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Enron Mail |
Jack Rains' did not have access to your email addresses at his home. He has
left to go out of the City for the day and asked that I forward the following letter directly to you for your information. < -----Original Message----- < From: Jack Rains [mailto:jmrtexas@swbell.net] < Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2000 11:54 AM < To: Hill Connie < Subject: FW: The Arena deal: points for consideration < Importance: High < < < ....and in my spare time.... < JR < < < < < Last Saturday Dale Robertson, obviously responding to the Rockets public < relations machine , wrote a nasty, vicious < column. It was a personal attack that was a diservice to not only the < debate but to the city and every citizen of good will..I have attached a < copy so that you may reach your own conclusions. < < During the last debate, on the subsequently defeated Arena proposal, I < remained silent. While I had been deeply involved in those negotiations I < felt under the circumstances of Mayor Brown dismissal, it was < inappropriate for me to publicly comment. Up until now I have continued < that policy. < < Edmund Burke observed that for evil to triumph it is only necessary that < good men do nothing. I will no longer remain silent. Certainly we are < all entitled to our opinions on the subject of the arena, sports, or any < other issue we face as citizens, but we cannot be permitted to have our < own 'facts'. < < The attached submittal to the Chronicle sets forth facts you should know < and matters you may wish to consider in your deliberations. The Chronicle < advised me, that due to space limitations, they would publish a condensed < version, for which I am grateful. As community leaders you should have < the complete picture. < < We have an opportunity at hand. An Arena agreement can be crafted that < will receive the support of the majority of Houstonians. But first t it < will be necessary that the '; spin doctors' and other hired guns cool < their rhetoric. After they have moved on to earn their fees at the next < engagement, we will remain in the city we love and have built together. < We must come together in good faith and stop those attempting to impose a < decision by threatening anyone who does not agree with their position. At < a minimum we must elevate the debate to a standard of civility. < < Sincerely, < < Jack Rains < < < < < < <<HoustonChronicle.com.htm<< < < Submitted, Sunday August 13, 2000, to the Houston Chronicle for < Publication: < < A new low in political debate; a prescription for disaster < < Few persons, and certainly not County Judge Robert Eckels, Tax < assessor/collector Paul Bettencourt, or Republican County Chair Gary < Polland or any other republican or democrat leader I have spoken with, < want the Rockets and Comets to leave town. Should the teams go however, < it will be due to Les Alexander's miscalculations and the blunders by well < meaning but naive supporters. That charitable adjective cannot be applied < to Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle sports columnist. < < Robertson, in his Saturday August 13, 2000 column, established a new low < in journalism. Quoting liberally from the Rocket spokesperson, George < Postolos, the Rockets-Comets CEO, according to Robertson, he spews a < virulent diatribe of inaccurate, convoluted arguments, misrepresentations, < and gratuitous insults. While conceding the points Judge Eckels made in < his recent letter to the Sports Authority may be valid, Robertson, < undaunted, attempts to discredit Eckels. How? By asking us to believe < that Mr. Robertson posses clairvoyant powers. He warns his readers of < his perception of the evil state of mind of the Judge. According to < Robertson, the arena debate is merely a political struggle, which he < blithely characterizes as, "Anglo Saxons vs. a Jewish owner and an < African-American Mayor". Outrageous! If that were not enough, Robertson < goes over the top. Using his crystal ball we must assume, Robertson warns < that the next words out of Judge Eckels' mouth will be a lie. Balderdash! < < < Shame on Dale Robertson and the Editors of the Chronicle who allowed such < grossly inaccurate, hate filled statements into print. The Chronicle's < Founding Publisher, Jesse Jones, must be spinning in his grave. Every < person who has worked to achieve racial, ethnic, and religious harmony, no < matter what their political and other views, should condemn such hateful < bigotry on the part of Robertson and the Chronicle. Postolos destroyed < his credibility with the disingenuous claim that he was 'genuinely and < completely surprised' by Eckels letter. Come on George.' spin 'won't < sell. Robertson, far worse, went beyond the pale with his slurs aimed at < any party that dares question the current arena deal. Pitifully sad and < counter productive to reaching an Arena agreement the voters will approve. < < Judge Eckels' temperate, well-reasoned letter, questions a proposal that < Arena supporters privately concede "needs work". For example on Channel 2 < Sunday, Sunny Messiah, the publisher of the Houston Defender, the leading < Black newspaper, and an Arena supporter last time around, joined Dan < Patrick, a right wing shock jock at the radio station which broadcasts the < Rocket's games, in agreeing on the Arena proposal. That was a first for < those two. Both asked hard questions, concluding it was less fair to the < public than the prior agreement rejected by voters. During the program, < viewers were told that Sports Authority Chairman Billy Burge and Vice < Chair Grover Jackson, architects of the agreement, had declined to appear < and defend their arrangements with Alexander. < < There is another matter under discussion that requires clarification. < < Some assert that Mayor Brown had a 'deal' with Judge Eckels. I doubt the < truth of that claim and will explain why. All citizens have the < constitutionally protected right to speak out, and public officials such < as Brown and Eckels have a duty to speak up on behalf of the taxpayers. < Surely Robertson and the defenders of the constitutionally protected < rights of the press would not condemn, or attempt to muzzle, anyone's < right to free speech. Eckels was right to state his concerns. If the < hour is late, blame the Sports Authority and Alexander who have been < negotiating since their last deal was rejected in 1999. Remember this is < Alexander's third bite at the apple. He lost last year and walked away < from negotiations back when Bob Lanier was Mayor. It is late but we have < two years to go on the Rocket's lease at the Compaq Center and that could < be temporarily extended if necessary. < < The assertion that Mayor Brown stayed out of the Stadium negotiations is < simply not true. < < That agreement between Harris County, the NFL, the Rodeo and the Sports < Authority, was concluded and executed during my term as Chairman of the < Sports Authority. The Mayor contacted us on several occasions with input. < It was due to his correct insistence that the stadium be designed to < accommodate expansion for the 2012 Summer Olympic games. The change, over < the NFL's objection, added significantly to the cost, but represents a < wise investment for a growing region. In fact, Mayor Brown will recall, < we made the final break through in those negotiations, in his office, < reaching closure when he and Commissioner Lee reached agreement on major < sticking points between the County and the City. Mayor Brown's leadership < and input was important to our ultimate success in bringing the NFL back < to Houston. Judge Eckels' input will be equally important in fashioning < an Arena agreement that the voters will approve. < < Robertson and the Chronicle evidently missed all those events, or fail to < understand their ramifications. He conveniently dismisses the last 'top < down, cram down' deal on the Arena that the voter's slammed dunked. We < can't afford another failure due to yet another open-ended, capitulation < to Alexander's demands. The voters are not stupid and will not be < intimidated. < < < It is a disservice when we lower the debate to name calling and < questioning of motives. Robertson, is surely sincere in his support for a < new arena, Obviously Les Alexander wants a' done deal'. While we all < desire the same results, vicious personal attacks are counter-productive. < Let us get back to working out an Arena agreement that will serve our < citizens well for the next 30 years and beyond. We can and must fashion < an agreement that a majority of our citizens will support. < < Jack Rains < Founding Chair, < Harris County-Houston Sports Authority < < < < - HoustonChronicle.com.htm
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