Let's Talk Moratorium Fort Worth

Fort Worth's Ruling Junta has decided to talk to the people of Fort Worth about their city for the 3rd time in something like 50 years. One of the opportunities for the people of Fort Worth to talk to the Ruling Junta takes place 6:30 PM Thursday, September 25 at Will Rogers Memorial Center Auditorium in the goofily named Fort Worth Cultural District.

At the same time that the Ruling Junta is listening to the people another group of concerned Fort Worth citizens will be holding a rally at the same location, a rally to give voice to the idea that Fort Worth's Ruling Junta should listen to the Fort Worth citizens who believe a more cautious course be taken regarding the massive drilling going on in the Fort Worth urban zone, the first time such activity has been allowed in a densely populated area.

You can find details of the Moratorium Rally here.

And, as if to rub salt in the wounds of those trying to chart a more cautious course, yesterday, on Tuesday, the Ruling Junta approved Chesapeake Energy's gas permit near Tandy Hills Park.

And now, back to the Ruling Junta's "Let's Talk Fort Worth" nonsense. In the Fort Worth Star-Telegram today there was a full page ad for the Talking Project and Thursday's listening session. The Ruling Junta even has a website devoted to this. Fort Worth is laying off workers, shortening library hours, among other things, due to a huge budget shortfall that is not being helped by any windfall from Barnett Shale, but they can afford full page ads and a website for their "Let's Talk Fort Worth" project.

Here's some typically deluded verbiage from one of the 2 full page propaganda ads that the Ruling Junta placed in today's paper....

"Fort Worth is a thriving, dynamic progressive city known for its cowboys and culture---everything from world class museums, corporate headquarters, and NASCAR to an abiding reverence for its unique Western heritage.

Today, Fort Worth is recognized as one of America's safest, most livable communities with plenty of fertile ground for economic growth. The city's successes and accomplishments are no accident, though. They are the result of thoughtful planning by city leaders who have been guided by the vision of the residents they serve."

It goes on and on from there. Where do I start? Progressive city? Known for its culture and cowboys? Known by whom? You in the rest of the country, do you know anything about Fort Worth? Known for its corporate headquarters? Radio Shack lost its headquarters, Pier One Imports lost theirs too, to, I think, Chesapeake Energy. Is that what they mean by "known?" As in known for corporate boondoggles?

Livable? With gas drilling going on all over town and hundreds of miles of pipelines being laid to carry odorless gas? That's livable? With homeowners being threatened with eminent domain unless they agree to have a pipeline shoved through their front yard. That's livable?

Fort Worth is known for being safe? The town couldn't even keep open its signature park at the north end of downtown, called Heritage Park, due to crime problems.

Thoughtful planning by the Ruling Junta? Huh? Where is there any evidence of any thoughtful planning? Has any member of the Ruling Junta thought maybe it'd be a good idea for Fort Worth to build some sidewalks, like what exist in actual progressive cities? You might want to start with something simple like that.