Victoria County Commissioner, Precinct 4 candidate profiles
Self-employed businessmen vie for county commissioner
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CANDIDATE FACTS
NAME: Clint Ives
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Rancher and owner of an equipment construction company
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Inez
NAME: Ernie Byrd
AGE: 57
OCCUPATION: Self employed building and moving portable buildings
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victoria
PROFILES ALREADY PUBLISHED
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CANDIDATE FACTS
NAME: Clint Ives
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Rancher and owner of an equipment construction company
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Inez
NAME: Ernie Byrd
AGE: 57
OCCUPATION: Self employed building and moving portable buildings
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Victoria
PROFILES ALREADY PUBLISHED
Jan. 19: Calhoun County judge, Democrats
Jan. 19: Calhoun County Democrats uncontested ballot
Jan. 20: Calhoun County Commissioner Precinct 2, Republicans.
Jan. 20: Calhoun County Republican uncontested ballot.
Jan. 21: DeWitt County commissioner Precinct 4, Democrat
Jan. 21: DeWitt County Democratic uncontested ballot.
Jan. 22: DeWitt County Republican county judge.
Jan. 23: DeWitt County Republican county clerk.
Jan. 24: DeWitt County Republican Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1.
Jan. 25: Goliad County Republican County Judge
Jan. 25: Goliad County Republican uncontested ballot.
Jan. 26: Goliad County Democratic County Commissioner, Precinct 2.
Jan. 27: Jackson County Democratic Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1
Jan. 27: Jackson County Democratic uncontested ballot.
Jan. 28: Jackson County Republican County Clerk
Jan. 28: Jackson County Republican uncontested ballot
Jan. 29: Lavaca County Democratic Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4
Jan. 29: Lavaca County Democratic uncontested ballot
Jan. 29: Lavaca County Republican District Clerk
Jan. 29: Lavaca County Republican uncontested ballot
Jan. 30: Refugio County Democratic County Judge
Jan. 30: Refugio County Democratic uncontested ballot
Jan. 31: Refugio County Democratic County Clerk
Jan. 31: Refugio County Republican uncontested ballot
Feb. 1: Refugio County Democratic Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3
Feb. 2: Victoria County Democratic Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3.
Editor's Note: The primary elections for the Republican and Democratic parties are March 2. To help our readers learn more about the candidates in the contested races in each primary, the Advocate is publishing profiles of the candidates.
Today's candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination for Victoria County Commissioner, Precinct 4.
Two self-employed businessmen are asking Victoria County voters to give them the Republican nomination in March for the Precinct 4 county commissioner's seat.
Clint Ives said he lives in the country and that gives him a view of the precinct that his city-dwelling opponent might not see.
But Ernie Byrd said his years of life and business experience give him the advantage over his younger opponent.
Byrd, 57, said he's known Ives, 29, since he was born and he said he's a good person.
"But he's just too young," Byrd said. "I think in nine or 10 years, he would make a really good commissioner."
He said the precinct employees may average 40 to 50 years old and might have more trouble taking instructions from Ives than from an older person.
Ives said his opponent is a respectable working man.
"But I would like to see Precinct 4 represented by a country boy," Ives said. "I feel like the outer parts of the county could receive a little more attention if they were coordinated by someone who lived and traveled those parts of the county every day."
Ives said just by nature he would have a different way of viewing county roads and ditches, including how they should be maintained.
Ives said in late January the most pressing issue in the precinct was getting past funding differences between the county and city to help pay for two overpasses.
The city and county have since reached an agreement to share costs for overpasses on Zac Lentz Parkway at Salem Road and Mockingbird Lane.
"Safety is the biggest concern with that and it's a much, much needed project," Ives said. "It seriously needs to be addressed."
He said while the $3.3 million contribution finally agreed to by the commissioner court is generous, he would have supported the first proposal of $3.6 million that got voted down.
Byrd said road safety is his biggest concern for the precinct, including getting the overpasses built at the dangerous intersections.
"I think they should have already had some stoplights there several years ago and maybe it would have saved some lives," he said. "They're going to end up putting up stoplights there anyway."
Byrd also said there needs to be more motivation to report potholes and similar road defects that could cause safety problems.
"I think it's the responsibility of the county commissioner to go check things," he said. "They just leave it all up to the foreman."
Ives said the county needs to find ways to stimulate the economy and create jobs so it won't have to raise the property tax rate.
"I don't think we could possibly raise our property tax right now - not in the economic downturn we're in," he said. "We need to encourage growth."
Ives said an important question he hopes to explore is how to make sure local contractors are in a position to get city and county contracts. Outside contractors leave when a project is finished, taking the tax dollars and employees with them.
Byrd also said he's not interested in raising the property tax rate.
"I'm interested in lowering the tax rate," he said. "Not tremendously, of course, because I'd like to do some other stuff if they save that money."
He said he plans to cut waste to help achieve the lower tax rate. He said, for instance, the county spent millions remodeling the tax office and now it plans to spend more money to move it into a new building.
Byrd said there is room for the tax office at the airport and there was no need to buy property for the tax office, taking the land off the tax roll.
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If no malice was intended, then I apologize to anyone that may have been offended by my statement. I’m not taking sides in this election, at least publicly.
To often during the Presidential election race was used as a political tool; regardless of social consequence. I am emphatically, against race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or age used politically to prejudice voters in away that “may’ create serious damage to a community. While mastery of popular opinion leads to the election of a candidate; this does not guarantee adequate governing ability on the part of the individual.
When electing a person, voters need to consider current changes and potential conflicts in the future that their candidate will be responsible for. With incumbents, it’s harder to exercise an unbiased opinion anyway. While their past achievements may have be adequate, it sometimes puts them in a weaker position to properly meet change, because they hold onto past accomplishments like a wet blanket.
Where doing the same thing may have assisted them in the past, now it’s a detriment to their reasoning, in addressing new challenges. I do not envy the position of incumbents during this time of great change, because with budget shortages, it’s obvious the same old ways may not be adequate to fulfill their responsibilities of office.
February 4, 2010 at 11:26 a.m.Shadow,
Believe it or not a lot of people want to be professional politicians just like a lot of people want to be preachers. Many or most have no altruistic ideals whatsoever. It's a softer, easier way to get by and feel important.
BSspotter
Civic duty is serving on a jury, coaching a little league team, donating blood, picking up trash on the side of the road......you get the idea. Some people run for local office for self serving reasons that have nothing to do with civic duty.
February 3, 2010 at 9:28 p.m..
Shadow,
I can assure that I will have plenty to say about the County budget. You are correct that there are many problems in that area.
February 3, 2010 at 9:04 p.m.Zorro: "Why would someone with a truly successful business want to be County Commissioner? I personally know several so called "self employed" business types that are really unemployed or underemployed people with a lot of free time on their hands".
If that were the case, that logic would have to be applied to all levels of government, local and federal. Why would any successful person want to be President? There certainly is not a great deal of money to me made doing it, at least not compared to most big business CEO's.
Kci: I believe all levels of government benefit from an infusion of new blood and ideas. Once a politician learns to play the game, he starts to manipulate the game. Taking nothing away from Pozzi or Dierlam but really, lets give someone else an opportunity to contribute. We very well may be extremely pleased with the outcome. Lets face it, county finances have deteriorated and show no signs of improving and both of these men have been in office quite awhile.
February 3, 2010 at 8:14 p.m.Zorro, why would someone with the skills needed to run a county precinct well not want to use those skills to be successful in the private sector? Civic duty is a powerful force.
February 3, 2010 at 5:54 p.m.Why would someone with a truly successful business want to be County Commissioner? I personally know several so called "self employed" business types that are really unemployed or underemployed people with a lot of free time on their hands.
February 3, 2010 at 5:32 p.m.Keep Wayne Dierlam as County Commissioner, Precinct 4.
Keep Don Pozzi as County Judge.
February 3, 2010 at 3:37 p.m.Kind of funny, because people in their fifties were the ones who fought for rights of the young. Our generation wanted equal treatment, no matter age, race, gender or class distinction. Now it is a person of that age who thinks a young person isn't qualified because of youth.
I agree with the poster who stated that "the young are qualified to be shipped off to battle, but the young aren't qualified to take office" is a very wrong concept. Old enough for battle, willing to serve in politics, sounds like qualities I like.
February 3, 2010 at 1:55 p.m.Do onto others as you would have done unto you, “using age as a discriminating factor“ older voters, is unchristian and disrespectful to the memory of those that fought and died in WWII.
An old soldier told me something once, “listen to the dead not the living, because they do not lie, nor have agendas anymore”.
Discrimination is wrong, an a vote against this young man because of his age is a vote for “prejudice”. You know in your heart if you are discriminating against a person, and what kind of person that makes you, in the eyes of God.
Be like the “old” mentors of my youth who taught me to think for myself and be true to what is right in the eyes of God.
February 3, 2010 at 1:49 p.m.To bad the animosity towards Ives because of his age. It’s quite ironic that some “old men” believe young men have the expertise and knowledge to operate missions in Afghanistan, but when it comes to leadership at home, it’s another matter.
I would like to remind these “old” misguided men, that it was “they” that were in charge prior to the Great Recession. It was “old” backward thinking men that led America into the great Recession. It is young intelligent thinking men and women, along with a few open minded “old” men, who are cleaning up their mess.
Do not let the media deceive you, it is the young minds behind the scenes in the federal government, that are generating the overwhelming positive effort out of the Great Recession. Mark my words those old men that undermine the efforts of the younger generation for their own “prejudicial” purpose; “History will remember that it was your fault”.
The majority of those old people in office are not the brave and intelligent soldiers from WWII, instead they are the greedy and self-indulgent that prospered from their parents labors.
I’ve met many great old men and “women”, in my time, people of genuine sincerity and compassion for their fellow Human being; who’s intelligence was and is still astounding to me. Remarks as I have seen, do not demonstrate the honor and respect deserving of my “old” mentors.
Using age as a “discriminating factor“, is a disgrace to senior citizens and older Americans; especially the Veterans that fought against all forms of prejudice that was the overwhelming force behind the Nazi’s.
February 3, 2010 at 1:42 p.m.Age should not be a factor. We have young service members flying multi millon dollar planes, leading others into combat, yet they are younger than 29. Give me a break. How else is he going to learn. Mr Ives should be given the opportunity to guide his precint into the future. I will vote for Ives.
Besides, some of the older members of our city are to set in their ways and seem to be of self interest, move them over and let the "younger" get their feet wet.
February 3, 2010 at 12:09 p.m.GO Ernie Byrd, He has my vote.
February 3, 2010 at 9:44 a.m.