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.

Silence!

Is what Mayor Cluck would like in Arlington. It came to light in June during several packed council meetings when citizens were denied the right to speak. 

The editorial in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram seems to have a lot of holes.  THE PEOPLE making comments noticed.  They point out the Texas Open Meetings Act law and the right citizens have to speak.  (Are speaker time limits not outlined in City Charters? )
 
People usually end up addressing council in person, when their phone calls and emails go unanswered.  I can personally attest to this, along with several others, as well.

TOMA (Texas Open Meeting Act) treats public hearings differently from regular agenda items. State law basically says the public must be given the opportunity to speak at a public hearing. 0 minutes is NOT an opportunity to speak. 10 seconds, as the last speaker was allocated after 19 min and 50 sec of other speakers, is NOT an opportunity to speak. TOMA has been violated.
It ain't Cluck's town.  It belongs to the citizens.  The "leaders" may want to listen.
  
But his responsibility does not end there. His decisions can't be arbitrary, and of course he should not use the power of the chair to steer the outcome of the debate.

Cluck is open to criticism because his decision to limit speakers' time seems to have evolved in an ad hoc manner during the past year. The tipping point came in June during public hearings on the Hike and Bike Master Plan and Thoroughfare Development Plan.

The discussion was heated, there were large crowds and council members appeared to be eager to get the issue behind them. Cluck limited public comments to a total of 20 minutes from each side. With the large crowd heavily tilted against the plans, some of the opponents didn't get their chance at the microphone.

Cluck can also be criticized for lack of consistency. Sometimes people get two minutes, sometimes three. It is unreasonable to expect any speaker to plan an effective presentation without knowing beforehand exactly how much time will be available.

Political Pow-wur

A letter to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram speaks volumes about the Arlington City Council meeting where citizens that went to be heard were instead, thrown out.

Pow-wur shift

Some Arlington citizens -- you know, common folk who pay taxes, fees and inconsequential things like that -- want to talk about a controversial and divisive thoroughfare plan.

But the mayor says not so fast. Only 20 minutes' discussion collectively for the pros, 20 minutes for the cons. No matter how many citizens want to speak to the council.

The mayor proclaims he has the pow-wur. He invokes the pow-wur. Shush little citizens. Go sit in the corner. Play the quiet game.

So he borrows the Dallas County Commissioners Court's muzzle.

What do the mayor's fellow council members say about this virtual shutoff of debate? What's that, council members? Couldn't hear you. Must be bad acoustics, huh?

But a stadium builder, gas well drillers and out-of-town apartment builders get a city hall full of 20 minutes. But Arlington residents? Who do you think you are?

An entrenched incumbent came ever-so-close to biting the political dust in Saturday's runoff election. Could be a not-so-subtle message there and it might embolden residents. While quietly being obedient, corner-sitting little people, maybe they'll conclude that in coming elections, why, they just might invoke the pow-wur, too.

-- Roger Summers, Arlington

Arlingrton Arrogance in Action

Last week we told you about residents being escorted out of an Arlington CITY COUNCIL meeting by POLICE.  Now, thanks to our friends in Arlington, we can show you. 

We've been to meetings like this before.  Mayor and council cutting off citizens, turning off the microphone, smirking, etc.  WHO does the City Council work for??  WHY do you think we want YOU to vote?

This land is OUR land...

Read the Arlington Letter to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Then ASK the Arlington City Council, WTH?

Protecting nature

The Arlington Parks and Recreation Board approved a list of recommendations Aug. 9 regarding a proposed gas well next to the Southwest Nature Preserve.

The board was concerned because the pad site violates the Arlington gas well ordinance's setback for parks.

One of the board's recommendations was to "require identification of impacts on native wildlife," but the plea didn't make the letter that city staff then sent to the City Council.

When asked at the Nov. 2 council meeting why this request was sidestepped, the council did not have an answer but still approved the well.

Who's looking out for this glorious expanse of unmarred land?

The parks board is trying to. It is disturbing to see the board's efforts ignored by our elected officials.

At some point, we have to say no more habitat destruction, no more diminishing quality of life, no more waiver of ordinances designed to protect us -- all for one more gas well.

-- John Dycus, Arlington

Let us get this straight...

The Vice President of UTA called the police on a woman who brought her medical testing to show him out of concern for students and residents?

Really???

WHAT does Mayor Cluck and Councilman LeBlanc say about that?  We heard them on the "news" a couple of nights ago voicing their "concern" about air pollution. 

WHY did we not hear about the UTA Vice President calling the police?  ASK.

And read the medical results and the story of Sandra DenBraber on TXSharon.

Arlington Flooding Victims have something to say

Read it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Letters to the Editor.

We want our leaders to focus on the residents.

Clear the debris

I read in Friday's paper that Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said "there is no way we can control flooding on Rush Creek. It's like a bathtub." (See: "Arlington may use bonds to buy up flooded homes")

Really, mayor? Our home, which was built in the '70s and had never before flooded, flooded Sept. 8. I'm not an engineer, but if my bathtub were full of debris and the water had nowhere to go because the area surrounding it was also full of debris, I would realize I let it get into that condition and do the responsible thing -- clean up the debris!

Arlington's priority has been the Cowboys Stadium area in order to give a picture of a progressive city to the rest of the country. We want our leaders to focus on the residents.

I challenge the city leaders to take a walk on the trail that parallels Rush Creek. They would understand the homeowners' frustration over a situation that indeed is fixable.

Our home is in an area that never should have flooded. We want to stay! Is your home next?

-- Janice Elaine Graber, Arlington