Mayor John Harper vs The World — Part VI

Mayor John Harper vs The World — Part VI

To preface this post let me refresh my readers with Mayor John Harper’s own words:

“I am not a politician, I happen to be a Chief Financial Officer. I have been an executive for almost 30 years. I don’t know these games that they play. I’m not sure I’ll finish my term for you because I’m tired of these games. I’m leaving money on the table instead of working full time for Cooper so that I can be in my city, with my colleagues, my community and I’m finding it’s a horrible situation…If you don’t want me to be your Mayor, just let me know. Trust me, Cooper wants me to work full time instead of the part time I’m doing now.”

Now, let me share an email that was sent TO the Mayor and Rowlett City Council by a concerned citizen, and shared here with the FULL PERMISSION of it’s author, with his personal information removed. The listed emails are the PUBLIC contact emails for our Mayor and the Rowlett City Council:

From: Don Moore
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 5:40 AM

To: ‘[email protected]’

Cc: ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’  ‘[email protected]’

Subject: Re: A Message from a CONCERNED Citizen and the Taxpayers of Rowlett

Mayor Harper, City Council Members, and City Manager’s;

Mayor, I am deeply compelled to send this message to you on behalf of concerned citizens and taxpayers whom reside here in the City of Rowlett and call it there home. These are my friends and family and this is MY community. I am sincere in this message of concern with this recent discourse that seems to have elevated between yourself, the city council, and that of the city manager, one of the finest city manager’s Rowlett Texas has ever experienced in my tenure as a resident here in this city some 14 + years, and possibly the best City Manager Rowlett has ever had the opportunity to have served the citizens in this community.

Having attended the Rowlett Tea Party meeting in person that was held on Saturday at the Rowlett Public Library, and being intimately familiar with the City of Rowlett’s budget now for many, many years, and now having followed the dialogue that subsequently has ensued between your comments at the meeting, the various newspaper articles that have since been published, and that of various inputs on Go Rowlett Forum, and other Blogs and internet social networks, it has come time for me to weigh in and voice my collective thoughts.

They are as follows:

Your behavior is JEPORADIZING the ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT of Rowlett Texas at a most CRITICAL, CRITICAL, time in Rowlett’s evolution to a Commercial Tax Base, that of the PGBT being the ECONOMIC ENGINE you speak of that will propel development and sustainable growth, that would relieve so much of the financial hardship burdened by the residential sector of the taxpayers here in Rowlett. How could you take this to Channel 8 news publicly and distort and deceive the truth to the public. How is that promoting our city and leading? I am so embarrassed for you, having supported you for these last years as my Mayor!

Your RECENT ACTIONS and STATEMENTS have become DETRIMENTAL to our CITY of Rowlett, Texas, and now threaten that which you have supported as the Economic Development Engine to drive Rowlett Texas growth.

In example, I would have never believed what was said by yourself at the Rowlett Tea Party meeting on one of your slides you presented, had I not been there to see and hear it for myself in person, uttered from your voice in your very words. One of your bullet points identified spending for new office furniture, carpet and fixtures by the City Manager, as frivolous, all the while, as you stated, services were being reduced and employee’s let go. Your question, to the audience, was, I do not understand, what’s going on? In investigating that point, I have come to learn, very easily, I might add, that the funds expended for this furniture, was DRUG SEIZURE FUND DOLLARS, and not a single taxpayer dollar was incurred in these purchases to your bullet point on the slide you presented. I did not find it difficult to find this information out, however, as I simply asked the question to City Management.

You intently MISREPRESENTED, with FALSEHOOD, this point, knowing yourself, fully, what was done and exactly where the money was appropriated from on those items. This furniture and carpeting was placed in the Rowlett Police department dispatch area and CID areas and was not in any way a financial impact to the city’s general fund taxpayers provide tax dollars for. You have blatantly lied to those you serve and Misrepresented the FACTS in DECEPTION, all the while stating to the audience in attendance, “I don’t know these games that they play”, all the while engaging disingenuously in games yourself.

Moreover, not just this example, but in many of your slides, I noticed that only one side of the STORY was being told, that of your point of view, DECEPTIVELY misleading those in attendance as to other factors that had equal implications in the financial planning and management of not only staffing concerns, TMRS retirement plans, and all the other points to SUSTAINABILITY you seem to somehow, now, call into question.

As a financial management person in the private sector, having to be fair and balanced to both sides of any financial decision making in Corporate America for many years now, your honor and integrity was at stake here, and you have chosen to take the path of dissension and discord to impose your way, at the expense of the entire city, the city council members that serve the citizens, and the city management. The majority has spoken, 6-1 in many cases to which you refer, and that is the absolute decision once the votes are taken on behalf of citizenry, and taxpayers. That’s the democratic process of 7 elected members.

You stated to those citizens in attendance, as well as those from other cities whom are not taxpayers living in the city of Rowlett, If you care about your City you’ll sit down and have proper dialog! Mayor Harper, I truly care about this city, and I am completely confident in the dialogue of feedback I am giving you now in this message. I am not sitting down, and I support my city council and city management.

Up and until now, Mayor, I have always supported you as my Mayor. You have let me and that of others down, and I am truly disappointed in your actions and statements.

I must tell you now, without any reservations, I CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION YOU HAVE CALLED FOR FROM CITIZENS:

“If you don’t want me to be your Mayor, just let me know?” MAYOR, ITS TIME TO RESIGN and STEP DOWN FROM OFFICE! I no longer wish you to serve me as my Mayor.

Please, return now to the private sector and accept that “Money your leaving on the table” at Cooper Institute to serve as our Mayor, as you so eloquently pointed out at the Rowlett Tea Party meeting. Your service to this citizenry is no longer needed and your bringing harm to this community in the stance you have taken against the City Council and City Manager.

With all due respect, please return our community to our City Leadership that chooses to lead without hesitation, in serving the taxpayers and citizenry of this community.

Sincerely, Don Moore (A CONCERNED CITIZEN)

Don Moore
Rowlett, Texas 75088

This, Mr. Mayor, is one of my sources in the city of Rowlett, ie: city sources, a person that lives, pays taxes and VOTES in the city of Rowlett.

Regarding the money spent for furniture in some City offices, those funds came from DRUG BUSTS? How Sir, does that money fit into your equation on City expenses?

Hizzoner is getting hammered from all sides.

Mayor John Harper, YOU said, “If you don’t want me to be your Mayor, just let me know.”

Mr. Mayor, we are letting you know, RESIGN NOW!