Recently I watched a televised portion of a council meeting where everyone took time out to thank everyone else for his or her effort in the Smart growth management plan.  When it came Mr. Baze’s turn, it appeared to get his brownie points in, he said he would follow this mayor anywhere.  He stated that when the mayor and city manager brought him into the plan, he guessed around Jan. of 1999 that he was all for it.  By his own words it was obvious he had no knowledge of what was going on until Ms. DeLuca and Van James were ready to bless him and then force it on everyone with little or no response time.  A councilman that doesn’t even know what is going on until it is to late, is probably felt to be a bad risk for the mayor and will never get on the inner circle. If that is true we in deed do not have any representation on the council at all.  If he cared or could do anything, he isn’t.   Ask him what happened to the approved one lane bridge project for Wichita Trail and why he forsake his neighbors and friends and allowed another project to be attached and to stall it.

Like everyone who lives in Flower Mound, I was always in favor of and supported the idea of smart growth.  However, the process that it takes is not and never was a smart process.  First get everyone in office (yes I’m guilty of their support) that thinks the same idealistic thoughts.  We missed the thought of having any checks and balances when this happens.  What we got was a great idea desecrated in the name of that same idea.

It has always been the process of  large corporations to bring in consultants to sell management's ideas to their employees.  The consultants don’t know what’s going on and can only use the information the company gives them, which means the out come is predictable.  A company newsletter then goes out to everyone thanking them for their input and help in determining the companies’ problems and that they will have a chance to be a part of the solutions.  After several departmental meetings (held typically on Friday's, payday and quitting time to reduce the real chance some one will have a good thought and need to debate it).  The company’s Chief Operating Officer then goes public and announces all the changes he was going to make anyway.  He then thanks all his employees for their hard work and effort.   The stock in the company then goes up and profit is made without ever having done a thing.  At the top it is called feeding the animals what you want them to eat, rather that what they really want.

Corporate policies and management practices should not and have never been a democratic process and it is obvious that our current process is not either. How high is DeLuca’s stock and what has she really done.   We need a diverse council that will debate issues, rather than asking permission to agree.  Ask your self where will your children live.  Please don’t eat what you didn’t ask.

There is nothing smart about the current process of our growth plan.  It appears that the word SMART is only an acronym for our current council meaning:

S =     SCAM
M = the MEDIA
A =     AND
R =     RISK
T = the TRUTH


PS: Where is our bridge Ted? ~ R