Name that Tune

This is from the Associated Press, see if you can tell WHICH city and WHICH project they are referring to -

An ___story skyscraper under construction at _________ will have to stop at seven stories unless the developer can line up more tenants, planners said Monday, adding to problems that have plagued the $___ billion _______ project.

________ Inc. said it is still looking for tenants to fill the first 10 floors of _______, the third-highest building in the planned office complex. Without those leases, the _________ and _______ will not guarantee the financing that _________ needs to finish the building.

Many companies in _______ are reluctant to invest in new offices because of the poor economy, and dozens are negotiating lower rents as five-year leases signed before the housing crash begin to expire. But both _________ and ________ said they are confident the developer can get enough tenants lined up.

"We are currently speaking with a number of potential tenants and remain fully optimistic that we will sign a lease in time to complete the tower as scheduled in 20___," ________, the company's chief executive, said in a written statement.

No, it's not the Trinity River Vision, it's actually the World Trade Center.  The big difference between New York and Texas?  The developers are paying in New York, their Mayor said the city would "not extend any aid to keep it going".  What a novel concept.  What a Mayor.  HOW do we get one of those?

Another difference, when the Port Authority raised its tolls to raise its credit rating, their governors raised the right to look at the "Authority's" finances.  WHO is looking at the Authority's finances here? Remember, it's YOUR money.

"Did not return call for comment"

That line was used several times in the Denton Record Chronicle article, Into Hostile territory.

It's a good overview on gas drilling PR tactics on "insurgents" and how municipalities are dealing with it, or not.  All those that usually spin the BS, we mean PR, "did not return call for comment".

We mentioned rich bullies buying elections in an early post.  WHAT is it going to end up costing YOU?  Remember, sheep need water and air, too.

She and other Barnett Shale area residents have seen the tactics that blur the line between information and influence in local governance.

When neighbor is pitted against neighbor, it manifests not only in heated shouting matches but also in a long-simmering distrust. As homeowners grow fearful of diminishing values, they try to hang on to their property rights, only to see the mineral rights taken away through a twist of state law. Local governance battles go in remission only to re-emerge with the next concession the industry needs to stay profitable.

Cities frequently revise ordinances with little direct participation of those affected.

However, when area residents have asked for tougher review and regulations of the natural gas industry, industry representatives offer to assist city councils or their appointees to draft such regulations, an offer many city officials seem reticent to refuse.

Denton started work on an ordinance overhaul in 2009 amid public anger over the City Council’s vote to let Range Resources drill inside the Rayzor Ranch development near homes, a city park and a hospital. Some council members said they opposed drilling at the location but feared the company would follow through on a threat to sue if they denied it.

It was Range Resources’ director of corporate communications and public affairs, Matt Pitzarella, who told fellow conferees of his company’s discovery that psy-ops veterans were well-suited for local community work. Pitzarella did not return a call for comment.

City leaders have treaded carefully ever since the legal threat, inviting industry-related representatives to serve alongside city staff and residents on a drilling task force to help write a new code.

“I find it ironic,” Jellison said. “They are the outsiders coming in, going against the local municipality — the established government people are living with. They don’t have any permanent business here. Anyone like that is deemed, by definition, an insurgent.”

Keystone Exploration wrote a letter to its royalty owners endorsing the incumbents in April 2010. The company characterized residents like Vajda and Jellison as anti-drilling activists who would do all they could to limit the industry.

During a Town Council meeting, a sitting council member told them he would run them out of town for their stance on property rights.

Well?

Read the Letter in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Campaign contract

What we need is a law that says elected officials are legally bound by their campaign promises, and if they break them, they can be sued for breach of contract. If they are found guilty, they would be immediately removed from office and never eligible to run for elected office again. I don't want to be "governed," I want to be "represented," but how can I vote for the right candidate if they are all allowed to lie with impunity during the election and then do whatever they want to once they're elected?

-- Ben Bruce, Arlington

WHO to the rescue?

A letter to the editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells you how things are run in Tarrant County.  Don't be mistaken, it ain't just Richland Hills.

If a Texes hero shows up, they are going to be busy. 

Rescue Richland Hills

Richland Hills has ceased to function as a city, and there's no Superman to rescue us. We have a city charter that is old and outdated but is the current, legal policy voted in by our citizens. It is the law.

Or is it? Various members of the City Council are routinely violating the city charter but there's no way to hold them accountable since they abolished the city's Ethics Review Board. The city manager, who has won numerous awards for management of the city, is under siege by the council. Each week more City Council actions are being hidden in "executive session." Residents loyal to certain councilmen are allowed to misbehave during council and board meetings and are creating a hostile workplace for volunteers and city employees. Councilmen are ordering the replacement of opposing board members without following due process.

Richland Hills has become a Wild West town run by thugs and bullies. We need an intervention! I have contacted various elected officials within Tarrant County and my state representative but so far no one seems able or willing to step in, call this obviously unethical behavior into question and save Richland Hills.

-- Ralph Smith, Richland Hills

Government and Kids...

Two letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram make some very interesting points.

About government...we'll have more to say on that soon.  YOU won't want to miss it, YOU can't afford to.  And we have to assume the Fort Worth swimming pool letter writer is 14.  Wouldn't it be great if all 14 year olds paid attention?  They are our future after all.

Bloated government

In these times of industry cutbacks, layoffs and "clearing out the deadwood," it is interesting to note that the largest employer in the U.S. has more than 500,000 employees whose base salary exceeds $100,000 per year and who enjoy a job security rate of more than 99 percent (per a recent CNN release).

That largest employer is the federal government. Our national leadership continues to tell us we need to tighten our belts and expect our households and our industries to do more with less and contribute more of our "fair share" to the general welfare of all citizens. If the federal government were to implement the same 15 percent reduction in force that Lockheed Martin is, it would reduce base salaries in the $100K club by $7.5 billion a year. Eliminate just a few of the anachronistic, useless agencies and the lifetime-benefit packages to former legislators and we could make some real strides in deficit reduction.

Seems like a good place to start reducing cost of government to me.

-- Drex Rutledge, Burleson

Fort Worth pools

It has come to my attention that the public pools of Fort Worth have closed because of a lack of maintenance and money to fix them. This is both shocking and disappointing, especially to a 14-year-old.

In some places in the city, there are no other places to swim except public pools. Kids in these parts of town need them, not only because this heat wave we are going through is brutal but to keep them out of trouble as well. Also, kids need to learn to swim for safety. This is not a skill that they can go through life without. Swimming is even a great source of summer exercise. The YMCAs are great for swimming. They have great facilities, and it only costs around a dollar to get in. But they are not placed conveniently around the city. They are only built in key places.

The public pools need to be restored and put back into business.

-- Trey S. Hille, Fort Worth

Say it ain't so...

Rick Perry has said repeatedly he wasn't running for President.  Like Kay Bailey Hutchison, seems he is changing his tune.  He says, he "is going to think about it.  He thinks about a lot of things". 

It's the Fort Worth, uh, Texas way.  We need a new way in a bad way. 

Read about it on CBSDFW.

Write on

Good letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Who's stifling whom?

To sum up Arlington City Councilman Mel LeBlanc's Friday opinion piece, he considers the Texas Open Meetings Act vague and confusing and thus open to misinterpretation. (See: "Texas open meetings law is overly vague and confusing") LeBlanc states that the real issue behind his opposition to TOMA is its use by some to attain personal objectives. He says some elected officials have used TOMA to stifle the behavior, thoughts and speech of other elected officials and that he has personal knowledge of such bullies. In order to clarify without a doubt the real issue, what elected officials have used the Texas Open Meetings Act to stifle LeBlanc, and what behavior, thoughts and/or speech did they stifle? Who stifled whom, and why?

-- Lina McClintock, Arlington

Key to transparency

According to Fort Worth Councilman Joel Burns' column last week, (See: "Streetcar discussion highlights need for improved public process") we are led to believe he wants to enhance the transparency of the often-too-private process of decision-making in Fort Worth. He should be lauded for his intent. However, I believe he left out one crucial step in the process of increasing transparency at City Hall: throwing out the council members responsible for making the place so secretive in the first place.

-- James Russell, Fort Worth

No input

That's how we do things here in Cowtown.

Read about the latest wasteful boondoggle shell game on Durango.

Then, show up on Wednesday.

Lovin the Letters

We love when the citizens speak. Tells you what is really going on in the Wild West. See today's Letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Is anyone listening?
A man in Ohio bulldozes his home, believing his bank has treated him unjustly in upcoming foreclosure proceedings, while a man in Austin takes extreme measures with his issues with the IRS.

Our own institutions are not working. The government will bail out Wall Street without blinking an eye, but the common man receives no break or relief on his mortgage. Meanwhile, we have one of the most inequitable and burdensome tax codes anywhere. It must benefit the government or someone, as no politician makes any real effort to overhaul its complexity and make it more reasonable and fair.

Regardless of human behavior and emotions, in tough times like these, coupled with an unresponsive government and do-nothing politicians, these kind of actions may likely increase since no one is listening.

-- Michael E. Holland, Fort Worth

The new EPA regional administrator, Al Armendariz, brings science to his job, with a doctorate in environmental engineering. Another advantage is that President Barack Obama favors reducing pollution, unlike George W. Bush, who hampered cleanup efforts.

Texas produces more carbon dioxide, which is a major greenhouse gas, than any other state.

However, Gov. Rick Perry is squandering Texans' tax dollars in a lawsuit to keep the EPA from forcing him to reduce our emissions. Perry has a misguided belief that global warming is a myth. Despite the recent record snow, the last decade was warmer than any other since records have been kept.

I hope that the next governor, whoever she may be, will recognize the existence and danger of carbon dioxide and work with the EPA to reduce our output.

-- Ann Chambers, Fort Worth

Senator Speaks..the Truth?

As you all know, we usually stay local, but couldn't pass this up -

Retiring Senator Bayh is fed up with the American political system. He ain't the only one, though he may be the only one speaking up. If the Senators are fed up, how do you think THE PEOPLE feel?

Voting against things that will help THE PEOPLE for political reasons is only one of the issues he points out. There are several...

He noted that the need for constant fundraising made it nearly impossible to focus on passing legislation.

Read all about Senator Bayh's disillusionment with the dysfunction.