I Am A Platinum Sponsor Of Fort Worth's Picnic & Politics In The Park

This afternoon I made one of my infrequent forays into Facebook. During that foray I saw GG making a cryptic comment that intrigued me.

GG said, "Only in Fort Worth do you have to pay $60 per person to hear what mayoral candidates have to say, in a public park."

What fresh hell is this, I wondered to myself?

Well, GG and her assistant provided sufficient hints to allow me to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Seems the Fort Worth Ruling Oligarchy has two candidates running for mayor of Fort Worth, Betsy Price and Jim Lane. The one chosen to be the next mayor, by the Queen of the Fort Worth Ruling Oligarchy, Kay Granger, is Betsy Price.

I do not know if Jim Lane did something to displease the FWRO Queen, which caused him to lose royal favor, or what.

Maybe the FWRO Queen did not think Jim Lane could as easily be made to do her bidding, as could Betsy. Or maybe it is something as simple as the fact that both Betsy and Queen Kay are Republicans, while Jim Lane is a Democrat.

Back to paying $60 to hear what the mayoral candidates have to say for themselves.

Well.

On June 9 at 11:30 AM - 01:00 PM at Burnett Park, it being one of downtown Fort Worth's public parks, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. is staging an event called Picnic & Politics in the Dark. I mean Park.

I'm assuming Betsy Price and Jim Lane will give speeches while a picnic takes place. This Picnic & Politics in the Park is open to the public, Fort Worth being the type of inclusive town that it is. And the fact that the event takes place in a public park. How could it not be open to the public?

All it costs to attend this event is $60. You can get in for $50 if you pay $350 to become a Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. member. That is $350 a year to save you $10 on a political picnic.

I'm already going to this important event, due to being a PLATINUM SPONSOR. It only cost me $2,500, for which I'll get priority seating for me and 20 of my closest friends. Plus I'll get recognition in the luncheon program, event signage and stage announcements.

Best $2,500 I have ever spent.

A Woozy Friday Morning With 100 Degrees On Saturday Thinking About Voting For Jim Lane

The sun got up before me on this 27th morning of May.

When my camera looked out my viewing portal on the world, this morning, it was set in aquarium mode, which caused it to take a picture that matched my currently woozy view of the world.

At this point in time the outdoors is chilled to a very pleasant 67 degrees. Thus my windows are open.

The outdoors is currently scheduled to be heating today, eventually, to a relatively warm 93 degrees.

Tomorrow the current forecast is that we will be experiencing the first 100 degree day of 2011 in this particular zone of North Texas.

At 100 degrees all windows are closed. Fans are spinning, A/C is running.

Now, on non-weather related news. Former Fort Worth mayoral candidate, Cathy Hirt, has endorsed Jim Lane for mayor.

Many former Cathy Hirt supporters are now voting for Jim Lane.

I voted for Cathy Hirt. No one I vote for ever wins. This has me thinking I should vote for Betsy Price, even though I prefer Jim Lane.

It's a perplexing conundrum.

I Did Not Wait In A Long Line Today To Vote For Fort Worth's Mayor & My City Council Person

As you might guess, from all the signs, you are looking at my voting place, the East Regional Library.

Yes. I voted.

On my way to the Tandy Hills, which have already dried out from the rains of Wednesday and Thursday.

There were a lot of cars in the parking, which had me fearing a long line that would have me regretting not early voting.

I parked next to a pickup plastered with Cathy Hirt for Mayor signs with a guy campaigning for Cathy Hirt sitting on the tailgate. The vehicle on the other side of my vehicle was a Lupe Arriola for City Council campaigner. I told both the Cathy guy and the Lupe guy I was heading inside to get in line to vote for their girls.

They thanked me.

I was soon to have my fear of a long line disappear. There was no line. There was no one voting til I walked in.

Every time I vote, the method is different. I always end up being a little confused. We had trouble finding my name on the list of registered voters. I guess way too many Joneses made it confusing. As we were looking for my name, another voter arrived. An old lady.

Finally we found my name. I signed in. I was directed to go to the ballot man, where I picked a ballot from a table. Then I was directed to a voting booth. I was looking at the blank sheet of paper, likely looking perplexed, so the ballot man told me to turn to ballot over.

I don't ever remember voting for something in Washington where there are only two things on the ballot. This may be why today's election will have such a low turnout. And be one of the methods Fort Worth's Ruling Oligarchy retains control.

So, it did not take long to vote. My fellow voter, the old lady, was talking to me from her voting booth, telling me she did not know who to vote for for City Council. I told her I did not think I was suppose to make a suggestion.

Then as I walked past her, to stick my ballot in the machine that reads it, I said to her, "vote Lupe."

Oh no, she said, I voted for the wrong one. Then she actually asked ballot man if she could do it over. He said yes. She then walked over to ballot man and as she got another ballot actually asked him who she should vote for. He told her he can not make suggestions.

It was bizarre. Why was this lady bothering to vote, I could not help but wonder?

And then later I was thinking to myself that voters should have to pass some sort of Voter's Test in order to get your Voter's License. I think we'd have much better outcomes in elections. And change the voting age. Instead make the age when you can first apply for your Voter's License to be something like 12 years old.

I suspect I probably would have been able to pass the Voter's Test at 12 years old. That would have given me 6 more years of voting.