Tag: goat pasture

Today Is The One-Year Anniversary Of The Ybarra/Ward Verbal Diarrhea Word Salad Radio Show – Biz Pork Still Empty.

Exactly one year ago, then-newly-hired Economic Development director Stacey Ybarra and Ryan “Gump” Ward went on the radio to blather some feel-good nonsense about the $7.3 million dollar “Business” Pork project.

For the first time in her miserable life, radio host Rhonda Witcher actually asked piercing questions and held Ward/Ybarra’s feet to the fire over what a complete joke the entire project has been for nearly TWENTY YEARS now. Here are some excerpts:

Rhonda Witcher: “Well, the can of worms you get when you come here to Lampasas is the Business Park out on 183…the City has had that a long time…put a lot of money into it…it’s been built – has anybody come yet? Are there any renters?“

Ryan Ward: “That’s a great question! I can give you an update on that! Mandy did a great job…it is about 99% complete…the legwork that Mandy had done…there are several businesses that were waiting on the City of Lampasas to complete that… so once the electric is complete, we hope to get folks, uh, moving in as soon as possible, you know, some of these businesses that are really interested in being out there”

[Great non-answer! A lot of blabbering and zero information actually given. Shockingly, Rhonda didn’t accept that bullshit word salad and pressed on]

Rhonda Witcher: “But SPECIFICALLY, are any tire-kickers, ha-ha-ha, or anyone out there looking??”

Ryan Ward: “You know, uh, that would be a good question for, uh, our manager, Finley deGraffenreid….he worked real close with Mandy…that piece of it I didn’t work on it with Mandy…the interested parties…and…a lot of those things are kinda kept, nondisclosure…until they make their mind up…but yeah, I don’t have any of that information, I wish I did, to share”

Rhonda STILL didn’t accept that. He asks Ybarra: “what do you think of that?”

Stacey Ybarra: “I think it’s a great opportunity…at this moment in time…to be able to attract businesses, you need shovel-ready sites…you need those types of sites to be able to bring big businesses…it’s just about getting it completed and doing the legwork to bring them here, they will come…it just may take a tiny bit of time…but that’s what I’m here for….and making sure the money was worth the while. It is my number-one priority.…

Well, it has been a year for Ybarra making it her “number one priority” and cashing about $125,000 worth of paychecks and benefits from the citizens of Lampasas. Let’s see how the Business Pork looked today around noon:

Impressive!

Of course, it was a clusterf*ck long before Ybarra got here. A bunch of dummies declared it SHOVEL READY back in the fourth quarter of 2015 – a mere 100 months ago.

The ridiculous predictions go back even further than that….

“Ms. Toups said she wants to continue to provide infrastructure to develop the business park — which she said Harrison spoke against publicly. Ms. Toups said through the Lampasas Economic Development Corp.’s hard work, “we are on the verge of seeing large corporations come in [to the business park].” – April 21, 2017

“DeGraffenried said the LEDC was bold in its decisions to purchase the business park property and extend utilities to it. The city manager predicted Lampasas will enjoy many “spin-off benefits” throughout the city because of the utility work. ” – Oct 23, 2015

“Recent land clearing and development of a road at the business park, Mrs. Masonheimer added, have made the site more attractive to prospective businesses and U.S. 183 passersby.” – Oct 23, 2015

“Projects like this send a message that the city will provide the infrastructure needed for job growth,” [letter written by crusty, big-spending RINO fossil-dummy Roger Williams, U.S. Congressman] – Oct 23, 2015

“An economic study in 2001, [Neal] Leavell said, concluded a business park was the main item Lampasas needed to attract development.” – Oct 23, 2015

“We look forward to working with you and working to fill this business park with good jobs,” she said [Carol Faulkenberry, Texas Dept Agriculture] – Oct 23, 2015

“Mrs. Monroe noted the Lampasas Economic Development Corp. is working with the business park south of town on U.S. Highway 183, and she said she hopes the site will attract good employers to Lampasas. [Council member TJ Monroe] – April 14, 2015

“The incumbent said the city acquired the business park property several years ago but has lacked the infrastructure needed at the site. Soon, she said, the business park will be developed enough to be inviting to businesses. [Then-council-member Wanda Bierschwale] – April 10, 2015

“Grayson said he hopes to develop the business park and attract companies to the site.” [Then-mayor Grayson running for re-election] – April 3, 2015

“I feel like we’re getting somewhere,” board president Dr. Neal Leavell added. “I think we’ve really accomplished something. It’s taken a lot of patience, but we’re here.” – September 23, 2014

“Advocates of utility extensions have said entities compete vigorously for new jobs and that cities with ready-to-build sites have an advantage as they try to attract new businesses.” – August 8, 2014

“Economic development officials have said utilities for the business park are essential to make the 165-acre area attractive to companies.” – July 22, 2014

The LEDC was “proactive,” deGraffenried said, in acquiring the U.S. 183 property several years ago for a business park. The goal of utility extensions, the city manager said, is to develop the land into a site that can promote economic growth. – June 17, 2014

Biz Pork Implosion Begins. Finley Singing a Different Tune As Political Wind Changes. Hangs Ybarra Out To Dry Like The Weasel He Is.

First the Radiogram and now the FRONT PAGE of the local newspaper. Ouch. I never thought I’d see them turn on the Business Park like this.

Funny how things change in just a few years. Previously, Finley deGraffenreid was one of the biggest cheerleaders of the Business Pork project. Here’s what he had to say – these are quotes from the Lampasas Dispatch:

“DeGraffenried said the LEDC was bold in its decisions to purchase the business park property and extend utilities to it. The city manager predicted Lampasas will enjoy many “spin-off benefits” throughout the city because of the utility work. ” – Oct 23, 2015

The LEDC was “proactive,” deGraffenried said, in acquiring the U.S. 183 property several years ago for a business park. The goal of utility extensions, the city manager said, is to develop the land into a site that can promote economic growth. – June 17, 2014

But now that hard questions are being asked about this disaster, Finley is quickly scurrying to the other side of the boat. Like a rat:

Oh. So NOW Finley admits we CANNOT “compete with neighboring communities in attracting new businesses and offering incentives“! My goodness, Finley! Now is a hell of a time to admit that – now that over $7 million has been incinerated by your goat pasture!

You didn’t have a million dollars in your pocket? You sure did. The City actually had almost TWO million in their pocket. A gift from Uncle Sugar for the “hardships” of Covid. The LEDC immediately pilfered $971,000 of that for the Business Pork Project (another $800k or so went for a new fire engine). Here is a picture of that night – and there’s Finley sitting about 5 feet to the left of LEDC president Misti Talbert as she begs for the money in February of 2022:

As I recall, Finley didn’t jump up at the time and talk about how we couldn’t compete and that this was a very stupid idea. No – as I recall, he sat there and parroted Misti’s bullshit story about how this was a great investment and how they were “the only game in town.”

Of course, a couple nights ago, he was STILL spinning bullshit to try and cover for this disaster:

[Belton, Belton, Belton! Finley sure does have a hard-on for Belton. He mentioned it multiple times Monday night. Does he realize that Belton is part of the Killeen-Temple metro area – which is home to 250,000 people? Quite a difference from Lampasas: population 7,200]

First of all, why is being far away from competing parks not an advantage NOW but will be “in the coming years”? That makes zero sense at all. That is pure Finley Bullshit being spun by the ton, right there. It reminds me of the time he admitted the City recycling program loses $10,000 per year but still “provides tremendous value to the community in terms of providing a recycling service.” – LOL. Only in the mind of an idiot bureaucrat does that make any sense.

Secondly, we are NOT far away from a competing park. Burnet has their own albatross in THEIR City. I’ve talked about it repeatedly. Surely Finley is fully aware that Burnet has a competing business park. So he’s lying his ass off here – as usual…

Hey! Burnet Has an Economic Development Corp Too! And Land!

Then we get some more bullshit from Ybarra

“We don’t have a site that meets their requirements”? BAHAHAHAHAHA. The LEDC has stood up in front of council THREE times now begging for more stuff – more water pipes, more electrical hookups, more roads. Council has given them everything they asked for – to the tune of $7.2 million dollars. But NOW Ybarra says we STILL didn’t get it right? Holy shit.

Larger acreage sites? You have over 150 acres there, sugar. That’s not enough?!?

Please.

Well, the die is truly cast on this dumpster fire. The time to bail was five years ago. That’s when the LEDC and council foolishly decided to throw good money after bad. Hell, they could have just sold all that land at a pretty decent profit 18 months ago. But no. Misti Talbert and the LEDC thought they knew best.

There is much more pain to come on this thing. Wait and see.

City Council Expresses “Frustration” At Ybarra’s Failure To Fill Biz Park. Wait, WHAT?!?

Well, you don’t see THIS too often! From yesterday’s Radiogram:

My god, Ronnie Witcher writes like a retard. He’s almost worse than Ryan Ward. That sentence make zero sense grammatically, but you get the idea: things are not progressing smoothly at the “new” (20-year-old) Business Pork project.

You don’t say? Gee, who has been saying that for over FIVE YEARS now?

Oh yeah….

“Shovel-Ready…Another Lie”

Misti Talbert conned them out of $971,000 over 18 months ago…and for what? Zero results, yet again.

I’d say you better get ready for a LOT more “frustration,” gentlemen.

Ybarra might have babbled on and on for 20 minutes [38 minute mark] on Monday night throwing out a lot of buzzwords, but the facts remain indisputable:

Current amount wasted on advertising “Business Park”:$50,000.00

Current amount wasted in total on empty goat pasture:$7,200,000.00

Jobs created:zero

EIGHT YEAR Anniversary of Business Park Predictions That Were 100% Wrong

I love posting these every April….

From the Lampasas Dispatch eight years ago this week.

“Grayson said he hopes to develop the business park and attract companies to the site.” [Then-mayor Grayson running for re-election] – April 3, 2015

“The incumbent said the city acquired the business park property several years ago but has lacked the infrastructure needed at the site. Soon, she said, the business park will be developed enough to be inviting to businesses. [Then-council-member Wanda Bierschwale] – April 10, 2015

“Mrs. Monroe noted the Lampasas Economic Development Corp. is working with the business park south of town on U.S. Highway 183, and she said she hopes the site will attract good employers to Lampasas. [Council member TJ Monroe] – April 14, 2015

LEDC ‘Business’ Park Sees Yet Another Add-On Cost of $30,000 to $40,000.

Back on June 8th of last year, I predicted in a post that….

Guys like Pope Eckermann are not stupid. Once the big $2 million dollar project is well underway, the LEDC and City council will not even blink at a few “cost increases” of $60,000 here and $86,000 there. That’s how these things work. He knows that morons like Chuck Williamson and Total Joke Monroe will fall victim to the Sunk Cost Fallacy, because they have done so repeatedly in the past.

It already happened once (Aug 17th, 2021), as detailed HERE:

Another $53,700 Flushed

It appears to be happening again. According to the last LEDC meeting packet [see page 15 under “Business Park Phase 1”]:

No surprises here. Any Talbert-led group is guaranteed to OK cost increases over and over again. This won’t be the last….or the biggest.

Business Park Additions To Running Total Cost: $35,000 (new total $88,700)

New estimated project cost when debt is paid off in 2040: $6,388,700)