Jeffersonians,
Many of you have been duly concerned about the lack of leadership and discuss with our Officials, especially Councilwoman Ivy Taylor! I get that, and rightfully so, you know that is unexceptable and I applaude you for your confidence in me as your leader, who have reached out to the Councilwoman Taylor, but she continue to believe that an iron fist governance and ignoring the Constituents of District 2 is her way of getting things she want done!
I, disagree and therefore, I disagree with the Promise Neighborhood and CHOICE Grants and their enforcement of our Jefferson Heights Association boundaries, as they continue to "use" our resource to accomplish their goals of Public Housing at the expense of homeowners and taxpayers of Jefferson Heights, Dunbar Place, and Houston Heights comprising Jefferson Heights Neighborhood Association.
We have made our objection known to the Federal Government by filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education and HUD on both programs, and our opposition that they have excluded Jefferson Heights Association voices, but have applied for funds by use of our boundaries and this is in defiance of our Jefferson Heights Association By-Laws, etc. and we rightfully maintain our opposition, whereas there is no Public Housing within the boundaries of Jefferson Heights Association.
And, we continue to hold our opposition to the building of UIW Eye Clinic, because their statement to City of San Antonio City Council is that they did not have to meet with either the Jefferson Heights Association and the Jefferson Heights Association community where their UIW building sit. University of Incarnate Word received approximately $1.5M in a TIF (TIRZ) and $1.5M CDBG 108 (Reprograming funding by Councilwoman Ivy Taylor) for the exclusion of certain citizens stakeholder input by Jefferson Heights community. Jefferson Heights Association contends that this clinic was build for business, above meeting the needs of this community, therefore setting sight on future foothold growth for their brick and morta and not for our children who are at 125 FGL or below. Many of these "poor" kids and their families either have no insurances or on Medicare, and simply cannot afford UIW Eye Clinic offering, and UIW Eye Clinic does not except the make-up of our Jefferson Heights Association community and the surrounding community!
The next logical question, will UIW Eye Clinic service our Senior market, and my immediate answer is "NO!" Many of our Senior require critical care, because of Cataracts and Glaucoma, etc. and University of Incarnate Word, never intended on meeting the need(s) of our Jefferson Heights Association community and citizenry.
During our City of San Antonio Bond 2012, Jefferson Heights Association applied for dollars for both parks, being Dawson (Lindberg) Park & Community Center approx. $350,000.00 and Lincoln Park approx. $500,00.00 for improvements and a lack of Bond benefits. We were able to secure only $200,00.00 for Lincoln Park for walkable space. In addition, the Bond allocated $8.5M for street infrastructure on E. Commerce Street (N. Rio Grande to I-10) and will post later that commencement date.
Our 2008 Bond for reconstruction of E. Houston Street and Houston Street Bridge have commenced and scheduled for completion Spring 2015. This project is 2 years behind schedule, in part because of the SA Spurs and activities at the AT&T Center. This project comes in at approx. $16M, with joint efforts with Bexar County, COSA, TexDot, MPO etc. and Jefferson Heights Association and community have been involved in this same project since approx. 2005. So, it's taken 8+ years and more!
Our work on our Carver Library begun with an approval of CDBG funds allocated by Councilman Joel Williams, when he and City Council approved approx. $200,00.00+ for lighting, drainage and the ingress & egress of the liabrary. Whereas, Councilwoman Taylor expanded by the destruction of the Historic Ritz Motel and expanding the Parking and Second Baptist Church build a community complex and enhanced the aesthetics adjacent and spending greater than $4M for it's center complex.
The Arts & Entertainment zoning and planning posed a problem for past City Councilwoman Sheila McNeil, and therefore she and attorney outreached to Jefferson Heights Association to clear the path for Light Industrial for the development and future development you are seeing and will soon see along E. Commerce Street and Coca-Cola Blvd. The expansion of the Eagle Ford Shall have for reached into our community with too, support of the expansive effort of the Eagle Ford requirements.
We will continue to solicite and follow both VIA Metro and MPO for funding of a meaningful transportation benefiting the East Quadrant of San Antonio and out to 1604 and Ackerman areas of the city and county with a more meaningful opportunity for the East side with a true Eastside Multi-Modal, and taking advantage of I30 (130) off I-10 East and East of Sequin, Texas and Heavy Rail attributing to our Eastern areas of this city. VIA is proposing it's version of Street Car (Rail) costing $270M, but needs to make up for short-fall of $70M of COSA, County, State, Federal, etc. funds to implement their Street Car proposed 2020 future.
We are still eating from the hanging low fruit of the Reconstruction of Hemisfair Project, a $500M+ proposal project. We are insisting that they do not create, what we deem as another barriers for East San Antonio, by building garages at Chaesar Chavez Blvd. (Durango) and along that eastern corridor and effecting the Joe Webb Bridge, etc. and disenfranchising our East side Latino Community with a Mercado instead of a Sun Harvest, etc. It is important that we continue to monitor those barriers we continue to view as the city, blankets itself from the taxpayers of East San Antonio.
Our efforts of expansion of our conservation and water conservation with involvement in both suing CPS Energy and PGA Agreement and referendum proved successful and moving forward as both utilities will begin talks soon, whereas CPS Energy have 3,000 acre feet of water, and only uses 1 acre feet. We are excited with all the LED lighting around the city and UTSA degree programming, etc., all due to the efforts and support of the Jefferson Heights Association, and I as your respected leader!
So, while we have continued to face opposition from many, we have shown a yoaman's tenacity in dealing with our obstacles and lack, but with God we are overcomers, as Jesus have already overcome the world!
Recome your thoughts, and prayers for what's to come in our Jefferson Heights Assocaition and Jefferson Heights community.
