Taking big campaign contributions and instructions from special interests, Rose has steadfastly refused to introduce legislation needed by HTGCD to fulfill its mandate
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By Charles O'Dell
Contributing Editor
State Rep. Patrick Rose
Statesman.com
Statesman.com
Representative Patrick Rose (D) has attended only one Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District (HTGCD) board meeting during his seven years in office. You might say that Representative Rose was eventually forced to attend this one. After all, Rose has been catching flack from all quarters, particularly from the folks who are concerned about dwindling groundwater and their failing water wells.Rose appeared at the HTGCD board meeting to unveil his latest hastily contrived political move – something he’s calling a Stakeholder Driven Process for Legislative Change. A crowd of about twenty-five was present at the Thursday night Dec. 10 board meeting held in Dripping Springs City Hall. Significant skepticism seemed to float through the air.
Comments ranged from, “This won’t work,” to, “This is just political cover to get you past the March primary election.” One community leader from Wimberley chastised Rose, saying, “You ignored a petition signed by 409 property owners supporting full Chapter 36 authority for HTGCD.”
Trouble in Roseland
Rose, who’s three-county District includes the HTGCD territory, is in big trouble with voters who’ve been looking to their elected groundwater board members for management of the Aquifer as mandated by state law. Instead of supporting the HTGCD, Rose has placed roadblock after roadblock in the way of the board’s efforts. Taking big campaign contributions and instructions from special interests, Rose has steadfastly refused to introduce legislation needed by HTGCD to fulfill its mandate.
A recent report by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality makes it clear why the HTGCD board has been asking Rose for changes:
“…the Hays Trinity GCD is not authorized to exercise the full authority of Texas Water Code, Chapter 36. Predominant statutory prohibitions that challenge the district’s ability to function are its limited source of revenue and more liberal well exemptions than provided by TWC, §36.117.”
All of that could change if Rose would deal with the water issue. But Rose hasn’t been willing to help. Worse yet, Rose has historically been silent about who was pulling his strings on water issues. Now, however, he’s launched his much ballyhooed “stakeholder driven process.” His stakeholder list has been revealed and the cat is now out of the bag.
The process that Rose and sidekick Andy Sansom launched at the eleventh hour during Thursday’s board meeting remains sketchy at best, but the list of special interests is as clear as it could be. Here, for example, are some of the players who showed up on their list:
San Marcos and Austin Boards of Realtors,
Wimberley and Dripping Springs Chambers of Commerce,
Hays County Builders Association,
Texas Farm Bureau
Real Estate Council of Austin
The “stakeholder driven process,” might give Rose something to talk about when he comes under attack from critics, but he may find that his eleventh hour solution is perceived as just another effort to fool voters. For years, Rose would tell people that there are some “players he still had to bring to the table.” It was his standard response when constituents asked why he wouldn’t help the groundwater district. When pressed to identify who the “players” were, Rose would simply say that he couldn’t reveal the names. Now the list is out.
Stayed tuned. Rose’s eleventh hour launch of the Stakeholder Driven Process for Legislative Change may turn out to be the story of the year. At a minimum it’s the story of a young man desperate to be re-elected.
13 comments:
Mr Rose, a realtor and star student of The Rex Baker School of Developer's Bitches, will likely fool a large number of people in Hays and surrounding counties who refuse to believe that their own native son could be so calloused.
To this day, I suppose there many people who do not see the serious humor in Richard Pryor's line: "Who you gonna believe...me, or your own damn lyin' eyes?"
Rose is about Rose, not the thirsty people who elcted him.
Rose does not have to "worry" about getting re-elected. There is no Democrat or Republican that could come even close to beating him.
Nobody can beat Rose? Who are you kidding? Maybe the right question is when did you get here.
Do you remember a certain road bond campaign that was financed beyond belief and how it went down in flames? Do you remember one of the world's most entrenched county judges who, according to the word on the street, could not be beat (but who was trounced in the election). And then there was ...
And so it goes. Welcome to the Hill Country, oh ye of little faith.
Now I'm assuming that you're going to tell me that Rosie can't be beat because he has all that money to spend on a campaign ---- upwards of a half million. Do you, or anyone else for that matter, know why Rosie would spend a half million to get elected to a seat that only pays about $7000 a year.
And before you tell me about Rosie's strong convictions about public service, please give me a warning. I know I have a pair of boots around here somewhere. I'd like some advance notice so I can put them on.
Anonymous,
That's what County Judge Jim Powers said in the 2006 election, and Rose said in the 2007 road bond election.
Nothing can stand in the way of voters determined to have good government.
Dear Charles,
I am interested in knowing more details about Representative Rose's "Stakeholders process". I also would like to see the whole stakeholders list because the ones you listed are definitely stakeholders but hopefully are balanced by others on the list. This additional information would help me to have a more complete picture of what Representative Rose is proposing. Thank you. Sincerely, Patricia Ewing
Isn't it interesting that the one announced candidate (at least privately) against Rose is Andrew Backus? Seriously, the guy with no personality going against the guy with a lot of personality, but maybe no compass when it comes to who he represents?
Andrew certainly has many if not more enemies as does Rose. But watching Backus self-destruct during the campaign will be fun.
I hope nobody is taking this Stakeholder Process seriously. Where I come from this is known as the "study it to death" tactic.
Here's how it works. A public official spouts off about how important something is --- so important that "we have to get it right." And thus starts the interminable process of studying the oh so important issue ---- studying it long enough to delay any decision making ---- and in this case, certainly long enough to get Rose past the March primary. You nailed it, O'Dell. Keep up the good work.
Yes, we sent Powers to the curb in 2006 but Rose's district includes two other counties where he is very well liked and well known.
I all open to suggestions. Show me a candidate that can beat him.
Patricia,
I will be happy to share the full list with you and would give you more details about Representative Rose's "Stakeholders process" if there were any details to share. All we have is a promise that the details will be worked out.
I and others worked on the year long stakeholder driven Regional Water Quality Protection Plan and the nearly year long stakeholder revision process for Hays County's development and OSSF regulations and I have a clear understanding of how a stakeholder process works. Rose's eleventh hour political theater has no resemblance to a stakeholder process.
I'm also curious why anyone would consider such organizations as the Real Estate Council of Austin, Austin and San Marcos Boards of Realtors, and Hays County Builders Association, for example, sould be considered stakeholders in a process that is designed to negatively affect thousands of existing well owners. Have the property rights of these existing well owners gone away? Have these folks lost their rights to protect their access to water and their property values?
Members of these far away organizations have contributed to several of your neighbors' wells going dry. All these organizations' members can do is contribute to more wells going dry with more development that violates the very purpose of a Primary Groundwater Management Area (that's a designation by the state legislature for an area that is now or is expected to suffer from a water shortage.)
The misinformation by folks who do not care about their neighbors' wells going dry didn't work during the CGD confirmation election, but such misinformation is perpetuated by those same folks who make sure Rep. Rose keeps his boot on the throat of our local CGD.
I will email you a copy of the list and we should talk about this more.
Once again, keep your eye on the ball. Rose, & his local cronies, Barton and Conley, and their bag men and henchmen, are in on it for the money and the power. The rest of you poor suckers will be left holding the bill, the bad air, and the depleted groundwater. Good luck.
Mr. Rose is a superb politician. He gets in power, stays in power long enough to further his long term political aspirations, and then says "f___ you" to his small money supporters. Andrew Bachus may not be a George Clooney, but at least he may keep his word once he gets elected. I say give Bachus a shot. Who are the Republicans running? Another free markets nutcase?
Just take a look at Rose's top 20.
http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=112089
Case closed.
I will vote for anyone who runs against Rose, Democrat/GOP/Independent, makes no matter.
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