[Watchdogs] Directions for Viewing Yesterday's Committee Hearings for Senator Fraser's Bill (SB 921) and Rep. Rose's and Swinford's Bills (HB 1390 and 3820)

Wed Apr 8 23:48:53 CDT 2009

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Milton Hawkins 
  To: Paul Langston 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 10:37 PM
  Subject: FW: Directions for Viewing Yesterday's Committee Hearings for Senator Fraser's Bill (SB 921) and Rep. Rose's and Swinford's Bills (HB 1390 and 3820)

  Paul, I think you intended to post this to Watchdogs, but used the wrong address.  Use this one: 

  Watchdogs (watchdogs at pec4u.org)

  From: Paul Langston [mailto:langston at zeecon.com] 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 8:52 PM
  To: mhawkins at tstar.net; "James Williams"; "Kathy Scanlon"
  Cc: Milton Hawkins; 'John Watson'; watchdogs-bounces at pec4u.org; Paul Langston
  Subject: Re: Directions for Viewing Yesterday's Committee Hearings for Senator Fraser's Bill (SB 921) and Rep. Rose's and Swinford's Bills (HB 1390 and 3820)

  Thanks so much for all that you guys have done for us.  I regret that John Watson is

  hurt and disappointed at the actions of the board.  Thank heavens that we have Patrick Cox in place.

  John, the old board has never been in favor of anything that the Member-Owners wanted or needed.  After all, we did not elect the old heads.  They were picked up and put there by Big Ben and they have served him well.  The comparison of store window dummies comes to mind.  They have never even pretended to care for our welfare.  

  The action of our two elected Board Members is something else again.  Did I miss something.  Didn't those elected Directors promise to look after our welfare when we elected them?  Do I remember them taking an oath to serve the members, owners of this Co-op.  Would we have elected these people if we had known that they would stand shoulder to shoulder with Ben's old faithful crew?

  Garza is a separate matter.  He is under contract to the old Guard of the four Directors and he has to faithfully obey that contract.  Like wise Pete Slover.

  Right now, I am condemning the whole executive crowd.  They have sold us a bill of goods that all is well, financially sound, well run, peachy keen.   I do not think so.  It will all come out..just how bad a shape our PEC is in...  Providing we get some auditing by an independent outfit.  ...and providing we do not all get chased out by the Swineford legislation before June -09.

  H. P. Langston    830-598-1322

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: Milton Hawkins 

    Cc: Milton Hawkins ; 'John Watson' 

    Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 5:46 PM

    Subject: Directions for Viewing Yesterday's Committee Hearings for Senator Fraser's Bill (SB 921) and Rep. Rose's and Swinford's Bills (HB 1390 and 3820)

    Viewing these videos will give you a deeper understanding of the challenges we member/owners face in trying to preserve and extend the reforms we've wrung from the Board.  It will take some time, but it's time well spent.  

    Remember that the surest way to safeguard our rights is to have those rights preserved in legislation, where this or a future Board majority cannot change them simply by calling a meeting.

    Here's a comment from John Watson today:

    The sad feature here is to see PEC adopt a position so contrary to its own members' interests. As I said in my testimony before the House Committee last night, the way to view the competing Bills is that Rose/Fraser seeks to preserve and expand member rights of the more than 3 million co-op members across the State; Swinford/TEC seeks to protect the privileges of a few hundred people, the entrenched and self-perpetuating boards and management of the other 73 co-ops in Texas.

    Fortunately, both Rep. Rose and Sen. Fraser understand that many members, and Director Patrick Cox, profoundly disagreed with the board decision to support a Bill which would, if applied to PEC, actually reduce our current rights. 

    Milton Hawkins    mhawkins at tstar.net     830-868-9075

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: Milton Hawkins [mailto:mhawkins at tstar.net] 
    Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 5:24 PM
    To: 'Watchdogs'
    Cc: Sen. Troy Fraser (troy.fraser at senate.state.tx.us); Rep. Patrick Rose (patrick.rose at house.state.tx.us)
    Subject: Directions for Viewing Yesterday's Committee Hearings for Senator Fraser's Bill (SB 921) and Rep. Rose's and Swinford's Bills (HB 1390 and 3820)

    Friends:

    To see the portions of the Senate hearing yesterday relating to Senate Bill 921, Senator Fraser's companion bill to HB 1390, by Representative Patrick Rose, use this link:

    http://www.senate.state.tx.us/avarchive/

    Then select Apr 07 Senate Committee on Business & Commerce (Part II).  (You may have to do this several times before your RealPlayer kicks in.)

    The bill is introduced at 1:51 mark of the video, and Juan Garza begins his testimony at the 2:05 point.  Mike Williams (of TEC) and two associates begin at 2:18, and Linda Kaye Rogers begins her lecture at 2:42.  The public testimony segment ends at 2:46.  Listen as Senator Fraser refers to Mr. Garza's having "four bandits" on his Board, referring to the remaining old guard members (Felps, Harmon, Smith, and Cloud).  At 3:03, the committee passes the bill and sends it to the printer for Senate consideration.  The vote is five in favor, and one opposed.

    This is well worth watching.

    Note: John Watson and I registered as supporting the bill and intended to testify, but we were attending the House committee hearing occurring at the same time, where we were also scheduled to testify, and did get to, in favor of Representative Rose's companion bill, and against the TEC/Swinford (and PEC Board supported) bill, HB 3820.

    To watch the video of the hearing in the House State Affairs Committee, use this link:

    http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/broadcasts.php?session=81&committeeCode=450

    Then select the following:

    04/07/09 2:06 p.m. - 12:06 a.m.  (Again, you might need to try this several times before your RealPlayer kicks in.)

    The consideration of the Rose bill begins at the 6:39 point.  Representative Rose begins to lay out his bill at the 6:41 point, and he is followed by Representative Swinford and then the witnesses.  Rose does a fine job.  Be certain to note the exchanges between Rose and Swinford and between the chairman of the committee and Mike Williams, with TEC.  Notice the reluctance to allow member/owners to attend meetings.

    Well worth watching.  You'll wonder why we member/owners are being forced by the Board to fund TEC, which works against our interests as owners.  Ask your Board members how much we pay in dues each year.

    Milton Hawkins    mhawkins at tstar.net     830-868-9075

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    No virus found in this incoming message.
    Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
    Version: 8.5.278 / Virus Database: 270.11.47/2047 - Release Date: 04/08/09 05:53:00

  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
  Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.11.47/2047 - Release Date: 04/08/09 05:53:00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
  Version: 8.5.278 / Virus Database: 270.11.48/2048 - Release Date: 04/08/09 19:02:00
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://103.greenbuilder.com/pipermail/watchdogs/attachments/20090408/ccde300c/attachment.html>