FW Stinks On Kathleen Hicks & Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief''s Political Calculations

I've been getting some good blog comments lately. Some times the comments are to bloggings from months, or even years ago.

Or the good blog comment might be to a blogging that was blogged on the very day it was commented on, such as one I got this afternoon from FW Stinks.

I do not know if FW is a man or a woman. What I do know is Mr./Ms. Stinks has rather strong opinions about about the shenanigans of Fort Worth's city officials, such as Fort Worth's esteemed by few mayor, Mike Moncrief, and District 8 City Councilwoman, Kathleen Hicks, currently somewhere in Europe spending some of Fort Worth's abundant budget surplus.

Below is what FW Stinks had to say...........

Very interesting observations, historical facts, and questions Mr. Durango. This situation could just be coincidence = not likely with this mayor and his crew. 

A theory based on past history and pattern is that this was a cynical ploy involving political calculations. Remember elections are just around the bend for the mayor and Ms. Hicks. She serves as some kind of member of big bother big sister version for cities, mainly FW and European cities. So this may be the official city business for which she's deployed, during a crucial vote on a major issue for the city. Not only are travel related expenses much higher during this busy holiday period, but then to be absent while knowing ahead of time that there will very likely be a tie vote (an unusual thing for this group) is awfully fishy. Going with the calculated politically-motivated theory, this scenario benefits both the mayor and the councilwoman. 

With a strong challenger already in place (see FW Weekly, forget the S-T for real news), the mayor wants to be able to point to this "difficult decision" and his decisive and courageous tie-breaking vote THAT SHOW HIS RESPECT FOR THE CITIZENS WISHES AND FOR RESPONSIBLE USE OF TAX MONEY. 

After a rough two years, mostly from her mistake in taking the side of the bullying gas corporation Chesapeake in a very high profile and intense battle of wills between this corporate Goliath and a sickly immigrant man (who won, by gosh!!), the council rep. needed no more "political damage or liability" going into the May 2011 election. Not really known for courageous votes or strong leadership, this conveniently timed trip gives her that political cover.

So either the mayor has felt that she has gotten over her punishment from him last year, and deserves his "protection" now, for not getting that CHK pipeline down Carter Ave. in the form of a blindside straight out of "Survivor" in which he publicly stripped (and embarrassed her and her supporters) away her precious title as mayor pro temp without the usual courtesy of letting her know in advance OR she has not not gotten over that public humiliation and took the trip in order to force him to be the deciding vote and pay whatever political price for his decision.

Or, once again, it's all just a perfect set of coincidences. I'd like to feed you some fish from the Trinity River if you bite on that explanation. 

What Is Kathleen Hicks Doing In Europe While Fort Worth Loses Its Streetcar?

Last night Fort Worth's City Council voted to stop studying whether or not it made sense for Fort Worth to build a little 6 mile round trip streetcar system, made up of 3 streetcars, carrying around 2,000 people a day.

I was astonished to learn this morning that $821,000 was spent on the now aborted study.

That is a lot of money. Who got that money, I could not help but wonder? They could have paid me $500 and I could have told whoever needed to know that the Fort Wort Steetcar was not a viable idea at this point in time.

How much did Fort Worth spend studying the obviously flawed Santa Fe Rail Market Boondoggle before that long defunct project actually went ahead to its fruitless fruition? For $500 I would also have gladly told whoever needed to know that the Santa Fe Rail Market was a seriously flawed idea based on erroneous misconceptions.

The thing that really caught my eye in this morning's news about last night's Fort Worth City Council streetcar vote, was that Mayor Mike Moncrief had to break a 3/3 tie due to District 8 Councilwoman, Kathleen Hicks being out of the country.

In Europe. On City of Fort Worth business.

I think I live in Ms. Hicks' district.

What in this impossibly strange world could Kathleen Hicks be doing in Europe that is somehow City of Fort Worth business. Who is paying for this junket in this city that can't keep its libraries and swimming pools open?

Is Kathleen Hicks over in Europe studying European Public Markets, getting ready for a Part II of the Santa Fe Rail Market Boondoggle? Remember how that particular boondoggle was supposedly modeled after public markets in Europe and Seattle's Pike Place Market. Yet somehow what Fort Worth ended up with bore no resemblance to anything in Seattle. Or Europe.

Maybe Kathleen Hicks is over in Europe studying how it is that no European city has an embarrassing eyesore across the street from its courthouse, like Fort Worth's Heritage Park, with Heritage Park being one of the few unique things that used to be a good embellishment to downtown Fort Worth, but is now a boarded up, rundown mess overlooking the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

In Hollywood you can go on a bus tour of the scenes of various Hollywood areas of notoriety and scandal. I wonder if any tourist dollars could be made by taking tourists on bus tours of Fort Worth's various boondoggles? Maybe Molly the Trolley could be used in this endeavor.

Statement From Kathleen Hicks Regarding '25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods'

That is Kathleen Hicks you are looking at. Ms. Hicks is a Fort Worth City Councilwoman. A few days ago something called NeighorhoodScout claimed, by some dubious criteria, that Ms. Hicks' district is the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in America.

Rightfully so, Councilwoman Hicks took righteous umbrage at this slandering of a part of Fort Worth she has worked hard to improve.

I wonder how Galveston is feeling about also being on this dubious list of the 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods?

Below is a statement released by Kathleen Hicks regarding NeighborhoodScout's Dangerous Neighborhoods list....

As the City Council Representative for District 8, I am appalled by a blog that asserts East Lancaster Avenue as the 15th Most Dangerous Neighborhood in the country.

NeighborhoodScout® is owned and operated by Location Inc.®, a Rhode Island-based real estate location company. NeighborhoodScout®/Location, Inc.® uses data from 17,000 local law enforcement agencies and the FBI to compile a national database of neighborhood crime statistics. However, we do not know what information was used or how the information contained in the study was collected or analyzed since it is considered to be "exclusive data".

Our Fort Worth Police Department contacted NeighborhoodScout®'s Dr. Schiller who explained that their method for data collection and analysis was "proprietary" and would not disclose any other information. The company did state that the numbers they collected were from 2008. Along with saying this neighborhood is dangerous, the company also reported that the East Lancaster Avenue community was more "walkable" than 76 percent of U.S. neighborhoods and more "hip & trendy" than 67 percent. Furthermore, the 76102 zip code was included, which is our award winning downtown area. The numbers don't add up.

The Fort Worth Police Department reports crime using the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which is above and beyond the national FBI standard, the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Our crime reporting is scientific, transparent and accurate because we focus on the number of individual victims versus the number of crime incidents. There are only about 15 cities that report crime using the NIBRS method.

The FBI recognizes NIBRS as the most accurate and credible method of reporting crime. We have no way of knowing what standard Dr. Schiller used to collect and/or analyze the crime data, and since it is considered "exclusive" and "proprietary," we are not able to verify its accuracy.

In recent years, Fort Worth has made ending homelessness a top priority. We work hand in hand with other local governmental entities, community based organizations and neighborhoods to address this important issue. Moreover, the council unanimously approved a new police station that will be located at East Lancaster and McCart.

The progress this community has made in a short period of time is to be applauded, not criticized with outdated or misleading facts. Furthermore, regurgitating old stereotypes about this area is both misleading and offensive. The residents, our Police Department and countless other stakeholders are working very hard every day to continue our progress in all areas of our great city.

I want every resident of Fort Worth to have confidence in our police officers whose mission is crime suppression and public safety. Rest assured that neither the people of Fort Worth, nor the city government of Fort Worth, will tolerate inaccurate representations of our city or communities.

For more information, contact Councilmember Kathleen Hicks' office at 817-392-8808 or District8@fortworthgov.org. To see the crime statistics for the area in question, visit the Fort Worth Police website.

TXDOT APPROVES ALTERNATIVE TO PROPOSED CARTER AVENUE GAS PIPELINE

Sometime Friday I got my first message regarding the supposed resolution of the Carter Avenue Chesapeakegate Scandal. Kathleen Hicks was claiming Carter Avenue was celebrating.

Again.

Wendy Davis was trumpeting this victory and thanking, along with Kathleen Hicks, the great benevolence of Chesapeake Energy and TxDOT.

The thing is, I am of the opinion that it is scandalous and borderline criminal that the people who live on Carter Avenue were ever put in this sort of jeopardy by a private business and a city government in cahoots with that private business.

I am also of the opinion that this is not over until Chesapeake Energy drops its eminent domain case against Steve Doeung. The day that happens is the day I think a celebration is called for. Until then. I don't trust that this absurdity is really over.

Below is the "News Release" from the office of esteemed Fort Worth City Councilwoman, Kathleen Hicks....

FORT WORTH –There is much to celebrate on Carter Avenue as TxDOT confirmed today that the proposal by TMGS, a subsidiary of Chesapeake Midstream Partners, to install a portion of the Thomas-to-Hickman pipeline route along I-30 has been approved. This morning, TxDOT issued a permit for the installation of a gas line across and parallel to I-30 and Beach Street.

Chesapeake Energy has long sought to lay a gas pipeline under Carter Avenue in order to connect the Thomas and Hickman well sites. After several requests to Chesapeake Energy to delay their permit request and after several meetings on this issue, Chesapeake can now actively work to seek street crossing approvals from the City of Fort Worth. These approvals are necessary before the pipeline can be installed.

"For two years, I joined concerned residents in just saying no to this proposed pipeline,” said Council Member Kathleen Hicks. “Today's news is truly a victory for the neighborhoods and I thank TxDOT and Chesapeake. Most of all I thank Carter Avenue residents who have waited patiently for this day! With this victory for Carter Avenue, I expect other neighborhoods to utilize this victory in their own efforts.”

Chesapeake is optimistic that pipeline construction could begin as early as this fall, bringing long awaited royalties to hundreds of mineral owners. The proposed alternate route will travel west of Beach Street south of I-30 and enter TxDOT right-of-way and run latitudinally across north of I-30.

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.