Bet he got a kick out of being oh, so Big Man mean to me over and over again. You know he did. I know he’s mad, I hope he’s mad. I was mad and powerless, he took advantage of that and loved it. My dead friend, Lillie Hefele, and this, the Big Ranger Jake Burson with that decision in his vast power. Welcome to Harry Storm remembering how it all felt and hoping you enjoy today. Humiliating them is all we have, remember that. ALL.
What kind of Sheriff’s department, or, hell law enforcement in general, do you want?
Do you want to have to “make nice” to get “them” to “take” your case, even a murder? How far will you go to suck up to THEM to do the right thing?
THEY used to be public servants. Not anymore. They’re fat, mean, hateful to eachother, they spy on one another to see who’s getting some.
We, the public have to fear that they won’t like us and not take our cases? We, the poor have to worry because we didn’t have a Sheriff/Savior in our past who still sends deputies out for us, makes a case Criminal not Civil involving a contractor and sends deputies to North Dakota for us? Most of us don’t have that.
Notice how Burson and the rest of them all look happy? So happy. It’s all so good. Another Kabuki Theater with hats indoors instead of fans. It’s bullshit, honestly, Burson ain’t better than Cody.
Ask yourself, why isn’t Jake still a Ranger. Come on.
Of course, he’s the son of a Ranger, brother of law enforcement so he’s perfectly perfect but, you also know he ain’t better than Cody.
Look at him. Big man, telling some “woman”, “NO”, on her murdered girlfriend’s cold case. How do they live with themselves, frankly.
Reader Rant below, more to follow I FEEL SURE.
McLENNAN COUNTY TAXPAYERS: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
At what point do McLennan County taxpayers finally say ENOUGH?
We are being told we need more money. Higher taxes. More personnel. More training dollars. More vehicles. More supervisors. More specialized units.
Meanwhile, taxpayers are expected to shut up, open their wallets, and trust the same people asking for the money to tell us why they need it.
No.
If the figures being circulated are correct and the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office budget has grown by more than $6 MILLION in four years, taxpayers deserve a line-by-line explanation of where that money went and what measurable improvement we received for it.
How many command positions have been added?
How many take-home vehicles have been added?
Who has them?
What positions are assigned those vehicles?
How many of those employees are routinely called out after hours?
How much do taxpayers spend purchasing, equipping, insuring, fueling, maintaining and eventually replacing those vehicles?
And why are taxpayers allegedly providing take-home vehicles to positions such as training, personnel and jail administration if those employees aren’t regularly responding to emergencies from home?
These aren’t petty questions.
THESE ARE OUR TAX DOLLARS.
Then explain the organizational chart.
Under Sheriff Larry Lynch, we’re told there were two captains and one chief deputy during his 12 years.
Under Parnell McNamara, the number of upper-level positions and specialized units appears to have exploded.
And look at the chief-deputy turnover being cited:
- Matt Cawthon — gone
- David Kilcrease — gone
- Steve January — gone
- Cody Blossman — gone
- Jake Burson — current
Five chief deputies during one sheriff’s tenure is not exactly a billboard for stable leadership.
Yet somehow McNamara’s administration continues to grow.
More titles.
More units.
More supervisors.
More vehicles.
More taxpayer money.
And we’re supposed to call this conservative government?
Give me a break.
Conservatism isn’t putting an “R” beside your name and then treating county government like there’s an unlimited credit card attached to every taxpayer’s bank account.
Fiscal conservatism means JUSTIFYING THE MONEY YOU SPEND.
And Commissioners Court shouldn’t accept “the state requires it” as some magical phrase that ends the discussion.
If something is mandated by Texas, fantastic.
SHOW US THE MANDATE.
Show taxpayers the statute, regulation, TCOLE requirement or other authority requiring it.
Tell us exactly what is required.
Tell us what isn’t required.
Then explain why the county chose the staffing level and spending level it did.
That’s called oversight.
Here’s another question taxpayers should be asking:
If we’re expanding the Sheriff’s Office training operation, why are we simultaneously spending more money sending deputies elsewhere for training?
Maybe there’s a perfectly legitimate explanation.
Then give it.
Because “trust us” isn’t financial accountability.
And while all these specialized units, administrative positions and command positions multiply, we’re hearing complaints that the detectives handling actual criminal investigations are buried in cases.
If that’s true, somebody needs to explain the priorities.
Are we building a Sheriff’s Office around what McLennan County actually needs—or around titles, pet units, command positions and shiny vehicles?
And where have the commissioners been?
Their job isn’t to sit behind the bench and rubber-stamp whatever department head gives the best presentation.
Their job is to protect the taxpayers.
Every commissioner should demand a complete accounting of:
Every MCSO take-home vehicle.
The employee assigned to it.
That employee’s position.
The justification for taking it home.
Annual fuel and maintenance costs.
Every command position added since 2012.
Every specialized unit created, renamed or reorganized.
The staffing and annual cost of each unit.
Every position claimed to be required by the state—and the specific authority requiring it.
CID caseloads and staffing levels.
Outside-training expenditures compared with the growth of the internal training division.
Put it all on paper.
Put it online.
Let the taxpayers see it.
If every expenditure is justified, MCSO leadership should be thrilled to show us.
If they aren’t willing to show us, taxpayers should be asking why.
And stop confusing political labels with performance.
I don’t care how many times someone calls himself a “conservative Republican.”
SHOW ME THE BUDGET.
Show me the staffing.
Show me the vehicles.
Show me the results.
A Republican who spends taxpayer money recklessly isn’t suddenly fiscally conservative because he attends the right political events, knows the right people or has an “R” beside his name.
Taxpayers aren’t an ATM.
County government isn’t a country club.
A badge doesn’t exempt anyone from accountability.
And elected officials don’t get to demand more money while acting offended when the people paying the bills start asking questions.
McLennan County taxpayers should demand an independent, public examination of MCSO staffing, command structure, specialized units, take-home vehicles and spending growth before Commissioners Court approves another major increase.
Not next year.
NOW.
Parnell McNamara has had 12 years.
The question isn’t whether he’s popular, whether he’s a nice guy, or whether he’s a Republican.
The question is much simpler:
WHAT DID TAXPAYERS PAY FOR, AND WHAT DID WE GET FOR OUR MONEY?
Commissioners, start asking questions.
Taxpayers, start demanding answers.
And MCSO leadership, if the spending is justified:
OPEN THE BOOKS AND PROVE IT.
