Comment posted in the Seguin Gazette on the State of City event on September 29- show up, stand up!

Recently I posted a comment on the article pertaining to the local voting machines and I argued that in the history of the county there is a blatantly disproportionate misrepresentation in government. I feel that it is important to highlight similar disproportionate misrepresentation in the government of the city herein for the purpose of informing the citizens of Seguin prior to this public event where citizens can and should question their leaders. In the history of Seguin there have been six Chief of Police. All six have been white men. There have been 30 mayors. All 30 have been white. Since 1985 when the current system of city government was implemented there have been five city managers. All five have been white. The city council members are and have always been predominantly white- with the few rare exceptions. My objective in pointing this out is to encourage the citizens to engage with their government. Soon the citizens will be voting and this public event on the 29th affords the voting community the perfect opportunity to address issues that are vitally important. Question your leaders. Ask important , pertinent, relevant questions and expect answers. Door prizes and fine fare and entertainment can be construed as ‘bread and circuses’ if the citizens slumber and are not actively participating in government. A preacher that I am fond of in San Antonio has a saying: “ a bath and a pink ribbon won’t change a pig into a poodle.” If the citizens fail to engage, if they fail to take their government to task in light of blatant and obvious severe issues and severe failures, then the citizens get what they get. Get involved. Ask questions. Expect reasonable answers. They work for you. You should expect them to not justify injuring a child. You should expect them to immediately terminate the employment of anyone who injured a child. You should expect them to immediately fire an officer who blatantly violated a subpoena which is a crime- high ranking officers especially considering they set precedent and example by their leadership roles. Engage. Question. And most crucially, expect better from the people whom you pay their ample salaries.