ZAP! #63: A Sad Folly

ZAP! #63...July 31, 2011

Planet Earth to Herb Gears and Billy Bob Barnett.

If you ever wanted to hear two disingenuous statements, then cogitate on the following:

“Issues drive elections, not money or people.” Herb Gears

“My investors wanted to know that I, individually, would try to protect their investment.” Billy Bob Barnett

(Dallas Morning News, July 27, 2011)

These statements were made after the final campaign finance reports reflected that Gears had received over $1.3 million for his campaign with over $860,000 of direct and in-kind contributions and $106,000 in “loans” being provided by Billy Bob. Wow! Was the “investment” Billy Bob was attempting to protect actually Gears?

And also of note was the $115,000 Billy Bob donated to the firemen’s union PAC for them to pay folks to campaign for Gears, Webb and Cannaday.

As a final wrap-up to the recent election, the staff of the CCR can only chuckle at the brazenness of these two individuals. Did they think the voters were not paying attention? Did they believe that the voters could not determine when a politician had been bought and paid for? Would they ever understand that their voodoo financing of the proposed $250 million Entertainment Center was flawed from the beginning?

Perhaps, the greater question should be: How could Gears and Billy Bob have had such a hold on an entire council when documents and reports as far back as 2010 from financial advisors and underwriters noted that the city could not prop up their $200 million slice of the project pie based on questionable revenue projections? Was the Kool-Aid so strong that eight members of the council couldn’t vocalize one iota of concern or dissent for nearly a year? Were members of the council immune to the public’s complete understanding that the Gears/Billy Bob “deal” was flawed?

Hopefully, this is the final election report in a long saga that surely will be remembered as Gears’ Folly. The only thing not funny with this folly is that the tax payers narrowly escaped being the target of politico/developer greed, avarice and fluff. Maybe now that enough light has been shone on the folly, the puppets on the council and city officials who also sipped, to excess, the mayor’s Kool-Aid will detox and: 1) plan a center that can be financed without gimmicks or voodoo chants; 2) ditch the corpse of this folly on the shores of Lake Caroline; 3) shift the burden of financing and risk to the developers.

After all, it will not really be an entertainment center for Irving citizens if tax payers are providing all the entertainment for the developers.

…………..Mark Holbrook

BS #41: Basting the Bird

BlogSpasm #41...July 25, 2011

Apparently, the sauce used for the goose doesn’t go well with the gander in the IISD!

It appears that the principal of Nimitz HS and the superintendent have agreed to reprimand an Irving teacher for forwarding an e-mail. Said e-mail was alerting/inviting/informing teachers that a member of the Irving board of trustees (S. Jones) and mayoral candidate Van Duyne would be holding a discussion regarding the school district and city affairs at an off-campus site.

The DMN article reflects the following:

WHAT THE PRINCIPAL SAID: Nolly said that the emails were inappropriate because they were sent during instructional time and utilized school email for noneducational reasons. Superintendent Dana Bedden said they also were political emails related to the mayoral race.

WHAT’S NEXT: A complaint conference will be scheduled with the school’s principal. If the issue is not resolved, it may be appealed to the superintendent and then to the school board.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/irving/headlines/20110722-update-grievance-filed-over-irving-nimitz-teachers-reprimand.ece

Now, here’s the real rub of this situation. Didn’t the superintendent and board president (Ashley) do basically the same thing? Wasn’t school district time and resources involved when they had their discussions (e-mails?) about having mayor Gears, who was in the most expensive and heated political campaign in Irving’s history, attend all of the high school graduations? Wasn’t this also “playing politics?"

Of particular note: During the course of the mayor’s invitation to attend all the graduation exercises, two different stories seemed to emerged. The superintendent related that the “administration” was contacted about his appearance, while the mayor was reported to have said that the “administration” contacted him about appearing. So, who did make the initial contact for the mayor’s appearance?

Staff of the CCR would suggest that if the superintendent is going to serve goose or crow, then he should at least be consistent with the sauce used to baste the fowl.

…………………..Mark Holbrook

NOTE: Refer to ZAP! #51, May 1, 2011 for an additional occasion involving the IISD superintendent and e-mails. In this case, he didn’t want to “become involved” in the upcoming school board election, yet he distributed on a Saturday morning -- at a local restaurant -- e-mails (some marked confidential) created on district time using district resources. He also had members of his staff in attendance to assist in furthering his case in the brouhaha involving school board candidate S. Jones. Can one assume that this wasn't "playing politics?"

CCR 07-23-11: Sad Clowns

the Controversial Committee Report

“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”

Staff of the CCR has always had a warm spot for going to the circus. And our favorite routine to enjoy was when all the clowns spilled out of a diminutive VW clown car. How did they do that?

Well, dear reader, we believe we have discovered the secret as to how all those clowns could be stuffed in a vehicle. The secret ingredient used by the chief clown/driver was: Kool-Aid. That’s right...Kool-Aid. Give a clown enough Kool-Aid and you can make him do or say almost anything.

And if you want to see an inordinate number of clowns piling out of a vehicle, then click on the links noted below. The article and videos reflect that the city’s proposed $250 million “clown car” (read: Entertainment Center) has overturned and will be short in securing funds to the tune of about $135 - $160 million. What? How could this happen? Staff of the CCR has heard for the past three years that the $250 million Entertainment Center was a “done” deal. The chief clown’s mantra was that the dirt would soon fly and Billy Bob’s empire on Lake Caroline was going to be a beacon in Las Colinas brighter than the North Star.

Well, it seems as if the city’s bond underwriters may have peeked in the rear seat of the city’s clown car and witnessed all the political Kool-Aid being sipped by the riders. And bond underwriters have a strong affinity against clowns soused on Kool-Aid. They prefer to underwrite bonds by those not under the influence.

With Irving’s chief Red Nose -- former mayor Gears -- at the wheel of the clown car, he had the vehicle stuffed with his posse of Kool-Aid-sipping clowns. His floppy shoe wingman, Billy Bob, provided all the entertainment and slight of hand as they wheeled through the city spreading and spending HOT tax bucks while honking the noses of concerned citizens and critics of their financially flawed development plan.

Even though the total number of clowns stuffed in the city’s clown car is unknown, estimates reflect that it could be at least a couple hundred. This would set a new Guinness record for the number of Kool-Aid-drunk clowns stuffed in one city owned vehicle! Hanging out the windows and packed in the back seat was a buffoonery of city council clowns, a herd of chamber of commerce members, a cackle of city managers, a twaddle of city board members, a gaggle of lawyers, a drove of firemen’s union PAC members, and a covey of gullible citizens who would believe anything a political clown espoused when given enough Kool-Aid.

Of course, the CCR attempted to inform folks that the wheels on the city’s clown car were wobbling and disaster was just a hair-pin curve away. It was clearly noted in previous editions that the voodoo financing used to fill the gas tank of the city’s clown car was causing an inordinate amount of damage to the cars financial engine. And a requested tune-up -- to be provided by Mr. GoodAuditor -- reflected that Billy Bob would not even provide the original “owner’s manual” to show how much had previously been spent on “maintenance” work to the city’s clown car. Do you believe he thought he owned the city’s clown car, since he did own the driver?

While staff of the CCR couldn’t utter the fateful words...we told you so, we might lean on the old adage of: Only fools fail to listen to their critics. And we all know that clowns often do foolish things.

Instead of another refrain of “bring in the clowns,” it appears that the time is ripe for the grown-ups to plan and execute a sound financial plan that could provide a proper venue to complement the new convention center. It’s time to move on and leave the tragedy of the city’s clown car wreck behind.

Those wearing red noses, grease paint, floppy shoes and orange wigs should remain in the city's wrecked clown car.

Additional resource items:

Brett Shipp (Ch 8) July 19, 2011 http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/Irving-Mayor-demands-answers-on-Entertainment-Centers-future-125848533.html

Brett Shipp (Ch 8) July 20, 2011 http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/New-numbers-dont-add-up-for-Irving-Entertainment-Center-125928358.html

Brandon Formby (DMN) July 20, 2011 http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/irving/headlines/20110720-irving-entertainment-center-project-faces-funding-shortfall-.ece

A reader sez: "You're always "right on," even when people won't listen.“ Anonymous

We Say: We would rather for the situation to be right then us having to point it out to someone to correct. Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:
"This was a well crafted piece. Art Buckwald would tip his hat." Anonymous

We Say:

Would there be any loose change in the hat? Mark Holbrook

BS #40: Law Suit Harpooned

BlogSpasm #40...July 23, 2011

This may be a first! The staff of the CCR wishes to praise the Irving city council for voting not to intervene in the legislative redistricting law suit. The vote was 6-2 with one council member absent. (Stopfer and Farris were the two voting to waste the bucks.)

Not only will this vote save tax payers over $125,000, but it will also keep the city from having another legal black eye when the law suit is lost. (See ZAP! #61)

Additionally, the Whale Rider should defend her own turf with her own funds if this is so important. Of course, the only way the Whale Rider could prevail in the law suit is if she could receive certification that her district qualifies as a minority district -- ie: inhabited only by conservative, white women who drive expensive luxury cars provided by special interest donors.

…………..Mark Holbrook

BS #39: Late July Fireworks

BlogSpasm #39…July 20, 2011

Brett Shipp of WFAA-TV (Channel 8) aired another investigative report regarding the city’s voodoo financing of the $250 million Entertainment Center. His report is in advance of the city council’s Wednesday work session where the center will be reviewed...again.

For those who missed his report, the link follows:

http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/Irving-Mayor-demands-answers-on-Entertainment-Centers-future-125848533.html

Stay tuned to the CCR. The fireworks on this project may have just been ignited...again.

………..Mark Holbrook

ZAP! #62: Closed Minds

ZAP! #62...July 19, 2011

Thank you Irving ISD board member Ronda Huffstetler. In one insightful quote, you have confirmed and demonstrated what many folks have believed for many years...the administration is running the Irving school district board of trustees...not the board members.

Of course, voters have always assumed that board members were elected to provide direction and ensure that the administration followed the path set and determined by the board. This did not even appear to be the case when discussing the possibility of an English immersion program sponsored by the two newest board members. Still stinging from the results of the last board election that witnessed voters seeking change in the board’s current direction, you sadly remarked:

“I will not vote for anything not coming from administration.”

Dallas Morning News: July 19, 2011

So much for playing nice and getting over the election! So much for independent reasoning and thinking.

Of course, Huffstetler is not alone in being part of an entrenched cabal of “rubber stamping” shunning the two newest board members. The other four members of her group have yet to demonstrate that they can be independent thinkers looking out for the interest of tax payers, or taking those strides necessary to improve the district’s State rankings.

Staff of the CCR assumes that the administrative-tail is still wagging the board-dog to the extent that several recent decisions/actions have reflected either poor judgement or a total lack of fiscal understanding on board member’s part.

• Consistently voting to increase the district’s tax rate.
• Extending (after less than a year’s service) the superintendent’s contract to 2015.
• Supporting and voting to deny the Kroger zoning case.
• Allowing the IISD to play a tangential role in Irving’s last mayoral election during graduation ceremonies.
• Ignoring and probably silently relishing the personal attacks on the two newest board members by vocal activist.
• Expensive renovation of the new superintendent’s office.

The really unfortunate part of all this is that the intransigent board cabal has their collective ears tuned to the wrong voices in the community. And if this wasn’t apparent after the last election, then it will certainly be evident in the next election...so we have been told.

…………...Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

“Don't be so quick to get your heart rate up. In my view, Ronda was headed in the right direction…” Anonymous

We Say:

This would be difficult to do if her GPS batteries are dead....Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

“This guy Mark Holbrook should have been a writer. He’s good.” Anonymous

We Say:

He does type well though....Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

“I just received a copy of your email from (name withheld) and I completely agree.” Anonymous

We Say:

We promise not to alert the postal authorities….Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

“A GOOD job, you said it all, when are they going to wake up?” Anonymous

We Say:

Probably when the administration stops spiking their coffee with No-Doz….Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

“You've been increasingly bitter over the last several months. What's eating at you?” Anonymous

We Say:

The diagnosis was that we have low tolerance for incompetence by elected officials and bureaucrats….Mark Holbrook

ZAP! #61: Pay to Play?

ZAP! #61...July 17, 2011

Have you ever noticed how most politicians don’t mind spending other folks money...especially when it will benefit their personal needs?

The July 21, 2011, city council agenda has a genuine oddity that most tax payers are not aware of. The city is getting ready to commit some serious bucks all in the name of enhancing the Whale Rider’s (Harper-Brown) re-election efforts to the state legislature.

Item #8 on the council agenda is to hire Andy Taylor and Associates to lobby/consult/chit-chat with all the other Austin folks in an attempt to preserve District 105 exclusively for the Whale Rider. By the way, Taylor has an hourly rate of $450 per hour. Don’t let this rate scare you. You see, the General Fund (your tax dollars) has $242,000 available for this political scam.

If the Whale Rider is this concerned about her district, then why doesn’t she lean on all her political money pimps (Simon, Ellis, PACs) to foot her bills? Why should the citizens of Irving shell out their tax bucks to ensure that she can waltz back to Austin to find another donor to provide her with the free use of a Mercedes-Benz?

Of course, the party line will be: Irving needs to preserve our state representative district and not let the mean folks in Austin play with redistricting our city. Horse hockey! Even if Irving’s final redistricting looks like a slice of Swiss cheese, all the business and power brokers will still smooch elected-posteriors with each representative. This could be a genuine case of when more representation is better for Irving...should this occur.

Also, this will be the first significant test of the new mayor. Staff of the CCR will watch to see if she supports tax payers, or the north Irving money interest -- folks pushing agenda item #8 -- that also financed her campaign.

..........Mark Holbrook

BS #38: Intelligent Fence Post

BlogSpasm #38...July 7, 2011

When the Irving city council meets tonight, they will have to approve/disapprove a $70,000++ payment to a legal firm for services rendered under suspicious circumstances.

Let the finger pointing begin! The city attorney cannot find a copy of the agreement for the legal services. He states that the former mayor (Gears) approved the arraignment; and the former mayor states that he tried to get the council to approve the item via the city attorney.

The tip of the voodoo financed Entertainment Center iceberg may have just broken the water line. Tax payers are advised to grab their life jackets.

Of course, the city manager, who makes more than the president of the USA, is a party to this episode, but has yet to be quoted on the subject. Maybe he has already jumped in one of the life boats.

To add insult to injury, "the quoter" (councilman Joe Philipp) on all things, regardless of the circumstances, has another classic non-sequitur to add to his voluminous repertoire.

“We don’t have the money to finance it,” Philipp said. “We’ve known that for some time.”

DMN 7-7-11 re: Cost for the $250 Million Entertainment Center

And the reason nothing has been done before now regarding the financing of the Entertainment Center is? As chairman of the city’s finance and audit committee, wouldn’t one think that Philipp would have had his hands on the oars if the Entertainment Center-ship was sinking into financial oblivion?

Goodness, a damn fence post couldn’t be this asinine! Sorry, we shouldn't be so hard on innocent fence posts. After all, a fence post has never squandered tax money lifted from our billfolds.

…………………Mark Holbrook

A reader sez:

"The worms are crawling out of the carcass! The main buzzard has left the feast and now the crows are cawing "not me" "not me" caw caw caw!"

We Say: A murder of crows is never a pretty sight...especially if they are spending tax bucks.

BS #37: Switching Problems?

BlogSpasm #37...July 4, 2011

When a problem exists in business, steps are generally taken to gather the facts, make decisions and then act to prevent further disturbing occurrences. The issues causing the problem are resolved...even if personnel are let go. If only the same was always true in politics.

Irving voters may be on the verge of witnessing the ultimate “bait-and-switch” job by a politician. This could be a first for an Irving city council election.

From the beginning: The problem that voters recently whisked out of office was a mayor bent on saddling city coffers with a $250 million voodoo financed Entertainment Center. Sure, other issues involving McDougalville, increased taxes and fees, city manager making more than the president of the USA, and character assassinations were thrown into the mix and contributed to the mayor’s defeat. In essence, voters wanted a fresh and accountable start on all these issues and eliminated one of the primary sources of the problem through the ballot box. And that’s the way it should be.

With this in mind, one could reason that voters might be intent on continuing to clean the council-slate of those who have been part and parcel to the problems plaguing city hall. At least, that’s what the staff of the CCR perceives from some of the correspondence received. Clean slate = good. Same personnel = bad.

In the next city council election (May, 2012), three slots will be open: Lewis Patrick, District 4; Rick Stopfer, District 6; and Joe Philipp, At-large. None of these individuals are eligible to run for re-election in their respective slots due to term limits as established by the city charter. However, there may be a slight loophole in the city’s charter.

If the city charter addresses term limits for an individual with reference to their place of service and not their overall length of service, then one of the individuals who has been on the Entertainment Center, McDougalville and other contra-voter items might be considering the “switch” half of the old bait-and-switch game.

A technicality does not permit Joe Philipp to run in the slot being vacated by Rick Stopfer, since Philipp actually lives in District 5. However, Rick Stopfer could run At-Large when when he vacates his current District 6 seat.

The District 4 seat will have new blood, since Patrick has indicated that he is going to retire from the klieg lights.

Aside from the charter conundrum, will voters want to see an individual (Stopfer) who has been associated with the wrong-thinking these problems have created play musical-council chairs? Of course, voters have recently been very astute when considering candidates based on their track records.

Maybe, voters know what council folks fail to understand. Switching council seats probably isn’t the answer to problem-solving that the voters might want to see.

Should this self-serving train be derailed before it leaves the station? All aboard?

………….Mark Holbrook

rev.7-5-11

BS #36: There She Blows

BlogSpasm #36...July 1, 2011

Here we go again!

Just when you thought the swamp was drained and all the creepy creatures from the Black Lagoon were extinct, the Whale Rider* (Linda Harper-Brown) breaks to the surface of the political-primordial ooze and announces that she is going to run for re-election to the Texas House seat she has parked in for the past decade.

The first thought that comes to mind is the similarity between the Whale Rider and John Wiley “the Mouth that Roared” Price...they both like to tool around town in fancy cars that seem to have been parked in their garages under dubious circumstances. Now, that’s Democrat/Republican bi-partisanship at its finest...fleecing campaign supporters to the max.

However, one has to admit: John Wiley’s Bentley exudes a tad more class than Harper-Brown’s Mercedes-Benz. She needs to have a serious discussion with her donors regarding this.

Our second thought was: Hasn’t she amassed enough “free stuff” and bucks to spare Irving voters by retiring?

Staff of the CCR was actually hoping that the Whale Rider would not run again. After all, just how many times do we have to write and remind the lemming of her district that her only know quality -- demonstrated over the years -- is her ability to: accept bundles of bucks from Special Interest Groups and PACs; accept flaky recognition awards from major PAC contributors; abide by the dictates of her political money pimp, J. Ralph Ellis; utilize the services of high priced consultants to spread glowing, patriotic pablum over the lemmings who believe what they read; being held in low regard by many of her House colleagues; and glad handing and noshing at every Irving reception possible.

So, if you seem to experience dejá vu in the coming months when reading CCR materials concerning the Whale Rider, this would be the reason why...she hasn’t changed or served the needs of Irving since we last wrote about her. Even though her political expiration date has long expired, she just cannot shed the cloak of being another money grubbing, recycled politico whose ego needs constant stroking.

………………Mark Holbrook

* Note (Once Again): “Whale Rider” is the title of a movie about a young New Zealand Maori girl who has to ride a whale in order to be named the tribe’s leader. Harper-Brown rides all the Special Interest Group and PAC “whales” for obscene amounts of campaign contributions collected by J. Ralph Ellis.