THE WOODLANDS, Nov. 20, 2015
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Anyone who cares about this community recognizes that some reporters only skim the surface of what’s actually happening here with our political situation. John McMullan said it best when he told a reporter: “I think it’s disappointing that four members of the board chose to defy the clear message sent by voters on Election Day.” That is not an “opinion.” That is an unreported fact supported completely by vote counts. 19,265 votes (56%) were cast for “Residents’ Advocates,” while the establishment candidates received only 15,169 (44%) votes. So, that is a clear majority – by a whopping 12% – which does not justify the votes of Ed Robb, Mike Bass, Jeff Long, and Ann Snyder for Township Chairman. This was not a “peace-keeping compromise,” it was stealing an election from the residents.
Even our hard-working “Tea Parties” are often positioned as weird outsiders in news stories. Since when is it a negative for citizens of a community to lobby for their principles and to demand adherence to conservative values? Why are candidates they endorse always referred to as “Tea Party-backed?” Where is the descriptor for Robb, Bass, and Snyder as the “Woodlands Elite” or “Establishment-backed” candidates?
The Township election of officers was clearly an attempt to put Gordy Bunch, who many of us now call, “The People’s Chairman,” and other directors in positions where they can’t exercise any true power on behalf of supporters – all of whom are residents. That ploy will not work. Gordy, John McMullan, and Laura Fillault will stand up for resident interests at every turn.
The true heart of The Woodlands beats in the hearts of the residents. Too many media stories are one-sided and slanted so that we, the residents and our real representatives, look like radicals bucking the system. We ARE the system that made and keeps The Woodlands as one of America’s greatest master-planned communities. It is our families, friends, manicured homes, volunteerism, faith, and willingness to fight for our quality of life that makes The Woodlands and America great. Please share this truism with your readers, now and in the future.
Paul Lazzaro
The Woodlands
