Walking With Bobcats While Thinking About Swimming With Fort Worth Rats In A Town With No Real Newspaper

Sometime around noon I needed a break from way too much of Captain Clean and that little boy's various exploits.

So, I took myself to Arlington, to the Village Creek Natural Historical Area, which happens to be my favorite place in Texas to walk with Indian Ghosts.

In the photo you are looking at the formerly blue bayou, which has become a very green jungle bayou.

Continuing with the jungle theme, for the first time in several years I had an encounter with a jungle cat.

A bobcat to be specific.

I was walking along on the paved trail, peacefully lost in my peaceful thoughts, when suddenly a large bobcat sprinted across the  path ahead of me. The bobcat stopped at the edge of the trail to take a look at me, then took off running into the jungle, as I reached, too late, for my camera.

My closest encounters with bobcats have been at River Legacy Park, also in Arlington. I have managed to take photos of those encounters on more than one occasion.

I just remembered another wildlife encounter encountered today. Whilst having myself a really fine time in the pool this morning I was surprised to see what I first thought was a rat, making its way along the landscaping that surrounds the pool, its nose to the ground, finding morsels of the insect sort for breakfast.

After watching the large rat for a few minutes I realized I was not looking at a rat. It was a possum. A small possum, not a big rat.

This has been an interesting day, what with thinking I'm swimming with rats, in various ways.

After well over a decade of being perplexed wondering why it seemed no one, but me, shared my opinion that the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is not a real newspaper of the sort that serves the public in the civilized parts of America, and the rest of the world, where the concept of free speech is a reality, suddenly there are voices, outside and inside the Fort Worth zone, who are realizing Fort Worth has a real problem due to not having what is known as a journalistically responsible newspaper of record.

Methinks the times they may be a-changing in Fort Worth. It really is about time....

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.

Why Did I Get My Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Summer Update In The Middle Of Spring?

What with everyone knowing that summer is well under way, and what with an election coming up in a couple days, which may greatly impact its fate, of course, in my mailbox this morning of May 9, it makes perfectly good sense that I would find VOLUME  VII - ISSUE I - SUMMER 2013 of the TRINITY RIVER VISION UPDATE.

I can not imagine why, but this summer's TRV Boondoggle Update contains a lot of information about the Tarrant Regional Water District and all the amazing things that public agency is doing to improve water quality, mitigate flood dangers and guarantee a good supply of good water well into the next century.

I trust when you read the above two paragraphs you remembered to have your sarcasm detectors on.

The entire first page one sees when one opens this TRV Boondoggle Update is devoted to "TRWD Around Town."

We learn that the TRWD has solved that extremely serious problem of people getting lost on the Trinity Trails. I am sure, like me, you have lost track of the number of stories you've read about people getting hopelessly lost on the confusing maze of Trinity Trails.

The first paragraph about the "Signs of Improvement Along the Trinity River"...

Thanks to the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) the Trinity Trails are getting some fancy schmancy new signage! Last year signage was added  that educated users how to access the Trinity Trails. Now that you can get there, signage is being added to help you navigate the trail system.

So, if I am understanding correctly, last year the TRWD educated trail users as to how to get  on to the Trinity Trails. Education like drive your car to a Trinity Trails parking lot, park, then walk to the clearly visible trail. But don't walk on the trail til next year when signage is added to help you navigate the terribly difficult to navigate Trinity Trail system?

The second paragraph about Trinity River signs improvement is also amusing...

The 26 new trail map signs have been individually tailored to include specific details related to your current location as noted with new "You Are Here" markings. The new location specific maps will point out amenities that are closest to you such as water fountains, restrooms, fishing piers, canoe launches and more. The maps also include mile markers so you can easily identify how far you are from certain destinations.

Fishing piers? Where are the fishing piers on the Trinity River? I guess I can find out via these new signs. Restrooms? Are we talking about the outhouses by the Rockin' the River zone across from Panther Island?

Speaking of Panther Island. On page 2 of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle Update there is the headline "Paving the way to Panther Island."

Under that headline there is this short paragraph...

Three signature V-pier bridges will go out for bid together this November. By packaging the three bridges together a tremendous amount of money will be saved. Construction is scheduled to begin this winter.

I think I have mentioned before that I am a big fan of propaganda.

Signature V-pier bridges? In the original version of the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle there were to be 3 signature bridges, with "signature" at that time meaning bridges designed by world renowned bridge designers, such as those who designed the 3 signature bridges for the Dallas version of the Trinity River Vision, with one of the Dallas bridges already completed and looking quite impressive.

The TRV Boondoggle had to abandon its "signature" bridges when the price tag came in too high. Hence the three V-pier bridges that are being referred to as "signature" bridges.

So, the TRVB lost its original "signature" bridges to save money. And is now touting packaging these 3 V-pier bridges together as being a big money saver.

I believe these 3 non-signature bridges had to be added to the TRV Boondoggle when the un-needed flood diversion channel was added in order to help pretend the TRV Boondoggle was a flood control project, not an economic development project, and thus help with the getting of some federal money to help pay for the un-needed flood control, un-needed, due to the fact that levees built over a half a century ago, have prevented any flooding in the TRV Boondoggle zone.

Does everyone know what the word "hubris" means?

Memorable Words From TRWD's Marty Leonard & Jim Oliver About Unqualified Losers

No, that is not Daniel Craig, aka James Bond, standing on the overlook in downtown Fort Worth's boarded up eyesore of a monument to Fort Worth's history, known as Heritage Park.

That is not James Bond, it is James Oliver, and unlike 007, more often than not he is called Jim, rather than James.

Jim Oliver is not a secret agent, of the legitimate kind, what he is is the General Manager of the Tarrant Regional Water District.

Before I get to some unfortunately memorable words uttered by Jim Oliver I want to mention some unfortunately memorable words uttered by a TRWD Board Member, the Self-Entitled Dowager Heiress, Marty Leonard.

I read in the Star-Telegraph an interesting conversation Clyde Picht had with Marty Leonard...

Just had a brief conversation with Marty, the pot calling the kettle black, Leonard.

Ms. Leonard is a member of the board of the TRWD. Marty sent a letter to voters decrying the qualifications and character of challengers, Basham, Nold, and Kelleher and she complained of their "negative" campaigning.

I reminded Marty the she was no more qualified than B, N & K when she first ran. Her claim to worthiness was that she read and saved a lot of articles on water. Whoopee!

Well, now we know why the Dowager Heiress, Marty Leonard, felt so entitled to be on the TRWD Board. She read and saved a lot of articles about water. I bet those unqualified upstarts, Basham, Nold and Kelleher, have not read and saved nearly as many articles about water as has Marty Leonard.

B-N-K should concede immediately.

Now back to Jim Oliver.

I was appalled, appalled I tell you, to read the following, today, from TRWD candidate, John Basham...

On May 6, 2013 I confronted TRWD General Manager Jim Oliver (by email) with my concerns that district employees were illegally using district equipment & facilities to campaign for my opponents. Mr. Oliver responded by calling me an "uneducated loser who has never earned a living for his [my] family and never will." He also went on to try to demean me by pointing out my bankruptcy and foreclosure (which occurred after being injured in the Army National Guard - When I could not walk and the Army didn't pay me for four years. I have this email exchange with Mr. Oliver and will post have it posted on the flushTRWD.com website no later than tomorrow along with some other interesting emails (Star-Telegram stuff). If the District Manager of the TRWD is this blatantly arrogant at dismissing these allegations and then trying to degrade me through libel with no fear of retribution, who is running the TRWD? - John Austin Basham

Mr. Oliver called someone running for the TRWD board an uneducated loser? Among other uncalled for things?

Methinks if the B-N-K Triumvirate Gang of Three gets elected to the TRWD Board on Saturday, one of their first acts should be to remove Jim Oliver from his job with the TRWD.

I do not know what it is that  Jim Oliver does for the TRWD, but, even so, I would like to offer my services for his position. I understand the TRWD has a long history of hiring people with absolutely no qualifications to positions for which they are totally unqualified.

J.D. Granger comes to mind.

I am willing to take over Jim Oliver's job at half his salary. As long as I get unlimited use of the luxurious helicopter...

Exposed: Texas Cronyism & Secret Meeting Steal Citizen's Land Via Eminent Domain

Lawrence Meyers is a reporter for the controversial news entity known as Breitbart. A week or two ago Lawrence Meyers contacted me after coming upon some of my blog posts that mentioned a corrupt thing or two going on in the Tarrant County and Fort Worth environs.

Lawrence Meyers specifically asked about Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger.

This morning Lawrence emailed me with the subject line being "TRWD Exposed!"

With the email message being...

Thought you'd enjoy this exposé!

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/07/Exposed-Texas-Cronyism-and-Secret-Meetings-Steal-Citizen-s-Land-Via-Eminent-Domain

Lawrence Meyers was correct in thinking I would enjoy this exposé.

A Tranquil Swim Thinking About Becoming A No Internet Apolitical Turtle Living On A Desert Island

The patio view of my pool is looking particularly tranquil on what is already the second Wednesday of May.

Tranquil and currently heated to 73 degrees.

I had myself a real fine time taking a real long swim in that tranquil turquoise pool this morning.

I needed some tranquility due to feeling a bit disgruntled, with the disgruntlement beginning last night when I came upon a bit of information that left me more than just a bit dismayed.

Dismayed because it seemed to me I was seeing people metaphorically shooting themselves in the foot, after making such good progress towards what I thought was a common goal.

The more disgruntled I became the more I began to realize I'd made some wrong assumptions and heard  what I wanted to hear when I asked for clarification about information I assumed to be false, which apparently turned out to be true.

Hence my disgruntlement.

When I first came upon the object of my disgruntlement I made image files of that which disgruntled me, intending to blog the specifics of that which disgruntled me.

But, this morning, after much disgruntled pondering, I decided to keep my opinion to myself, not wanting to risk doing possible damage to what may be the greater good, in the end, even if right now I'm feeling like turning into an apolitical turtle living on a desert island in the South Pacific with no Internet service and my head inside my shell...

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.”

Proof Timothy Nold Is Not A Tax Deadbeat While Marty Leonard Is A Lying Slanderess

The Dallas Observer article A Tarrant County Water Fight Descends into the Slop with the Help of a Dallas Hotel Magnate, in which I learned I am a rollerblading Fort Worth blogger, included the below paragraph.

The responses on behalf of the incumbents have run the gamut from cheery missives from Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price to quasi-slanderous hit pieces.

I would say some of the incumbents' responses are out and out slanderous, not quasi-slanderous.

Like TRWD board member, Marty Leonard's hit piece where the self-entitled Dowager Heiress slandered TWRD board candidate, Timothy Nold, by claiming he was a tax deadbeat being sued by the TRWD.

Minutes ago I was emailed the document you see above, from Tarrant County Tax Assessor, Ron Wright, in which it rather clearly indicates that Timothy Nold owes no delinquent taxes.

How does one fix the damage done when a morally bankrupt person, like Marty Leonard, allows her name to be attached to lies and innuendo?

Well, you certainly do not re-elect them. And in the case of Marty Leonard, you publicly shame the disgraced person into resigning from the office she clearly is morally not fit to hold.

Has Marty Leonard apologized  for slandering Timothy Nold? If so, I withdraw my characterizing her as being morally bankrupt and unfit to hold office.

I Am Happy To Be A Rollerblading Fort Worth Blogger Making Reference To Incumbent Cockroaches

After lunch I woke up my computer to learn, via blog comments and emails, that I have become a "rollerblading Fort Worth blogger who makes references to cockroaches."

It is in an article in The Dallas Observer titled A Tarrant County Water Fight Descends into the Slop with the Help of a Dallas Hotel Magnate that I have been identified as being a rollerblading Fort Worth blogger.

I do still have rollerblades. I think.

My rollerblades may have been stolen back in October of 2010 when my bike was stolen. I do not recollect checking to make sure the rollerblades had not gone missing.

I gave up rollerblading at some point in time between 2006 and 2008, if I remember right.

I had a horrific fall that left me banged up on one arm, with my left buttock badly bloodied and bruised. Recovery was complete, with no scarring. Thank you for your concern.

Why am I not the mountain biking Fort Worth blogger? Or the hiking Fort Worth blogger? Or the cranky Fort Worth blogger? I still engage in those activities.

A Leaky Walk Around My Neighborhood Looking For The Lawn Whisperer & Chesapeake's Improved Landscaping

Someone call the Lawn Whisperer. We've sprung a leak.

The Lawn Whisperer is a Tarrant Regional Water District Board creation that creates the illusion that the TRWD is working hard on water conservation.

Meanwhile, despite the Lawn Whisperer, I somehow happen upon a surprising number of water leaks when I am out and about.

I had not taken a walk in my neighborhood for a week or two. When I walked from the Albertsons parking lot to the sidewalk on the south side of Boca Raton Boulevard I was instantly faced with a flood of water rendering the sidewalk and environs too wet for pleasant dry passage.

It would appear a pipe has sprung a leak and is spouting copious amounts of precious, scarce water through the Albertsons parking lot retaining wall.

On my walk, after the Albertsons leak, I came upon a much drier, much more pleasing site, that being what you see below.

Above you are looking at my neighborhood's landscaped Welcome to Woodhaven. Last year Chesapeake Energy temporarily destroyed this landscaped welcome during the process of laying some underground pipe through which Chesapeake flows non-odorized natural gas.

After the pipeline was installed Chesapeake rebuilt the landscaped welcome.  But not to the level of its former  glory.  It was soon a weedy eyesore. I blogged about the weedy eyesore.

The landscaped Welcome to Woodhaven has now been greatly improved, with no more weeds and with additional landscape elements, like big flagstones, installed.

I can't really clearly remember exactly what the Welcome to Woodhaven looked like before Chesapeake destroyed it, but I can say I think the latest version is just as good as the original.

Now with explosive potential...