"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

Bush's friends

Monday, 28 April, 2003

(as published in the Caller Times)

Recently, when the City Council was asked to support a resolution against the war in Iraq, the reason given was that it wasn't a local issue.

Evidently, our council and mayor fail to understand what is obvious to anyone who reads the paper. That is that George Bush and the neo-conservatives have bankrupted this state and are bankrupting the nation to give the rich tax breaks and to carry out an overseas adventure meant to further enrich them and their supporters.

Since the mayor and our council represent those same interests, it came as no surprise to me that they would pass a resolution supporting President Bush, the troops and the shipping of military cargo to aid the efforts to deliver democracy to the Iraqis.

I wonder, will the council support a resolution that Corpus Christi deplores the president's proposal to cut veterans' benefits while our young men and women are sacrificing for democracy? Will the council pass a condemning resolution when this administration places a puppet government in Iraq that is willing to pay Haliburton and other supporters of the president to extract, ship and market their oil against the will of the Iraqi people? I think not.

John Kelley
(Rockport)

--

(original version as submitted):

Recently when the city council was asked to support a resolution against the war in Iraq the reason given was that it wasn’t a local issue.  Evidently our council persons and mayor fail to understand what is obvious to anyone who reads the paper.  That is, that George Bush and the neo-conservatives have bankrupted this state and are bankrupting the nation to give the rich tax breaks and carry out an overseas adventure meant to further enrich them and their supporters. 
 
Since the Mayor and our council represent those same interests, it came as no surprise to me that they would pass a resolution supporting President Bush, the troops and the shipping of military cargo to aid the efforts to deliver “democracy to the Iraqis”.   This council is no more likely to stand for peace then it is to try to prevent drilling on our National Seashore.  A few years ago talking about base closures the Mayor stated that “Peace is breaking out all over the world and it couldn’t happen at a worse time.”  I particularly loved the statement that Mark Scott made that we are a “military community”.  I don’t remember joining the military, I’ve looked around Corpus a lot the last few days and see only a minority of people in military uniform.  So I can only assume what Mr. Scott means is that many aspects of the local economy, including those campaign contributors controlling oil, shipping and the port industry make money from the military and war.
 
Right wingers who hide under the flag of patriotism (support our troops) and the guise of advancing democracy are the worst kind of war profiteers.  They poison the public discourse by promoting divisiveness, corrupt our democratic institutions for profit and seek to exploit the men and women who serve this country whether they be military personnel, firemen, police officers, teachers, social workers and others who spend their life in service to others.  They are the same people who will promote welfare for corporations through Tax Incentive Districts and abatements and yet fail to provide adequate environmental laws and regulation to prevent the high rate of birth defects in our community.

Write your government officials!:

President George W. Bush
email: president@whitehouse.gov
White House Opinion Line:
(202) 456-1111
Washington Office:
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, US 20500
Phone: (202) 456-1414
Fax: (202) 456-2461

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson
Washington Office:
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4304
Phone: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 224-5220
Main District Office:
10440 N. Central Expressway, #1160
Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: (214) 361-3500
Fax: (214) 361-3502

Senator John Cornyn
Washington Office:
517 Hart Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2934
Fax: (202) 228-2856
Main District Office:
2323 Bryan St., Ste. 2150
Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 767-3000

U.S. Representative Solomon P. Ortiz
Washington Office:
2470 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4327
Phone: (202) 225-7742
Fax: (202) 226-1134
Main District Office:
3649 Leopard, #510
Corpus Christi, TX 78408
Phone: (361) 883-5868
Fax: (361) 884-9201

Governor Rick Perry
Citizen's Opinion Hotline: 1-800-252-9600
PO Box 12428
Austin, TX 78711-2428
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849
Washington Office:
122 C St., NW, Ste. 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 638-3927
Fax: (202) 628-1943

State Senator Juan Hinojosa
PO Box 12068
Austin, TX 78711-2068
Phone: (512) 463-0120
Fax: (512) 463-0229
Main District Office:
612 Nolana Ste, 410B
McAllen, TX 78504
Phone: (956) 972-1841
Fax: (956) 686-8462

State Rep. Jaime Capelo
E1.424 Capitol Building
Austin, TX 78768-2910
Phone: (512) 463-0462
Fax: (512) 463-9545
Main District Office:
501 S. Tancahua
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: (361) 882-2277
Fax: (361) 882-2881

City of Corpus Christi:

Mayor Neal, Loyd
email: dianag@ci.corpus-christi.tx.us
Phone: (361) 880-3100
Fax: (361) 880-3103

Kelly, Bill (District 1)
email: maryj@cctexas.com
Phone: (361) 289-1383
Fax: (361) 289-0712

Colmenero, Javier D. (District 2)
email: jcolmenr@davlin.net
Phone: (361) 880-3105
Fax: (361) 880-3113

Noyola, Jesse (District 3)
email: jnoyola@davlin.net
Phone: (361) 880-3105
Fax: (361) 880-3113

Scott, Mark (District 4)
email: mscott@sanjacintotitle.com
Phone: (361) 880-3105
Fax: (361) 880-3113

Kinnison, Rex (District 5)
email: rkcpatx@aol.com
Phone: (361) 880-3105
Office: (361) 884-6396
Fax: (361) 880-3113

Cooper, Melody (At Large)
email: joe@melodycooperlaw.com
(361) 887-8014 (wk)
(361) 850-7383 (hm)

Chesney, Brent (At Large)
email: bchesney@firstam.com
Phone: (361) 880-3105
Fax: (361) 880-3113

Garrett, Henry (At Large)
email: chiefhcg@aol.com
(361) 949-8406
cell: (361) 850-3113
fax: (361) 949-0162

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