A Suggestion To Vote Out The TRWD Crony Capitalist Gang

Well, the mystery is over as to who the TRWD board candidate who got Al Gore-ed in the last TRWD board election, John Basham, is voting for in the upcoming TRWD board election.

I learned via Facebook, this morning, the not too surprising news that John Basham is supporting Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner as the ONLY choices deserving a vote.

The Facebook John Basham TRWD voting announcement in its entirety....

TRWD Update: Okay, I've been quiet on this election this year (publicly), but I've been inundated with questions about who I am supporting. I'll make it simple, the ONLY choices for the TRWD board are Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner! These two people represent the very finest of citizen servants who will work for YOU rather than the crony capitalist gang who are getting the contracts, kick-backs, and jobs right now. YOU MUST vote for these two to make a difference. AND, YOUR VOTE REALLY DOES MATTER! After the thousands of votes were recounted in my last TRWD election, I missed beating Board President Vic Henderson by 81 votes! 81!.... It really does matter. Craig and MIchele will hit the ground running day one and help Mary Kelleher finish the incredible work she has started in trying bring open, honest, and responsive government to the TRWD. Early voting starts Monday.... Please go vote and make a real change in your government.

The 7th Street Gang Is Not Happy With The Fort Worth Business Press For Telling The Truth About Monty Bennett

Way back in late March I blogged The Raw Galling Hypopcritical Hubris Of TRWD Propaganda Is Appalling in which I verbalized the disgust I felt at the TRWD propaganda demonizing Monty Bennett as an evil Dallas businessman trying to take over Fort Worth's water.

What prompted that blogging on that particular day was the fact that I was a bit surprised that the Fort Worth Business Press had printed a fair and unbiased article about Monty Bennett and his issues with the TRWD titled Monty Bennett: Businessman, water district activist.

I was surprised at this article because previously the Fort Worth Business Press had seemed to be onboard with the 7th Street Gang's Good Ol' Boys and Girls and their propaganda campaign to spew falsehoods about Monty Bennett.

Well, apparently the Fort Worth Business Press took some flack from the 7th Street Gang for not following the party line.

This led Fort Worth Business Press publisher, Richard Connor, to write an editorial titled Love him or hate him, Monty Bennett is a newsmaker in which Connor let's us know that the 7th Street Gang did not like that he had gone off the reservation and printed facts, rather than their patented propaganda.

You can read the entire editorial, but I will just share the paragraph which contains the bit about the Good Ol' Boy and Girls being upset that Connor and the FW Business Press were not following the Fort Worth Way script....

What has surprised us at the Fort Worth Business Press is the consternation expressed by local businessmen that we would profile the water district’s leading critic and nemesis, Monty Bennett, a Dallas hotelier. Bennett has been fighting the water board for several years, trying to prevent it from running a water pipeline through his 1,300 acre ranch in Henderson County. While he cloaks his disdain – dare we say hatred? – for the water board in criticism of its lack of transparency, alleged violations of open meetings laws and nepotism, his real source of anger is parochial.

By the end of that paragraph Mr. Connor seems to be back towing the 7th Street Gang party line.

One of my favorite Fort Worth seasoned citizens, Clyde Picht, commented on the FWBP editorial with a comment filled with the sort of facts that make Fort Worth's Good Ol' Boy and Girl Network so uncomfortable.

Below is Clyde Picht's comment in its entirety....

Monty Bennett obviously has an ax to grind over the threat of eminent domain being used to take part of his property for a pipeline that according to the TRWD's own study will bring water to Fort Worth only in an emergency and if Dallas doesn't need the water.

But if TRWD is so quick to use eminent domain to get land, why didn't they use it to get Carl Bell's 37.679 acres near La Grave field? A 50 acre parcel, rife with environmental pollution, was appraised at $12,000,000. It's probably worth less than that but in a moment of charity the TRWD paid Bell $16,000,000 for the 37+ acres.

Bell had shut down the CATS ball team and was reportedly near or in bankruptcy. One might wonder why TRWD is so generous with their money. The reason is that it's not their money (which is really taxpayers' money) that's being spent. The $4,000,000 largesse comes right out of the pockets of Fort Worth taxpayers.

In comments published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 12, 2005, Jim Oliver, the TRWD Director stated that "backers (of Trinity Uptown) might seek more local money" and planner James Toal stated "The taxpayers will not be left holding the bag." That was when Trinity River Vision was projected to cost $435M. (Also see a S-T editorial, "Tax money flows to the river" July 19, 2009)

And then there is the comment from the man who probably had enough votes to join Mary Kelleher on the TRWD Board, but, you know, stuff happens, like trouble counting votes. Below is the comment from John Basham in its entirety....

Richard, Simply put; You are experiencing "The Fort Worth Way", as the former Mayor would say. You must understand that the 7th Street Downtown Croney Crew are used to the 'News' printed by the Startled Gram. Or as I like to call it; "PRAVDA Fort Worth". How DARE the FWBP print an article containing NOTHING but truth. It doesn't matter that the story was both fair to both sides as well as truthful. You MUST Carry the Water (I couldn't resist either) for the 7SB Cronies or else they shoot the messenger. Chin up, there was a time when 'JOURNALISTS' gauged the accuracy and fairness of their stories by how much it inflamed each side. But alas Ft Worth does NOT have a daily Newspaper any longer, instead they have a public relations arm for 'The Fort Worth Way'.... Hold the line. Kudos to Marice Richter and yourself for a job well done.

________________________________________________

I wish Monty Bennett really was trying to take over Fort Worth. Think of the damage he could do if he bought the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I know Mr. Bennett is a successful businessman, so it is unlikely he'd want to buy a money losing sinking operation like the Star-Telegram.

Then again, maybe Monty Bennett would like the challenge of turning the Star-Telegram into a real newspaper. He could maybe become a Texas version of Citizen Kane....

February Comes Towards Its End With Snow On The Menu Again For North Texas

What you are looking at here is what my new computer based weather monitoring device generates when I click on it to get me some weather info.

Yesterday I replaced my previous computer based weather monitoring device, called WeatherFox, because the Fox had become erratic, days out of sync, and thus worthless.

Even better computer based weather monitoring comes to me via Facebook and my favorite Texas Weatherman, John Basham.

This morning's Facebook John Basham Storm Spotter report is indicating we are in for some winter fun today in North Texas.....

WINTER WEATHER UPDATE 640 AM CST FRI FEB 27 2015 - NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS - INCLUDING: THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX. A large area of light to moderate SNOW is rapidly approaching Western North Texas at this time. Doppler Radar and surface reports indicate the leading edge of snow is in Jack, Parker, & Hood Counties at this time. This areas of snow will continue to move East-Northeast across the Dallas/Fort Worth metro through the morning. With temperatures below freezing and evaporative cooling from the snowfall, widespread totals of 1" to 4" of snowfall can be expected in the metroplex. Areas of greatest risk for accumulation are along and North of the Interstate 30 corridor. Temperatures will have to fight to climb to the freezing mark today allowing for any snow that falls to accumulate readily and then re-freeze Friday night when more snow and freezing drizzle is expected. Road conditions are fine this morning across the metroplex, but will likely be deteriorating by noon. This will be especially true North of Interstate 30 and West of Interstate 35 where temperatures will struggle to get out of the upper 20's. Please be careful on area roadways and if conditions begin to worsen adjustments to your schedule may be necessary, especially if you have children who may wind up in an early release from school today. THIS IS NOT A NWS PRODUCT. Meteorologist John Austin Basham Storm Spotter METOPS,

Freezing In The Hot Tub Worrying About Incoming Snow & Ice In North Texas

On the left you are looking at a screencap from Facebook, a WEATHER UPDATE from the most reliable and detailed weatherman from whom I've experienced receiving weather reports, John Basham.

This morning the outer world was chilled to freezing at my location for the first time this freezing season. I think we beat my old home zone of the Skagit Valley for first freeze of the year.

With this morning being the first freezing morning of this freezing season I had my first frozen bout in my newly restored to HOT hot tub.

The newly HOT hot tub was not so hot that I felt compelled to cool off with a quick dip in the likely way too cool pool.

If the wind dies down, and I suspect it won't, I think I'll go on a neighborhood bike ride today. Unless the wind dies down the wind chill factor makes that freezing temperature feel like 22 instead of 32. Combined with the rapid speed at which I roll my wheels that would be way too chilly a bike ride.

As you can read below, in John Basham's latest WEATHER UPDATE, a chance of snow and sleet is a possibility in the days ahead. I am not in the mood to go slipping and sliding. I've only recently recovered from the post traumatic stress of last winter's scary slipping and sliding incident....

WEATHER UPDATE: 445AM WED NOV 12 2014 - North Texas Including the DFW Metroplex - Brrrrr A cold morning with much of the area already below freezing and windchill values in the teens. Tomorrow morning (Thursday) we will see clouds, freezing temps, and yes even a little light sleet is possible. The good news is most of the ice that will fall will not make it to the ground, but a few pellets of ice on your car Thursday morning are not out of the question. Now, the bigger issue, the third in a series of disturbances will rotate across North Texas on Sunday and forecast guidance does NOT agree on what this will cause. Prior to it's arrival, and the subsequent VERY STRONG cold front that will push across the area Sunday, we will see the return of Southerly winds as well as moisture in more than just the surface layer of the atmosphere. It would seem that the moisture return would not be sufficient to cause any wintery precipitation on Sunday once the disturbance and cold front work to cause lift, but timing is crucial. That in conjunction with the relative strength of the approaching system would lend pause to any monster amounts of wintery precipitation, BUT some model data suggests over an inch of snow is possible across a large part of North Texas. At this time, I am only willing to put snow/sleet into the slight chance category for Sunday, but I am watching it very closely. It very well could be an interesting and white weekend for much of North Texas... In the mean time, bundle up.. it's cold! THIS IS NOT AN NWS PRODUCT. John Basham

John Basham's Psychic Ability To Predict Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorials

Yesterday, regarding yesterday's Fort Worth Star-Telegram's latest slanted, biased article about the latest TRWD meeting fiasco's villainizing of Mary Kelleher and John Basham and their co-conspirators in imaginary crime, John Basham opined, regarding the Star-Telegram article by Bill Hannah, that since the article made the mistake of giving Basham the last word this would surely result in yet one more Star-Telegram editorial in which the Star-Telegram acts like the obedient lapdog of the corrupt Fort Worth powers that be.

John Basham apparently possesses some sort of intuiting psychic powers, because just as he predicted, this morning the Star-Telegram published yet one more of its biased editorials regarding the Tarrant Regional Water District Board scandals.

This morning one of John Basham's imaginary co-conspirators emailed me the link to this morning's Star-Telegram anti-Basham/Kelleher editorial titled Latest episode of Tarrant Regional Water District soap opera is disappointing.

However, due to what amounts to being a form of censorship, I am unable to read the Star-Telegram's editorial. Or any other article in the Star-Telegram, for the most part. Clicking on the link to the Star-Telegram editorial brings the reader to a webpage which is quickly rendered unreadable, as you can see, screencapped below.

After the screen goes gray that which you see below pops up, indicating one must be a Star-Telegram subscriber to read a Star-Telegram editorial.

While the Fort Wort Star-Telegram is not a real newspaper in the way newspapers of record in other towns I have lived in have covered the news, it still is what passes for the only newspaper of record in Fort Worth.

I know the Star-Telegram is not doing well, financially, and thus is thrashing about trying to raise revenue. But, I really don't think cutting down your number of readers in this censoring manner is really the way to go. When one is allowed to read a Star-Telegram article one is subjected to multiple ads. The Star-Telegram needs readers if it wants those advertisers to keep on advertising.

Lately I have discovered a much better source of online local news, via the WFAA website. WFAA is the ABC affiliate in the Dallas Metroplex. The WFAA website is well done, has limited ads, does not censor articles, requires no subscription, and comprehensively covers the entire Dallas Metroplex, unlike the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which primarily focuses on Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Is Vegas taking bets on how long it is til the Star-Telegram folds for good? My bet would be sooner than later. There are just too many local sources of news which do a much better, much fairer covering of the news than does the Star-Telegram....

The People's Republic Of The TRWD Battle Against Those Who Oppose Their Shady Shenanigans

Well. Yesterday was one of the more disturbing days I have spent being perplexed in Texas.

Being perplexed started early with a text message telling me that Mary Kelleher was heading into battle at the TRWD, with limited pre-battle warning and thus limited backup.

I asked what the battle was about this time to be told it had to do with the ongoing objections to Jim Lane and Marty Leonard continuing to serve as TRWD directors without benefit of being re-elected to the post.

I was walking with Arlington's Indian Ghosts when I got some more text messages telling me I needed to check my email inbox for a pdf regarding one of the lawsuits against the TRWD and that I needed to check a specific Facebook page to read play by play of the ongoing Battle at the TRWD.

By the time I got back to my computer there was an email from John Basham telling me I needed to check out his Facebook page.

I checked out the Aaron Harris Facebook page first to read the TRWD Battle play by play. There I learned Jim Oliver and his TRWD director minions had stuffed the meeting with TRWD lackeys, whilst banning Mary Kelleher supporters to a separate room. And that, unlike the Mary Kelleher censure farce, this time there was a uniformed armed guard of some sort in the room.

I don't quite understand the why of it, but there were multiple calls to the Tarrant County sheriff seeking some sort of law enforcement intervention in what I guess the Mary Kelleher supporters perceived to be criminal behavior by Jim Oliver and his TRWD board minions in conducting a public meeting without the public allowed to attend.

At one point in the meeting Mary Kelleher excoriated the board, topping off her excoriation with a call for the resignation of Jim Oliver.

After reading through the info on the Aaron Harris Facebook page I was off to John Basham's Facebook page, where I quickly found myself appalled, disgusted and dismayed.

John Basham posted his own very well reasoned excoriation of the TRWD's latest shenanigans, in part saying, "....the TRWD has decided to take on; Mary Kelleher, Adrian Murray, Andy Nold, Monty Bennett, Craig Bickley and Me for a trumped up set of issues regarding campaign finance reports. In short ANYONE who has ever opposed the current money & power brokers at TRWD are now under the legal cross-hairs of this agency using YOUR tax payer dollars."

"I personally want to apologize to ALL of the people listed above for being dragged into such a petty use of tax payer resources on a personal vendetta. IN SHORT THE TRWD IS SENDING A MESSAGE: IF YOU SUPPORT JOHN BASHAM OR STAND WITH HIM AGAINST US, WE WILL SUE YOU OR TRY TO CRIMINALLY CHARGE YOU.... Hey wait! Isn't this same thing happening in Austin to Rick Perry? Welcome to THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF TRWD, where the powerful elite will ruin your name if you disagree with them."

The object of John Basham's righteous ire is a document prepared by a San Antonio law firm, the cover of which is screencapped above, titled INVESTIGATIVE ANALYSIS REPORT ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING COMPLIANCE AT THE TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT.

Apparently the TRWD board directors, except for Mary Kelleher, decided it was a real good use of taxpayer money to spend some of those funds investigating the past couple TRWD board elections, basically going after all those who have opposed the TRWD's shady dealings.

To what end? And why?

When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's shady dealings? Such as the sweetheart deal which resulted in the world's first new drive-in movie theater of the 21st century? When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's bidding practices? The nepotism?

When is there going to be an investigation of the TRWD's abuse of eminent domain and that abuse's possible resulting financial gain for various TRWD board members?

Is the fact that the TRWD wasted public funds to conduct this Investigative Analysis of Campaign Finance Reporting, in a vindictive effort to stifle opposition, not an extreme abuse of power worthy of an FBI investigation?

What is the real reason for not holding an election, thus giving Jim Lane and Marty Leonard an extra un-elected year? Is it yet one more effort to postpone a day of reckoning? The day when a couple more Mary Kelleher-esque honest real public servant sorts get elected to the board? A day when the TRWD board and Jim Oliver can no longer stonewall regarding the release of public documents to the public?

Like I already said, this is all very perplexing. And once again causes me to lament the fact that Fort Worth suffers from not having a real newspaper.....

The Shadow Of The Tandy Hills Thin Man Getting HOT Before Getting Icy Info From Texas Storm Spotter

With today being possibly the last day of the year that gets heated to being in the 80 degree range, with a predicted incoming ice storm with predicted potential bad things, like widespread power outages, detailed below, I decided to take what may be my last HOT sans-shirt Tandy Hills hike of the year.

What you are looking at on the left is the Shadow of the Tandy Hills Thin Man, surrounded by the colors of fall.

I had myself a mighty fine hiking time today. I am so overfilled with endorphins right now I don't think anything could aggravate me at this particular point in time.

This aggravation free bliss is usually of short duration. Likely to last through lunch, maybe.

Below is the aforementioned incoming weather calamity details, from my favorite Storm Spotter, John Basham------

WINTER WEATHER UPDATE
TEXAS - NORTH CENTRAL & NORTHWEST
STORM SPOTTER METOPS FORT WORTH TX
1030 AM CST WED DEC 4 2013

A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE IN NORTH TEXAS TODAY WITH A MUCH STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR MOVING INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT WITH GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 25MPH. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON A COLD RAIN WILL BEGIN ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS WITH AREAS OF SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM BOWIE TO MINERAL WELLS. OVERNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING CONTINUED PERIODS OF RAIN AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES DROPPING BELOW FREEZING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST WILL BEGIN A TRANSITION FROM COLD RAIN AND MIXED SLEET TO FREEZING RAIN ACROSS ALL OF NORTH TEXAS. BY SUNRISE FRIDAY MORNING AREAS NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM GAINESVILLE TO DENTON TO DFW AIRPORT TO LAKE WHITNEY SHOULD ALREADY SEE SIGNIFICANT ICING OCCURRING WITH AREAS OF 1/2" OF ICE OR MORE POSSIBLE THE FARTHER NORTHWEST YOU TRAVEL. HEAVIEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE DFW METRO HOWEVER THIS AREA SHOULD REMAIN WARMER LONGER THAN REMAINING OUTLYING AREAS DUE TO THE SURFACE HEAT ISLAND' EFFECT CAUSED BY METROPOLITAN AREAS. THIS WILL NOT HOWEVER PROTECT TREES AND POWER-LINES FOR LONG AFTER TEMPERATURES DROP FROM AROUND 30 TO THE UPPER 20'S. INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS TRAVEL IS LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN 2/3 OF NORTH TEXAS BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

ADDITIONALLY WIDE-SCALE POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE AS TREES AND POWER LINES BECOME HEAVY FROM ICE AND FAIL. THIS EVENT IS NOT SIMILAR TO LAST WEEKS WINTER WEATHER EVENT FOR NORTH TEXAS AS TEMPERATURES ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO BE WELL BELOW FREEZING RATHER THAN HOVERING AT OR NEAR THE FREEZING MARK. ENERGY, TRANSPORTATION, MUNICIPAL, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CLIENTS NEED TO RUSH PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION FOR THIS EVENT. LATEST MODEL DATA SHOWS THE POSSIBILITY OF A 'WORST CASE SCENARIO' OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS ALONG A LINE CENTERED FROM MCKINNEY TO DFW AIRPORT TO FORT WORTH TO GRANBURY AT ITS PEAK FROM MIDNIGHT TO 3AM EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. WHILE THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS THAT COULD MATERIALIZE IT NOW SEEMS QUITE CLEAR THAT ANY ONE WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTIONS ACROSS A LARGE PART OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST TEXAS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF ACCUMULATED ICE DOES INTERRUPT POWER THEN CLIENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR TEMPERATURE DROPS INTO THE UPPER 20'S. CLIENTS WHO RELY ON ELECTRICITY FOR HEAT NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE EVENTUALITY OF NO HEAT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. TRANSPORTATION CLIENTS SHOULD PREPARE FOR DRIVERS TO BE STRANDED IN THEIR VEHICLES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION> THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. FOR SPECIFIC SPOT-CASTS OR SITE-SPECIFIC TIMING PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ASSIGNED METEOROLOGIST OR THE STORM SPOTTER METOPS FORECAST CENTER. UPDATES WILL FOLLOW AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. THIS IS NOT A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PRODUCT. METEOROLOGIST: BASHAM

I Am Shocked Regarding New TRWD Ethics Violation Allegations

If I have said it once, I have said it twice. There is way too much corruption that way too few people notice here in the Fort Worth zone of America.

Benefit of being a backwater?

I don't know.

But, where else in America would something like the nepotistic hiring of the unqualified J.D. Granger to run a billion dollar public works project not be a scandal? With the local newspaper of record not objecting strongly to such an outrageous case of nepotism?

Hiring the son of the local congresswoman so as to hopefully secure federal earmark dollars for a thing like the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle should be a scandal. This would be a scandal anywhere else. But, in Fort Worth it is just shrugged off as being the Fort Worth Way of operating.

And now, this afternoon, I've received multiple emails regarding what seems to me to be yet one more example of the Tarrant Regional Water District being ethically challenged. With me thinking, the reason these type things keep happening is due to that Fort Worth Way of operating that I mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This afternoon I am being told several things, none of which I am able to verify, all of which, for good reason, I believe to be factually accurate....

Apparently the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is working on a story about an ethics complaint which has been filed with the Texas State Ethics Commission regarding this past May's TRWD board election. John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett are the persons named in the complaint.

I am being told no one has yet received official notice of the ethics complaint, or what is being alleged in the ethics complaint, but that the official notice will arrive today via a phone call followed by a mailed letter.

So, who filed this complaint you are likely wondering?

Now that is where it gets interesting.

A man named Jerry Llewellyn Jenkins allegedly filed the complaint. So, what is this Jenkins guy's connection to the TRWD you can not help but wonder?

Well, guess who is a close neighbor of Jerry Jenkins? If you guessed TRWD Board Member, Jack Stevens, you guessed right. Jack Stevens and Jerry Jenkins are also both active members of the Azle Chamber of Commerce.

Big deal, you are likely sitting there thinking. So, they are neighbors and are in a Chamber of Commerce. What is unethical about that?

Now let's bring up another name. Lee Christie. Lee Christie is an attorney. For whom is Lee Christie an attorney you might be wondering?

Well.

Lee Christie is an attorney for the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Again, you are likely sitting there thinking, big deal.

Now, what if I told you that I am being told that Lee Christie is also an attorney who has allegedly worked with Jerry Jenkins, he being the guy who filed the ethics complaint against John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett?

Does the term "conflict of interest" mean anything to anyone as an "ethics violation" in the zone where the Fort Worth Way persists?

I am almost 100% certain that John Basham, Mary Kelleher, Timothy Nold and Monty Bennett have done absolutely nothing unethical regarding this past May's TRWD board election.

I am also almost 100% certain that there is something unethical regarding the "business" relationship between Jack Stevens, Jerry Jenkins and Lee Christie.

I am also wondering if the Star-Telegram is going to be reporting the "entire" story if they publish this article they are working on?

Lawsuit Filed Regarding TRWD Election Shenanigans

Some of the shenanigans of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board are finally being dealt with.

Shenanigans like fiddling with elections. That type thing.

A pair of Tarrant Regional Residents, John Basham and Darlia Hobbs, have filed a lawsuit regarding the TRWD shenanigans.

Fort Worth Weekly has an article on this subject titled Residents Sue Tarrant Regional Water District.

That article contains a link to the lawsuit document. However, currently, that link in the FW Weekly article does not link to the correct file.

However, you can read the lawsuit document by clicking on the image you see in this blog post.

I suspect this lawsuit is not going to go well for the TRWD, no better than their recent failed foray into the United States Supreme Court....

A Vote Recount Keeps Mary Kelleher From Joining The TRWD Board Today

I was so looking forward to watching Mary Kelleher  be sworn in this morning to be a member of the Tarrant Regional Water District Board, followed by lunch with Fort Worth's favorite self-entitled, pearls clutching dowager heiress, Marty Leonard.

As so often happens when I look forward to something, something goes wrong.

The Tarrant County Elections Office is recounting the votes cast in the May 11 TRWD Board election.

The swearing in of Mary Kelleher is postponed until the election results are validated.

I have heard of multiple impropriety allegations which may be why the recount has been ordered.

I have heard there are provisional and military ballots which were not counted. I don't know what a provisional ballot is. I assume a military ballot is a vote cast by someone in the military.

I have heard there was some dubious behaviors at a couple of the polling places. I don't have any idea if those dubious behaviors are one of the reasons for the recount.

I have also heard that there were some shenanigans at the Tarrant County Elections Office the day of the election that may have created some concern as to the accuracy of the original vote count.

If I remember right John Basham was 92 votes short of unseating one of the incumbents. I will not be shocked if this recount results in that incumbent being unseated, with John Basham joining Mary Kelleher as a newcomer to the TRWD Board.

TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Is Out Of Control Spewing Vitriolic Trash Talk

This morning on my way to the swimming pool I opened my mailbox to find what I assume will be the last mailer I'll  find in my mailbox pertaining to tomorrow's Tarrant Regional Water District Board election.

This morning's mailer was from the BNK opponents. I've lost count  of the number of mailers I've received from the opponents and the incumbents. I would guess the BNK opponents have something like a 4 to 1 lead in the Mailer Wars.

I scanned one of the pages of today's mailer. I then slightly altered what I scanned by adding "TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver is out of control and the current board is providing no oversight."

I blogged about Jim Oliver being out of control on Wednesday in a post titled Memorable Words From TRWD's Marty Leonard & Jim Oliver About Unqualified Losers.

I took the blurb "TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver is out of control and the current board is providing no oversight" from the home page of the Flush the TRWD website.

On Wednesday John Basham said that within 24 hours he would publish the email exchanges he had with Jim Oliver that led Mr. Basham to assert that Jim Oliver is out of control.

Unlike way too many politicians Mr. Basham was true to his word.

Below is what John Basham had to say about the arrogant Jim Oliver, followed by the email exchanges, which I have put in chronological order.

Jim Oliver Emails
TRWD General Manager has NO OVERSIGHT from the current board and is out of control !

Below is an example of Jim Oliver's work as the General Manager at the TRWD. This email conversation took place between TRWD/BNK candidate John Austin Basham and Mr. Oliver Monday May 6th. Mr. Basham had received information that district employees including Mr. Oliver could be making phone calls urging people to vote for the incumbents FROM DISTRICT PHONES DURING DISTRICT BUSINESS HOURS.

As General Manager of the TRWD Mr. Oliver should take any hint of impropriety with tax funded property very seriously. The Exchange below will show both Mr. Oliver's arrogance and disdain for any oversight.

On May 6, 2013, at 6:15 PM, "John Austin Basham" wrote:

Mr. Oliver,
Imagine if you were an employee at a government entity who was using those government phones to call and ask "friends" to vote for a specific set of candidates at your government entity. Now, let's take one additional step and imagine you were still using those same government facilities (offices & phones) during government business hours to call people and spread libelous information about candidates running against your chosen bosses whom perhaps this employee has lied to time and time again... But wait, one more piece of imagination is needed. Imagine one of those "friends" on your list recorded one of those calls and provided it to the challengers. Wow! Wouldn't that be mind boggling? What a story that would make if broken at the right time. Sure is a good thing that never happens, huh? See you soon.
John Basham

On May 6, 2013 7:31 PM, "Jim Oliver" <Jim.Oliver@trwd.com> wrote:

Imagine if you were a loser, bankrupt with your house foreclosed, and pretending to be a meteorologist with no education. Oh, wait a minute, you don't have to imagine, because its you.

On May 6, 2013, at 7:33 PM, "John Basham" wrote:

Tic tic tic tic tic

On May 6, 2013 7:36 PM, "Jim Oliver" <Jim.Oliver@trwd.com> wrote:

I've earned a living for my family, you never will, loser. 

________________________________________

No matter what the results of tomorrow's election are, I can not see how Jim Oliver can keep earning the living he's been living feeding off the public trough, whilst treating the public so dismissively. And rudely. And inappropriately.

TRWD Candidate John Austin Basham Addresses Campaign Finance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TRWD Candidate John Austin Basham addresses campaign finance

Fort Worth, Texas – May 7, 2013 – Over the past few days much has been made by political elites and media insiders about campaign finance during this Tarrant Regional Water Distric election. TRWD challenger and part of the Basham-Nold-Kelleher (BNK) slate couldn’t agree more.

“I absolutely agree campaign finance is an issue in this race,” says Basham, “I have been vigorously supported by an open government PAC and private land owners since day one.”

When asked about his opponents financial backing Mr. Basham had some serious questions.

“The current board members list of donors reads like a friends and family plan,” says Basham, “When I looked at their list I couldn’t believe 95% of the donors receive our tax money in contract awards.” Mr. Basham went on to say, “It’s no wonder they want to try to paint my private donors as evil, anything to take the focus off the fact that YOU the taxpayer are funding their campaign.”

A review of campaign finance reports called “8-day reports” do in fact show none of Mr. Basham’s donors receive any contracts or awards from the Tarrant Regional Water District. This cannot be said for the incumbent’s reports which show over 30 donors who are paid contractors or lobbyists for the Tarrant Regional Water District.

“It sickens me that these people get away with this every election,” says Basham, “They drag every opponent through the mud and take focus off the real issue.” Basham continued,” They are getting paybacks for the political decisions they make on the board in the form taxpayer cash laundered through contractors!”

Opponents of Mr. Basham and the BNK slate of challengers have been in quite a “tizzy” about donors from “out of town” donating to his campaign. Mr. Basham responded, “I have donors  who are affected by TRWD decisions across their 11 county service area, their only say in any election is by supporting open and honest challengers,” Basham continued, “My opponents have received donations from 4 different states from as far away as Arizona and Colorado. Voters should decide which is worse; out-of-state TRWD contractors giving kick-backs or normal land owners affected by TRWD decisions.”

The TRWD Incumbent Cockroaches Throw Some Mud While Hiding From The Light

Last  night I was pre-warned I would find a bizarre  mailer in my mailbox this morning from the apparently increasingly desperate TRWD Incumbents.

Even though I was pre-warned, seeing the oversized, would not fit in my scanner, mailer, and its outrageous Orwellian propaganda, left me with the feeling of not knowing where to start with verbalizing my disgust for these miscreants who clearly need to be removed from any position involving public trust.

"A controversial Dallas millionaire is using a child actor to spread lies and throw mud at our hardworking local water board."

"DON'T LET OUTSIDERS STEAL OUR WATER!"

Steal our water?

Can these idiots get any more irresponsible with the unsubstantiated nonsense they are spewing? The TRWD Board  must have a really low opinion of the intelligence of those who vote, thinking that throwing the "Big Bad  Dallas" card was a great bit of propaganda.

"Don't be misled by the DISHONEST DALLAS HOGWASH from his (the rich Dallas millionaire's) handpicked SLATE of Water Board candidates: John Austin Basham, Timothy Nold and Mary Kelleher --- one has recently been bankrupt and doesn't live in the district and another is being sued for being a tax deadbeat."

No Dallas millionaire hand-picked Basham, Nold & Kelleher to clean up the clearly corrupt TRWD Board.

In the blog post titled The TRWD Election Propaganda Spewings Of Self-Entitled Dowager Heiress Marty Leonard I already explained the reality behind John Basham's bankruptcy and the moral bankruptcy apparent in the fact that Marty Leonard and her co-conspirators in character assassination would sink this low. What I did not mention in that blog post, because at that point in time I did not know the details, was that Timothy Nold was late paying his taxes because the inept TRWD was sending his tax bill to a vacant lot.

Which had the morally bankrupt Marty Leonard characterizing Nold as a tax deadbeat being sued by the TRWD.

Why did this latest mailer fail to also mention the shocking claim that one of the candidates, Mary Kelleher, has a meager voting record? That claim had the TRWD member, dowager heiress, Marty Leonard, in full clutch her pearls mode.

"These dirty candidates should move to Dallas and leave our local WATER ALONE!"

I am actually more than a little embarrassed for the TRWD Board. How humiliatingly insipid to spew this type stuff, which clearly indicates they can not make any sort of case for re-election based on their sorry record.

We are in Malice in Wonderland territory here, folks. We are Through the Looking Glass, where yes is no, truth is lie, clean is dirty, hard working is do nothing, stupid is smart, good is bad. Well, you get the picture.

"Throwing mud at our hard working Tarrant Regional Water Board?"

Throwing mud? What mud? Claiming the TRWD Board bought a luxury helicopter with leather seats? And that the Board uses this aircraft to fly to some sort of private hunting preserve?  I notice that the TRWD propagandizers are not denying the existence of the private hunting preserve, or using the helicopter to fly there. Now, if I were to fly in a helicopter to a private hunting preserve, I would consider this a luxury. Yeah, that is really dirty mud to point out the TRWD flies their luxury helicopter to their private hunting preserve.

Claiming to be hard working is like claiming to be deep thinking. We need some proof.

Are there examples of this corrupt TRWD Board working hard to mitigate the flash flood dangers in Haltom City that have been a deadly menace for decades?

The answer to the above question is NO.

How come the TRWD Board Incumbents make no mention of the hard work they've done on the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

Is there no mention made because after well over a decade all we can see of the Vision is a pathetic, soon likely to go out of business Cowtown Wakepark and the first drive-in movie theater to open in America in decades?

How come the TRWD Incumbents make no mention of their hard work that brought the Woodshed Smokehouse to the banks of the Trinity River.

The Woodshed Smokehouse, for you who don't know, is a restaurant, brought about by behind closed doors, secret shenanigans of the TRWD Board, in cahoots with their lapdog, J.D. Granger.

Apparently, in the TRWD Board's hard working world, building a restaurant on the banks of a river is part of their flood control, water quality mandate.

While little girls drown in flash floods in the area of the TRWD's responsibility.

A few days ago a source I consider reliable emailed me some documents with the text of the email saying, among many other things....

"A little bird tells me that someone very high up at the TRWD is talking to the reporter and is looking to "get ahead" of what the "new board" will find once they start digging. Turns out the internal finger pointing about illegalities is now beginning. I can't wait to read what all he has found."

I never saw a cockroach til I moved to Texas. Let alone see a herd of cockroaches run for cover when the lights come on.

Methinks soon after May 11 we are going to be seeing some metaphoric TRWD cockroaches running from the light....

TRWD Board Wants To Charge John Basham $2,585.00 For Disclosure Of Public Records

On the left you are looking at page 1 of 3 that Tarrant Regional Water District Board candidate, John Basham, received today from lawyers representing the TRWD Board.

A few days ago John Basham emailed me 3 documents, with those documents being exchanges John Basham had with the TRWD Board's lawyers regarding John Basham's Texas Public Information Act (Open Records) Request.

One of the communications from the TRWD Board's lawyers asked Basham to narrow the scope of his Request.

The document John Basham received today from the TRWD Board's lawyer basically tells him if he wants to see the public records, that he is requesting to see, it will cost him $2,585.00.

I guess Freedom of Information is not free in Texas.

I can't help but wonder how much of the public's money the TRWD Board is spending on its lawyers to keep from giving John Basham the records he is requesting to see?

Captain Clean Wants You To Know Who Is Paying To Keep The Current TRWD Board Intact

Captain Clean is the most politically vocal 5 year old I have ever heard shout. Today Captain Clean was not happy about the following 6 paragraphs that appeared in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram in an article titled Big money is pouring into the race for Tarrant Regional Water District board.

Mailings from water board members who are not running for office hinted that Bennett was contributing to Basham’s campaign, but Basham vehemently denied that, saying he is working with a PAC, HillCo Partners, and with a firm, K C Consulting in Austin.

“I am not getting anything from Monty Bennett. I went out and found a PAC that stood for open and honest government. I wasn’t going to run unless I had the means to go up against the powers that be,” Basham said.

Records show that Basham is getting donations primarily from two sources, both outside Tarrant County — HillCo and Bray.

Bray, the $100,000 contributor, owns the Barefoot Ranch, which is in the path of the Integrated Pipeline.

The incumbents are getting funds from various donors and lending money to their campaigns, records show.

Basham responds to the criticism about his out-of-county donations by pointing out that the incumbents have gotten out-of-state donations, as well as financial support from contractors with ties to the water district.

The Star-Telegram told you who some of Basham's donors are, but were not specific regarding the mountain of conflicts of interest type donations received by the TRWD Incumbents.

I received the following information about the TRWD donors yesterday....

WANT TO KNOW WHO IS PAYING FOR THE CURRENT TRWD BOARD MEMBERS TO STAY IN PLACE? HERE IS A LIST OF DONORS TO THEIR CAMPAIGNS FILED MAY 3,2013 AT THE 5PM DEADLINE .... SEE A PATTERN?

FREESE & NICHOLS PAC - FT WORTH - (DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR WITH AWARDS FROM TRWD)

ROBERT SMITH - DALLAS - (PRINCIPAL - HALLIBURTON TECHNICAL SERVICES)

DANIEL BUHMAN - COPPELL - (CONTRACTOR WATER ENGINEER WITH CONTRACTS FOR IPL FROM TRWD/DWU)

JAMES J. PARRISH - ALLEN - (LAND SURVEYING / ENGINEERING FIRM CONTRACTS TRWD)

EDWARD MOTLEY - ARLINGTON - (VICE PRESIDENT - CH2M HILL / CONTRACTS WITH TRWD FOR WATER ENGINEERING)

GREGORY WELCH - MCKINNEY - (GEOGRAPHIC MANAGER - CH2M HILL / CONTRACTS WITH TRWD FOR WATER ENGINEERING)

BRINTON PAYNE - FT WORTH - (TRWD PAID REGISTERED LOBBYIST)

KATHY BEREK - FT WORTH - (DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS TRWD)

SHANNA CATE - FT WORTH - (PLANNING DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TRINITY RIVER VISION)

MINDY ELLMER - FT WORTH - (REGISTERED LOBBYIST TRWD)

HOPPER SMITH - EDMOND OK - (PRINCIPAL - STRATEGIC ENERGY RESOURCES)

LOCKWOOD, ANDREWS, AND NEWMAN PAC - HOUSTON - (ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR)

CHARLIE GEREN - FT WORTH - (STATE REP)

WAYNE OWEN - FT WORTH - (PLANNING DIRECTOR TRWD)

HAYDN CUTLER - FT WORTH - (DEVELOPER AT MARINE CREEK & DOWNTOWN FTW)

JULIE WILSON - FT WORTH - (VICE PRESIDENT OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT CHESAPEAKE ENERGY FT WORTH)

DAVID YANKE - AUSTIN - (BRANCH MANAGER SAIC ENGINEERING / AWARDED IPL CONTRACT FROM TRWD)

CH2M PAC - DALLAS - (CONTRACTOR WITH AWARDS FROM TRWD)

CP&Y INC PAC - DALLAS - (DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FIRM)

HALFF ASSOCIATES PAC - RICHARDSON - (DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FIRM)

CDM SMITH PAC - HOUSTON - (DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR WITH AWARDS FROM TRWD)

DONALD D'ADAM - AUSTIN - (ENGINEER ATKINS NORTH AMERICA - WATER ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR)

BRAD GORRONDONA - BURLESON - (OWNER GORRONDONA & ASSOCIATES - GEO TECH ENGINEERING)

THOMAS CAVER - AUSTIN - (OWNER CAVER & ASSOCIATES WATER RESOURCES CONSULTING)

TIMOTHY PETRUS - FT WORTH - (PRINCIPAL / MORNING STAR PARTNERS - OIL & GAS EXPLORATION)

KEVIN PATRICK - ASPEN CO - (ATTORNEY / WATERLAW PATRICK, MILLER, KROPF, & NOTO - WATER ATTORNEY)

DAVID PETTIT - FT WORTH - (PRINCIPAL / BENNET, BENNET, & PETTIT ARCHITECT AND PLANNERS)

MICHAEL BENNETT - FT WORTH - (PRINCIPAL / BENNET, BENNET, & PETTIT ARCHITECT AND PLANNERS)

BOOTH AHRENS WERKENTHIN - AUSTIN - (ENVIRONMENTAL LAW FIRM)

WILLIAM DILLON - PROSPER - (COO SR VP / BROWN & GAY ENGINEERS - CIVIL ENGINEERING - CONTRACTS AWARDED BY TRWD)

DORIAN FRENCH - DALLAS - (SR VP MAJOR PROJECTS / BROWN & GAY ENGINEERS - CIVIL ENGINEERING - CONTRACTS AWARDED BY TRWD)

CARL KROGNESS - FT WORTH (PROJECT MANAGER / BROWN & GAY ENGINEERS - CIVIL ENGINEERING - CONTRACTS AWARDED BY TRWD)

One of those on this list stuck out to me....

SHANNA CATE - FT WORTH - (PLANNING DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TRINITY RIVER VISION)

Why would the Planning Director of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle want to make a donation to help with the re-election of the TRWD Board Members? Job insurance for herself? Job insurance for a friend? Or a boyfriend? Did her boyfriend's mother tell her to make a donation?

And how much money did Shanna donate?

Captain Clean Again Accurately Aims His Plunger At The TRWD Board

This morning, before heading to the pool for my morning swim, I was directed to read an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram titled Big money is pouring into the race for Tarrant Regional Water District board.

That article contained some major distortions from TRWD board members, ironically claiming there have been major distortions in mailers sent out by the B-N-K candidates. More on that later in another blog post.

On my way to the pool I checked my mailbox and found another mailer from Captain Clean and the B-N-K candidates.

I am sure this latest mailer from the B-N-K candidates will have Fort Worth's favorite dowager heiress, Marty Leonard, clutching her pearls.

Again.

Along with fellow pearls clutcher, Kay Granger, with both claiming this mailer is spewing lies.

Marty Leonard and Kay Granger will likely be unable to grasp the ironic hyperbole that Captain Clean is using to make his point on side one of the mailer.

Captain Clean says "Exactly one year ago in Tarrant County...."

And then shares a "letter" from the TRWD Board which says---

Dear Voter,
We decided to cancel the 2012 scheduled elections because we need more time to come up with excuses for our terrible record in office. We'll see you in May 2013.
Sincerely,
The TRWD Board

Moving on to side two of today's mailer from the B-N-K candidates...

Captain Clean's headline is "TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS THINK THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW!"

Captain Clean goes on to elaborate...

"In 2012, the TRWD Board canceled their own elections because they thought no one was watching. But the truth is, we are watching. The TRWD Board has been recently sued for more than 300 violations of Texas  law for holding secret meetings!"

"The only way to stop the corruption on the current TRWD Board  is to vote for three (3) new board members in this May's election. Vote for Captain Clean's trusted allies - Basham, Nold and Kelleher - to clean up the TRWD and put our water supply first!"

Captain Clean could have also mentioned that complaints have been filed against each TRWD board member with the Texas Ethics Commission due to TRWD's misuse of public funds in printing and mailing a 10 page 4 color glossy brochure promoting the Board of Directors just days before early voting begins in the board election.

Fort Worth's Grande Dames of Obfuscating Obtuseness Aggravate Me

Above you are looking at side one of the latest TRWD Opponents B-N-K Mailer. This mailer arrived in my mailbox yesterday, along with an inflammatory letter from TRWD Board Member, Marty Leonard, she being Fort Worth's favorite pearls clutching self-entitled dowager heiress.

I blogged  about my disdain for Marty Leonard's sleazy smear tactics in a blog post titled The TRWD Election Propaganda Spewings Of Self-Entitled Dowager Heiress Marty Leonard.

After Elsie Hotpepper read what I thought about Marty Leonard's sleazy smearing Elsie text messaged me "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Marty Leonard pissed you off. LOL!!!."

As usual, Elsie Hotpepper is correct. I was extremely offput by Marty Leonard's letter, with its falsehoods,  propaganda, smears and shear gall.

Both Marty Leonard and her co-conspirator, Kay Granger, make allegations about negative and false propaganda, misinformation and flat out lies supposedly being mailed out by the B-N-K Opponents. Yet neither of these Grande Dames go to the bother of providing any facts to substantiate their allegations.

The latest B-N-K mailer, as you can read above, says "The Tarrant Regional Water District has been sued for more than 300 violations of Texas law for holding secret meetings."

That's a fact, you Grande Dames of Obfuscating Obtuseness. To say the Tarrant Regional Water District has been sued for more than 300 violations of Texas law for holding secret meetings is a fact, not propaganda, not misinformation, not a lie. It's a fact.

Facts are something I think maybe pearls clutching Grande Dames of Obfuscation are not very comfortable with.

On side two of the latest TRWD Opponents B-N-K  Mailer  Captain Clean boldly asserts that "ONLY YOU CAN HELP CAPTAIN CLEAN STOP THE CORRUPTION AND MISMANAGEMENT AT THE TRWD!"

What Captain Clean boldly asserts is yet one more fact that likely makes the Grande Dames of Obfuscation uncomfortable.

On Thursday, after finding a mailer from the TRWD Board Incumbents in my mailbox I wrote a post titled Betsy Price Should Think Twice Before Joining A Floundering Local Water Protection Team About To Get Flushed.

In that blog post I really did not do justice in my attempt to ridicule that part of the mailer where there is a list of 4 things the TARRANT REGIONAL WATER  DISTRICT PROVIDES. Below is that list...

1. A safe, reliable supply of water to meet the current and future needs of our families and businesses.
2. An extremely effective and extensive flood control system that protects our homes and property.
3. Extensive water conservation efforts that protect our environment and water supplies for future generations.
4. Wise and conservative stewardship of our tax dollars.

This morning on the Star-Telegraph, in a blog post titled Say it again, I saw that one of Fort Worth's wisest treasures, Don Woodard, has done justice, in the ridiculing department, regarding the TRWD Board Member Incumbent's list of 4 things the TRWD provides....

1. None of the incumbents had anything to do with building the lakes with which we draw our water: Lake Worth; Lake Bridgeport; Eagle Mountain; Richland-Chambers; Cedar Creek. Our fathers built them. The incumbents are engrossed in building a 33-acre Casino Lake for tourists.
2. Jim Wright, dating from the 1949 flood, is whom I give credit for our levees and flood control. The Star-Telegram reported June 12, 2005 that the Army Corps of Engineers had a plan to control any realistic flooding problem for $10 million.
3. Extensive water conservation efforts. The Lawn Whisperer. Is that it?
4. Wise and conservative stewardship of our tax dollars? Like the goofy billion dollar Trinity Uptown earmark boondoggle?

I will be glad when this election is over.

Don't forget to vote for Basham, Nold and Kelleher to Flush the TRWD.

The TRWD Election Propaganda Spewings Of Self-Entitled Dowager Heiress Marty Leonard

On the left you are looking at a letter I found in my mailbox this morning from Marty Leonard.

Marty Leonard is a Tarrant Regional Water District Board Member who is not up for election on May 11. The intent of Marty Leonard's letter is to ask her "Friends" to vote for 3 of her TRWD Board cohorts who are up for election.

Marty Leonard's letter contains the information that it is a "Political Advertisement Paid By Vic Henderson Campaign, Jack Stevens Campaign and Hal Sparks Campaign."

Marty Leonard's letter includes "some voter assistance cards with an endorsement from Mayor Betsy Price" so "You can take these cards with you into the polls."

On Marty Leonard's voter assistance cards it says "Politcal Advertisement Paid For By Clean Water Committee."

You can see a copy of Marty Leonard's voter assistance card below, which you can feel free to print to take with you to the polls to make sure you don't accidentally vote for any of these three whom Marty Leonard suggests you vote for.

I  found the section of Marty Leonard's propaganda letter that is highlighted in yellow, and copied below, to be particularly offensive...

Many of you have received in the mail several NEGATIVE and FALSE propaganda pieces from a group running for Tarrant Regional Water District under the banner of "B-N-K." First let me strongly recommend that you NOT vote for any of these candidates. Their gross distortion of the water board is being heavily funded (maybe as much as $200,000) by a controversial businessman from Dallas who is trying to block one of our critical water pipelines from crossing some land he owns in East Texas. His dubious slate of candidates includes a bankrupt candidate who doesn't even live in the TRWD district, another who is being sued by TRWD  for being a tax deadbeat, and another with a meager voting record.

Marty Leonard seems to fall into the Kay Granger mold of ironically spewing that which she accuses others of spewing, as in Marty Leonard's spewage of negative, false propaganda  in the above paragraph.

I believe the Dallas businessman to whom Marty Leonard refers may be Monty Bennett, he being the guy suing the TRWD Board for declaratory and injunctive relief concerning violations by the TRWD of the Texas Open Meetings Act. I blogged about this way back on March 19 in a post titled Is It Not About Time Someone Sues The Tarrant Regional Water District Over Texas Open Meetings Violations?

As for Marty Leonard characterizing the B-N-K opponents as being a dubious slate of candidates somehow working at the behest of this Dallas businessman, well, I already opined that Marty Leonard is spewing propaganda.

Reprehensible propaganda.

As for Marty Leonard's characterizations of the 3 candidates, with one being bankrupt, one being a deadbeat and one having a meager voting record.

A "meager voting record?" How scandalous.

John Basham is the candidate Marty Leonard refers to as bankrupt. From the B-N-K website regarding John Basham....

John Austin Basham is the founder, president, and senior meteorologist of Storm Spotter Live, a weather consulting and atmospheric data solutions company for the emergency management  energy, transportation, and education industries.

Shortly after September 11, 2001, Basham joined the Texas Army National Guard where he became trained as a combat medic. While on active duty, during a training mission, John received a serious and permanent injury to his spinal cord while carrying an injured soldier to safety. In spite of his injury, Basham continues to serve in the Texas Army National Guard as well as run and grow his company.

Timothy Nold is the candidate Marty Leonard refers to as a deadbeat. From the B-N-K website regarding Timothy Nold....

Timothy Nold is a professional land surveyor working primarily in land development, transportation, petroleum and infrastructure. He is the survey group manager for Shield Engineering Group in downtown Fort Worth. Nold is a volunteer and board chairman for a non-profit historic preservation organization. He is also working to restore his 1910 house in the historic Rock Island neighborhood located on the site of Gruenwald’s Pavilion, the Samuels Farm and the Terry Plantation, a debate and rally site visited by Sam Houston during his campaign for Governor in 1857.

Mary Kelleher is the candidate Marty Leonard refers to as having a meager voting record. From the B-N-K website regarding Mary Kelleher....

Mary Kelleher and her husband have farmed almost 200 acres of land on the east side of Fort Worth for 17 years; cutting and baling nearby hay fields, raising beef cattle, and raising various breeds of chickens and other fowl.  She has worked with troubled youth in Tarrant County for over two decades. 

Kelleher knows first-hand the consequences when our elected leaders abuse their power. She successfully battled the threat of eminent domain being used to confiscate her property, but unfortunately her well water is no longer drinkable and her farm has been subjected to unprecedented and devastating flooding.

I think Marty Leonard's morally bankrupt low blow directed at John Basham is a fairly good indicator of the quality of character Marty Leonard possesses. She being a self-entitled dowager heiress who has never had to worry about money due to daddy being a department store magnate.

Meanwhile, John Basham, an actual contributor to American society, was injured while serving his country, with the consequence, as happens to way too many who serve, of John Basham running into financial woes, whilst recovering from his injuries.

And Marty Leonard and her corrupt cohorts use this against this man?

This rather sickens me.

Marty Leonard should be ashamed of herself. If this woman had a fraction of an ounce of moral decency she would resign from the TRWD Board due to her wantonly displayed moral bankruptcy.

It further offends me that Marty Leonard has the raw gall to characterize these 3 good people as being unqualified to be elected to "Our Board."

"OUR BOARD?"

It's the People's Board you pearls clutching self-entitled dowager heiress, NOT "YOUR BOARD."

Reading the short bios of Basham, Nold and Kelleher, it seems to me they are more than qualified to look after the water interests of the citizens who live in the Tarrant Regional Water District.

And what exactly are Marty Leonard's qualifications to be on this Board? Other than being a self-entitled dowager heiress?

Below is Marty Leonard's Voter Assistance Card which you can take with you to the polls to remind yourself not to vote for any of the 3 candidates this self-entitled dowager heiress is recommending...

Betsy Price Should Think Twice Before Joining A Floundering Local Water Protection Team About To Get Flushed

The score  is now 4 to 2 in the TRWD Board Election Mailer War.

The TRWD Opponents to the TRWD Incumbents have mailed 4 legitimate campaign mailers, while the TRWD Incumbents have mailed 1 bogus campaign mailer disguised as a Board Report, and a seemingly legitimate campaign mailer from the TRWD Incumbents, which showed up in my mailbox this morning.

Unlike the TRWD Incumbent's previous illegit campaign mailer the new one clearly states "Political advertising paid for by CLEAN WATER COMMITTEE."

I have never heard of the CLEAN WATER COMMITTEE, have you? Is Captain Clean on the CLEAN WATER COMMITTEE?

This first legit TRWD Incumbent mailer of the campaign headlines Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price's recommendations for "OUR LOCAL WATER PROTECTION TEAM."

In other words, the Incumbents.

The mailer notes that the TRWD Incumbents have been endorsed by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, with the Star-Telegram opining that "they have led the way in planning a system of lakes and pipelines to serve local and regional water needs for the next 50 years."

Huh?

I thought one of the TRWD water problems was that Fort Worth and its surrounding area is predicted to have some upcoming water woes, to the extent that the TRWD has been engaged into trying to finagle Oklahoma out of some of its water.

Among the propaganda tidbits on the TRWD Incumbent Mailer is an item in the upper right of the side of the mailer you see on the left.

Under the heading "TARRANT REGIONAL WATER  DISTRICT PROVIDES..." is a list of 4, detailing what the TRWD Incumbents want us to believe they provide....

1. A safe, reliable supply of water to meet the current and future needs of our families and businesses. 
2. An extremely effective and extensive flood control system that protects our homes and property.
3. Extensive water conservation efforts that protect our environment and water supplies for future generations.
4. Wise and conservative stewardship of our tax dollars.

Let's take a look at #2 on this list. The TRWD is in cahoots with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle to take down Trinity River levees that you in the rest of America helped pay for over a half century ago. This sort of segues to #4 on the list.

Conservative stewardship of our tax dollars? Spending tax dollars to build an unneeded flood diversion channel that will be needed when the already paid for, functioning perfect, levees are removed? If that is wise stewardship of our tax dollars I can not imagine what un-wise stewardship of our tax dollars would look like.  Maybe un-wise stewardship of our tax dollars would be something like a small public agency using public funds to buy a helicopter to use on duck hunting sorties.

In #3 the TRWD makes the claim that their efforts protect our water supplies for future generations. How many million gallons of water has the TRWD sold the Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drillers? How many millions of those gallons of water have been chemically contaminated by the fracking process, then injected into underground structures, endangering aquifers?

Back to #2 and the TRWD's claim to have provided an effective flood control system. Ever heard of Haltom City? That town is in the Tarrant Regional Water District. A creek or two runs through Haltom City. Ever heard of Fossil Creek?

People have died in Haltom City flash floods. Booming development in north Tarrant County covered a lot of land with impermeable material, like asphalt. Nothing was done to help mitigate the resulting increase in water flow. Hence the Haltom City flash floods.

While the TRWD focuses its attention on the Trinity River Vision and its unneeded flood control alterations, the flood dangers that come with heavy rain, in Haltom City, have received little attention.

The TRWD brags about a flood control system that protects our homes and property. Apparently that claim should be amended to being a flood control system that protects our homes and property if you live in an area of the Tarrant Regional Water District that the Water Board deems worthy of their attention.

I am almost 100% certain I will be ignoring the advice of Betsy Price and the Star-Telegram and will instead be  voting for Basham, Nold and Kelleher, in the hope that a minor revolution is about to flush over the TRVD

Why Is Captain Clean So Mad At The TRWD Board One Can Not Help But Wonder?

With this morning's check of my mailbox I found the score is now 3 to 1 in the Mailer War between the TRWD Incumbents and the BNK Candidates to replace the TRWD Incumbents, with the BNK Candidates having the 3 to 1 advantage in election mailer output.

The BNK Candidates' Mailers are clearly election campaign literature, while the TRWD Candidates' one and only election mailer was a deceptive piece of election propaganda disguised as a 2012 Tarrant Regional Water District Board Report.

I never thought to wonder, til now, why this was a 2012 Board Report when the year is 2013.

In the latest BNK election message we learn more about why Captain Clean is so mad at the TRWD Board.

For instance, Captain Clean is mad "Because they used our money to buy themselves a private deer hunting lease and a luxurious private helicopter."

You can read Captain Clean shouting above, in the front page of the mailer that "While water shortages and pollution threaten our quality of life the Tarrant Regional Water District is busy spending our money on selfish perks for themselves!"

As you can see below, Captain Clean continues his mad tirade on the other side of the mailer, insisting "It's time to clean out the pipes at the Tarrant Regional Water District."

And that "The Tarrant Regional Water District's selfish perks must come to an end!"

What is Captain Clean's solution to ending the TRWD madness???

Apparently Captain Clean thinks "We must stop the lavish lifestyle of the TRWD Board and focus on what really matters - WATER!"

To accomplish this Captain Clean suggests we "Vote for THREE new Board Members to the TRWD, Basham,  Nold and Kelleher.

You can learn more at the BNK Flush the TRWD website.

Early voting starts April 29, til May 7, with the election taking place Saturday, May 11.