Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 6:28 PM 
Subject: Bond Watch 2005!
Ladies and Gentlemen,  

I apologize if this takes up your valuable time but I am deeply compelled to write to you today from my heart. I’m writing to you as a private citizen of Colleyville who knows first hand what kind of effort and thought process went into the six bond initiatives that are before you on the February 5, 2005 ballot.  

In today’s mail I received a political action committee document from the local “say-no-to-everything faction”.  

Please, take the time to read it. I encourage you to. Memorize the names of the people quoted and pictured. You’ll see all the old “has-beens”, “wanna-bes”, and “cling-ons” from our storied Colleyville political past. I refer to them as the “angry 10”. That’s about how many of them there are and they’re generally the same ones each time some sort of trash like this is propagated throughout our community. They’re all spouting their uninformed, negative, and venomous rhetoric to anyone who’ll listen regarding the upcoming bond election. They want you to believe that they’re the all knowing political oracles they once saw themselves as. Wise men desperately concerned for our future. They want you to think they know first hand what they’re speaking about. Read it!  

Guess what! Every single one of them was overwhelmingly defeated in various elections over the past several years. Each and everyone of them told by the voters “bye-bye!” Why you ask? Because Colleyville is a positive and progressive community and we have grown tired of their continual “chip-on-the-shoulder” negative mentality and ego empowerment conduct. They just don’t seem to hear the message. So they keep hanging around pitifully hoping someone, somewhere, will hear their rueful “Chicken Little” cries.  

I firmly believe that the majority of Colleyville’s citizens are supportive of the vision and plan this bond program represents. But, do you know the flip side of that coin? It’s simply: “happy people are complacent people”. Complacent people don’t care enough to go to the polls and express their views. We stay at home and think to ourselves “it really doesn’t affect me or my family one way or the other”. My friends and neighbors this mentality can’t be further from the truth. It will affect you.  

THIS COMPLACENT ATTITUDE WILL DOOM OUR COMMUNITY TO MEDIOCRITY! Look in your mailbox. Read what the “angry 10” have to say and how they’re spending their money to ensure that the other 20,000 of us continue to mire ourselves and our community in their egotistical misery. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DON’T BECOME ACTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS!  

THE TIME HAS COME TO SEND A LOUD AND CLEAR MESSAGE: We are tired of you and your negative politics. We’re tired of your endless distortion of the facts. We’re tired of your innuendoes and blatant misrepresentations. We’re tired of your adolescent “it’s not my idea so it’s not a good idea” attitude towards our great city. We’re tired of your negative personal attacks on the people whom serve this community! The citizens of Colleyville are tired of your unethical attempts to empower yourselves and your political “puppets”.  

I’m asking you to help put an end to this type of behavior. Be an educated, informed and ACTIVE citizen. Please go to the polls and let the “angry 10” know that they’re way out of sync with the real Colleyville citizens. I strongly urge each of you to become active participants in Colleyville’s future and I asking you to encourage others act the same. When the real majority of Colleyville’s citizens make their voices heard the “angry 10” will find another playground.  

WE ARE READY TO MOVE AHEAD WITH NEW, DYNAMIC,  AND VISIONARY LEADERSHIP THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT A DRAMATIC IMPACT A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVES BRINGS TO COLLEYVILLE!  

Send the message loud and clear:  

 VOTE “YES” TO ALL 6 OF THE BOND BALLOT INITIATIVES ON FEBRUARY 5, 2005 AT CITY HALL.  

Please send this message to all of Colleyville. It’s time to move ahead!  

Sincerely,  

Mark Skinner