Fort Worth Special Election

Greg Hughes Files for Fort Worth's City Council District 9 Special Election

20-Year District 9 Resident and Past Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) Commissioner Brings Years of Service Experience




Greg Hughes
greg@greg4district9.com

FORT WORTH, February 26, 2014­ – Former Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) commissioner and neighborhood leader Greg Hughes filed today as a candidate in the special election to fill the council seat vacated by Councilman Joel Burns.

"Joining the City Council will be another way to continue serving this great city. With years of service already under my belt I look forward to a new chapter of my service and the opportunities it brings," said Hughes.

Hughes's 20-years of service as a resident of District 9 include advocacy and leadership around environmental, public transportation and neighborhood issues, including:

·      Founding member of Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance, a grassroots pressing the City of Fort Worth for a more responsible approach to gas drilling.

·      Vice president of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, past co-chair of its Prairie Fest and chairman of the Fort Worth Prairie Park committee of the Great Plains Restoration Council, he advocated for environmental awareness, restoration and stewardship of urban prairie lands.

·      Board Secretary and Member of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) Executive Committee and its representative to the Regional Transportation Council, during which time he was active in bringing the Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth.

·      Founding member and first president of the Fort Worth Alliance for Responsible Development (FORWARD), amplifying the voices of citizens concerned with the design of the Chisholm Trail Parkway

·      Past president of the University West Neighborhood Association and founder of the now dormant University Neighborhood Alliance, a group of neighborhood associations around University Drive.

Hughes also announced his appointment of businesswoman and civic volunteer Wendy Vann Roach as campaign treasurer.

Quote of the Week

We had several we wanted to post, but they mysteriously disappeared from Facebook Monday night.  Maybe it had to do with a Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial which talked about social media.

"But now, all manner of inappropriate commentary is preserved on the Internet and shared before its authors have the opportunity to consider the consequences....

But it’s a useful reminder that in a world where we have the unprecedented ability to share our thoughts at will, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should."

So now the quote of the week goes to former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Jim Hightower.  Last night on MSNBC, he, Calvin Tillman and Josh Fox were addressing the Exxon Mobil executive who has suddenly become one of the things he hates, a NIMBY (Not in my back yard).  He is suing to try and keep a huge water tower from being erected near his 100 acres in Texas. Seems it's an eyesore and he doesn't want the truck traffic.  Hightower called it "phallic justice", with a grin.  We're not sure how he didn't bust out laughing.

We've also heard there's a special place in hell for some of these folks, Hightower suggested they may want to spend their millions investing in air conditioning...

What's Hightower up to these days?  We'd vote for him.

All fired up!

Between the emails we received and the comments left online, seems folks in Fort Worth get it. Their "leaders", well, that's another story.

WHY would we spend $6.5 million on bridges over dry land while we can't even pay our Fire Department without sticking our hand up for a federal grant?  What's wrong with this picture?

And someone please define conservative for those in office.  They are apparently the only ones who don't get it.

Below is a comment left on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and an email sent to the Star Telegraph. You can learn more from two citizens than one FWST reporter. First the comment on the Star-Telegram article, followed by the email sent to the Star-Telegraph....

Its hopeless. The city of Ft Worth apparently can't afford to finance its own fire department and has to depend upon the Federal Government to make do. Where are the Feds getting the money? From borrowing it and printing it. How is the federal government ever going to get its budget balanced if it is financing city fire departments around the nation?

________________________________________

So, Kay gets the fire dept. a grant for 3 million as the city sinks 6 million into the bridges. What say we fund our own police and fire with our own money and stop funding this farce that swallows up funds from every taxing authority... at all levels.

Why are our elected officials STILL pushing this giant turd?

Kay throws the fire dept. a bone so they won't make noise over the diversion of City funds to the TRV. The police and fire should strike until the city abandons the TRV!

If it's good for the goose...

While fracking and other drilling techniques have opened up large reserves of oil and natural gas in Texas, they’ve also caused literal headaches, traffic jams and fatal accidents, and strains on water supplies. As a result, some Texas communities are pushing back: Dallas has passed strict limits on drilling; citizens in Denton, Texas are working a ban on drilling altogether within city limits. And now joining the list of residents who don’t want some fracking infrastructure in their backyard? Rex Tillerson, head of ExxonMobil, which is the largest producer of natural gas in the country.

No Fracking Way....

Fort Worth is flush...NOT

The city is throwing around money like they have it.  Last week it was Wal-mart and a developer, now it's the TRV.  Total for these 3 alone - approximately $49 million.

Isn't it nice to know YOUR tax dollars aren't being wasted...

And remember when they say the TRWD "acquired" the land, that means they took it.

You can read about the scheme in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though this is really all you need to know:

The vision depends on Congress to provide about half the $910 million needed to complete the project.

Got Water?

An article in the FWST confirms what folks have been saying for years.  Water is drying up as fast as the money. So how will Fort Worth sustain all these news (tax abated) businesses and residents with no water and no functioning free(toll)ways?  Someone may want to flip the switch and turn the Bat signal on already.

“Obtaining new supply sources to get us more water and to meet those growing needs is going to be very expensive,” said Mary Gugliuzza, spokeswoman for the water department. “It is going to cost considerably more than what our conservation efforts are costing.”

Councilmen Jungus Jordan and Joel Burns, both members of the infrastructure and transportation committee, said the conservation efforts are needed to safeguard water for future generations.

“Even if we started today, it would be 20 to 30 years before we could bring in new supplies of water,” said Jordan. “The biggest concern is that we do what we can today to ensure that this important resource is available to us in the future.”

If you'd like to learn more from a survey you never heard about, come out next Tuesday.  It should be fun.

On Feb. 27, Fort Worth water customers are invited to hear how the input they provided last year was used in developing the proposed revised conservation and drought plans. The 6:30 p.m. meeting is at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

The proposed revisions are based on public input the water department received last year through a phone survey, online survey, workshops and a virtual meeting that allowed people to participate using a phone or the Internet. Tarrant Regional Water District also conducted a phone survey of Fort Worth customers.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires these plans be updated every five years. The revisions must be submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by May 1. The Water Department is scheduled to review the proposed plans with the Fort Worth City Council on March 18 and bring the appropriate ordinances and resolutions forward for City Council action on April 1.

In addition, there was a regional effort among major Metroplex water providers to develop consistent stages, goals and actions for when a drought or emergency response is needed. This effort included the North Texas Municipal Water District, Tarrant Regional Water District, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, the Trinity River Authority and the cities of Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington and Mansfield.

Entities that purchase treated drinking water from Fort Worth are required by contract to have the same mandatory measures for their customers. The wholesale customers that regularly purchase water include Bethesda Water Supply Corp., Burleson, Crowley, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Everman, Forest Hill, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst , Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Northlake, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club Municipal Utility District, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village and White Settlement

They did it again...

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has started their always hilarious political endorsements.  Right out of the gate, they made us laugh.  And they helped us make some choices on WHO we wouldn't be voting for.  That's how most people use the FWST endorsements, if the paper (and city hall) is pushing them, run, the other way.

We'll start with the Tarrant County DA race - "Wilson for DA, but with caution"  Um, what??  Do we want a District Attorney that comes with a warning label?  Some have made the claim that the FWST only wants Wilson as DA so they can stay in business, figuring the drama will sell more papers.

Wilson, staking her reputation as a tough judge in a criminal court where she sees some of Tarrant County’s worst felons, criticizes Shannon’s office as lax. She says she wants to work prosecutors harder and be a stronger voice for crime victims and arresting officers.

That is a mistaken and troubling view of the office.

The district attorney represents the state alone, never the victim or city police. The sole goal must be justice, not revenge or victory.

She has one blemish on her record, and she has not handled it well in this campaign.

In 2008, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct privately admonished Wilson for unfairly revoking a teenage felony defendant’s bond and for jury-room behavior that two jurors considered biased.

Asked in this campaign if she has ever faced judicial discipline for conduct, she sometimes has said no. The questioner did not ask specifically whether she was admonished, she now says.

Then there is District 92 in which a FWST columnist seems to have taken an unhealthy obsession to.  If we didn't know better, we'd think Stickland was running for a seat on the Tarrant Regional Water District.  Just last year the FWST was touting Stickland "Darned if the new guy from Bedford didn't accomplish something of National importance..."  How quickly they forget.

We'll let State Representative Matt Krause share his thoughts on the "news" paper and this race -

I agree with the first three paragraphs of the Star-Telegram's assessment of the battle in House District 92 -

"Andy Cargile is a man in search of a message.

The retired teacher, coach, principal and school board trustee is challenging freshman state representative Jonathan Stickland in the Republican Primary bid for House District 92.

Cargile, 67, has led a disappointing campaign, one lacking in substance but replete with attacks on his opponent’s lack of education."

How the newspaper ended up endorsing the man they just described as disappointing and without a message is confusing.  My guess is that on election day, it will be Jonathan Stickland, who gets the endorsement of the vast majority of voters in District 92.  And that would be a very good thing!

The Star Telegraph endorses common sense.  Therefore, we're voting for George Mackey for DA and Jonathan Stickland for District 92.

No, thank you.

We recently told you Fort Worth was spending another $12 million dollars for another Wal-mart.

Last night on WFAA we learned this new Wal-mart site is a mere 3 miles from another one.  And that there are a handful of Wal-mart's in a 7 mile radius from the new site.

WFAA took a poll to see if that's what THE PEOPLE (read:Voters) really wanted.  83% said no.

Let's hope those 83% go vote.

What's another $30 million?

What's another $30 million?

"Clearfork developer seeks $30 million in tax breaks from Fort Worth" is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram headline.  It talks all about how  greeat this is and how bad it is needed.  And about the $12 million Fort Worth is thinking about giving another Wal-mart.

How many Town Center's does one town need?  If you have a Town Center in your town that already has the same 10 chains located there, would you drive on 820, 183, or Heaven forbid I-35, to get to another one?

And how deep is the city of Fort Worth in for the Trinity River Vision, again?

Maybe they should just start dumping money in the river.  Save time.

If you want to read what YOUR elected officials plan on doing with YOUR cash, you can read it here.

FW Star-Telegram doesn't hold water...

WHY would a local "news" paper "reporting" on a local lawsuit leave out the fact that a very similar lawsuit has already been ruled on?  Especially when the Judge in the Federal suit cited such?

If you want to read the watered down propaganda piece on the TRWD lawsuits, you can at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

If you want to read what the judge said, you can on Durango.

Tweet!

Speaking of birds and poop (see previous post)...

We've been tweeting up a storm, seems Bill Maher has offered to help some lucky town #flipadistrict.  They will pick a "lemon" congressperson and make visits to the district and report on them.  Ongoing.  On National TV. We have R's and D's tweeting for Tarrant County.  It takes a village to toss a lemon.

Once they get a load of the level of poop floating in the Trinity River, Fort Worth is a shoe in.  So far we've seen activists, non-Tarrant county award winning journalists and novelists, the FW Weekly, and occasionally the Fort Worth Business Press put out the call...

Now it's YOUR turn.

Start Tweeting, Peeps.  It's YOUR chance.

#flipadistrict

Save YOUR stuff.

Fort Worth "River Turkeys"

 The Fort Worth Weekly has the "scoop" on the dirty birds we mentioned back when the Woodshed opened.  An employee advises how to get a free meal. Though they didn't mention who cleans the pooh off the furniture.  As appetizing as all that is, we'll grab dinner elsewhere.

Turns out cattle egrets aren’t the only protected migratory birds causing problems for Fort Worth residents. Across the Trinity River from Woodshed Smokehouse, off South University Drive, is a vast network of cormorant nests.

The cormorants are also unflattering called “river turkeys.”

“They’re very fond of pooping,” a restaurant employee told Static.

The birds mostly keep away from the restaurant but, “If their poop ever lands on a customer’s plate, then we replace it for free,” the employee said. “They can be a little bit of an annoyance.