I don't often agree with Newt Gingrich, but maybe this is a good idea for Lewisville.

Newt Gingrich is pushing LSS (Lean Six Sigma) for government. I have worked in organizations that have seen profound improvements in service and cost reduction using these methodologies. This is new for city governments, but several have done it:

Adequate police protection and fire services are the cornerstones of an outstanding community. Lewisville is an outstanding community. After several years of doing more with less in tight budget times, more help is needed. That is why now is the time to approve the propositions for Crime Control and Fire Prevention/EMS Districts. These proposals will allow your public safety departments to continue to provide you with the outstanding service to which you have become accustomed and deserve. Early voting has already begun. I urge you to vote YES for all propositions authorizing these districts.

Joni Eddy
Retired Assistant Police Chief
Lewisville, TX

To my friends and neighbors in the City of Lewisville, the propositions for Crime Control and Fire Prevention / EMS districts are a VERY GOOD thing!

I can tell you first hand after serving as your fire chief that your City does everything they can to be good stewards of the taxpayer's dollar.

That being said, this is a means for protecting our residents, businesses, and visitors just that much better.

Your Police and Fire Departments have put together these two programs through a lot of hard work, planning, and justification to our City Administration and the Citizen's Oversight Committee.

We have always felt that it is an honor to serve you all and have always treated everyone like family.

Now we need your help and support. Please come out for early voting and support this initiative.

I promise you, you'll be doing something pretty special for your community and you will have had a hand in protecting the property of your neighbors and saving lives!

Please vote YES and help us help you!

Rick Lasky
Retired Fire Chief
Lewisville, TX

Lewisville is one of only 16 cities in Texas with a AAA credit rating from both of the major ratings firms. The city has achieved this over many years of strong fiscal stewardship.

Part of this stewardship has been to ensure that the city provides excellent services for our tax dollars. Our Police and Fire Departments win numerous grants, awards and recognition year after year for their innovative policies.

While reviewing the best ways to enhance our public safety over the next several years the City Council determined that we could leverage an additional 1/4th cent sales tax, of which we are one of very few cities in North Texas to not have the State allowable limit of 8.25%, to fund these Police and Fire enhancements. Because it is a sales tax increase it must be voter approved.

Lewisville has a strong track record of using these types of voter approved funds. Facilities like Railroad Park, the MCL Grand Theater, our portion of the A-Train, and our water parks have all been funded by these types of elections, bringing our citizens a better quality of life.

The proposed Public Safety District districts would raise approximately $4.6 million annually and would be evenly divided between our Police and Fire Departments. This would last for five years at which point the citizens vote to maintain the funding or remove it.

This money doesn’t just go into the operating budgets. A group of citizens have spent the last several months refining the proposed expenditures of this funding. Police would provide 10 additional patrol staff and automated dispatch tools to ensure continued police operation in the event of a disaster. It would also fund additional code enforcement. Fire would enhance our emergency medical service and provide funds for a new fire station to reduce response times. Detailed plans are available at City Hall and in a mailer delivered to residents shortly.

Election Day is Tuesday November 8th from 7am to 7pm. Voters would have to vote at their local polling location. Early voting is on October 24th-29th October 31st-November 2nd, 8am to 5pm, and November 3rd-4th 7am to 7pm. All early voting is at the Lewisville Municipal Annex at 1197 W. Main St. or the Denton County Elections Office in Denton.

I’ll be voting for this increase in services for our police and fire departments. The city has proven to be a good steward of our tax dollars; this will be an effective way to improve our quality of life and safety. Please join me in continuing to make Lewisville a strong community on November 8th.

T.J. Gilmore,
Council Member, Place 3
Lewisville

Recently a gentleman in Lewisville was quoted in this blog. What he had to say was interesting, informative and enlightening. And it needs to be shared.

Neil Ferguson, a candidate to fill the seat formerly held by David Thornhill on Lewisville’s City Council alerted LISD that there was a Section 37 filing that would impact LISD’s mineral rights. Mr. Ferguson’s actions allowed our school district to take the steps necessary to protect the rights and property of all of the citizens within LISD’s boundaries.

How it came to happen that LISD failed to receive or read the notice needs to be explored and examined. What we do know is that the diligence and actions of one person mattered.

Neil has been involved with the City of Lewisville and the Arts for years. He was an active participant during Lewisville’s review and strengthening of its gas ordinances. His actions and those of others were instrumental in convincing Titan to cancel plans for a site across from Memorial Park and Senior Center.

The constitutional election is just around the corner with early voting starting on Oct. 24th. I am having a hard time finding any information on the amendments. I can find the actual amendments just little opinion on what they will mean to the citizens of Texas. my e-mail to my representative have yet to be answered. can you offer any insight?

Dear Mr. (redacted):

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding my recent comments at a gathering of the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party meeting. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

One of my most important jobs as a Member of Congress is to meet with constituents during our district work period and give them an update on what has been happening in Washington and listen to their concerns. One of the groups that I met with was the Northeast Tarrant Tea Party group.

In the dialogue between members of the group and myself a gentleman said that we, the House of Representatives, should impeach President Obama because that would tie up his legislative agenda. I agreed with the gentleman that impeaching the president would tie up his legislative agenda, but I did not call for his impeachment.

I have not been shy in my opposition to the legislative agenda of President Obama or Democrats in Congress. I believe their agenda is wrong for America and I have pushed for policies that I believe would be in the best interest for the American people. I agreed with the gentleman's theory that we need to stop the president from continuing to push his polices and that is why in 2010 Republicans were elected in one of the largest turnovers in history. Americans are tired of President Obama's agenda and they want it stopped.

I am fighting hard for conservative principles, including smaller government, personal responsibility, and lowering the tax burden. I believe we should strengthen our economy through tax cuts, secure our border, and preserve the core conservative principles on which our country was founded. As a fiscal conservative, I believe that Congress must make sure that we spend every dollar of hard-earned taxpayer money wisely, not recklessly.

I recognize that the president's agenda needs to be stopped and that is precisely what I am doing on behalf of my constituents of the 26th District of Texas.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress

College street playground burned for the third time.

Last night, someone burned the shade cover over the College Street Elementary and melted a slide, plus set fires in two trash cans in the neighborhood. Luckily, no other fires broke out that I know of.

This is the third time I know of that this playground or it's shade cover has been burned by arsonists.

I don't know if anyone was caught, but I hope they caught good pictures from the surveillance cameras.

Why do people burn playgrounds, especially now with the ground so dry?

To Congressman Michael Burgess (R, TX 26)

It is time to stop fooling around and caving in to the Tea Party. You represent me, my 80 year old mother, and the rest of my family, too, act like it. You need to work with President Obama and work out the debt ceiling crisis before it has irreparable consequences.

Most of the top 2% earners can afford to pay more taxes, and most do not begrudge the U.S. their tax dollars. Why must the elderly, the infirm, and children bear the brunt of cuts to social programs? Are their lives worth less than a millionaire's?

My 80 year old mom and now deceased father were small business owners, they happily filed and paid their quarterly taxes, knowing that their children were going to be educated and have access to higher education. They lived the American Dream--struggling at times, but always proud to contribute to our nation's overall well-being.

My poor mother is now living the American nightmare--afraid that her Social Security check will be cut or disappear entirely-- because Congressional Republicans only want to cut programs, but not ask millionaires to contribute their fair share.

I am outraged, Congressman. How dare you and Speaker Boehner hold old ladies hostage to appease your far right wing? You are a medical doctor, I would think you would be more compassionate.

Please do not reply to my letter with one of your canned form letters that appear to be written specifically for your Teabagger groupies; instead explain to me what I am supposed to tell my mother.

She has lived a life of sacrifice. How dare you ask her to sacrifice yet more, while the wealthiest Americans aren't even paying their fair share.

Sincerely,
Maria Antonia Medellin
Lantana

I have been getting forwarded emails in support of Rick Perry and chances are you are getting some too. I have tried to ignore them and just let it go, but I don't seem to be able to do that. I truly don't want to offend. Here, however, are the reasons that I don't support Rick Perry as our governor and why I won't be supporting Rick Perry in a Presidential bid.