Today The Corruption In Texas Reached A New High, I Mean, Low, For Me

There has been a time or two since I've been in Texas that some crazy Texas thing has been so nuts that it made me mad. And ready to escape this insane asylum.

Today Texas topped itself. I do not remember when I've been madder at this state, or more embarrassed by it, than I am today.

Okay, maybe being mad at the entire state is a bit unfair. Put another way, as an American, I am embarrassed and ashamed of what took place in Texas this morning.

On March 4, dozens of Texans showed up at the Tarrant County Courthouse to show support for Steve Doeung in his battle against Chesapeake Energy, attempting to save his home on Carter Avenue.

That is the satellite view of Carter Avenue in the picture, with Steve Doeung's home a bit right of the crying Statue of Liberty.

On March 4, dozens of Carter Avenue supporters were in Judge Sprinkle's courtroom to observe Steve's latest hearing.

At the end of the hearing Judge Sprinkle clearly said that he had no choice but to sign the order granting Chesapeake Energy the right to put a pipeline under Steve's home.

Judge Sprinkle also clearly said, to Steve, and to those of us listening, that Steve had 30 days, from the time Judge Sprinkle signed the order, to file an appeal.

There was some discussion as to when the 30 days started. Steve urged the Judge to put off signing as long as possible due to an expected BIG announcement which would change everything. That announcement came a few days later when TXDOT agreed to work with Chesapeake Energy on an alternative pipeline route.

Common sense would seem to dictate that an alternative route would be the end of abusing eminent domain to take Steve Doeung's property. Well, common sense is in short supply in these parts.

Judge Sprinkle clearly told Steve that Steve would be notified when Judge Sprinkle signed the order.

Judge Sprinkle also advised Steve that he could make use of the 4th floor law library to help prepare his appeal.

This morning Steve Doeung returned to the Tarrant County Courthouse to file some sort of petitition to the court. The court records person was preparing to take Steve's $50 filing fee when Judge Sprinkle's clerk showed up, asked Steve what he was doing there and told Steve that the order had been signed Tuesday, March 9 and that Steve's Case was Closed.

What?

I do not take being lied to well. I particularly do not take well to a person in authority lying and abusing his public trust. One element of Steve Doeung's appeal was the various acts of improper procedural matters. As in, Steve was not served proper paperwork. Chesapeake's lawyers claimed Steve could not be found and so they did some legal mumbo jumbo, something called "ad litem" or something like that, where a party is absent and so a lawyer is assigned to supposedly look out for Steve's interests.

That lawyer's name is Ed Fitzgerald. Steve has never met Ed Fitzgerald. Judge Sprinkle seemed to see no problem with this bizarre aspect of the case. I believe Steve's pseudo lawyer was supplied by Chesapeake Energy. Does anyone know what Kafkaesque means?

I get confused trying to sort through all the ways justice has been miscarried in this case.

What are we to make of Judge Sprinkle? Did he purposefully lie to Steve and a courtroom full of observers? Why would he do that? When one observes what appears to be corrupt behavior one tends to wonder what the source of the corruption is. As in, the why of the lie? And the other miscarriages of justice in this case.

Does Judge Sprinkle own stock in the gas drillers? Like Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief does? Is Mike Moncrief Judge Sprinkle's best friend? Does Judge Sprinkle have some unseemly tie to Chesapeake Energy?

Please, someone, explain to me why this Judge can do what he did? Lying in court, misleading the defendant? Over looking misconduct by the Chesapeake lawyers. Ignoring Steve Doeung's complaints about not being properly served, about not being given key documents.

How is it that Steve Doeung has been robbed of his right to appeal? At every step of the way the law, as malpracticed in Texas, has slapped with a way too heavy hand.

My little sister is a lawyer. She works for the state, in Washington. Investigating complaints of judicial misconduct. Does Texas have an equivalent to my little sister? Little sister, I know you're too busy to read my busy blog, but if you are reading this, go here, to get yourself up to speed on the scandal. Then, once you get yourself into being righteously indignant mode, call your Texas equivalent, if you don't mind. Because we need help here.

I am so disgusted with Texas today that it's got me in FULL I need to get out of this corrupt state mode. I'm sick and tired of being so sick and tired of all the sick and tired things that go on here.

I am so embarrassed at how America, via Texas, has treated Steve Doeung. This is a guy who escaped Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge, who's dad insisted the family come to America. They had other choices, but the Doeung's wanted to live in the Land of the Free.

The idea that Steve Doeung has been subjected to what amounts to a Kangaroo Court worthy of the pseudo justice system that prevailed in the defunct Soviet Union, should embarrass any right-minded Texan. Let alone the rest of America.

The majority of those who read this blog are not Texan. Is there anyone reading this out in America, you know, the America Steve's family dreamed they were moving to, who could, maybe somehow, find a way to grant the Doeung's safe refuge? I can't get Steve's mom out of my mind from that Thursday in Judge Sprinkle's corrupt courtroom. She was shaking, she was so scared. It all reminded Steve's mom of being back in danger from the communists. Doesn't that make you proud, Texas?

Maybe the Doeung's can follow me back to the west coast where the individual and his rights are respected and protected in a way alien to modern day Texas.

You can fix this Texas. I'm not quite sure how. What I do know for sure is there needs to be some corruption cleaning done. Just follow the money and the corruption path should be fairly obvious.

And where is the FBI? Really, what does it take, what level of corruption? When I got gas today, and called my mom, I told her the mayor of this corrupt town makes over $600,000 a year from the gas drillers poking holes in Fort Worth. My mom said something like, "I don't think that's legal. Why hasn't he been arrested?"

Mom is so naive, even though she's visited Texas several times, she doesn't get that Texas is not really part of the America she lives in.

Is It Time To Line Fort Worth's Carter Avenue With American Flags Again? Or Is Chesapeake Bluffing Again?

Something is going on here. What it is is not exactly clear.

But, near as I can tell, and I can't tell much, Chesapeake Energy is taking the advice rendered on the protest sign, at last Thursday's CARO Rally on the Tarrant County Courthouse steps, and is going to take their Carter Avenue Pipeline and shove it somewhere else.

It seems like I've heard this before.

But.

Near the end of last Thursday's Steve Doeung vs. Chesapeake Energy court date, after Judge Sprinkle indicated he had no choice but to sign the order granting Chesapeake Energy the right to run a potentially explosive, high pressure, non-odorized natural gas pipeline under Steve Doeung's home, and that Steve Doeung would have 30 days to appeal the ruling from the point in time when the Judge signed it, Steve Doeung then asked Judge Sprinkle to please take his sweet time in signing the order, because Steve had reason to believe that a significant announcement would be forthcoming that would obviate Chesapeake's eminent domain case, due to the Carter Avenue route no longer being needed.

At that point in the proceedings, the chief Chesapeake lawyer told Judge Sprinkle that he knew of no impending announcement which might affect the case.

And then, a few days after that, the Fort Worth City Councilwoman who represents the district Carter Avenue is in, Kathleen Hicks, had minions place letters in Carter Avenue resident's mailboxes. The letter was a sort of obtuse meandering that seemed to be somehow taking credit for something that was about to happen, which Ms. Hicks seemed to be indicating she had been working hard to bring about.

Even though Ms. Hicks has had no contact with Carter Avenue residents during this controversial period. Nor would Ms. Hicks answer questions posed to her regarding the Chesapeake issues.

And now, this morning I learn that, supposedly, once more, Chesapeake Energy and the Texas Department of Transportation has found an alternative route for the controversial pipeline.

The new route is the same route that was announced late last year, an announcement which sent Carter Avenue into celebration mode, complete with lining Carter Avenue with American flags.

TXDOT says the "new" route, running along Interstate 30, could be approved quickly, as soon as Chesapeake submits its plans for the route.

Councilwoman Hicks is quoted as saying, "The coordinated efforts by all demonstrate what we can do when we work together. The actions we have taken here are significant for other North Texas neighborhoods that are concerned about pipelines in their neighborhoods."

This latest iteration of TXDOT's pipeline policy supposedly came about due to pressure from the forementioned Hicks, plus Texas State Senator Wendy Davis and State Representative Lon Burnam.

Wendy Davis is quoted as saying that when construction starts on the I-30 pipeline, Chesapeake needs to return the right of way to the Carter Avenue property owners, saying, "Particularly, they need to back away from the condemnation against Steve Doeung. I feel like his family has suffered a lot of emotional trauma."

Well, I agree with Wendy on that. Steve Doeung and his family have been put through a Kafkaesque nightmare, complete with scary Gestapo Raids and lop-sided court hearings, where the victim is left helpless in court, defending, solo, his rights, against a powerful government/industry combine.

Is it time for Carter Avenue to bust out the flags again? I don't know. The last time the Carter Avenue flags went up, someone stealthily removed them under cover of darkness. This time, if the flags go up, I'd say it'd be a wise move to keep the flags on the home side of the sidewalk.

And. To whover it was who stole the previous flags, this time there will be 2 night vision cameras strategically located on Carter Avenue, covering the majority of the street. You may steal the flags again, but this time it will not be an Anonymous Operation.

Let Judge Sprinkle Know What You Think About Fort Worth's Cartergate Scandal

In the picture you are looking at Steve Doeung heading up the Tarrant County Courthouse steps during the CARO Rally last Thursday.

Yesterday, or the day before yesterday, I opined that I thought Chesapeake Energy should be made to buy, outright, at fair market value, plus a bit extra, any property under which Chesapeake wants to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline.

Anonymous on Scott Avenue, with Scott Avenue being the street due north of Carter Avenue, commented about how I thought Eminent Domain should be properly abused on Carter Avenue.

Anonymous Scott Avenue's comment was so good and had such a good suggestion I figured the comment needed to be blogged about. And so I am.

Below is what Anonymous Scott Avenue had to say....

As a homeowner on Scott Avenue, I presented that option at City Council when this all first started going down.

The problem is that Carter Avenue is not the only street affected. This pipeline will endanger people for a large area including at least three city blocks on either side of the pipeline.

This is not an option. Chesapeake does not want the public relations nightmare of the nightly news showing homes being torn down to build their pipeline.

A more realistic approach at this point is to begin an email campaign to Judge Sprinkle at vgsprinkle@tarrantcounty.com to respectfully ask him not to sign the Judgment.

Steve's easement is no longer "necessary" for this pipeline and that would be the only reason for signing this Judgment. CHK says it is only needed for a "backup" now. We can only win this battle in the court of public opinion. It is time for the Judge to hear from us directly, in a respectful manner, on this issue.

In Fort Worth Texas Turning The Carter Avenue Rescue Operation Into The Carter Avenue Chesapeake Park Project

I have been dwelling, as in my tendency, about the events of this past Thursday.

My main dwelling revolves around the conversation that took place with Steve Doeung, myself and the Queen of Wink, at Riscky's BBQ in the Fort Worth Stockyards, after the CARO Rally and Steve's appearance in court.

During the course of talking to Steve there was a moment of absolute clarity, where, for a moment in time, the absolute absurdity of the hell Steve is being put through, by Chesapeake Energy and the City of Fort Worth, was so obviously wrong and the solution so obviously clear.

Chesapeake Energy wants to run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under Carter Avenue. Chesapeake claims this is safe. However, these pipelines have been known to blow up. And so, it is totally reasonable that a person might choose not to live above such a pipeline.

This is non-odorized natural gas. The reason natural gas is odorized is so leaks can be detected. This was mandated after a natural gas explosion. In Texas. Killed 100s of school kids.

How can the natural gas industry so cavalierly dismiss citizen's concerns, when the record of the industry really inspires no confidence.

Steve is the last holdout on his side of Carter Avenue. The homeowners on the opposite side of Carter Avenue received no compensation, because the pipeline would not run under their front yards. Yet they are in the same danger, taking the same potential risk as their neighbors on Steve's side of the street.

The small amount of compensation, that Steve's neighbors took from Chesapeake, does not make them whole. It does not cover their loss in property value. Or the difficulty of selling their home, with the homeowner mandated to reveal to a potential buyer that the house sits atop a big pipeline pumping non-odorized natural gas.

Chesapeake Energy is a private company trying to maximize its profits. Abusing eminent domain allows Chesapeake Energy to help its bottom line, by being able to acquire gas pipeline routes on the cheap.

Okay, here is my moment of clarity. If, indeed Chesapeake Energy needs to run a pipeline under homes, to me the only sane, only decent, only right way to do this is for Chesapeake Energy to acquire the homes in the same manner Jerry Jones took homes in Arlington for his new Cowboy Stadium.

As is, the value of the home is being compromised, with the homeowner left victimized. Eminent Domain should insist that Chesapeake Energy should buy the entire property at market value, plus an additional fee to help pay for moving. Chesapeake Energy could then rent out the homes.

Or tear them all down and turn Carter Avenue into a park above the pipeline.

In a truly fair, logical and just America, this would be the only option. If this did not fit a private business's profit making model, fine, move on and figure something else out. But, it should not be part of the system that a private business can damage citizen's property value, in this manner, without truly just compensation.

I am thinking we should turn the Carter Avenue Rescue Operation into the Carter Avenue Chesapeake Park Project aka CACPP.

Why is this type ruling not the automatic course of such things? It only makes sense. It just is not fair to maximize profit by squeezing the little guy. It all leaves me feeling slightly sick.

Fort Worth's Pravda Star-Telegram Botches Reality Again Mis-Reporting Steve Doeung's Court Case

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.

The Carter Avenue Rescue Operation Had A Good Day Today & So Did Steve Doeung

I am a bit exhausted. Up before 4. Downtown in chilly Fort Worth at 7. The Tarrant County Courthouse a half hour later.

Using telecommunicators, the Queen of Wink and I were able to match locations and coordinate the search for a parking spot.

With the parking spot secured, we took off, on foot, the Queen, Princess Annie and I, toward the Courthouse. Mid-way the Queen got a Royal Chill, so we had to find a Starbucks to get something hot.

With that need met, it was on to the Carter Street Rescue Rally. By the time we got there the bullhorn was already at full throttle, signs were waving, people were being noisy.

I was sort of wandering around taking pictures, so maybe I was not as actively listening as I should have been, but I believe Steve Doeung started off the proceedings, introducing someone who introduced someone else.

The speeches were brief and to the point, with a lot of shouted punctuations from the crowd, things like, "Chesapeake Sucks" "No Eminent Domain Abuse" "Aubrey McClendon Boo," stuff like that.

At one point, fresh, young firebrand, Glen Bucy, spoke. I asked one of the coordinators of this event to introduce me to Glen Bucy, because I admire his rhetoric, which reminds me so much of my own, but, for some reason, she did not.

That is Glen Bucy looking at me taking his picture, with Steve Doeung under the lower left hand corner of the "Hey Chesapeake Take this PIPELINE and SHOVE IT!" sign.

As the protest rally was going on, cars drove by honking horns of support. A lot of horn honkings of support.

After the Carter Avenue Rescue Project Rally was over it was time to head to the courtroom. There will be no pictures of the courtroom. It was forbidden. My group had trouble finding the courtroom. We exhausted all 4 floors before we found where we needed to be.

The last time Steve Doeung faced a judge and Cheseapeake Energy's legal team, he did it alone, with Don Young his sole support in the chamber. This time Steve Doeung was not alone. The courtroom was full of support.

The proceedings started off dull, with it seeming like Steve Doeung was in way over his head. And then, sort of like watching a Frank Capra movie, Steve seemed to grow stronger and stronger. Always polite, always articulate, always calm.
At one point the judge told Steve he was wrong on a point of law. One of the Chesapeake lawyers begged your honor's pardon to inform the judge that Steve was actually correct. I think the audience cheered. At least in the movie version.

At another point Steve was arguing the absurdity of a private citizen being put in the position of having to defend himself from a private business using eminent domain to try and take his property, asking that the judge even the playing field by appointing Steve legal counsel.

The judge explained that this was impossible. Steve suggested that if he kicked the Chesapeake lawyer, not that he was considering it, but, if he did, then legal counsel would be assigned. In other words, when you commit a crime, legal help is provided. But when you are the victim of what many believe to be a crime, you have to use your own resources to defend yourself.

In Steve Doeung's case, he may not be blessed with financial resources, but he is blessed with another powerful resource, as in he has a first rate mind, praised by the judge. And the Chesapeake lawyers.

At one point in the court proceeding a Texan with a cowboy hat came into the court, sat down, proceeded to pass his cowboy hat around to the courtwatchers, with people putting money in the hat, as if sitting in a pew at church.

When the bailiff saw this going on he escorted the cowboy out of church, I mean court. The cowboy was collecting money for Steve Doeung's defense. Later I was to see the amount of money that had been collected. It was not a small amount.

The King of Anti Eminent Domain Abuse, Billy Mitchell, is in one of the above pictures, speaking above the upper left corner of a "Chesapeake Sucks!" sign. I did not get a chance to meet Billy Mitchell. I don't think the opportunity presented itself.

That is DISH mayor Calvin Tillman on the right of the distinguished looking gentleman holding up what looks to be a very well-designed protest sign. And an American flag.

Okay, that is Part 1 of my day, today, in downtown Fort Worth. Part 2 took place at the Fort Worth Stockyards. I'll get to that after the break. I mean, after I take a break.