League City's award winning pubication"City Matters" to be reprinted at a cost of $13,000.00

The City has decided to repost on the web, reprint a supplement, and mail the recent supplement edition of City Matters. This appears to be at the behest of Heidi Thiess who claims she was left out without explanation. However, the truth is she submitted her information late. On her blog, Thiess wrote.

"Since I was inexplicably excluded from the City's Election info, you may view my answers to the City's questionnaire, which have been published on my website for the past month: see League City Questionnaire. Please encourage the City to do the right thing and correct their oversight (whether intentional or not) by sending them an email at website@leaguecity.com."

The candidates were given approximately two weeks to submit their information. There were three candidates who did not send their information in by the noon deadline. Candidates Thiess, Phalen and Sanborn were late to submit their answers. Phalen accepts that he made a mistake, but Thiess wants to play the victim card and cast out conspiracy theories that she has been singled out and not included. She has made statements like "I don't yet know why I was excluded - I'm still trying to get to the bottom of it." I would say she was not excluded; rather she was not included because her submission was late.

So far in this campaign, Heidi Thiess has sent blistering attack pieces against her opponent Mick Phalen that were of no substance,unfairly and unjustly demonized her opponent. As said by Paul Ryan, "this is what candidates do when they cannot stand on the issues" When she was called out on these attack pieces because all they said was nonsense about her opponent and the piece did not address the issues of the city or the election. She maintained that she had no idea who was sending the attack pieces. Then after the worst attack piece yet, she had the gall to send out the following note.

"Dear friends and neighbors,
Last night, while I was happily teaching a Citizenship class to a group of Boy Scouts, an attack email on my opponent was sent from my campaign email account. It was in my name, and on my behalf but it does not represent me or the principles on which I stand. In fact, it represents everything I hate about politics and the campaign process. I am appalled that it was sent in my name and will do everything I can to make it right. Therefore, I repudiate the content and tone and unprofessionalism of the entire message. And I render a sincere apology to my opponent, Mick Phalen.

I, and I alone, am fully responsible for the mistakes of my campaign. There is no excuse. I live by a strict code of accountability which demands I take further measures beyond a public apology. This mistake happened on my watch, and I have taken direct and immediate action to rectify it. The people who created and distributed the email are no longer associated with my campaign. I have a vision and purpose that has been ill-served by this contentious email exchange and it will not happen again.

I thank you for your support and will do everything I can to continue to earn your trust and confidence in the future."

Your servant,

Heidi Thiess


Be her own admission, Thiess, said this apology email only went out to a few people, where the original email went out thousands. Who signs a letter "your servant"? She is not elected to public office and she is not my servant.

Frankly, this is just a small show of the shenanigans that have come from the Thiess campaign. Now Mr. Mochrie your statement is correct. I am calling for Heidi to tell us who the people were who she separated from her campaign who sent the attack emails/

Charter amendments on the ballot

League City has several charter amendments on the ballot this November.  Which one do you think is most important?  Requiring the mayor to vote?  Whether to continue the red light camera program? Tell me!

Cities across Texas double their debt

We have a city that was incorporated in 1962. We have a history of mismanagement and poor planning. The administrations of the recent past have laid the groundwork for fixing what ails league city with regards to facilities and infrastructure planning and repairs. You either want a City with better than average Police, Fire, water, sewage, treatment, etc or you don't. These things cost money. I don't like debt either, however it is a necessary evil to leverage your income stream to accomplish the many needs of the citizens and pay as you consume these facilities. Few small-medium, and larger in size businesses can operate without some debt. Few cities that are League City size and that are also growing can plan growth preparation projects, execute them, or operate well without debt. I don't like waste, corruption, or any other government inefficiency. However, Since 1986 when I a moved here, this City's government has done a 180 as far as its forward thinking and management. Everyone who wants less government/less taxes needs to know that nobody is going to build the things we need for our community for free. The citizens will need to pay for these things. If you don't want to pay for these services and infrastructure, maybe you should find another community that matches your affinity to have your community strangled by a government that is scared of debt. The majority of citizens want to press the flush bar, and see the water do a swirly, press 9-1-1, hear a siren in 3 minutes. I could go on and on, but I want to live in a community with nice parks, and nice facilities for city workers. I would like to maintain the great police, fire and Ems departments we have to protect us. (the next call you make could be 911 for your wife son or daughter) I chose to live here and pay for the city services mentioned above, because this is the kind of community I want to live in. I think the majority of the citizens of League City feel the same way and could care less if their taxes are $80.00 more or less a year. Let's pay our taxes and expect in return great service and facilities. I think we are getting that now.

Really? The circle slash over a candidates name? That is so 1996.

Nine Questions all the Candidates Should Answer.

1. Name three “discretionary” programs that you would cut to reduce the City’s spending?

2. What if any type of incentive would you give to businesses to locate in League City?

3. What do you think the municipal government of League City's role in economic development should be?

4. Do you support a Houston to Galveston commuter railroad?

5. How do you balance individual property rights vs. zoning?5

6. Should the mayor be given the right to vote?

7. Do you favor the ballot proposition to change municipal elections to every two years?

8. How would you encourage greater citizen involvement in City government?

9. Should elected official be paid a salary? If you think they should be paid, then how much?

If you have other questions you would like answered, post them here. Maybe, there will be some responses from the candidates. Keep it polite and honest please.

Any candidate should feel free to post your answers. If you choose to answer, please do so under a verifiable identity please. No Anon responses by candidates please.

I am disappointed in this year's campaign for League City Council this year. The Rhetoric from the Tea Party seems irrelevant to me. I can't remember when big government in League City was intrusive in my life. Further when I look at League city government, I see a city that had exponential growth in the last 10 years that is trying desperately to catch up. When I look at the operations of the city, I don't see a government that lacks transparency. I see a government that in the last 10 years whose operation has gone from Opaque to translucent. I see a staff that is working hard to catch-up with the growth of the past and plan for the future growth. All this takes money and time. I am not interested in candidates that want to say "NO" to everything in our municpal government because they are mad at the Federal Government and the budget issues it has. Municpal Government is the government that impacts us most closely and has a different purpose than that of state and federal governments. Let's not get these three types of governments confused. I chose to live here because our city delivers its services with excellence. If you call 911, in most cases an ambulance arrives within 4 minutes. If you call the police, they arrive within 4 minutes. I am a Republican and I am willing to pay my fair share of taxes to keep our city safe and prepare for the future. I am not interested in candidates that want to take us back to the stone age by reducing government in League City to untenable levels.