Gestapo government?

Editor:

Regarding Nick Davies’ Dec. 6 “Letter to the Editor:”

I agree 100 percent with Mr. Davies. We are not living in Gestapo Germany in the 1940s and Texas does not have a dictator government system.

The Live Oak City Council hired and voted on the city manager’s employment. I’m sure he must report and answer to the council for any negative actions he is accused of.

Is this the same person that was the city’s assistant city manager for years and refused to apply for the city manager’s job when it opened previously? Is he now on a vendetta? Why did he bring his attorney along ? Should we dissolve the council? Should we ask the state of Texas or Texas Rangers to investigate his actions?

An open government means just that. City managers are not the law and order of government, nor are they allowed a free hand to set up their own private Gestapo government.

Maybe he’s cleaning house of past corruption and maybe he’s not. We as taxpayers are part of this process, not bystanders. If you pay taxes and vote, speak up and demand an open government in Live Oak.

Kent C. Martin
Live Oak resident

Applause for council

Editor:

From recent newspaper articles, the Live Oak City Council has not changed much. We changed a few faces but their antics remain.

The council recently voted 4-1 to not go public with a debate over the merits of a letter submitted by ex-Finance Director Larry Homan to this council.

The only problem with this vote was that Mayor Henry Edwards did not want to accept the majority rule and still insists on open session over this matter. What is the matter, mayor? What part of this parliamentary procedure don’t you understand?

A follow-up letter in the Herald states that we are in a one-man rule form of government as the current city manager is trying to do his job. If we hire a person to perform a duty, is it logical that we allow him to do so? This might be a deviation of past Live Oak actions when the City Council was deeply immerse in personnel management. Were they elected to do so? Aren’t personnel issues — hiring and firing — the responsibility of the city manager?

Why doesn’t the City Council allow the correct procedures to be followed? Could it be that the mayor does not want to lose control of all his previously perceived power? Thank you, City Council majority, for standing up for your elected rights and not allowing a despot to preach what you can or cannot do. We here in Live Oak applaud your courage.

L.J. Diaz Jr.
Live Oak resident

No excuse for torture

Editor:

It is my understanding that the U.S. House of Representa-tives will be voting on an important issue involving interrogation techniques of POW and internees.

Having served 31 year is the military, one of my chief concerns was, if I ever ended up a POW, how I would survive possible torture. This seemed to be of more concern to not only me, but many of my fighter-pilot friends, than actually being killed in combat.

If we, as Americans, condone torture at any level, this makes us as evil as our enemy. It purges the good name of our country on an international scale.

There is absolutely no excuse for torture. Only cowards stoop to this type of interrogation. How Congress has allowed this to continue and why this should even be an item requiring a vote is beyond my wildest imagination.

I’m disgusted.

Col. Colin Chauret, USAF retired
Universal City resident