Patrick Rose

Pedernales Electric Cooperative again inviting wrath of legislators

User1 — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Austin American-Statesman
Editorial Board

Scrambling to justify the abrupt firing of Juan Garza a $1 million vote the board of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative has invited two legislators to stop by for a visit next month.

"There was some anxiety over the Garza matter," PEC Board Chairman Larry Landaker said of his invitation to state Sen. Troy Fraser and state Rep. Patrick Rose. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to say whatever they want to say."

That choice of words betrays the tone-deaf approach Landaker took in June when Garza was terminated. Garza was hired as general manager in 2008 to redirect a utility mired in scandal. Garza was working hard to restore its credibility and was blindsided by his termination, as were the utility’s customers, who will pay him a little more than $1 million in severance pay.

Garza wasn’t moving fast enough to suit the board majority, Landaker said, adding in a commentary published here that "CEOs are fired in America every day."

Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, and Rose, D-Dripping Springs, aren’t "anxious" about the Garza firing; they are downright irritated. Fraser even urged the board to keep Garza and was obviously ignored. Landaker is about to learn that being on the bad side of a state senator or representative is not a good place to be.

"We created Pedernales," Fraser told the American-Statesman’s Laylan Copelin. "We can uncreate it."

Those are not the words of an anxious man. They are, however, the words of someone who can introduce legislation that would mandate changes in the way the nation’s largest electric co-op is governed.

Not only are Fraser and Rose irritated about the Garza termination, they are unhappy that the board balked at adopting a package of bylaws that would have made the co-op’s operations more transparent. The co-op covers a wide area of Central Texas, including portions of Travis County, and has more than 200,000 members.

When the American-Statesman reported on the secrecy with which the co-op was managed, its questionable dealings and extravagant spending, co-op members demanded answers as well as action.

Rose, who is up for re-election this year, says he intends to refile legislation next session that would force stricter governance standards on the co-op board. The board balked at reforming itself, Rose said, so the Legislature will do the job for them.

"You can’t depend upon a particular board to necessarily protect the interests of co-op members," he said. "It shouldn’t be left to the fickleness of any particular board."

Like Fraser, Rose is communicating determination, not anxiety.

The legislation they are proposing to introduce next year is similar to a bill that died in the final hours of the 2009 session, but Rose said he would file the bill early and expressed confidence that he could muster the votes to get it passed in the House.

The bill that failed would have required the board to comply with Texas open meetings and open records laws and to submit to annual audits by the Public Utility Commission. It also mandated term limits for board members, cuts in their pay and election by single-member district.

The talk of reform is no idle chatter. The co-op was rocked by scandal that sparked the indictments of Bennie Fuelberg, the former general manager, and Walter Demond, the co-op’s former legal counsel, on charges of felony theft. Both deny wrongdoing.

Rose and Fraser are planning to accept Landaker’s invitation to "say whatever they want to say" at the board’s August meeting. There may well be some anxiety in the room, but we’re guessing that it won’t be Rose’s or Fraser’s.

Pedernales firing recharges lawmakers’ initiative

User1 — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:48:15 +0000

State senator, representative plan to again push legislation calling for specific co-op reforms.

By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

The firing of Pedernales Electric Cooperative General Manager Juan Garza last month has put the troubled co-op back in the cross hairs of the Texas Legislature.

"We created Pedernales," said Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay. "We can uncreate it."

No one is seriously talking of dismantling the nation’s largest electric cooperative, but key lawmakers are promising to resurrect legislation that would hold Pedernales to stricter standards than other co-ops. The bill died in a legislative traffic jam in the final hours of last year’s session.

In a fence-mending move, Larry Landaker, chairman of the Pedernales board and a key architect of Juan Garza’s firing, said this week that he has invited Fraser and Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, to the board’s August meeting.

"There was some anxiety over the Garza matter," Landaker said of his letter to lawmakers. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to say whatever they want to say."

Last year, Fraser and Rose championed a bill to make the operations of all cooperatives more transparent. The legislators included stricter requirements for Pedernales, which has more than 200,000 members and has been rocked by scandal and charges of wrongdoing.

Bennie Fuelberg, who was the co-op’s general manager for more than 30 years, is awaiting trial on charges of felony theft.

Fuelberg and the co-op’s former general counsel, Walter Demond, are accused of arranging for thousands of dollars of co-op money to be paid to the relatives of Pedernales executives. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Fraser and Rose give the new Pedernales regime, including Garza and newly elected board members, credit for changing the secretive culture fostered by Fuelberg and his handpicked directors. Garza replaced Fuelberg in February 2008, promising a new era of openness.

But two incidents this year caught lawmakers’ attention. The first was when the seven voting members of the board couldn’t muster the two-thirds majority to pass bylaws solidifying reforms, including term limits for board members. The second was Garza’s firing on June 14, just days before the last remaining Fuelberg-era directors were replaced in board elections.

In both instances, the holdover directors — O.C. Harmon and R.B. Felps — cast key votes.

Before Garza was fired, Fraser said he urged the board either to keep Garza because he was a "productive" successor to Fuelberg or to wait for the two newly elected directors to come on board before considering his removal. He said Harmon and Felps were being "vindictive" in firing Garza as their terms ended and that the action was a waste of co-op members’ money because Garza was paid $1 million in severance.

This week, Landaker said he had no second thoughts about the firing or its timing. He and Cristi Clement, both elected as reformers in the wake of Fuelberg’s departure, voted to remove Garza.

"If the board judgment is that a change in management is necessary to move forward in a productive way, a board needs to act," Landaker said. "The new board members would not have been equipped to make that call initially."

Landaker has said Garza wasn’t moving fast enough on changes for some board members.

Fraser cited three key elements in the legislation that will be refiled: mandating the election of board members from single-member districts instead of being chosen districtwide; cutting the compensation of board members; and prohibiting the co-op from owning power generation facilities.

Fraser said it is costly for a director to seek votes from more than 200,000 co-op members scattered from Austin’s suburbs through the Hill Country. He said cutting compensation of board members and prohibiting expensive investments in generation — at one time a goal of Fuelberg’s — would save money for co-op members.

Landaker said he hoped the board will "speak with one voice" on any proposed legislation. But he said he held his campaign costs to $200, primarily by using the Internet. He said the co-op, a retail provider of electricity, is not considering investing in power generation plants.

Finally, he said, the board already has cut directors’ pay by about half. (A director is now paid $1,500 a month plus $750 a meeting and $500 for a subcommittee meeting, which has averaged between $30,000 and $35,000 per year.)

"We are obviously aware that the Legislature has interest in some reform," Landaker said. "I would remind anyone that PEC continues to move forward with its own reforms."

Patrick Cox, a board member who endorsed the Fraser-Rose legislation last year, said he intends to bring the bylaws up for another vote. But he said he understands why the Legislature has singled out Pedernales for extra attention.

"Given the history of the organization," Cox said, "it was a necessity to have that legislation."

Rose said the board’s recent actions underscore that continued need.

"You can’t depend upon a particular board to necessarily protect the interests of co-op members," he said. "It shouldn’t be left to the fickleness of any particular board."

lcopelin@statesman.com; 445-3617

CPRIT AWARDS $142 MILLION IN TEXAS’ FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

User1 — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:54:07 +0000

AUSTIN, TX (June 18, 2010) – The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas today awarded $142 million in grants to fund innovative cancer research and prevention programs across the state. Today’s announcement caps the first year of the Institute’s ten year mission. Together with matching funds committed by grant recipients, more than $300 million has been invested this year in Texas’ extraordinary endeavor to change the face of cancer.

“This is what CPRIT was created to do – to invest in the people and projects that will find a cure for cancer,” said the Institute’s Oversight Committee Chairman Jimmy Mansour. “The groundbreaking work singled out today brings us one step closer to that audacious goal.”

Many of the cancer research awards announced today will fund ambitious projects bringing together teams of scientists at leading Texas institutions to tackle critical issues in cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment. One major award supports the creation of a statewide clinical trial network, providing access to cutting-edge clinical trials for patients in their own communities. Among other key initiatives singled out for support by the Institute, two programs are pediatric cancer collaborations — including an outstanding proposal targeting childhood liver cancer that will make Texas the world leader in this area.

Partnerships addressing coordinated, evidence-based cancer prevention strategies in Texas communities also received special attention. Many of the prevention efforts that were awarded grants propose new ways to increase screening and early detection of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers in medically underserved or rural parts of the state.

Today’s awards also marked an important step in the Institute’s initiative to support commercialization opportunities – moving scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the patient. Three Texas companies received inaugural commercialization awards, providing funding critical to late-stage testing of medical devices and diagnostics that have the potential to significantly change the treatment and detection of certain cancers. The Institute also announced its first Company Creation and Recruitment award recipient will be Damascus Pharmaceuticals, a Dallas-based company that will be created to implement a discovery and development pipeline for cancer therapeutics. Not only will these companies contribute to progress in cancer treatment, but they are expected to add two hundred highly skilled new jobs in Texas.

“Texas is leading the way in cancer research and prevention efforts,” stated CPRIT Executive Director Bill Gimson. “The investment Texas makes today in attracting new talent and expertise to the state will be life-changing for many of our fellow Texans and others around the world fighting cancer.”

Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2007 establishing the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs and services in Texas. CPRIT’s goal is to expedite innovation and commercialization in the area of cancer research and to enhance access to evidence-based prevention programs and services throughout the state. CPRIT accepts applications and awards grants for a wide variety of cancer-related research and for the delivery of cancer prevention programs and services by public and private entities located in Texas. More information about CPRIT is available at its website, www.cprit.state.tx.us.

###

Offices of State Sen. Troy Fraser & State Rep. Patrick Rose Statement on PEC Removal of Juan Garza

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:48:10 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2010

"We are concerned that the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) Board of Directors would terminate its general manager days before two new board members will be elected. This type of decision should wait until the new board members, duly elected by the members, are sworn in.

"The two outgoing directors were part of the legacy board that created the problems at PEC in the first place. They should not have been part of any decision that impacts the future of PEC.

"What PEC members can count on, regardless of the makeup of the PEC board or who is general manager, is that we are committed to transparency and openness at our cooperative. The Legislature will reconvene in January and we will proceed with our effort to statutorily protect members’ rights."

###

Rep. Patrick Rose provides public comments to EAA board regarding unfair well regulations.

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:00:58 +0000

Many local property owners have contacted our office recently regarding the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA). I share your concerns and frustrations with the ongoing enforcement actions taking place in Hays County with regard to unregistered and/or abandoned wells. My office has been closely following these actions since they began in the Summer of 2007, and advocating for the rights of our Hays County residents.

Last Tuesday, I spoke at a public hearing hosted in San Marcos by the EAA to object to proposed rules that would impose a $120 per year fee on well owners who choose to cap his/her well. I believe the EAA should find the funds necessary for the inspection of capped wells within its own budget rather than continuing to heap more and larger fees on well-intentioned landowners.

I’m sharing a letter (Click Here) I sent to our Hays County EAA Board member Mark Taylor expressing my many concerns. Additionally, I intend to submit this letter in the form of written comments to the EAA during its public comment period on these proposed rules. I would encourage you to do so as well, which you can do until Monday, May 10, by sending them to:

Edwards Aquifer Authority
Attn: Docket Clerk
1615 N. St. Mary’s St.
San Antonio, TX 78215

Our office remains committed to advocating for our Hays County constituents as we move forward in trying to work with the EAA to resolve compliance matters. Please contact my staff or me at your Capitol office at (512) 463-0647 if we may be of any assistance to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Patrick

Hill Country Heritage Trail Brochure Launch Successful

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:06:04 +0000

The Hill Country Heritage Trail Brochure launch was a lively, history-making, fun event and 340 people came to enjoy it! The Uptown Blanco Arts and Entertainment Courtyards were beautifully decorated for the event. The morning was overcast but the Jeremy Miller Band played on despite the weather conditions. Daryl Whitworth, the emcee for the day, announced a special song written and produced by the band. The song honored Blanco’s founding father, James H. Callahan, who was a Texas Ranger. The theme for the event was Lonesome Dove/Texas Ranger, and there were many Texas Rangers present, both active and former Rangers. During the event, the Rangers reenacted the Sam Bass bank robbery and performed the One Riot/One Ranger.

Blanco’s American Legion Post #352 presented the colors and Dorothy Dillon sang the National Anthem. Blanco County Judge Bill Guthrie welcomed the audience to Blanco County with a brief history of the formation of Blanco County. Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission, Mark Wolfe’s speech about the ten Heritage Trails in Texas told how Heritage tourism has brought millions of dollars into the economy of Texas yearly.

Finally, the time came for the unveiling of the brochure, which had been a guarded secret! Patricia Moore, Chair of Hill Country Trail Region, Nell Krueger, Chair of Blanco County Historical Commission, and Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of Texas Historical Commission, lifted the black cloth and revealed the brochure. Next, each audience member was given a copy of the new brochure.

The Texas Rangers did their reenactments. The children present had their eyes glued to the scene but the adult audience enjoyed it just as much as the children. It was at this time that Representative Patrick Rose honored the Texas Rangers with a proclamation for their service to Texas.

The program continued with Nell Krueger of the planning committee for the event thanking all the participating volunteers and vendors of the delicious foods for a "Taste of Blanco County." Nell thanked the Texas Historical Commission Hill Country Heritage Trail Region for the opportunity to host the unveiling of the brochure. Daryl Whitworth concluded the program by inviting everyone to enjoy the rest of the activities and the "Taste of Blanco County." The Taste of Blanco County was an opportunity to showcase the epicurean skills of food outlets in Blanco County for a large audience of dignitaries from across the state of Texas. Music during the rest of the event was by R.K. Woods (Camp Cookie). There was a display of Texas Ranger memorabilia and Blanco County’s pictures of early years in the old Lindeman building for visitors to enjoy. Rangers in 1836 costumes gave everyone many photo opportunities against the background of the old jail and other buildings. It was a great event at Uptown Arts and Entertainment Courtyard and will be remembered by the community for many years to come.

Submitted by Linda Howard

Johnson City Record Courier

Blanco Masonic Lodge No. 216, Rep. Patrick Rose Donate Texas Flags

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:09:38 +0000

Blanco Masonic Lodge # 216 teamed with Representative Patrick Rose to present the District’s three campuses with Texas flags flown over the state capitol in ceremonies earlier this week.
“The Masons have long been supporters of public education, and we wanted to do this for the schools in our community,” said Don Gaines, who presented the flag to student representatives at the three campuses.
“March is a significant month in Texas history. March 2 is Texas Independence Day. On March 6, the Alamo fell. In addition, schools celebrate Texas Public Schools Week in March. Masons were involved in all of these events.”
“Many signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and many of those who died in the Alamo, were Masons. Also, Texas Public Schools Week was started back in the 1950s through an initiative started by The Grand Lodge of Texas.”
A certificate signed by Representative Patrick Rose accompanied each flag.
“It is a privilege to serve the teachers, students, and families of Blanco ISD in the Texas House,” said Rep. Rose. “I am honored to partner with the Blanco Masonic Lodge to present these Texas flags to our campuses in recognition of the work that takes place every day to provide our students with a world-class education.”

Blanco County Election Day Polling Locations

User1 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:13:06 +0000

Precinct

Location

102

Blanco ISD Building
1015 Elm St.
Blanco, TX

201/ 202

Johnson City Volunteer Fire Department
300 Liveoak
Johnson City, TX

302/ 303/ 304

Community Park Building
620 N. Nugent
Johnson City, TX

401/ 402

Old Blanco County Courthouse Preservation Society Building
300 Main St.
Blanco, TX

Caldwell County Election Day Polling Locations

User1 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:43:24 +0000

Precinct Number

Location

100

First Presbyterian Church Hall
119 N Commerce St,
Lockhart

101

Lockhart High School Library
906 center St,
Lockhart

102

Clear Fork Baptist Church Hall
423 Clear Fork Road CR194,
Brownsboro Community

103

First Lockhart Baptist Church Hall
305 W Prairie Lea St,
Lockhart

104

VFW Post 8927
7007 South US Hwy 183,
Lockhart

105

Lockhart Evening Loin’s Club
220 Bufkin St,
Lockhart

106

Lockhart ISD Community Education Center
520 N Pecos St,
Lockhart

201

Episcopal Church of the Annunciation Hall
301 S Walnut St,
Luling

202

Southside Clubhouse
1000 South Magnolia St.
Luling

203

First Baptist Church
218 N Magnolia St,
Luling

204

Tilmon Community Center
1957 FM Road 3158,
Tilmon Community

204

McMahan Community Center
FM 713, East of Hwy 183,
Lockhart

205

Delhi Community Center
6108 St Hwy 304,
Lockhart

206

Luling Civic Center
300 E Austin St, St Hwy 80 West,
Luling

207

Elm Grove Community Center
4187 Taylorsville Rd, CR 158,
Elm Grove Community

301

Martindale Baptist Tabernacle Hall
105 Main St,
Martindale

302

Maxwell Community Center
180 Fourth St, CR 288,
Maxwell Community

303

Trinity United Church Annex
13700 Camino Real, St Hwy 21,
Niederwald Community

304

Lytton Springs Baptist Church Hall
8511 FM 1854,
Lytton Springs Community

305

Tri-City Community Center
6899 San Marcus St, St Hwy 183,
Prairie Lea Community

400

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
108 N Medina St,
Lockhart

401

St Mark’s Methodist Church Hall
108 N Medina St,
Lockhart

402

St Mary’s Catholic Church Hall
205 W Pecan St,
Lockhart

403

First Assembly of God Church Hall
2715 N US Hwy 183,
Lockhart

404

Lytton Springs Masonic Building
8600 FM 1854,
Lytton Springs Community

405

Dale Community Center
47 Civic Dr, PR 4061,
Dale Community

406

St Jon’s United Baptist Church
103 Bufkin St,
Lockhart

Hays County Election Day Polling Locations

User1 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:25:34 +0000

PRECINCTS

POLLING PLACE

110/113

Elections Office
401-C Broadway St.
San Marcos, TX 78666

111/112

Dunbar Center
801 Martin Luther King Dr.
San Marcos, TX 78666

114/120

San Marcos Housing
Residents Office
820 Sturgeon
San Marcos, TX 78666

116

Hernandez Intermediate School
333 Stagecoach Trail
San Marcos, TX 78666

127

Tobias Elementary School
1005 E FM 150
Kyle, TX 78640

221/225

Performing Arts Center
979 Kohlers Crossing
Kyle, TX 78640

223/227

Kyle City Hall
100 W Center St.
Kyle, TX 78640

224/228

Buda City Hall
121 N. Main St
Buda, TX 78610

226/230

Hays Hills Baptist Church
1401 N FM 1626
Buda, TX 78610

229/234

Goforth Water Supply
8900 Niederwald Strasse
Niederwald, TX 78640

315

Doris Miller Jr. High
301 Foxtail Run
San Marcos, TX 78666

330/334

Lamar Annex
500 W Hutchison St.
San Marcos, TX 78666

331/332/336

Horizon Bay
Auxiliary Room
1720 Ranch Road 12
San Marcos, Texas 78666

333/335/337

Wimberley Community Center
14068 Ranch Rd 12
Wimberley, TX 78676

440

Henly Baptist Church
200 Henly Loop
Henly, TX 78620

441/449

DSISD, Administration Office
510 West Mercer St
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

442/448

Driftwood Community Center
15100 FM 150
Driftwood, TX 78619

443/444

Sunset Canyon Baptist Church
4400 E Hwy 290
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

446/447

Travis Elementary School
1437 Post Road
San Marcos, TX 78666