Welcome Back!

The stats say you've been missing us, though we are pretty sure it was Mary Kelleher on the Water Board you were actually missing.

Look, we know you had high hopes-

Mary was reelected, there were some newbies on the board and Jim Oliver's 30 year reign was over.  But alas...we've learned except for Mary's return, it's more of the same.  The ousted President, Jack Stevens, (Kay Granger's candidate that came in dead last by the way) made his last act an embarrassing one by signing over $360,000 of your money to Jim Oliver and JD Granger.  Supposedly, unbeknownst to the board (there is some question as to when Marty Leonard knew).  

The board voted to stop the payments and Tarrant County residents breathed a sigh of relief, that they finally had a board representing THEM.

Then came Dan Buhman, the new GM, who was trained by WHO?  You guessed it, Jim Oliver.  The voters had questions on how the process worked when there were no mention of the other candidates and all the emails lead right back to the plan of Dan taking over the show.

And last but not least, when Oliver leaned he wasn't getting his payment, he threatened to sue the board for age discrimination - "one of the things threatened in lawsuit".  Many thought the newbies would stick to their guns and not give the taxpayers money away on another frivolous lawsuit.  Some of the old school knew better.  The vote was once again 4-1.  Welcome back, Mary Kelleher.  We, the taxpayers, have missed you. 

The TRWD has never been afraid to spend your money on a lawsuit.  From employee harassment cases, eminent domain cases, suing Oklahoma to take their water, the IPL pipeline...the list goes on and it's long and very expensive.  So if you run into TRWD board members out and about ask them what they were really afraid of.  YOU deserve to know.

And if you're not reading the Fort Worth report, you're missing out.  They've blown the doors of that Startlegram "news" rag.

Tarrant water district to pay former GM about $257K

Water district board strikes down former president’s attempt to pay retiring GM

Former Tarrant water district manager hired girlfriend despite past nepotism criticism

Water District Bully

Fort Worth Weekly calls out Jim Oliver, again. When Karma finally gets here, we have a feeling she is going to be PISSED.

Water Disputes

Kelleher, Fort Worth Weekly, and many others have danced with the district when it comes to public information, and this is how it often goes: You ask for information. Within 10 working days you get a letter from a lawyer saying district records do not correspond to information you are seeking. For instance, it’s well known that top water district officials put relatives on the agency’s lucrative payroll. But ask the agency for a list of relatives who work there. Ask how many of Oliver’s relatives work there. You won’t get a straight answer. You’ll get a non-answer from a lawyer. However, in Oliver’s mind, that counts as the agency responding to a public information request in a timely manner.

Kelleher closed with a final thought, expressed in the straightforward style that has earned her fans and foes alike. “If we are to move forward in the best interests of the residents and taxpayers of the district, your attempts to bully, intimidate, and harass public officials who demand transparency from the board must stop,” she said. “Your behavior has resulted in a hostile work environment for me and has damaged the reputation of the district.”

Another Slap in the face for the FW Star-Telegram

This time from the Fort Worth Weekly.

Hey, they asked for it.

Read the Weekly's "Out with a Lout" here.

Kelleher wrote a letter to Oliver saying she hopes her future requests for public information “will not be met with raised voice, chest-pounding, disrespect, and other behavior unacceptable for a public servant, let alone the senior executive of the TRWD.”

The grinding of Oliver’s teeth could reportedly be heard as far away as Poughkeepsie. The district issued a statement denying that he had raised his voice.

Still, not even a mouse stirred at the Star-Telegram offices in downtown Fort Worth. The newspaper that practically begged voters to re-elect the incumbents and maintain the status quo has made no mention of Kelleher’s run-in with Oliver and the resulting fallout. But — notwithstanding the occasional excellent investigative piece and the work of some remaining ethical, talented reporters — the paper will gladly sell you a subscription if you want to help them suck up to power.

Out with the Old

The Fort Worth Business Press Editorial this week is way better than the last Opinion piece they let a retired Lockheed employee write.  That one sounded like it came straight out of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram playbook.  This one sounds like truth.  It's time for new leadership in Texas. Get on board, or get off it.

We don't see the link to the current editorial online yet, (so pick up a Biz Press at Staples).  But the title is "Outrageous. Infuriating. Unacceptable."

And the last sentence reads - If Oliver cannot accept that reality, if he cannot bring himself to work with Kelleher as a fully vested member of the governing body that represents his employers - the taxpayers - he should resign immediately.  And is he persists in behaving like an unprofessional lout, the board should fire him.

Good to see the Biz Press is back on board.

Don't mess with Texas Women

Or the Fort Worth Weekly.  They are the only game in town.

What's your other local "news" paper up to?  We'll show you that later.  Right now we're sharing real news.

fwweekly.com/2013/06/27/breaking-news/

Kelleher said Wednesday evening that, following delivery of her letter, she had received an e-mail reply from Oliver indicating that some of the records did not exist, that some of them would be mailed to her, and that on others, the water district staff would seek an opinion from the state attorney general as to whether they had to release the documents. She said Oliver wrote that the water district staff would search for records regarding lobbyists and respond later.

She also asked for e-mails sent to political consultant Bryan Eppstein, documents reflecting contracts with and payments to lobbyists, records of payments to the engineering firm of Freese & Nichols over the last three and a half years, and all of the e-mail correspondence of TRWD board members, Oliver, planning director Wayne Own, and J.D. Granger, executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority, over approximately the past two months.

Additionally Kelleher asked for numerous documents relating to any real estate transactions between the water district and Oliver or any entity controlled or owned by him.

She said that Oliver’s response, following her letter, indicated that there are no records of any real estate transactions between Oliver and the water district.

Kelleher said that in response to her initial request, King had earlier told her that no minutes or recordings exist of executive sessions or of meetings of the construction committee.

In the letter, she wrote that if Oliver continues to block what she considers to be proper oversight of the water district, “I will be forced to take all necessary actions to fulfill my duties. … I will not be stopped or intimidated in my efforts to fulfill my responsibilities.”

Just.Stop.Talking.

The manager of the TRWD speaks on the 6 year, $6 million dollar lawsuit against Oklahoma.

WHERE do you think they got the $6 mil?  If you guessed YOU, you guessed correctly.

Notice how “continued growth and prosperity” remain one of their top priorities.  Funny, we thought their priorities were supposed to be water and flood control.

Did you Float with Feces at the Rocking the River event Thursday?  What did that cost?

Someone tell Oliver to put our money down and hush.

At least they “will look at other options to provide water” now.  Citizens have been asking them to for years.  They were too busy wakeboarding and restaurant building.

If they think the answer is the pipeline (the one their own staff doesn’t recommend and they are being sued over) or Marvin Nichols, maybe we need a new manager…

While we're at it, could we get some new attorney's too?  Cause any who thought this was a good idea need to go.  Stat.

Jim Oliver, general manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District, said that he is disappointed with the decision and that the district will look at other options to provide water for the region.

Securing additional water resources is essential to North Texas’ continued growth and prosperity and will remain one of our top priorities,” Oliver said, adding that the district spent about $6 million fighting the case in court.

Oliver said the district will continue to work with Oklahoma to see whether a deal can be struck for the purchase of water. “We’re still going to try to continue discussions with Oklahoma to see if some kind compromise can be reached, but I’m not going to bet the farm on it,” he said.

“The population in our service area is expected to double over the next 50 years, so we will act quickly to develop new sources,” Oliver said.

Read more here.

WHAT did he say?

As if you needed another reason to vote for BNK on Saturday.

Jim Oliver, TRWD General Manager gives you one.

Enough already!

The Tarrant Regional Water District is suing Oklahoma for their water.  Again.

After millions of dollars and many futile attempts.  Hello Boys, it's Oklahoma, not Tarrant County.

Jim Oliver is quoted in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about wanting to do what's right for the citizens.  Yes, you read that right. Maybe a good place to start would have been testing the Trinity River before having the citizens float in it. 

Maybe spend some of OUR money researching proven water planning options instead of suing our neighbors. 

Read the article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Then stock up on water.

BANKING on the Trinity

That's the title of the latest KERA article.  Good choice of words.  WHY would the Tarrant Regional Water District loan- interest free, $230 million dollars to the Trinity River Vision project? 

WHO's money is it?  Oh yes, YOURS.  The taxpayers.  $909 million.  Chump change...

Here are a few incinitives to read the article, but trust us, YOU can't AFFORD to miss it.

In a year when U.S. House Republicans have taken a pledge against earmarks, Senator John Cornyn is stepping forward to request $10 million in federal money for Fort Worth's Trinity Vision plan.

The Trinity Vision project is funded entirely with public money and most government bodies are struggling.

And what does Jim Oliver say?  The head of the Tarrant Regional Water District that makes almost $300,000 a year?

Despite what the critics say the Army Corp of Engineers who are flood control experts throughout the United States has certified this as a flood control project.


In that case, maybe the experts should focus on the flooding we have now, you know those projects that have no funding...

If you are tired of elected leaders spending your money, VOTE!!