Sunday, March 18, 2012

From: Recall Mayor Joe Jaworski - Galveston

Verti Brate: Where has Terrilyn Tarlton been these past two years while Bill Quiroga has been speaking out against Joe Jaworski and expanded public housing? Bill has been a soldier, writing in the Galveston News and trying to get people to listen. It took a while, but it worked. Others helped too, but Miss Tarlton wasn't one of them, to my knowledge

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Quiroga for District 5

Building a Future for Galveston

As councilmen elect District 5 of the City of Galveston my main goal is to Unify Galveston and together “Build a Future for Galveston. “
Together we can “Build a Future for Galveston “   and make it a better place to live, work and play.

I have a four part plan to diversify our city. Why? We, a city on the Gulf Coast cannot and should not place all of our eggs in one basket.

There will be four main goals I will present to the voter of Galveston. Let’s first address the Port of Galveston, helping with its growth and future for all of Galveston.

The Port of Galveston

 I will sit down with our Port Director to discuss what as councilmen elect can the city do to better market, expand, and repair the infrastructure and creating job opportunities at our port facilities.

The Port of Galveston was once a golden star of the gulf coast and again become the jewel of the gulf coast.
The Port Director needs to demonstrate a strong leadership. The Director will need to continue to manage to bring in the cruise ship business to our port which has increase the business flow to our local businesses that are benefiting from the cruise ship business. This is one example why the port is and will continue to play a vital part “Build a future for Galveston”

The Potential Economic Impact of the Port of Galveston Concession Agreement

February 14, 2011

Economic Impact of the Galveston Harbor

    8,864 direct, induced and indirect jobs:3,074 direct jobs

    2,257 induced jobs

    3,533 indirect jobs

      $498.9 million in wages, salaries and consumption impacts:$120.6 million direct

    $239.3 million induced and consumption impact

    $139.0 million indirect   

      $640.8 million of business revenue

      $260.4 million of local purchases

      $46.3 million of direct, induced and indirect state/local taxes
      

Information Source:  Port of Galveston

We as a city need to support our Port and its Director.  “Building a future for Galveston.”

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Response to Betty Massey's Public Housing 101 (The Daily News 1/18/2012)

Ms. Massey,
It’s good to know that you have completed your “Housing 101” training and that you are well educated in the subject of subsidize housing programs.( I’m assuming that you yourself have completed this course.)
As the chair of the board of commissioners of the Galveston Housing Authority who is fighting vigorously for each and every one of these programs as well as Mayor Jaworski, please explain to me the following.
1. Is the Galveston Housing Authority as well as the board violating the “Fair Housing Act”? (By building on the same foot prints and in areas of very high poverty)
2. Why is the Galveston Housing Authority, Mayor Jaworski and you (Betty Massey) chair of the board of commissioners of the Galveston Housing Authority supporting the “West Galveston Island Property Owners’ Association” from building any type of subsidizing in the west end?
From the Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Galveston, Texas Island Community Center – Community Room 4700 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77551 December 20, 2010 at 5:00 P.M.

Mayor Jaworski “Betty Massey did a great job addressing their concerns, speaking on behalf of GHA. She did an awesome job setting forth the basic three big things that are currently happening: Purpose-Built Communities; the Move to Work application; and the preferences. She addressed the public housing on the far west end issue and stated that even if the census tract data came back indicating that this was the ideal location for public housing, other reasons would disqualify the area. Reasons such as it is not behind the seawall, there is no school in the area, no grocery store, no public transportation and no urban grid. These are all disqualifying factors.”
How much power does the WGIPOA have in keeping subsidized housing out of these areas with Mayor Jaworski, Galveston Housing Authority, you the GHA chair and city council? What does the “Fair Housing Act” and “HUD regulation” SAY?
At the Bay Walk Apartment Complex located at 7200 Heards Lane 192 tax credit units. These units were funded by federal disaster recovery money, adjacent to Bay Walk Apartment another 256 unit are being restored, 100% tax credit units to be completed in June 2012 funded by the following: 1. $26.5 million in disaster recovery money ,2. $16.5 million in disaster housing recovery tax credits 3. $10 million in Community Development Block Grant funding plus 12 more scatter housing units.
I am a candidate for District 5 and I do not support any of these programs as it stand now.
As the newly elected representative I will vigorously fight for my constituent in my district

Sunday, January 15, 2012

District 5 - Subsidize Housing Tops 458 Units

District 5 will have the most subsidize housing in the city.

Odyssey Residential, a Dallas, Texas Base company, has renovated 192 tax credit units at Bay Walk Apartments, 7200 Heards Lane. These units were funded by federal disaster recovery money.
Now, “Officials with Dallas-based Odyssey Residential offered more information about renovations at the long-troubled Marina Landing Resort apartments, 7302 Heards Lane on the island.”

Marina Resort Apartment located at 7302 Heards Lane, Galveston Texas will build 256 more 100% tax credit units to be completed in June 2012 funded by the following:

1.        $26.5 million in disaster recovery money

2.       $16.5 million in disaster housing recovery tax credits

3.       $10 million in Community Development Block Grant funding.

On January 2, 2012 an article written by Amanda Casanova states the eight more scatter Public Housing  (• 1717 Bayou Homes Drive • 2202 71st St. • 7208 Ann Marie Lane • 7302 Ave.  R • 1027 63rd St. • 6624 Morris • 7110 Yucca Drive • 1017 63rd St. • 72nd Street (Abstract 121, Hall and Jones subdivision, southwest part of lot 23 (23-5) Jones subdivision) all to be built within the District 5.
As your newly elected District 5 representative I will do all within my means to stop this madness. Please contact Mayor Jaworski and your present representative to stop the Tax credit.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Galveston Chamber of Commerce

Galveston Chamber of Commerce
Is the Galveston Chamber of Commerce weighing in on Public Housing, is the Chamber’s membership advocating Public Housing?
Shrub Kemper a member of the Galveston Chamber of Commerce and also a member of the Advocacy Committee on or before January 9, 2011 “encouraged the committee to ask the Chamber Board to vote to ask the City Council to delay their vote on the 36 month restriction because he, Shrub feels a 36 month restriction on further tax credits will discourage developers from building grocery stores etc, on the Island.”
“The committee did vote to ask the entire Chamber Board to vote to request City Council to delay the vote, and the 12 people voted 10 for and 2 against delaying the vote.”
“The Advocacy Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, a sort of Tri-Lateral Commission within the Chamber community, called a quick meeting to pass their own resolution urging Council to put their decision off for thirty days. They voted 12-2 in favor, with only Don Mafrige and Buzz Elton voting against. Meaning that 12 of the following 13 people – Theresa Elliott, Beau Yarbrough, Gina Spagnola, Craig Brown, Bill Clement, Shrub Kempner, Jeri Kinnear, Steve Mataro, Jerry Mohn, Maureen Patton and Victor Pierson – voted for it. The purpose of their resolution was, in the words of its author, Shrub Kempner, “to allow the community to fully discuss the multiple effects such a request may have on a variety of developments here.”
Resource: Sandbar Politics
District 5 is getting a large amount of public assistance housing, as your newly elected representative I will do all within my means to stop this madness.
Please contact these members and ask why they voted the way they did. We support many of the companies.
Theresa Elliott
Casa del Mar Beachfront Suites
409-740-2431
Beau Yarbough
Texas First Bank
409-744.6363
Gina Spagnola
Galveston Chamber of Commerce
409-763-5326
Craig Brown
Development
409 789-5099
Bill Clement
Matters
409-938-0001
Shrub Kempner
Kempner Capital Management
409 765-6671
Jeri Kinnear
Coastal Beach And Bay Foundation
409-737-5055
Don Mafrige
Don Mafrige Enterprises
409-765-7711
Steve Mataro
DSW Homes
409-744-3400
Jerry Mohn
WGIPO
409-737-5768
Maureen Patton
Grand 1894 Opera House
409-770-5051
Victor Pierson
Moody National Bank
409-632-5204

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Public Housing

As a candidate for District 5 I am posting on this blog my position on Public Housing
I want to make this crystal clear; I do not support public housing in any form. Why?  The Galveston Housing Authority and the Conciliation agreements are in violation. (Fair Housing Act)

Any candidates that support any form of subsidize federal funding on the foot prints being proposed will be violating the “Fair Housing Act.”

As the newly elected District 5 representative I will seek all legal avenues needed to release the federal funding allocated to repair our city.  It’s been long coming. Why should we be held hostage by the Conciliation agreement that violates the “Fair Housing Act?”   

Jaworski state in the Galveston Daily News article written Dec 24, 2011, “To get through this together, we need to be crystal clear about what are Galveston’s best interests.”
Does he really have a clue?

In articles written in the Daily News it was revealed that not only will there be 500 rental units that’s planned for the Marina Landing but also how many are now being rent out by the  Back Bay Apartment complex, add to this the additional scatter Public Housing scheduled for District 5.
Let’s see how West Galveston Island Property Owner Association is keeping public housing out.

From the Minutes of Regular Meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Galveston, Texas

Island Community Center – Community Room 4700 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77551 December 20, 2010 at 5:00 P.M.

Mayor Jaworski “Betty Massey did a great job addressing their concerns, speaking on behalf of GHA. She did an awesome job setting forth the basic three big things that are currently happening: Purpose-Built Communities; the Move to Work application; and the preferences. She addressed the public housing on the far west end issue and stated that even if the census tract data came back indicating that this was the ideal location for public housing, other reasons would disqualify the area. Reasons such as it is not behind the seawall, there is no school in the area, no grocery store, no public transportation and no urban grid. These are all disqualifying factors.”

The question is “How much power does the WGIPOA have with city council.

We need to stop Mayor Jaworski, Shrub Kemper, Barbara Crews, Betty Massey, GHA, and the big interest groups. Stop this madness.

  
We all need to come together and contact our representatives to support this resolution. As you’re newly elected Councilmen district 5 I will continue to fight for the people in my district.