EXCLUSIVE: Taking Liberty Part 3

UPDATED

In Part 3, we, the taxpayers, research the organized corruption in the Liberty County Local Governments that routinely keep the citizens of Liberty County in the dark.

Liberty Dispatch blog has earned the right to be the first news source to print this series for several reasons.  One of the best reasons is the great feedback received from our readers. The anonymous comments have been a great source of tips and leads. However, after two popular stories, we received our first anonymous terroristic threat. We can understand that as our stories have the organized criminal element somewhat rattled. We have even come to expect official oppression from the very public servants who are supposed to protect us. In this case, we have someone threatening to kill us via e-mail. Someday, we may know who did this, but we have zero expectations that someone like Liberty County DA, Michael R. “Mike” Little, would do anything to protect us. But what should the public expect if they ever have an issue with the DA’s office or an issue with anyone with the “right connections” to the DA’s office? We will show what kind of run around the public should expect when public officials become so cozy with one another that they feel they are protected, regardless of what they may choose to do to you…


Thomas Reagan Strawn is one of the unfortunate citizens of Liberty County who happens to live right next door to a public official (Alleged Servant) that is very cozy with Liberty County District Attorney, Michael R. “Mike” Little. Back in 2003, Mr. Strawn was prosecuted and convicted by Mike Little for robbery before State District Judge Chap B. Cain III in the 253rd Judicial District Court. The conviction (most unfortunate for Little) was later overturned on appeal. This made DA Mike Little look bad in the eyes of his peers. After all, we only prosecute the guilty and only after affording the Defendant due processes of law… Right? However, this tidbit of old information is offered to help our readers connect the dots, if you please, by showing there is, in fact, a relationship between the two aforementioned individuals. (See Attachment #1, the Chambers County Internet record of Mike Little prosecuting Thomas Reagan Strawn.) With this relationship now well established between the parties, please lend us your ears, stepping back into history some six months of this year.

Our story begins on Saturday, April 24, 2010. On that day, Mr. Strawn’s wife, Jennifer J. Strawn, and her father, Mr. Clarence Frazier, were at home when their two dogs managed to dig a hole under their fence where sadly they killed the neighbor’s dog. Allegedly, this caused their neighbor, 1st Assistant District Attorney, Joe Warren, to take time to go home, get his handgun, and cross over his neighbors fence in pursuit of the dogs. When 1st Assistant District Attorney, Mr. Joe Warren, was confronted by Mr. Strawn’s Father in Law, Mr. Frazier, 1st Assistant District Attorney Joe Warren threatened to kill Mr. Strawn’s Father in Law while pointing a gun to his head. Ordinarily this is bad enough, but 1st Assistant District Attorney Warren also made additional threats towards Mrs. Strawn. According witnesses, Mr. Joe Warren threatened should Mrs. Strawn report the incident, 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren made it clear to witnesses at the scene in this case, stating he would use his position as 1st Assistant District Attorney to prosecute Mr. Strawn “again” and send him back to prison, if they do not comply with Joe Warren’s wishes regarding the dogs. If this is Mike Little’s 1st Assistant, then what are his other assistants like?

Folks, this is pure unadulterated official oppression by 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren. Moreover, witnesses stated 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren threatened to burn down Mr. & Mrs. Strawn’s home as a way to avoid having neighbors that owned dogs. After many weeks of court proceedings and an appeal to a visiting judge, the Strawn family did get their dogs back. Additionally, it was reported that the visiting trial Judge, at the conclusion of the trial, said “there is more going on here than just a dog case.” However, the Strawn family had to live in fear and continue to live in fear, convinced the authorities would ignore their concerns about 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren’s actions and threats and all reports would be covered up by all government and law enforcement agencies involved. Remember folks, all that is necessary for evil to prevail, is for good men to do nothing!

What say ye good people of Liberty County! Is it possible our local government officials would attempt to cover up for their 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren in his criminal acts? Additionally, is it credible to state that our local law enforcement agency (City of Liberty Police Department), who is sworn to protect citizens of our County from harm by wrongful acting individuals, would take part in a cover up for their best friend 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren? Furthermore, would our own Liberty County District Attorney, Michael R. “Mike” Little, partake in the same attempted cover up to protect his 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren??? Well folks, after evaluating the evidence attached to this undercover investigation…you be the Judge and vote your answer this November! Rest assured Mr. Little will not remove Joe Warren from the position of 1st Assistant District Attorney!!!

On Sunday, August 15, 2010, armed with the above-mentioned incident / information, a Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the City of Liberty seeking copies of any and all reports, records, documents, police dispatch logs, case numbers, cause numbers, court numbers, names and addresses of everyone involved in this situation , including, but not limited to, 1st Assistant District Attorney Mr. Joe Warren, the Strawn family, anything that would explain the circumstances of this case. (See letter dated 08-15-10, attachment #2.)

On Tuesday, August 17, 2010, we received a BIG SURPRISE in the form of a response letter from the only person authorized by law to release information to the public via the Texas Open Records Act and the Federal Freedom of Information Act...Ms. Dianne Tidwell...City Secretary in and for the City of Liberty, Texas. Ms. Tidwell, who also is the wife to City of Liberty’s Police Chief Tidwell, informs us in her response letter dated August 17, 2010 , that the City of Liberty is “not in possession of any records responsive to your request.” (See City of Liberty Response Letter dated August 17, 2010 , attachment #3.) This was a lie and they knew it. They knowingly and intentionally lied to the public in violation of the Federal Freedom of Information Act.

On August 27, 2010 we sent a FOIA request to the City of Liberty and asked for records about police units dispatched to the Strawn's home address. (See attachment #4.)  On September 13, 2010, we received a response with attached data about dangerous dogs, but with no information about allegations against Joe Warren. The City of Liberty also asked the Texas Attorney General for protection so as not to disclose any information on Joe Warren, but again only cited to the Texas Attorney General about Joe Warren’s name coming up while talking about dogs. (See attachments #5, #6, & #7. This is the City of Liberty’s response to us, The City of Liberty’s letter to the Texas Attorney General, and the City of Liberty’s copies with sometimes blacked out information.) Somehow, it seems that the case against Joe Warren is not going to see the light of day. But not in this case if we have anything to do with it.

If one studies the last part of attachment #7, it is interesting to see all the duplicate pages of blacked out information provided by the City of Liberty in the police Case Report: Case Number 10-0463. It appears to be 4 pages of solely a dog related incident that has Joe Warren’s name, and his wife’s name, and other personal information blacked out. However, in reality, Case Number 10-0463 has 7 pages of information that includes allegations against Joe Warren and many witness accounts and names. (See attachment #8.) This proves that the police are covering up a crime.

Somehow, people close to D A Mike Little know that they can do anything to the citizenry without fear of ever paying the consequences of their actions and they know they can threaten to abuse their government powers to keep everyone in line and quiet. Additionally, it is also understood that District Attorney Michael R. “Mike” Little will personally deny any knowledge of this incident involving people close to him. Plausible deniability, if you please. In this incident we can demonstrate how he operates: We sent DA Mike Little a Texas Open Records Act (TORA) request on September 2, 2010 and even provided the police case numbers 10-04735 and 10-0463 and details of the case. (See attachment #9.) Within two days, on September 3, 2010, we received his official written response denying his office has any records . (See Exhibit #10.) This dog case was in the City of Liberty Municipal Court, Cause No. CT100254. The City of Liberty Appeal was in County Court at Law***, Cause No. 93795 and handled by our County Attorney's Office. How do you spell cover-up?

On September 5, 2010, we, the taxpayers, also investigated the allegations by sending a TORA request to Bobby Rader, Municipal Court Judge of the City of Liberty. (See attachment#11.) In the request, we even provided the city case number and the police incident number, but we still have not received any response.

Generally, whenever the questions were important regarding armed threats etc…, the authorities claimed that there were no records, but if we wanted to talk about dogs, then there were lots of records. Basically, there are two issues in the records and the government officials only want to acknowledge the one involving the dogs. We expect the case against Assistant DA Joe Warren threatening to kill his neighbor and burn down their house to go nowhere unless the public is made aware of its existence. If any ordinary citizen were to point a gun at someone and threaten to kill them we would expect the police to do something and the public would be told what was being done about it. If such threats were to be done by any of the contributors to the Liberty Dispatch Blog, we’d be put under the jail and not allowed bond. In this case, we expect the incident involving DA Joe Warren to be swept under the rug until people like DA Mike Little are no longer in power. The power they hold comes from us…We the People. People in our government must learn to accept responsibly and accountability just like everyone else in our community.

We must state at this point of our story that we do have some good people working in our local government, people who have taken the side of righteousness by supplying us with documents from within their prospective offices so the people of our County can clean up criminals in our offices of trust. Folks, the unnamed men and women have taken great personal risk to give us an opportunity to clean up our County. So please, please do not let them and your children down. Stop them from taking our children' school money, our tax dollars, land, and homes from us for their personal gain. Stay tuned for Part 4, as we continue our undercover investigation into the corruption in Liberty County…

***ADDITIONAL NOTES:  The Court Coordinator for the Liberty County Court at Law is Lisa Warren, wife of 1st Assistant District Attorney, Joe Warren.***

Public information:

#1 Chambers County District Clerk Records showing Mike Little as Prosecutor of Thomas Strawn on 11-16-2002.pdf

#2 08-15-2010 FOIA request regarding Joe Warren Asst. DA of Liberty County Texas.pdf

#3 08-17-2010 Response from City of Liberty to our F.O.I.A. request of 08-15-2010.pdf
#4 08-27-2010 FOIA request for reports regarding Strawn address.pdf
#5 09-13-2010 City of Liberty Response letter to our 08-27-2010 TORA.pdf
#6 09-13-2010 City of Liberty Request to Texas A.G. for Public Information Determination regarding TORA request of 08-27-2010.pdf  NEW
#7 09-13-2010 City of Liberty Exhibits in response to 08-27-2010 TORA Requst.pdf
#8 04-24-2010 7 page Police Report Case Number 10-0463 City of Liberty.pdf
#9 09-02-2010 TORA Request to Mike Little via Fax.pdf
#10 09-03-2010 Littles Response letter to TORA Fax request of 09-02-2010.pdf
#11 09-05-2010 TORA Request to City Judge Bobby Rader.pdf    

Dear President Obama

We live in a county down in southeast Texas where people have simply had to put the word “Democrat” on their campaign signs to get elected. For over 100 years no one was elected to one single office in Liberty County that was not a Democrat. Your fellow Democrats here have simply embraced statewide and national policies that were popular and acted like the unpopular policies had nothing to do with them.

But Mr. President, Liberty County is a different place these days. Those days of picking and choosing when you are a Democrat and when you are not are over. The voter has now asked the question “why would I want to vote for anyone in a party that is trying to tax and spend our way out of economic problems when I know we should be doing just the opposite – why would I strengthen the people that are driving this country into bankruptcy?”

The giveaway game that dominates your party’s modus operandi isn't working anymore, and the reason is simple. The national cupboard is bare, Mr. President. It's not only bare; you have used it as collateral for a loan that our children and grandchildren will have to repay - the kitchen, the house, the car, the foundation, and the neighborhood have all been used as collateral as your party has used their control of the Senate, the House, and the White House to spend like no generation before this one could imagine. Our government is being kept alive right now on printing press money, and we all know all of your promises will be funded by taking more money out of our paychecks.

Your fellow Democrats here are doing the same thing. They have doubled the county’s budget in four years. They have even admitted they intend on spending $3 million out of our reserves. After years of increasing their on salaries and having little regard for the fact that they are spending our money, they must be inspired by what your party is doing nationally and they seem to have adopted your “sky is the limit” spending philosophy.

This letter may bring great tears of joy to you as you hear of how faithful your people have been to your economic theories, but I write to make a much different point. You may take great pride in how slick they Democratic officeholders have been as they have blamed the appraisal district for our tax bills going up, but I am not writing to congratulate you.

I am writing to tell you to kiss one more part of this state off. I am writing because the people here are going to send you a message by sending everyone of your people home. Mr. President, don’t mess with Texas and keep your tax and spend hands off of Liberty County!

C.T. "Rusty" HIGHT: "The Dry Cleaning Judge" The Innocent Left Unprotected

When the little cauldron of lawyers who want to find favor in Liberty County’s 75th District Court convene in their meeting places they must get a big laugh when we average people don’t use the terminology they studied in law school. But when we reported on the special deal that Judge C.T.”Rusty” Hight gave sexual predator, Jose Moore we used the term “judicial clemency” - we weren't really concerned about the lawyers because we really liked that term. We realize they do not teach it in law school but we see no reason to change it since it is our belief they do not teach much of what Hight does in his courtroom.

In this article we will post a brief review of one of Judge Hight’s sex offender cases to remind voters of a more detailed story we posted a couple of weeks ago (Hight: The Sex Offender Judge) and give readers an opportunity to then read about another case in Hight's court where his actions were much more like a dry cleaners than a Judge (Note: This case will probably be the last case we review before the election unless Hight's campaign publicly denies that he has carelessly let convicted criminals come into his court like filthy rags and leave like a snow white garment while those they have -or will- harm are left with no sense of justice). These cases are just examples of how Hight is not fulfilling his duties and responsibilities of protecting the society who has entrusted their safety and justice to him.

In The State of Texas v. Jose Moore, Judge Carol "Rusty" Hight allowed Moore off of his probation despite a report filed by the Houston Police Department which indicated an investigation of another sex offense and revocation of subject probation was severely in order. Then remember one day later Hight wiped this sex offender's record clean.(Only to claim two year later that it was - oops- a mistake when Moore's behavior came under the microscope of a news reporter.

Well oops, according to court records this concept of “judicial clemency” is not a one time thing for Hight. In today's article we have decided to look at another category of cases that endangers the public when a habitual criminal is not imprisoned. If wiping clean the record of a habitual sex offender doesn’t trouble you, how about woman who has plead guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon that already has multiple DWI’s and a long list of other convictions? Is this the type of person we want our judges to release back on the streets without serving any time? How about another case of judicial clemency for this woman?

When Georgia Banning Welch appeared before Judge Hight she had already had years of problems with the law. She had been convicted of possession of an illegal substance, delivery of an illegal substance, multiple public intoxication, multiple assaults, family violence, multiple assaults, and one aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – 15 separate incidents, all conviction. That is convictions in Liberty County alone, not to mentionany other charges that were filed that she may have gotten off on or any convictions in other jurisdictions. Does this sound like a candidate for the complete and total mercy of the court?

When CR #27117 The State of Texas v. Georgia Banning Welch came before Judge Hight, the only decision left to be made was the Judge’s decision to choose between a mandatory sentence of 2 years to 99 years. Welch’s guilty plea to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and the enhancements that came with her prior conviction made five years in prison the least a high priced expert attorney from Houston could have hoped to get for. (Note: the enhancement was in effect because Welch was sentenced to four years in prison and served time by Liberty’s 253rd District Court - penal code 22.2 & 12.42).

But according to court records in January of 2009, Welch changed from attorney Eric C. Carcerano to local lawyer Michelle Merendino. That’s right! Merendino... Readers may recall her name as the lawyer Judge Hight and other Democrats recruited to run against Republican 253rd Judge, Chap Cain. Not only was Merendino unsuccessful, but the primary voters in that election also rejected one of the three family members trying to dominate local politics in this election cycle. (Note: Hight and his nephew, Zack Zbranek is the Democrat’s nominees for two of the three local judicial seats, but Hight’s father-in-law lost in an unprecedented rejection of an incumbent Republican Party Chairman). Merendino, as we have said before, is one of the tenants of the Hight Trust – she rents from the judge! Allegations have circulated that local attorneys who rent from Hight or his "Hight Trust" are given special consideration and ruling in Hight's court.

With Merendino involved in the case, a not so funny thing happened on the way to finishing the open and shut case of Gloria Banning Welch. Despite Welch’s guilty plea and certain conviction, Hight (with District Attorney Mike Little’s office’s approval) reduced the charges. Hight and Little had an absolute cinched case. By statute the criminal would have to serve at least 2 years. But now for reasons we leave up to the reader to decide, a serial drunk driver that also has repeatedly endangered our community by assaulting people and using and delivering illegal drugs, has been sent back out amongst us. Hight sentenced this woman with over fifteen separate convictions to five years deferred adjudication.

But the outrage doesn’t end there - just like we have seen in the Moore case before, Hight then waited a day after sentencing and terminated Welch’s probation with his application of “judicial clemency”. The very next day Hight granted an early termination of deferred adjudication!  We are not sure there was even time to type all of the pages that laid out the conditions of the convicted Welch before she was given this special deal by Judge Hight. It almost seems like the court proceedings were part of some play being acted out for the public. Despite another highly unusual and inexplicable act of clemency by Hight here is the very routine language found in the court documents concerning this ruling:

“Georgia Banning Welch has satisfactorily completed the community supervision to date. The best interest of society and Georgia Banning Welch will be served by discharging Georgia banning Welch and dismissing the charge of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.”

Now almost like some kind of dry cleaning service with three different stages, Hight, Merendino, and Little – and Gloria Banning Welch was home free after June 5, 2009. Public be warned!

Note to readers: Ms. Banning was arrested again this summer, but Liberty dispatch has decided to avoid spending any more time chasing down Hight and Little’s courtroom games. Merendino, we are sure, is available to miraculously rescue Welch again for a fee.

Liberty Dispatch Contributor

DIGG’IN FOR VOTES “ZBRANEK STYLE HUBRIS"

Many times the last six weeks before an election, unscrupulous candidates present voters with all kinds of new information. In the case of Liberty County politics, every candidate we have talked to that has run against the well known “Zbranek family” has observed some common characteristics in their campaign methods.  The kind of "new information" the Zbranek talking heads/clowns provide the public in the closing days of a campaign is typically vicious and disturbing.  Hight and Zbranek's clown/campaign adviser is hard at work trying to salvage these two campaigns.  That last sentence brings to mind an old saying, you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Send in the clowns...

On the ballot in Liberty County this November will be two members of the Zbranek clan and they will be expected by some to campaign like some of those who have come before them. Those family members on the Democratic side of the ballot will be Zack Zbranek, the youngest son of the late 75th District Judge Zeke Zbranek and brother of former State Representative Zeb Zbranek, and Carol Hight, the Brother-in-Law of Zeke Zbranek and Uncle to Zeb.

The kind of campaigning we are being told to expect by people that have opposed them before is “like a dog rolling in the dirt”. And the most descriptive of the statements we heard was “they are infamous for their last minute personal attacks”. We are informing our readers to expect this because it is our opinion that is what we will see, but we are also partially apologizing to the opponents of this very powerful family because we know Liberty Dispatch has focused a great deal of attention on Judge Carol Hight’s very liberal and very bizarre way of managing the peoples’ business in the 75th District Court. Though we have tried to focus mainly on how these people conduct themselves in public office, we know that they are very accustomed to controlling the radio and the newspapers and their public image as well as that of their opponent. We know that our discussion of their conduct as public servants will likely be answered by a “professional consultants” reaching down in his bag of dirty tricks and trying to cover the family’s opposition with mud. Of course, we also believe the usual excuses and justifications will follow the very personal attacks.

A good example of how a consultant will take aim will be to take the clients and the cases of the Zbraneks’ opponents’ law practices and try to portray their duty as attorneys to provide representation to defendants in our justice system as some other than what it is. Notice Liberty Dispatch has very purposefully stayed away from this kind of politics. Recognizing that lawyers make a living defending people accused of all kinds of crimes, liberty dispatch knows information about some of the clients of the Zbranek family and some of the wheeling and dealing that has gone on could be made into some juicy political attacks, we have not gone there. Our reasoning about this very liberal, very partisan family and their law practice is that every single one of those people deserved a defense according to our Constitution. But don’t expect the family to honor our self declared truce in this area.

Those in the area that have had the full "Zbranek experience" have told us to be ready for attacks against opponents families. Among some of the most horrific political attacks we have witnessed from past Zbranek campaigns is... an accusation that one of their opponents adopted five damaged special needs children for some kind of financial gain. That attack of a family with kids that needed love and care instead of public political garbage not only shows the potential for how low Hight and Zbranek could go in the coming days, it shows how little they think of voters’ intelligence and fair play and common decency.

Slick fliers coming in the mail and telephone solicitation are all legal and all possibilities from any of the people campaigning for office, but there is a reason the general public has had plenty of opportunity to read and hear why many of us believe we need changes in the courthouse. We are very willing to debate the topic. And there is a reason the fourth ranked Democratic consultant in Texas has recently been hired by the family and thought to have said, “thirty days is plenty of time for us to win this race.” Last minute attacks with no time to respond is the way people in power retain their power. They try to control what voters think of them and think of their opponents by using such tactics.

We believe Liberty County voters are tired of what we have seen come out of the White House and what we have seen coming out of our local courthouse. We believe any last minute efforts to convince us to embrace four more years of it will only remind us to go to the polls and voice our desire for something different. The balance of the year 2010 will see outsiders come in and try to prosecute some of the people that have corrupted the courthouse, we want to finish what they start. The people of Liberty County deserves leadership we can be proud of.

Note: In unrelated news, Democrat candidate for Liberty County Judge, Ken Morrison is stuffing most every voter's mailbox in Liberty County begging for a vote with his carpetbagging trash. Liberty Dispatch encourages everyone who receives this garbage to use it as an emergency substitute for toilet paper.

Ken Morrison, Kingwood Carpetbagger

LD Comment: Morrison, keep your spam and quit stuffing our mail boxes with your trash!

Dear Liberty Dispatch,

If it be possible, I, and others as the undersigned, do hereby make requests to those in the United States Justice Department who are charged with such duties to investigate and pursue the revocation of all First Amendment rights of the freedom of the press who have been used, or been a part of any disinformation, distraction, or deception that has aided and abetted governmental officials to abuse power, commit fraud or theft or murder or any other illegal act, or hindered any other member of the press or private individual(s) from revealing such.

Or as my Uncle Joe would have said: Everyone of you media bastards that are protecting the pieces of garbage that have been raping and pillaging this county don’t deserve the freedoms that have been fought for and died for by the men and women who you don’t deserve to call fellow Americans.

We salute you Ray Akins and Liberty Dispatch.

Hight Hollers for Help

Liberty Dispatch has received information that the campaign to re-elect Judge C.T. “Rusty” Hight has replaced former campaign manager Elizabeth Beausoliel with a veteran professional campaign consultant out of Houston. The replacement of Beausoliel was expected after she was caught on tape in the courthouse stolen mail scandal.

Beausoliel’s replacement might have been inevitable anyway because of all of the difficulties in the Hight campaign that were not present when she helped him to win in a previous election. Hight has instead hired a spinmeister that is ranked number four in state among Democratic consultants. His name is Dan McClung has been a powerful force in the state’s political scene, helping to elect people like Lee Brown to the mayor's office, State Senator Rodney Ellis and Governor Mark White in 1982 and Governor Ann Richards in 1990. The trial lawyers signed him on to help battle Proposition 12.

Hight has never hired one of the hotshot consultants before but revelations about his changing legal documents in an attempt to change the outcome of a custody case when he was a lawyer and a string of cases involving offenders and offenders with multiple DWI’s has cast a long shadow over Hight’s re-election.

It is not known whether McClung is working for Hight as an in kind contribution or whether Hight’s campaign is paying him. The October campaign finance campaign reports should include that information. Hight and his two nephews, Zack and Zeb Zbranek, are the county’s Democratic Party standard bearers. They come from a long history of Democratic activism reaching back to Judge Zeke Zbranek’s partisan work fifty years ago.

Though Zack Zbranek, candidate for County Court at Law Judge, is inexperienced in running for election he is clearly trying to send a message to voters that he is from the family that has run this county for the last twenty years. Zack may even have agreed to pay for some of McClung ‘s consultation. Billboards connected by poles and by family resemblance recently revealed Uncle Rusty and nephew Zack’s intention to campaign for both courts together. Zack’s signs looking almost exactly like past political signs of his more accomplished brother is another part of the effort to remind voters that electing him and Rusty will create a justice system in Liberty County dominated by the biggest name in Liberty County Democratic party circles.

The addition of Dan McClung is expected to bring a more polished to barrage Liberty County voters with both political rumors and mass messaging. Phone canvassing and multiple mailers could include negative messaging intended to drown the race in mud under the guise of last minute “revelations” about candidates that have lived here for decades.

Because of the shear weight of Democratic party scandals in Liberty County, McClung may also resort to using some sort of Republicans for Rusty campaign. That strategy would be easy enough since before being beaten in the last republican primary Hight’s father-in-law was the county chairman. Hight’s father-in-law was the first incumbent county chairman to be beaten in a primary and it is commonly believed that he lost because as chairman he was helping Democrats (though bi-partisanship may be seen as a virtue to many, it is the job of a county chairman to work to elect someone from their party for every position).

However Dan McClung decides to attack Republicans and downplay the Democratic party’s stances on issues people in Texas have rejected at a two to one ratio, he may have his candidate’s full-time help. Unless McClung advises Hight to go back to work, Judge Hight will have 5 out of 7 days to work full time on his campaign. Most knowledgeable observers predict McClung will tell Hight that voters will not look favorably on a “public servant” making $125,000 being absent from duty 60% of the time at a rate of almost $600 a day.

Judge Hight should listen to this high powered image maker. The rest of us have a front row seat to see how the big boys do it - just like they did with Barack Obama.

Dear Liberty Dispatch

I have been reading your site since March and swore I would never write in. The only thing is when I went in to the courtroom the other day they said Judge Hight was not there today. I figured he was on vacation so I said oh he is on vacation. But one of the people out by the metal detector said no. They said he was just working two days a week until the day of the election.

So now I am breaking my own promise to myself and writing in. Can someone please tell me how much a district judge makes and do we have to pay them when they are not working? A friend of my son has been waiting on a court date for weeks now and there is no end in sight. Don’t they have to give accused people some kind of quick and speedy trial? I mean two days a week, how can he get away with that?

Anonymous

EXCLUSIVE: TAKING LIBERTY, Part 2

In Part 2 we the taxpayers research the origins of the Liberty County Firearms Facility and the related individuals who control and manage it.

We began our research into The Liberty County Firearms Facility by sending Commissioner Melvin Hunt an official request for documents. See attachment #1, a Texas Open Records Act Request (TORA) dated 04-23-10 now known as a Public Information Act (PIA) request. We asked him for “a copy of documents surrounding the procurement of the firing range located at 3710 FM 1010, Cleveland, Liberty County, Texas.” Then, when he responded, we had the data to start our story…

Once upon a time in Liberty County, back in 2004, there was a drug dealer named Paul Brockner. He was busted by The Cleveland PD, prosecuted by Mike Little in The Liberty County Court House, and sentenced to several years of probation. During his probation period, Paul Brockner decided that he loved Liberty County so much that he would donate 6.86 acres of land and a right of way track to the County. (See attachment #2: Hunt’s official response regarding the procurement of the firing range dated 05-11-10 with 9 pages of information). Look for the “DEED OF GIFT”. What a nice drug dealer. How many drug dealers do you know that love their captors so much? Maybe he got some of that “Old Time Religion?” Perhaps, maybe he was Under Duress. Commissioner Melvin Hunt handled the transaction with some other questionable actors. Meanwhile, some of the other commissioners were unaware of Paul Brockner‘s criminal record and the deal he could not refuse. Then, miraculously, Paul Brockner's probation period was prematurely eliminated, and Paul Brockner was a free man once again. So was this a donation, a shake down, or a payoff? Doesn’t this transaction have the outward appearance of impropriety? And, if you study Attachment #2 more closely, it is interesting that in Liberty County it is possible for a Notary to verify someone’s signature 5 days before they sign the document! After you read this story, check the court records of other convicted individuals and see if you can find a deal like Brockner’s in all the history of Liberty County. Do I smell some 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, 241 (civil) and 242 (criminal) actions here?

So we know where the land came from, but the public records get a little fuzzy after this. Nowadays it seems clear that Commissioner Melvin Hunt used the “donated” land for a Firearms Facility and that somehow Constable Royce L. Wheeler was now controlling and managing it. It seems that many different govt. agencies were encouraged to contract for use of the facility and Wheeler was the man to see. Within the Liberty County Firearms Facility certain items were sold to the users of the facility, like targets and bullets, food and refreshments just to name a few. The users could maintain their certifications required by law (TECLOSE) thereby maintaining their licenses as police officers. So the Liberty County Firearms Facility had a private business running within the facility and that business was making considerable money for Melvin Hunt & Royce L. Wheeler, but not the tax payers. It was determined that questions needed to be answered, so we needed to know who was in charge. That was when things got sticky… On 05-02-10 we sent Royce L. Wheeler a Texas Open Records Act (TORA) request for any and all documents delegating authority to Royce L. Wheeler to control and manage the use of the firing range and all documents relating to who controls and issues keys to the range. See attachment #3. On 05-05-10, Royce L. Wheeler’s official response was to deny that his office had any records as to who controls and issues keys to the Firearms Facility nor any documentation delegating Royce L. Wheeler authority to control and manage the use of the firing range. See attachment #4. Wheeler even went so far as to say that the County Clerk, Ms. Sellers, is responsible for keeping the records on this matter.

Meanwhile, on 05-04-10, we sent Melvin Hunt a Federal Freedom of Information Act request for copies of any and all documents, contracts, bids and estimates surrounding the construction of the firing range. See attachment #5. On 06-18-10, Melvin Hunt’s official response denied that any documents could be found that were responsive to our request. See attachment #6. We find it hard to believe that there were no records about how such a nice facility as the firing range was built with sidewalks, buildings, full kitchen and much more. Then on 05-27-10, we sent another request to Wheeler asking if he had any documentation demonstrating that Wheeler controls and manages the range and enter into contractual agreements with other law enforcement agencies for the use of the range. See attachment #7. On 06-02-10, Royce L. Wheeler said that his office had no records that we were requesting. See attachment #8. After Wheeler had answered that the County Clerk Ms. Sellers was supposed to have records, on 05-09-10, we sent a Public Information Act request to Delia Sellers, the County Clerk of Liberty County. See attachment #9. We received no response within the required time and an unresponsive response much later on 06-03-10. See attachment #10. We are now cooperating with the State Attorney General's Office to obtain a responsive response to our PIA request to Sellers and we will keep the public informed as new information becomes available. See attachment #11, our official complaint to the Office of the Attorney general (OAG) dated 07-19-10. Also, see attachment #12, the OAG’s letter to Delia Sellers dated 08-09-10 where she is encouraged to just answer the questions. This would save the Taxpayers and lot of money in the long run because Sellers knows we are entitled to the requested copies. As keeper of the county records, Delia Sellers was aware of Paul Brockner‘s criminal record, the land transaction and was told to keep quiet by Wheeler and Hunt, this makes her a co-conspirator in this matter. But, the question is why have Wheeler, Hunt, & Sellers worked so diligently to keep so much of the records under wraps? It is estimated that the range makes approximately $6,500.00 a month. There seems to be enough reasons there to keep things real quiet. However, Mr. Hunt said it right when talking to Wayne Dolcefino after testifying before a Federal Grand Jury last week when he said “everybody is suspicious of everybody, good friends are no longer good friends and that is sad.” You are right Mr. Hunt, some of your friends, Sellers’ friends and Wheeler’s friends have all decided to protect themselves and tell the truth, can you spell fly on the wall?

Like in Part 1, it appears that government resources are being hijacked by private parties within the government to enrich themselves. If this is not the case, then why are they violating the Public Information Act by covering the records up? Again, where is DA Michael R. "Mike" Little when government officials enrich themselves at the publics' expense? Moreover, just who in the courthouse has the ability to get someone's drug dealing probation prematurely reduced after the drug dealer just happens to make a "donation" to the county? Why is it that Govt. officials feel cozy enough to know they won't ever be charged with anything? There's a lot of range money that is unaccounted for. We can't even tell you who claims to be in charge of this train wreck, but it is clear that this is not the way govt. should work.

Currently, Constable Royce L. Wheeler is claiming to have no records showing that he was delegated authority to manage and control the Liberty County Firearms Facility. Delia Sellers, the County Clerk, is still quiet on the matter, but she is battling with the Attorney General Office (OAG) regarding her refusal to simply answer the questions. However, there is a letter signed by Wheeler, wherein Wheeler reminds Sheriff Patterson that there is a contract between Constable Wheeler’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office for use of the Firearms Facility. This letter demonstrates that Wheeler is unofficially in fact managing and controlling the Liberty County Firearms Facility even thought the rest of the County Officials are oblivious of his position. See attachment #13, dated 11-19-09 letter acknowledging that a contract between the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and Royce L. Wheeler’s office exists, signed by Wheeler. Melvin Hunt’s Office can’t even provide records about how the facility was built. We just wondered for a long time now what else was going on with all this until their friends started singing to us. Nobody in charge claims to know anything. But, we are tired of waiting on someone to admit they are in charge of this mess. It is time we move on to more important matters. Like, starting a real investigation as to whether or not private parties are making back room deals that control the outcome of justice in Liberty County.


#1 04-23-2010 TORA request to Melvin Hunt Regarding Range Procurement
#2 05-11-2010 Response from County Atty for Hunt regarding Deed of Gift
#3 05-02-2010 TORA request and Envelope to Wheeler - Requesting Delegation of Authority to Wheeler to run range & info on keys
#4 05-05-2010 Response from Wheeler denying his office has records & says County Clerk has records
#5 05-04-2010 FOIA request to Hunt for Contracts Bids Estimates for Firing Range
#6 06-18-2010 Response from County Atty for Hunt Commissioner denying his office has records
#7 05-27-2010 TORA request & Envelope to Wheeler - Requesting information demonstrating Wheeler is managing range
#8 06-02-2010 Response from Wheeler denying his office has records
#9 05-09-2010 TORA request to Sellers requesting Delegation of Authority to Manage Range & info on Keys
#10 06-03-2010 Sellers Unresponsive Response Letter and Envelope
#11 07-19-2010 Complaint to Texas AG with Attachments and copy of envelope
#12 08-09-2010 Letter from Texas AG to SELLERS
#13 11-19-2009 Wheeler agreement with Sheriffs Office regarding Range Contract

Morefield a Christian

Mark Morefield may not really like this article being written about him, but after he has been the target of two of the most ruthless political attacks in Liberty County this election cycle, we think voters deserve to know.

The first attack started this summer. A couple of the local Democratic candidates needed some way to appeal to the local church going conservative voters who have tended to vote over the years for Republicans in state and national elections and for Democrats locally. This has never been the most reliable source of local Democrats’ votes but they have always received enough votes from this demographic group to win elections. But the last election local candidates began to see less and less of the Christian conservatives shade in the boxes on the ballot by Democratic candidates’ names.

At the beginning of the summer they decided to force church goers to reconsider voting for Republicans and to continue voting for Democrats. By using family and friends within the local Republican party, in early June we heard the first of two vicious attacks on Mark Morefield, the Republican candidate for the 75th District Court. “He is not a real Christian” were words some of those who not only claimed to be leaders of a movement to elect Republicans for every local office, but the words of people who claim to be Christians. The second barrage of this type of attack started as Morefield began to make arrangements to go be by his dying father’s side in New Mexico. He may not even know about the attacks, but we are sick and tired of them. His opponent and his opponent’s campaign team must be reacting to factual accounts on this website of how liberal and incompetent and political he is. But Rusty Hight or his campaign team rather than speak to the issues has decided to make personal attacks and a whisper campaign.

Morefield is not only one of the best attorneys in Southeast Texas; he has been the most well-known Republican among the legal crowd in this county for more than fifteen years. He knows personal attacks are not from people with convictions about conservatism, but rather they are all about getting someone’s buddy elected (Democratic buddy).

But Morefield was asked a question directly by one of his supporters after one Republican meeting: “What do you say to the rumors Democrats and one or two people in this room have started about you not being a Christian?” Morefield responded to this question very calmly eyeball to eyeball with those present by first saying he is a Christian and that he believes and depends on God and His Son Jesus Christ. Then as those nearby tuned in he told about how his faith and the way he lives his faith was greatly affected in the foxholes of Vietnam.

People that don’t know how vicious and desperate politicians can be might would think that would be the end of that rumor because for at least two reasons. First, anyone with knowledge of the bible knows that God Himself will be the one who says who has a relationship to Him on Judgment Day. Why would any of these people usurp God’s position? Second, are these people that are claiming to be Republicans and these Democrats trying to help the Hight campaign claiming to be “judging Mark Morefield by his fruit or his life”? And if they are – are they inviting a similar public analysis of some of Hight’s known indiscretions? And are they prepared to dole out the same harsh judgment to Hight and all others someone claims have consistently and purposefully sinned against the Lord?

In a subsequent conversation with Mark Morefield, we asked him several questions including how he was dealing with these personal attacks. Morefield declined to answer any questions about this; he said it is a distraction to the voters. He also declined an opportunity to explore rumors of Rusty Hight’s immorality over the years or to say anything other than the voters want to know their judges will be even handed and apply the law justly. When asked what he would do if he had some of the lawyers and political zealots that had promoted these rumors in front of the bench if he is elected, Morfield’s reply was real simple. He said he would treat them like everyone else. He said that people that appear in court deserve to be treated fairly.

Morefield has never been a politician, but he has been a good father and a good lawyer. If you talk to Mark Morefield for long you will find out he is a real history buff and someone who speaks about this country and the Constitution with a great deal of respect. Demonizing Mark would be a tough job for anyone, but Hight and company are taking their stab at it. They are throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. They have even hired a professional to take aim at him. It kind of makes you wonder what his supporters think a Christian actually is.

Dear Liberty Dispatch,

I know you have promised you will show one more case that is typical of the way Judge Hight’s so-called “judgment” is infecting our community. Would you please consider exposing how easy he is on repeated or grossly habitual DWI offenders? I have children and even grandchildren that ride on the streets of this community and I have heard Judge Hight’s court is usually a joke on DWI offenders. I know you may already have everything ready to report on another case, but reporting on his liberal handling on DWI cases would go beyond politics, it would be a community service. He and his friend Phil both seem to have a special warm place in their heart for these people who eventually will kill innocent people by their selfish behavior.

BUY MY VOTE? WITH MY MONEY?

Most Americans agree that the record spending we are witnessing in Washington is inexcusable. Most Southerners would agree to add insult to injury President Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Majority leader of the Senate Harry Reid and their fellow Democrats are using (or abusing) the government’s power and assets to help their own career. But do Liberty County voters recognize many of our elected Democratic officeholders have been no different here?

If you live in the Hardin area and you see Lee Groce’s crew blacktopping a private driveway or part of a private road, who do you think is paying for the material and the man hours to do that? Where did he get the record amount s of money he has had the last few years? If you listen to him or the other longtime veteran of commissioners’ court, Melvin Hunt, they will say that the appraisal district raised the values of taxpayers’ homes and their property and the result was the taxpayer had a higher bill to pay at tax time. And then this dynamic duo of Democratic Party deception will probably brag that it could have been a lot worse but they refused to raise the effective rate. What heroes they are for that... right?

These commissioners have been taking our money and blaming someone else and then spending part of that money to buy votes for their re-election. Just like Obama, Reid, and Pelosi. They think we are all dumb hayseeds so they continue to use their office to buy enough votes so that there will always be a majority of voters to re-elect them. But Liberty County knows good and well that these same commissioners could lower the effective rate and counter the higher appraisals so that taxes do not go up. But instead of doing that their 2011 budget indicates they will increase their spending in meteoric/Obama style!

Wouldn’t almost all of us be better off if we sent less of our paycheck down to the tax office and spent our money the way we wanted to rather than depending on politicians? Most of us pay for improving our own property and don’t want to chip in on improving the property of friends and beneficiaries of the people that tell us how wonderful these politicians are. Most of us don’t need to have worked hard for some officeholder so we can get special treatment with developing our land or a legal problem. Most of us look at Washington DC these days and we reject this use of our government.

True to the other part of the Obama formula of how to use government assets to rule and reign over a conservative electorate, our community is also the victim of huge amounts of wasted spending and wasted man hours as District Attorney Mike Little ignores very serious criminal activity and uses the power of his office to perpetuate his and other people’s political and business interests. Unfortunately, most of our hard working community has no way of knowing this is happening. Without a front row seat and personal observation this article and all that have accused this District Attorney could be seen as mere political rhetoric. But it is not.

We are alleging widespread selective prosecution and much much worse. We encourage Christians to pray that God helps the truth come to light about Mike Little and his crew’s behavior and its connection to Judge Rusty Hight’s court so that even their friends and families will know what has been going on in the shadows of our local government. We expect the coming days to be filled with our tax dollars being used to flex the strong arm of a rogue prosecutor’s office. We expect that to include a continued public relations effort to demonize opposition and to make that office appear to be legitimate and like they are typical crime fighters in a typical local justice system.

It all may seem to those who have never been suspicious about some of our local officials like a way out there conspiracy theory. But to those who have experienced some of the fallout of these people or those that have observed the degree and the extent Obama has done the same thing in the last two years, it is a reality that needs to come to light so we can clean up what should be a government that is for the people, not one that uses the people’s assets to present a deceptive picture of justice and responsibility while actually doing something very different.

Dear LD

Local car wreck blogger and Liberty County Democratic Party Chairman Nancy Archer seemed to have thrown everything they could find at anyone who implies Morrison is some kind of Trojan horse being snuck into town. Speculation is that the Kingwood retiree turned tuxedo-wearing politician is the only one they could find who was willing to follow Phil Fitzgerald as the Democratic Party’s nominee for County Judge. Perhaps Morrison lives far enough away he had not heard about the scandal ridden Liberty County Democratic party and he volunteered thinking Fitzgerald was an easy opponent to beat so he could continue the long long string of Democrats holding the position.

It appears Democrats led by Archer, the car wreck blogger and Morrison have settled on facing the public by choosing a quote from previous outsiders’ court cases where the courts let them run in the county they were residency was questioned. They are using the “your residency is where you think it is” justification. They are sticking with this idea even though anyone that has read or heard all of the reasons that many taxpayers of this county reject their defense of Morrison is likely to have a “ his residency is where voters think it is” when it comes to election day.

But even though Morrison will be the first Democratic candidate to lose the County Judge’s race in a general election in over a century, the car wreck blogger keeps soldiering on. Anyone trying to right a wrong or bring sunshine to the dark corridors of the Liberty County’s politics can depend on him to forego his favorite pastime and skip a car wreck or two to try spinning a story to help the powerful hang on.

The most recent, and one of the most ridiculous, is “the log cabin defense”. Youngblood states- “Morrison is starting a log cabin on the western most part of Liberty County (the Kingwood side) and that means he is a resident” – so he says. I guess that is the backup rationale for anyone who didn’t like the “you are a resident if you think you are a resident” thing they have been using.

But Allen Youngblood again thinks he is so much smarter than Liberty County voters (why he thinks this no one who knows him should be able to imagine). He in fact by showing the log cabin’ construction here in the middle of September, verifies to many of us the idea that Morrison might be a Liberty County citizen by the year 2014 when the County Judge race will be up again. Morrison by then will be much older than most men would care to when they have a full time job.

Why is Allen Youngblood spending time trying to get this community to vote for someone that has lives in Kingwood? Does it mean absolutely nothing to him when voters hearing the facts in large numbers say they don’t think Morrison is a Liberty County citizen? Or that even more people say he has lived here for such few days they would consider it a negative when voting.

Please Allen, when you blow your horn again and pick your next crusade, please pick something that will benefit this community. Please… Or better yet, just leave us a short report and, if you have to a couple of dramatic pictures, on the most recent one in our area that has had an accident.

Thank you in advance for posting my comment.

Concerned voter

EIGHT YEARS UNTIL PAY DIRT!

Recently one of Liberty Dispatch’s contributors called our attention to a trend among a handful of voters who seem to want change in our local government, but are concerned about how “Christian” it is to cast votes that send the incumbents out looking for jobs. After hearing that same reasoning several times, we have decided to look at an example or two of what happens when elected officials leave office.

Besides the fact that our Founding Fathers never set up our system of government to create permanent or long term elected positions, Liberty County officials have their own excellent retirement plans or I guess we could say a mini-version of golden parachutes.

Let’s look at one area in the courthouse or what for years would have been the elected officials in the east end of the third floor of the courthouse (before expanding to other buildings in the last few years). Since before the turn of the century Liberty County has had either Zeke Zbranek or his brother-in-law Rusty Hight running the 75th District Court and Melody Gilmore in the District clerk’s office. During their time in office they were paid a good salary and they had excellent benefits. County employees like these are vested in just eight years and they are then eligible for the retirement that accumulated from their own contribution of 7% of their salary while taxpayers have contributed almost double that to their retirement plans. That is right; we contribute DOUBLE what they contribute to their retirement fund! Coincidentally, Democrats during the same period Gilmore, Hight, and Zbranek held office and have voted the largest pay increases for elected officials in the history of the county. So these people were paid a great deal better than their predecessors and they will also get social security, a great retirement from the county, and if they are like most people they will have some retirement from their work before and after they were elected.

Moving this discussion away from the people we elect and pay in our courthouse here, let’s consider briefly about the elected officials we send to Austin. In another branch of the Zbranek’s/Hight’s attempt to create a political dynasty, let’s use Zeb Zbranek’s tenure as State Representative as an example. When discussing how well government officials can do after serving for only eight years, Zeb is a an example of why no tears should be shed when they are no longer in office. This Zbranek served eight years and taxpayers could potentially pay six to seven figures if he lives long enough. High pay for a job that is just a small portion of one year and then State Reps take off the next year. Of course Zeb practiced law the majority of his eight years in that office too.

We are informing those voters who don’t know, and reminding those who do, that Liberty County’s elected officials are rewarded for their time served. They are paid a fair amount and they have good benefits and an excellent retirement plan.

Its election time and Liberty Dispatch wants the people who think we need change and need to stop the Obama team to vote for new people and we want those who like the status quo to vote for the incumbents. We don’t want people to change their vote because they don’t know the facts.

Commissioners to testify before federal grand jury

Tomorrow, Liberty County Commissioners are set to testify before a federal grand jury in Beaumont, Texas.  The believed basic questioning of the commissioners will surround hurricane Ike FEMA fraud questions.  Additionally, it is believed there is a widening federal probe concerning the corruption in Liberty County which could also be explored by the grand jury.  The Liberty County Commissioners involved in the investigation are- Norman Brown, Melvin Hunt and Lee Groce.

RUSTY POTHOLDERS FOR BIG BUCK JOB

I love living in Liberty County. When this community has good information, we make good decisions. We are unimpressed with people when all they have is a Masters degree or PHD or a pile of money if we see they have no common sense. We are a community of people that rely on God and on the good examples we have seen in our life and on our own experience before we will yield to any snake oil salesman or a politician at election time. We pride ourselves in learning from our own mistakes and the mistakes we have seen our loved ones make. We are Texans, proud of our independent southern heritage; and we were the first to recognize the nonsense of Barack Obama’s sales pitch when he said something along the lines of: “We are the greatest nation in the history of this planet; and I am here to fundamentally change this nation.”

Even though the polls from the last election show that Liberty County voters rejected Obama’s vision of a different America, anyone paying attention in Liberty County knows his fellow Democrats here locally are following the Obama plan to a T. Last week, Liberty Dispatch reported that despite the fact Liberty County Commissioners have just had the highest amount of money to spend in any four year period in history – they have plans to double our debt this next year. Their plans will leave this county in the worst financial shape that we have ever been in by using certificates of obligation and by spending three million more dollars out of our reserves and implementing other very irresponsible financial decisions. Who does that sound like? Commissioners have declared run of the mill budget issues “an emergency”. Then these “public servants” have turned around and used their own self-designated “emergencies” to give themselves more taxpayer money to spend. Who does that sound like? Who do we know that spends taxpayer money out the wahzoo so he can brag about all he has done to help us? But Americans have seen enough and we have overwhelmingly rejected Barack Obama last election. Local Democrats need to take notice; we have already rejected these ideas. We do not want the tax and spend overbearing unresponsive government the Democratic Party keeps trying to impose on us. For Liberty County to stop this kind of stuff we must all go to the polls and vote to be free from local politicians who would follow the Obama game plan.



Last week another local disciple of the head of the national Democratic Party handed out t-shirts and potholders at Potetz lumberyard in Liberty. That is right! Local Democratic standard bearer and candidate for re-election to the 75th District Court, C.T. “Rusty” Hight acted just like Obama. Hight was not at work and instead of unclogging the busy courts and taking care of the people’s business he was trying to give potholders to voters so they would re-elect him. Rather than take care of our business like he is well paid by us to do, does Hight think hard working people buying supplies at a hardware store in the middle of the day will be impressed that he has taken his robes off and come down off of his high horse to give us a t-shirt? Why would someone who is repairing a plumbing problem in the little bit of spare time they have in between working or some contractor hustling to gather up supplies to keep his men working on a job – why would they want a politician’s t-shirt that is not doing the job he was hired to do? Who does that sound like?

What has Obama done with a war going on in Afghanistan and with an unemployment rate and an economy out of control? He has played a record amount of golf and he has been the Campaigner and Chief at places like local lumberyards. He is constantly trying to convince voters that what they have heard about what he has been doing is wrong. It is a communication problem he says. Obama, like Hight, has been busy promising people what he will give them if they re-elect him. He is looking out for his own interest while the country keeps telling him in poll after poll that we need him to do a better job. Hight and our local Democrats are shameless. Can’t they learn from their political leader’s mistakes? If Hight wants to campaign after a long hard day of work, that is fine. But people that need to settle their legal business and all of us who want criminals to have their day in court don’t want to be subject to the endless delays of a Judge that has no respect for their time.

But forget that! Unless Hight is somehow convinced to reconfigure his calendar for the next seven weeks, he plans on working just two days a week! That is right! Mondays and Fridays is all Rusty Hight will be working to earn the six figure income we pay him. The next seven weeks of course are the final days before Election Day. All of the people needing to complete their business in the 75th District Court be damned, Rusty Hight is busy on his campaign (while all of the rest of the candidates, all of the local lawyers, and everyone with a case in that court wait in an ever slowing line to get heard).
Whether Hight will spend Tuesday through Thursday standing at the entrance to Wal-Mart handing out coozies with “Vote for Hight” on them, or he will be out trying to match the President’s golf score, the taxpayers are being cheated. Potetz shoppers that were given a potholder with “Vote for Hight” on it should look forward to cooking the Judge’s goose in November. He has been a loyal outspoken advocate for the Democrat’s vision on America for many, many, years.

Meanwhile, when asked for a response from his opponent about Hight missing in action, Mark Morefield offered no comment other than to say he and those working in his law firm will be taking care of their clients during regular working hours. If you get a chance to meet Mark at a weekend function or an evening event, we encourage you to do so. He is one of the most knowledgeable and capable lawyers in Southeast Texas and if elected he will be one more step toward rejecting the liberals’ influence and law in this county.

Liberty Dispatch Contributor

A MATTER OF TRUST

The liberal media in this country has caused many cancellations of newspaper subscriptions and caused Fox News to become the most powerful name in cable news by the way they cover some news and the way they fail to cover scandalous behavior by local and national government officials.

Many of the politically informed conservatives and moderates in Liberty County have learned the same lessons as the nation. Our local media has put their liberal spin on news stories for years and they have allowed a great deal of corruption to grow throughout the corridors of power in the Liberty County Courthouse by not investigating and reporting things that the public needed to know.

After years and years of the media failing to do their job, Liberty Dispatch entered the picture fully disclosing it comes from a conservative perspective and expressing a desire to fill in the huge gaps left by the local media and to expose their lies. We think we have forced the local media to report the news differently, but we are still amazed at what they do, or don’t do, from time to time.

A great example is the absence of even one news report on the proposal by Commissioner’s Court to double Liberty County’s debt. With the exception of Liberty Dispatch, not one local newspaper or the local radio station or the local car wreck blog has said a word. I can’t imagine any county in the United States that has media like ours. The good people of this county deserve the kind of press that our Founding Fathers envisioned and even provided protection for in the Bill of Rights.

But in Liberty County the media seems to do very little to challenge authority or question the powerful. In fact, because of the way they conduct their business, Liberty County has been ill informed and misinformed concerning the good ole boy system that has thrived here in our county. We hope that people are beginning to notice that what some may have thought were crazy made up Liberty Dispatch accusations of scandals by public officials they are now appearing to be accurate reports of the kind of misbehavior and criminal activity.

The fact that you may only read about it here, well that is not evidence it is not true. In fact, it may be that if it is only reported here, that it is something the pro Democratic Party media knows will upset the way they like things.

Nevertheless, regardless of your view of the media, they have failed to report that our Commissioners’ Court may be signing us all up for bankruptcy and that is “news that matters” to all of us.

Liberty Dispatch Contributor

Liberty County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse

Fun day @ Stancil Park

Cleveland

October 2, 2010

5 PM until Done

Sign up starts at 2 PM

Concession Stand Available

Rain or Shine – come out and have FUN

Games

Barrels                    Flag Race          Ribbon Race

Run, Ride, Lead       Diaper Race       Poles

Negative Coggins Required

Age Groups

9 & under      10 to 14 yrs.      15 to 18 yrs.

19 and over

$5.00 a run     or     6 runs for $25.00

Exhibition on barrels and poles

$4.00 a run or 3 runs for $12.00

Limit 6 exhibition runs per person

Barrel exhibition starts at 3 PM ends at 4:45

Poles – after the fun day  2^nd barrel exhibition after pole exhibition

Caught in the elevator with a ham sandwich

Can you imagine if you were down at the Liberty County courthouse and you ended up trapped in the elevator for a couple hours with one of the local political figures or officeholders that is involved in the most recent of Democratic Party controversies?

After exchanging glances and nods you might would have been able to have quietly gotten on and off the elevator. But if you found out it might be awhile before you were rescued, you might figure why not ask whatever questions you have.

Say the person you are trapped on the elevator with is Democratic Party activists and District Judge C. T. “Rusty” Hight – would you ask him what it is he believes about sexual offenders that makes him think they deserve amnesty, probation, or a light sentence? Or would you ask why so many cases in his court when they are out of the public eye end up with criminals getting such great deals? Or how about this: “What in the heck are you doing up there in that courtroom Hight? That courtroom up there belongs to the people of this county and why would you ever think we would approve of all of this wheeling and dealing!”

What if you were trapped in the elevator with Rusty Hight’s campaign manager, Liz Beausoliel? Beausoliel’s husband was accused by Janet Harrelson of advising her that her planned future actions in what is now known as the “Harrelson scandal” were legal. Liz Beausoliel herself was caught on video in what is now known as the “Stolen Mail/ Dirty Campaign Tricks scandal”. Would you ask the former Liberty County Democratic Party Chairman: “What were you thinking?” Or maybe: "How did that mail theft work out for you?”

How about if you got stuck in a crowded elevator with Democratic County Judge Phil Fitzgerald and Commissioner Lee Groce and a couple of the men who made tens or hundreds of thousands dollars off of their agreements on FEMA contracts? Or would it even be worth asking any of them a question!

I know what I would say if I were trapped on an elevator with the Commissioners – Groce, Brown, Hunt, and Fontenot. I would not have a question. These men have had more taxpayer money to spend in the last four years and more grants than any other time in the history of our county and they are bypassing the public and borrowing and spending at a record pace (the proposed 2011 budget increases our debt from $13 million to $27 million and spends $3 million of our cash reserves). Rather than a question I think I would stare at each of them and say: “Shame on you! Stop spending money before you totally bankrupt this county!”

And I know what I would do if District Attorney Mike Little was on the elevator. I would first make sure the emergency button was pushed. Little has a horrible track record when it comes to noticing the problems around the courthouse. Unless forced, Little ignores any toxic or problematic scenario outside of his own political scheming and vendettas and he might just ignore that the elevator was broke. After pushing the button I would call someone I trusted on my cell phone and asks them to get a recorder and stay on the line until I was free from Little and the elevator – Little has bragged that he could indict a ham sandwich and I might resemble one of those sandwiches to him. But as far as questions for Mike Little, I can only think of: “When will you be eligible to retire?” or “Why did you become a prosecutor?” Little has lived in a culture of corruption and done nothing. I would hate to throw up while trapped in an elevator so I would avoid any questions that he might give some answer about “keeping crime off of the streets!”

Thinking about all of these characters makes me want to go back and answer the original question: “Can you imagine if you were down at the Liberty County courthouse and you ended up trapped in the elevator with any of these people?” My answer: “I would prefer not to think about it. They have no acceptable answers to the many questions that circle their heads like buzzards.”

It is time for a fresh start here in Liberty County. It is time to cut off the one thing almost every one of the scandals in the last ten years is connected to – the local Democratic Party.


Liberty Dispatch Contributor

SOMEONE TELL LEE AND MELVIN TO PLEASE QUIT SPENDING MONEY

With all of the local Democrats scandals and all of their illegal activity – some activities already revealed and some yet to come to light – it may be that some of the legal activity of the Commissioners’ Court may be the most harmful of all.

Years ago a small handful of people decided the only way Liberty County could ever live up to its potential was to expose the wrongdoing by the county’s elected officials so they would be voted out of office or hauled to prison. It was decided then the price that would have to be paid to expose the most powerful people in the county would probably include having to hire lawyers and fight to keep the worst of the officials from using their power to ruin reputations and incarcerate innocent challengers to their power.


But it should not have taken that. These Democrats with all of their despicable underhanded secret backroom self-dealing needed no great expose’ or detective work to reveal to voters reasons to vote them all out. They have run the affairs of this county and dealt with the taxpayers’ money like it was their own personal club. The most recent example is the budgets of the last four years.

Despite efforts by County Auditor Harold Seay and County Treasurer to discourage continued pay raises and continued issuance of certificates of obligations, our Commissioners’ Court has doubled the county’s debt in the last four years. It has gone from an over $13 million budget to a proposed budget of over $27 million dollars since 2006! Talk about President Obama and drunken sailor's spending, should include the exorbitant spending of Lee Groce, Melvin Hunt, Todd Fontenot, and Norman Brown.

Amidst all of their bragging at election time that they have not raised the tax rate, every taxpayer is keenly aware of the fact the Commissioners’ Court, famously led all of these many years by Lee Groce and Melvin Hunt have had plenty of increases in their budgets due to the unending increases in appraisals. And anyone who keeps up with the courthouse knows they have given themselves some really generous pay raises while giving the lowest paid workers in the courthouse much smaller raises.

But despite the extra money in most budget years, Lee Groce, Todd Fontenot, Norman Brown, Melvin Hunt, and Phil Fitzgerald have, for the most part, bypassed asking voters for the right to issue bonds. They have used their legal right to issue certificates of obligations. They have used that loophole to not only double our debt in just four years, but to also spend over $3 million dollars out of our reserve fund. According to the Harrelson camp, Harrelson's election put her in the position of a potential whistle-blower and, as such, it was only a matter of time until the 'mafia' at the courthouse had to get rid of her.

There has been plenty of scandalous behavior by Democrats in our local courthouse over the last few years. And there certainly has been plenty of reasons President Obama have given us all to try and stop the Democratic Party. But just their irresponsible liberal tax and spend use of taxpayer money should have been reason enough all of these years to get new leadership.

Voters should look at the numbers. None of our problems are caused by a lack of increased contributions from taxpayers. One year the receipts were less than the previous year, but the four highest years of taxpayer money coming into the county coffers are the same four years we have spent more than we have taken in. These are also the same four years our Commissioners have obligated us to more and more future debt. Our debt service alone has risen from over $1 million to well over $2 million dollars. These men are ruining our county. They are spending us into economic troubles we have never had to face FOR NO REASON.

The climate in this courthouse is toxic. It has been toxic for years. There is a “whatever you can get away with” attitude that has been caused by a lazy and inept and pitiful District Attorney’s office. There is a culture in our courthouse that allows criminal behavior to thrive unless someone with enough clout stops it – i.e. Judge Chap Cain: Dismissed Janet Harrelson, exposed Phil Fitzgerald, and reported the theft and dirty tricks of Liz Beausoliel. We have a culture that tends to cover up crime when it is reported by average folks or even sometimes to go after the whistle-blowers rather than the courthouse criminals.

We can’t expect our children or grandchildren to want to return to their hometown if they have to pay higher taxes because of debts we allowed to be run up when they were young. We can’t expect them to want to return to a county that has a reputation for courts and commissioners that play fast and loose with the law. This election some of the type of scandals we have all heard about could influence many voters, but it’s the gross derelict of duty that should affect all voters – partisan or not.

Liberty Dispatch Contributor

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Dear Liberty Dispatch,

This past weekend I leaned forward to hear one of former Sheriff Greg Arthur’s old fans when I heard him say that there were two main reasons Arthur lost in the last Sheriff’s race. I wanted to know what his explanation was of a two term incumbent being beat by a relatively unknown candidate that Arthur easily beat in the Democratic primary just four years earlier.

Would he say Arthur’s well known serial adultery or the reputation of his notorious sidekick Chip Fairchild is what caused his defeat? Or would he say the steady drumbeat of wrongdoing and ineptness reported by Liberty Dispatch and their use of their badges for political revenge was the problem? Or would he say Arthur failed to get some of the votes all Democrats always have gotten no matter who their candidate was because people stopped automatically checking the straight ticket box for Democrats?

No, he said nothing anything like that. That would make too much sense. He said the number one reason was people in Liberty County were “just country hicks and didn’t understand how much Barack Obama would do for this country as President.” He said too many people around here that always voted Democratic no matter what, voted Republican because they were incapable of understanding a message from someone as smart as Obama.

The second reason? “Greg thought he had this thing won easily and he didn’t campaign very hard.” I decided to leave quietly rather than start an argument right there in Phil Fitzgerald’s building during a busy dinner time rush. But I would like those who keep looking for a reason for Arthur losing to a man that is clearly not up to the job to consider that more and more people read about Arthur and Fairchild’s behavior on this website and heard about their behavior from people who had observed it. It wasn’t just that they didn’t like Obama’s message; it was that they clearly did not like the message Arthur was sending. Public officials should not be known for their wrongdoing.

Democrat officeholders in this county need to realize the voters in this county when they look at Washington D.C. are plenty smart enough to understand Barack Obama is trying to fundamentally change some of the things that have made this country great, and locally they are plenty ready and willing to keep trying new Sheriffs until they get an honest and capable one!

After years and years of one scandal after another, why would anyone that was not a highly partisan Democrat, continue to support the same ole same ole just because they have always voted that way? They may hope voters in Liberty County this November will go back to voting for what the Democratic Party is endorsing because Obama is not on the ballot. But not only will a vote for Democrats help Obama, it will also allow the scandals to continue here locally.

Signed,
Citizen in favor of a scandal free Liberty