SATURDAY!!!

Fort Worth's Best Watchdog, Don Young, wants YOU!

Saturday! Want to be in a movie? Read on.

My friend Paul John Roach, senior minister at Unity Church of Fort Worth, is concerned about how gas drilling in Fort Worth affects the entire planet. He reached out to several other groups who shared his concern. Their concern evolved into an idea to make a video inspired by the 350.org project.

What is 350?

International Day of Climate Action is designed to raise awareness about the importance of reducing CO2 emissions on planet Earth. When atmospheric concentrations of CO2 (carbon dioxide) are above 350 parts per million, climate change kicks in. Right now, thanks to fossil fuel production and burning, planet Earth is shrouded in about 390 ppm of CO2. Natural gas production in Fort Worth and the Barnett Shale region is a big part of the problem.

Back to Paul's video project.

Paul describes the project as guerrilla-style filmmaking, meaning, a small budget, free-form script and a lot of passion. This saturday morning, Paul and a professional crew will film concerned citizens at gas well sites near downtown Fort Worth. At about 1:30 p.m. they will arrive at Tandy Hills Natural Area, one of the most important and valuable green spaces in Fort Worth, to shoot additional video footage.

That's where you come in.

With the scenic Tandy Hills prairie as a backdrop we aim to send a positive message to elected officials of how important it is to regulate CO2 emissions. All you have to do is show up and demonstrate your message. After editing the video will be posted on YouTube. Check the 350.org website for more info and ideas.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Tandy Hills Natural Area, 3400 View Street, Fort Worth
Bring: Your message to the world in words, pictures, dance, art, poetry or just by showing up. Kids are welcome and encouraged to participate! Bring drinking water.

Map

Hey Mansfield

Here's something closer to your neck of the woods.

Arlington residents speaking out against gas well at UTA.

Read the article from the daily newspaper here.

The signs said the university got millions from Carrizo Oil & Gas for the lease while the neighbors received only noise, fumes and vibrations they say are "keeping kids awake" and causing "severe headaches."

"Air and sound quality at the site are frequently measured and assessed by Carrizo, the City of Arlington, and appropriate state agencies, and they are well within established standards."

DenBraber gathered nearly a dozen signatures from neighbors on a letter she sent to the Texas Railroad Commission asking the agency to prevent Carrizo from drilling in urban areas or at the university. She said she never received a response.

Carrizo paid $391,000 for the right to explore for natural gas on campus and made a one-time donation of $400,000 to the university, according to the Star-Telegram archives.

UT-Arlington receives a 27 percent royalty on any gas extracted from its property and in January received its first royalty payment of $528,495.

$60 Million Dollars

That is the amount wasted in the Trans-Texas Corridor per WFAA. "TXDOT says after the TTC collapse it will listen better to balance property rights and transportation needs."

Did you hear that? They will LISTEN better.
Did you get your money's worth?

Kay Bailey Bailey Hutchison is now being endorsed by the Texas Farm Bureau. They were vocal against the eminent domain of the TTC. Why isn't Kay against eminent domain in Fort Worth for TRV? Ask her.

For Sale

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram daily newspaper has another TRV article you can't afford to miss.

LaGrave Field and surrounding land for sale.

This is a scary prospect for the backers of the Trinity River Vision, which aims to reroute a river and create an urban island about the size of the central business district.

This is more than a case of simply wanting development to occur; the Trinity River Vision project depends on it.

Its finance plan hinges on construction creating higher property taxes in the area, with that money being used for land acquisition and other expenses.

Its revised finance plan assumes no growth for three to five years, and to keep the project moving, it has arranged for a loan from the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Baseball fans are most concerned about the fate of the Cats, and the team has a pressing deadline to secure commitments for next season. But in the big financial picture, the team is insignificant, and LaGrave Field is more of an albatross than an asset.

The problem is that the city doesn’t have any extra money. The only public entity with surplus funds is the water district. Its mission is to provide water and flood control, and its full-throated support of the Trinity River Vision is already pushing the limit.

It has to draw a line somewhere, and the minor-league stadium is the place.

We're glad to hear there is a line somewhere...finally.
If the Water District has surplus funds, why did your water bill increase again?

It's your money

And they want it. All.

Read the entire article "Despite cost concerns, Fort Worth council signals Trinity Uptown support" from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram daily newspaper.

City Council members are concerned about some aspects of the $909 million plan to pay for the Trinity Uptown project. But it appears a majority of them will ultimately vote to approve the plan.

Wait, they are concerned, but going to do it anyway? Ask them why.

The Fort Worth City Council is one of several government agencies involved in funding the Trinity River project.

The price of the project jumped from $576 million in March to $909 million in July. The City Council is only funding $26.6 million of the project directly.

Where did we get $26.6 million? Aren't we $50 million short? How much does the TRV department/staff cost?

The Tarrant Regional Water District is expected to pay about $226 million to the independent Trinity River Vision Authority get the project started.

The Water District was created to reduce flooding and provide clean water supply.

The city is paying $765,000 this week to move its auto pound out of the way of the project, and it might have to pay to relocate the police and fire academy.

More things "in the way" of TRV.

"There are other costs to the taxpayers; it’s not $26.6 million," Zimmerman said. Moncrief said the city would likely have to pay those costs even if the Trinity River project weren’t built.

WHAT? WHY?

The Trinity River Vision is expected to cost $909 million. Here’s a breakdown of who pays what: $26.6 million: City of Fort Worth $11 million: Tarrant County $64.4 million: Tarrant Regional Water District $320 million: Tax increment finance district $487.8 million: Federal sources.

Do you pay Fort Worth taxes? Tarrant County taxes? Water District taxes? Federal taxes? Then you will be paying for TRV. All of it. What benefit will you receive?

Moncreif says it will take "political courage to move project forward". We think it would take it not to. Well, that and common sense.

Just say No

The Trans Texas Corridor is dead in the water. Reason? People don't like eminent domain.

"The reason that's being given for the no-build option is that people don't want it," Meadows said. "They said 'Hell no.' "

In January, state officials announced the Trans-Texas Corridor was essentially dead, in large part because of public outrage and a backlash from state legislators who felt the transportation department had overstepped its bounds.

What does that say for Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District? They have overstepped their bounds and people have said "Hell no" to the Trinity River Vision.

WHO is listening?

You can read the entire article at WFAA.com here.

Pride?

Letter to the Editor in today's local paper. Sorry Mr.Huff, looks like it will be awhile.

Once upon a time, not in the too distant past, it was easy to be proud to say, "I’m from Fort Worth." Now, not so much.

We have City Council members going all over the place at city expense, closing city swimming pools next year, ending the best program the city ever came up with in the Day Labor Center and throwing people out of work. At the same time, all or most of the City Council could afford to pay their own expenses if they want to see foreign places, the people who used the swimming pools will have no place to go, there is no one place to look for a job and our fine mayor rides around in a fine car he doesn’t own or drive.

Where do we end up? How long will it be before we can once again say, "I’m from Fort Worth and proud of it"?

— Edwin Huff, Morgan

From the Watchdog

That was not a false alarm that FWCanDo started sounding in 2005. It just took awhile for tests to prove that gas drilling in the Barnett Shale is dangerous to your health. Now, in 2009, we finally have 4 important pieces of evidence:

> Dr. Armendariz'/EDF study

> Dish, Texas study

> Westworth Village, Texas study

> TCEQ infra-red videos.

Air and water baseline studies should have been done by the City of Fort Worth back in 2005 before drilling was allowed, but the city refused. Why? Here's what FW Asst. Attorney, Sarah Fullenwider, said in response to that question by me at a Gas Drilling Task Farce meeting in 2005:

"The State of Texas does not require us to do any studies so we aren't going to be doing any."

DY
Read the latest gas drilling disaster denial in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram daily newspaper.

Momentum

The FW Weekly tells it like it is. Somebody has to.

This paper has published numerous stories about people’s water wells being contaminated or dried up after a gas well began drilling nearby. Every time, the energy companies denied responsibility and said there’s no proof, you go get your expert and we’ll get our 12 experts, you go get your lawyer and we’ll get our team of lawyers and we’ll all meet in court…for many, many years until you’re bled dry, sucker.

Tarrant County and the Barnett Shale aren’t unique. The same fight is being waged across the country, wherever drilling is occurring.

Back in 2005, the Weekly was just perking up to the potential for water problems. The industry, of course, was way ahead of the game, already getting exemptions passed in their favor. Lobbyists and their wheelbarrows filled with cash have a way of encouraging exemptions.

Read the article from the Weekly here. Be sure to click all the links.

Best of FW Weekly

The long awaited Best Of edition is out on the streets now! Durango has a good post on it. Check it out here.

Kudos to our frequent contributor, Don Young for being voted best Watchdog!!

And Kudos to Mayor Moncrief for continuing to hold the Politician Most Likely to Sell Grandma to the Highest Bidder slot. Reminds us, nothing was ever done - it just got worse. Sorry, Grandma.