Who Is At The Center Of Fort Worth's Culture Of Corruption?

I don't see TRWD board member Marty Leonard clutching her pearls in the above illustration. But that does appear to be Jim Lane at the Center of the Culture of Corruption.

Today I did not feel like going walking or biking in the HOT humidity. I was already overheated in my abode, due to being annoyed regarding what I was being told about yesterday's Tarrant Regional Water District board meeting.

Apparently, at some point in the meeting, board member Jim Lane berated Mary Kelleher over campaign claims made in mailings in the last election. Lane acted like a hostile bully, disgusting many in the packed meeting room.

It has been a month since the TRWD Olivergate Scandal erupted. I blogged about Jim Oliver's bad bully boy behavior in The TRWD Olivergate Scandal Takes Another Scandalous Turn With Denials, Lies & Cover-Ups.

The Olivergate Scandal came about because newly elected TRWD board member, Mary Kelleher, had the raw gall to request some TRWD records. TRWD employee, Jim Oliver, then had what amounted to a hissy fit, directed at Mary Kelleher.

And now what do I learn today?

A month later and Mary Kelleher has received few of the records she requested.

It gets better.

Yesterday Mary Kelleher's fellow TRWD board members voted in a new operating procedure regarding the viewing of TRWD records.

The new operating procedure requires a board member to get the approval of the other board members in order to view the public TRWD records.

Huh?

What have these people done that they are going to such lengths to keep from being public information?

I am also wondering what it takes to trigger a federal racketeering type investigation. One of those deals where a grand jury hands down indictments, with dozens of elected officials and public employees taken to jail in handcuffs and ankle chains?

Is Fort Worth too much of a remote backwater for the FBI to bother with?

Why Do We Live Where We Tilt At Windmills When Struggling To Enlighten The Ignorant?

Someone named Anonymous made a comment this morning that is one of the best comments I've seen in months.

As in the comment from Anonymous is thought provoking, provoking me to wonder why I continue to live here where I find myself futilely tilting at windmills.

First the comment from Anonymous and then I'll see if I can muster the energy to do some windmill tilting....

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Spencer Jack's Favorite Girlfriend Brittney's Photos From Tacoma's Wedding Of The Century":

I'm a fan. I think the posts here and at the Star Telegraph are beacons of truth and should be read by all. 

Something I think about a lot lately... Why do we live here?

You are from one of the most beautiful spots on the continent. I keep seeing these other lovely places around the globe. Places that are green... have abundant water... have progressive policies... a well informed populace... 

Yet, here we are. And we struggle to inform and enlighten those who are ignorant of the tyranny of local rule.

Some here have spent a lifetime tilting at these windmills, with few, if any, victories. 

Why not find peace and a bit of green and wet? 

A recent opinion piece stated that FW is a place where "A river runs through..." . Well, a river gets dammed up at either end of town and sits there until a rain storm flushes it out. The author of this piece is a tool.

We have an elite ruling class who are not qualified to make policy. Yet they concoct and justify the projects that will benefit themselves and their pals, often without voter approval, or with an agenda buried deep with a bond package that masks their true intent. 

Why do we live here? Why do we let these local bullies give us knots in our gut. It can't be good for us.

Somewhere it is green and wet with clean air. Even if such a place is ruled by the same sort of cabal, would that not be a better way of life?

_______________________________

Yes, Anonymous, I do think being green and wet with clean air would be a much better way of life.

My most recent windmill tilting has been multiple bloggings about the Olivergate Scandal, bloggings such as The TRWD Olivergate Scandal Takes Another Scandalous Turn With Denials, Lies & Cover-Ups, with the Olivergate Scandal being so outrageous, that I really can not understand why the TRWD has not fired Jim Oliver for disgracing himself and the agency he works for.

Local TV has covered the Olivergate Scandal. The Fort Worth Business Press has editorialized in an editorial titled "Outrageous. Infuriating. Unacceptable." that Jim Oliver needs to resign or be fired. While the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has not said a word about the Olivergate Scandal.

Something like the Olivergate Scandal is so confounding to me. It just seems basic common sense that the guy needs to be fired. I am so naive that I think, even though I've had the Fort Worth Way explained to me, that somehow what's right should trump the Fort Worth Way.

Like the Paradise Center Scandal. How can such a thing happen in a modern American city? Without what's right trumping what's wrong?

Then there's the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle. A couple times in the past couple months I've wondered why there is no TRV Boondoggle project timeline. The most recent blogging on that subject was The Skagit River Vision Has Me Freshly Perplexed Regarding The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

Why aren't the locals perplexed regarding the Trinity River Vision? The TRV Boondoggle has been boondoggling for well over a decade now. Why don't people wonder why we don't see more of the vision, what with its promise of providing supposedly much needed flood control and economic development? Done at a snail's pace.

How come the locals did not rebel at the absurdity of Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger's unqualified son, J.D., being made the Executive Director of the TRV Boondoggle? Blatant nepotism of this sort is frowned upon in the democratic areas of America.

And now, after well over a decade of the TRV Boondoggle, what has J.D. Granger wrought? The world's premiere urban wakeboard lake. The world's first drive-in movie theater of the 21st Century. Weekly happy hour inner tube floats. An imaginary world class music venue called Panther Island Pavilion. A 4th of July fireworks extravaganza which lit the Trinity River levees on fire. And a restaurant.

Oh. I almost forgot something else the TRV Boondoggle has wrought, as in dozens of businesses and property owners left in stress and financial straits via the abuse of eminent domain to take property for an un-needed flood diversion channel.

Anyway, like Anonymous indicated, it does seem a bit futile to repeatedly raise issues, as if raising these issues makes any difference.

So, why do we live here?

Of course, I can only speak for myself as to why I am still here.

Before I moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex I'd never witnessed eminent domain abuse. I'd never witnessed nepotism in action. I'd never seen public works projects brought about without a public vote. I'd never observed a corrupt school district. I've never been personally involved in anything as shockingly wrong as the Paradise Center Scandal. I'd never experienced a town taken over by corporate interests, as what happened in Fort Worth when the gas companies wanted to drill. I'd never lived in a town without a real newspaper, had never experienced how corrupting it is when a town's newspaper acts as a propaganda mouthpiece for the town's ruling oligarchy. I'd never lived in a town where the mayor is so stupid he thought he could dye a river purple.

In other words, living in the Dallas/Fort Worth zone is much more interesting than living in progressive, liberal, extremely well educated Western Washington.

Walking With The Fosducks Thinking About Going To Tomorrow's Tacoma Wedding Of The Century And The Olivergate Scandal

The idyllic scene you are looking at, in the picture, was seen by me a couple hours ago at Oakland Lake Park.

The body of water is Fosdick Lake.

No one has ever been able to locate Oakland Lake in Oakland Lake Park.

Today the Fosducks were being shade seeking ducks. The Fosducks were not being skittish today, cooperatively posing, rather than quickly waddling to the water.

The turtles, however, were being excessively skittish today. I think, what with the turtles being reptiles, that they get more frisky when their blood gets HOT. Today I startled a big turtle of a different brand than the ones I usually see in Fosdick Lake. The big turtle was out of the water, but ran into the lake and disappeared before I could get my camera out of its pocket.

A month ago if you'd asked me where I was going to be today I would have likely said I would be in Washington.

Tomorrow, the Tacoma Wedding of the Century takes place.

I am usually expected to make a surprise appearance at such events, what with my well known penchant for surprise appearances. But, for this event I was told I had to precisely indicate whether or not I would be in attendance, with no surprises tolerated.

Apparently the caterer needed to know exactly how many slices of pizza to make.

I had made most of the arrangements necessary to enable being an unexpected wedding guest. I'd arranged airport pickup, a place to stay, transport, and other things I'm likely not remembering right now.

But, it was not to be. So, tomorrow, likely to my everlasting regret, I will miss the Wedding of the Century.

I'll go to Town Talk instead.

And on a totally different note, go to  the Star-Telegraph, note I typed Star-Telegraph, not Star-Telegram, to read an editorial from the Fort Worth Business Press regarding the TRWD Olivergate Scandal titled Outrageous. Infuriating. Unacceptable.

What is also outrageous, infuriating and unacceptable is the fact that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has printed nary a word about the TRWD Olivergate  Scandal.

CBS TV Is Covering The Olivergate Scandal Reporting The Tarrant Regional Water District GM Is In Hot Water

Unlike the inept, non-local newspaper of record, known as the disgraced Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the local CBS TV News is covering the TRWD Olivergate Scandal.

Yesterday's CBS coverage of the scandal was titled "Tarrant Regional Water District GM In Hot Water".

An excerpt from the online version of the CBS TV coverage of the TRWD Olivergate Scandal...

There are allegations of confrontations and threats at the agency that provides water to nearly two million North Texans.

The newest board member of the Tarrant Regional Water District said her request for documents related to district emails, real estate records and payment records, was met instead with a heated lecture from the district’s general manager Jim Oliver.

“He said if you want records as a board member, you come through me,” Kelleher said, pounding on her chest to show how she said Oliver emphasized his words. “I thought ‘wow’.”

You can watch the interview with Mary Kelleher by going to CBSDFW.COM where you will hear Mary Kelleher describe the bullying of Jim Oliver.

Yesterday's blogging about the TRWD Olivergate Scandal brought a very appropo comment from Guelma...

Guelma has left a new comment on your post "The TRWD Olivergate Scandal Takes Another Scandalous Turn With Denials, Lies & Cover-Ups":

This part of the world seems to have more than its fair share of what has been called bullycrats, public servants who somehow think they are rulers of the "we the people" who pay their salaries and other perks. Time to keep twisting this Oliver and then flush him down the river. 

I agree with Guelma, the Oliver Twisting must continue until this bullycrat is flushed down the river....

The TRWD Olivergate Scandal Takes Another Scandalous Turn With Denials, Lies & Cover-Ups

UPDATE: Sorry to confuse. No, this headline did not actually appear in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Everyone knows the Fort Worth Star-Telegram does not cover news of the TRWD Olivergate Scandal type of real news....

On Wednesday I blogged about a letter newly elected TRWD board member, Mary Kelleher, sent to TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver, in What Is TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver Afraid Will Be Exposed With Full TRWD Transparency?

In part that letter from Mary Kelleher said, “I take very seriously my responsibilities as an elected official and I expect that my attempts to provide the necessary oversight in the future will not be met with raised voice, chest-pounding, disrespect, and other behavior unacceptable for a public servant, let alone the senior executive of the TRWD.”

Rather than man up and own his bad behavior, Jim Oliver opted to use the Nixon-style Lie, Deny and Cover-up method of dealing with a scandal.

Most of us know how well that worked out for Richard Nixon. Apparently Jim Oliver missed that history lesson. I suspect Jim Oliver will meet the same fate as Richard Nixon.

Via TRWD spokesman, Chad Lorance, Jim Oliver strained credibility with the following....

“Ms. Kelleher, accompanied by two unidentified males, appeared unannounced at the District offices on June 21 and requested numerous documents from staff, including some that were confidential in nature. The release of those confidential documents by the district’s staff would have violated provisions of the Texas Government Code."

Chad Lorance continued the obfuscating spin by claiming all requests for information must be reviewed by general counsel for compliance with all laws, with the information requests made only to the TRWD Imperial Dictator, I mean, General Manager, Jim Oliver, adding that “Staff members confirmed that Mr. Oliver did not raise his voice during that discussion."

So, are we to believe that an elected TRWD board member can not examine TRWD documents without Jim Oliver's approval and a review by a lawyer? And there is some Texas Government Code which codifies this bizarre practice?

When Mary Kelleher made her document review request on June 21, why did TRWD employee, Nancy King, accept Mary Kelleher's document review requests, telling Mary Kelleher to return that afternoon,  at which time Nancy King would provide the available documents?

Apparently Nancy King had not been advised of the tight security that controls TRWD documents and filters their release through the command of the Imperial Dictator, TRWD General Manager, Jim Oliver.

As for Jim Oliver's claim that TRWD staff members, in the office at the time of his tirade, confirm he did not raise his voice. Well, I can not help but wonder what the result of a lie detector test would be, hooked up to Jim Oliver, or those staff members who were deaf to Oliver's yelling. Or used to hearing it. Or intimidated and bullied by this bureaucratic tyrant.

In other words, if Jim Oliver's judgement was so bad that he gave himself permission to try and intimidate Mary Kelleher with a hysterical tantrum, imagine how he must treat staffers who are not elected officials? Let alone elected officials elected with the most votes in TRWD election history.....