They get it...

Do YOU?

The FW Weekly does another bang up job at putting it together.  Kudos to Dan McGraw!  And to all the people quoted in the article, wanting to learn more and DO something!

Don't miss the article.  It's got some good information on TRIP (Trinity River Improvement Partnership) and the local Tea Party, 912.  The Weekly gets it right by talking to many different folks with many different opinions.  Too bad our other "news" outlets only say what their told.

Enough already...GO VOTE!

"We keep hearing from city leaders how [Fort Worth] hasn't been affected as much as other cities by the national economic downturn" she said. "But then we can't afford basic city services like building better roads and keeping pools open. I guess I just want to find out how we got in this mess. I guess I'm here because I want to learn more."

He started coming to meetings earlier this year because "I would read the paper and watch the news at home, and I found myself having a fit," he said. "I wanted to see what I could do, to learn more about all the issues and not just sit at home and complain.
 
"The TRV is a big waste of money when we don't even have money to fix our roads. Granger puts her son in charge of it at a very high salary. This is mis-spending at its worst."
 
In Fort Worth ... no one has questioned authority in the past," he said. "We just did not get involved. The more I keep my eyes open and the more I see, the more I need to get involved.
 
TRIP and the 912ers have become close allies as they fight what they both consider crazy spending on a project that they believe is not needed and favors private development interests through the use of eminent domain. TRIP backs a plan that would spend about $60 million to improve river access near downtown, but members want the private marketplace alone to determine what kind of development happens along the river.
 
 "I am a member of both groups because no one represents the taxpayers anymore, and that has to change," she said.
 
"The TRV project is a perfect example of that," she said. "They want to spend more than $900 million of federal and state and local tax money, and voters haven't had any say in the matter. And believe me, the federal money is drying up because of the ban on earmark spending, and you know the burden is going to shift to local money.

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!

THE PEOPLE

Two letters to the Editor in today's Star-Telegram that speak volumes.  Read them.  And VOTE.

Vote the incumbents out


The only way to really change our government is to vote all the incumbents out of office. The career politicians are bought and paid for by big business, insurance, drug companies and banks and Wall Street.

They only care about getting re-elected. Our country is in the mess it is in because they want it that way. They don't care about the American people.

Only Congress has the power to change things and unless we get all the existing bums out of power we will never get our country back in the hands of the people.

Give each new elected official one term to change and represent the people or vote them out the next election.

-- Donald "Jack" Cornelissen, Bedford

This could be the most important election of your lifetime. You have the opportunity to replace what I believe is the most corrupt Congress in the history of our country.

Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or whatever; it makes no difference. They passed legislation that now puts us $1.3 trillion in debt.

Our young men are getting killed daily in two wars we cannot win because we have no leadership. Remember, President Obama can do nothing without the OK and funding from Congress. Send all these traitors home! Vote!

-- Philip E. Orr Jr., North Richland Hills