Kay Granger Earmarking Nepotism & Other Fort Worth Myopic Vision Problems

The area of Texas that I live in is ill-served by several politicians. Kay Granger is one of them. She is the Congresswoman representing the 12th District of Texas. The 12th District includes Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Several years ago voters in Dallas approved a project called the Trinity River Corridor Project. This plan turns a huge flood plain into a recreational lake, among other things. Anyone who has driven into Dallas, on I-30, has driven across the huge flood plain and can readily see why this is a good idea to turn this into a lake.

A few years after Dallas voters approved the Trinity River Corridor Project, the Good Ol' Boy Network that runs Fort Worth, not to be outdone by Dallas, foisted a plan on the public that has gone by various names, I think the most recent is the Trinity River Vision. Unlike Dallas, Fort Worth did not get to vote on its vision.

And what a vision it is. A little lake where the confluence of the Clear and West forks of the Trinity River now merge into one. The vision has changed over time. At one point the vision included fancy signature bridges and canals. The bridges are no longer fancy, and I believe the canals have dried up.

Since the Trinity River Vision was not approved by Fort Worth voters, there is no normal type funding mechanism that occurs when voters approve of a bond. To get federal money an un-needed flood diversion channel was added.

To motivate Kay Granger to help get federal money, her son, J.D., who has no experience in running a construction project, was hired to run the Trinity River Vision Project. This is called nepotism. Usually nepotism is frowned upon as being symptomatic of corruption.

Due to the existing levees being altered, plus an un-needed flood diversion channel, plus wetlands abatement, the Army Corps of Engineers was brought in. Involving the Army Corps of Engineers is useful when trying to get federal money.

Now, why do I say this flood diversion channel is un-needed? Well, the last time the Trinity River flooded, in the area of concern, was around 60 years ago. After that flood, giant levees where installed to prevent such a flood from happening again. I don't know for sure, but I suspect federal money likely paid for those levees. So, you in the rest of America have already paid to protect this part of Fort Worth from dangerous floods.

Meanwhile, Kay Granger pays no attention to another part of Tarrant County that does need some flood diversion help, that being Haltom City, where flash flooding creeks have done a lot of damage and have killed people, unlike the currently safe Trinity River where the un-needed flood diversion channel may be built.

What Haltom City needs to do is come up with the Fossil Creek Vision, some grandiose plan that includes a town lake and some canals. Maybe even throw in a bridge or two. And then hire one of Kay Granger's kids to run the project.

On March 16 the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ran an editorial "Project's future is clouded" regarding the news that Kay Granger's Trinity River Vision earmarks had been halted, thus rendering the Vaunted Vision cloudy.

Kay Granger got into High Umbrage Mode over that editorial and wrote a rather incoherent response. This is not the first time I've had the pleasure of reading Ms. Granger's incoherency. I've had more than one person share with me obtuse replies they have received after asking the Congresswoman a question.

Granger says, "There is the assertion that the federal government has never adopted the project as one of its own. Trinity River Vision was authorized in 2005. If it were not, the Army Corps of Engineers would not be able to proceed. It is an authorized project."

2005? Really? Authorized by whom? In 2005? The entire project was authorized by the Army Corps of Engineers? Weren't they brought in well after the project was underway, after her son had been hired? When it was realized some bogus flood control deal had to be added to the vision in order to get federal money? Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't this "vision" to build a little town lake been around a lot longer than 2005?

And then Granger said the following bit of maddening idiocy, "Finally, the financial structure for TRV has not been 'snapped to pieces.' This is a project that is a foundation of Fort Worth's future prosperity and continued public safety. Local funding is in place. Needed infrastructure projects will continue to be a federal priority."

Okay. The TRV is a foundation of Fort Worth's continued public safety? That must be a reference to the flood diversion channel. So, why is Kay Granger so worried about the public safety in an area where no one has drowned from a Trinity River flood, due to that area having levees, so enormous, that to do damage, it would take a Noah's Ark flood of ultra-Biblical proportions, while in Haltom City, which is in Tarrant County, creeks regularly go into deadly flash flood due to bad construction practices?

Why does Kay Granger ignore the Haltom City flood danger, which is real, while paying homage to the Trinity River flood danger, which is bogus?

Corruption is one of my favorite polysyllabic words.

I got the map of the Trinity River Vision from the TRV website. Now, there are some, I may be one of them, who refer to this project as Fort Worth's latest Boondoggle.

Ironically, this TRV map points out some Fort Worth boondoggles. We have an arrow pointing to the now defunct, due to boondogglery, Tarrant County College Downtown Campus.

Then a short distance away the map points out Radio Shack Headquarters. That headquarters ruined one of the few things that made downtown Fort Worth unique, that being huge free parking lots and a free subway to take you downtown. Radio Shack soon found it could not afford its new headquarters and is now talking about leaving Fort Worth. Meanwhile, the Tarrant County College Downtown Campus moved into Radio Shack Headquarters.

Towards the south end of the TRV map it points out the new Pier 1 Headquarters, which Pier 1 could not afford. So, that building was taken over by Chesapeake Energy and turned into their Fort Worth fortress where they operate their pseudo City Hall.

At the center of the TRV map, surrounded by what looks like canals, sits La Grave Field, now out of business and up for sale.

Quite a record. But I'm sure the Trinity River Vision will work out just fine. Fort Worth is well past due for something working out just fine.

Meanwhile, can't something be done about Haltom City. If only some responsible adults would run for the Tarrant Regional Water Board....

Wednesday In The Land Of The Chesapeakegate Scandal Congratulating Alex Lambert

That's the half past 5 in the afternoon Wednesday Blues view from my abode. It's been a long day. I was up well before 5 this morning. It takes way too long for the sun to light up the place due to that annoying Daylight Savings Time thing.

I am slowly recovering from the latest twist in the ever turning Chesapeakegate Scandal.

One of the victims of the Chesapeakegate Scandal asked me to go to court with him today, but I couldn't do that due to not being in the area of the court, but instead being about 30 miles northeast of there.

I have yet to hear how the court visit went. Well, I hope.

I'm plotting my escape from Texas. I've wondered why more people did not leave Nazi Germany when it became obvious living in a lawless, fascist state was not conducive to a well-lived life.

Recent events in Texas are instructive as to how one can manage to make a pact with the devil and keep living in a state after it turns lawless, fascist, and disrespectful of its citizens.

I have yet to be tasered by the Fort Worth Gestapo, and so I stay. I've yet to be beaten and handcuffed by Fort Worth Stormtrooper thugs, while imbibing at a local pub, and so I stay. Eminent Domain has not directly been used to abuse me, and so I stay.

But, things have changed in the past couple weeks. I have seen the effects of the lawless fascist state, up close and personal. I've listened to first hand accounts of the lawless fascist state engaging in merit-less raids, designed to frighten and intimidate.

I'm thinking if one chooses to remain in a fascist, lawless state one should do what one can to restore freedom and democracy. Or leave. It's quite a conundrum for me. It would be sort of nice to live in one of the liberated, free areas of America, again. I miss it at times.

On a totally unrelated note. Last week on the way back from Southlake, driving on Davis Boulevard I read a message on a Chicken Express sign. A week later the message is still there. A week ago congratulations made sense, because Alex Lambert was still singing his heart out on American Idol. But a week ago tomorrow he made a very tearful exit. Alex Lambert is from North Richland Hills, which is where the Chicken Express with the sign is located. Maybe Alex Lambert is a Chicken Express chicken hawker.

Another Day In The Freedom For Texas Project

This afternoon one of my sterner taskmasters assigned me the task of figuring out how to blog the scanned version of the Case Closed Court Documents that slapped Steve Doeung in the face, along with a lot of others, who felt slapped, on Monday.

I was not able to figure out how to directly insert the Court Documents into a blog. I was able to make a picture of the start of the Case Closed Document.

And if you go here, you can read the entire Closed Case.

I was Googling for information about the dishonorable Judge Sprinkle this morning and came upon a little blurb in a subterranean part of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram...

"Lawyers in the case said it was only a matter of time before Chesapeake Energy’s pipeline division acquired the right of way for the pipeline, which will run beneath the front yards of more than 30 homes. State law gives energy companies that same right to condemn land through eminent domain as cities or more traditional utility companies.

Chesapeake has been working with local politicians to find an alternate route that won’t affect as many homes.

The Texas Department of Transportation announced last week that it had given preliminary approval to a new route that would run parallel to Interstate 30."

Now, this was in a short article about Judge Sprinkle signing the condemnation order that allows Chesapeake Energy to shove a non-odorized natural pipeline under Steve Doeung's property. With once again, that corrupt newspaper acting like a shill for the Barnett Shale gas drilling industry.

As in the arrogance of the Chesapeake lawyers saying it was only a matter of time before they acquired the right of way.

In other words, there is no recourse in court. It's all pointless. Everything is stacked so heavily in the favor of entities like Chesapeake Energy that no matter how outrageous a plan is, they are totally confident that there is no governing body in Texas that will come to the defense of hapless homeowners.

"State law gives energy companies the same right to condemn land through eminent domain as cities or more traditional utility companies."

Well, that is all well and good. Texas has a law. Here is where that law goes berserko. Maybe moving natural gas is in the public interest. Maybe it's for the greater public good. But the way eminent domain is used in Texas is not the way eminent domain is supposed to be used.

Common sense sort of dictates that you do not run a non-odorized natural gas pipeline under homes. Common sense dictates such a pipeline should not even be considered. No citizen, not even a Texan with fewer rights than other Americans, should have to defend his peace and security against such a threat.

A massive natural gas explosion in Texas, killing 100s of children, is why natural gas had an odor added to it.

The small pittance Chesapeake Energy paid the people of Carter Avenue does not make them whole, as in the same financial state as before Chesapeake legally assaulted them. If that pipeline goes in, the value of their homes go down.

In my opinion, any time eminent domain is used, the victim should be made whole, as in suffer no damage. In DISH, eminent domain was used to cut big swatches from citizen's property, rendering the property unable to be used for its original use.

If Steve Doeung does not feel comfortable with the idea of having a big natural gas pipeline run under his house, that is his right. If Chesapeake Energy needs to use someone's property they should be made to acquire that right only after making the injured party whole.

To do otherwise is nothing but legalized thievery, with the corrupted, co-opted various Texas oversight commissions, like the Railroad Commission and the Texas Environmental Quality Commission, where the foxes have taken over the henhouses, along with the corrupted, co-opted Texas judicial system, which does the bidding, with no application of common sense, of the gas drilling companies.

And back to Steve Doeung and the dirty dealings done to him, how is it that Chesapeake Energy's eminent domain case was not instantly dismissed as soon as it became widely known that TxDOT had agreed to an alternative pipeline route? How could this case of eminent domain abuse be allowed to continue?

There is only one reason this has been allowed to happen, and that reason is the fact that this is taking place in a part of America where the laws have been corrupted, as in "Texas State Law gives energy companies the right...." to run roughshod over Texans, with the state acting as the agents of the energy companies, and not as stewards of the public welfare.

Am I communicating how disgusted I am?

CONFLUENCE: A River & A Creek Runs Through Tarrant County Losing Dollars & Lives

Adrian Murray and John Basham are running for seats on the Tarrant Regional Water Board.

You can go to the Tarrant Votes website to learn more about Adrian Murray and John Basham and what they think needs to be done to fix a thing or two in this corrupted zone of Texas.

Adrian Murray and John Basham's platform is fairly straightforward.

-NO MORE EARMARKS
-OPEN AND HONEST GOVERNMENT
-NO MORE MISUSE OF TAX DOLLARS
-END ABUSE OF EMINENT DOMAIN

Below is a speech recently given by Adrian Murray. Read the speech and I think you'll agree this is someone who we can trust to do good things as opposed to those currently doing bad things that are not in the public interest....

In the late evening of June 18, 2007, Alexandria Collins lay sleeping in her room in her parents mobile home at the Skyline Mobile Home Park in Haltom City. Alexandria, called Ally by her parents, Natasha and Aaron, was four years old. She would never live to see five.

Two hours earlier, a torrential rain had passed through the area. The air was calm now as the rains moved to the north, gathering in ferocity. But neither little Ally nor her parents could have had any idea of the sad mix of events which would converge so tragically that night, of decisions made and not made, of priorities and greed, of visions and lack of vision that would merge violently and sadly in the dark of night.

To the north, heavy rains inundated Keller and the Alliance Airport area. Up to five inches fell in just a few minutes. The grasslands and trees which once naturally would have absorbed all that water were now acres of concrete, streets and parking lots and houses and big box retailers. Instead the water was channeled into storm drains and quickly into creeks. The Collins' mobile home sat just 30 feet from Whites Branch Creek, which feeds into Big Fossil Creek which in turn feeds into the Trinity River. For decades this watershed had been plagued by flooding. But the family had just moved to their new home a month earlier and knew none of this. As little Ally lay sleeping, a wave of water was barrelling south, swelling the banks of Whites Creek.

At 1:00 am that morning the parents noticed that water was rising inside their mobile home. Within minutes it was up to their knees. Minutes later, to their necks. Natasha struggled to get Ally, her sister and a young friend into a rowboat the father had maneuvered alongside the trailer. But the raging waters fought them, waves pounded the small boat and overturned it. Natasha desperately clung to little Ally and was flung violently about in the roiling waters, crashing into fences and trees. She felt Ally pulled from her grasp. Ally, screaming, was swept away.

She was found hours later, laying peacefully on her back in the creekbed on a pile of leaves. The official cause of death was drowning.

Unofficially, the cause of death was greed.

The Tarrant Regional Water District is responsible for flood control in the areas under its domain. It, along with the Army Corps of Engineers, had been studying the persistent flooding in the Big Fossil Creek watershed for decades. Yet nothing was ever done for, as the residents in the area were told, the money just wasn't there.

For all of Ally's short life, the focus of the TRWD had been on something not in its charter: commercial real estate development. Disguised as flood control, the project known as the Trinity River Vision was given birth by the Fort Worth City Council just days after Ally was born. The project consumed the energy, resources and time of the water district's management and board, funneling hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into a grand scheme to construct a town lake at the confluence of the Clear Fork and West Fork of the Trinity River where Fort Worth itself had been born. The watershed to the north could wait.

A feasibility study for the watershed had been initiated by the US Army Corps of Engineers in February 2001. In a letter to Congresswoman Kay Granger in November 2009, Col. Richard Muraski of the Corps stated that, "Due to a variety of issues, including a lack of consistent funding, higher priority work and technical shortcomings, completion of the study has taken longer than normal." He went on to state that the Corp recognized the "history of destructive flooding" in the area and that approximately $100,000 would be provided to "continue the studies of the Big Fossil Creek watershed."

Meanwhile, $54 million has been spent to date by the TRWD on the Trinity River Vision and the Corps of Engineers has committed $110 million to this alleged flood control project, in an area that hasn't had a significant flood in over 60 years. The project has an estimated budget of $909 million, a figure which is sure to rise.

Ally Collins could have known none of this, of course. She was just a little girl, with little girl dreams. We will never know with certainty if Ally would still be with us today if the Corps of Engineers had not been shackled with a lack of consistent funding and higher priority work. We can say, however, with some certainty, that Ally's destiny was determined in the days just after she was born, when matters of priority and profit, prestige and power, influence and arrogance merged together in the great confluence of corruption and greed that would one day sweep her away in the great dark waters of fate.

As Norman Maclean wrote, "Eventually, all things merge into one and a river runs through it."

Indeed, a river does.

It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings In Texas When It Comes To Protecting Your Family & Your Home

In Texas the saying "It Ain't Over til the Fat Lady Sings" has added meaning because there are many a Fat Lady, in Texas, waiting for their time to sing.

On Monday we all thought we heard the Fat Lady sing, in the form of the dishonorable Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle not informing Steve Doeung that the dishonorable Judge had signed the Chesapeake Energy eminent domain condemnation order taking away Steve Doeung's property rights.

And then in a coup de grace (that means, I think, the severing of ones head from ones body) the apparently corrupt Judge's clerk told Steve Doeung that his Case was Closed, despite what the Judge said in court, there was no avenue of appeal.

This seemed to be quite a blow in more ways than one, with one of those ways being that it appeared Steve, and those of us in the courtroom, had been blatantly lied to by the apparently corrupt Judge.

But, this morning I learned, too late to go with Steve, that he is back in court again. The fight for right goes on. This time in a superior jurisdiction that apparently looks at eminent domain abuse cases. Steve Doeung has quite a lengthy record of the various dirty deeds done in Judge Sprinkle's court room, running roughshod over Steve Doeung's rights, upon which to base an appeal.

And a different type of appeal is still in appeal mode. That being the appeal for someone, somewhere, with a law degree, to please help Steve Doeung in his battle against a giant corporation and that corporation's advocates, the State of Texas, Tarrant County and the City of Fort Worth, none of which seem interested in the plight of the little guy trying to be safe and secure in his own home, where he wants to live without having to worry about a high pressure, non-odorized big natural gas pipeline in the ground beneath him.

The Tarrant County Fort Worth Texas Judge Sprinklegate Scandal

Well, what a surprise.

Despite politely asking for an explanation, I have not heard from the Dishonorable Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle, explaining why he lied to Steve Doeung and a court room full of witnesses, telling Steve he would be notified when the judge signed Chesapeake Energy's condemnation order and that Steve had 30 days to appeal the decision after the judge signed the order.

Instead, yesterday, Steve Doeung was told by the Dishonorable Judge's clerk that the Case is Closed and that the Judge had signed the condemnation order 6 days prior, without informing Steve Doeung.

Can we all say Unscrupulous, Amoral, Unethical, Irresponsible, Lying Tool? This judge is retiring. He needs to be impeached before that retirement thing happens.

Throughout today I've been getting some interesting messages with speculations as to what caused Judge Sprinkle to appear to be, well, for want of a better word, corrupt.

As it so often does in nefarious matters such as the Chesapeakegate Scandal, it turns into a follow the money type scenario. Does the dishonorable judge stand to gain in some way from Chesapeake Energy's dirty dealings? In the same manner as Fort Worth's ultra-corrupt mayor, Mike Moncrief, who rakes in over $600,000 a year from the gas drillers poking holes in his town, with Moncrief's help.

Why would Judge Sprinkle so dis-honor himself, so blatantly, lying to Steve Doeung, lying to those of us in the courtroom? Did he think we would not have the means to disseminate his lies?

Is Judge Sprinkle totally naive regarding the new communication media? Does he not understand that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is no longer the only source for sort of knowing what actually happens in what is known as the Eminent Domain Abuse Capital of the World? Does Judge Sprinkle not understand that the days of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram acting as the Ruling Oligarchy's Pravda-like Mouthpiece are over?

There are just way too many ways to spread the truth these days. And that is a good thing. I'll be harping on the Judge Sprinklegate Scandal til I get answers.

The Chesapeakegate Scandal Has Me Feeling All Squirrely

You're looking at a Fosdic Lake Squirrel. Squirrels are my favorite rodent. Most squirrels act squirrely and scurry away when you get remotely close.

And then there are un-squirrely squirrels who have adjusted to humans, likely due to finding humans to be a good source of snacks.

Years ago there was a very friendly squirrel who lived at River Legacy Park, in Arlington. That little guy would run right up to you. One time I laid on the ground with my camera aimed at him and some nuts in one hand. He ate out of my hand and let me pet him.

I have no idea what happened to my picture of the River Legacy Park squirrel. I believe I have every picture I've taken since 1998 on this computer I'm using right now. The River Legacy Park squirrel is probably somewhere among the thousands of pictures.

Walking around Fosdic Lake did not alleviate the foul mood I've been in for over 24 hours now. It has really sort of thrown me to have experienced perverted justice up close and personal. I've read of such things, mostly taking place under totalitarian regimes in repressive places, but I've never eye-witnessed serious corruption before. It is unsettling.

I have been getting emails regarding the Chesapeakegate Scandal. Asking me questions, as if I have the answer to what has gone wrong in Texas. One of the email's message was quite good. I have asked if I can use it for blogging fodder. I have yet to get an answer.

Waking up to rain this morning did not help my foul mood. Swimming in the rain did lift my spirits, slightly, for a little while. The sun is trying to break through the clouds and possibly cheer me up, but it seems to be having a hard time of it.

The Dishonorable Tarrant County Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle Has Some Explaining To Do

That is the corrected for accuracy logo that sits on top of Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle's Tarrant County Court webpage.

Tarrant County, the perfect mix of Cowboys and Culture and Corruption. Leading the world, at #1, in eminent domain abuse, with the cooperative help of a well-oiled local pseudo judiciary system.

Many moons ago a private business named Chesapeake Energy needed a pipeline. Chesapeake figured they could easily shove a pipeline under a street called Carter Avenue, with none of the property owners having the ability to fight the assault, due to the high cost of legal help.

Chesapeake Energy did not factor Steve Doeung into their plan. Steve Doeung, a heroic American who did not begin his life in America. Steve is from Cambodia. He and his family narrowly escaped the murderous Khmer Rouge communists. The family had several countries they could have chosen to flee to, but Steve's dad wanted to come to America, due to admiring America and the American Way.

And so the Doeung's came to Texas, not realizing, at the time, that Texas really is not quite like the rest of America.

During the course of fighting for his right to be free of a high pressure non-odorized natural gas pipeline being run under his house, Steve has been the victim of multiple raids on his home, with the intention of the raids being to intimidate Steve into submission. Yes, you reading this in the free part of America, this really happened.

Chesapeake Energy forced Steve Doeung to defend himself in court against Chesapeake's eminent domain takeover of his property. All sorts of shady shenanigans took place in the courtroom of Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle. Chesapeake claimed Steve Doeung could not be located and so a lawyer was assigned to represent him named Ed Fitzgerald. This bogus lawyer submitted various documents on Steve's behalf, unbeknownst to Steve.

Eventually Steve came to know about the dirty dealings and took on his own defense, thus upsetting the proceedings. In Judge Sprinkle's courtroom none of these shenanigans had any relevance to justice being served on Steve's behalf. Key documents were withheld from Steve, with some of those finally showing up at what turned out to be, for now, Steve's final hearing, that being on March 4.

On that date Judge Sprinkle said he had no option but to sign Chesapeake's condemnation order, because Steve had not followed some proper procedure. Yes, in Judge Sprinkle's court Steve Doeung had to toe a precise line, while the Chesapeake Energy lawyers were granted a wide high jinks latitude.

Judge Sprinkle, in front of a packed courtroom, told Steve and dozens of witnesses that Steve had 30 days to file an appeal, with those 30 days beginning when the Judge signed the order. Judge Sprinkle clearly told Steve that he would be notified when the Judge signed the order.

However, Judge Sprinkle signed the order on March 9. And once again, Steve was not informed, til March 15, when Steve went to the courthouse to file a case-related document, only to be informed by Judge Sprinkle's clerk that the Judge had signed the order and that the case was now closed!

Yes, I know you reading this in the rest of America are thinking what is wrong with Texas? I don't know the answer to that one. I've been trying to figure it out for over 10 years.

Below is an email I sent to Judge Sprinkle this morning. You can email him if you like. I'll put other contact info below the email...

Judge Sprinkle,

I was in your courtroom March 4 to witness the Steve Doeung hearing. At the conclusion of that hearing you indicated you had no option but to sign the condemnation order granting Chesapeake Energy the right to run a pipeline under Steve Doeung's property.

You quite clearly said that Steve Doeung had 30 days to file an appeal with the 30 days starting when you signed the order.

You also quite clearly said that Steve Doeung would be notified when you signed the order.

On Monday, March 15, Steve Doeung returned to the Tarrant County Courthouse to file some sort of petition regarding his case. Just as the clerk was taking Steve's $50 filing fee, your clerk showed up, asking Steve what he was doing there. Your clerk then informed Steve Doeung that you had signed the condemnation order on March 9 and that the case was now closed with no further appeal possible.

First off, why was Steve Doeung not informed that you had signed the order? Second off, why did you say, in open court, that Steve Doeung had 30 days to file an appeal? Why did your clerk tell Steve Doeung the case was closed?

Something is very wrong here. Throughout this case Steve Doeung has time after time not been properly served, with the failure to inform him that you had signed that order being the latest example.

Waiting for an explanation that I suspect will not be forthcoming,

Durango Jones

Judge Vincent G. Sprinkle
Tarrant County Courthouse
100 West Weatherford Street
Fort Worth, TX 76196-0240
817-884-1095

Court Coordinator - 817-884-1914
Court Clerk - 817-884-1440
Court Reporter - 817-884-1916
Bailiff - 817-884-1095
Fax Number - 817-884-2964

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Yellow Judicial Rose Of Tainted Texas Ain't Looking Too Pretty To Me Today

I saw those bright yellow flowers today, earlier than normal, at the Tandy Hills. I'd walked by their location yesterday and did not notice them. They are rather noticeable, so I don't know why I didn't notice them yesterday.

Maybe they popped in to bloom today, some sort of sign of something, I don't, maybe the optimism of Spring.

I need a dose of optimism right about now. I started getting information this morning around 10 that sort of put me into some sort of state of shock.

Information of the sort that I did not quite know how to process it, or what to do with it. I had to get away from the computer, lest the temptation to blog took over before I'd had time to think through what had me in a state of disgust and shock.

When I got out of here I made several calls. The first was to my mom because I got gas and I always call my mom when I get gas. Mom made the mistake of asking how things are going. And so I told her the short version. You know it's bad when my mom gets the situation and asks a cogent question, as in asking, "How can something like that happen? Shouldn't these people be in jail?"

You have to keep in mind my mom has spent most of her life in civilized Washington, so telling mom about things that happen in Texas is very perplexing to her. This morning mom said Texas sounds lawless, like Mexico. Mom gets a lot of the bad Mexico news due to living near the border.

I walked extra long and extra hard on the Tandy Hills today, desperately seeking that endorphin fix that puts me in a better mood. For part of the hiking I was talking to the Queen of Wink, including hiking up the hill that had previously given her a bad case of the vapors. Soon after finishing consulting the Queen, my therapist, Dr. L.C., called.

Methinks there has been a lot of phone calling going on over a particular subject today. I believe some calls have gone out of Texas, seeking help with what is now obviously a much bigger scandal that I thought I was dealing with....