Hempstead has a split personality
As a newcomer to Hempstead and Waller County I have been often asked what I think of the community here.
“So far, so good,” has been my stock answer.
Life here is very different than what I am used to. I am a native Coloradan and have lived at times in Minnesota, North Carolina and more recently in the Texas Panhandle. Each place is different and requires some adjustment. This part of the county reminds me a lot of Northeastern North Carolina in its climate and in the mix of people.
So far I have enjoyed being here. The town is quiet and friendly. But one thing really strikes me as odd. I can best describe it in one word – apathy.
There have been a few things to make me feel that way, but most notably, shortly before I was hired here, two Hempstead city councilmen were indicted on charges of bribery. I have heard plenty off-the-record, private comments about it, but to the best of my knowledge there has been no public outcry. The two men, Larry Wilson Sr. and Paris Kincaid, continue to serve on the council. No one has called for their ouster. Neither of them, to the best of my knowledge, has publicly addressed the issue to declare innocence.
Doesn’t that sound the least bit strange to you? It does me. If this had happened anywhere else I have worked before, there would have been meetings, letters to the editor and people streaming to city council meetings to debate the issue.
The accused would be doing one of two things: decrying the charges as false and defending themselves or else stepping down to prevent the reputation of the council from being further tarnished.
Not here. It’s business as usual.
Please forgive my boldness or naiveté about the community, but does anyone here care? If not, why not?
On the other hand, I saw a very different side of the community last week when I went with the local delegation to Waller County Day in Austin, organized by the Waller County Economic Development Partnership.
I’m told that these were the movers and shakers of the county. I spent a day with this group of 30-plus (some joined us there and others went as part of a separate political action committee) and I got to see networking and power brokering in action.
I was encouraged to see business, political and governmental leaders from the different cities and towns of the county coming together to work toward common goals. Rather than breaking down into territorial cliques, these people were putting aside any differences they may have had and were genuinely united in their efforts to make things better for the people of the county.
This particular trip was focused on education and transportation. Three resolutions were presented to local legislators, one on behalf of Prairie View A&M University, one for the three school districts in the county and one supporting of an effort that would bring passenger rail here.
I’ve lived in places where there would have been so much bickering over where exactly the railway should go that officials would have been unable to come together for the common good. They would argue so much that the railway would have bypassed them completely before they could reach a consensus as to where in the region the train should stop.
I don’t know what the history of cooperation is in Waller County, but I am impressed with the way these leaders were coming together. There was no apathy in that regard.
So here I am with a schizophrenic view of this place, wondering where the heart of the community lies and which perspective is more dominant. Is this a progressive, forward-thinking community or is this one content to rest on its laurels and let be what will be?
I for one hope it is the former. I’d much rather report on action than reaction.
If you have feeling either way about the issues and the leadership in our communities, please let your voice be heard. I can’t encourage you enough to write a letter to the editor or to attend a public meeting and let your elected officials know how you feel. To borrow an old saying, you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.
“So far, so good,” has been my stock answer.
Life here is very different than what I am used to. I am a native Coloradan and have lived at times in Minnesota, North Carolina and more recently in the Texas Panhandle. Each place is different and requires some adjustment. This part of the county reminds me a lot of Northeastern North Carolina in its climate and in the mix of people.
So far I have enjoyed being here. The town is quiet and friendly. But one thing really strikes me as odd. I can best describe it in one word – apathy.
There have been a few things to make me feel that way, but most notably, shortly before I was hired here, two Hempstead city councilmen were indicted on charges of bribery. I have heard plenty off-the-record, private comments about it, but to the best of my knowledge there has been no public outcry. The two men, Larry Wilson Sr. and Paris Kincaid, continue to serve on the council. No one has called for their ouster. Neither of them, to the best of my knowledge, has publicly addressed the issue to declare innocence.
Doesn’t that sound the least bit strange to you? It does me. If this had happened anywhere else I have worked before, there would have been meetings, letters to the editor and people streaming to city council meetings to debate the issue.
The accused would be doing one of two things: decrying the charges as false and defending themselves or else stepping down to prevent the reputation of the council from being further tarnished.
Not here. It’s business as usual.
Please forgive my boldness or naiveté about the community, but does anyone here care? If not, why not?
On the other hand, I saw a very different side of the community last week when I went with the local delegation to Waller County Day in Austin, organized by the Waller County Economic Development Partnership.
I’m told that these were the movers and shakers of the county. I spent a day with this group of 30-plus (some joined us there and others went as part of a separate political action committee) and I got to see networking and power brokering in action.
I was encouraged to see business, political and governmental leaders from the different cities and towns of the county coming together to work toward common goals. Rather than breaking down into territorial cliques, these people were putting aside any differences they may have had and were genuinely united in their efforts to make things better for the people of the county.
This particular trip was focused on education and transportation. Three resolutions were presented to local legislators, one on behalf of Prairie View A&M University, one for the three school districts in the county and one supporting of an effort that would bring passenger rail here.
I’ve lived in places where there would have been so much bickering over where exactly the railway should go that officials would have been unable to come together for the common good. They would argue so much that the railway would have bypassed them completely before they could reach a consensus as to where in the region the train should stop.
I don’t know what the history of cooperation is in Waller County, but I am impressed with the way these leaders were coming together. There was no apathy in that regard.
So here I am with a schizophrenic view of this place, wondering where the heart of the community lies and which perspective is more dominant. Is this a progressive, forward-thinking community or is this one content to rest on its laurels and let be what will be?
I for one hope it is the former. I’d much rather report on action than reaction.
If you have feeling either way about the issues and the leadership in our communities, please let your voice be heard. I can’t encourage you enough to write a letter to the editor or to attend a public meeting and let your elected officials know how you feel. To borrow an old saying, you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.
posted by Joe Southern | 8:49 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, I just found your blog and will definitely add it to my "favorites" list.
Welcome to Waller County, Home of the "Good Ole Boys"
In regards to your post on the "Split Personality" of Hempstead, I feel you need to look at the entire county. It is all the same. I wouldn't call it "apathy" but all of the following: "base, abandoned, abominable, anti-Semitic, atrocious, base, bent, biased, bloodsucking, bribable, criminal, crooked, debased, debauched, defiled, degenerate, degenerate, degraded, depraved, deteriorated, detestable, dissipated, dissolute, double-dealing, dreadful, evil, exacting, execrable, exploiting, extortionate, extortionist, faithless, fast, fast and loose, fixed, flagitious, flagrant, foul, foul, fraudulent, glaring, gone bad, gone to the dogs, greedy, gross, heinous, horrible, illiberal, immoral, in the gutter, inconstant, infamous, infernal, iniquitous, intolerant, knavish, lavaricious, licentious, mercenary, miscreant, mobster, monstrous, narrow-minded, nefarious, odious, on the take, open, opinionated, opprobrious, outrageous, padded, partial, perfidious, perverse, perverted, praetorian, prejudiced, profiteering, profligate, putrid, racket up, rank, rapacious, reprobate, rotten, sectarian, severe, shady, shameful, small-minded, snide, suborned, tainted, treacherous, two-faced, underhanded, unethical, unfaithful, unprincipled, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, venal, vicious, vile, villainous, vitiate, vitiated, wanton, wicked, wide open, xenophobic, and CORRUPT bunch of “GOOD OLE BOYS!"
This is not only my opinion but also that of many others, Democrats and Republican alike.
When we get officials in office that will refuse to play ball with the long standing Good Ole Boy's (that actually run the county) will the County and towns really grow and prosper.
The old boys will eventually die off, and Waller County will be about 20 years behind the times. Then and ONLY then there will be growth, equality and a safe place to live.
William Tyson
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