Pot stirring, the Five Hills Pageant, and the BAM club

Curmudgeon brought up pot-stirring in the previous post on Saturday. 

What, pray tell, is pot-stirring?

According to the urban dictionary (not Webster), it is:

“one who causes unrest; one who stirs the pot.”

A pot-stirrer is “Someone who loves to proliferate the tension and drama between two or more feuding people/groups in public to get a raise of people in hopes of starting a ****storm of drama and uncomfortable conflict, sometimes for personal gain but oftentimes just for the thrill of confrontation.”

Curmudgeon noted a recent news article, which in Curmudgeon’s opinion, serves no other point than to stir the proverbial pot.

Curmudgeon refers the reader to this article which appeared in print and online:

As Five Hills royalty represent Cove, taxpayers cover some expenses

The article basically calls into question the $20,000 expense of the Five Hills pageant float and goes into the years’ long saga to make the float a reality for the pageant, which ended up “under” the Parks & Recreation Department after the pageant essentially got the boot from the chamber right before the 2017 pageant.

According to the article, the rub ‘n chafe is:

The City of Copperas Cove paid for the pageant float - $20,000.

The City of Copperas Cove pays for the annual insurance for the float - $276.

The City of Copperas Cove didn’t charge the pageant to use the Civic Center this year - $1,000 savings for the pageant.

After hashing over the pageant’s history and what the winners do in the community, the article goes for the jugular with:

“The city, however, is facing the need to issue nearly $10 million in certificates of obligation for capital outlay and capital improvement projects, and citizens often complain during City Council meetings about the state of city streets, asking that taxpayer funds to be made available to pay for vital infrastructure concerns.”

Therefore, the article's point is, ergo:

Because the City of Copperas Cove, via the council’s authorization, paid $20,000 for the float, and because Joe Brown of Parks & Recreation both authorized the paying of insurance for the float along with the waiving of the fee for the civic center, the city can’t fix its streets.

Um…

This is only pot-stirring at its very finest.

Curmudgeon believes the thinking reader and discerning citizen will not accept this silliness at face value and take a look at MORE history and FACTS that would change a pot stirrer’s opinion on "spending on the pageant."

Such as:

Curmudgeon would remind the reader of what happened at the May 16, 2017 meeting, when the council and city administration were discussing the new IT building, which was paid for by BONDS (see above quote) , the same kind of BONDS as the $10 million above, mentioned in the news article.

Here is something from the minutes of that very meeting:

“Ms. Andrea Gardner, City Manager, presented to City Council two drawing options for a new dais and quotes that include laminate and granite surface tops.  A new dais with a winged design and a laminate counter top was quoted at $19,511.50; the same design with a solid granite counter top would cost an additional $3,088.50.  A new dais with a curved design was quoted at $24,479.63 with a laminate counter top.  The cost to have a solid granite counter top would also increase (bold from Curmudgeon) the cost an additional $3,088.50.  After discussions, Council Member Yancey made a motion to accept the bid for the drawing representing the winged design (first drawing in packet) with the additional cost of $3,088.50 for a solid granite counter top.  Council Member Lack seconded the motion and with a unanimous vote, motion carried.”

Guess which dais the council approved?????

Yeppers! Ding-ding-ding – winner, winner, chicken-dinner! You, dear reader, read it correctly.  

The Copperas Cove city council spent $3,088.50 for the solid granite countertop, with Councilman (Dapper) Dan making the motion. Almost $3,100 EXTRA FOR A TAXPAYER-BOND-FUNDED PROJECT.

Go granite, or go home, Curmudgeon always says! (Oops, sorry, snark leak.)

So, why was it OKAY in 2017 for the council to spend $3,088.50 MORE for a BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW granite dais instead of a less expensive, laminate dais? – again, paid for by TAXPAYER BONDS?

Taxpayers paid for granite instead of laminate, y'all!

Does this bother the reader to the extent that it has bothered some in the community about paying for the pageant float?

Should it bother the reader?

I am SURE there are OTHER TAXPAYER-BOND-FUNDED GENERAL FUND EXPENSES approved by the council that add up to WAY more than $20,000, approved by the council. 

If you don’t believe me about the added-on, UPGRADED GRANITE DAIS the council approved, go check the city of Copperas Cove’s meeting minutes and watch the video for that date. 

It is there, plain as day.

I remind the reader of this, in the event that some pot-stirrer approaches the Copperas Cove city council with this tidbit of information regarding the above news pot-stirring article about the pageant float and expenses.
 

Since it worked for the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, the Five Hills Scholarship pageant director might do well to REMIND THE CITY COUNCIL of the FINANCIAL BENEFITS and MORE that the pageant has brought into the city.

Curmudgeon has seen the pageant people on Facebook, here, there, and everywhere over the past more than four years. Turn around, and there's a crown! 

These FINANCIAL BENEFITS from the pageant titleholders have helped the Copperas Cove Animal Shelter in the form of cash donations and supplies for more than two years.

CURMUDGEON WOULD VENTURE A REALLY GOOD GUESS THAT THE DIRECT FINANCIAL BENEFIT FROM THE PAGEANT TO THE CITY IS MORE THAN $20,000. 

So, instead of getting yer knickers in a twist over the $20,000, take a deep breath.

So, maybe the dear reader and some of the dear city council do not like the pageant and what it does. 

Curmudgeon reminds the dear readers and you, dear city council, that the pageant volunteers have helped raise these donations which have SAVED THE CITY MONEY in probably more than a few areas.

For example:

One of the young misses, according to a news article published by the same news outlet that also published the bit of pot-stirring verbiage in the link above, received $3,000 from the Fort Hood Thrift Store for Copperas Cove Animal Control.

OH! And this same young lady wants to raise funds to BUILD A DOG PARK FOR COPPERAS COVE. Something the council said two years ago the city can't afford to do on its own.

OH! this is the same Animal Shelter with the potential $7 million bond issue that is worrying property owners right now.

OH! One royalty lady raised funds for SENSORY PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT for special needs children to enjoy at COPPERAS COVE CITY PARK like other children can. How many thousands of dollars is that equipment costing, and how much did the pageant winner raise so the CITY’S parks and recreation department doesn’t have to? OH, she, too received $1,000 from the same thrift store.

I'm thinking just with the Animal Shelter fundraising and supplies, adding on the $4,000 in monetary donations from the thrift store given to the pageant winners FOR the city, and adding on some other things, we're well over $10,000 and Curmudgeon hasn't done the research for the rest of the money.  

I'd say the pageant has more than EARNED the float they ride on and will represent Copperas Cove on all over Texas. About time we get some good news ambassadors instead of being a laughingstock over our EDC mish-mosh and chamber drama, etc.

It sounds to me like this bit of pot-stirring wants to stir up the B.A.M. (*ITCH AND MOAN) Club to start trouble and play on people’s outrage and worry.

Yes, people should be worried about tax increases. Curmudgeon pays property taxes too.

But, y’all don’t unfairly single out something to cause controversy – such as the float and other expenses and IGNORE the other things the council has approved for taxpayer-paid bond funding, etc.

Since we’re keeping track of the $$, again, Mrs. Sledd the pageant director would do well to add up the DIRECT FINANCIAL BENEFIT the city has derived from the pageant and present her records to the council, one meeting, during open forum. Curmudgeon has already given her a head start.

HEY! AGAIN, IT WORKED FOR THE COPPERAS COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!! They get to use all of City Park for FREE during Rabbit Fest because they bring so much to the city, allegedly. Gobs and gobs of money y’all.

I bet Mrs. Sledd has plenty of records for what her band of tiara’ed volunteers have done since 2014, plenty of records to show the council what the pageant has done for the city. 

FINANCIALLY, AND OTHERWISE.

Keep calm and wear that crown!

Whether the council needs to author a special resolution or ordinance or SOMETHING to permit said waiver of fees and payment of insurance, or whatever, for the pageant as it does for the chamber, this is not a solution-less issue, especially if, like the COPPERAS COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, the FIVE HILLS SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT shows the Copperas Cove city council AND the city itself the FINANCES of what it brings to the city. 

I'd like to say to some of the naysayers -
How have YOU helped your city other than being a member of the BAM CLUB? 

Peace, love, bunnies and tiaras, y’all!

Curmudgeon out.