At The Cleveland Advocate political forum last Thursday County Attorney Wes Hinch had the line of the night.
The gist of Wes Hinch’s comment went like this, “I just hope to meet my opponent before the primary is over”.
James Farmer is the other candidate that will appear on the ballot running for County Attorney. Liberty Dispatch has reported on the bizarre circumstances surrounding this Houston attorneys attempt to establish residency without actually living here. We have also reported that Farmer failed to file the necessary campaign finance reports for candidates running for public office.
But as far as anyone we talk to knows, no one in Liberty County has seen or heard from Farmer since he signed up. He has been compared by some to the man who he used as his reference when he rented the Liberty apartment he never stayed in – Sheriff Henry Patterson. Patterson had been on the job for months before some of his deputies actually met him. He leaves Liberty and heads for his Cleveland home early on a regular basis. Rex Evans, his spokesman, takes care of all of his communication with the people who elected him.
Farmer is even more mysterious than the man he uses as a reference. His missing in action includes the absence of any political signs or appearances at public events. That is strange behavior for someone who is running for office.
Liberty Dispatch would like readers to please let us know if you see James Farmer. The most likely place to see him we are told would be at breakfast in Cleveland.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
BILL WAS JOKING ALLEN
In the middle of the political season all kinds of interesting things are going on. It is an exciting time for everyone involved in reporting the news, everyone who loves to discuss the future, and everyone who loves to express an opinion. Newspapers, radio stations, and the internet are very dynamic and very busy just trying to keep up this time of year.
Allen Youngblood and his i-dineout are an exception however. He has some extra time to focus on the most trivial of things. Case in point – his blog, the local liberal site most people go to in order to check on the latest car wreck, has all kinds of goofy nonsense, but one in particular will be on the top of the list for 2012’s most ridiculous things put on a blog.
In an interview with a citizen from Devers Texas, KSHN owner and reporter Bill Buchanan made a quip typical of many Texans sense of humor. The Devers resident referred to Devers as “God’s country” and Buchanan quickly questioned that – it was very obvious it was a light hearted joke. I doubt anyone that has been around long hasn’t heard a little humorous banter like this in the course of everyday life.
But Allen Youngblood must not have. And he must not be very focused on the current political environment. Far be it for Liberty Dispatch to be defenders of the local disc jockey, but get a life Allen! Buchanan was obviously kidding.
If you want to post things you disagree with Buchanan about… talk about the FEMA/Fitzgerald court case … or the hospital district… or one of the local races.
We all have plenty of imperfections and Liberty has plenty of scandals, but acting like Buchanan actually believes Devers is Godless?
Stick with the car wrecks please.
Allen Youngblood and his i-dineout are an exception however. He has some extra time to focus on the most trivial of things. Case in point – his blog, the local liberal site most people go to in order to check on the latest car wreck, has all kinds of goofy nonsense, but one in particular will be on the top of the list for 2012’s most ridiculous things put on a blog.
In an interview with a citizen from Devers Texas, KSHN owner and reporter Bill Buchanan made a quip typical of many Texans sense of humor. The Devers resident referred to Devers as “God’s country” and Buchanan quickly questioned that – it was very obvious it was a light hearted joke. I doubt anyone that has been around long hasn’t heard a little humorous banter like this in the course of everyday life.
But Allen Youngblood must not have. And he must not be very focused on the current political environment. Far be it for Liberty Dispatch to be defenders of the local disc jockey, but get a life Allen! Buchanan was obviously kidding.
If you want to post things you disagree with Buchanan about… talk about the FEMA/Fitzgerald court case … or the hospital district… or one of the local races.
We all have plenty of imperfections and Liberty has plenty of scandals, but acting like Buchanan actually believes Devers is Godless?
Stick with the car wrecks please.
Monday, March 26, 2012
“The President of Non-Specifics” By David Pring-Mill
LD- Contributor
I. Advantageous Ambiguity
In the President’s Weekly Address on March 10, 2012, Barack Obama stated, “You and I both know that with only 2% of the world’s oil reserves, we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices – not when we consume 20 percent of the world’s oil. We need an all-of-the-above strategy that relies less on foreign oil and more on American-made energy – solar, wind, natural gas, biofuels, and more.” This rhetoric is superficially appealing, but the President’s claims aren’t entirely accurate. The Institute for Energy Research says that Obama is creating the impression of scarcity by focusing on the technicality of proven oil reserves whilst neglecting to mention that the United States has enough recoverable oil for the next 200 years. Although I agree with the President that we need to encourage American ingenuity and switch over to alternative energy sources, there needs to be a transitional period. Nikola Tesla once said that it is only a matter of time until “men will succeed in attaching their machinery to the very wheelwork of nature.” I believe that innovation will yield phenomenal gains for the energy needs of mankind, but I also believe that brilliance can be broken down into incremental progress.
Obama characterizes other politicians as having “three-point plans for two-dollar gas: drill, drill, and drill some more.” And in an ideal situation crafted to Obama’s political preferences, we could immediately switch to alternative energy and he wouldn’t have to worry about disappointing the environmentalists whose votes he needs for reelection. But in the necessitated interim, perhaps it’s better to make temporary environmental compromises than it is to remain in business with Middle Eastern dictators whose beliefs and regimes are antithetical to American values. Instead of contorting our foreign policy and watching gas prices rise, let’s tell dictators to take a hike. Let’s expand U.S. drilling significantly enough to independently enable a realistic transition to alternative energy. Obama has expanded drilling, but not to the required extent. If the history of human progress is any indicator, energy research will plod forward, and out of that process, the next Tesla will emerge with an invention that will eclipse the methods detailed in Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy - but until then, our nation must be prepared and self-reliant.
President Obama’s argument is intellectually dishonest in that it dually misrepresents our national oil resources - (there are 1,442 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil) - and misrepresents the readiness and viability of so-called alternative energy. A half-billion dollar loan from the federal government to Solyndra certainly didn’t produce results. There is a very pernicious edge to government’s eagerness to find and facilitate an alternative energy solution. For instance, government policies of industrialized nations promoted and subsidized biofuels. This caused the deaths of nearly two hundred thousand people. Expanded demand for grain harvest increased food prices globally, which resulted in mass starvation amongst the poor. And the U.S. alone spent more than $20 billion on ethanol subsidies.
Barack Obama’s willingness to ignore factual realities and overpromise a swift, idealistic solution is reminiscent of past behavior. When he was running for President, Obama said that he would immediately shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, even though doing so struck others as logistically infeasible. It’s now 2012, and Gitmo is still there. “President Obama is still trying to shut down Gitmo as soon as possible, it's just turning out that it's not possible,” said Democratic strategist Joe Trippi. This statement is an inadvertent riddle - if someone is trying to do something as soon as possible but they know that it is impossible, what is their ETA on completion?
This is a president who relies upon ambiguity to ingratiate himself with the electorate, routinely offering the semblance of solutions to worsening and very real problems. Barack Obama won election in 2008 after his campaign relentlessly emphasized the non-specifics of “hope” and “change.” After his 2011 State of the Union, Obama was criticized for failing to offer a specific and comprehensive plan for debt reduction. In his 2012 State of the Union address, he utilized more nonspecific rhetoric while seemingly courting centrist and independent voters who have been drawn towards the libertarian ideals being espoused in the GOP primary. The President said, “I’ve ordered federal agencies to get rid of regulations that don’t make sense.” I’ll give the President some credit here - not literal financial credit, of course, given the economic precedent - and assume that this statement was a rhetorical oversimplification of his actual directives. The President’s rhetoric deliberately averts the mention of concrete objectives that, if specified, may have to be pursued.
If Obama had actually issued instructions of such flustering vagueness, the results would be unpredictable because agencies might then scramble to make their regulations comply with Obama’s comprehension of what makes sense - and that comprehension frequently isn’t correlated with reality. For instance, Obama thought that it made sense to brag about the results of his decision to bail out the auto industry, but his boasts slyly ignore the fact that although Chrysler may be rebounding, it was also sold off to Fiat, an Italian company, after being bailed out by American taxpayers.
Obama also thought that it made sense to name Joe Biden as VP, describing him as “a leader who is ready to step in and be president,” even though Biden had spent many Senate sessions declaring his brazenly offensive plan to effectively segregate Iraq along ethno-religious lines. Biden’s justification for this morally reprehensible idea lies in Iraq’s history - at one time, prior to being cobbled together by Britain in the 1920s, the region was comprised of three separate vilayets under the Ottoman Empire. The irrelevance of the Vice President’s historical pretensions is immediately apparent upon applying the Golden Rule. How would we feel if China invaded the U.S., committed strategic blunders during the implementation of a new government, and then decided to quell our violent discontentment by reverting America back to an earlier version? Would women and blacks lose their civil rights? Would lands be returned to Mexico? There is nothing prudent or admirable about trying to turn the clock back on an occupied territory in order to divide its peoples.
The ill-conceived appointment of Biden as VP illustrates some measure of Obama’s judgment, or lack thereof. Therefore, if Obama had any actual intent of lessening regulations, one can only wonder which regulations would be discarded and which would be retained. However, the President is insincere in his effort to court libertarian-leaning voters. Instead of demonstrating political courage by advocating for the removal of regulations about which there is partisan disagreement, the President referenced a recently abolished regulation that classified spilled milk as an oil spill. Unless a lactose intolerant member of Congress has a fear of out-of-control milk and wants this regulation reenacted, there is no controversy here, and no courage on the President’s part.
II. Is Obama Copying Answers?
Seeking to extend his reign of ambiguous rhetoric and definite big government, Obama has adopted a consistent line against his Republican opponents - he has labeled them “the party of no.” While giving a speech that further propagated his 2% oil reserves myth, he described his opponents as naysayers who “don’t believe in the future and don’t believe in trying to do things differently.”
Yet if you listen to the 2012 State of the Union in full, it is apparent that Obama is aware that the GOP is not the party of the no. He has been watching the GOP primary debates and taking notes, and he is now attempting to appropriate Republicans’ more appealing ideas for his own administration. Compare the following quotes:
“If you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“We need to cut the capital gains tax in half which others have proposed but for manufacturers we need to give a five-year window where we cut it to zero. We want to encourage people to set up jobs here in America. ”
- Santorum, June 13, 2011
“Tonight, I’m announcing the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trading practices in countries like China.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“If I'm president of the United States, I'm making it very clear, I love free trade. I want to open markets to free trade. But I will crack down on cheaters like China.”
- Romney, November 9, 2011
“It is time to turn our unemployment system into a re-employment system that puts people to work.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“All unemployment compensation should be tied to a job training requirement.”
- Gingrich, January 16, 2012
“I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That’s why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“Well, the first thing you need to do is have boots on the ground. We've had a request in to this administration since June -- or January of 2009 for 1,000 border patrol agents or National Guard troops, and working towards 3,000 border patrol. That's just on the Texas border. […] For the President of the United States to go to El Paso, Texas, and say that the border is safer than it's ever been, either he has some of the poorest intel of a president in the history of this country, or he was an abject liar to the American people. It is not safe on that border.”
- Perry, September 7, 2011
“Tear down regulations that prevent aspiring entrepreneurs from getting the financing to grow.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“The entrepreneur in America, the small businessman and woman, they're looking for a president that will say we're going to lower the tax burden on you and we're going to lower the regulation impact on you, and free them to do what they do best: create jobs.”
- Perry, September 7, 2011
“I’m a Democrat. But I believe what Republican Abraham Lincoln believed, that government should do for people only what they cannot do better by themselves, and no more.”
- Obama, January 24, 2012
“We don't need the government running our lives.”
- Paul, September 7, 2011
With what degree of sincerity is Obama parroting his opponents? Until Obama ties this rhetoric to actual legislative proposals, it can be safely assumed that this is another ploy relying upon non-specifics. Obama referred to a recent upward trajectory in the manufacturing sector when he said, “The CEO of Master Lock told me that it now makes business sense for him to bring jobs back home,” but he glossed over a more complex reality by selectively saying “business sense.” Master Lock CEO Jon Heppner’s decision was prompted by higher labor and logistical costs in Asia - and our strategy for ensuring the resurgence of an industry cannot be contingent upon external factors beyond our control. The President utilized additional characteristic non-specifics when he stated, “Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.” Business leaders have not outsourced these jobs due to a lack of inquisitiveness or patriotism. They outsourced manufacturing to avoid a lack of profit. Does anyone really believe that the majority of CEOs are suddenly going to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., increase their production costs, and deal with American unions and regulations because Obama vaguely promised to lower the manufacturing tax in his reelection rhetoric?
Santorum has made the idea of eliminating the manufacturing tax his signature issue. And although I strongly disagree with Santorum on social issues, he is correct on this particular issue. This is a sector of the economy that has taken a huge hit as a result of globalization, and that globalization has led to the dehumanization of foreign workers, as evidenced by the recent reporting on the atrocious worker conditions at Apple manufacturing plants in China. Many economists are quick to justify this kind of exploitation by asserting that foreign workers would have it much worse if we did not have the good sense to exploit them. But if economists and corporate decision-makers genuinely cared about poor people in Third World countries, they wouldn’t idealize a process that effectively enslaves these people and generates profits off their suffering. Instead, they would support organizations such as Heifer International and help these people to feed themselves sustainably.
If we want to revive the manufacturing sector in our country, maintain recent gains, and be able to create and purchase our goods on terms consistent with Americans’ moral and religious values, drastic measures must be taken. Would we prefer to employ Americans in the manufacturing sector and have the manufacturers’ profits go untaxed, or would we prefer to lose the industry, exploit foreign, impoverished peoples, and put Americans on welfare instead of employing them? This is the paradigm that was conspicuously missing from Elizabeth Warren’s viral quote in which she earnestly rebuked a tax-opposed factory owner who couldn’t argue back due to the fact that he was a fallacious rhetorical construct. But it must also be noted - regulations and unions will likely continue to make it more expensive to manufacture here as opposed to abroad, even with reduced or eliminated manufacturing taxes, which is why the onus is on consumers to imbue the “made in USA” label with a competitive advantage by consistently favoring American-made products in instances in which it is financially feasible to do so.
Unfortunately, the President of non-specifics has consistently neglected attempts at jobs creation that do not necessitate the incurrence of huge government expenditures. He jeopardized the Keystone XL oil pipeline in order to ensure that he does not offend the environmentalists at his party’s base. In his SOTU, Obama said, “There’s never been a better time to build, especially since the construction industry was one of the hardest hit when the housing bubble burst. Of course, construction workers weren’t the only ones who were hurt. So were millions of innocent Americans who’ve seen their home values decline.” If construction workers and innocent Americans alike are hurting, why employ construction workers on public works projects enabled by the taxation of other suffering Americans if construction workers could instead be employed by a legitimate private sector project?
No longer can non-specifics be allowed to cover up the President’s lack of integrity. Large banks created securities so that they could bet against them. Wachovia actually engaged in money laundering with drug cartels that routinely decapitate the people of Mexico, and for this, the bank was penalized by being made to pay a fine that constituted less than 2% of their annual profits. Bank of America fraudulently robo-signed its customers’ signatures in order to force them into foreclosure. When these corrupt banks were bailed out with taxpayer money, Obama considered it to be “unpopular but necessary.” When the President signed the NDAA for 2012 and compromised Americans’ civil liberties, he added a signing statement indicating that he strongly disagreed with aspects of what he was signing - but he signed it anyway.
III. Bipartisan Problems, Independent Solutions
The Bureau of Public Debt has revealed that the President of non-specifics increased the debt more in three years and two months than his predecessor did over the course of two terms. Instead of enabling purposeful private sector projects, this President prefers to further increase our national debt with stimulus packages so that construction workers can build things that don’t need to be there. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels observed, “The federal government now spends one of every four dollars in the entire economy; it borrows one of every three dollars it spends.” And both parties caused this predicament. The two-party monopoly under which we all live is ineffective yet institutionally enforced by mechanisms such as ballot access laws and gerrymandering. If we don’t want politics to be a sport, we need to stop picking teams and pretending we’re on them. We are not Democrats, we are not Republicans. We are Americans.
If you want to cause change in America, don’t vote for a politician who disingenuously used the word “change” as a campaign slogan - change the actual system. Support open primary initiatives. It is time for the American people to chip away at a political establishment that polarizes attitudes and stifles objectivity. It is the duty of the American people to alter the actual apparatus of our electoral processes to further empower democracy, and it is imperative that we remain resolute in that effort, instead of being reluctant adherents of one man or one party.
David Pring-Mill is a writer, independent filmmaker, and activist. He lives in New York City. He can be contacted at pringmill [at] gmail.com.
Follow Dave’s tweets at http://www.twitter.com/davesaidso
GOOD GOVERNMENT AT STAKE
At the University of Chicago last week, the leader in the race to become the Republican nominee for President of the United States said, “I don’t mean to be flip with this, but I don’t see how a young American can vote for a Democrat.’’ Mitt Romney cheerfully apologized to anyone who might find such a comment “offensive,’’ but went on to explain what young people need to consider if they are thinking of voting for Democrats.
The Democratic Party “is focused on providing more and more benefits to my generation, mounting trillion-dollar annual deficits my generation will never pay for,’’ Romney said. While Democrats are perpetrating “the greatest inter-generational transfer of wealth in the history of humankind,’’ Republicans are “consumed with the idea of getting federal spending down and creating economic growth and opportunity so we can balance our budget and stop putting these debts on you.’’
The government’s record-breaking debts “are not frightening to people my age, because we’ll be gone,’’ Romney argued, but “they ought to be frightening to death to people your age!’’ He regretted not doing a better job of getting that message across to younger voters. “You guys ought to be out,’’ Romney insisted, “working like crazy for me and for people like me: conservatives, who want to keep the cost of government down and give you a brighter future.’’
Despite efforts to breathe life into the local Democratic Party, Liberty County has been jumping out of the Democrats boat for several elections. Young and old people alike have been voting more and more for Republicans in local elections as years of questionable behavior by Democrats holding office has made the last fifteen years sound to discerning ears like a steady inevitable “here we come” drumbeat for Republicans. The same concerns that Romney expresses about the country should be on people’s minds as they look at the future of this county.
Unfortunately, but very predictably, Liberty County has more complicated things to consider at the polls than Romney’s simplistic “vote Republican and get rid of the tax and spenders” advice. Local politicians have switched parties and some of the switchers are not what Republicans should want. Incompetent Democrats like Henry Patterson switched last election and have had four years to stain the law and order image Republicans like to project. The majority of officeholders who have switched have simply been like Patterson and tried to go where the votes are and there has been no principle involved in their decision. But there have been a few with conservative beliefs who switched to get away from the poor behavior of local Democrats and to try and coalesce with newly elected Republicans to solve budget problems.
Particularly frustrating for conservatives who have been actively working for change for any length of time in Liberty County are the people who show up to run as Republicans who have either worked against the local Republican effort or they have been in position to help and they have sat on their hands and not lifted a finger. The best example of that is seen in the District Attorney’s race. Karen McNair is far and away the best prepared to become Liberty County’s next D.A. and she has been working to elect other local Republicans for years. In contrast, Logan Pickett has the least experience of any prosecutor in the courthouse and though his family has spent part of their wealth and influence in statewide and national races, they have done nothing but help Democrats locally – until now.
One thing Liberty County voters can be proud of. We have pierced the veil of those in power who told all of us it would “always be this way”. We have, at least for this period of time in our history, responded the way Benjamin Franklin hoped we would when he was asked if we know we have got – a Republic or a Monarchy at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Franklin said if we could keep it, we would have a system of government where every man had a say, not one like it was in England where Kings and Queens and Dukes and Duchesses told us how things were going to be.
Young people ought to be willing to fight for that in any generation.
The Democratic Party “is focused on providing more and more benefits to my generation, mounting trillion-dollar annual deficits my generation will never pay for,’’ Romney said. While Democrats are perpetrating “the greatest inter-generational transfer of wealth in the history of humankind,’’ Republicans are “consumed with the idea of getting federal spending down and creating economic growth and opportunity so we can balance our budget and stop putting these debts on you.’’
The government’s record-breaking debts “are not frightening to people my age, because we’ll be gone,’’ Romney argued, but “they ought to be frightening to death to people your age!’’ He regretted not doing a better job of getting that message across to younger voters. “You guys ought to be out,’’ Romney insisted, “working like crazy for me and for people like me: conservatives, who want to keep the cost of government down and give you a brighter future.’’
Despite efforts to breathe life into the local Democratic Party, Liberty County has been jumping out of the Democrats boat for several elections. Young and old people alike have been voting more and more for Republicans in local elections as years of questionable behavior by Democrats holding office has made the last fifteen years sound to discerning ears like a steady inevitable “here we come” drumbeat for Republicans. The same concerns that Romney expresses about the country should be on people’s minds as they look at the future of this county.
Unfortunately, but very predictably, Liberty County has more complicated things to consider at the polls than Romney’s simplistic “vote Republican and get rid of the tax and spenders” advice. Local politicians have switched parties and some of the switchers are not what Republicans should want. Incompetent Democrats like Henry Patterson switched last election and have had four years to stain the law and order image Republicans like to project. The majority of officeholders who have switched have simply been like Patterson and tried to go where the votes are and there has been no principle involved in their decision. But there have been a few with conservative beliefs who switched to get away from the poor behavior of local Democrats and to try and coalesce with newly elected Republicans to solve budget problems.
Particularly frustrating for conservatives who have been actively working for change for any length of time in Liberty County are the people who show up to run as Republicans who have either worked against the local Republican effort or they have been in position to help and they have sat on their hands and not lifted a finger. The best example of that is seen in the District Attorney’s race. Karen McNair is far and away the best prepared to become Liberty County’s next D.A. and she has been working to elect other local Republicans for years. In contrast, Logan Pickett has the least experience of any prosecutor in the courthouse and though his family has spent part of their wealth and influence in statewide and national races, they have done nothing but help Democrats locally – until now.
One thing Liberty County voters can be proud of. We have pierced the veil of those in power who told all of us it would “always be this way”. We have, at least for this period of time in our history, responded the way Benjamin Franklin hoped we would when he was asked if we know we have got – a Republic or a Monarchy at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Franklin said if we could keep it, we would have a system of government where every man had a say, not one like it was in England where Kings and Queens and Dukes and Duchesses told us how things were going to be.
Young people ought to be willing to fight for that in any generation.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
FOLLOWING THE MONEY
In his unsuccessful bids to be the state representative from this area, records reveal Eddie Shauberger received contributions of well over a quarter of a million dollars. Far and away the majority of this money was from a few large donors rather than receiving small donations from people around the district. It is interesting to go back and look at some of those donations in light of Shauberger’s multiple run-ins with the law.
In October 2002, records show something of special interest to those who have witnessed Shauberger’s strange public life. That was the year that the Tom Delay scandal happened. TRMPAC allegedly was used to funnel illegal corporate donations into the campaigns of Republican candidates for State Representative. Records reveal Eddie Shauberger’s campaign received several thousand dollars from TRMPAC that year.
Also of interest, when reading Influence Explorer campaign donor analysis are three donations of more than $10,000. Two of Shauberger’s large donations come from the Palmerez brothers. These brothers are the same ones Shauberger made all kinds of allegations towards when he was charged with a felony involving business dealings with them. Speculation that after a few years of bitter dispute, Shauberger and his long time friends have rejoined forces with each other to conspire against Ray Akins, have neither been confirmed or disproved.
Also a $10,875 is credited toward Richard Pegues, the County Chairman at the time. When Mr. Pegues was asked about this donation he appeared surprised.
“I tried to help Republican candidates in any way I could, but I never donated that kind of money to anyone. Why does my name appear on there? I don’t know. What was Eddie’s involvement with Congressman DeLay? These kinds of questions can best be answered by the candidate.”
There would be nothing illegal about donations from Pegues or the Palmerez brothers as long as they were not corporate donations. Pegues owned no corporation. Like the Palmerez brothers however, Pegues has parted company from Shauberger, but unlike them, he continues to have serious concerns about the man he thought he knew well.
“I don’t know if he has changed or if I was just always blinded by our friendship from church. It is like he has a list of people he that he feels he needs to exact revengeon. It appears he will use any means necessary. This is far from our pact to work to elect good conservatives tolocal offices,” Pegues said.
(Citation) Shauberger campaign finance link
In October 2002, records show something of special interest to those who have witnessed Shauberger’s strange public life. That was the year that the Tom Delay scandal happened. TRMPAC allegedly was used to funnel illegal corporate donations into the campaigns of Republican candidates for State Representative. Records reveal Eddie Shauberger’s campaign received several thousand dollars from TRMPAC that year.
Also of interest, when reading Influence Explorer campaign donor analysis are three donations of more than $10,000. Two of Shauberger’s large donations come from the Palmerez brothers. These brothers are the same ones Shauberger made all kinds of allegations towards when he was charged with a felony involving business dealings with them. Speculation that after a few years of bitter dispute, Shauberger and his long time friends have rejoined forces with each other to conspire against Ray Akins, have neither been confirmed or disproved.
Also a $10,875 is credited toward Richard Pegues, the County Chairman at the time. When Mr. Pegues was asked about this donation he appeared surprised.
“I tried to help Republican candidates in any way I could, but I never donated that kind of money to anyone. Why does my name appear on there? I don’t know. What was Eddie’s involvement with Congressman DeLay? These kinds of questions can best be answered by the candidate.”
There would be nothing illegal about donations from Pegues or the Palmerez brothers as long as they were not corporate donations. Pegues owned no corporation. Like the Palmerez brothers however, Pegues has parted company from Shauberger, but unlike them, he continues to have serious concerns about the man he thought he knew well.
“I don’t know if he has changed or if I was just always blinded by our friendship from church. It is like he has a list of people he that he feels he needs to exact revengeon. It appears he will use any means necessary. This is far from our pact to work to elect good conservatives tolocal offices,” Pegues said.
(Citation) Shauberger campaign finance link
Friday, March 23, 2012
On Dick Cheney- MSNBC's Ed Shultz, a human garbage bag...
Liberal talk show host Ed Schultz would like to take the heart of former Vice President Dick Cheney —who is recovering from his fifth heart attack — and “rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him.”
On his radio show Wednesday, Schultz mocked conservatives who have attacked him for going after the health of the former vice president.
“You’re damn right, Dick Cheney's heart's a political football,” Schultz said in remarks recorded by the media blog Radio Equalizer. “We ought to rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him."
Schultz, host of “The Ed Show” on MSNBC, said that he was glad Cheney “didn’t tip over” because “he is the new poster child for health care in this country.”
“How come Dick Cheney’s health care isn't being dropped?” Schultz asked. “Do you realize that if you had five heart attacks, hell, you wouldn't get past two heart attacks and they’d dump you.”
“But because you're a war criminal and because you are on the take from Halliburton ... you can get the best health care on the face of the earth,” Schultz said.
Ed Shultz you are disgrace to humanity. Dick Cheney is a great American with more moral fiber and courage in his little finger than you have in your whole body.
For you to besmirch and disrespect a man with serious heart problems, you are a mere shell of a human being.
Liberty Dispatch and its supporters wish the best for Vice President Cheney and you should know you are appreciated and respected.
Contributor, Ray Akins
On his radio show Wednesday, Schultz mocked conservatives who have attacked him for going after the health of the former vice president.
“You’re damn right, Dick Cheney's heart's a political football,” Schultz said in remarks recorded by the media blog Radio Equalizer. “We ought to rip it out and kick it around and stuff it back in him."
Schultz, host of “The Ed Show” on MSNBC, said that he was glad Cheney “didn’t tip over” because “he is the new poster child for health care in this country.”
“How come Dick Cheney’s health care isn't being dropped?” Schultz asked. “Do you realize that if you had five heart attacks, hell, you wouldn't get past two heart attacks and they’d dump you.”
“But because you're a war criminal and because you are on the take from Halliburton ... you can get the best health care on the face of the earth,” Schultz said.
Ed Shultz you are disgrace to humanity. Dick Cheney is a great American with more moral fiber and courage in his little finger than you have in your whole body.
For you to besmirch and disrespect a man with serious heart problems, you are a mere shell of a human being.
Liberty Dispatch and its supporters wish the best for Vice President Cheney and you should know you are appreciated and respected.
Contributor, Ray Akins
LETTER TO LD: IF ROMNEY GETS THE NOMINATION
Let’s put preferences aside and talk about the scenario most likely to occur as we move forward in the contest for who will serve as the nation’s President for four years beginning in January 2013.
Every Republican I know says they will support whoever wins the Republican primary against Barack Obama. They almost all say the same thing – we can not afford four more years of Obama. But if Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum can’t gather enough votes to stop Romney, the chances of holding onto the White House by liberals are nearly 100%.
“How can you justify saying such a thing when gas prices and the economy and unemployment and so many other important things about this country are in such unacceptable shape?” a reasonable person might say.
The un-played card in this whole thing will be played if Romney challenges Obama. And it may not always appear to be played by Democrats. Some of the most conservative people in this country will be encouraged to worry about a Romney Presidency. When computers are booted up after the primary and google has a rush of people wanting to know more details on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism they will be greeted by things like the following list of ten most weird things about Romney’s beliefs:
10) The earth was created near Kolob over a period of 6000 years (six "days" in Kolob time), and then flung to its present solar system after the fall of Adam
9) There are many gods (also see #4)
8) Joseph Smith taught there is a Heavenly Mother.
7) Jesus, all angels, Lucifer, all demons, and all human beings are originally spirit brothers and sisters.
6) Defining marriage as between a man and a woman… or even between one man and one woman... does not preclude an individual man from having a 'marriage' with more than one woman (e.g. Russell Nelson, an LDS Apostle, is currently sealed to two women).
5) Heavenly Father had physical sex with Mary to sire Jesus' human body.
4) Heavenly Father had a Father, who had a Father, who had a Father.....
3) The Bible is corrupt...but the exact corrupt parts have never been identified...even though the LDS prophets have had a direct line to God since 1830.
2) Heavenly Father changes his mind when enough human pressure is exerted (e.g. blacks getting priesthood, earthly polygamy ending, etc)
1) Polygamy is still practiced and will continue to be in the hereafter. Mormon men may be sealed to more than one wife today....only one at a time. [Edited for accuracy]
9) There are many gods (also see #4)
8) Joseph Smith taught there is a Heavenly Mother.
7) Jesus, all angels, Lucifer, all demons, and all human beings are originally spirit brothers and sisters.
6) Defining marriage as between a man and a woman… or even between one man and one woman... does not preclude an individual man from having a 'marriage' with more than one woman (e.g. Russell Nelson, an LDS Apostle, is currently sealed to two women).
5) Heavenly Father had physical sex with Mary to sire Jesus' human body.
4) Heavenly Father had a Father, who had a Father, who had a Father.....
3) The Bible is corrupt...but the exact corrupt parts have never been identified...even though the LDS prophets have had a direct line to God since 1830.
2) Heavenly Father changes his mind when enough human pressure is exerted (e.g. blacks getting priesthood, earthly polygamy ending, etc)
1) Polygamy is still practiced and will continue to be in the hereafter. Mormon men may be sealed to more than one wife today....only one at a time. [Edited for accuracy]
Liberals will have a field day discussing religion, but the clincher for them will be that evangelicals who have never voted for anyone but a Republican for President, will express so many doubts that people who have waited for nearly four year to oust Obama will not show up on Election Day.
The intolerance that liberals are guilty of and that they project so consistently on Republicans will finally seem to manifest. Christian Republicans will be turned off by perversions Mormons promote concerning the Bible and all of the crazy made up myths from Joseph Smith forward. They won’t vote for Obama and they may even appear in polls to be holding their collective noses with the intention of backing Romney. But enough of the rabid conservative his voter will be sedated by revelations about Mormonism to give Obama second term.
Obama’s “Christianity” a la Reverend Wright will end up trumping a Mormon Romney when the card is played. And grass roots Republicans will once again regret that the wheelers and dealers in the party pushed a less conservative candidate forward to run in the general election. They will spend four years watching the country under perform and thinking about the greatness we could have achieved had a Santorum/Rubio administration been the source of leadership from 2013 forward for 16 years.
Concerned Republican Voter
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Local Radio Station's Defense of Admitted Crimes
Bill Buchanan's KSHN radio Gram: (aka slander sheet)
"Groce: Prior to the federal government’s request to have all charges against Lee Groce dropped in October last year, the former Liberty County Commissioner signed what is called a Pretrial Diversion document. The document says, in reference to Lee Groce “you also unconditionally accept responsibility for knowingly and willfully making false material statements to FBI agents”. Sources close to Lee Groce said he agreed to the pretrial diversion admitting he made the statement to investigators but not that he knew those statements to be false. October 27th, 2011 Federal Judge Ron Clark signed the order for dismissal on all charges against Lee Groce."
It appears Bill Buchanan is casting a net over Liberty County to defend prior commissioner Lee Groce from his agreed admitted guilt. If Lee Groce did not agree with the FBI's charges, why did he agree to the FBI's and US Attorney's evidence and admissions of guilt by his signature/acknowledgment?
This is further direct evidence of Bill Buchanan's use of his radio station to protect his admittedly guilty friends and attack his political enemies and news competition.
Shame on you Bill Buchanan!
"Groce: Prior to the federal government’s request to have all charges against Lee Groce dropped in October last year, the former Liberty County Commissioner signed what is called a Pretrial Diversion document. The document says, in reference to Lee Groce “you also unconditionally accept responsibility for knowingly and willfully making false material statements to FBI agents”. Sources close to Lee Groce said he agreed to the pretrial diversion admitting he made the statement to investigators but not that he knew those statements to be false. October 27th, 2011 Federal Judge Ron Clark signed the order for dismissal on all charges against Lee Groce."
It appears Bill Buchanan is casting a net over Liberty County to defend prior commissioner Lee Groce from his agreed admitted guilt. If Lee Groce did not agree with the FBI's charges, why did he agree to the FBI's and US Attorney's evidence and admissions of guilt by his signature/acknowledgment?
This is further direct evidence of Bill Buchanan's use of his radio station to protect his admittedly guilty friends and attack his political enemies and news competition.
Shame on you Bill Buchanan!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
GROCE INJUSTICE
If recent media reports are correct and former County Commissioner Lee Groce signed a document attesting to the fact he “Did knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation” in the infamous Liberty County FEMA fraud case, then why would anyone consider allowing taxpayers money to pay Groce’s legal bills?
The government may have agreed to drop all other charges against Groce and they may have given him a deferred sentence of 12 months and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. But are we missing something here and there is some common sense reason that Groce’s plea-bargain should lead to more disrespect of the taxpayers of this county by trying to force Liberty County to pay a bill for $85,000 for the legal fees he incurred while fighting the indictments against him.
Media reports describing advice from the Attorney General’s Office and Robert L. Hobbs, the attorney in charge of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Beaumont to our County Attorney, aside … Is there no one who is going to protect the taxpayers of this county after a crime has been committed against them?
Considering the statement coming back from that request for advice from the US Attorney’s office and Liberty County Attorney Wes Hinch- “ Groce acknowledges his culpability on multiple points ... though the pending indictment will be dismissed, the situation could hardly be characterized as exoneration.”
Perhaps it is time for Liberty County’s District Attorney’s office to do what many felt they should have done in the beginning. Continued concerns about the selective prosecution by the attorneys in the D.A.’s office will not be tempered - as Groce sends taxpayers a bill and reminds us that the good ole boy system may be close to being gone, but nowhere near forgotten.
If taxpayers pay this bill, is it the result of a D.A.’s office that sits on its hands when a case is presented against political allies while they freely accept cases that are of no interests to the people of the county when it is a political enemy? If that happens, it is a gross injustice to the taxpayers of this county and it shouldn’t be tolerated. Why would any self-respecting lawyer work in a department with such practices going on, then turn around and run for public office?
The government may have agreed to drop all other charges against Groce and they may have given him a deferred sentence of 12 months and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. But are we missing something here and there is some common sense reason that Groce’s plea-bargain should lead to more disrespect of the taxpayers of this county by trying to force Liberty County to pay a bill for $85,000 for the legal fees he incurred while fighting the indictments against him.
Media reports describing advice from the Attorney General’s Office and Robert L. Hobbs, the attorney in charge of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Beaumont to our County Attorney, aside … Is there no one who is going to protect the taxpayers of this county after a crime has been committed against them?
Considering the statement coming back from that request for advice from the US Attorney’s office and Liberty County Attorney Wes Hinch- “ Groce acknowledges his culpability on multiple points ... though the pending indictment will be dismissed, the situation could hardly be characterized as exoneration.”
Perhaps it is time for Liberty County’s District Attorney’s office to do what many felt they should have done in the beginning. Continued concerns about the selective prosecution by the attorneys in the D.A.’s office will not be tempered - as Groce sends taxpayers a bill and reminds us that the good ole boy system may be close to being gone, but nowhere near forgotten.
If taxpayers pay this bill, is it the result of a D.A.’s office that sits on its hands when a case is presented against political allies while they freely accept cases that are of no interests to the people of the county when it is a political enemy? If that happens, it is a gross injustice to the taxpayers of this county and it shouldn’t be tolerated. Why would any self-respecting lawyer work in a department with such practices going on, then turn around and run for public office?
Saturday, March 17, 2012
IF ROMNEY GETS THE NOMINATION
Let’s put preferences aside and talk about the scenario most likely to occur as we move forward in the contest for who will serve as the nation’s President for four years beginning in January 2013.
Every Republican I know says they will support whoever wins the Republican primary against Barack Obama. They almost all say the same thing – we can not afford four more years of Obama. But if Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum can’t gather enough votes to stop Romney, the chances of holding onto the White House by liberals is nearly 100%.
“How can you justify saying such a thing when gas prices and the economy and unemployment and so many other important things about this country are in such unacceptable shape?” a reasonable person might say.
The unplayed card in this whole thing will be played if Romney challenges Obama. And it may not always appear to be played by Democrats. Some of the most conservative people in this country will be encouraged to worry about a Romney Presidency. When computers are booted up after the primary and google has a rush of people wanting to know more details on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism they will be greeted by things like the following list of ten most weird things about Romney’s beliefs:
10) The earth was created near Kolob over a period of 6000 years (six "days" in Kolob time), and then flung to its present solar system after the fall of Adam
9) There are many gods (also see #4)
8) Joseph Smith taught there is a Heavenly Mother.
7) Jesus, all angels, Lucifer, all demons, and all human beings are originally spirit brothers and sisters.
6) Defining marriage as between a man and a woman..or even between one man and one woman...does not preclude an individual man from having a 'marriage' with more than one woman (e.g. Russell Nelson, an LDS Apostle, is currently sealed to two women).
5) Heavenly Father had physical sex with Mary to sire Jesus' human body.
4) Heavenly Father had a Father, who had a Father, who had a Father.....
3) The Bible is corrupt...but the exact corrupt parts have never been identified...even though the LDS prophets have had a direct line to God since 1830.
2) Heavenly Father changes his mind when enough human pressure is exerted (e.g. blacks getting priesthood, earthly polygamy ending, etc)
1) Polygamy is still practiced and will continue to be in the hereafter. Mormon men may be sealed to more than one wife today....only one at a time. [edited for accuracy]
Liberals will have a field day discussing religion, but the clencher for them will be that evangelicals who have never voted for anyone but a Republican for President, will express so many doubts that people who have waited for nearly four year to oust Obama will not show up on election day.
The intolerance that liberals are guilty of and that they project so consistently on Republicans will finally seem to manifest. Christian Republicans will be turned off by perversions Mormons promote concerning the Bible and all of the crazy made up myths from Joseph Smith forward. They won’t vote for Obama and they may even appear in polls to be holding their collective noses with the intention of backing Romney. But enough of the rabid conservative his voter will be sedated by revelations about Mormonism to give Obama second term.
Obama’s “Christianity” a la Reverend Wright will end up trumping a Mormon Romney when the card is played. And grass roots Republicans will once again regret that the wheelers and dealers in the party pushed a less conservative candidate forward to run in the general election. They will spend four years watching the country under perform and thinking about the greatness we could have achieved had a Santorum/Rubio administration been the source of leadership from 2013 forward for 16 years.
Every Republican I know says they will support whoever wins the Republican primary against Barack Obama. They almost all say the same thing – we can not afford four more years of Obama. But if Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum can’t gather enough votes to stop Romney, the chances of holding onto the White House by liberals is nearly 100%.
“How can you justify saying such a thing when gas prices and the economy and unemployment and so many other important things about this country are in such unacceptable shape?” a reasonable person might say.
The unplayed card in this whole thing will be played if Romney challenges Obama. And it may not always appear to be played by Democrats. Some of the most conservative people in this country will be encouraged to worry about a Romney Presidency. When computers are booted up after the primary and google has a rush of people wanting to know more details on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism they will be greeted by things like the following list of ten most weird things about Romney’s beliefs:
10) The earth was created near Kolob over a period of 6000 years (six "days" in Kolob time), and then flung to its present solar system after the fall of Adam
9) There are many gods (also see #4)
8) Joseph Smith taught there is a Heavenly Mother.
7) Jesus, all angels, Lucifer, all demons, and all human beings are originally spirit brothers and sisters.
6) Defining marriage as between a man and a woman..or even between one man and one woman...does not preclude an individual man from having a 'marriage' with more than one woman (e.g. Russell Nelson, an LDS Apostle, is currently sealed to two women).
5) Heavenly Father had physical sex with Mary to sire Jesus' human body.
4) Heavenly Father had a Father, who had a Father, who had a Father.....
3) The Bible is corrupt...but the exact corrupt parts have never been identified...even though the LDS prophets have had a direct line to God since 1830.
2) Heavenly Father changes his mind when enough human pressure is exerted (e.g. blacks getting priesthood, earthly polygamy ending, etc)
1) Polygamy is still practiced and will continue to be in the hereafter. Mormon men may be sealed to more than one wife today....only one at a time. [edited for accuracy]
Liberals will have a field day discussing religion, but the clencher for them will be that evangelicals who have never voted for anyone but a Republican for President, will express so many doubts that people who have waited for nearly four year to oust Obama will not show up on election day.
The intolerance that liberals are guilty of and that they project so consistently on Republicans will finally seem to manifest. Christian Republicans will be turned off by perversions Mormons promote concerning the Bible and all of the crazy made up myths from Joseph Smith forward. They won’t vote for Obama and they may even appear in polls to be holding their collective noses with the intention of backing Romney. But enough of the rabid conservative his voter will be sedated by revelations about Mormonism to give Obama second term.
Obama’s “Christianity” a la Reverend Wright will end up trumping a Mormon Romney when the card is played. And grass roots Republicans will once again regret that the wheelers and dealers in the party pushed a less conservative candidate forward to run in the general election. They will spend four years watching the country under perform and thinking about the greatness we could have achieved had a Santorum/Rubio administration been the source of leadership from 2013 forward for 16 years.
Friday, March 16, 2012
IT AIN’T OVER YET, FEMA FRAUD CASE BACK IN THE NEWS
Continuing to differentiate herself from the other traditional longtime media, Editor Vanessa Brashier should be complimented for covering the continued saga and downfall of longtime Democrat and former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald. It is not her job to prosecute him or to defend him (like the local radio station seems to think is there job), but the paper is fulfilling the role traditional media around here has been found lacking in heretofore.
To read her paper’s story on the most recent ruling in federal court please go to:
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cleveland/news/former-liberty-county-judge-will-go-to-trial-for-fema/article_52ebab06-8ff3-5753-9468-5d24a066bf25.html
Liberty Dispatch is left wondering if stories about Fitzgerald and former Commissioner Lee Groce demanding that all of their attorneys’ fees be paid by the taxpayers of Liberty County had an influence on the feds handling of the most recent negotiations with the Fitzgerald. Whether it did or not, I hope some of our public officials are standing guard against further injury to the taxpayers in this case.
To read her paper’s story on the most recent ruling in federal court please go to:
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cleveland/news/former-liberty-county-judge-will-go-to-trial-for-fema/article_52ebab06-8ff3-5753-9468-5d24a066bf25.html
Liberty Dispatch is left wondering if stories about Fitzgerald and former Commissioner Lee Groce demanding that all of their attorneys’ fees be paid by the taxpayers of Liberty County had an influence on the feds handling of the most recent negotiations with the Fitzgerald. Whether it did or not, I hope some of our public officials are standing guard against further injury to the taxpayers in this case.
MCCARTY: GOOD NEIGHBOR, GREAT COMMISSIONER
At first those reading the local paper may have gotten a false impression if they read the headline about recently retired Liberty city councilman Mike McCarty’s neighborhood. Casual readers who just browse the headlines or the first couple of paragraphs of a story may have missed a really good example of how to try and be a good neighbor.
The story covers the public interaction that occurred between Mike McCarty and two people who live in the Forest Hill Subdivision that is adjacent to what has been pastureland since before any of us were born. Readers can surmise that the drama that takes place appears as a news story because Mike McCarty is a very determined and very popular candidate for Commissioner precinct #1 as his second bid to defeat Democrat incumbent Todd Fontenot has a very real chance of continuing to tip the balance of that court towards conservative leadership and away from the good ole boy system that has run the court for decades.
While the headline to the story appears negative, further examination gives readers a hint of the Mike McCarty most of us know. Mike is a nice guy and a problem solver, along with someone who is very community-minded. This story has some of the facts in it that reveal those aspects of his personality.
For those of you who haven’t lived here forever, the Forest Hills subdivision was built years ago and when it was built there was a pasture right next door. The pasture had cattle. Since those days that land and a new herd of cattle are owned by Mike McCarty. Over the years the cattle are often run out of the low lying areas by floods and when it is wet like that the cows congregate closer to the fences adjacent to backyards of Forest Hill homes.
So when some in the neighborhood are concerned about the flies and the smells and the dog barking from the McCarty farm, what would you say a good neighbor should do? As was implied earlier, the headline of the story in the paper may smell bad, but Mike McCarty is a good neighbor and a problem solver who cares about people. He didn’t simply say his land has been a cow pasture as far back as anyone remembers. He didn’t simply say every time the police have come to listen to complaints about dogs in Forest Hills, they have heard nothing from his canine.
No. Mike told looked the people who had concerns right in the eye and told them although he had never heard from any of them, he had recently administered all of the current products and technology to resolve the issues he had heard people were having. He put out product that would not only stop the propagation of flies, but because of his efforts there should be fewer flies. He put out a product cattlemen are using to make the odor of their pastures more pleasant. He incorporated his knowledge of how the oilfield muffles loud engine sounds and put up a long muffling fence between the dogs and the neighborhood. What a great guy! He spent thousands of dollars before anyone said a word to him.
Most of us have had neighbors that would have done nothing. Or if they had spent all of this money and then were confronted in public, they would have been uncooperative. But Mike listened to the problems and committed to adding more fence to muffle any dog sounds that neighbors were hearing (even if police were on record more than once saying there is no dog barking). And he has some other ideas of how to try and improve the community.
Notice please that Mike McCarty was proactive from the start. Then notice please, he also responded with great concern and kindness when people spoke with him in person.
In many ways, the paper’s account of this is not a news story. But if it is a news story because Mike McCarty is running for Commissioner then an analysis of all of the facts should lead readers to be more likely to vote for him after they read the entire story.
If reporting the incident in such a public way was meant to be anything negative, it backfired!
The story covers the public interaction that occurred between Mike McCarty and two people who live in the Forest Hill Subdivision that is adjacent to what has been pastureland since before any of us were born. Readers can surmise that the drama that takes place appears as a news story because Mike McCarty is a very determined and very popular candidate for Commissioner precinct #1 as his second bid to defeat Democrat incumbent Todd Fontenot has a very real chance of continuing to tip the balance of that court towards conservative leadership and away from the good ole boy system that has run the court for decades.
While the headline to the story appears negative, further examination gives readers a hint of the Mike McCarty most of us know. Mike is a nice guy and a problem solver, along with someone who is very community-minded. This story has some of the facts in it that reveal those aspects of his personality.
For those of you who haven’t lived here forever, the Forest Hills subdivision was built years ago and when it was built there was a pasture right next door. The pasture had cattle. Since those days that land and a new herd of cattle are owned by Mike McCarty. Over the years the cattle are often run out of the low lying areas by floods and when it is wet like that the cows congregate closer to the fences adjacent to backyards of Forest Hill homes.
So when some in the neighborhood are concerned about the flies and the smells and the dog barking from the McCarty farm, what would you say a good neighbor should do? As was implied earlier, the headline of the story in the paper may smell bad, but Mike McCarty is a good neighbor and a problem solver who cares about people. He didn’t simply say his land has been a cow pasture as far back as anyone remembers. He didn’t simply say every time the police have come to listen to complaints about dogs in Forest Hills, they have heard nothing from his canine.
No. Mike told looked the people who had concerns right in the eye and told them although he had never heard from any of them, he had recently administered all of the current products and technology to resolve the issues he had heard people were having. He put out product that would not only stop the propagation of flies, but because of his efforts there should be fewer flies. He put out a product cattlemen are using to make the odor of their pastures more pleasant. He incorporated his knowledge of how the oilfield muffles loud engine sounds and put up a long muffling fence between the dogs and the neighborhood. What a great guy! He spent thousands of dollars before anyone said a word to him.
Most of us have had neighbors that would have done nothing. Or if they had spent all of this money and then were confronted in public, they would have been uncooperative. But Mike listened to the problems and committed to adding more fence to muffle any dog sounds that neighbors were hearing (even if police were on record more than once saying there is no dog barking). And he has some other ideas of how to try and improve the community.
Notice please that Mike McCarty was proactive from the start. Then notice please, he also responded with great concern and kindness when people spoke with him in person.
In many ways, the paper’s account of this is not a news story. But if it is a news story because Mike McCarty is running for Commissioner then an analysis of all of the facts should lead readers to be more likely to vote for him after they read the entire story.
If reporting the incident in such a public way was meant to be anything negative, it backfired!
HENRY PATTERSON’S HIRING PROBLEM
There is a reason for the interview process when hiring someone. Forgiveness and allowing people to start with a clean slate has its place but it also has it limits. Because we have reported that Sheriff Patterson has a pattern of hiring troubled former Harris County, Liberty Dispatch thought it would be interesting to expose our readers to reading one of the worst results of that kind of hiring in law enforcement history. This part of history informs us about perhaps the most famous case indicating what is dangerous about helping troubled law enforcement officials wipe their slate clean and pin their badge back on and holster their gun to jump back into the profession they have already shown they have trouble doing without problems.
John Parker is the man who should have been sitting in front of the door leading to Abraham Lincoln as he watched the play at Ford’s theater on April 14, 1865. He wasn’t there. The pathway for John Wilkes Booth to murder the sixteenth President of the United States was unencumbered. Parker was drinking in the saloon next door waiting for the end of the play to escort Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln to their carriage to go back to the White House. Parker’s drinking next door and his prior behavior should have surprised no one who knew his track record.
Parker had a long record of mess ups in his years of service before the Lincoln assassinations. In fact he had a dismal record before he was put on trial for being drunk and disorderly at a house of prostitution. But just like his ability to overcome the testimony of witnesses saying the married father of three had spent five weeks living in that whorehouse, Parker was always able to use the reluctance of people to reprimand a hard working law enforcement officer over and over again to keep his record clean. He appeared before the police board again just two weeks later for sleeping on duty. And he appeared before them again just ninety days later for cursing at a private citizen – but nothing stuck.
Parker put his name in the pool to become one of the new people who looked out for President Lincoln and none of this was factored in when choosing the people who would protect a the most threatened President in American history. Even after he got the job when Parker continued to show up late for duty, the people in charge did nothing to him. He was several hours late to relieve the officer on duty before him on the day Lincoln was assassinated.
Why was he hired? Why wasn’t he fired rather than given one of the best jobs in law enforcement? I don’t know. Perhaps because John Parker was one of the first 150 policemen hired to serve in the new Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Force, his indiscretions were overlooked one at a time and no one knew the cumulative record of his incompetence. But even after his slothfulness and lack of sense of duty was on display for all to see, even when Lincoln no longer was alive to fulfill his duty, John Parker kept his job.
Liberty Dispatch has added our concerns to similar concerns set forth by people in this community. But our concerns have not slowed down Patterson nor have they kept certain individuals from running for office or serving in our local justice system. This community has made some great progress the last two elections, but the audacity of some among us leaves voters with important work ahead.
Stay tuned as we try to give the voters the same kind of information those who hired John Parker had and ignored.
John Parker is the man who should have been sitting in front of the door leading to Abraham Lincoln as he watched the play at Ford’s theater on April 14, 1865. He wasn’t there. The pathway for John Wilkes Booth to murder the sixteenth President of the United States was unencumbered. Parker was drinking in the saloon next door waiting for the end of the play to escort Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln to their carriage to go back to the White House. Parker’s drinking next door and his prior behavior should have surprised no one who knew his track record.
Parker had a long record of mess ups in his years of service before the Lincoln assassinations. In fact he had a dismal record before he was put on trial for being drunk and disorderly at a house of prostitution. But just like his ability to overcome the testimony of witnesses saying the married father of three had spent five weeks living in that whorehouse, Parker was always able to use the reluctance of people to reprimand a hard working law enforcement officer over and over again to keep his record clean. He appeared before the police board again just two weeks later for sleeping on duty. And he appeared before them again just ninety days later for cursing at a private citizen – but nothing stuck.
Parker put his name in the pool to become one of the new people who looked out for President Lincoln and none of this was factored in when choosing the people who would protect a the most threatened President in American history. Even after he got the job when Parker continued to show up late for duty, the people in charge did nothing to him. He was several hours late to relieve the officer on duty before him on the day Lincoln was assassinated.
Why was he hired? Why wasn’t he fired rather than given one of the best jobs in law enforcement? I don’t know. Perhaps because John Parker was one of the first 150 policemen hired to serve in the new Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Force, his indiscretions were overlooked one at a time and no one knew the cumulative record of his incompetence. But even after his slothfulness and lack of sense of duty was on display for all to see, even when Lincoln no longer was alive to fulfill his duty, John Parker kept his job.
Liberty Dispatch has added our concerns to similar concerns set forth by people in this community. But our concerns have not slowed down Patterson nor have they kept certain individuals from running for office or serving in our local justice system. This community has made some great progress the last two elections, but the audacity of some among us leaves voters with important work ahead.
Stay tuned as we try to give the voters the same kind of information those who hired John Parker had and ignored.
Dear Liberty Dispatch
A few weeks ago the blog that follows wreckers around and post the pictures of the latest car crash complained about Sheriff Patterson and the press releases coming out of his department. That blog seemed to indicate some of the meth bust were possibly made up. At the time I read it I thought maybe it was just more Republican hating by a blog that clearly loves liberal Democrats.
But now that we have all of these different marijuana bust where there seems to be no people arrested, I am becoming suspicious. Remember the one where seeds were found and unnamed citizens led officials to them. Or the two large fields where pot was grown and one of them never had an arrest connected with it and the other one only had someone arrested when Liberty Dispatch kept the spotlight on the sheriff’s “arresting pot plants”.
But then just as I think Sheriff Patterson and Rex Evans wouldn’t dare abuse press releases this way that man in Plum Grove went missing Thursday morning a week ago. That one incident has generated a sensational story a day with the Sheriff switching tactics with the weather and all kinds of other factors. I have never seen such a bombastic series of news releases. It looks like the Sheriff either does not have proper training of how to handle this kind of situation or, just as the blog said, he is using the media to keep his name constantly in front of voters.
Shame on Sheriff Patterson for doing this. His deputies are doing plenty of good work in the county and if he wants to release newsworthy real stuff, give them their due. We do not need him and Rex Evans trying to play Superman at election time. This missing man and every other real tragic event deserve the dignity involved in such heart wrenching conditions. They should not be used as a pawn for a sheriff’s re-election.
But now that we have all of these different marijuana bust where there seems to be no people arrested, I am becoming suspicious. Remember the one where seeds were found and unnamed citizens led officials to them. Or the two large fields where pot was grown and one of them never had an arrest connected with it and the other one only had someone arrested when Liberty Dispatch kept the spotlight on the sheriff’s “arresting pot plants”.
But then just as I think Sheriff Patterson and Rex Evans wouldn’t dare abuse press releases this way that man in Plum Grove went missing Thursday morning a week ago. That one incident has generated a sensational story a day with the Sheriff switching tactics with the weather and all kinds of other factors. I have never seen such a bombastic series of news releases. It looks like the Sheriff either does not have proper training of how to handle this kind of situation or, just as the blog said, he is using the media to keep his name constantly in front of voters.
Shame on Sheriff Patterson for doing this. His deputies are doing plenty of good work in the county and if he wants to release newsworthy real stuff, give them their due. We do not need him and Rex Evans trying to play Superman at election time. This missing man and every other real tragic event deserve the dignity involved in such heart wrenching conditions. They should not be used as a pawn for a sheriff’s re-election.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Ballot Positions- 2012 Liberty County Republican Primary Race
LIBERTY COUNTY RACES:
TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR
1. BROWN, Richard
2. GLENN, Debra
COUNTY ATTORNEY
1. HINCH, Wesley
2. FARMER, James
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
1. McNAIR, Karen
2. PICKETT, Logan
SHERIFF
1. RADER, Bobby
2. PATTERSON, Henry
3. COX, Will
COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 1
1. ORESCHNIGG, Hebert
2. McCARTY, Mike
COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3
1. LOWERY, Eddie G.
2. WHITMIRE, David S.
3. WARD, Chance
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 1
1. ALLISON, Tim
2. BOWDOIN, A. W.
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2
1. ALFARRO, Juan
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 3
1. KOEN, Tommy
2. ELLIOTT, Darrell
3. FRANKUM, Danny
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 4
1. HANEL, Leroy
2. PAFFORD, Chad
3. THORNTON, JR., Robert “Robby” Earl
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 5
1. DESPAIN, L. W.
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 6
1. McQUEEN, James
2. JOSLIN, John
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
1. DIAZ, Darla
2. WILSON, John Wayne
3. SIMONSON, Libby
4. WAGNON, Lawrence Wilson
5. HEBERT, Stephen
6. HOUSE, Roy
TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR
1. BROWN, Richard
2. GLENN, Debra
COUNTY ATTORNEY
1. HINCH, Wesley
2. FARMER, James
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
1. McNAIR, Karen
2. PICKETT, Logan
SHERIFF
1. RADER, Bobby
2. PATTERSON, Henry
3. COX, Will
COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 1
1. ORESCHNIGG, Hebert
2. McCARTY, Mike
COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3
1. LOWERY, Eddie G.
2. WHITMIRE, David S.
3. WARD, Chance
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 1
1. ALLISON, Tim
2. BOWDOIN, A. W.
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 2
1. ALFARRO, Juan
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 3
1. KOEN, Tommy
2. ELLIOTT, Darrell
3. FRANKUM, Danny
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 4
1. HANEL, Leroy
2. PAFFORD, Chad
3. THORNTON, JR., Robert “Robby” Earl
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 5
1. DESPAIN, L. W.
CONSTABLE, PRECINCT 6
1. McQUEEN, James
2. JOSLIN, John
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE, PRECINCT 1 (UNEXPIRED TERM)
1. DIAZ, Darla
2. WILSON, John Wayne
3. SIMONSON, Libby
4. WAGNON, Lawrence Wilson
5. HEBERT, Stephen
6. HOUSE, Roy
Sunday, March 11, 2012
LITTLE CORRECTS PICKETT- CHILDREN WILL BE DEFENDED
When readers first heard that eight out of the eleven small children found in the infamous house in Dayton were locked in a room with some tied to tiny beds in a ten foot by ten foot room and that has no electric lights and the window is boarded up from the inside, many may have wanted to be on the jury when justice is pursued. But then readers were shocked to read in The Chronicle that Liberty County’s youngest Assistant District Attorney, Logan Pickett “Found insufficient evidence to pursue any criminal charges”.
Whoa! Four of the eight children in that room, including a “5-year-old legally blind girl found on a filthy mattress”, were tied with some kind of restraining strap around their chests to their small beds AND PICKETT SAYS THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE! Add to that information that one of the older children said they were kept up in the room for up to three days and one day they had no food.
What the heck is going on here. Attached to this story are news links that show this story gets worse and worse the more readers get to find out what Logan Pickett and law enforcement found in the house on Ford Avenue in Dayton Texas. Leaving readers, and probably law enforcement, baffled by Pickett saying he did not intend on pursuing this case.
But those who have followed this District Attorney’s office know that Logan Pickett has a great deal less experience than anyone else in that office and there is a good chance he just passed along the wrong message. Or because Pickett has had a front row seat to witness a troubling pattern of selective prosecution, perhaps he was mimicking what he has seen during his young and brief career. Either way, his boss came in and overruled him.
District Attorney Mike Little has now gone on record saying that his office will present their findings to a grand jury. Now we are all left hoping no one in the D.A.’s office will help present this case to the grand jury that feels there is “insufficient evidence”.
Whoa! Four of the eight children in that room, including a “5-year-old legally blind girl found on a filthy mattress”, were tied with some kind of restraining strap around their chests to their small beds AND PICKETT SAYS THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE! Add to that information that one of the older children said they were kept up in the room for up to three days and one day they had no food.
What the heck is going on here. Attached to this story are news links that show this story gets worse and worse the more readers get to find out what Logan Pickett and law enforcement found in the house on Ford Avenue in Dayton Texas. Leaving readers, and probably law enforcement, baffled by Pickett saying he did not intend on pursuing this case.
But those who have followed this District Attorney’s office know that Logan Pickett has a great deal less experience than anyone else in that office and there is a good chance he just passed along the wrong message. Or because Pickett has had a front row seat to witness a troubling pattern of selective prosecution, perhaps he was mimicking what he has seen during his young and brief career. Either way, his boss came in and overruled him.
District Attorney Mike Little has now gone on record saying that his office will present their findings to a grand jury. Now we are all left hoping no one in the D.A.’s office will help present this case to the grand jury that feels there is “insufficient evidence”.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
WORKING AROUND THE LAST OF THE GOOD OLE BOY SYSTEM
“I fail to comprehend why it is taking so long to review this contract”- Commissioner Todd Fontenot said as he patted himself on the back about having offered to help assist and expedite a process he is totally outside the loop on.
It seems Mr. Fontenot places a great deal more value on the speed it takes to work out a deal than the quality and the effect any deal may have for the citizens of Liberty County. Sadly, Mr. Fontenot appears to be far more frustrated about evaluating different options Liberty County has about what to do about the county jail than he has been with all of the lawsuits, escapes, and personnel problems CEC has had since he and a commissioner court made up of all Democrats voted years ago to give them over $3 million a year.
Contrary to Mr. Fontenot’s histrionics in commissioner court the last week, there has been no one particularly interested in any cost/benefit analysis concerning the huge expense taxpayers are burdened with in this area. It is election time and Mr. Fontenot has watched as one of his political buddies after another has been totally rejected by local voters and that seems to have caused an epiphany about what needs to be done. What Mr. Fontenot believes he needs to do right here at election time is to talk like a conservative.
Unfortunately for him, Mr. Fontenot’s past performance and his association and participation in the dwindling and now toothless “good ole boy system” doesn’t appear to have left him with enough credibility to be seen as anything but an enemy to the taxpayers and a pariah in a process like this one. Liberty Dispatch believes officials wanting to avoid booby traps in the information gathering stage of the process of analyzing Liberty County’s best option concerning the jails, would avoid sharing their thoughts with Mr. Fontenot – and avoid sharing with former commissioner court advocates for CEC like those so badly defeated in the last election (Lee Groce and Phil Fitzgerald) and Lloyd “Tookie” Kirkham. Their political posturing and influence peddling never has helped on this matter in the past and it is not likely to be helpful now. Their list of priorities do not always have the Liberty County taxpayers at the top of the list.
Several weeks ago Liberty Dispatch’s investigation of who has shown an interest in a sincere evaluation of what is best for the taxpayers of this county concerning the jails revealed that Mr. Fontenot has not asked for any cost benefit/analysis or feasibility study from Liberty County Auditor Harold Seay. And he has asked for no raw data to review independently. That information is readily available to him – and the general public for that matter. Instead, Mr. Fontenot has only spent time criticizing the only real conservative County Judge we have had in the history of Liberty County. He can only squeal he doesn’t like the pace at which County Judge McNair is doing what he and the Democrats should have done before we were in a budget crisis.
Mr. Fontenot, in all his vainglory, has made a point to let everyone at commissioners’ court and the media know that while his colleagues had not read the bids, he had read them the day before and he is ready to hear the result of Judge McNair’s research. But while there may be no one that questions Mr. Fontenot’s eagerness to influence this decision, the fact Mr. Fontenot has for over a decade been easily satisfied with the status quo makes him the last person that should offer public criticism. He seems to think voters will forget that he and his cronies have for years felt this issue required no further study. The timing of Judge McNair’s decisions on this matter has not cost the county a dime. In fact, the way he has handled this has caused the public to pay more attention and could have created a situation which causes Democrat officials and both companies bidding to put their best foot forward. Simply said, in only his second year as County Judge, looks like he has forced Mr. Fontenot to at a minimum talk like a businessman that is looking out for the community, instead of an expert in brinkmanship who sits back and smugly proclaims, “You boys are wasting your time thinking about changing what we have done for years.”
Politicians who rise to speak in public and pontificate and project the appearance of a great problem solver- those politicians need to be mindful that voters in these tough economic times are voting out incumbents who have allowed these types of problems to fester. Taxpayers have also grown increasingly aware that friendships and personal relationships can develop around large multimillion dollar contracts and way too often they are more beneficial for the politicians making the deal than those of us who are paying it.
Mr. Fontenot can put on his suit and tie and clear his throat to object to things like spending $2000 to hire outside counsel all he wants. Like an actor in a play he can play the role of a responsible conservative representative “of the people”, but he has a record and it contradicts even an academy award winning performance that his friends in the local media may try to help perpetuate. Reality tells us he has risen and spoken on many other issues. Those who watch politics and this commissioners’ court have seen his behavior in non-election years. And the speeches and decisions he has made over the years not only reveal his contentment with CEC and lack of interest in reviewing this issue, they also reveal that he could be the politician featured on a poster for the “tax and spend” and “borrow and spend more” mentality that has caused Liberty County’s current budget crisis.
Voters have to go no further back in their memory to check out Mr. Fontenot’s “conservatism and his responsible decision-making” than just a few months ago when in the midst of a budget shortfall, he repeatedly pushed the county to build him an unprecedented second precinct barn. He uses the same tactics when trying to have taxpayers pay for a second location and a second barn. He indignantly proclaims "It will save money"... He conveniently leaves out the warning he was given ten years ago that his re-redistricting ideas would spread his precinct out and cause the problems he now has to solve.
Mr. Fontenot’s inability to resist making decisions that have piled up the consequences of years and years of his reckless borrowing and spending would make any wise negotiator want to minimize the damage he could do. Once again, we applaud Judge McNair and his efforts to get the best deal he can get for this community. If Mr. Fontenot feels like he is out of the loop, perhaps he should prepare to feel how far out of the loop us taxpayers have felt through the years when he and his buddies were unstoppable in their good ole boy “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours” games with the county’s assets. Maybe he needs to prepare to go back to finding a non-reserved parking space at the courthouse. Maybe he needs to prepare, for the final swoosh of the broom that cleans out his kind of Gestapo politics in our courthouse.
Fontenot, you are almost a distant memory in Liberty County history, a bad memory.
Writer's Note:
Again, Liberty Dispatch contributors and Liberty Dispatch's supporters would like to thank Liberty County Judge Craig McNair for his stellar leadership and conservative platform implementation in Liberty County.
It seems Mr. Fontenot places a great deal more value on the speed it takes to work out a deal than the quality and the effect any deal may have for the citizens of Liberty County. Sadly, Mr. Fontenot appears to be far more frustrated about evaluating different options Liberty County has about what to do about the county jail than he has been with all of the lawsuits, escapes, and personnel problems CEC has had since he and a commissioner court made up of all Democrats voted years ago to give them over $3 million a year.
Contrary to Mr. Fontenot’s histrionics in commissioner court the last week, there has been no one particularly interested in any cost/benefit analysis concerning the huge expense taxpayers are burdened with in this area. It is election time and Mr. Fontenot has watched as one of his political buddies after another has been totally rejected by local voters and that seems to have caused an epiphany about what needs to be done. What Mr. Fontenot believes he needs to do right here at election time is to talk like a conservative.
Unfortunately for him, Mr. Fontenot’s past performance and his association and participation in the dwindling and now toothless “good ole boy system” doesn’t appear to have left him with enough credibility to be seen as anything but an enemy to the taxpayers and a pariah in a process like this one. Liberty Dispatch believes officials wanting to avoid booby traps in the information gathering stage of the process of analyzing Liberty County’s best option concerning the jails, would avoid sharing their thoughts with Mr. Fontenot – and avoid sharing with former commissioner court advocates for CEC like those so badly defeated in the last election (Lee Groce and Phil Fitzgerald) and Lloyd “Tookie” Kirkham. Their political posturing and influence peddling never has helped on this matter in the past and it is not likely to be helpful now. Their list of priorities do not always have the Liberty County taxpayers at the top of the list.
Several weeks ago Liberty Dispatch’s investigation of who has shown an interest in a sincere evaluation of what is best for the taxpayers of this county concerning the jails revealed that Mr. Fontenot has not asked for any cost benefit/analysis or feasibility study from Liberty County Auditor Harold Seay. And he has asked for no raw data to review independently. That information is readily available to him – and the general public for that matter. Instead, Mr. Fontenot has only spent time criticizing the only real conservative County Judge we have had in the history of Liberty County. He can only squeal he doesn’t like the pace at which County Judge McNair is doing what he and the Democrats should have done before we were in a budget crisis.
Mr. Fontenot, in all his vainglory, has made a point to let everyone at commissioners’ court and the media know that while his colleagues had not read the bids, he had read them the day before and he is ready to hear the result of Judge McNair’s research. But while there may be no one that questions Mr. Fontenot’s eagerness to influence this decision, the fact Mr. Fontenot has for over a decade been easily satisfied with the status quo makes him the last person that should offer public criticism. He seems to think voters will forget that he and his cronies have for years felt this issue required no further study. The timing of Judge McNair’s decisions on this matter has not cost the county a dime. In fact, the way he has handled this has caused the public to pay more attention and could have created a situation which causes Democrat officials and both companies bidding to put their best foot forward. Simply said, in only his second year as County Judge, looks like he has forced Mr. Fontenot to at a minimum talk like a businessman that is looking out for the community, instead of an expert in brinkmanship who sits back and smugly proclaims, “You boys are wasting your time thinking about changing what we have done for years.”
Politicians who rise to speak in public and pontificate and project the appearance of a great problem solver- those politicians need to be mindful that voters in these tough economic times are voting out incumbents who have allowed these types of problems to fester. Taxpayers have also grown increasingly aware that friendships and personal relationships can develop around large multimillion dollar contracts and way too often they are more beneficial for the politicians making the deal than those of us who are paying it.
Mr. Fontenot can put on his suit and tie and clear his throat to object to things like spending $2000 to hire outside counsel all he wants. Like an actor in a play he can play the role of a responsible conservative representative “of the people”, but he has a record and it contradicts even an academy award winning performance that his friends in the local media may try to help perpetuate. Reality tells us he has risen and spoken on many other issues. Those who watch politics and this commissioners’ court have seen his behavior in non-election years. And the speeches and decisions he has made over the years not only reveal his contentment with CEC and lack of interest in reviewing this issue, they also reveal that he could be the politician featured on a poster for the “tax and spend” and “borrow and spend more” mentality that has caused Liberty County’s current budget crisis.
Voters have to go no further back in their memory to check out Mr. Fontenot’s “conservatism and his responsible decision-making” than just a few months ago when in the midst of a budget shortfall, he repeatedly pushed the county to build him an unprecedented second precinct barn. He uses the same tactics when trying to have taxpayers pay for a second location and a second barn. He indignantly proclaims "It will save money"... He conveniently leaves out the warning he was given ten years ago that his re-redistricting ideas would spread his precinct out and cause the problems he now has to solve.
Mr. Fontenot’s inability to resist making decisions that have piled up the consequences of years and years of his reckless borrowing and spending would make any wise negotiator want to minimize the damage he could do. Once again, we applaud Judge McNair and his efforts to get the best deal he can get for this community. If Mr. Fontenot feels like he is out of the loop, perhaps he should prepare to feel how far out of the loop us taxpayers have felt through the years when he and his buddies were unstoppable in their good ole boy “you scratch my back and I will scratch yours” games with the county’s assets. Maybe he needs to prepare to go back to finding a non-reserved parking space at the courthouse. Maybe he needs to prepare, for the final swoosh of the broom that cleans out his kind of Gestapo politics in our courthouse.
Fontenot, you are almost a distant memory in Liberty County history, a bad memory.
Writer's Note:
Again, Liberty Dispatch contributors and Liberty Dispatch's supporters would like to thank Liberty County Judge Craig McNair for his stellar leadership and conservative platform implementation in Liberty County.
Monday, March 5, 2012
IN THE ABSENCE OF A SHERIFF
Thank God Liberty County is a rural county full of self reliant, second amendment, look-you-in-the-eye, patriots because in the absence of a leader in the sheriff’s office, landowners and next door neighbors are proving to be the best warriors against drugs Liberty County has.
A few weeks ago, a local blogger complained about the truthfulness of press releases coming out of Henry Patterson’s office. But it is time to just ignore what Sheriff Patterson’s re-election machine may or may not do with drug busts and start patrolling our communities and turning crop growers into the rest of the hard working men and women down at the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and help stamp this cancer in our community out. Between now and Election Day it is obvious Patterson is going to try and appear to have finally hit his stride. People that don’t know what a do-nothing he has been the rest of the time he has been in office might be fooled, but hopefully his efforts to appear to be some great crime fighter while he hides behind his spokespeople will be seen for what it is- a joke.
It could have been de ja vu. Saturday around noon, the owner of a property on CR 2134 in the Romayor area of north Liberty County called law enforcement and told them it looked like they had found a marijuana growing operation in its early stages.
Liberty Dispatch had hoped the Sheriff’s campaign team wouldn’t run out from the heavily wooded area where the operation was discovered and start trying to roll up enough stories to change his image as some great warrior against drugs - although, that is exactly what they did just a few months ago when another private citizen led the LCSO to much larger fields of marijuana.
Perhaps, Patterson, his spokesman Rex Evans, and his campaign team has learned that private citizens deserve the kudos given in cases like these, not law enforcement. Last time Patterson and his re-election gurus immediately took credit for the largest drug busts in county history. Then when it was pointed out no arrests were made during their entire chest beating celebratory rhetoric, Patterson and company turned full circle and said that the Sheriff was just a small part of a larger operation that included the feds, etc. And then, as we have cataloged, Patterson turned full circle again when eventually someone was arrested and again Patterson was declared a conquering hero – nothing much was ever made of the citizen who was responsible for 99% of the case.
So here we go again. Locks on the gates leading to the property had been cut and placed in such a way as to make the gates appear secure to any passerby, but private citizens saw they were cut and decided it was suspicious enough to warrant them looking into the woods further. They found a seed-starter tray holding approximately 100 tiny budding marijuana plants. None of the plants appeared to have been planted in the ground. Scattered around the site were bags of fertilizer, rapid-grow chemicals, clothing, shoes, camping supplies and personal items.
Thus far, none of the items so far have led law enforcement to the identity of the marijuana grower. Liberty Dispatch has a pro law enforcement, conservative point of view and applauds all efforts by those who follow-up on this crime scene and try to arrest those who would sacrifice the health and well being of this nation by selling harmful drugs so they can very selfishly make a profit. But we also believe that a candidate for sheriff or anyone else, who steals “pats on the back” and public kudos from brave patriotic citizens who risk getting involved by reporting what they know, is just plain unacceptable. Not quite as bad, but still unacceptable – this sheriff needs to tell his spokespeople not to jump in front of the media and try and take credit for the follow-up work done on this case.
Here is a novel idea for Sheriff Patterson. Make sure the person who does the work gets the credit.
A few weeks ago, a local blogger complained about the truthfulness of press releases coming out of Henry Patterson’s office. But it is time to just ignore what Sheriff Patterson’s re-election machine may or may not do with drug busts and start patrolling our communities and turning crop growers into the rest of the hard working men and women down at the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and help stamp this cancer in our community out. Between now and Election Day it is obvious Patterson is going to try and appear to have finally hit his stride. People that don’t know what a do-nothing he has been the rest of the time he has been in office might be fooled, but hopefully his efforts to appear to be some great crime fighter while he hides behind his spokespeople will be seen for what it is- a joke.
It could have been de ja vu. Saturday around noon, the owner of a property on CR 2134 in the Romayor area of north Liberty County called law enforcement and told them it looked like they had found a marijuana growing operation in its early stages.
Liberty Dispatch had hoped the Sheriff’s campaign team wouldn’t run out from the heavily wooded area where the operation was discovered and start trying to roll up enough stories to change his image as some great warrior against drugs - although, that is exactly what they did just a few months ago when another private citizen led the LCSO to much larger fields of marijuana.
Perhaps, Patterson, his spokesman Rex Evans, and his campaign team has learned that private citizens deserve the kudos given in cases like these, not law enforcement. Last time Patterson and his re-election gurus immediately took credit for the largest drug busts in county history. Then when it was pointed out no arrests were made during their entire chest beating celebratory rhetoric, Patterson and company turned full circle and said that the Sheriff was just a small part of a larger operation that included the feds, etc. And then, as we have cataloged, Patterson turned full circle again when eventually someone was arrested and again Patterson was declared a conquering hero – nothing much was ever made of the citizen who was responsible for 99% of the case.
So here we go again. Locks on the gates leading to the property had been cut and placed in such a way as to make the gates appear secure to any passerby, but private citizens saw they were cut and decided it was suspicious enough to warrant them looking into the woods further. They found a seed-starter tray holding approximately 100 tiny budding marijuana plants. None of the plants appeared to have been planted in the ground. Scattered around the site were bags of fertilizer, rapid-grow chemicals, clothing, shoes, camping supplies and personal items.
Thus far, none of the items so far have led law enforcement to the identity of the marijuana grower. Liberty Dispatch has a pro law enforcement, conservative point of view and applauds all efforts by those who follow-up on this crime scene and try to arrest those who would sacrifice the health and well being of this nation by selling harmful drugs so they can very selfishly make a profit. But we also believe that a candidate for sheriff or anyone else, who steals “pats on the back” and public kudos from brave patriotic citizens who risk getting involved by reporting what they know, is just plain unacceptable. Not quite as bad, but still unacceptable – this sheriff needs to tell his spokespeople not to jump in front of the media and try and take credit for the follow-up work done on this case.
Here is a novel idea for Sheriff Patterson. Make sure the person who does the work gets the credit.
Friday, March 2, 2012
REST IN PEACE ANDREW
"I do what I do because the mainstream media chooses not to do it," Andrew Breitbart said. "The game of the left controlling the narrative ... is ending."
Our hats are off to Andrew this week at Liberty Dispatch as we celebrate the life of a man whose flare for battle with politicians and the media made him a warrior for truth. Andrew died Thursday. The websites he founded ran a statement Thursday morning announcing that at age 43, he died "unexpectedly from natural causes" in Los Angeles shortly after midnight.
"We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior," the statement said. "Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love."
Here is the concluding passage from Andrew’s book, Righteous Indignation and a great perspective from someone who chose to take full advantage of freedom and to speak up without counting the cost:
"I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -- famously -- I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I've lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I've gained hundreds, thousands -- who knows? -- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”
Andrew Breitbart is gone from this earth, but no one can say he was unnoticed while he was here – no one can say he did not fight against the things he considered harmful to this great country. No one can say they did not know what he stood for. He was a modern day Samuel Adams. We salute you sir, RIP.
Our hats are off to Andrew this week at Liberty Dispatch as we celebrate the life of a man whose flare for battle with politicians and the media made him a warrior for truth. Andrew died Thursday. The websites he founded ran a statement Thursday morning announcing that at age 43, he died "unexpectedly from natural causes" in Los Angeles shortly after midnight.
"We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior," the statement said. "Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love."
Here is the concluding passage from Andrew’s book, Righteous Indignation and a great perspective from someone who chose to take full advantage of freedom and to speak up without counting the cost:
"I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -- famously -- I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I've lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I've gained hundreds, thousands -- who knows? -- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”
Andrew Breitbart is gone from this earth, but no one can say he was unnoticed while he was here – no one can say he did not fight against the things he considered harmful to this great country. No one can say they did not know what he stood for. He was a modern day Samuel Adams. We salute you sir, RIP.
2012 Texas Primary Election Court Ruling
The judges in San Antonio have come down with a ruling as regards the 2012 Texas election primary time lines.
It has been made final- the Texas primary election will be held May 29th. The last day and time for candidates to sign-up will be Friday, March 9th and 6:00pm.
It has been made final- the Texas primary election will be held May 29th. The last day and time for candidates to sign-up will be Friday, March 9th and 6:00pm.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
PORN IN THE COUNTY JAIL
Liberty County Sheriff Henry Patterson may be under the mistaken impression that ballots will be passed out in the county jail and he can hope to get the inmate vote in the Republican primary in May.
Patterson’s struggling bid for re-election just hit another major impasse as a widely reported story about Liberty County Jail inmates viewing pornography on the county jail’s community room television for two months is informing the public of yet another of Patterson’s problems. The Community Education Center, or CEC, and a close friend of Patterson’s, runs the day to day operations of the jail and that contract with the county is currently up for reconsideration by the commissioner’s court. Some have suggested that the county reclaim control of the jail. With Sheriff Patterson already overseeing the jail, news of more problems may detour any efforts to get away from hiring outside management unless one of Patterson’s opponents is considered in the decision making formula.
Patterson has expressed no interests in expanding his control and influence so he can have better oversight. And he has not been critical of the current management. On the other hand, Bobby Rader, Patterson’s chief opponent, is the only candidate to have asked to see the figures so he could analyze the feasibility of taking the jail back under the day to day management of the sheriff.
No explanation of why inmates possibly watched two months of porn on cable courtesy of Liberty County taxpayers. One would think the inmates were being more closely monitored and that Patterson would not allow something like this to go on for so long. If nothing else, the televisions could have been unplugged until the cable company blocked the porn channel. But who knows, maybe Patterson is hoping to get the orange jumpsuit vote.
Patterson’s struggling bid for re-election just hit another major impasse as a widely reported story about Liberty County Jail inmates viewing pornography on the county jail’s community room television for two months is informing the public of yet another of Patterson’s problems. The Community Education Center, or CEC, and a close friend of Patterson’s, runs the day to day operations of the jail and that contract with the county is currently up for reconsideration by the commissioner’s court. Some have suggested that the county reclaim control of the jail. With Sheriff Patterson already overseeing the jail, news of more problems may detour any efforts to get away from hiring outside management unless one of Patterson’s opponents is considered in the decision making formula.
Patterson has expressed no interests in expanding his control and influence so he can have better oversight. And he has not been critical of the current management. On the other hand, Bobby Rader, Patterson’s chief opponent, is the only candidate to have asked to see the figures so he could analyze the feasibility of taking the jail back under the day to day management of the sheriff.
No explanation of why inmates possibly watched two months of porn on cable courtesy of Liberty County taxpayers. One would think the inmates were being more closely monitored and that Patterson would not allow something like this to go on for so long. If nothing else, the televisions could have been unplugged until the cable company blocked the porn channel. But who knows, maybe Patterson is hoping to get the orange jumpsuit vote.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)