WHO pays?
YOU.
Read the Letters to the Editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The cost of streetcars
"Streetcars crucial to Trinity River Vision" (Nov. 15) -- but for what reason?
Some would insist they are needed for economic development rather than transportation. So why don't the developers pay for them?
The streetcar issue will be discussed in a public hearing at the Convention Center on Thursday. On Dec. 7, the City Council may vote on a starter route costing $93 million.
The piercing question is: How much will this TRV add-on ultimately cost the public?
TRV's proposed cost was $360 million in 2004 and has ballooned to near $1 billion. The purpose of the TRV project is economic development, not flood control.
When the proposed additional streetcar routes are added, that cost will also approach $1 billion. The funding on both projects is a gamble.
Dec. 7 may be "a day that will live in infamy" for the attack on the public treasury as well as the attack on Pearl Harbor.
-- Clyde Picht, Fort Worth
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Important Modern Streetcar Town Hall Meeting Thursday
CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW POSTER
YOU ARE INVITED. BE THERE. BE HEARD.
YOU ARE INVITED. BE THERE. BE HEARD.
Fort Worth Way Flooding
Another interesting "fact" in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram "news" article this morning...
The bypass channel will shift floodwater away from downtown, allowing the levees to come down and for development of the near north side.
Remember when the Trinity River Vision was for flood control? Yeah, us either. If the levees don't come down, you don't need a bypass channel. A bypass channel on property you don't own...to be built with money that isn't yours.
The bypass channel will shift floodwater away from downtown, allowing the levees to come down and for development of the near north side.
Remember when the Trinity River Vision was for flood control? Yeah, us either. If the levees don't come down, you don't need a bypass channel. A bypass channel on property you don't own...to be built with money that isn't yours.
What Water Shortage - Part 2
As if to prove our point, the Star-Telegram has an article about water this morning. Is it about the concerns for our water supply? Nope, it's a another propaganda piece from none other than Bill Hanna, telling you it's safe to swim in the river.
Even though there have been many reports that the Trinity River in Tarrant County is the most polluted portion of the river, and the article itself points out that a certain percentage of the water testing has been over its limit of pollutants, it's still safe. It would be funny, if it weren't so serious.
Someone ask Bill Hanna how much of a kick back he gets from the Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision Authority. Inquiring minds want to know.
Andrew Sansom, the guy who said it's safe also says, "The biggest issues today in water quality are what we call nonpoint sources -- those are parking lots, highways runoff and agricultural sources -- things that are not coming from a pipe," Sansom said. "When it storms, everything just washes into the river or streams and we don't have an adequate means of protecting it." He also said it should be tested weekly.
On the Clear Fork, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's 2010 Integrated Report showed an average of 116 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters -- just below the state standard of 126 colonies per 100 milliliters. That was based on 67 samples.
In defending water recreation in the Trinity, city leaders and the water district have said most high bacteria events are triggered by floods or heavy storm-water runoff.
Under the old federal standards, if 25 percent of the samples exceeded the 126 level, that could also trigger regulatory action, Sullivan said. A study for the TCEQ estimated eight in 1,000 swimmers would get sick at the 126 level.
Over a nine-year-period, the City of Fort Worth's monthly sampling at Beach Street found 27 samples out of 120 that exceeded the 126 standard. At its Fourth Street sampling station, 23 out of 120 exceeded it. In the water district's quarterly samples at Beach Street, four of the 34 samples exceeded the state standard, and at Fourth Street, three out of 34 samples were above the 126 threshold.
Even though there have been many reports that the Trinity River in Tarrant County is the most polluted portion of the river, and the article itself points out that a certain percentage of the water testing has been over its limit of pollutants, it's still safe. It would be funny, if it weren't so serious.
Someone ask Bill Hanna how much of a kick back he gets from the Tarrant Regional Water District and the Trinity River Vision Authority. Inquiring minds want to know.
Andrew Sansom, the guy who said it's safe also says, "The biggest issues today in water quality are what we call nonpoint sources -- those are parking lots, highways runoff and agricultural sources -- things that are not coming from a pipe," Sansom said. "When it storms, everything just washes into the river or streams and we don't have an adequate means of protecting it." He also said it should be tested weekly.
On the Clear Fork, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's 2010 Integrated Report showed an average of 116 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters -- just below the state standard of 126 colonies per 100 milliliters. That was based on 67 samples.
In defending water recreation in the Trinity, city leaders and the water district have said most high bacteria events are triggered by floods or heavy storm-water runoff.
Under the old federal standards, if 25 percent of the samples exceeded the 126 level, that could also trigger regulatory action, Sullivan said. A study for the TCEQ estimated eight in 1,000 swimmers would get sick at the 126 level.
Over a nine-year-period, the City of Fort Worth's monthly sampling at Beach Street found 27 samples out of 120 that exceeded the 126 standard. At its Fourth Street sampling station, 23 out of 120 exceeded it. In the water district's quarterly samples at Beach Street, four of the 34 samples exceeded the state standard, and at Fourth Street, three out of 34 samples were above the 126 threshold.
Monday, November 29, 2010
What Water Shortage?
So the FW Weekly is the only news source in town acknowledging our water woes. We're glad they are back at it.
Funny...seems there is someone offering yet another alternative solution. Someone who knows the "pond" and the island, known as Trinity River Vision, are a waste of YOUR money and not what we should be focused on. WHY aren't YOUR "leaders" listening? Because their profit margin would take a hit?
WHO raised these politicians, by the way? Their momma never told them, that you shouldn't spend money you don't have, on things you don't need, especially when you have other things to take care of ?
Check out the letter in the FW Weekly. Then ask YOUR representative, WHY they are spending YOUR money on Trinity Uptown and streetcars, instead of YOUR future. And WHY didn't YOU get a vote? Ben gets our vote.
Wind-Inc. has created a system whereby we can produce fresh water from saltwater aquifers. Using pumps, wind turbines, and backup solar panels, the system can desalinate water at a cost of about 95 cents per 1,000 gallons, or about a fourth of what Tarrant County and the City of Fort Worth are pricing water at today. Our focus should be on modern systems that use renewable energy — note that there is an ocean of salt water available in Texas from 300 to 6,000 feet below the surface. It can provide the water we need for 300-plus years, if we don’t let the oil and gas companies corrupt it with pollution and poisons from their dirty hydraulic-fracturing drilling processes.
In the past decades, town after town has simply lost population, industry, and business because of declining water sources. Fort Worth would do well to allocate energy and money to a new water supply instead of doing recreational and “pond development” to decorate downtown Fort Worth.
Ben Boothe
Fort Worth
Funny...seems there is someone offering yet another alternative solution. Someone who knows the "pond" and the island, known as Trinity River Vision, are a waste of YOUR money and not what we should be focused on. WHY aren't YOUR "leaders" listening? Because their profit margin would take a hit?
WHO raised these politicians, by the way? Their momma never told them, that you shouldn't spend money you don't have, on things you don't need, especially when you have other things to take care of ?
Check out the letter in the FW Weekly. Then ask YOUR representative, WHY they are spending YOUR money on Trinity Uptown and streetcars, instead of YOUR future. And WHY didn't YOU get a vote? Ben gets our vote.
Wind-Inc. has created a system whereby we can produce fresh water from saltwater aquifers. Using pumps, wind turbines, and backup solar panels, the system can desalinate water at a cost of about 95 cents per 1,000 gallons, or about a fourth of what Tarrant County and the City of Fort Worth are pricing water at today. Our focus should be on modern systems that use renewable energy — note that there is an ocean of salt water available in Texas from 300 to 6,000 feet below the surface. It can provide the water we need for 300-plus years, if we don’t let the oil and gas companies corrupt it with pollution and poisons from their dirty hydraulic-fracturing drilling processes.
In the past decades, town after town has simply lost population, industry, and business because of declining water sources. Fort Worth would do well to allocate energy and money to a new water supply instead of doing recreational and “pond development” to decorate downtown Fort Worth.
Ben Boothe
Fort Worth
Movie Star on Terror Watch List...
Due to arranging screenings of the Gasland documentary.
WHAT?? So, if you try to educate people, you are a threat? To WHO? What does that make those that lie and poison them? A politician?
Well, they say any publicity is good publicity, right? Onward and upward Josh Fox!
Read WHO it is and WHAT they had to say about it here.
WHAT?? So, if you try to educate people, you are a threat? To WHO? What does that make those that lie and poison them? A politician?
Well, they say any publicity is good publicity, right? Onward and upward Josh Fox!
Read WHO it is and WHAT they had to say about it here.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Welcome to the Eminent Domain capital
Another local business is having another run in with a gas drilling company. George's Speciality Foods.
WHO's got the scoop? Durango, who else.
WHO's got the scoop? Durango, who else.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll
We applaud you all.
And for all you turkeys out there, well, you know what happens to turkeys.
Happy Turkey Day -
Texas Lone Star
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Politician Found Guilty in Texas
Imagine that.
Read about Tom DeLay, aka "The Hammer", being convicted on Yahoo. com.
The article calls him "one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress".
WHY should anyone in congress be feared?
"This case is a message from the citizens of the state of Texas that the public officials they elect to represent them must do so honestly and ethically, and if not, they'll be held accountable," Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said after the verdict.
Amen.
Read about Tom DeLay, aka "The Hammer", being convicted on Yahoo. com.
The article calls him "one of the most powerful and feared Republicans in Congress".
WHY should anyone in congress be feared?
"This case is a message from the citizens of the state of Texas that the public officials they elect to represent them must do so honestly and ethically, and if not, they'll be held accountable," Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said after the verdict.
Amen.
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