DINO in District 90 Election

Dear District 90 Voter----

My race is incredibly close and increasingly nasty.

People in District 90 are getting robocalls and flyers accusing me of enabling pedophiles, stealing from the state and even - I kid you not - a robocall from a fake police officer saying I was literally caught with my pants down in a local park. Then there's the ad from a school-privatization group praising my opponent for being the pro-public education candidate.

We are hitting back hard with mail, block-walking and phone calls, but our stepped-up effort is quickly draining the bank account.

I need your help, and it's now or never.

Three ways you can help:

1. Make an online contribution to fund our get-out-the-vote operation.
2. Come volunteer in Fort Worth Monday or Election Day Tuesday.
We'll be phone-banking and block-walking. RSVP Lon@LonBurnam.com
3. Join our Austin phone-bank Monday from 5PM-8PM:
Texas State Teacher's Association (TSTA)
316 W. 12th Street, Austin, Texas 78701
(Corner of 12th & Lavaca- parking lot entrance on 12th)
Remember to bring your cell phone!
RSVP so we can get enough refreshments at jaclyn.jo@gmail.com

Thank you for your support and beware of DINOs (Democrats-in-name-only) in this race and others!

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Fort Worth Special Election

Greg Hughes Files for Fort Worth's City Council District 9 Special Election

20-Year District 9 Resident and Past Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) Commissioner Brings Years of Service Experience




Greg Hughes
greg@greg4district9.com

FORT WORTH, February 26, 2014­ – Former Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) commissioner and neighborhood leader Greg Hughes filed today as a candidate in the special election to fill the council seat vacated by Councilman Joel Burns.

"Joining the City Council will be another way to continue serving this great city. With years of service already under my belt I look forward to a new chapter of my service and the opportunities it brings," said Hughes.

Hughes's 20-years of service as a resident of District 9 include advocacy and leadership around environmental, public transportation and neighborhood issues, including:

·      Founding member of Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance, a grassroots pressing the City of Fort Worth for a more responsible approach to gas drilling.

·      Vice president of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, past co-chair of its Prairie Fest and chairman of the Fort Worth Prairie Park committee of the Great Plains Restoration Council, he advocated for environmental awareness, restoration and stewardship of urban prairie lands.

·      Board Secretary and Member of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) Executive Committee and its representative to the Regional Transportation Council, during which time he was active in bringing the Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth.

·      Founding member and first president of the Fort Worth Alliance for Responsible Development (FORWARD), amplifying the voices of citizens concerned with the design of the Chisholm Trail Parkway

·      Past president of the University West Neighborhood Association and founder of the now dormant University Neighborhood Alliance, a group of neighborhood associations around University Drive.

Hughes also announced his appointment of businesswoman and civic volunteer Wendy Vann Roach as campaign treasurer.

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Quote of the Week

We had several we wanted to post, but they mysteriously disappeared from Facebook Monday night.  Maybe it had to do with a Fort Worth Star-Telegram editorial which talked about social media.

"But now, all manner of inappropriate commentary is preserved on the Internet and shared before its authors have the opportunity to consider the consequences....

But it’s a useful reminder that in a world where we have the unprecedented ability to share our thoughts at will, doesn’t necessarily mean that we should."

So now the quote of the week goes to former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Jim Hightower.  Last night on MSNBC, he, Calvin Tillman and Josh Fox were addressing the Exxon Mobil executive who has suddenly become one of the things he hates, a NIMBY (Not in my back yard).  He is suing to try and keep a huge water tower from being erected near his 100 acres in Texas. Seems it's an eyesore and he doesn't want the truck traffic.  Hightower called it "phallic justice", with a grin.  We're not sure how he didn't bust out laughing.

We've also heard there's a special place in hell for some of these folks, Hightower suggested they may want to spend their millions investing in air conditioning...

What's Hightower up to these days?  We'd vote for him.

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All fired up!

Between the emails we received and the comments left online, seems folks in Fort Worth get it. Their "leaders", well, that's another story.

WHY would we spend $6.5 million on bridges over dry land while we can't even pay our Fire Department without sticking our hand up for a federal grant?  What's wrong with this picture?

And someone please define conservative for those in office.  They are apparently the only ones who don't get it.

Below is a comment left on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and an email sent to the Star Telegraph. You can learn more from two citizens than one FWST reporter. First the comment on the Star-Telegram article, followed by the email sent to the Star-Telegraph....

Its hopeless. The city of Ft Worth apparently can't afford to finance its own fire department and has to depend upon the Federal Government to make do. Where are the Feds getting the money? From borrowing it and printing it. How is the federal government ever going to get its budget balanced if it is financing city fire departments around the nation?

________________________________________

So, Kay gets the fire dept. a grant for 3 million as the city sinks 6 million into the bridges. What say we fund our own police and fire with our own money and stop funding this farce that swallows up funds from every taxing authority... at all levels.

Why are our elected officials STILL pushing this giant turd?

Kay throws the fire dept. a bone so they won't make noise over the diversion of City funds to the TRV. The police and fire should strike until the city abandons the TRV!

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If it's good for the goose...

While fracking and other drilling techniques have opened up large reserves of oil and natural gas in Texas, they’ve also caused literal headaches, traffic jams and fatal accidents, and strains on water supplies. As a result, some Texas communities are pushing back: Dallas has passed strict limits on drilling; citizens in Denton, Texas are working a ban on drilling altogether within city limits. And now joining the list of residents who don’t want some fracking infrastructure in their backyard? Rex Tillerson, head of ExxonMobil, which is the largest producer of natural gas in the country.

No Fracking Way....

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Fort Worth is flush...NOT

The city is throwing around money like they have it.  Last week it was Wal-mart and a developer, now it's the TRV.  Total for these 3 alone - approximately $49 million.

Isn't it nice to know YOUR tax dollars aren't being wasted...

And remember when they say the TRWD "acquired" the land, that means they took it.

You can read about the scheme in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, though this is really all you need to know:

The vision depends on Congress to provide about half the $910 million needed to complete the project.

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Got Water?

An article in the FWST confirms what folks have been saying for years.  Water is drying up as fast as the money. So how will Fort Worth sustain all these news (tax abated) businesses and residents with no water and no functioning free(toll)ways?  Someone may want to flip the switch and turn the Bat signal on already.

“Obtaining new supply sources to get us more water and to meet those growing needs is going to be very expensive,” said Mary Gugliuzza, spokeswoman for the water department. “It is going to cost considerably more than what our conservation efforts are costing.”

Councilmen Jungus Jordan and Joel Burns, both members of the infrastructure and transportation committee, said the conservation efforts are needed to safeguard water for future generations.

“Even if we started today, it would be 20 to 30 years before we could bring in new supplies of water,” said Jordan. “The biggest concern is that we do what we can today to ensure that this important resource is available to us in the future.”

If you'd like to learn more from a survey you never heard about, come out next Tuesday.  It should be fun.

On Feb. 27, Fort Worth water customers are invited to hear how the input they provided last year was used in developing the proposed revised conservation and drought plans. The 6:30 p.m. meeting is at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.

The proposed revisions are based on public input the water department received last year through a phone survey, online survey, workshops and a virtual meeting that allowed people to participate using a phone or the Internet. Tarrant Regional Water District also conducted a phone survey of Fort Worth customers.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires these plans be updated every five years. The revisions must be submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by May 1. The Water Department is scheduled to review the proposed plans with the Fort Worth City Council on March 18 and bring the appropriate ordinances and resolutions forward for City Council action on April 1.

In addition, there was a regional effort among major Metroplex water providers to develop consistent stages, goals and actions for when a drought or emergency response is needed. This effort included the North Texas Municipal Water District, Tarrant Regional Water District, Upper Trinity Regional Water District, the Trinity River Authority and the cities of Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington and Mansfield.

Entities that purchase treated drinking water from Fort Worth are required by contract to have the same mandatory measures for their customers. The wholesale customers that regularly purchase water include Bethesda Water Supply Corp., Burleson, Crowley, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Everman, Forest Hill, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst , Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Northlake, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club Municipal Utility District, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village and White Settlement

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