the Controversial Committee Report
“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”
“That Lonesome Road”
by: James Taylor
Summer stay/va-cations seem to be taking more time than usual for staff of the CCR this year. Add typically hot Texas weather to the equation and very little time has been spent burning up the MacPro and wordsmithing to track and note the foibles of your local elected officials.
Have no fear…there still is a wad of unspent money in the city’s treasury for them to consider spending before summer ends.
Spending your tax bucks may reach new heights when the city council approves the 2017-18 budget. And this budget should be very flush what with all the new revenues collected as a result of the egregious increases to Irving property appraisal values.
Homeowners have been plagued by the continued and ever increasing real estate financial bubble…which they have no control over. West and north coast carpetbaggers, with pockets full of money from selling 1,200 sq. ft. homes for $680,000, are bidding and escalating the selling prices of local homes to the detriment of residences who have maintained their neighborhoods for years on end.
The following graphic, by Mark Holbrook, explains why citizens have very little, or virtually no control over increased property taxes by taxing authorities.
Moving along. To provide a couple of items dear readers might want to keep their eyes on in the coming weeks, the following is provided.
Bridge to Nowhere
If the Irving City council holds true to course, they will be spending mega-bucks on a tourist destination never before witnessed by Irving citizens. In fact, the new tourist destination has not been witnessed by anyone…mainly because, as an end destination, it doesn’t even exist at this time!
The old bridge, which served as a pedestrian walkway over Hwy 114 to Texas Stadium, for Cowboys Red-parking ticket holders, was torn down. The current plan is to build, by Texas Department of Transportation, a new bridge spanning Hwy 114.
Of course, ex-QueenB VD had her hands on the initial project planning and discussions and wanted TxDOT to ensure the structure would be a “signature” bridge which would, at that time, end on the old Texas Stadium site where her crony single source developer, OliverMcMillan, wanted to build a blasé shopping center and, hopefully, her tennis pavilion.
With ex-QueenB VD now collecting your federal tax bucks, to fund her bureaucratic position with HUD in Fort Worth, there is little need for a “signature” bridge…much less one with her “handprint” all over the project.
Here’s a strange thought for the city council: Allow TxDOT to build the bridge, which currently goes “nowhere,” and when the city council gets around to approving a development project for the Texas Stadium site have the developer fund their “handprint” on the “signature” bridge to currently “nowhere.”
Roads to Somewhere
While you were on vacation, the City Manager and James Corden of “Carpool Karaoke” fame took a few spins around the city singing the praises of needed road repairs which suddenly required attention.
(The term suddenly is used since citizens have been asking, begging and pleading for years for the city to fix, repair, or replace certain roadways in the city.)
One has to imagine the current determination, that many highly traveled Irving roadways suck, is now front and center. Since attending to ex-QueenB VD’s every whim and fancy, the city was remiss in attempting to redeem Irving’s 1,400 road lane miles of washboard driving created by her royal coach.
And how will the decrepit status of many Irving roads be addressed? Dear readers, please sit down.
How about the City Manager conjuring a plan entitled: “Road to the Future: $100 Million in 5 Years.”
$100 Million? Five years? Is this real money? Did the roadways suck more than what was even anticipated? Will the city have its own Yellow Brick Road? Ouch!
What will this plan do to the current tax rate and bonded indebtedness of the city? Have these figures been provided to the general public? Was citizen input considered when preparing the list of humps and bumps needing consideration?
Just in case the City Manager and “Karaoke” Corden didn’t have the following on their play list, staff of the CCR would offer these two roadway tunes for their karaoke collection:
“A Hard Road” (Black Sabbath) would be great harmony while tooling down the East bound section of Irving Blvd. from about Jefferson Street to the turn lane to Lee Street. Previous “patching” of this section has only made the drive more shocking…to your teeth and vehicle shock absorbers.
“Devils Road” (Headstone) epitomizes a significant problem with the new development on Beltline Road in the northern section of the city. Primarily, the section going south from Hwy 114 to Walnut Hill is close to being the highway to hell. Race Track and Quick Stop will soon be adding automotive sections to their operations to handle shock absorber repairs.
At least motorists can enjoy a slice of pizza or a hot dog while waiting to have your vehicle repaired.
Send your karaoke road request to the City Manager at: chillman@cityofirving.org , or attend the city council meeting, if and when, this issue is formalized and posted for citizen input.
Judge Judy Hits the Road
The local network channel has determined Judge Judy is no longer necessary, or required for local citizens seeking legal advice. Effective immediately, her program has been cancelled.
Realizing many mouth breathers and those who move their lips when reading require some form of legal-counseling assistance, a new program on ICTV will premier starting August 1, 2017. Be sure and set your calendar to watch the Kryptonite Idiocy Academy talk show, or KIA for short.
The new ICTV program will take current topics, with a plethora of ambulance chasing pseudo-legal experts along with a fact fabricating panel, to burn, to the core, every major issue facing Irving. Discussion on topics of the day, by panel members, could simmer viewer brain synapses similar to Superman bathing in a pit of kryptonite. No individual or issue will escape the reach or judgement of the panel…even if they are not present, or aware they are being maligned.
Viewers are cautioned to remember: Invited guest to the panel, who attempt to present facts, but disagree with panel member conclusions, will be swimming in the same kryptonite pit as Superman.
The intro song, for the new program, is reminiscent of a tune from another ancient political investigative program. Who could ever forget the lyrics to “What Did He Know and When Did He Know It?” Remember Watergate? Welcome to Irving’s inquisition of nonsense which is attempting to make nothing burgers out of Torofeca!
Also note how many of the Kryptonite Idiocy Academy panel members hum the theme song, off key and out of balance, while guest are attempting to correct or establish actual facts which represent the truth of the issue being discussed.
If you are looking for a program that serves as judge, jury and executioner without resorting to any facts, other than those fabricated, then be sure to watch Kryptonite Idiocy Academy.
Views might also want to join the academy panel to help persecute innocent civilians. If so, stock up on Kool-Aid for the premier episode and send them an e-mail.
The over indulgence of Kool-Aid will demonstrate you are in agreement with the panel members and ready to be an ill-informed sycophant to help chunk the next victim into the kryptonite pit.
…………………………………….Mark Holbrook
