(Community Matters) I received an email reply from Mike today in response to my original blog posting against his rumored run for Austin’s mayor. Snippets include (I’m further posting given that Mike publicly posted the response on this blog rather than a letter or email he’d expect remain private):
Dear Eugene,I read your blog on me (below, following your e-mail to me).
As a reminder, I have reached out to you several times over the last few years to set up a breakfast, lunch or dinner. You just don’t know who I really am and even though, based on what I do know about you, we most likely have far more in common than not.
The only thing I care about is not what anybody thinks about me, but rather that I can get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and know that I have been true to myself. The one thing that I do want to put on the record is my fiduciary role with the foundation my late uncle created. We have sponsored: SafePlace, HeartGift, The McDonald Observatory, People’s Community Clinic , Planet Cancer, the Miracle Foundation, the Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Center for Child Protection, HAAM/SIMS, Badgerdog, Challenge Air. The list is longer.
Regardless of what you say about me, I respect you for your passion and concerns about the true needs of our community. We do not need to agree as long as we both care.
I did sit down for a meal with Mike once. He offered a charitable contribution for a nonprofit if we would depose a board member he did not like. I always regretted not immediately leaving the table, though, as you would expect, I did explicitly express my objection. Despite many emails and a few phone calls since that time, I have no stomach for again breaking bread with a man who is such a bully to others.
Community Matters 