No comment?

We received a comment from Anonymous, calling himself Thomas Payne.

Which Thomas Payne? There's a few...

Seems Mr. Payne missed the point, or the boat.  This blog was started two years ago, in part to point out the appalling lack of media coverage on real issues.  To give THE PEOPLE a voice, since it has been stripped away by greed and politicians.  In the course of those two years, we've learned not only is there a lack of coverage, there is something rotten in the "news" rooms in Tarrant County (Like the very post Payne was commenting on...ironic).  We have some more great examples on the way.  YOU won't want to miss it.  While we don't have to, we can assure you, Mr. Payne, the site was not started to "googlewash" a Fort Worth mayor candidate.  Though we did appreciate the laugh, thank you.
 
Unlike our mainstream media, our goal has always been to look out for the citizens. Their future and the future of their children.  We aren't paid to lie.  Call your local media about that one. 

We'll endorse WHO we want, when we want, how we want.  Got that?

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?

Fort Worth Mayor

Some great letters to the editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today.  Some made us laugh out loud.  Like the one from Bolen's son-in-law for Lane. 

Though the funniest one had to be the one from former city council member Becky Haskin, stating that Price "does not represent special interest groups who will ruin the city's budget if left unchallenged."  WHAT?  Special interest groups asked her to run, to keep their budget runining boondoogle, the Trinity River Vision flowing. 

Again, will someone please answer the question - WHO will make up Betsy Price's $100,000 pay cut she would take for going from Tax Collector to (heaven forbid) Mayor?

We enjoyed the letter from the retired Navy SEAL.  We salute you, sir!

My life has been devoted to protecting our citizens and preserving our freedom from those who would do us harm. So, I must warn you of a mayoral candidate:

His vote as city councilman in 2002 provided exorbitant pensions that place Cowtown in peril with the 10th-shortest timeline to becoming insolvent.

He has accepted $154,000 in direct campaign contributions from the police and firefighter associations, the majority of whose members do not even live in or pay taxes to Fort Worth.

He helped put us on the hook for unfunded liabilities somewhere between $700 million and $2 billion in pension funds and healthcare.

This lawyer routinely sues Fort Worth on behalf of disgruntled city employees.

Jim Lane, please define your constituency! You are certainly no representative of Fort Worth's residents and fatigued taxpayers!

-- Mark Waddell, commander, USN, SEAL (ret.), Fort Worth

Please educate yourself before voting. Best place for information on the Mayor race?  FW Weekly, of course.  Be sure and read about Cathy Hirt, YOU can't afford not to!

A new one...

A Fort Worth Star-Telegram Letter to the Editor has a new name for the Trinity River Vision.  We like it.

Stay tuned for more Star-Telegram letter writing info coming soon.  YOU won't want to miss it.

Fort Worth's mayoral candidates are running against Mike Moncrief's record and all sound alike. Fiscal responsibility, gas drilling precautions, yada yada. I want two things from a candidate:

(1) Oppose the police and firefighters, most of whom live outside Fort Worth, in their attempt to bankrupt us taxpayers with their overtime-inflated retirement pay.

(2) Believe that the Trinity Mud Puddle is a stupid idea or, at the very least, that we cannot afford it.

It's not easy to tell, but as far as I can discern, Cathy Hirt comes closest to meeting my requirements, so she will get my vote.

-- George Michael Sherry, Fort Worth

No #$@%

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has an article titled, Lane, Price lead in fundraising for Fort Worth mayoral election. 

Duh.  Of course they do.  The career politicians of Tarrant County are all trying to outspend each other.  Their campaign and donation rosters read like the WHO's WHO of the Fort Worth Way (that's not a good thing).  Congresswoman Kay Granger asking Besty Price to run. (Again, WHO is going to make up her $100,000 a year pay cut?).  Former Mayor, current Chesapeake employee, Ken Barr on Jim Lane's campaign staff. We noticed Marty Leonard, a fellow Tarrant Regional Water District Board with Lane, donated to Price.  What does that tell you?  

Do YOU want a mayor who is bought and is beholden to those WHO paid?  Or do YOU want a real person WHO cares about THE PEOPLE, not the players?

If you want someone not bought and paid for by special interests, wise up.  We've noticed a pattern, those running with less money are running for a reason - YOU.

While city council races are supposed to be nonpartisan, many people keep ending up on the blog searching for Jim Lane's political party, you can learn that here.

Unless they say something new, we won't post the Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial board picks here, as they usually always say "Vote for the incumbent".  It will be interesting to see what they say since there isn't one for Mayor.

We've been asked WHO gets our vote for Mayor?  While we usually don't agree on things, we all agree on this one.  Cathy Hirt.  Hands down. If you were at the forum last night, you know why.  Do yourself a favor, get someone in office that cares about saving you money, not about status with the players.  The cost of the "status" is too expensive.  Fort Worth can't afford it.

The Fort Worth Way...

Good letter to the editor from Don Woodard in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

Brings up some other questions we have received concerning the race for Fort Worth Mayor.

How is Jim Lane able to use Molly the Longhorn on his campaign signs?  Doesn't that belong to Fort Worth?  How is he able to put his signs on Tarrant Regional Water District property?  Is anyone else able to advertise on property owned by the taxpayers?

WHY would Kay Granger ask Betsy Price to run when Jim Lane is a champion of the Trinity River Vision / Mirage?  Because Lane is a democrat?  WHY would Betsy Price take a $100,000 a year pay cut to be Mayor?  WHO will make up that difference?  WHAT will it really cost? WHO will she answer to? 

Below is Mr.Woodard's latest -

Hawaii's state motto is "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."

Is it right for Kay Granger to practice nepotism with a $140,000 job for her son?

Is it right for Tax Assessor Betsy Price to run for mayor while collecting a $140,000 salary?

Dan Barrett says, "It does not pass the smell test."

Here is how Shakespeare would say it: "There's something rotten in the State of Denmark."

Elect Cathy Hirt mayor -- our last best hope to kill the Trinity River Vision boondoggle.

-- Don Woodard Sr., Fort Worth

Write on

All good Letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today.  We'll post one below, but you should check them all out - one about the flawed Fort Worth gas drilling study and WHY it is delayed, one about the liars tax for politicians, and one about voting in Tarrant county, don't miss the quote.

Here's a letter on the mayor's race in Fort Worth between Cathy Hirt, Betsy Price and Jim Lane.  YOU can't afford to miss it. 

Mayor's race

Cathy Hirt, Jim Lane and Betsy Price have filed for mayor.

Price and Lane only filed after Mike Moncrief announced retirement. Both indicated they supported business as usual, a sentiment supported by Councilman Jungus Jordan. I take that as an endorsement of accounting problems, budget and infrastructure deficits, a Titanic pension fund outlook, abounding ethics issues and too many questions regarding gas-drilling issues to enumerate.

Price has a solid record for taking your money, but will she give any of it back? Lane has supported every TIF, tax abatement and public/private development scheme that has come down the pike, and most have cost the city millions of dollars.

I know them all -- worked with Lane and Hirt on the City Council; know Price from political circles. Only one has the vision and determination to lead this city, and that's Cathy Hirt. She will fix our problems, not perpetuate them.

-- Clyde Picht, Fort Worth

Finally...

Mike Moncrief says he won't run for reelection as Fort Worth's mayor.  Some say he wants out before everything blows up...literally.

That sound you hear are champagne corks popping all over town.  33% of people voting in the online poll are "thrilled".

Read about it on nbcdfw.com.

Additionally, Moncrief says he is exiting public life. "I will work to pave the path of success for my successor. That's how we roll in Fort Worth, thank God."

Paving the Fort Worth Way...no surprise.  Be careful WHO you vote for in May.  Earlier this week Jim Lane said he wants to be Mayor.  In the nbcdfw.com article when told Moncrief wasn't running, he said, "That's interesting".  We thought so too.

We received this comment in an email supporting Cathy Hirt this week:
TCU winning the Rose Bowl was great. Super Bowl XVL coming to Arlington was great. Our current mayor revels in both of those accomplishments, but the city’s long term accounting problems, budget deficits, pension fund liabilities, infrastructure deficits, and failed public/private development projects will haunt us long after the glow of athletic achievements has faded. We need a mayor who will attack the problems that affect all residents of Fort Worth.
(Don't forget ethics issues).

Do you want what you've been getting?  Or a mayor that will listen to THE people?

Cathy Hirt said WHAT?

Oh wait, she didn't.  THEY just said she did.  Imagine that.  It has begun. 

Read the Letter to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Clearing the air

The Sunday editorial reported incorrectly that Cathy Hirt is recruiting a slate of candidates to run against incumbent Fort Worth City Council members. (See: "Politics and the search for a new city manager")

Hirt believes in transparency: in government, in politics and in journalism. As her campaign treasurer, I will clear the air. Cathy Hirt is not recruiting a slate of candidates to run against council members. Period.

She is committed to running for mayor regardless of any other candidates -- even the eight-year incumbent mayor.

A crisis of leadership in the mayor's office is putting our great city at risk. City services are neglected; city finances are in jeopardy because of ever-growing budget deficits and an underfunded pension, and, worst of all, residents feel ignored.

Fort Worth deserves a principled, innovative leader. This is why I am supporting Hirt and volunteering for her campaign.

Cathy Hirt will listen to and work with citizens to put our city's fiscal house in order, help grow the economy, provide quality city services, make our city safer, restore faith in government and make open access to the mayor's office a reality.

-- Rick Kubes, Fort Worth

For more info on the Mayor's race in Fort Worth click here.

New Mayor in Fort Worth

Rumors have been swirling for months now about the candidates lining up for the Mayor's race in Fort Worth.

The FW Weekly Static on this is excellent.  Read it all!  Be sure and read to the bottom about Fort Worth's animal control, Oprah and the Fort Worth Cheerleader. 

We love when the citizens (even if it's "one woman") exposes the Fort Worth Way for what it really is. 

You good ol' boys better pay attention, the women are on their way.  You ever pissed off a Texas woman?  Not recommended.  Our advice?  Run, Forrest, Run.

Thinking about Hirt’s candidacy reminds Static of a time in 2003 when Hirt and Mike Moncrief battled each other for the mayor’s job. Moncrief quit the Texas Senate and came home to Fort Worth seeking a job. Coincidentally, every gas driller in Texas was also honing in on Cowtown, angling to exploit lax regulation to suck the most money possible from the Barnett Shale.

“Government must be a partnership between the people and their elected,” he told Fort Worth Weekly seven years ago (he stopped talking to the Weekly once he got elected).

He’s become the least inclusive mayor in living memory.

When people disagree with him, he tries to remove them from the conversation.