June 12, 2009
June 12, 2009 | Dialogue
A FOND FAREWELL
Thank you for your fine article about Bob Burleson (“Wild Man,” May 15). Bob was a man of many talents with expertise in numerous unrelated areas. He was truly a Renaissance man whose recall of information and the lyrics of at least 1,000 songs was amazing. A prolific reader, he loved to share his knowledge. In fact, the term “walking encyclopedia” may have been formed to describe Bob.
More than smart, talented and, indeed, wild, he was a kind man. Among his former clients and business associates, his kindness was storied. Though many don’t know it, for more than 25 years he headed a Christian social-work project similar to the Peace Corps in poverty-stricken areas of Mexico—primarily in the rugged outback where he was most at home.
Dave Richards got it right when he said Bob was a hard one to pigeonhole.
He will be deeply missed by many who appreciated him, including me (his wife and canoeing partner for the past 48 years).
Mickey Burleson
Temple
COME AGAIN?
“Reappraising the Governor” (May 29) grossly misstated information concerning Rick Perry and other property owners on the Peninsula in Horseshoe Bay, Texas.
1. Gov. Perry bought the lot from Sen. Fraser in 2001 for the going price to the general public!
2. The developer’s claim that the Peninsula is the most prestigious property in Horseshoe Bay or on Lake LBJ is not correct! Applehead Island is the most prestigious, with gated security and armed guards.
3. Gov. Perry fought for his right to contest property values, the same as all property owners have done and still do! Check other property owners’ appraised tax values on the Peninsula for the same years and see if there is truly anything illegal or underhanded going on! After paying taxes and interest for 6 years he may have doubled his money. Who knew real estate values would skyrocket like they have? It could have gone the other direction just as easy. Big deal!
4. The new sales price for Gov. Perry's old property has been grossly overvalued by the new owner, who is not a U.S. citizen. He bought the lot for less than half the price he is asking!
5. I bought my lot, #8, in 2003 for $579,000. It has increased in value to $1.5 million and is twice the lot that Gov. Perry sold to Wallace Holdings. Lucky me. My taxes have gone up 300 percent since that time. Unlucky me!
Get the facts right before you write articles that are slanted to your liking and the ordinary reader can't or does not know if you are right. When you're right it's great, when you're wrong, you're still right, unless someone proves you wrong. Gotch-U!
Randy Pipkin
President
Peninsula Property Owners’ Association
Horseshoe Bay
The editors reply: Mr. Pipkin alleges misstatements but identifies no errors. The Observer stands by its story.
A FEW GOOD WORDS
Vintage Bode excellence (“El Paso Journal,” May 29).
David Woods
Posted at www.texasobserver.org
Mister Obama, tear down them walls! There’s another way!
The age-old pesky U.S.-Mexico border problem has taxed the resources of both countries, led to long lists of injustices, and appears to be heading only for worse troubles in the future. Guess what? The border problem can never be solved. Why? Because the border IS the problem! It’s time for a paradigm change.
Never fear, a satisfying, comprehensive solution is within reach: the Megamerge Dissolution Solution. Simply dissolve the border along with the failed Mexican government, and megamerge the two countries under U.S. law, with mass free 2-way migration eventually equalizing the development and opportunities permanently, with justice and without racism, and without threatening U.S. sovereignty or basic principles.
For details, click the url, or Google “Megamerge Dissolution Solution”.
Posted by TL Winslow on 06/20/09 at 03:28 PM