You may have been wondering what the heck that blue mini-van was doing with a photographer hanging out the window driving around your neighborhood recently? The Big Bend Film Commission was shooting images for the first major update of our website, www.ShootBigBend.com.
In three weeks we shot almost 52,000 photos, drove 2,968 miles. We shot from Langtry to Candelaria, Redford to McDonald Observatory, Bloys Camp Meeting to the Terlingua Ghost Town, Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa, Marathon, Presidio, Shafter, Sanderson, and Valentine. We even shot a couple of camels, some buffalo, a herd of elk and roads and vistas in between. We were helped by wonderful people from Cibolo Creek Ranch, the Limpia, Gage, and Holland Hotels, the Marathon Motel and RV Park, Indian Lodge, the Enlightened Bean and way, way too many new friends to count. We sincerely thank you for your help and assistance.
Our website is designed to be the most comprehensive tool for filmmakers the world over to help them find locations and resources in the Big Bend area. Take a look at the website and see what we found — it just might be you!
If you would like more information please contact Ric Edwards at the Big Bend Film Commission at 432-294-1542 on 6th Street in Alpine.
John Green, Alpine
Those who want to keep handguns handy should really support the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. “Obamacare.” This is because, if you keep a handgun, most likely it will not be used at all — but if it is used, the most likely use will be accidental or purposeful use against the bearer or a child or another innocent person.
The least likely use is that it would successfully protect against an attacker.
That’s no lie; look up the stats for yourself.
So, if we can get everyone covered with health insurance, the central goal of the ACA, those injured by guns will be able to get medical attention at a more reasonable cost. It might just save some lives.
Sadly, the families of those killed are still left out.
Have you ever stopped to think that if the Sandy Hook killer [in Newtown, Connecticut] had used a car to kill all those people, the mandatory car insurance would have paid claims to the families of those lost? But because he used a gun, they get nothing. It begs the question: Should we require gun owners to insure their weapons?
Think about it. I’d pay to insure my guns.
This is why it’s a good societal benefit to require insurance for hazards to our health — and guns are obviously a hazard to our health. Yet some shortsighted ideologues (ironically including the NRA) are trying to talk people out of getting health insurance solely for the purpose, they think, of hurting the President.
Say what?!
Only heartless sociopaths would push people to endanger their own health by not having health insurance.
Their other purpose, of course, is to turn out the Republican base. But could it just be that some Republicans are beginning to see through the act? Aren’t some of those who claim to be “pro-life” aware that health insurance saves lives? We can only hope so.
Mary Bell Lockhart, Alpine
Some of the most interesting findings in the recently presented City of Alpine FY 2012-2013 audit include these nuggets: “Additionally, there were inadequate IT and computer controls, as staff responsible for asset control, transaction authorization, and transaction recording also had access to the financial reporting system computer program source code. There was little to no oversight on the performance of any of these functions.”
And: “Over the years it appears that the City had placed much trust in a few individuals and did not review the overall internal control structure on a consistent basis.”
And: “This lack of segregation of duties combined with a lack of oversight created an environment conducive to abuse, as well as a material weakness in the internal controls.”
How much abuse? How about $787,887? That’s the total amount of payroll advances between 2001 and 2012, according to a spreadsheet prepared by the City’s Interim Finance Director in mid 2013. Over three quarters of a million dollars were rendered unavailable for street repair, water and sewer, parks, or debt relief, even as the city was borrowing money throughout that period.
Despite the mayor, city council, and auditor insisting that all 2012 advances were repaid and that the “City was made whole” because of it, the auditor also admitted that he did not go into any detail beyond journal entries, and had not looked at deposit tickets, receipts, etc. It also turns out that this very important yearly audit was a rush job because the Texas Water Development Board, which provided loans to the city, needed to receive an audit before April 1st of this year.
There is a neat little political trick being perpetrated on the taxpayers by the mayor and city council regarding the employee advances. They will tell you at the drop of a hat that since everything has been repaid, there is really no problem. But this approach conveniently zips right past the reason that the F.B.I., the Texas Attorney General, and the Texas Rangers are investigating City of Alpine finances, namely that diverting taxpayer money in the first place is a violation of the law!
So far, only the former finance director and city manager have been held accountable for their actions. We’re continually told that our city is “running like a business” now, but anyone with any business experience knows that when there is proof of an employee helping themselves to money that isn’t theirs, it crosses an irrevocable line and the employee must face severe consequences, including termination. I’m not advocating mass layoffs. But it is clear that while some advances were taken in good faith, other employees simply abused the system. (Over half of the $141,000 taken in 2012—$72,705.00—went to only six employees.)
Of the $787,887 taken since 2001, over $146,300 went to police, over $215,800 to finance department employees, over $108,400 to water department employees, over $110,500 to street department employees, and over $73,800 to administrative department employees. Some city workers never took any advances, so clearly each individual made his/her own choices and should bear responsibility for those. Downplaying an average of $104,943.33 per year in diverted taxpayer funds between 2007 and 2012 clearly shows a mayor and council with their own agenda, which apparently doesn’t include looking out for the taxpayers’ interests.
When your mechanic can’t fix your car, you find another one who can. When your doctor can’t cure your ills, you go to a specialist who can. When your mayor and council members won’t exercise enough oversight to prevent massive diversions of taxpayer money, then use tricks to play it down because of an upcoming election, it’s time to replace them.
Peter A. Smyke, Alpine
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