H.R. No. 506
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The dramatic rise in drug trafficking and associated
    1-2  violence and crime has created a new "terrorism," holding our
    1-3  neighborhoods and our children's futures hostage; drugs do not
    1-4  discriminate on the basis of age, race, nationality, or sex, and no
    1-5  income level is immune; and
    1-6        WHEREAS,  Further escalating the fear of being a victim is
    1-7  the creeping realization that this new terrorism is a strain
    1-8  stubbornly resistant to "normal" solutions of increasing police and
    1-9  security, strengthening prison sentences, and providing greater
   1-10  isolation and stiffer penalties; and
   1-11        WHEREAS, Taylor, Texas, and "The Line" were long known as the
   1-12  drug capital of Central Texas, and open-air drug selling was
   1-13  common; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, On April 12, 1994, citizens of Taylor from all walks
   1-15  of life, white, black, brown, old, and young, became fed up and
   1-16  joined with their police department, housing authority, and others
   1-17  to take back their neighborhoods by creating Turn Around Taylor;
   1-18  and
   1-19        WHEREAS, Members of Turn Around Taylor marched weekly on drug
   1-20  areas and by the members' marching, the buyers and sellers are
   1-21  being run out of town, and the buildings that were their havens
   1-22  have been torn down by the Texas National Guard; and
   1-23        WHEREAS, The Texas National Guard, Company E, 111th Engineer
   1-24  Battalion of the 49th Armored Division, and Waste
    2-1  Management/Longhorn Disposal donated their time and services to
    2-2  demolish and remove 26 crack houses; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, Turn Around Taylor is a prime example of Texans
    2-4  having pride in their communities and the independence to not wait
    2-5  on government or someone else to do the job for them; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, Turn Around Taylor has succeeded on its own, showing
    2-7  that success is not dependent on money and government support,
    2-8  which in fact can be detrimental; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, Turn Around Taylor has dropped overall crime 56
   2-10  percent and violent crime 82 percent in targeted areas, and a new
   2-11  spirit has taken hold; neighborhoods are no longer controlled and
   2-12  victimized by dealers, and neighbors have changed from fearful
   2-13  victims to fearless victors;  in short, "they have met the hero and
   2-14  he is them"; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, A targeted confrontation, mobilization, and
   2-16  education process led by neighbors in conjunction with law
   2-17  enforcement and others has proved effective in reducing trafficking
   2-18  and lowering crime and violence in neighborhoods; and
   2-19        WHEREAS, To spread Turn Around Taylor's success, Governor
   2-20  George W. Bush has created Turn Around Texas in partnership with
   2-21  the attorney general's office, the Texas National Guard, Waste
   2-22  Management, and the U.S. Department of Justice; now, therefore, be
   2-23  it
   2-24        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, of the 74th
   2-25  Texas Legislature, commend and congratulate Turn Around Taylor, the
   2-26  City of Taylor and its citizens, the Taylor Police Department, and
   2-27  the Taylor Housing Authority for their dedication and commitment in
    3-1  taking back their neighborhoods from drug trafficking; and, be it
    3-2  further
    3-3        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives, of the 74th
    3-4  Texas Legislature, recognize the members of Turn Around Taylor as
    3-5  the true heroes in the battle against drugs and crime.