Elect Yantis Green

Kudos to the Standard Times reporters for the article on the GOP County Commissioner candidates.  While the coverage was about as fair & balanced as possible, there was some critical information missing.  I know the paper had only so much room to print the article and had to make a decision about what to put in and what to leave out.  The complete questionaires for the three candidates are online at gosanangelo.com under the local news tab. 

Here’s what was left out.  Under basic information, the paper requested our Civic Involvement.  The following is our responses: 

Chad Buie: Past YMCA board of directors, Mentor program – Kids at Risk Blackshear, United Way loaned executive

Yantis Green:  Angelo State University Alumni Association member; former President, Christoval Chamber of Commerce; former board member, San Angelo Schools Foundation; Knights of Columbus member; founding President, Christoval Baptist Church After School Day Care center; Eucharistic Minister, Holy Angels Church; Holy Angels Spring Festival Committee member; San Angelo Pachyderm Club member; former member, Tom Green County Friends of 4H; platelet donor, United Blood Services; former Christoval home football game announcer.

Kenny McCrea:  Worked with the YMCA coaching Gray-Y football for four years; coached girls fast-pitch softball for San Angelo girls fast-pitch softball association and competitive ball for ten years, served on the board of directors of the San Angelo girls fast-pitch association, served as a deacon of my church for a number of years, served as a youth pastor for a couple of years.

Three questions were omitted; 3, 4 and 8. 

3.  Name one county program or department you would like to improve?

4.  What role should the county play in providing health for indigent residents?

8.  What made you decide to want to run for Precinct 4 Commissioner?

Here are our responses to No. 4: 

Buie:  The county should continue its role with the indigent health care issues of Tom Green County.  As with all county services, we should strive to meet the expectation of the taxpayers. 

Green:  According to the Texas Health and Safety Code, Sec. 61.022 (b) The county is the payor of last resort and shall provide (health care assistance) only if other adequate public or private sources of payment are not available.  The county is required to set aside 8% of its annual budget for indigent health care or about $1.9 million dollars.  Tom Green County has upper payment limit (UPL) agreements with Shannon Hospital and San Angelo Community Hospital which allows the county to leverage local tax dollars for federal funding by sending quarterly payments to the State Comptroller’s office.  The Comptroller receives federal funding and returns it to the county under the UPL agreements.  The last reporting period showed that every county tax dollar generated $3.21 in indigent health care provided by the two hospitals under the agreements.  The UPL agreements send 81% of that funding to Shannon and 19% to San Angelo Community based on history of care provided.  The county also spends about $500,000 per year in payments to La Esperanza Clinic and private physicians for indigent health care.  I believe the county’s role should be that of payor of last resort; however, commissioners should continue to work with local health care providers to look for ways to maximize local funding and ensure all indigent patients receive the best care possible while ensuring taxpayers get the maximum return on their tax dollars. 

McCrea:  Tom Green County does a very good job in this area already.  There is a statute that allows up to 8% of the total county budget to go to indigent heatlh care and it is my understanding that our county applys the full 8%.  People who are requesting indigent health care do have to qualify.  It is a much needed program. 

To read the rest of the responses, go to www.gosanangelo.com, click on local news and scroll down to Precinct 4 Commissioner questionaire for each of the candidates. 

The answers to these questions along with the information about Civic involvement is critical to making a decision about which candidate will make the best Tom Green County Commissioner for Precinct 4.

The Candidate Campaign Finance Reports in the San Angelo Standard Times report of February 2, 2010 are wrong. 

The article by new Political reporter Kiah Collier shows our campaign raised an ‘overall total’ of $3,101.01.  That’s just not the case.  We raised $10,755.00 from January 7, 2009 to January 21, 2010. 

The campaign finance reports are public information on the Tom Green County website; www.co.tom-green.tx.us/ips/cms/othercountyoffices/Elections/Campaign_Finance_Reports/.

We followed State Law and filed all three reports on time.  They are as follows: 

January 7, 2009 – June 30, 2009:  $3,270.00

July1, 2009 – December 31, 2009:  $4,785.00

January 1, 2010 – January 21, 2010:  $2,700.00

For an ‘overall total’ of $10,755.00.

We hope the San Angelo Standard Times editors will correct their new reporter’s mistake in print.

The Committee to Elect Yantis Green is hosting the CONSERVATIVE CELEBRATION SUPPER on Thursday evening, February 11, 2010 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Kenny Blanek’s Village Cafe, 2100 W. Beauregard, San Angelo, Texas, and EVERYONE IS INVITED ! 

Yantis Green is the Conservative in the March 2 Republican Primary for Tom Green County Commissioner, Pct. 4. 

The evening will include a great home-cooked meal by Kenny Blanek, a live auction, door prizes, & lots of fun just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The CONSERVATIVE CELEBRATION SUPPER is open to everyone.  Cost is $20.00 per person.  Reservations are not required, but are recommended. 

Please RSVP to (325) 944-3031 or yantis@yantisgreen.com.

We need commissioners who listen, are leaders & team players and can get things done.  Commissioners who put you first.  I’ll be that commissioner for you.  My platform is simple; safe neighborhoods, good roads, low taxes.  For over a year now, we’ve been listening to our friends and neighbors and discussing their ideas about improving County Government.  From taking care of County employees to finding creative ways to fund road & bridge maintenance to keeping the tax rate low, we’ve listened to your ideas and incorporated them into our platform.  I have heard you and I will keep listening to you throughout the campaign and while I serve as your Commissioner.  Tom Green County is a special place.  You’ve chosen to make it your home.  With your help, I’ll work to keep it special and make it even better. 

Running for County Commissioner was not my idea.  About five years ago, Kevin Housley was running for State Representative and asked me to manage his campaign.  Kevin and I were serving on the Christoval ISD school board at the time.  I agreed and he promptly signed both of us up for the Texas Farm Bureau campaign school in Austin.  During that school, Kevin decided I had the right experience and background and suggested I run for County Commissioner.  We discussed the idea with family and friends and the idea stuck.  Sheryl & I waited until the kids were grown and on their own and decided this was the right time.  The rest is history. 

I’m excited about the campaign, the team, and the opportunity to serve the people of Tom Green County again.  Thanks so much for your support and encouragement.  We’ll see you on the campaign trail!

I’m so excited that the first day of filing is finally here!  Seven months ago, I announced my candidacy for County Commissioner, Precinct 4 in the March 2nd, 2010 Republican Party primary in Tom Green County.  On Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 8:00 am, I was the first candidate to file for a place on the primary ballot.  My team is ready.  I’m ready.  We can’t hardly wait to walk our neighborhoods and talk to our friends and neighbors about the issues facing the County in the coming years.  While we’ll be looking for support, we’ll also be asking questions about what our friends and neighbors want from their county commissioners and developing plans to address those issues.  This is going to be fun!

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Susan Combs visited San Angelo to announce her bid for Re-election.

Susan Combs is a native West Texan from Marathon.  She served in the Texas House of Representatives and also was elected Texas Commissioner of Agriculture before becoming Comptroller.  She has visited San Angelo and Tom Green County many times and is a very Conservative Republican.

Yantis Green is running for Tom Green County Commissioner, Precinct 4 in the March 2, 2010 Republican Primary.

Yantis Green will officially file for Precinct four Tom Green County Commissioner in the March 2, 2010 Republican Party Primary on the first day of filing, December 3, 2009 at 8:00 am. Green will file with Tom Green County Republican Party Chairman Russ Duerstine at GOP headquarters, 1201 S. Abe St. in San Angelo. The filing window for the March primary runs from December 3, 2009 to January 3, 2010. Everyone is invited to attend the filing and news conference. Yantis’ platform is simple; safe neighborhoods, good roads, low taxes. Yantis says, “We need Commissioners who listen, are leaders & team players and can get things done; Commissioners who put you first. I’ll be that Commissioner for you.”

 

Our elected representatives in Austin completed their 140 day – biennial task in June resulting in 11 questions before Texas voters.  You and I will choose  November third which of the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution become law.  I commend San Angelo Representative Drew Darby and Senator Robert Duncan on their hard work during the session and the pivotal rolls they played in these proposals. 

Here’s how I will vote on the proposed amendments: 

No. 1:  Allows cities and counties to use tax dollars to protect & promote the mission of military installations. 

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment because it is good for Tom Green County, San Angelo, and the US military.

No. 2:  Protects the value a residential homestead instead of allowing your home to be appraised on the “highest and best use.”  This is a private property protection.

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment because it is good for home owners, agriculture, and Tom Green County.

No. 3:  Provides for uniform standards and procedures for appraising property for tax purposes. 

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment because it evens the playing field from West Texas to the I35 Corridor to East Texas.  This measure should provide for equal treatment for all properties in Texas.

No. 4:  Establishes the framework for a national research university fund that promotes the expansion of the number of State funded research universities in Texas to compete nationally and globally. 

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment because it allows Texas Tech and Angelo State University to expand educational and research opportunities, attract great students, and compete nationally at a higher level.

No. 5:  Allows adjoining property tax appraisal districts to consolidate appraisal and review services. 

I will vote to APPROVE this measure because it could save taxpayer dollars and provide better service for rural Texas.

No. 6:  Allows the Veteran’s Land Board to maximize funding for mortgages to Texas veterans. 

I will vote APPROVE this amendment.

No. 7:  Allows Texans serving in the military or the State Guard to serve in a civil office.

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment.

No. 8:  Authorizes state funding for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of veterans hospitals in Texas.

VOTE YES

No. 9:  Protects public access to Texas beaches but puts and unfair burden on landowners whose homes are now located on those beaches.  We can do better. 

I will  vote AGAINST this amendment.

No. 10:  Allows for emergency services districts board members to serve four year terms.  This is a major confirmation of local control in Texas.

I will vote to APPROVE this amendment.

No. 11:  Restricts the legislature’s ability to grant the powers of eminent domain by cities, counties, and other political subdivisions.  

I will vote to APPROVE this proposal.

Like most Americans who have health insurance, I’m very happy with the coverage  my family & I have and I really like the doctors, nurses and staff I deal with, but I’m frustrated at  the overall cost, the bureaucracy and the extensive measures taken to avoid lawsuits.  And I know that those of us who do pay for health insurance pay for the health care of those who don’t, and glady so.

The last thing the healthcare industry needs is an injection of federal oversight.  The solutions include tort reform, private competition, eliminating pre-existing condition restrictions, interstate competition, preventative medicine, personal responsibility and keeping the government as far away from health care as possible.

It sickens me to tune into cable TV and see never-ending ads from ambulance chasing lawyers and law firms eager to sue entities and companies over everything from second hand smoke to asbestos manufacturers to medical device companies, etc.

Like most issues, the leadership in Washington, D.C. has this wrong, but there are a number of private options that work for the uninsured, now.  No American who needs treatment of any kind will be turned away at the emergency room.

This country doesn’t need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to take over the health insurance industry.  Instead, the federal government should get out of our pocketbooks, off our backs, find a way to reign in bogus threats from questionable law firms and reduce the threat of malpractice lawsuits against doctors and let the private sector do what it has always done; make the country better by focusing on what individuals need and want by doing what is right.

9/11/2001 changed my life forever. 

The following is my personal recollection of the events of that day, and the effect it had on my family and my life. 

Like many Americans, I was at work, going about business as usual.  I probably knew about the attacks before most; you see, I was a news director at the time.  I had just finished the morning newscasts for KGKL & KELI radio stations.  We had a small tv in the newsroom.  Like all newsrooms, we had the tv to check on our competition; to make sure we had the news first and to check our facts and see how our peers were reporting on the same stories. 

That day was very different.  We were watching the CBS morning news.  They showed video of the first tower smoldering after the first plane hit.  We watched live as the second plane hit the South Tower.  At that point, we knew we were under attack and at war.  The rest of the day was a blur of tv, phone calls, questions, and few answers.  We heard the reports of the hit on the Pentagon, and the plane down in Virginia.  I remember reading that all planes were grounded as we waited to see what was going to be hit next. 

It took hours for the management team to suspend regular programming and go live with the ABC News national feed.  We were glued to the tv, and numb to what was happening. 

We were worried about our President, George W. Bush of Texas, who just a few short months ago was our governor. Where he was, and was he safe? What about the Congress?  Who did this to us? Who had the nerve to attack the greatest nation on earth, the only remaining superpower on her own soil?  The answer came swiftly, Islamic terrorists from the middle east who had attempted to take down the World Trade Center Towers back in 1993.  Al Qaida, Usama Ben Laden. 

I remember hearing for the first time, on that day, we were all New Yorkers, we were all Americans. 

The terrorists didn’t attack just Republicans or New Yorkers or the U.S. Government or even the U.S. Military; they attacked all of us, Americans and our way of life, our freedoms, our Democracy, our Constitution, our successes, everything good we stood for then and now. 

It was that day and the days that followed that led to my decision to leave the field of journalism.  I could no longer stand on the sidelines and be objective.  I was an American, I was a Texan, I had been attacked and I was mad enough to want to fight.   I thought about joining the military, but I was too old.  I donated blood, I was already involved in politics as an elected official (school board trustee) so I concentrated my efforts there. 

Eventually I left the media so I could concentrate on being involved in local, state and national government.  I worked on political campaigns, I wrote letters to the editor, I managed campaigns, I was elected to the Republican Party of Texas Convention as a delegate, and eventually, to the Republican National Convention as a delegate representing the 11th Congressional District of Texas.  An honor I still enjoy today. 

As 9/11 affected me, it also affected my family.  Our oldest son joined the U.S. Marine Corps as soon as we let him.  He recently re-enlisted after serving two tours in the middle east.  I couldn’t be more proud of his service and the Marine Corps family that adopted us.  My son’s service has brought us into the Marine Corps family and allowed us the priviledge of bonding with a family we never would have know otherwise.     

I know that 9/11 changed the lives of all Americans forever.  I know that many families sacrificed much more than mine.  But on this day, I’m proud to say I am a New Yorker, I am an American, and I am a Texan.  And any attack on any part of my country is an attack on me.  Like all Americans, I will stand united with my fellow citizens against all the powers of tyranny.  We are as determined to defend Freedom, Democracy, and the American way as they are to destroy it. 

May God bless every family who lost loved ones on that day and every family who has lost someone since then in defense of us. 

Let us be ever vigilant; let us resolve to be more involved in our government and the defense of our freedoms and the perpetuation of the American Dream. 

Semper Fi.