Staff Report
Where are the Birds and Butterflies ?
I know this Summer has been I know this Summer has been extremely hot but so have the many preceding it.
Still, in spite of the heat in past Summers, my Patio Garden has been full of birds and butterflies —--- and the occasional bee.
But this summer I only spotted 5 small butterflies and a scattering of birds, mostly Texas Morning Doves. I have occasionally heard an owl’s hoot and the chatter of a couple other birds which stay incognito.
The cicadas chatter off and on but not their usual obnoxious all night Summer noise. But I would willing take back that all night noise if I could have my birds and butterflies back.
Is this scarcity of Birds and Butterflies caused by Climate Change? Could Climate Change be ENHANCED by all the ammunition being discharged across the Pond? How much ammo is being sent to Israel by good ol’ USA – ammo that continues to kill children and spread pollution.
And who is helping supply Russia with the ammo which is accomplishing the same results —-- killing innocents and spreading pollution ?
Pollution spreads, including the pollution right here in our own backyard, in good ol’ USA — from cars and smoke stacks.
I’m not even asking for the Fire Flies ( Lighting Bugs) to reappear. Just give me back my Butterflies —- also more Birds, especially the pair of Humming birds that used to greet me each morning.
Comments Welcome
Victoria Taylor
Dripping Springs
Who Watches the Watchdogs in Kyle?
Most Kyle residents probably assume that our city’s Ethics Commission is independent — a neutral safeguard to ensure accountability in local government. Unfortunately, the way commissioners are currently appointed raises serious questions about whether the process itself undermines the very purpose of the body.
Here’s how it works today: each council member gets to choose one commissioner, subject to approval by the full council. These commissioners serve until they resign, move, or until the council member who appointed them leaves office.
Think about that for a moment. The people responsible for overseeing the ethical conduct of city leadership are hand-picked by the very officials they may one day be called upon to evaluate. That’s an inherent conflict of interest. Even if every commissioner acts with complete fairness and integrity, the perception that council members are choosing their own watchdogs weakens the commission’s credibility.
Independence matters. Ethics oversight should not be structured like a political appointment. When commissioners are tethered to the tenure of the council member who appointed them, it creates the appearance, if not the reality, of loyalty to an individual rather than to the public good.
Kyle is a fast-growing city with an engaged citizenry. We deserve an ethics process that is above reproach, free from any suggestion that oversight is influenced by politics. There are better models we could adopt: independent applications, fixed terms not tied to council members, and transparent selection criteria open to public view.
Ethics commissions only work if the public believes in them. Right now, our structure invites skepticism. If we want residents to trust city government, we need to start by reforming how we choose the people tasked with holding it accountable.
Kyle can do better, and we should.
Don Yule is a long-term Kyle resident interested in improving our local government.
