Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price Has No Comment About 30 Day Evictions Of 100s In Her Town

Earlier today I blogged about the shocking evictions of 100s of Fort Worth residents who were given only 30 days to vacate the premises they called home.

Soon after hitting the publish button on that blogging there was an incoming comment from someone named Anonymous...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fort Worth Shrugs Its Shoulders While Hundreds Of Citizens Are Given 30 Day Eviction Notices": 

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price has no comment:

http://fwtx.com/snapshots/wild-game-dinner/93380/3871 

I clicked the link included in the comment from Anonymous to find, just like Anonymous indicated, no comment from Betsy Price, just the above photo.

I am not 100% certain, but I think that is Betsy Price's predecessor, former Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, standing next to Fort Worth's current mayor.

Fort Worth Shrugs Its Shoulders While Hundreds Of Citizens Are Given 30 Day Eviction Notices

I learned of the plight of Susan Bethke sometime last month. What I learned disgusted and appalled me, but I did not feel like I could blog about it.

Til now.

This week's Fort Worth Weekly tells much of what disgusted and appalled me, in their article titled Get Out.

Short version. The Parkview Village residents of 133 Fort Worth duplex apartment units, plus three homes, including Susan Bethke's, got eviction notices giving those evicted 30 days to vacate the premises.

I know, you in democratic, fair-minded, Christian parts of America are sitting there wondering how can such a thing happen, wondering maybe this is yet one more case of Texas eminent domain abuse.

Well, it is worse than eminent domain abuse.

It is unscrupulous, amoral, sleazy, inhuman real estate developer abuse by a chronically abusing Dallas based real estate investment group calling itself Cienda Partners.

The location of the evictions is known as the Scenic Bluff area, northeast  of downtown Fort Worth.

The developer wants to turn this property into townhouses and restaurants. The City of Fort Worth's developer friendly, citizen protection un-friendly government has turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the evictees for help.

Why the rush to evict I am sure you are wondering? Why not give these people a decent time frame in which to move? Help with expenses and finding a place to re-locate? When the same Cienda Snidely Whiplashers tried the same tactic in Dallas a citizen protest erupted that eventually had Snidely Whiplash giving those evictees six months to move, plus two thousand dollars.

Unlike people in Dallas, people in Fort Worth are not big on protesting, or fighting against a wrong, or fighting for justice, or fighting against the good ol' boy and girl network that runs Fort Worth in what is known locally as the Fort Worth Way.

As in business UBER ALLES, the people be damned.

The Fort Worth Weekly article does not make too much of a point of the fact that this sorry episode is yet one more wondrous thing brought about by the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

The Scenic Bluff area borders the area of the Boondoggle. The Cienda real estate sharks are clearly betting that this property is going to experience a big jump in value.

However, Cienda must not have investigated too deeply into the Boondoggle's Vision or they would have learned that the massive public works project, which the public has never voted for, is stalled.

The Boondoggle is currently stuck taking four years to build three simple bridges. Bridges being built over where the Boondoggle thinks it is going to build an un-needed flood diversion channel.

So, you are looking at a four year minimum before that channel construction can begin. How many years after that before the Boondoggle's Vision becomes anything anyone wants to see? A decade? Two decades?

Meanwhile these Cienda townhouses will be looking out at a vast construction area, maybe, if the Boondoggle ever comes up with the money to bring their Boondoggly Vision to fruition.

So, while the Scenic Bluff evictees move on with their lives, they may have the last laugh, when Cienda realizes they've made a big boo boo....

Does Sarah Palin Think A Travel Ban Is Needed For Ebola, Dallas & Lubbock?

From my main online news source, on Facebook, Fort Worth Star-Telegram food critic and columnist, Bud Kennedy, I learned that Lubbock has possibly joined Dallas in the Texas Ebola Outbreak.

Apparently, judging by the photo, a large police and emergency team crew sealed off a Lubbock neighborhood where someone returned from Africa's Ivory Coast with flu symptoms.

The amount of info in Mr. Kennedy's Facebook news about the Lubbock Ebola Outbreak was limited.

And I did not click the link to learn more.

One can not help but wonder when this Africa traveler's flu symptoms showed up. After he or she was home? Before boarding the plane in Africa? Whilst in mid-flight?

The Ebola Crisis sure seems to be wearing on people's nerves. Both those freaked out about it and those tired of hearing about it.

I have been unable to determine if it was an Internet hoax or not if Sarah Palin actually said something like "My prayers go out to the people of Ebola."

I suspect Mrs. Palin likely did say something like this. Isn't she the one who had to have it explained to her that Africa was not a country? Or was that Joe Biden?

America has a lot of inadvertent comical politicians. It's hard to keep up....

Columbus & His Crew Of Undocumented Immigrants Refused To Learn The Local Language

Continuing on with our week of celebrating Indigenous People, which began on Monday with Indigenous People's Day, I thought that which you see here to be amusing.

Sadly, there are those who wouldn't understand the amusement.

On Indigenous People's Day it became clear to me that there were some  people who had no clue as to why enlightened, educated sorts might think it really is not a good idea to be having a federal holiday honoring Christopher Columbus.

I think those who think it blasphemy to tamper with a holiday honoring Columbus are people who learned a myth in grade school and never unlearned that myth upon higher education, such as that which one gains when one goes to college.

But, one does not need higher education to learn factual non-mythical history. One can go to a library and check out a book. Or just Google "Christopher Columbus" and read something like the Wikipedia Christopher Columbus article to find yourself a bit of enlightenment via real history, such as the four paragraphs below...

According to the report, Columbus once punished a man found guilty of stealing corn by having his ears and nose cut off and then selling him into slavery. Testimony recorded in the report claims that Columbus congratulated his brother Bartolomé on "defending the family" when the latter ordered a woman paraded naked through the streets and then had her tongue cut out for suggesting that Columbus was of lowly birth.

The document also describes how Columbus put down native unrest and revolt; he first ordered a brutal crackdown in which many natives were killed and then paraded their dismembered bodies through the streets in an attempt to discourage further rebellion.

"Columbus's government was characterised by a form of tyranny," Consuelo Varela, a Spanish historian who has seen the document, told journalists. "Even those who loved him [Columbus] had to admit the atrocities that had taken place."

De las Casas records that when he first came to Hispaniola in 1508, "there were 60,000 people living on this island, including the Indians; so that from 1494 to 1508, over three million people had perished from war, slavery, and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this? I myself writing it as a knowledgeable eyewitness can hardly believe it..."

In our current times the only thing that comes close to the Columbus style of subjugating conquered people is ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

You think in 500 years they will be celebrating ISIS Day in Iraq?

Sadly, that may come to be. Just like Columbus Day.....

Me & The Indian Ghosts & A Lot Of Other People At Village Creek Today

Those are my handlebars overlooking the Village Creek Natural Historical Area's Blue Bayou which is currently not blue, today around noon.

I was in that particular neighborhood due to needing to take possession of some vittles from Walmart and ALDI.

I got gas today, but did not call my mom. It was not convenient to call at the time I got the gas at the extremely cheap price of $2.89.

I remember way back in July of 2001, driving north to Washington, paying $1.19 in Amarillo, thinking that was high. Then I got off the freeway in La Grande, Oregon to find myself being appalled to see gas was $1.79. The price continued to rise the further north and west I got.

The good ol' days.

And now $2.89 seems like a bargain.

Being in the 70s, and by 70s I am referring not to the decade in the previous century, but to the temperature, we are that sweet spot, heat-wise, when oodles of temperature sensitive Texans take themselves outdoors for some park fun. I don't recollect ever seeing so many people enjoying the pleasant weather at Village Creek as I saw today.

Lots of young, healthy looking people. Geezers, like me. Women with dogs. Men with dogs. A pair of joggers pretty much jogging in what appeared to my eyes to be bikinis. Multiple bikers. A young good-looking hippie-looking couple laying on a blanket, having a picnic. I have rarely seen that type scene in a Texas park. It is usually too HOT to be on the ground.

That and fire ants can be vexing.

Anyway, I had myself a mighty fine time rolling my wheels today with the Indian Ghosts who haunt Village Creek.

Dodinsky Led Me Away From Arguing About The Seattle Mariners Winning The World Series

I do not know anything about Dodinsky. I suspect I could enlighten myself via Googling the name. I suspect he is a philosopher. Likely Polish.

Dodinsky's advice seems quite wise to me.

I have long subscribed to the Dodinsky credo without realizing it.

Just this morning I found myself in the oddest conversation in which the party with whom I was conversating was insisting that the Seattle Mariners have not only been in a World Series, but that the Seattle Mariners won a World Series.

And that this World Series win by the Seattle Mariners took place this century.

Now I am almost as much a baseball fan as I am a fan of soccer, but even I know, even though I pay no attention to the World Series, that not only have the Seattle Mariners never won the World Series, they have never played in a World Series. I believe the Seattle Mariners are one of only a couple MLB teams which have never played in a World Series.

How did I know the Seattle Mariners have never played in a World Series? Well. I remember the fuss made throughout the Pacific Northwest back in the 1990s, I think it may have been 1995, when the Seattle Mariners made it to the playoffs for the first time, doing well.

If the Seattle Mariners made it to the World Series, let alone win the thing, the fuss made would have been noticeable to me, even at my current location, thousands of miles from the Pacific Northwest.

An indicator of how little attention I pay to professional, or any, sports, is I learned only yesterday that this past weekend the Dallas Cowboys beat the current Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. I do not know if this Seahawk whooping took place in Seattle, or in my neighborhood gigantic football stadium.

I must go Google Dodinsky now....

Kay Granger & Mark Greene Debate In Unitarian Universalist Church Tonight

The League of Women Voters convinced Congresswoman Kay Granger to come to the Westside Unitarian Universalist Church tonight for a candidate's forum with, as far as I know, one other candidate, that being Mark Greene.

The League of Women Voters is calling this a candidate forum. Others are calling it a debate.

I do not know if this event is going to be televised. I suspect not.

Mark Greene is a Democrat. Kay Granger is a Republican.

I am a big fan of  Kay Granger's son, J.D., and all the wondrous works his mother has enabled him to do for Fort Worth.

Since Kay is the reason we have J.D. I suppose she deserves some credit for the creation in Fort Worth of imaginary islands with imaginary pavilions, with bridges being built over an imaginary un-needed flood diversion channel, the first drive-in movie theater of the 21st century, ice rinks and river rockin' happy hour inner tube floats.

Even so, I still think I will likely be voting for Mark Greene.

This invite to this event has me also wondering about a couple other things. Like what is a Unitarian Universalist? Is this a Christian denomination? And why is there no League of Men Voters?

If you want to experience this likely heated debate in person, get there early as there are only 200 seats available. The debate location is about 9 miles from my abode. At my 4 mph walking pace I figure if I leave here around 3 this afternoon I should have plenty of time to get to church.

Yikes! Just looked at the time. It's about 3 now. I gotta get going......

Warmly Rolling My Wheels Around The Woodhaven Country Club Golf Course

When I take a walking tour of my neighborhood I usually walk around in the Industrial Wasteland part of the neighborhood.

I have walked in the non-Industrial Wasteland part of my neighborhood before and may have used a photo from that location for blogging purposes, but I don't remember doing so.

My usual mode for a tour of the non-Industrial Wasteland part of my neighborhood is via the rolling my wheels method, hence the picture of my handlebars pointing at a scenic scene with a trio of golfers, with one of the golfers barely visible sitting under a tree in his golf cart.

That would be the Woodhaven Country Club golf course part of my neighborhood you are looking  at. This is a sprawling golf course surrounded by houses accessed by mostly dead end roads. And hilly. Thus excellent for an endorphin inducing bout of aerobic stimulation.

I have golfed a time or two, but never in Texas. I find golfing to be excruciatingly boring. Well, except for the Putt Putt Mini-Golf mode of golfing. That I have enjoyed a time or two or three.

As you can see, mostly clear blue sky has returned to North Texas. But, the temperature was in the 60s when I left my abode to roll my wheels. This had me in sweatpants, a long sleeved t-shirt, with a sweatshirt on top of that. By the time I got my bike ready to roll I realized I was over dressed. About a half mile into rolling I realized my regular bike shorts and a regular t-shirt would have sufficed.

I always have trouble adjusting to the sudden temperature changes in Texas this time of year. And in the spring.

I did not get in the pool this morning at all optimistic that that would go well, but it did. With two warm up bouts in the hot tub.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be warmer, but I suspect not warm enough to get me turning on the A/C.

My One Son Has Me Being Uncle Bub Back In Washington

In the past week or two I've made mention to a person or two or three that if I still had my house in Mount Vernon I'd be thinking about moving back there.

But, that house was sold in 2002.

Today one of those to whom I'd mentioned my wish to return to Washington proposed a variant of My Three Sons, with the variant being called, I suppose, My One Son.

I would be Uncle Bub in this scenario.

Moving is not an easy thing. Just moving a short distance is a pain. Moving a couple thousand miles amps up the pain.

When I moved to Texas it was to a ranch type situation in the far north Fort Worth suburb called Haslet. I did not like living in Haslet. It was a rough road east to get to the closest grocery store. The puny skyline of downtown Fort Worth was a spiky blur in the distance.

I miss living near a Big City. Which is, maybe, a little ironic, because I live in a big city. But it really is not a Big City. It is Fort Worth. A little town with pretensions of being a Big City. Dallas is a Big City, but I don't go to Dallas very often.

In Mount Vernon, the Big City of Seattle is just a few miles to the south. The Big City of Vancouver is just a few miles to the north, in an entirely different country.

I miss being able to drive a short distance to the west and being at saltwater beaches. I miss driving a short distance to the east and being in the mountains.

I miss a cornucopia of fresh produce, much of it free for the picking. Like blackberries.

When I lived in Washington an entire growing season could go by where I would not have bothered to get myself some fresh strawberries. That would not happen upon my return. If you have only had a California strawberry, you have no idea how good the real thing is, deep red, sweet and delicious.

And don't get me started on the difference between a Parker County peach and a peach grown in an Eastern Washington orchard.

And apricots. I can not remember when last I had an apricot. When in Washington I would make an annual trek to Eastern Washington to acquire a box of apricots.

I miss driving the flats of the Skagit Valley in August and buying fresh corn from a roadside stand. Usually purchased via the honor system. Put your money in the jar.

It has been several things of late which have made me homesick. Maxine's tales of Cascade Mountain hikes. Me recently thinking about Deception Pass State Park and its bridge due to thinking about the pathetic Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing.

That is another thing.

I miss being where BIG things happen. Where the people get to vote on BIG things that happen. Where the world's biggest tunnel boring machine can get stuck with the locals collectively shrugging their shoulders, confident it will work out and the tunnel will get bored.

I miss living where the population is highly educated, highly literate, progressive, liberal, smart. Where I am not embarrassed by the politicians. Where there are places to complain when a wrong needs to be made right.

I miss taking a ferry out to the San Juan Islands, waiting for the last ferry leaving Friday Harbor to take the night float back to Anacortes.

I miss the smell of Christmas trees which is the norm when you are surrounded by the mountains of Washington.

I miss rain.

Slow rain that lasts for days before adding up to an inch.

I miss gray, day after day after day of gray, with drizzle, followed by a day when the gray lifts and you are looking at the bluest sky you have ever seen, with the trees the greenest green.

I miss the moss of a rain forest. Big waves on a Pacific coast beach. Ocean Shores and Copalis. Long Beach.

The Washington volcanoes. Especially Mount Rainier. I miss hearing "The Mountain is out."

I miss Mount Baker, the location of the deepest snow the world has ever measured. I miss looking out my kitchen window at the stewing steam vent near the top of Mount Baker.

In Texas, no matter where I look I will see no stewing steam vents atop an active volcano.

So, long story short, I am thinking of returning to the place from which I came.....

Indigenous People's Day Celebrating The Invasion Of Columbus

This morning I was dealing with an aggravating aggravation that aggravated me so much I forgot today was Indigenous People's Day, formerly known, by most, as Columbus Day.

The day some Americans honor a guy from Italy who sailed the oceans blue, in 1492, finding islands in what we now call the Caribbean, but which Columbus, that intrepid explorer, thought must be India, and so the Indigenous People's Columbus discovered became known to the incoming European invaders as Indians.

Columbus plundered what he could from the Indigenous People, left them with some diseases, to which they were not immune, kidnapped about a dozen of the "Indians", shackled them and floated them back to Spain to show to his benefactors, Isabella and Ferdinand.

The Indigenous People Columbus kidnapped were never returned to their homeland. I don't recollect how the kidnapped IPs died or where they were buried.

The Spanish method of dealing with Indigenous People was to convert them from their heathen ways to being good Christians and if met with resistance to torture and kill the resistors so as to save their mortal souls. Sort of an ISIS of its day.

I think I will continue my Indigenous People's Day celebrating by making an Asian stir fry for lunch.