Community

I want to take this opportunity to tell you about one of our OWLS who is no longer with us. Larry Schneider was an 83-year-old Chicago, Illinois Navy man who came to Texas and the Rio Grande Valley to escape the high taxes and political corruption of his hometown. He had the distinction of being the only member of the OWLS ever to be escorted out of Commissioners Court for loudly expressing his opinion. It was only two words, and it come after a lengthy statement by a County official who stated that the County had nothing to do with the appointment of the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board of Directors. It was one of those statements that political officials make intended to change the facts. Hidalgo County Commissioners vote on who will be on the Appraisal District Board of Directors. Because the County has the most votes, it has the greatest influence on who is elected. You need to understand that Larry suffered from a variety of physical conditions, one of which was that he was hard of hearing, so he often talked louder than normal. He would say “I didn’t know anyone heard me I just reacted to what the guy was saying, and it was a lie.” So, from then on, Larry was known as the guy that got kicked out of Commissioners Court. A distinction he thoroughly enjoyed. He would say, this is not political corruption, you need to come to Chicago, we know how to do it right!