So, which one are YOU?

Truitt campaign spokesman Bryan Eppstein said critics of the Legislature's budget-balancing "fall into the camp of the people that want to support raising taxes or they fall into the group of people that don't know what they're talking about."

So if you didn't agree with the unbalanced budget, you wanted to raise taxes or you don't know what you're talking about?  Says WHO?

Read more on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  YOU can't afford not to.

Empower Texans, an influential conservative group, published a blog post recently, "Fix the Gimmicks."

"Rather than rearrange the furniture, Texans deserve the opportunity to clean up our fiscal house beginning with an honest budget free from smoke, mirrors, gimmicks and tricks," President Michael Quinn Sullivan wrote.

They're kidding, right?

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is calling for THE PEOPLE to write in about what they would cut from the budget.

However, they don't really want to know.  Their snide comment about what they don't want to hear is below.

Now, before anyone dashes off a memo saying, "Scrap earmarks for the Trinity River Vision" or "End all family-planning subsidies," here are the parameters:

Any cuts you recommend must affect you personally. Are you willing to give up the mortgage deduction on your vacation home? How about paying Social Security taxes on more of your wages and working longer before collecting benefits? Will you share more of the costs for your prescription drugs or your federal pension?

Now we usually don't engage or promote name-calling, but we have to ask, WHAT moron thinks the Trinity River Vision doesn't personally affect them?  If you live in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, United States of America - YOU are affected.  You're footing the entire bill, and that's just for starters.  Do we have to remind you we are running out of water?  The Tarrant Regional Water District is too busy losing law suits in Oklahoma, taking private property by eminent domain, promoting floating in a highly toxic river and dumping OUR money into the TRV to be concerned with things like WATER.

This just goes to show how out of touch some of the "news" is.  This isn't the first time they've told their customers they don't want to hear about the Trinity River Vision.  WHY would that be?  We're working on other out of touch examples, YOU won't want to miss them.

Watauga Waves

The budget for Watauga did not pass through the council as it always has before.

Three new council members are being blamed by the old council members.  Three new council members are being thanked by the citizens.  Be sure and read the comment.  It gives you a side the "news" forgot to.  The side of the people that the council is elected to represent.

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Wednesday night's vote was 4-3 in favor of the budget, but a two-thirds majority was required for passage.

It was the first time a proposed budget has been rejected in Watauga, city officials said.

"I wish we could have reached a better level of consensus in the previous [budget] workshops," Clements said.

"My only objection was to the tax increase. Overall, I agreed with the budget, except for hiring new people."

Mayor Harry Jeffries said he was disappointed in the council.

"We've had enough work sessions for people to ask questions, and they weren't asked," he said. "I have three people who don't want to raise taxes. I don't want to raise taxes, and the other councilmen don't want to raise taxes. But you come to a point where you look at the loss in [total] property valuation and something has to happen to make that up.

"Either you cut services or you raise taxes."

Watauga has lost considerable taxable property value in the last several years. Between 2010 and 2011, the total property value in Watauga dropped about $10.2 million.

Hello? Anyone there?

Part of another letter from a citizen to the City of Fort Worth.  Do they read their emails?  Concerened about lack of transparency? Gas Drilling? Budget?  Water?  It's all here...everything but a response.

Dear Mayor and Council Members:

The CITIZENS of Ft. Worth are not pleased with both the lack of advance notice for Tuesday's Gas Drilling Workshop, as well as the misleading dates and lack of opportunity for citizen participation.

The following facts will illustrate our concerns:

1. In previous information issued by the City, and in the City News (e-newsletter) issued in July, it was noted that this Gas Drilling Workshop would be part of the series of Budget hearings, and the date listed was August 30th.

Not only was the date moved UP a good 2 weeks, but the citizens were given absolutely NO advance notice of this change. (NOTE the emailed copy below that I received, showing that it was sent by the City on MONDAY evening, 8/15!)

Obviously, there were folks who probably did find out over the weekend (after the Council's Agenda's are posted on the previous Friday); however, due to the fact that this was scheduled for a DAYTIME meeting, it severely limited advance planning or contact opportunities for the CITIZENS.

NOTE: Citizens are currently preoccupied with returning from vacations, and getting their children ready to start school this coming week.

I will compliment Asst. City Mgr. Fernando Costa on the apparent very comprehensive lineup of speakers and presenters. We would have appreciated more ADVANCE notice of these presentations so that CITIZENS could have had time to contact the Mayor, Council and Staff with the questions that WE wanted

addressed with these critically important subjects.

Any feedback and information shared by the CITIZENS will still be important, but the optimum timing for conversations with each of you would have been prior to Tuesday's Workshop. May I remind each of you that YOU are focused on these issues because it is your JOB....... the citizens are not checking these sites 24/7, and deserve NO LESS than at TWO WEEKS NOTICE when critically important issues like the gas drilling.(and related budget items) ..... which impacts EVERYONE...... are up for discussion and decisions are being made.

2. Below is the copy from your "Budget Workshop - Day 2 Recap" of the upcoming dates for the four public Budget hearings. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? There's only ONE evening meeting, and this last week's Council meeting was also a daytime meeting! To schedule only ONE evening meeting and make it just ONE week before you are going to VOTE on the Budget is totally inadequate lead time for citizens to participate.

Obviously, it's too late for this Tuesday's meeting to be changed. However, we believe that the Mayor and Council should consider either adding another EVENING meeting for Aug. 30th ( a day workshop was originally scheduled for that date), or figure out some way that there will be an additional opportunity for an EVENING meeting (far in advance of your Sept. 20th vote) when Mayor, Council and Staff will be present. We are aware that folks can submit their comments via email, but it is not the same.

(from the City's website):

City Council will vote on the final budget Sept. 20, following four public hearings:

10 a.m. Aug. 16
10 a.m. Aug. 23
7 p.m. Sept. 13
10 a.m. Sept. 20

3. The GAS DRILLING issues, as you realized from your Tuesday Workshop, are far-reaching and not ones with "simple solutions." There are very serious threats to the health and safety of our NEIGHBORHOODS that need to be addressed.  You were able to hear and see presentations from representatives from these various entities, and know that there are changes that need to be made in both the Gas Drilling Ordinance, as well as Budget allocations.

In a year when the City of Ft. Worth is facing another LARGE BUDGET DEFICIT, it is time to face the reality of creating an EIF - Environmental Impact Fee - that will be assessed to ALL GAS DRILLING, PIPELINE AND RELATED COMPANIES doing business in Ft. Worth. Those fees should be placed in a separate Escrow fund , to be used ONLY to pay for things like the Air Quality Study, as well as BASELINE testing of any sites proposed for gas drilling & fracking, pipelines, compressors, storage tanks, and any related equipment or activity.

NCTCA has long advocated for this Environmental Impact Fee; it is a justified fee that the INDUSTRY should bear, NOT the citizens. We also believe that revenues from such a fee should be used to REIMBURSE the City accounts for the recently completed Air Quality Study. To pay the $1 MILLION-plus out of the Gas Drilling Revenues is to ROB the citizens and our City treasury of funds that should be directed to other much needed items....... oh, say, like POOLS or LIBRARIES!

4. As you can see from the noted items above, Friends, there is a PRESSING need to address and resolve these issues...... and not a lot of time to do so!  For example: In case no one's noticed, WE ARE IN A SEVERE/ EXTREME DROUGHT, AND TO CONTINUE TO GIVE THE GAS DRILLING INDUSTRY CARTE BLANCHE FOR WATER USAGE WHEN CITIZENS ARE BEING REQUIRED TO CUT BACK IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! Cities like Grand Prairie, Southlake and others have realized the URGENCY, and have issued WATER restrictions on the gas drilling acitivities for the duration of the severe/ extreme drought conditions. This issue impacts not only our CITY BUDGET, but also our Water Department and our "precious jewel" - Trinity Park ( Chesapeake has huge pipelines running through our gorgeous trees that are draining water from the Trinity River as I write this!)

Cowtown is seeing many farmers and ranchers in the area selling off large numbers of their herds due to the drought. We cannot wait til we get to an EMERGENCY situation and run OUT of water to address this issue!

You are proposing - FOR THE THIRD YEAR - another RATE HIKE ON OUR WATER BILLS, which, in essence, amounts to a TAX. The City should be RAIISING the fees on an industry that it using our TREATED WATER for fracking, and not being limited in their usage in any way! This is UNACCEPTABLE, and requires a change in the Ordinance, as well as City policy.

The Tarrant County Water Board has recently warned that they anticipate that as of Sept. 1st, ALL cities in the County will be placed under mandatory water restrictions during this drought period. CITIZENS have yet to hear how you plan to address both the fiscal and the physical issues related to WATER used by the shale gas industry.

Mayor and Council Members: I've cited THREE main areas of concern:

1. Scheduling another EVENING public hearing for the Budget.

2. Addressing the critically important issues, as outlined in your Tuesday

Workshop, at a public hearing to allow feedback from the CITIZENS. (and including many of these same presenters to answer questions).

3. Creating a written POLICY NOW related to the WATER usage by the gas drilling industry during this SEVERE/ EXTREME DROUGHT period, and, especially, if water restrictions are required of the citizens. We ask that you consider these three points, and make public announcements related to each, with advance notice to the citizens, on how you plan to address and resolve these issues.

We know that our new Mayor Price has had to "hit the floor running" (or, "peddle FAST on her bike"!), and that's required immediately jumping into the Budget challenges. All of the above issues require both TRANSPARENCY with the Citizens, and a willlingness to face and make the HARD decisions necessary for positive solutions that will protect the health and safety of the citizens and neighborhoods.

NCTCA - the North Central Texas Communities Alliance - continues to stand ready to help and serve as a RESOURCE as you make these hard decisions. Please feel free to contact me anytime to discuss these matters further.

With best regards,
Esther McElfish - President
NCTCA - North Central TX Communities Alliance

Texas Jobs

The article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram puts some numbers to job losses due to the proposed budget cuts.

Maybe those folks can get a job with the Trinity River Vision.  It's all about priorities?

The analysis forecasts that in 2013, as many as 335,244 jobs will be lost in the public and private sectors. A statement from the board's director said the reductions in the proposed budget stem largely from the "steep downturn of the Texas economy" over the past several years.

The board, the Legislature's chief budget agency, was required by a House rule to issue the economic impact statement after the House Appropriations Committee OK'd a spending blueprint Wednesday. The proposed budget would reduce state spending by $22.9 billion over two years, eliminating outright more than 8,000 state jobs and forcing deep cuts in healthcare, education and other services.

Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, who wrote the rule requiring the impact statement, said the board's findings showed that Texas faces the elimination of "hundreds of thousands of jobs."

There's a good letter along the same lines today to.

Budget cuts

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley voiced support for Community Development Block Grants because they provide jobs and help community projects. (See: "Whitley urges fellow Republicans not to cut block grant program," March 17) Those are insufficient reasons for spending taxpayer dollars.

Using the judge's math, $18 million in CDBGs created 1,200 jobs. So if we spend $180 million we would create 12,000 jobs.

Whitley said, "Yes, I am a Republican, and I agree we have to cut a lot of stuff." Well, if we are not willing to cut this because "it costs jobs," then what can we cut?

I am sure California taxpayers would prefer Texans pay to fix our own roads just as Texas taxpayers would rather not pay for bike paths in Ohio.

We have asked Planned Parenthood and NPR to seek alternative funding. If we expect them to find ways to manage without federal money, we must do the same with our local programs.

At some point, the money is going to stop. Wouldn't it be nice if it stopped because we chose to do the right thing and become self-sufficient instead of it stopping because the government ran out of funds?

-- Michael Garabedian, Keller

Hey Hey ~ Goodbye

Read what Mayor Moncrief has to say about the state of the city in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  If growth hasn't paid for itself, WHY would we expect the Trinity River Vision to?  How is the Vision different from the streetcar?  On that subject, the mayor said he couldn't commit the citizens to something he didn't know how much it would cost.  So, why has he committed you to a billion dollar boondoggle?  What's the difference?  Does that mean he knew when it was presented as $360 million it would be a billion?

With the expansion come challenges that the city can no longer meet on its own, Moncrief said. To date, the growth has not paid for itself.

Sales tax collections, though rising dramatically the past year, suffered for two straight years. Property values, too, dropped significantly.

Increasing budget deficits that peaked at $77 million last year were the result.

An aging infrastructure in need of upgrades has been among the casualties. While the city has grown by hundreds of thousands, its leaders have not increased spending on infrastructure in 10 years.

City holds budget meeting - 60 miles away

Great question in Letters to the Editor from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  We like when THE PEOPLE ask WHY?

Meeting too distant


I'm not sure how many other city councils take their annual budget planning meeting out of the city, but the Euless council does.

For at least the last five years, the meeting has been in Kaufman, nearly 60 miles from City Hall.

This meeting, required by law to be open, is essentially closed because it is so far away.

This is a three-day event, which would make a Euless resident drive nearly 360 miles to observe all or part of each day's activities. This places an extraordinary burden on anyone who wants to attend.

Not only that, this year's facility rental, lodging and meals cost more than $6,000, which is an unnecessary expense. The remodeled Euless City Hall is perfectly suitable to host this meeting.

Is the Euless council moving this meeting out of the city to intentionally limit access?

I ask the residents of Euless to write or call Mayor Mary Lib Saleh to ask why.

-- Darl Easton, Euless

Fort Worth Money...WHO does it belong to?

Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods
Update: September 9, 2010

FWLNA City of Fort Worth Proposed Budget Review

In order to better understand the City of Fort Worth 2010-2011 proposed budget and the projected $73 million budget deficit, several members of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods' Board of Directors volunteered to read, analyze, and ask questions about the City's budget documents.  These documents include a 208 page proposed budget and a 437 page decision package document as well as budget priorities and other documents posted on the City's budget webpage.

Click here for the FWLNA budget review.

We noted that, unlike last year's proposed budget document, there is no detail of general fund revenue accounts in the proposed 2010-11 budget.  We asked for departmental budget detail and were told we would have to submit an open records act request to get it.

We approached the budget review as regular citizens, albeit ones who because of our neighborhood involvement may be more knowledgeable than most about certain City programs, services and practices.

We have not claimed to be City of Fort Worth budget experts nor have we thought that should be necessary.  It seemed to us that average citizens ought to be able to read,  understand, and get a reasonably complete, detailed picture of the proposed budget from the City's website.  We have watched many of the budget hearings and City Council workshops on the budget; however we are not privy to behind the scenes changes in the budget.

The public budget buzz since August 10 when the city manager released his proposed version has mostly been about 3 things:  1) the projected $73 million budget deficit; 2) the proposed closure of the Ridglea, North Side, and Meadowbrook branch libraries; and 3) the merging of the Parks and Community Services Department under the Library Department.

One observer noted that no one has challenged the assumptions of the $73 million budget deficit.  Various news outlets have cited the real problems as cost issues surrounding City employee pensions and City commitments to already in place police and fire contracts.  Those are the real issues they have said.

Other observers have noted the theory of the proposed budget -- that cutting services, maintenance and amenities in response to lower property valuations and tax revenue will balance the budget - will also only further lower property values over the long-term, creating a cycle of lower tax revenue and higher deficits.  They contend the proposed solution is illogical and averse to reversing the deficit issue, digging a deeper hole for
future budget years.

While acknowledging the big picture items, we took another approach as well.  Knowing that closing the 3 branch libraries (a service much demanded by neighborhood residents) will "save" the City between $516,000. and $1.2 million, we set about to find other information which might illuminate the budget priorities and choices inherent in the proposed budget document.

Our review set up a whole list of priorities and choices which are proposed.  If you read the document, you can find priorities which are funded, choices which are made.  So the question is, what is most important to the citizens?  What are they willing to live without and what are they not willing to live without?   When compared to stated citizen priorities, where do business development, the Super Bowl, funding for programming for the homeless, gas drilling, etc. land?  Are citizens aware of how much will be spent on big priority items such as these?  How do they feel about that when they compare those expenditures to basic services such as libraries and parks?

We also discovered a cash excess in the general fund of over $23 million, that according to the City's budget manager, will not be spent on general fund expenditures in
FY 2010- 11.  Why not?  What is it being reserved for?  If a community service such as libraries is so important to the citizens, would the citizens prefer that some of the $23 million in excess general fund revenues be spent to keep the 3 branch libraries (and a host of other services) open?

In addition to reviewing the budget and asking questions of city staff (for the presentation at the League's general membership meeting on September 2), we also compiled an initial list of budget revenue generators suggested by a variety of sources.  We did not include the idea of increasing the ad valorem tax although we are aware of at least one citizens group advocating that measure.

Click here for Disaster Recovery Deposit Concept
Click here for Economics Teacher Barbara Ellis' idea on investing in the city
Click here for opinion piece on voluntary taxes idea

 Our review of the City's proposed budget raised more questions than it answered.  Budget priorities were approved by the City Council in January 2010.  They set the stage for the drafting of the City Manager's proposed 2010-11 budget. What, exactly, are core City services?  Do the elected officials see these the same way the citizens see them?

Fundamentally, our review raised the question - what kind of city can Fort Worth residents expect Fort Worth to be next year and in the near term?  A city which can pay for fire and police (as valuable as they are) and nothing else? Is that the Fort Worth citizens - neighborhood residents -- want?

We hope our review encourages more citizens to review the City's proposed budget (at http://www.fortworthgov.org/) and make their priorities and choices known to the elected officials.  A list of their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses follows.

The City will hold a budget hearing on Tuesday evening, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Fort Worth City Hall, 1000 Throckmorton.  Residents are encouraged to attend and express their opinions on the proposed budget.

Contacts:

Mayor Mike Moncrief
Telephone:  817-392-6118
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  Mike.Moncrief@fortworthgov.org

Sal Espino, District 2
Telephone:  817-392-8802
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District2@fortworthgov.org

Zim Zimmerman, District 3
Telephone:  817-392-8803
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District3@fortworthgov.org

Danny Scarth, District 4
Telephone: 817-392-8804
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District4@fortworthgov.org

Frank Moss, District 5
Telephone:  817-392-8805
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District5@fortworthgov.org

Jungus Jordan, District 6
Telephone:  817-392-8806
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District6@fortworthgov.org

Carter Burdette, District 7
Telephone:  817-392-8807
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District7@fortworthgov.org

Kathleen Hicks, District 8
Telephone:  817-392-8808
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District8@fortworthgov.org

Joel Burns, District 9
Telephone:  817-392-8809
Fax:  817-392-6187
E-mail:  District9@fortworthgov.org

About the Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods

The Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods was founded in 1985 by four neighbors: Chris Goetz, Dr. Glenn Kroh, Mary Palko and Ben Ann Tomayko who believed in the importance of neighborhood involvement in the civic decision-making process, especially when it directly impacted the quality of life in our communities.  17 charter member neighborhood organizations signed up to join in the pursuit of forming a citywide coalition to create a strong and coordinated voice at city hall.

Today, the League of Neighborhoods still promotes the same philosophy. Drawing on the collective experience of its 25-year long history as an institution, the League is recognized throughout the region as an umbrella organization advocating for neighborhoods at various levels of government and other nonprofits.  Our membership is made up of neighborhood associations, homeowner associations, property owner associations and neighborhood alliances. The League continues to provide education and guidance to its member organizations and the community at large.

The Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods believes that neighborhoods are the most basic organizational units in a city and is committed to ensuring that neighborhoods remain the strong and viable contributors they have historically been to the quality of life and identity of Fort Worth

The goals of Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods is to unite neighborhoods and to give them an effective voice in the critical issues facing them, from zoning and crime, to city parks and urban gas drilling. Our challenge is to support the diversity and stability of neighborhoods throughout the city.

Bigger in Texas

Imagine that...Fort Worth's budget is worse than the other major Texas cities.  Says the Star-Telegram.

WHY is that?  Could it be THEY are spending too much of OUR money on other things?  While they continue to cut services to the community and ignore their constituents (those who are listening and voting).

Instead, Fort Worth vows to spend millions on things like keeping Radio Shack here and the Trinity River Boondoggle.  Did YOU get a vote on either of those things? What about the millions of breaks they give to certain downtown companies?

And did the Federal government just give Fort Worth millions of dollars to do a study?  This is the same city that still can't find money they lost years ago.  They weren't looking until the citizens kept making noise.

So, keep making noise.

Sad but true...

We couldn't help but laugh at the comment left on this article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram concerning another day of no pay, closed offices in Fort Worth due to the budget shortfall.

Be sure and read the comment!

Down the Drain

Fort Worth can't handle their budget, but they want to give Radio Shack $10 million to stay put.  WHAT?

Didn't we already give them loads of cash to come here?

WHO's running this town? Please ask them to stop running it in the ground.

Be sure and read the comments attached to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article. The ones from THE PEOPLE.

Too broke to meet?

Fort Worth City Council meeting cancelled. Yes, cancelled.

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Save a River, Save a Job

Earlier we received several phone calls telling us that a sewer line had busted and was spilling gallons of sewage into the Trinity River in East Fort Worth. We then watched the 6:00 news to learn more info. Well, at 6:00 on the same channel, there was NO info.

The news did discuss the 183 job cuts in Fort Worth. Along with the same questions about HOW you can continue to give money to frivolous projects when over fifty people will receive their pink slip in the morning.

Kathleen Hicks is the only council member that voted against the budget. Did getting ousted as Mayor Pro Tem cause an awakening?