanctuary City, given the vote of "No Confidence" evidenced by the high number of folks getting gun licenses in League City.

A quote from the Galveston Daily News Article in question:
"City Attorney Dick Gregg’s billing records show he participated in a series of meetings about how to “characterize a gun range as a nuisance and ultimately have it removed.�" ... "Involved in the planning were Mayor Jerry Shults, City Administrator Chris Reed, other senior staff members and developer Sam Boyd, who gave $4,000 to Shults’ campaign in August 2005. The records show Gregg billed the city for gun range discussions with the mayor at least seven times and for conversations with Boyd at least five times. For more than a week, The Daily News made phone calls and sent e- mails to Shults asking questions about the range. Shults’ assistant called to say he had “no further comment on any of the issues.�Gregg did not return phone calls asking for comment. Randall, who has owned the Clear Creek Gun Range since 1976, said he thinks Shults is helping homebuilders who’ve been trying to buy his land for years. ... A Nuisance? In a July 31 e-mail, Gregg said that “many perceive the gun range ... to be a nuisance� and said he’d been asked to pursue its removal. What makes the range near FM 1266 and state Highway 96 a problem isn’t clear. Correspondence between Gregg and Boyd shows that the developer’s attorney offered a list of possible issues the city could raise. That e-mail, from Aug. 2, said that, if the range were contaminated with lead, it could be in violation of federal and state environmental laws.In November, that reason was passed along to the city council in a memo from Gregg. It said lead shot had been found in a church parking lot on nearby property. Gregg didn’t answer questions about which church had problems, but New Hope Baptist Church is the nearest church to the range. Pastor Richard Sumner said he hasn’t found lead in the parking lot in five or six years.“We haven’t had any problems in some time,� he said. “They made some modifications, and there’s been nothing since then.�Randall said he built planks of wood over the targets to deflect shots after he learned of problems.Another nearby church, Gloria Dei, bought property near the range but hasn’t built on it yet. Council members Tim Paulissen and Mike Barber, as well as Randall, said that Gregg claimed the church wasn’t going to build on the property because of the gun range.Gloria Dei’s executive director, Vince Parks, said that wasn’t true and the church is in the process of raising money for the new building." ... Randall, who has owned the Clear Creek Gun Range since 1976, said he thinks Shults is helping homebuilders who’ve been trying to buy his land for years. ... City staff didn’t answer the following questions posed by The Daily News:• Why were the city attorney and staff members meeting with a developer about a city business?• Were representatives of this business invited to these meetings?• Is it normal for a developer to be involved in these types of procedures?• Why is the gun range considered a possible public nuisance?•What attempts were made to contact Randall about problems with his business?Instead, city spokeswoman Kristi Wyatt responded to those questions with a statement saying that the property was out of compliance with zoning regulations.The business was registered with the city in 1991, but when zoning was adopted in 1999, the land was zoned office commercial. It was later rezoned for single-family homes in August 2005. Neither of the zoning designations would have allowed a gun range. The city sent a letter to Randall notifying him he could change his zoning without a fee in 2005, but he didn’t ask for a change.Randall said a city staff member told him there would be no problems with the zoning changes when he left for a five-month trip to Alaska in 2005. When he returned, his zoning had changed.But because the business existed before zoning did, it was grandfathered in.The city statement says the property and business appears to have changed hands, which would nullify the grandfather statues.But Randall’s attorney, George Kurisky, said the business has always been owned and operated by Randall.Randall allows an instructor, Al Trug, to teach a course at the range required for people wanting concealed handgun licenses. Trug filed for a business permit for his classes after a city employee told him to, which may have been why the city thought the business changed hands, Kurisky said.“I’ve had eight or 10 instructors use my range over the years,� Randall said. “It’s never been a problem.� But Barber said he thinks the city is trying to find problems with the range. ... “It’s not as if all the sudden at 8 p.m. he serves alcohol and has a strip tease,� (City Councilman, Mike)Barber said. “There’s no change of use. Why the city would say your action isn’t permitted, I don’t know. I think they did that because they’re trying bully him.� ... Randall said developers told him they want the 60-acre lake to use as a detention pond if they build homes. Randall also claims developers said they couldn’t get financing for building the homes with the gun range active.Gregg’s memo said the land is slated for residential development but doesn’t elaborate. About 20 acres of the lake was recently bought by home developer Bob Perry ... ’The issue caused Randall to call on council members for help. After that, Paulissen asked for copies of the city attorney’s bills, which detail seven months of meetings and research that Gregg said was part of “normal, behind-the-scenes efforts.�“What is not normal is political interference in that process,� Gregg’s memo said. “Apparently, the two council members have already decided what they want to do, though it has not yet been on any public agenda.� ... A city contractor e-mailed Reed and former city administrator Mike Clawson in October, documents released through an open records request show. In the e-mail, the contractor said he heard from Clawson that Reed needed help with ammunition cleanup at a gun range.City staff, Gregg and the two councilmen met with Randall last week. After the meeting, Kurisky said it’s still unclear what laws the city thinks the range is violating. He asked that the specific allegations be given to him in writing. ... Barber said it’s not just him and Paulissen who have gotten involved. “The real story is that Sam Boyd has a relationship with (Shults) to make the deal work,� he said. “The mayor got personally involved to investigate ways to shut him [Randall] down.�

Developers already took League City's Airport, now they want its Gun Range. Who's business will be next? Who will next be demonized and run out of town on a rail?

The "Open Meetings Act" states that City Officials cannot legally get together between themselves or with any outside entity and discuss the Citizens' business outside of a public meeting. The penalties are severe, and these City elected and hired employees seem to be in a heap of trouble, if the news article is accurate. We need to give them the opportunity to explain their side of the story, before we go any further with this.

If you'd like to write to City Officials, here are some pertinent addresses:

Galveston Daily News:

Letters to the editor:

angela.taylor@galvnews.com


You can contact League City Mayor and City Council at:


Mayor: Jerry Shults

JShults@leaguecity.com


City Council:

Position 1 - Tad Nelson

TNelson7@houston.rr.com

Position 2 - Mike Barber

mike.barber@leaguecity.com

Position 3 - Thomas Cones

tommy.cones@leaguecity.com

Position 4 - Chris Samuelson

csamuelson@houston.rr.com

Position 5 - Phyllis Sanborn

phyllis.sanborn@leaguecity.com

Position 6 - Tim Paulissen

tim.paulissen@leaguecity.com

Position 7 - Jim Nelson

jim.nelson@leaguecity.com



City Administrator:

Chris Reed

CReed@leaguecity.com



MAP To City Council Meeting on 1/8/2008 at 6 pm:

http://www.ci.league-city.tx.us/index.asp?nid=209


The meeting is held in the Court Room, so don't forget ... DON'T CARRY within the building!

Please, come join us to tell City Council what we need them to do about this. Be nice. Be civil. No bad words. Respect ... I know you all don't need to hear that, as you are men and women of high moral character ... MUST be to obtain a CHL ... Just have to remind myself!

Hope you can make it, Chris, and I hope you will join me in saying something. The harder we hit them, now, the longer it will be before they try to do anything this stupid again, as they will know that we're watching and we are many. Over the whole State, almost 3000 CHL's were issued to 60 year olds. That ought to be the "shot heard round the world," as far as statements go!

Used to be that retirement was a time for quiet enjoyment of the fruits of one's labor. Now, we are the one's that are targeted by criminals and the ones, who are getting the most CHL's in the state. Sooooo sad.

Thanks, WildBill and others. I'll see you the 8th.

seamus and rbraughn, if we lose in LC, it will set a precedent for making it easier to "take" GALV. If you will support us in LC, I'll show up for GALV. Did you know that they now have Commissioner's Court on TV? One time Yarbrough got so angry that he literally came across the table at Cheryl Johnson, because she was telling the truth, and he couldn't stand it, and it was getting recorded on TV, so there was no way that he could lie about it! It gets quite entertaining and is highly enlightening. Shows Yarbrough and cronies up for the GOB's that they are. What a hoot! Grab the chips and beer, and get ready for a show!

Fine. But will you join me?

This is out of today's Galveston Daily News. Though not usually the most reliable news source, even the worst of them stumble on a real story now and then! This infuriates me, and I hope it does you, also. If the bicycle racks and porta-potty that the City Council had set up next to the Police Station, so that the developers could have easier access to illegal workers weren't enough proof, I think that the Mayor, some City employees and perhaps some members of the City Council have now been caught with their pants down and BOTH hands in the cookie jar! What a mind picture!

It's time for these folks to be forced out of office and taught that the citizens of this town didn't elect them to pander to developers! Or any other special interests, for that matter! As I read this article, I could see at least 3, maybe more, criminally actionable offenses. From this story, it seems that Jerry Shults, Chris Reed, Sam Boyd, and Dick Gregg were working secretly to drive an independent businessman out of business, so that they could make his land available to a developer. At the very least, this violates the Open Meetings Act, which was enacted to prevent just this kind of crime.

Thanks to Paulisson and Barber for being on the alert and protecting the taxpayer's interest. They will take a lot of "hits" on this one, so they need our support. There are a bunch of members of the City Council that are in the pockets of the developers and will make life a living hell for these two. Let's let them know that we are behind them. Let's also let Shults, et al, know that they'd better straighten up and fly right. We need to vote them out at the next
election. They are crooked by this report!

Most of League City is in Zip Code 77573. You can go to Page 9 of the List of CHL's:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... Issued.pdf

issued by Zip Code and find that this Zip Code issued 414 CHL's in the past year. Far above the normal single digits reported for most other Zip Codes. Why? Because League City has become a Sanctuary City, thanks to our City Council, many of whom have been bought off by developers and have been placed in office through developer contributions. Citizens no longer feel safe in this city.

There have been numerous citizen complaints about the hazards and dangers posed by the illegals that gather by the Police Station and the little convenience stores, but City Council has ignored them all. I have made several complaints, including appearing in person before Council, to tell them about the attempted rapes that I have survived by the illegal lawn men and the dangers that they pose to the women, especially elderly women, which the perps seem to prefer, in our community. All our complaints have fallen on deaf ears. When I told a local Policeman that I saw illegal alien lawn men trying to buy guns at a Gun Show in Pasadena, he said that they knew that the lawn men had guns in our neighborhoods and carry a lot of cash ($2000-3000), because they don't use banks, and they steal from each other ... in our neighborhoods! If the Police know this, and it is illegal for an illegal to have a gun in the US, why doesn't our City Council do something about it? Just more proof that they are more loyal to the developers than they are to the Citizens of League City, which they are sworn to serve and protect.

So, here's my question: If League City has more gun license holders per capita than any other Zip Code, wouldn't City Council want to keep an established business that allows gun owners to maintain their skills and safety, thus enhancing public safety? Not to mention all the voters that those gun owners represent, who would vote against the Mayor and his cronies in the next election! There is power in numbers, and the Zip Code info shows that gun owners have the power in League City. Hmmm..... Wonder if Shults knows this? Or, is he just so arrogant that he doesn't care?

We need to show up en masse at the next Council meeting and let them know how we feel about this. All City Council meetings are now televised. Citizen comments at these meetings embarrass the Council and seem to be the only thing that they react to in favor of the citizen taxpayers.



There is power in numbers!

The next League City Council meeting should be 1/8 at 6 pm, because of a break for the Christmas and New Year's Holidays. Citizens of League City are allowed to make comments, however, others are allowed to attend to support citizens making comments. The audience shows up on the cameras, and a huge attendance would serve to make a point. Here's what the City Council report says about citizen appearance and comments:

"CITIZENS REQUEST FOR HEARING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL

The privilege of speaking at this time is limited to the following persons: residents, persons having an ownership interest in property or a business located within the City, or their attorneys.

(A statement of no more than 3 minutes may be made on items of general relevance. There will be no yielding of time to another person. State law prohibits the Mayor and members of the City Council from commenting on any statement or engaging in dialogue without an appropriate agenda item being posted in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Law. Comments should be directed to the entire Council, not individual members. Engaging in verbal attacks or comments intended to insult, abuse, malign or slander any individual shall be cause for termination of time privileges and expulsion from Council Chambers.)"

According to what I read in the City Code:

"ARTICLE II. CITY COUNCIL

Sec. 2-31. Time and place of meetings; notice of meetings.
(a) Regular meetings of the city council shall be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the months of January through October beginning at 6:00 p.m., in the city council chambers; however, city council shall have the option to change, by resolution, the regular meeting dates in the months in which CCISD Spring Break occurs to begin at such times as resolved by city council in the city council chambers. Regular meetings in the months of November and December shall be held on dates as resolved by city councilat 6:00 p.m., in the city council chambers. Special meetings may be called in accordance with article II, section 10, of the Charter.
(b) Notice of all meetings shall be given as required by the Open Meetings Act, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 551.001 et seq.
(Code 1968, § 2-12; Ord. No. 178, 9-22-1977; Ord. No. 252, 7-24-1980; Ord. No. 82-14, 5-27-1982; Ord. No. 95-62, § 2, 5-25-1995; Ord. No. 96-04, § 2, 2-6-1996; Ord. No. 96-70, § 2, 10-10-1996; Ord. No. 2003-48, § 2, 8-26-2003; Ord. No. 2003-66, § 2, 10-28-2003; Ord. No. 2006-14, § 2, 1-14-2006; Ord. No. 2006-59, § 2, 6-13-2006)"

The next City Council Meeting of the League City City Council must be:

January 8, 2008 at 6:00 pm. You have to show up early and sign up on a book at the lecturn in front of the City Council to be allowed to speak. If you don't get there in time to get your name in the book, you don't get to speak. Please, let's all attend and let Mayor Shults and his cronies know just what we think about his underhanded treatment of our friend, our 2nd Amendment rights, and the good taxpaying citizens of League City. Will you join me? Maybe, this time, they'll listen, when we tell them that there were 414 CHL's issued in just the past year, alone, and I believe, that is in direct response to City Council's cow-towing to the developers at the expense of the safety and security of the citizens of League City.