Slacking

When we posted the 4th of July poster for the Mid-cities, we thought for sure someone would notice.

Chesapeake doesn't own the 4th of July anymore. 

We've noticed they don't sponsor much of anything they used to since the lawsuits started piling up all over the country. 

Remember back in the day when they owned everyone?  They even told you WHO to vote for.  How'd that work out for ya?

Wouldn't you think...

That those in "Washington, District of Columbia" have more important things to do than look at a blog out of Fort Worth, Texas, every day?

What are we saying?  It is Washington, after all.

Well, the politicians aren't complaining...

And the businesses didn't know.

That's why they weren't complaining.  As for the politicians...

Read the article AND the comments in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the nightmare that 820 has become.  The article states Fort Worth, though it seems Haltom City is taking a big hit. 

The article even states they'll make the road will run all the way to Cabela's (in a hundred years or so..), we have a feeling Durango would have a field day with that.

Other business owners were infuriated to learn that the North Tarrant Express developer plans to permanently close the eastbound 820 exit to North Beach in about two months. They said they were under the impression that the exit would close temporarily but reopen by 2015 or sooner.

"I understand they have to do this project, but do they have to shut down everything at the same time?" asked Pete Jones, owner of Penguin Promo screen-printing shop. Jones said he recently moved from the Park Glen area to an apartment across North Beach from his store, partly because he got tired of the grinding commute home each evening -- three miles that regularly took 30 minutes or more.

He said he had not heard much backlash about the closing from business owners or elected officials in area cities. But he also acknowledged that the impending closure hadn't been publicized and might not be widely known.

Feel that?

Lots of earthquake activity in Burleson this weekend.  Y'all got gas wells out there?

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.5 magnitude quake occurred at 12:46 p.m. Sunday four miles northeast of Keene and 21 miles south of Fort Worth.

The U.S. Geological Survey has received dozens of reports from people who felt the quake.

There were also reports of windows broken and items being knocked over.

Earlier Sunday, a 3.4 magnitude quake happened at 3:55 a.m. at Tilden in South Texas. That town is about 40 miles west of Beeville and south of San Antonio.

On Saturday morning, there was a 2.1 magnitude quake just before 1 a.m. in North Texas, near Keene.

Wanted - Newspaper in Fort Worth

Durango got an email that had him blogging a post titled France's Millau Viaduct vs. Fort Worth's Phyllis Tilley Bridge that made the case that the reason so many things go badly awry in Fort Worth is because Fort Worth lacks a real newspaper doing what a real newspaper does, as in investigative journalism and being the voice of the people speaking to power.

Below is a short excerpt....

If Fort Worth had a real newspaper, something like the Cowtown Wakepark, Santa Fe Rail Market, Cabela's tax breaks and the Trinity River Vision would never get off the ground, because an informed public would not put up with the foolishness. 

With no real newspaper, most of the Fort Worth public is oblivious to the foolishness.

Oblivious to the foolishness, while Rome burns, I mean, the Trinity River Vision parties. In private. And in inner tubes floating on the polluted Trinity River.

Which is another thing. What did you think of that investigative reporting the Star-Telegram did into how safe it is to float in the Trinity River? 

I'm sure that report is coming soon....

The Family 4th Fireworks Show

Wednesday, July 4th at 9:30 PM.

The Family 4th Fireworks Show.

Free Parking.

The Hills Shopping Center at 6351 Boulevard 26, North Richland Hills & W.G. Thomas Coliseum at 6108 Broadway, Haltom City.

No personal fireworks or outdoor grilling allowed.

This is a litter-free, alcohol-free family celebration.

Ironic?

Seems there's a band called, The Dirty River Boys.

We looked all over the Tarrant Regional Water District Trinity River Vision Authority website and couldn't find when the Dirty River Boys were playing the Rockin' the River tubing on the Trinity events. 

Must have been overlooked.  Or maybe since we have our own?

We hear they have a song called, Boomtown. 

Oh, the irony.

Two Town's Flood Tales

Durango makes some interesting comparisons between the flood control projects in his old hometown and his new hometown. And asks some interesting questions.

Read it all in A Tale of Two Town's Flood Control Projects: Fort Worth & Mount Vernon.

Below is a blurb....

Now, how is it that Fort Worth and its bizarro Trinity River Vision Boondoggle has gotten millions of federal dollars for an un-needed flood control project that will build a likely ridiculous looking, un-needed flood diversion channel, so that the levees that have stopped flooding for decades can be removed?

Meanwhile, Mount Vernon, which has an actual, real, flood problem, that has caused problems for decades, scrambles to find the money to build a permanent fix.

Is this a function of the fact that the congressperson who represents the district in which Mount Vernon is located is not a corrupt politician willing to finagle shady deals to channel federal money Mount Vernon's way, whilst Fort Worth is represented by a corrupt congresswoman who stands to make financial gains from the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle which she has helped to fund, which, in addition to providing her financial gain, also provided her son, J.D. Granger, the job of running the project, a job for which J.D. Granger has absolutely zero qualifications?

The installing her son to run the TRV Boondoggle is sufficient cause to attach the "corrupt" label to this corrupt politician, let alone all the other reasons.

Why do not more people find the TRV Boondoggle's wastefulness and lack of need to be perplexing, particularly when there are locations in America where money could be spent to fix an actual flooding problem?

Places like Haltom City and Mount Vernon.

What say you?

If you want to opt out of the "mandatory" smart meters you have until Monday to speak up.

You need to send 16, yes we said 16 copies.

Get the scoop on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Thank them for the late notice.

Would YOU get in the Trinity River?

Would Congress?

Durango asks some interesting questions about last night's first Trinity River Vision Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Float of the year.

One edited excerpt...

"Rockin' the River perplexes me for many reasons. I know the Trinity River Vision Authority is not a public agency, and so laws about transparency do not apply. But, I can not help but wonder how much these Rockin' the River Happy Hour Inner Tube Floats cost. And will J.D. Granger and his mama be floating with the feces, garfish, snakes, turtles, alligators and litter tonight....?"

Bite you in the…

The judge who bragged in campaign material about fighting the EPA is no longer the judge of the Range Resources lawsuit.  He also lost his election.

Like no one saw that coming.

A Loftin campaign flier said, "Obama's EPA backed down only after Judge Trey Loftin ruled that the evidence was 'deceptive.'"

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Can’t they all get along?

The answer is no. Apparently unity is an issue at the Republican Convention in Fort Worth.  From booing Perry to shouting “Oust Straus”, it’s clear the RINO’s days are numbered.

WHO’s next on the list?  We can’t wait to find out.

Even Bud Kennedy is noticing.

By the way, WHERE is Mitt?

Weather Warning

Per Durango.

Interference

A letter to the editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram shows that THE PEOPLE are catching on.

Butt out.  And remember, YOU could be next.

Political interference 

I received a robocall from U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (who is not my representative) endorsing incumbent Vicki Truitt for the Texas House 98 seat. I didn't appreciate Burgess' inserting himself into my state House race. Grassroots conservatives have been working hard to replace Truitt. Adding insult to injury, when I went online to Burgess' office contact form, it asked for my ZIP Code, and then the auto mail response said that since I wasn't a constituent, I should contact my own congressman! 

I called Burgess' office, gave my comment and said I bet next time his conservative constituents may want to find a true conservative to replace him like we are doing in HD 98 with Giovanni Capriglione. 

-- Ellen Lopez, Colleyville 

Rookie vs. Old Guard

Seems Bud has a problem with the way Tarrant County voters voted.

Seems voters had something to say about that.  Read the comments, and leave one.

I'm an Armendariz

This Wednesday at 10 EST, Dr. Al Armendariz will be facing off with Smokey Joe Barton in Washington at a hearing of a subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Some of us have decided to try and put up a new website by the time Dr. Al begins to testify that will both show we stand behind him and try to build a larger base of support for him and his work. The site is IMANARMENDARIZ.COM and it's name comes from this quote by Senator Inhofe (R-Oil and Gas) after he learned that Dr. Al resigned:

"It's not just Armendariz. 
There are lots of other Armendarizes around." 

To prove how right the Senator is, we're collecting pics from citizens who are proudly willing to stand behind a sign that says  "I am an Armendariz" - that they too are for prosecuting environmental criminals instead of coddling them, and support Al as he faces another round of needless harassment in order to advance the House's radical anti-EPA agenda. We'll put these "I am an Armendariz" pics up online a the new website. If you want to contribute, please send your pics to...

imanarmendariz@gmail.com

Also - if you as an individual or your group would like to be listed as a supporter of Dr. Al, please let me know by e-mailing me or using the imanarmendariz@gmail.com  address.

Attached is a quick flyer put together for the purpose of graphically illustrating the concept and being able to forward the campaign to others. Please send it along with this e-mail to others you think might be interested in pushing back on behalf of a guy who tried to look out for us. We're looking forward to receiving everyone's contributions.

Thanks for your consideration.
Jim Schermbeck
Downwinders at Risk
806-787-6567