Wait! Didn't THEY say that was a bad thing??

Mayor Betsy Price and other past their prime has been officials for years have been jumping up and down shouting and pointing fingers at those running for seats on the Tarrant Regional Water District board.

They try to use the straw man tactic that the evil Dallas Boogeyman wants YOUR water!  They say that's why he donates to elections.  It couldn't be because the evil TRWD is taking his private property, right?

And then lo and behold, a former mayor and Texas Congressman (whose district does NOT include Dallas) spends their time calling around Dallas begging for money.

If you haven't seen the incumbent's campaign finance report, you should take a look.  While they scream and yell that Dallas money is bad, they took money from 6 Dallas businessmen.  Say what??

Of course the Fort Worth Star-Telegram made no mention of this irony (ironic, isn't it?) and said Lane and Lenoard took money from business leaders in "Dallas-Fort Worth".  Thanks for the laugh, ST.

Remember that the next time they tell you Dallas is trying to take control of YOUR water.  While you're at it, request a copy of the IPL (Integrated Pipeline) report (produced in part by the TRWD) that shows the pipeline, which the TRWD is so focused on, takes water TO DALLAS.

You know, that place YOUR mayor joined in with to try and make water restrictions permanent.

Remember this little gem from the FW Weekly in 2012 -

Soon after, Fort Worth’s council discussed water restrictions at a pre-council meeting. They never made it to a vote. Same thing happened in Irving.

A spokesman for Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said there would be a public hearing during the summer. That never happened either.

Keep in mind what happens when nothing ever gets done.

Stop the insanity -

Vote Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner in May!

Voters Beware! Outside interest in the TRWD water board election!

"Voters beware" is what a campaign mailer from the water board incumbents read.  Mayor Price was concerned that outside interests were trying to take over your water supply! 

First of all, WHAT water supply?

Second of all, has Mayor Price seen the incumbents campaign donations?   The incumbents are getting money from Dallas (GASP!) and Austin and cities all over Texas.  Are these the outside interests you were warned about?  Or is it the donors to the incumbents from out of state you should be concerned with?  We hear there are donations from Colorado, Arizona and that state next door we are suing in Federal court to take their water, Oklahoma. 

If they haven't noticed, there is no money in Fort Worth.  That well ran dry.  THEY spent it all.  Maybe some of those campaigns donating should hang on to their money.  They may need it.

Vote BNK.  Today.

What's in the water in Tarrant county?

Durango knows.

He's got the latest on the Betsy Price and Robert Cluck blog to Congress about a Tarrant County "water war" and the latest on the Tarrant Regional Water District candidates. 

Now might be a good time to start paying attention.  YOU can't afford not to.

It's all fun and games

Till someone gets hurt, or goes broke.

Read about the Party in Fort Worth, sponsored by Chesapeake, on Durango.  Tickets were $200.00 for individuals and up to $25,000 for a table.  WHO paid for YOUR elected leaders to attend?

There were several in attendance, from Mayor Price to Queen Earmark. 

How much did that cost YOU?

WHO owns YOUR town?

WHAT would you say if a foreign government did?

If they owned the water and the roads and the right to eminent domain.

What was Betsy Price doing in China?

Catch up on TURF.  YOU need to protect yours.  No one else will.

Seeking to defuse fears that it might use its massive USD 3.2 trillion in foreign reserves as a "political weapon", China today said it is willing to turn some of its holdings of US debt into investment in America to improve its infrastructure. 
 
It seems like foreign governments and corporations are craving U.S. public assets like toll roads, electrical grids and railways. In the case of our largest creditor, the Chinese government, they don’t want any more U.S. Treasuries, but they do want to own the hard assets that comprise our nation’s infrastructure.

It’s a good stance for our President to encourage foreign investment. But is it such a great idea for foreign firms to own our most vital infrastructure? In 2006 an enormous controversy rocked Washington when a private firm from Dubai was negotiating a deal simply to operate 22 U.S. ports. A bipartisan opposition centering on national security eventually emerged and killed the arrangement.

If the Chinese government wants to invest in U.S. infrastructure, the best place for them to do so is the municipal or corporate bond market where they can buy bonds in water and sewer systems, among other infrastructure assets. Direct ownership, even through public/private partnerships, shouldn’t be allowed. Again, national security concerns must be paramount when it comes to our infrastructure.

He's back...

Read about Moncrief's new gig in the Fort Worth Business Press.  Be sure to note WHO else is in this group.  We use the word "group" loosely.

It's business as usual with representation from Chesapeake, Tarrant Regional Water District, Devon Energy, Freese and Nichols, the Fort Worth Mayor, Linda Christie....the beat goes on.

The North Texas Commission, a regional non-profit consortium of businesses, municipalities, chambers of commerce, economic development entities and higher education institutions, has appointed its leadership for 2012.

THEY "found" some money...

Yeah, it's YOURS too.

Another $15 million, that will keep the Trinity River Vision afloat, for now.  They needed to do something, people are starting to ask questions and put 2 and 2 together.  Sometimes that adds up to a billion.  But that's ok, it's YOUR money.

Read along with us about the Trinity River Vision bridges and their funding in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The first of three new bridges connecting downtown Fort Worth to the planned Trinity Uptown project is on course to be under construction by next fall, after officials disclosed Thursday that they had found $15 million more in federal funds to pay for the project.

* They FOUND $15 million?  WHO lost it in the first place?

"It allows us to stay on budget. In the next few years, we can build these bridges before we build the lake," said U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth.

Granger, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and other dignitaries gathered Thursday at the Fort Worth Club to thank regional planners for setting aside $15 million in federal mobility funds for the new Henderson Street and North Main Street bridges. The money, approved last week by the Regional Transportation Council, will be combined with $23 million in federal funds previously arranged by Granger and $24.8 million in local funds, enough to ensure that the bridges can be built, they said.

* WHO are the "other dignitaries"?  WHO are the "regional planners"?  WHO is on the Regional Transportation Council?  If you guessed part of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, you were right on the money.

(Remember WHY TURF was created?)  You may notice on their website, the August meeting would not be recorded.  WHY?

Transportation construction is part of the initial focus of the Trinity Uptown project, a $909 million effort to convert the near north side of Fort Worth into a walkable neighborhood with dense residential areas, shops, museums and night life.

* Key word, dense.

The project would accomplish many goals that city officials have long touted -- flood control, economic development, ecological restoration, and increased recreation on the river and its banks.

* This has been touted as a lot of things, looks like the list is expanding.

Thursday's funding announcement is the latest example of how aggressively local leaders are working to start construction of the Trinity Uptown bridges.

Those figures, however, don't include land acquisition, relocation, cleanup and other costs that could push the total to $110 million, officials have said.

* This is the part in a commercial when they talk real fast at the end and tell you what all is NOT included.

The original plan was to use some of the state's voter-approved transportation bonds, but the Regional Transportation Council instead found $15 million available in federal surface transportation funds, Fort Worth Councilman Jungus Jordan said.

*  When it starts off with "the original plan was...but"  YOU know you're in for it.  Again, WHERE did they find this money?

The city is responsible for construction of the bridges. Partner agencies include the Tarrant Regional Water District and Tarrant County. Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation and Army Corps of Engineers were also on hand Thursday.

* The partners are WHO YOU thought they were.  They always are. 

There were some interesting comments on the article, too:

Is this the same Kay Granger that rails against the spending of taxpayer money on pork? The same Kay Granger that voted against the stimulus but gladly takes stimulus dollars for her pet projects and to benefit her special interest donors? The same Kay Granger that spends taxpayer money railing the President faithfully on every GOP talking point, but whose actions don't follow those words? Yeah. Same one. Go figure.

There's a change...

Seems someone swiped money from a politician.  Talk about a switch.

Read about Betsy Price's missing campaign money in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"Evidently, someone stole the account information and then created their own debit cards and a check," she said.

One debit card transaction was for $346.37 at a Walmart in Abilene; the other debit card transaction was for $291.50 at a Walmart in Oklahoma City, according to a Fort Worth police report.

Price said investigators have asked Wal-Mart for surveillance video to try to identify the offender or offenders.

The fraudulent check for $300.94 was passed at a Lowe's in Fort Worth, the report said.

The former Tarrant County tax assessor-collector said account theft can happen to anybody and pledged to monitor her campaign account more closely.

On her last campaign finance report, Price had $14,538.81 in her account on June 30, the last day of the reporting period.

Hold the phone...

Did we just agree on something?

Read Mitch's column in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram concerning Fort Worth Tax abatements.

We also agree with Betsy - we'd like to know what's in the water too.  Better yet, WHAT water?

Contrast those deals with the small ball that the city was playing last week. The planning department proposed tax breaks for three projects, including one pledging to bring just 60 jobs to the area -- and to fast-growing Alliance at that.

Frac Tech Services, proposing the biggest expansion, is already in Fort Worth. Do you think a fracking company would leave the fracking capital of the world over a tax break?

Mayor Betsy Price said it was all good, too: "I've talked to friends around the state who want to know what the heck you put in the water in Fort Worth that everybody's coming to Fort Worth."

Several company executives were at the pre-council meeting, yet they weren't called upon. Is it unreasonable to ask whether the tax breaks are necessary to pull off the deal?

Council members don't have to grill anybody or cause embarrassment. But they should at least feign some due diligence.

Maybe they'll be more engaged when the abatements come up for a vote next month. Last week's session was so brief and perfunctory that I longed for the days of Clyde Picht and the late Chuck Silcox. Those former members opposed almost every tax break on the principle that everyone should pay a fair share.

Even Wendy Davis, a champion of economic development, could be counted on to ask about "the gap." She's a state senator now, but when she served on the council, she pored over spreadsheets and demanded to know why a taxpayer contribution was crucial to closing a deal.

"If Oprah Winfrey were moving to Texas, would we offer her an abatement to move to Fort Worth?" Picht said.

Mayor Moncrief rides away in new Rolls????

Today, Betsy Price will be sworn in as the new Mayor of Fort Worth. 

We wonder if Mayor Moncrief and Rosie will be rolling in their new ride to the ceremony.  Seems they drove their 2011 Rolls Royce to Betsy's campaign gathering on election night.  We hear it was quite a sight to see, with no tags, plates, etc. 

We also hear the price tag was close to $500,000.  Pretty good change for a Mayor.  Then again, it could have been a gift from some of his "friends". 

Let's hope this Price brings some change.  We're gonna need it.

We're told the City Council meeting tonight will be moved to the Convention Center.  We were then asked, "Aren't most circuses held at the Convention Center?"

The Great Divide

In Fort Worth.

A couple of interesting things in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

One being a letter to the editor that makes note of the switch in political parties our Congresswoman made to get elected and WHO she is beholden to.  Remember, she asked your new Mayor to run.  WHO is she now beholden to?


The new mayor

Fort Worth blew its opportunity to elect a qualified known quantity as mayor. I am not acquainted with Betsy Price but am looking forward to falling in love with her. The last female mayor we had was a very good one. It was only after she left the mayor's post that she became so totally beholden to the Republican Party.

-- Joe Hays, Fort Worth

The other being Bud Kennedy's article about Fort Worth being divided.  There are reasons for the split  - they are political and have a great deal to do with the economics of each neighborhood.

Kathleen Hicks is at it again, saying we can find money for a Superbowl but not streetlights.  Doesn't Kathleen serve on the Trinity River Vision board? 

Boswell summed it up in two words in 06.  Failed and neglected...

In 2006, then-City Manager Charles Boswell gave a passionate speech about how leaders have neglected "the other Fort Worth," the one-third of residents with low graduation and employment rates but high crime rates.

He didn't draw an east-west split, but he did say City Hall failed to maintain inner-city streets and drainage.

Promises, Promises, Promises

Remember them, hold politicians to them.

In the Fort Worth Business Press, Betsy Price, said:

“When I’m sworn in my first priority is to get the budget handled and help protect taxpayers,” Price said.

While Price has expressed support for the Trinity River Vision, she has also said she would not support putting any more local tax money into the effort without voter approval.

A mayor that protects taxpayers?  NO more local money thrown after the TRV ditch?  Understandably, we'll have to see it to beleive it. 

Name your Price...

Mayor Moncrief has announced his support for Betsy Price.  What does that tell you? 

THE PEOPLE have plenty to tell you, read the comments on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article.

Well if Mongrief says Price is the man, then that's enough for me. I'm voting for Lane.

So are we.  Don't be sheep -

VOTE!!!

Mayor of the Trinity River

The comments on the Fort Worth Weekly article show that some are still confused.  To clear things up, Kay Granger asked Betsy Price to run for Mayor.  Not Jim Lane.  What does that tell you?

Read the article and the comments on Fort Worth Weekly.

Crossing party lines

WHY would Betsy Price not attend Democrat forums in Fort Worth?  Aren't there Democrats in Fort Worth?  Why, yes, there are.  As matter of fact, our Congresswoman was one before she switched sides. 

WHY would Betsy not agree to attend a forum in each district and turn down many organizations for an open debate?

Part of a recent letter may say it all -

We do not need a mayor who was anointed by the establishment.

We do not need a mayor who cannot find her way to a forum in Stop Six.

Doesn't add up...

Some good Letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  We wonder how much they were edited? 

Seems people have the same question we've been hearing since news broke Betsy Price was running for Mayor...WHO pays??

A tax assessor makes more than a hundred grand a year. The Fort Worth mayor's position pays about $30,000. Why would a person leave a well-paying public position for one that doesn't even pay one-fourth as much? Maybe there's some outside lobbying going on. I think we'll be the ones paying for it down the line. I just don't trust a person who has made that much money on the taxpayers' dime for so many years to suddenly take a huge cut in pay, all for "the good of the people."

I am voting for Jim Lane in this runoff. He's given a lot to this city without the large salary. He's the clear choice for Fort Worth.

-- Don Beims, Fort Worth
 
The next letter made us laugh.  Beholden to the taxpayers?  Which ones?  The Grangers? Cheseapeake? The Kelly's?   Where do they find these people?  City Hall?
 
Betsy is beholden only to taxpayers, not to special interests inside or outside city government.
 
And they'll be laughing, all the way to the bank...

What they said...

The Fort Worth Weekly has a good overview on the Mayor's election.  YOU can't afford to miss it.  Oh wait, most of you did.

Only one in 10 voters bothered to cast a ballot in last week’s mayoral election, and the large majority of them preferred either Betsy Price or Jim Lane, the two candidates least likely to poke a stick in any of the powerful groups that run this town.

Well, not too concerned. Not worried enough to take an hour out of their Saturday to go vote. For all you in the nine-tenths out there: If things don’t go the way you like locally in the next few years, don’t call us.

Double take

Check out the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle and the Fort Worth Mayor Boondoggle on Durango.

The picture alone is worth it.

Fort Worth Fail

The Fort Worth Mayor race...what a disappointment.  Since some of you couldn't be bothered to get off your couch to vote, you'll get more of what you got. 

Now what we've got is a bunch of politicians, the gas industry, the police and fire associations fighting over the Mayor.  So, whichever one is elected, WHO do you think they will answer to?  THE PEOPLE or the ones WHO bought their campaign?

Good guess, Einstein.

See what Durango had to say here.

See what Clyde had to say here.

I think it’s by design that two candidates favoring abuse of eminent domain, gross waste of public monies, and favoring the well connected and influential, are the last two standing in the June runoff election.

Kay Granger, Dee Kelly, and Ed Bass will laugh all the way to the bank. They win no matter who is elected. The TRV keeps wasting along and the influence over public spending and other downtown accommodation doesn’t change a bit. Those are three individuals who Betsy Price initially named as the ones who influenced her to run for mayor. Chesapeake gas jumped on the half Price bandwagon late in the electioneering, so they have preserved their place of influence as well.

Not that Lane is without influence, his treasurer is Ken Barr, former mayor and Chesapeake Gas lobbyist. It goes without saying that Jim will continue to support the flagrant abuse of property rights and wasteful spending of tax dollars. Jim’s other albatross is the police and firefighter unions who have pumped tons of money into his campaign. So to whom does he owe his allegiance?

The Price is Wrong

It's time to change Lane's...

Fort Worth Mayor's race in full swing.  Some letters in the paper point out some things that raise some questions about Lane and Price.  Do us all a favor, vote for Cathy Hirt.  Nobody is buying her. 

Don't be bought.

Betsy Price, a great lady and excellent tax collector, claims to be a fiscal conservative. But she's not. As a member of the TRV citizen committee, Betsy supports the $1 billion Trinity River Vision project and believes the use of tax abatements, TIFs and eminent domain to benefit the politically connected is a legitimate government function.

I admired this former business owner for introducing professional management practices, innovations and advanced technology that modernized the Tax Department and actually saved taxpayers millions of dollars. Betsy knows her first obligation is to taxpayers.

So is Betsy obligated to the taxpayer or Kay Granger and Cheseapeake?  Which is it? 

And WHO will Lane be obligated to?

The police and firefighter organizations are basically sponsoring Jim Lane's candidacy. Their eye-popping $154,000 funding represents more than two-thirds of his campaign contributions. This goes far beyond an endorsement. The police and firefighters, most of whom don't live in Fort Worth, are running a candidate for mayor.

In 2011 and 2012, the mayor and council will be trying to bring pension costs under control for all city employees, including police and firefighters. With that kind of connection, how can we count on Lane to work for the taxpayers of Fort Worth when negotiating with the people that paid his way into office?