Another great Letter to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Maybe the elected officials should start paying attention.
What budget priorities?
Mayor Mike Moncrief and some city staff spent $31,000 on a Super Bowl vacation. Are you kidding me? Yet the city of Fort Worth is furloughing staff and laying off others, city land is not being kept clean and Code Compliance is gutted among other harsh measures adopted by Moncrief and the City Council to balance the budget.
This is despicable. Why does Fort Worth need to spend more money than the host city of Arlington? For the Star-Telegram to write about this junket without noting that we are in a budget crisis is irresponsible.
This mayor and council always seem to find money when they need it, but what about the taxpayers? Enough with pork-barrel spending!
-- Cissy Hernandez, Fort Worth
Friday, February 26, 2010
Where's Mike?
Last week community "leaders" held a Transportation Summit in Grapevine to discuss the many upcoming area freeway projects. We didn't see Mayor Moncrief in the standing room only crowd. Today he is in the Fort Worth Star Telegram saying we need money for transportation and the Trinity River Vision.
Read the comments left by real citizens living in the real world.
Read the comments left by real citizens living in the real world.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Disposal Well Hell
Read about it in the FW Weekly. They do good work! Everyone needs to read the entire article. We'll give you a couple of incentives below. Don't miss WHERE the Fort Worth disposal well is or Louis McBee's question...it's an important one.
"There is no protection for the citizens," said Tim Lane, a University of North Texas psychologist who is dealing with fumes, noise, lights, runoff, and other concerns from a disposal well next to his small ranch in Cooke County. "From everything we see, their [the Railroad Commission's] purpose is to protect the oil and gas industry from the public."
If there is fear of the big companies, there's an even bigger fear of the unknown - about whether it's safe to drink the water, to breathe the air, and what the company on the other side of the fence is putting into the ground.
On East First Street in Fort Worth, in the Trinity River bottoms and not far from city ball fields and Gateway Park, a line of trucks leads the way to the city's only current disposal well. The trucks could eventually be replaced, at least in part, by a "significant" pipeline to carry the so-called "saltwater" from up to a hundred Chesapeake Energy gas wells strung out along the Trinity from Beach Street east to Arlington.
"How do you fix an aquifer" if it becomes contaminated, asked Louis McBee. "What are we going to do, react after it happens?"
By then it will be too late...
"There is no protection for the citizens," said Tim Lane, a University of North Texas psychologist who is dealing with fumes, noise, lights, runoff, and other concerns from a disposal well next to his small ranch in Cooke County. "From everything we see, their [the Railroad Commission's] purpose is to protect the oil and gas industry from the public."
If there is fear of the big companies, there's an even bigger fear of the unknown - about whether it's safe to drink the water, to breathe the air, and what the company on the other side of the fence is putting into the ground.
On East First Street in Fort Worth, in the Trinity River bottoms and not far from city ball fields and Gateway Park, a line of trucks leads the way to the city's only current disposal well. The trucks could eventually be replaced, at least in part, by a "significant" pipeline to carry the so-called "saltwater" from up to a hundred Chesapeake Energy gas wells strung out along the Trinity from Beach Street east to Arlington.
"How do you fix an aquifer" if it becomes contaminated, asked Louis McBee. "What are we going to do, react after it happens?"
By then it will be too late...
Small town Mayor's visit to Big Apple
Mayor Tillman discusses his trip to the Northern Shale...guess what they have lots of problems with there? WATER.
Read the Mayor's wonderful letter about his recent trip here. Thanks to all those who welcomed him and treated him so kindly!
Read the Mayor's wonderful letter about his recent trip here. Thanks to all those who welcomed him and treated him so kindly!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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.
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
Pipelines Everywhere
This one along Big Fossil Creek. Goodbye trees.
Read about it in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
City officials are essentially powerless to regulate where the pipelines go because gas companies are considered utilities, just like Oncor and Atmos Energy, which means they have the power to condemn private property.
"We've seen in the past that if a pipeline bisects a major property, it can be difficult to redevelop it," Pitstick said.
"We're fairly happy with the alignment, based on our lack of control over the situation."
Read about it in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
City officials are essentially powerless to regulate where the pipelines go because gas companies are considered utilities, just like Oncor and Atmos Energy, which means they have the power to condemn private property.
"We've seen in the past that if a pipeline bisects a major property, it can be difficult to redevelop it," Pitstick said.
"We're fairly happy with the alignment, based on our lack of control over the situation."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
More cities, more lawsuits...
We told you last week, it must be in the air. We asked WHO's next, TXSharon answered.
See what happened in Flower Mound last week on TXSharon.
See what happened in Flower Mound last week on TXSharon.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Kudos!
Thanks to the organizers of the High Noon in Cowtown event and to those who came out!
And thank you, Anonymous...we agree.
And thank you, Anonymous...we agree.
- Anonymous said...
-
We went to the event not expecting too much or stay too long, but ended up staying the whole time because it was so well organized, efficient, informative, and inspirational. Whoever managed to keep all those lawyers, judges, and politicians within their alotted time for speech making should help run some form of our government. Seriously, lawyers and politicians in the heat of campaigning making their points in under TWO MINUTES is incredible--if we didn't actually witness it ourselves. This was Americanism at its peak, with families, flags,AND ESP. IMMIGRANTS AND/OR VETERANS WHO HAD PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN HAVE OUR FREEDOM AND RIGHTS (ERODING!!). Glen Bucy's speech brought tears to our eyes--tears of pride (for his service and vision), anger (for the waste and corruption by our elected officials and government/s), and shame (for not being more involved and vigilant which allowed the corruption and waste to occur--robbing us of our liberty and our children's future). Despite its being overwhelmingly Republican candidates, the message was not left or right---just about what's right for all Americans.
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