Open Letter to League City Council Candidate Greg Gripon #LeagueCityProud

(or any one of the other Hallisey puppets who are supporting him)

Let's start by summarizing any points Greg Gripon has made on the internet:

From his website (www.votegripon.com)
- A lot of platitudes about how great League City is (this applies to all of the candidates, they're all running in League City)

- "Dealing with... growth takes serious attention in communicating the much needed foresight in planning." - Actually, I would think the serious effort would be better spent in the planning than in communicating the foresight.  Focus on the planning, less on communicating.  But hey, that's just how I'd do it.

-"We must have knowledgeable, happy employees working for our great city..." - We have those, is Greg Gripon suggesting changing our city staff?  Which people does he feel aren't knowledgeable or happy?  Does he feel that his friends' constant attacks on the City Attorney and City Manager will somehow make our city employees happy or knowledgeable?  His friends continue to berate the "golden handcuff" contract that the City Manager has - however, these have become commonplace in employing City Manager's specifically because of the vindictive politics of people like Pat Hallisey and his puppet, Greg Gripon.

-"Planning our future belongs to the community and those who live and play here." - Does it?  Are you committed to this?  Does it belong to all of us, or just those of you who grew up here?  Your next sentence is rather telling, "...I will continue my love and dedication towards League City, as I have done for the past 50 years."

-"I will always be accessible with all the citizens of League City." - Will you?  Your supporters have tried to silence my voice, and insist that nobody engage in discussion with me.  Will you comment on this post?

-"I... will listen to and hear the desires of all our citizens, and will strive to attend to all the concerns and dreams of League City's proud community." - This is setting yourself up for failure, as I mentioned previously - your group of supporters are all the misfit special interests in this city.  The militant animal activists, the Pagans who insist we waste money returning to an Oak Tree symbol, the jaded Democrats who are sad that this town turned red as a result of the new residents in all the houses built on lots set up by developers who funded Pat Hallisey's past failed campaign efforts (but don't worry, he's supposedly an independent thinker now), and Republicans who are bitter because of some perceived slight in the past from Elaine Kosty (yes, you, Marc Edelman, and you, Mick Phalen). There is ZERO chance you could possibly strive to attend to all those concerns, as they are inevitably going to conflict with the concerns of other members of the group.  After all, the surest way to end up pleasing nobody is to try to please everybody.  Then what will you do?  I haven't heard any single idea from you or position that you support.  Perhaps instead of pictures of your family and extensive biographical information, you should have a section on your webpage where you specify any positions you actually support.

-"I... have been fortunate enough to instill the same great attributes of my father, into our family values." - I've asked before and never received a reply (here's a reminder, it's in Section 3 of this post - https://leaguecityoutsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/whats-in-name-or-letter-even.html) Your fathers values involved opposing gun rights and the NRA and a belief in redistribution of wealth.  Are these the values you've passed on?  Your father was also a proud Democrat; why have you voted as one like your father and yet show up at meetings and present yourself as a Republican?  Do you think you can pander to the now Republican-majority population of League City despite your values?

From your Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/votegripon)

"Keeping in touch with our local history is so very important.  We must always hold tight to our past as we pave the way to our future."  Standard baby-kissing, hand-grabbing politicking aside - what does this quote mean?  Does it mean we need to stagnate our downtown as the run-down blight it currently is?  Does it mean we need to oppose any outside interests seeking to invest in creating businesses here?  Does it mean the old families in this town should keep the power, despite clearly being out of touch with the values and issues that matter to all the people who have swelled the population of this city in the last 10-20 years?

"Let's make League City the Leader of Galveston County and bring back the respect to our city! #VoteGripon #LeagueCityProud"  Did you trademark the phrase League City Proud?  Do you feel your opposition isn't proud of this city?  If the respect is gone, as you and your supporters claim, I ask this - why are you proud, and why are so many families seeking to move here?  See, I consider myself ACTUALLY proud of League City, and I don't need a certain candidate to change that.  We don't need to bring back any respect - and I don't know that you can do that.  You seem to be just a puppet for Pat Hallisey (please tell us how you're different, if you can).  Pat Hallisey ran for Mayor with a promise to oppose our City Council which was elected by the people.  That's not very respectful.  But here's what I respect about our Council and City Manager - they realize that the future of our City is going to be expensive.  It's going to cost money to keep up with growth.  We have an option - support people who will bring in businesses that will ultimately fund the growth and take the burden off the homeowners, or attempt a way-too-late isolation that preserves League City as it was in the 80's for those who want to relive the glory days of their childhood.  If we do that, if we oppose downtown revitalization, if we reject the tax abatement deals (which really are the only way to attract the businesses that will fund our tax revenues for many years after the abatement deal expires), then we shift the burden for all the infrastructure improvement required to support the anticipated population growth to the homeowners.  I for one, don't want that kind of "respect".

-You've embraced a very biased and distorted view of the city vs. League City United Methodist Church issue.  I've presented a timeline that shows the Church has let a member/developer drive the discussion for them.  He played the deal to ultimately benefit himself.  The church was a pawn, and the City was trying to simply get a fair deal to land the Church didn't need.  But instead, you present it as the city versus the Lord.  Please explain your version of the timeline and how the city was in the wrong, and be ready to have a discussion about it, so don't simply provide bumper sticker slogans.

From League City Politics is a Full Contact Sport

When a citizen said they were voting for your opponent, you responded with the following: "I'm Home Grown and League City Proud! I spent my life grooming myself for the League City Council Position #5 by attending the League City 1st University, League City Citizen Police Academy and spending my life giving back to our community!!! #VoteGripon #CommuintyLeader #LeagueCityProud"

1 - Being "Home Grown" means what, besides "Let's keep League City for us old family names around here"?  I know I didn't grow up here, and I'm VERY happy that my kids get to.  But how does that qualify you to make decisions required of a leader of a city of this size?  If anything, I keep hearing about League City's history of terrible politics, and I wonder - since you've been here this long and voting for these people, maybe you're part of the problem.  I'm sure this line will get Gaylynne and some of the other old curmudgeons on League City Politics is a Full Contact Sport to come out and vote for you, but given that a substantial majority of this city are people who didn't grow up here, how do you expect this to convince us of your qualifications?

2 - You spent your life grooming yourself to run for City Council?  Does this mean you're power-hungry?  Does it mean you've got ambitions of higher office and this is just a stepping stone?  What does this mean?  Also, seriously?  Who "grooms" himself to run for City Council?  I thought you were volunteering because you love this city and the people in it.  Were you just building a resume to run for office?  Takes the altruism down a notch since you were just grooming yourself for politics.

3 - How does attending Citizen Police Academy groom someone to make decisions regarding taxes, attracting businesses, and managing infrastructure improvements and repairs?

4 - Please spell-check your posts, I prefer my "Commuinty" leaders to at least appear moderately intelligent.

5 - Your son chimed in "A vote for Greg is a Vote for League City" - ignoring his creative use of upper-case V in vote (seriously, get an editor), what are y'all implying?  Is a vote for your opponent a vote for Friendswood or some other city?  Or perhaps it's a vote against League City?  That's a pretty low-blow.

On another post, you commented: "With my leadership on council we will have a check and balance for our City manager with a open form of government. The city manager must work under the direction of the Mayor and Council. If Rohr cannot reform then he must go it's that simple. Mayor and council represent the voice of the citizens and what's best for the future of our City. I feel we have a City that is working for the needs of the City and not the citizens. It's time for change!!! #VoteGripon #LeagueCityProud"

1 - Please refer to my Civics for Dummies course, it has some good points on the merits of a City Manager.  https://leaguecityoutsiders.blogspot.com/2016/09/league-city-politics-civics-for-dummies.html

2 - When you state the manager must work under the direction of the Mayor and Council - are you implying that he isn't?  After hearing your supporters state how vicious and controlling Becker/Kinsey/Hansing/Bentley are, how could you possibly now imply that the City Manager isn't working under their direction?  Clearly he's opposed the Mayor, but he has to work for a committee, and the majority of the committee isn't on the Mayor's side, so he's answering to his bosses.  Please explain why you think he's gone rogue, and why you think the Council hasn't done anything about it.

3 - Please be specific - what has Rohr done that he needs to reform?  His employers (the Council) seem rather happy with his performance.  Just because the Mayor doesn't like what they want to do doesn't mean he has to somehow also appease the Mayor. 

4 - Please define what you mean by "working for the needs of the city and not the citizens".  They're not out campaigning for the land, and considering a city is nothing but the land and the people in it, they're obviously working for the citizens.  You may disagree with their plan to improve the city, and that's something you can discuss and debate, but it's absolutely ugly politics to imply they're not working for the city (which IS the citizens).

You went on to state: "I'm a little confused because Debbie platform is all about bring business to League City. She talks about making it easy to grow business in League City! I'm for clean cooperate business parks for the growing need coming for Large Shipping Companies to grow our tax base. I will bring my passion for League City to give the citizens a voice and represent the heritage and roots of League City! It's time for change to focus on the citizens! #LeagueCityProud

I'd love to comment on this one, but it seems to be a butchered job of copy and paste (or your grammar is simply atrocious) and I can't make any sense out of it.



In summary, Mr. Gripon, I've seen NO view on any issues from you, other than an opposition to the current Council and the City Manager.  So please respond to this post.