Snoodish said:
You are dead wrong and clearly have no understanding on how civil claims like this are handled. Gutierrez did not have to be the owner of the property or the tenant to bring a claim against the pilot to assert a claim for damages to his cattle operation (i.e. lost profits) caused by the pilot's undisputed negligence. As far as asserting the claim, it is against the pilot and the pilot turns the claim into his insurance company which it sounds like he did except that it also sounds like his insurance company did absolutely nothing to assist the pilot in contacting the BBC or Rafter to get the plane back, assuming there was actual motivation to do so. There is no evidence that Gutierrez prevented the pilot or his insurance company from coming to get the plane--only the pilot's claim Gutierrez asked him to pay him for damages and that doesnt mean he was extorting the pilot to pay it in order to get the plane.
The BBC doesnt have to engage in competitive bidding like other governmental entities in Texas may be subject to but it has an interest in leasing the property to someone who can maintain an ag exemption to reduce the BBC's property taxes but if any of you are ranchers and are envious of the deal Rafter made, why dont you contact the BBC make a better offer. As the KBTX article notes, Gutierrez had a business deal with the tenant and it makes no difference whether he is the mayor or not---Rafter could do business with whoever they want and they are excellent at what they do.
Gutierrez is likely not commenting because it is not in his interest to do so. You folks whining about this deal got a statement from the BBC and Rafter as well as news coverage and it didnt satisfy you. It is clear some of you have made up your mind based on the limited information you have and nothing Gutierrez says or subsequently is released to the public is going to change your mind about your conspiracy theory, or you only commenting in this forum because you have an axe to grind with Gutierrez and using this forum to stir up controversy for him.
It's a definite ethics problem or very least optics problems and reeks of the "old Bryan mafia/good ol' boy" network. It's not a coincidence that Rafter D has a relationship with the new mayor and got this property basically handed to him by the BBC (which the new mayor was on). Now the mayor may be a good person but this reeks and definitely sours me on him.
And if you can't see that, then you are too close the cabal.
We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have, or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-b******, were going to rip out their living G*******d guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun c********** by the bushel-f****** basket. War is a bloody killing business. You've got to spill their blood or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shot them in the guts.