Letter to the Editor

DAYTON, March 25, 2010 - This letter does not serve as an endorsement and is not politically motivated, it is written by a man, who has lived in Liberty County seventeen years and has never missed an election on any issue that I could vote on. This year was the first time in a primary election voted Republican, why, the Democratic Primary was really one vote for Morrison or Fitzgerald and my humble opinion, and they were both cheats. Morrison voted in the Houston Mayoral race in Oct/2009. So, he could not vote in Harris County and live in Liberty County, he cheated, but won the election. Phil Fitzgerald looked the camera in the eye and said he did what they accused him of, since this is the country, not the big city. Shortly there after I wrote him a letter asking that he step down, but he keep going, with the FBI circling the wagons around the courthouse.
In the Republican Primary, I really only knew two candidates, Steve Stevens and Jay Knight. I knew Steve very on the surface and supported him in his first election as Mayor of Dayton; it was time for a change. On the other hand, I first met Jay Knight in 1977 at the Walls Unit of the Texas Prison System, I met Jay's Daddy and we became friends, he was a very polite man, but carried himself with authority and character. So, stopped by Jay's House one day and had a reunion and talked about the County Judge race in detail. So, I knew very little about Craig McNair, but had not heard a bad thing about him and even Jay liked him as even an opponent.

So, Jay lost and no crying over spilled milk and life went on for him, then I heard that the President/CEO of Global Tubing had given him a $1000 donation along with another $1000 donation from a Liberty Attorney. So, marched to the courthouse and got Steve's campaign donation list, which he filed after the election.

Steve called me one day and wanted to meet for coffee and a talk, at 8 am the next morning we did just that at the Burger King in Dayton. He had some things to say to me. I then ask him about the donation from the President/CEO of Global tubing that the city has already given $350,000 and they will receive a total of $750,000 if they make the contracted progress, which they did not meet the last time, but met one and not the other but exceed another, so was called a draw and $100,000 was given to them. Understand one thing perfectly clear the DCDC can do all kind of things and authorize grants, but the City Council has the final say, yes/no to all the actions of the DCDC Board and Mr. Potter, who serves as the man, who is responsible, but serves as the pleasure of the City Council.

Steve, told me the donation was legal and I agreed, and said it was ethical and moral, to those two, I told him we disagree and I would not have taken the money. We shook hand after 140 minutes and went our own way.

So, the DCDC board met on 3/10/10 and heard a proposal that had not been fleshed out, to build a hotel/motel and eatery on Dayton Hill, which the man had purchased not to long ago. When he returned, he had kind of said he was looking for $300,000 from the city coffers of sales tax, which has went down. On, 3/15/10, in the Dayton News filed a story on the DCDC meeting and in the last two paragraphs, then the light shined for me, the man asking to build on Dayton Hill and wanted $300,000 to do so was a Jeff Burnett a Liberty Attorney, the same Jeffery Burnett that made one of the two $1000 donations to Steve Stevens campaign, now it is legal by man's law, but it is hard to say it passes the smell test on ethics and morals, in my books and even more Liberty County citizens. It is odd that before March 2, 2010, he made the donation, eight days before he appeared before the DCDC. I have talked to Mr. McNair and some of his friends so on April 13th, I have no choice again, but do have one man, that no skeletons have fell from his closet and this is 2nd run for County Judge. So, I know how I will cast my vote and it will never be by a cheat, no matter their race, creed, color or gender. When we learn you elect a man, who is cheating or sitting in the Church House ever Sunday, that justifies his two, not one $1000 donations, the first does not stink for me as much as the second does, that wants money from the City of Dayton. You have to choose, but I will try to make the right choice on April 13, 2010. If it does come down in Nov/2010 to Steve Stephens or Kenneth Morrison, I will pass it by and not vote, wasn't Jesus hung on the cross between two thieves....

Respectfully,

Murrie Gene Kinney, Jr., Dayton, TX

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