Bexar County Commissioner's Sell out Southeast Side Community?

While this news is not completely new, it has taken time to research some of the comments made by Ms. Mendelsohn in an interview with the media.

County Commissioner's, lead by Chico Rodriguez of Precinct One have helped Ms. Mendelsohn and the ESD6 board continue to push for a "loan" of nearly 4 Million dollars to cover the cost of building the new Community Center in the Thelma Area which will be run by Ms. Mendlesohn's organization, The Thelma Area Neighborhood Association. The Commissioner's by allowing this process to move forward, have put the community of Southseast Bexar County in financial debt for approximately the next 40 years.

Recent acquired documentation shows that the new ESD6 Fire & Rescue department that Ms. Mendelsohn and her board, Joe Hearn, Luisa Vargas, John Wood and Norberto Chavez have pushed for will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the community can afford to pay, not to mention the maintenance costs will exceed more than half of what the county takes in on tax revenue today.

Sadly, the community members who began the fight to stop this atrocity from occurring were met with road blocks from the media and political assistance and the project has been allowed to move forward, however, it was amazing to see the dramatic media coverage to announce the funding and the "need" for this project. While the media covered it beautifully, the fact remains that this building is still a community center at best due to the fact that it is not on the evacuation route during a disaster and to justify millions on a building that holds approximately 500 people because Kelly AFB is no longer being used as a shelter is ridiculous at best. This building cannot accommodate even an eight of what the buildings at Kelly AFB can.

Ms. Mendelsohn basically called the community members ignorant and whiners, as when the water issue took place. Looking up the information on the water issue, it was also a project of Ms. Mendlesohn's and Mr. Jimmie Lopez (co founders of Thelma Area Neighborhood Association). Mr. Jimmie Lopez then was affiliated with BexarMet Water District.

While Ms. Mendelsohn alluded to the fact that the people of the Southeast Bexar County area don't know what is right for them, it is clear that Ms. Mendelsohn doesn't either. Research shows that at that time, the Commissioner's Court, without Mr. Rodriguez on board, functioned within the moral and legal guidelines. The community members rallied together and pushed for an election, which was granted. The election was lost by a very small number and the S.A.W.S water treatment center was built in the Sandy Oaks Volunteer Fire Department area. Since then, this fire department has made several calls to that facility. The members of the community have continually had problems with their wells and their "clean" water.

Ms. Mendelsohn and the ESD6 board may have succeeded in their venture, but only at the cost of those members of the community. Members of the community did not vote on this venture; even though it is their tax dollars and those of their children and possibly grandchildren that will pay for it.

The community members of Southeast Bexar County must be diligent when it comes to funding ESD6. Community members are paying taxes for ESD6 on their property taxes and if they use a waste company like, Waste Management, they are paying more tax to ESD's. This is double dipping and something worth looking into.

The Southeast Bexar County community has no real representation.