If I had not long ago canceled my subscription to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, this morning I would have, due to multiple reasons, prime among them being the number of times I'd know a "news" article had factual errors, due to myself having first hand knowledge of what was being described.Those type errors are the benign side of the Star-Telegram's problem. Worse is when the newspaper acts like a propaganda shill for some some Fort Worth project, I mean, boondoggle.
The worst example of that type Fort Worth Star-Telegram propaganda was the way the newspaper described the long ago failed Sante Fe Rail Market, as being the first public market in Texas, modeled after Seattle Pike's Place Market and European public markets. When, in reality, the Santa Fe Rail Market was not even the first one in Fort Worth, and was so badly executed it was like a bad food court in a bad mall.
STAR-TELEGRAM PROPAGANDA REACHES NEW LOW
And now, this morning it was brought to my attention that the Star-Telegram has done it again, proving, in the most embarrassing example to date, how deeply entrenched is this so-called newspaper's role as a propaganda tool for both Fort Worth's city government and the city's puppetmaster, the Barnett Shale Gas Drilling Industry and the chief puppetmaster of the puppetmasters, Chesapeake Energy.
Has the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported to its readers how much money Fort Worth's conflict of interests laden mayor, Mike Moncrief, makes from his holdings in the natural gas drillers poking holes in his town? Has this newspaper called for an investigation into the corruption that permeates Fort Worth's city hall?
Of course not.
Did Pravda ever call for a look at the corruption in the communist party? How many times did a Pravda reader read some communist propaganda and shake his head in wonder, due to knowing the actual truth, not the Pravda truth.
So, what is the latest idiocy in the Star-Telegram that has me all in HIGH UMBRAGE MODE?
Well, this morning there is an article by a supposed reporter named Mike Lee, about yesterday's events at the Tarrant County Courthouse.
The headline is "Carter Avenue landowner loses round in court over gas pipeline."
No he didn't.The article made no mention of the Carter Avenue Rescue Operation Rally that took place prior to Steve Doeung's court appearance.
The article made no mention of the fact that the courtroom was filled with supporters of Steve Doeung.
The article made no mention of the fact that Steve Doeung held his own against the legal system and Chesapeake Energy's lawyers.
The article made no mention of the fact that Steve Doeung's calm demeanor and sense of humor charmed the entire courtroom, including the Judge, several times causing the courtroom to erupt in laughter.
The article made no mention of the fact that by the end of the hearing everyone present was praising Steve Doeung, including the Chesapeake Energy lawyers, regarding how well he had defended himself.
The article made no mention of the fact that Steve Doeung has 30 days to file an appeal, with the 30 days beginning only after Judge Vincent Sprinkle signs the paperwork.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram pseudo reporter/Chesapeake Energy shill, Mike Lee, did not feel compelled to make mention of any of the things I mentioned above, but Mike Lee did feel compelled to share the following Chesapeake Energy propaganda...
"Under Texas law, companies that build natural-gas gathering lines have the same eminent-domain power as more traditional utility companies such as Atmos Energy. And they have more freedom than many government agencies in condemnation cases. For instance, cities have to hire two independent appraisers when condemning a piece of land for a road, and those appraisals must be shared with the landowner. Gas pipeline companies don't have to do that.
Technically, Chesapeake could have started building the pipeline in 2008, after a preliminary hearing in front of a group of court-appointed commissioners. Chesapeake's attorneys, John Baker and Michael Ma, appeared to be waiting for Sprinkle to ratify that award before proceeding."
Part of the above was mentioned by Judge Sprinkle during the hearing, that being that Chesapeake Energy supposedly had the right to begin running the non-odorized natural gas pipeline, under American citizen's homes, after simply having a preliminary hearing in front of some court-appointed commissioners.If that is the case, isn't that comforting?
I thought every American citizen, in every case, of any situation that put one in legal jeopardy, that one is entitled to due process, as in, one is entitled to ones day in court.
Then again, I know Jerry Jones started bulldozing homes in Arlington, for his new football stadium, even while the home's owners where trying to seek relief via the corrupted legal system.
What an appalling state, of a new status quo, which has been allowed to grow, like a malignant cancer, on the freedom from such abuses Americans used to enjoy.
3 comments:
So whatever happened to that councilwoman in the report who was very eager to claim credit? Why the silence, Ms. Hicks? Where is the formerly ubiquitous Julie Wilson, the chief propagandista for Cheat-sapeake, who was always making statements about even the smallest thing that could impact CHK and the gas-a-nostra? We suppose that the "Axis of Exploitation" has decided to let the Startlegram do their dirty work now that CHK and City have pretty much used up all their weapons against this poor (just in money and political connection only!) AMERICAN CITIZEN, FATHER/HUSBAND, NEIGHBOR AND HUMAN BEING--who has a clear moral compass, some backbone, and growing support.
What about the state senator who had helped broker the so called alternative route? Whatever became of her ever since the 12/02/09 public announcement? Looking back this same reporter (journalist?) appears the have even laid the groundwork for further deception by Chesapeake when his article and headline the next day (12/03/09) said something about the meeting and "agreement in principle"/preliminary plan approval "raises more questions than answers". It seems that the main questions are to what depths would CHK-City stoop to get their way in order to put this Tiannamen Square-eske figure down? And who knew what and when? As the FW Weekly cover story and subsequent revelations show, these thugs and sociopaths will do and say just about anything. Is this the kind of government and corporate "citizen" that can be trusted to simply be honest?--much less to act responsibly, legally, and ethically. Stay on this, Durango. Their acts of desperation show that they know they've been exposed. Keep on shedding light on their "dirty deeds done dirt cheap", to borrow from a classic tune, --at the life-and-death costs to citizens and the community (and even the nation since Texas is looked to as the place where O&G practices are done properly).
I was there in the courtroom and Steve respectfully but clearly corrected the judge in several instances, as to the facts and the law itself. The most compelling one was when the judge claimed that CHK could have shoved the pipelines down under his little front yard since Nov. 2008, and which Steve quickly retorted that "you honor, if this giant billion dollar corporation could have done that, they would have so by now--it's certainly not out of their generous heart or humanity"--as he pointed to the state seal that's about 16-inches in diameter to let all present know how massive the pipelines really are. Common sense would indicate that the judge was trying to "spin" the facts to make CHK look good--OR ELSE WHY ARE THEY STILL TRYING TO GET THE LEGAL PAPERS TO TAKE HIS PROPERTY? Even I can answer that question: because they got caught by Steve lying, cheating, and deceiving and thus could not legally take possession and would have exposed CHK to a massive fiasco for trespassing if they were to run their pipelines under Steve's private property.
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