May 8, 2011

I am posting the following email strain from an old post on Radio Free Katy, one of two Katy Watchdog$ web sites from 2006.  Since Steve Reichardt, (a member of the Katy Economic Development Council and former KISD principal)  in a blog post yesterday on Instant News Katy suggested that Ann Hodge, Katy Chamber of Commerce president, "turned herself in to the Texas Ethics Commission, I felt further information was necessary.  When I got through laughing about Mr. Reichardt's suggestion, I posted to the blog, the copy of the Houston Chronicle article that showed that Ms. Hodge didn't turn herself in, but was in fact, reported to the TEC by a Katy Watchdog member.  http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/katy/news/4814570.html

As when the Watchdog$ reported Joe Adams to the Texas Ethics Commission for his violations, A. D. Muller sent emails to Ms. Hodge, suggesting that the paperwork in her filings was not correct.  As with Mr. Adams, Ms. Hodge replied saying that there was nothing wrong with her paperwork.  So a complaint was filed, and as with Mr. Adams, she was also wrong and had to pay a fine--Mr. Adams paid $500 and Ms. Hodge paid $1,000.  Those are pretty stiff fines for a TEC violation.

Confronting Katy Partners for Progress

The official on-line publication of

Katy Citizen Watchdog$

We’re Taxpayers. It’s Our Money.

RADIO FREE KATY

Editor's Note: The below is an email string started by Watchdog member AD Muller to Ann Hodge, President/CEO of the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce and Treasure of the Political Action Committee, KPfP. Ms. Hodge's reply to Muller's questions spurned a flurry of email traffic from Peggy Venable, Director of the Texas Chapter of American's for Prosperity, and Chris Cottrell, Co-Founder of Katy Citizen Watchdog$. These emails are presented as they were written in the usual email style of misspelled words and questionable grammar. This is a very long read. 

E-Mail From A.D. Muller To Ann Hodge – 10-18-06

Ann, if I am wrong in any of these statements I will apologizes.  You can call me anytime.  If I am wrong, I will pull our spots.  The following may show up on a political piece.  You have made yourself part of the political equation.  Let me know tomorrow if the following is wrong.  Your radio and potential TV spots have your fingerprints.

AD

  ANN   Why use your name and address? Why be treasurer.  Why be blatant and get the Katy Chamber involved.   Why take such big funds from Developers?  Why be on a bond committee that members profit from bond passing? Why be on bond review that over-sees bond money with vendors who profit?  

There was a chance the public would have  believed that bond fund overages (money not spent) would be put to proper use. What were you thinking?  The over-sight committee will now lose all credibility.

  KISD has been in the headlines many times in the last year.  This district is riddled by scandals.  Electioneering, technology scandals, Texas Ranger investigations, zero tolerance of students while promoting administrators. Over inflated bonds, sex perverts, open records violations, Taj Mahal's, teacher firings, defibrillators locked up, lack of safety, KISD not shooting straight with press, not allowing religious expression, on and on.  

When we disagreed on the last bond, I immediately asked for a meeting with Stanley and other Chamber leaders.  Now I know why my requests were ignored. Is the money more important than children? Our door is open.

A.D. Muller 

(E-Mail From Ann Hodge To A.D. Muller – 10-18-06)

A.D., 

First, please feel free to run any spots you see fit to do so [sic].  To respond to your inquiry, I would say “why not”!  I am absolutely confident that everything I have done is beyond reproach!  I have never lied or deceived anyone.  I am proud to serve as the Treasurer of the General Purpose Committee established to assist the passage of the KISD Bond.  Frankly, I encourage you to bring this into the public arena and let’s see who has the strongest credibility.  Do developers have a vested interest in the schools in their developments…you bet!  Surely you are not making an argument that any business in Katy should not contribute to the bond issue because you may be able to demonstrate that they have a vested interest?  Who better to contribute then the businesses who understand what is at stake?  What contracts will the developers get from the school district???  What is so difficult to understand about that?  Isn’t it your group who continues to challenge the developers for not doing enough?  From my standpoint it seems like they may be stepping up to do the right thing.  I doubt you see it that way! 

Please be aware that I welcome the opportunity to contrast the difference between local businesses supporting the KISD Bond Election and the Americans for Prosperity pumping money into an issue based upon the beliefs of the Koch Brothers.  Is this the debate you desire?  If so, bring it on A.D.  Be prepared!  From the people I’ve talked with, they don’t appreciate having AFP money pumped into our community. 

Reasonable people are expected to disagree.  To try to somehow or another paint me into a corner because I have agreed to serve as the Treasurer of a General Purpose Committee in support of the KISD Bond election is absurd.  Nonetheless, if you see fit to include me or attack me in any of your pieces or advertisements, I will respond and the community will judge who has demonstrated the strongest commitment to this community for the last 10 years!  You very well may have a specific political base and I do not take anything away from you on that, but I feel it’s fair to say that there are members of this community who will not view attacks on the Chamber or me personally as something they will let go. 

In closing, let me be perfectly clear, that I proudly serve as the Treasurer for Partners for Progress and have complied with all the laws required to maintain this entity.  I care passionately about this community and the children in our community.  Your group thus far has done nothing to demonstrate a willingness to even propose a plan to address the needs of this community.  It is so easy to attack people for stepping up and doing something.  It is far more difficult to sit through the Bond Committee Meetings and develop consensus on issues that several of us disagreed with.  We found a way to develop that consensus [See Delphi Technique elsewhere on this web site!] and propose a package we could all be proud of!  Is anything perfect, well of course not, but give me the process with 90 committee people from all over the district in open meetings with your Watchdogs in the audience observing every inch of the process!  Furthermore, hats off to KISD for not taking the extra tax money they could have!  Haven’t heard a word from your group about that.  [Actually the District DID take the extra tax rate increase--they just didn't advertise that they did MM]  Just doesn’t make a good sound bite does it?  Credibility counts!

A.D., there are plans in the bond package for many things our schools need.  I am proud to publicly support this package and work to encourage our community to support it.  I recognize you are on the other side and I respect that.  I have never attacked you and I won’t start now.  I urge you to keep this debate on the issues, but I understand that may fall on deaf ears.

Ann

Ann F. Hodge

President/CEO 

Katy Area Chamber of Commerce

2501 S. Mason Road, Suite 230

Katy, TX 77450 

281-828-1100

281-828-1150 (Fax)

ann@katychamber.com

www.katychamber.com