] SB 889: Action Alert for Parents regarding obtaining School Records

[Guest guest]

[txpacs] SB 889: Action Alert for Parents regarding obtaining School

Records

Forwarding an Action Alert for Parents regarding obtaining School Records.....

For your information....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear friends:

Our freedoms never disappear in a single fell swoop; it's bit by bit by bit. A

harmless tea tax here, SB 889 there.

Remember SB 889? The bill which if it passes in the House will enable our

school districts to start levying the-moon-and- the-stars public records charges

of their own determination after 100 pages per month? So all of their records

will suddenly be in another building*?

The hearing for SB 889 is scheduled for 8 a.m. Mond! ay morning, May 7, before

the House State Affairs Committee. Because of the early hour -- even though it

may not be heard until midnight -- there will be no time for us to safely wait

and visit these folks on the State Affairs committee that day. When they start

the hearing for SB 889, we must be there, so we have to arrive on time and sit

and wait, wait, wait.

I spent time yesterday afternoon visiting with State Affairs representatives and

their staffs and was told again and again that they've already heard from us, in

person.

You can send letters and faxes; those are important. You can make phone calls;

those are important also. You can contact your own representative, that will

count ultimately if it reaches the House floor.

But what will count most will be your physical presence Monday at the hearing.

Over and over I heard yesterday in the State Affairs committee offices about the

fact that folks had visited their offices. They didn't tell me about the phone

calls and letters and faxes. It was the physically showing up.

They're paid government employees/lobbyists ** and we're volunteers

It's not fair that paid government employees and paid lobbyists, for whom this

is a normal workday, will be there in droves with all of their time and expenses

paid -- ultimately by us.

By contrast, all of us who come must put aside our jobs -- the jobs that pay the

property taxes that pay the government employees' and lobbyists' salaries -- do

so at our own expense in wear and tear on our cars, parking, etc. -- in order to

come and be counted also. If the government employees give the committee

members a handout, they have ! paid staffers to take care of it. Where we pay

for the copies for the committee out of our own pockets, the government

employees' copies are paid for at a machine funded one way or another by our tax

dollars. The government employees have had PR training -- ultimately paid for

by us -- whereas we're moms and dads and grandparents and taxpayers.

It really is not fair.

It's not going to be easy and we're being granted no special favors.

When SB 889 was heard in committee in the Senate, although the called time was 8

a.m., SB 889 was not heard -- I have been told -- until 8:30 pm that night. On

the record, only one person was physically present to oppose: God bless him,

Lowery of the Austin American-Statesman.

This is why I'm spending Monday, on my own dime and time, to talk to folks at

the Lege***. Please call me/email if you can find it in your heart and schedule

to come, too. If there is anything I can do to help you come, please let me

know.

Sending blessings and gratitude to all of you for all you do in this important

work.

Peyton Wolcott

P.O. Box 9068

Horseshoe Bay, TX 78657

www.peytonwolcott. com

** SB 889 testimony list - March 26, 2007

FOR:

Bohn, (Lake Independent School District), Austin, TX

Burton, Donovan (San Water System), San , TX

Kirk, Rocky Dr. (Lake ISD), Austin, TX

Lincoln, Elena (Association of Texas Professional Educators), Austin,

TX

, A. ! (San Water System), San , TX

Ratliff, (Self), Austin, TX [former TASB lobbyist, now

associated with " Raise Your Hand " ]

Wellman, Nola (Eanes ISD), Austin, TX

AGAINST:

Lowery, (TDNA / TPA), Austin, TX

ON:

Schloss, Hadassah & ! nbsp; (Attourney General), Austin, TX

Registering, but not testifying:

For:

Beneski, Amy (Texas Association of School Administrators) , Austin, TX

Duty, (Texas Association of School Boards), ! Austin, TX

Eckhart,! Harley (Texas Elementary Principals & Supe rvisors Assn.),

Austin, TX

Goff, Fred (Lake ISD), Austin, TX

Sabatino , (Austin ISD), Austin, TX

Tolles, (Lake ISD Board of Trustees), Austin, TX

Against:

Whalen, Ken (Tx Daily Newspaper Association / Tx Press Assoc.), Austin,

TX

*** HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Member

Chair: Rep. Swinford

Vice Chair: Rep. Ken Paxton

Budget & Oversight Chair: Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale

Members: Rep. Wayne Christian

Rep. Byron Cook

Rep. Farrar

Rep. Dan Flynn

Rep. Tan

Rep. Marc Veasey

M. Guppy

Don't tell God how big your storm is - tell the storm how big your God is!

Texas Autism Advocacy: www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

" There are some aspects of a person's life that we have no right to compromise.

We cannot negotiate the size of an institution. No one should live in one. We

cannot debate who should get an inclusive education. Everyone should. We

cannot determine who does and who does not get the right to make their own

choices and forge their own futures. All must. "