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Lubbock has copy-cat, me-too-ism illnes

Listener: Jack
Category: Lubbock City Politics
Date: 27 Mar 2008
Time: 11:43:18 -0700
Remote Name: 66.140.100.171

Comments

Dear Mr. Pratt,

Listening to your show this evening and I caught the lady commenting on the city's desire to build the visitors center. God only knows what financial riches lie out there for Lubbock when this operational. It must be a guaranteed revenue stream because the AJ's editorial staff is backing it whole heartedly.

I always get a laugh, when the Lubbock chooses to make comparisons to other area cities in instances where the powers that be want something and they can point to Abilene or Amarillo and say "They have it, we ought to have it. There are even those that bemoan Sweetwater for making the news concerning wind generation and Lubbock is not. I am surprised that they don't want their own rattlesnake roundup - oh wait a minute, seems that I recall a number of years ago they tried that too!

The current topic is though the visitors center. The editorial staff of the AJ rattled off Abilene, Amarillo, San Angelo and Midland/ Odessa having their own and that we should too. Well I am here to offer some suggestions of items to offer as bargaining chips if they really want this center.

(1) Lubbock goes wet for sale of beer, wine and liquor for off premise consumption just like Sweetwater, Abilene, Amarillo, San Angelo and, the Permian basin.
(2) Go to a law enforcement system where the LPD officers exchange patrol cars at shift change.

Amarillo, the single closest city in population to Lubbock and located on a real Interstate Highway does this and the crime does not seem disproportionately bad. With costs like they are, I am tired of providing my own vehicle and fuel for my personal use plus a portion of theirs too. The salary must be greater than what the stories lead us to believe, having seen some of the houses where these patrolmen live and the nice personal vehicles in their garages. This would save us money on vehicle purchases, fuel and, maintenance costs. The argument of making neighborhoods safer is an outright lie. Even city officials admit that they don't have any hard evidence that cars for cops reduces crime in neighborhoods, they just "fee that it does".

In Lubbock's rampant me-too-ism what is next? Wait until they find out that a company is looking to build a coal fired electric generating facility in Sweetwater. What a trifecta - Rattlesnakes, windmills and a coal plant. By the way, you do have listeners in Sweetwater, I spent about three hours visiting with one last Saturday.

Jack P

Pratt responds:

Well put. I've long noticed this as a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude that Lubbock is always behind. These folks seem to not understand what leadership is about.

When you lead and look to your left there is no one, look to your right and there is no one but, look behind you and there is a crowd.

Lubbock's pretend-leaders seem to want to be in a pack at all times where there are others all around them. That's not leadership, it's following and it is the definition of mediocrity.

Funny how Lubbock is the largest city with the most happening in the region always cited, yet so many here feel they are behind others. Very odd.

Pratt