To many the 2010 elections ushered in a new era of hope and many much needed changes in Liberty County, but the though full of potential some have grown anxious wondering when we will witness some leadership in facing all of the problems created by poor spending practices by past leadership and a hard economic times throughout the country. But help is more than on the way. Liberty Dispatch has uncovered it is here. Off the political radar usually and the last place most would think to look for help in solving a budget crisis, Liberty County ‘s economic leadership seems to be coming from the most unlikely of places – our three Judges.
With no fanfare and no press release, Liberty Dispatch would not even know of the work County Court –at –Law Judge Tommy Chambers, District Judge Chap Cain, and District Judge Mark Morefield are doing to save the county money. These three have looked a little outside of their boxes into related areas and found ways the county can save hundreds of thousands of dollars.
These savings are no pipe dream and they come with no strings attached. A review of the “Notice of Meeting of the District, County Court at Law, and County Judges and the Chief Supervision and Corrections Officer of Liberty County” unveils what our leadership seems to be moving towards. This public document shows that the Judges have their eyes on reducing the number of days indicted nonviolent low risk defendants spend in jail while awaiting trial. With two goals in mind, reduce jail expenses and keeping citizens safe, they have carefully analyzed our jail population.
The conclusion indicates savings will be dramatic. According to public record, each prisoner cost Liberty County $46.50 a day. The public record implies estimates of twenty to twenty five percent of our jail inmates would be waiting for trial under this plan. Some wearing bracelets and some under PR bonds, etc., but all off of the taxpayers backs. With an approximate average daily prisoner count of two hundred, the county would be housing between forty to fifty fewer prisoners a day at a yearly savings ranging between $678,900 and $848,625 a year!
In our effort to gather more information we found something very unusual among our attempts to talk to two of the three Judges involved in what could be the best news for taxpayers in many years. We found a reluctance to comment or take credit for these changes. We referred to the public record we had already obtained for information by one Judge. Rather than make sure his name was associated with the savings, the other Judge hinted that he would like us to wait to report the information until several months of savings had been documented.
These Judges are a far cry from the finger pointing, money spending politicians we have suffered under in recent years. It is encouraging to know we have some elected officials who are not just interested in a larger budget for their department. These proactive public servants looking outside of their own area and at the big picture have found a great way to save money. They found it and are enacting policies and procedures without any fanfare or finger pointing.
We salute them and County Judge Craig McNair for their energetic approach to taking a fresh look at how things have been done in this county. We taxpayers encourage more of this kind of leadership.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
AIDING AND ABETTING JUVENILE CRIME
If you haven’t been affected by it or haven’t heard about it, you will soon. Liberty County is part of a juvenile crime wave and it is not going away anytime soon. In fact summertime is coming and it could get worse. Juveniles burglarizing homes, assaulting and raping girls, stealing automobiles, and buying and selling drugs have become a common news story around here. The story we are not hearing from the media is how the greed of one public official and the timidity of another are in effect aiding and abetting this trend.
“It’s like herding cats” one unnamed source said. “The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department and all of the police departments in the county can successfully chase and cage many of these young hoodlums, but what happens next is like ‘aiding and abetting’ the bad guys.”
Statistics indicate the tremendous increase in District Attorney Mike Little’s 2006 budget has not really led to any more success in his prosecution statistics. In fact, one could easily argue the money Little sucked away from County Attorney Wes Hinch’s budget is severely limiting Liberty County’s ability to deal with juvenile crime. Inexplicably, Hinch gave up three assistant county attorneys without a fight. It is as if Hinch were saying Little could spend the money better. But the fact of the matter is Little can’t. The fact of the matter is if Wes Hinch won’t fight for himself, he needs to at least fight for the taxpayer.
The numbers don’t lie. Little’s constant campaign and pressure to get more money has produced little to no results. On the other hand, Hinch would be considered to be under staffed to most. Hinch himself seems to be content with just cutting his services and responsibilities. He has areas of influence he could fight against the juvenile crime wave with additional staff. In 2009 and 2010, former Assistant County Attorney Tommy Chambers teamed with Justices of the Peace like Bobby Rader and made a great difference in making sure juvenile delinquents paid a price for breaking the law. Under Chambers juveniles would appear in court and face the consequences of their actions. The under staffing caused by the hoarding of budget dollars by Little has helped many juveniles to get off scott free and to return to breaking in houses and other crimes.
It is nineteen more months until voters will get a chance to elect a new District Attorney and two new commissioners who vote on the budget. In the meantime, it would be Liberty Dispatch’s pleasure to witness an awakening of County Attorney Wes Hinch. He appears to have reached across the Republican aisle and embraced and acquiesced to Democrat Mike Little. In many cases the cats have been herded by law enforcement, but tickets given to juveniles are going unpaid, community service is unserved, and juvenile crime is going unpunished.
Wes Hinch, if he decides to run for re-election, will appear on a ballot in the 2012 elections. He can try to sell voters on the idea he did not have the money to execute his duty and that he did the next best thing – reduce the expectations he had of his office. Or he can fall out of love with Mike Little and he can stand up for taxpayers and get the money he needs to do his job. Who Wes Hinch is will be decided in the next few months by whether he does his job or makes excuses.
Hinch is more than willing to fight to keep the small, mostly unaccounted slush fund he controls from income based off of hot check collections. But he shrinks back and goes along with anything Mike Little proposes – even if it means he loses the staff he needs to do his job. His office prosecutes several times more cases than Little’s and the budget has never been so lopsided between the two offices.
We have come to know Little is a sycophant. He is also the kind of politician who makes the word “politician” synonymous with self serving liar. Now we have to see if Hinch wants to follow in Little’s footsteps or come out in the light and work with the rest of the justice system Liberty County just elected.
I like Wes Hinch as a person. In the remaining months of 2011 I will find out whether I can like him as an elected official.
“It’s like herding cats” one unnamed source said. “The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department and all of the police departments in the county can successfully chase and cage many of these young hoodlums, but what happens next is like ‘aiding and abetting’ the bad guys.”
Statistics indicate the tremendous increase in District Attorney Mike Little’s 2006 budget has not really led to any more success in his prosecution statistics. In fact, one could easily argue the money Little sucked away from County Attorney Wes Hinch’s budget is severely limiting Liberty County’s ability to deal with juvenile crime. Inexplicably, Hinch gave up three assistant county attorneys without a fight. It is as if Hinch were saying Little could spend the money better. But the fact of the matter is Little can’t. The fact of the matter is if Wes Hinch won’t fight for himself, he needs to at least fight for the taxpayer.
The numbers don’t lie. Little’s constant campaign and pressure to get more money has produced little to no results. On the other hand, Hinch would be considered to be under staffed to most. Hinch himself seems to be content with just cutting his services and responsibilities. He has areas of influence he could fight against the juvenile crime wave with additional staff. In 2009 and 2010, former Assistant County Attorney Tommy Chambers teamed with Justices of the Peace like Bobby Rader and made a great difference in making sure juvenile delinquents paid a price for breaking the law. Under Chambers juveniles would appear in court and face the consequences of their actions. The under staffing caused by the hoarding of budget dollars by Little has helped many juveniles to get off scott free and to return to breaking in houses and other crimes.
It is nineteen more months until voters will get a chance to elect a new District Attorney and two new commissioners who vote on the budget. In the meantime, it would be Liberty Dispatch’s pleasure to witness an awakening of County Attorney Wes Hinch. He appears to have reached across the Republican aisle and embraced and acquiesced to Democrat Mike Little. In many cases the cats have been herded by law enforcement, but tickets given to juveniles are going unpaid, community service is unserved, and juvenile crime is going unpunished.
Wes Hinch, if he decides to run for re-election, will appear on a ballot in the 2012 elections. He can try to sell voters on the idea he did not have the money to execute his duty and that he did the next best thing – reduce the expectations he had of his office. Or he can fall out of love with Mike Little and he can stand up for taxpayers and get the money he needs to do his job. Who Wes Hinch is will be decided in the next few months by whether he does his job or makes excuses.
Hinch is more than willing to fight to keep the small, mostly unaccounted slush fund he controls from income based off of hot check collections. But he shrinks back and goes along with anything Mike Little proposes – even if it means he loses the staff he needs to do his job. His office prosecutes several times more cases than Little’s and the budget has never been so lopsided between the two offices.
We have come to know Little is a sycophant. He is also the kind of politician who makes the word “politician” synonymous with self serving liar. Now we have to see if Hinch wants to follow in Little’s footsteps or come out in the light and work with the rest of the justice system Liberty County just elected.
I like Wes Hinch as a person. In the remaining months of 2011 I will find out whether I can like him as an elected official.
Rope -A- Dope
The Rope-a-dope is a boxing style commonly associated with Muhammad Ali from the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman. The rope-a-dope is usually used against an opponent that has superior power; and it is most effectively performed after aggravating and agitating your opponent and then, in Ali's classic pose, lying against the ropes, and allowing the opponent to hit you over and over again. Then late in the fight when the opponent is confident he will win, the boxer has reserved all of his energy to exploit a counter-attack based on all of the flaws he observed while he was being pummeled. Now “the dope” is a sitting duck, his superior power is gone and his opponent knows all of his weaknesses, saving the exploitation of them until the end.
Liberty County has been dominated by Democrats since before our grandparents were children and some have bragged it would always been that way. Some have used and abused their power to line their pockets and to stomp any opposition through the years, but the veterans of this fight for the soul of Liberty County have collected a ring full of knowledge about the weaknesses of these “dopes’. That information and experience may never get the credit for the downfall of what is already a much much weaker local Democrat party, but in the late rounds it leaves the former Donkey party powerbrokers falling hard.
The newest example of some of the pathetic political maneuvering the good ole boys have been doing for years is currently under review by Liberty Dispatch. For years outgoing Democrat officials have taken advantage of the September 30th state mandated budget year. After their defeat or retirement and much to the harm of taxpayers, Democrats have become infamous for spending most of their budget in the interim months – leaving their successor with insufficient funds to do their job.
Liberty Dispatch has already revealed how the District Attorney, Mike Little, has pressured and intimidated commissioners into more than doubling his budget (while successfully indicting and convicting fewer criminals). We have also discovered that Mike Little’s budget is ridiculously higher then the budget of the County Attorney’s office, even though they handle about 80% fewer cases.
Now we are looking into how budgets were blown right after local Democrats were sent home by the voters. We know what we will find because when these arrogant political opportunists were at the pinnacle of their power they felt no need to hide their vulnerabilities. They must have thought “no one will believe you and KSHN and The Vindicator will never allow you to print it anyway.” But they did it,; and they are doing it. Taxpayers deserve better and so do the candidates who win election and begin their time as public servants.
Stay tuned voters for the damage from last election; and be vigilante as we watch what happens when we throw the rest of the bums out next election as we finish “roping the dopes.”
Liberty County has been dominated by Democrats since before our grandparents were children and some have bragged it would always been that way. Some have used and abused their power to line their pockets and to stomp any opposition through the years, but the veterans of this fight for the soul of Liberty County have collected a ring full of knowledge about the weaknesses of these “dopes’. That information and experience may never get the credit for the downfall of what is already a much much weaker local Democrat party, but in the late rounds it leaves the former Donkey party powerbrokers falling hard.
The newest example of some of the pathetic political maneuvering the good ole boys have been doing for years is currently under review by Liberty Dispatch. For years outgoing Democrat officials have taken advantage of the September 30th state mandated budget year. After their defeat or retirement and much to the harm of taxpayers, Democrats have become infamous for spending most of their budget in the interim months – leaving their successor with insufficient funds to do their job.
Liberty Dispatch has already revealed how the District Attorney, Mike Little, has pressured and intimidated commissioners into more than doubling his budget (while successfully indicting and convicting fewer criminals). We have also discovered that Mike Little’s budget is ridiculously higher then the budget of the County Attorney’s office, even though they handle about 80% fewer cases.
Now we are looking into how budgets were blown right after local Democrats were sent home by the voters. We know what we will find because when these arrogant political opportunists were at the pinnacle of their power they felt no need to hide their vulnerabilities. They must have thought “no one will believe you and KSHN and The Vindicator will never allow you to print it anyway.” But they did it,; and they are doing it. Taxpayers deserve better and so do the candidates who win election and begin their time as public servants.
Stay tuned voters for the damage from last election; and be vigilante as we watch what happens when we throw the rest of the bums out next election as we finish “roping the dopes.”
Sunday, April 3, 2011
LIBERTY COUNTY LOOKING FOR REAGAN
Liberty County taxpayers that are thirty five years are older are not likely to have forgotten what I always refer to as “the Carter years”. Until Barack Hussein Obama those four years of James Earl Carter as President were the most dreadful years we had had as a country since Franklin D, Roosevelt’s policies were rescued from the Great Depression by World War II . The last few years of the 1970’s were full of wrong-headed pitiful leadership. Similar to the voters’ response to the bursting of the housing bubble at the end of George W. Bush’s eight years as President, “Jimmy” Carter was elected as a result of a desperate electorate trying to distance itself from Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal.
Regardless of the fact Liberty County rejected the idea of electing the most inexperienced, most liberal President in American history , we were in the minority in November 2008and we are paying the price for our politicians in Washington exacerbating problems caused by the liberal policies governing the housing market for years. Liberty County refused to vote for someone so liberal despite all of the hype and good feelings some parts of the country got caught up in as they focused on the candidates’ skin color rather than the content of their character, but we still have to deal with the economic fallout.
The answer to the fallout can be discovered in one word, “Reagan”. The no nonsense, common sense approach of Ronald Reagan is what curbed the natural tendency of politicians to spend more and more taxpayer money on “do good” policies and projects. Reagan believed in a robust military in order to fulfill the Constitutional responsibility of government to “provide for a common defense”, but otherwise he minimized Congress’ shopping spree mentality and tried to slow down government growth and spending. (Note: the word “tired” is here in preparation for the liberal argument that tries to blame Democrats’ budgets on a very focused President Reagan).
Just like the entire state of Texas (perhaps the most conservative, anti-Obama state in the Union), Liberty County can’t guarantee we won’t have four more years of Obama. But we cam search and find our own Reagans. In the coming weeks and months we can try to encourage our own politicians to stand tall and be counted on every vote that involves unnecessary spending. We can also let the local politicians know we are looking for Reagan-like leadership that is pro-active in shrinking the size and scope of government spending.
Citizens have already voiced their opinion on this website about their desire to dial taxpayer spending back to the 2006 levels. Going into the fifth month of a new terms for Norman Brown and his first term as a Republican, and going into the first term for Republican County Judge Craig McNair and Republican Commissioner Charlotte Warner, voters have to hope they will act more like Reagan and less like Fitzgerald, Groce, and Democrat Todd Fontenot. Voters have to hope these people are willing to do the best thing for our economy and to get ready for what could be even tougher times if Obama’s billion dollar re-election campaign funds sentence us to another four years.
“Where can we cut?” That seems to be the Democrats effort to set voters desire for government services against Republicans. But it should not be a rhetorical question for real Republicans.
Every Republican in that courthouse should be, not only willing, but excited to cut their budget back to 2006 numbers. It is their duty as a public servant to do what is good for the public. There are places in the 2006 budget Liberty Dispatch would be more reluctant to encourage going back to than others – such as the raises for lower level employees. But there are areas that scream “please cut me”- like positions added since, such as the assistant to help with FEMA/grants added by former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald. Before Phil (or BP) we had a grant writer like many counties that was not paid by the county. Dennis Odell is the first grant/FEMA person we have ever paid. If Odell is better than the previous grant writer, and if he is a true Republican, he would gladly be paid like all previous people with his responsibilities – their fees are written into the grants they write and their success is tied to their ability to successfully obtain grant money.
As our readers have suggested, the largest area of concern in the last few years has been the growing amount of money District Attorney Mike Little has been allotted in the budget. With so much scandalous behavior in the courthouse, it doesn’t look good when the District Attorney has avoided participating in confronting so much of courthouse crime and at the same time received so much more money by what could be people that he should have prosecuted. With Groce and Fitzgerald voted out of the offices that have funded Mike Little’s hefty budget increases, voters can hope a 2012 defeat of liberal Democrat Commissioner Todd Fontenot will help end such practices.
But voters should hope we have Reagan-like people in office now. Waiting for the next election is not necessary. In fact, in this economy it could be dangerous. Real Republicans in office should be willing to turn over their slush funds or at least to have them considered in the budget process. Typical of a Democrat, Mike Little points to Austin and avoids talking about all of the money he gets from confiscating the property of convicted drug dealers. He is on the ballot in 2012 and voters can decide if we can afford the kind of politician that will use any means necessary to bloat their budget and jack taxpayers as much as they can by using local, state, and federal government regulations.
Liberty County is not a rich county. We had plenty of people who wanted to be commissioners and county judge before they raised their salaries on a regular basis. We have things we would like to be better, but at election time we have always been promised better planning and not higher taxes.
Regardless of the fact Liberty County rejected the idea of electing the most inexperienced, most liberal President in American history , we were in the minority in November 2008and we are paying the price for our politicians in Washington exacerbating problems caused by the liberal policies governing the housing market for years. Liberty County refused to vote for someone so liberal despite all of the hype and good feelings some parts of the country got caught up in as they focused on the candidates’ skin color rather than the content of their character, but we still have to deal with the economic fallout.
The answer to the fallout can be discovered in one word, “Reagan”. The no nonsense, common sense approach of Ronald Reagan is what curbed the natural tendency of politicians to spend more and more taxpayer money on “do good” policies and projects. Reagan believed in a robust military in order to fulfill the Constitutional responsibility of government to “provide for a common defense”, but otherwise he minimized Congress’ shopping spree mentality and tried to slow down government growth and spending. (Note: the word “tired” is here in preparation for the liberal argument that tries to blame Democrats’ budgets on a very focused President Reagan).
Just like the entire state of Texas (perhaps the most conservative, anti-Obama state in the Union), Liberty County can’t guarantee we won’t have four more years of Obama. But we cam search and find our own Reagans. In the coming weeks and months we can try to encourage our own politicians to stand tall and be counted on every vote that involves unnecessary spending. We can also let the local politicians know we are looking for Reagan-like leadership that is pro-active in shrinking the size and scope of government spending.
Citizens have already voiced their opinion on this website about their desire to dial taxpayer spending back to the 2006 levels. Going into the fifth month of a new terms for Norman Brown and his first term as a Republican, and going into the first term for Republican County Judge Craig McNair and Republican Commissioner Charlotte Warner, voters have to hope they will act more like Reagan and less like Fitzgerald, Groce, and Democrat Todd Fontenot. Voters have to hope these people are willing to do the best thing for our economy and to get ready for what could be even tougher times if Obama’s billion dollar re-election campaign funds sentence us to another four years.
“Where can we cut?” That seems to be the Democrats effort to set voters desire for government services against Republicans. But it should not be a rhetorical question for real Republicans.
Every Republican in that courthouse should be, not only willing, but excited to cut their budget back to 2006 numbers. It is their duty as a public servant to do what is good for the public. There are places in the 2006 budget Liberty Dispatch would be more reluctant to encourage going back to than others – such as the raises for lower level employees. But there are areas that scream “please cut me”- like positions added since, such as the assistant to help with FEMA/grants added by former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald. Before Phil (or BP) we had a grant writer like many counties that was not paid by the county. Dennis Odell is the first grant/FEMA person we have ever paid. If Odell is better than the previous grant writer, and if he is a true Republican, he would gladly be paid like all previous people with his responsibilities – their fees are written into the grants they write and their success is tied to their ability to successfully obtain grant money.
As our readers have suggested, the largest area of concern in the last few years has been the growing amount of money District Attorney Mike Little has been allotted in the budget. With so much scandalous behavior in the courthouse, it doesn’t look good when the District Attorney has avoided participating in confronting so much of courthouse crime and at the same time received so much more money by what could be people that he should have prosecuted. With Groce and Fitzgerald voted out of the offices that have funded Mike Little’s hefty budget increases, voters can hope a 2012 defeat of liberal Democrat Commissioner Todd Fontenot will help end such practices.
But voters should hope we have Reagan-like people in office now. Waiting for the next election is not necessary. In fact, in this economy it could be dangerous. Real Republicans in office should be willing to turn over their slush funds or at least to have them considered in the budget process. Typical of a Democrat, Mike Little points to Austin and avoids talking about all of the money he gets from confiscating the property of convicted drug dealers. He is on the ballot in 2012 and voters can decide if we can afford the kind of politician that will use any means necessary to bloat their budget and jack taxpayers as much as they can by using local, state, and federal government regulations.
Liberty County is not a rich county. We had plenty of people who wanted to be commissioners and county judge before they raised their salaries on a regular basis. We have things we would like to be better, but at election time we have always been promised better planning and not higher taxes.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
SAYING A THING OVER AND OVER DOESN’T MAKE A THING SOUND GOOD
Along with the assumption that people have not kept up with the absenteeism and the inter-department struggles of Sheriff Patterson, they must figure out a way to make it look like he has done a great job. One way they will use is “parroting”. They will try and make it sound like Patterson has wide based support because it is widely known he has done a great job – a stretch that will require political trickery deluxe.
It has been reported that the Outsiders have decided not to sit together in meetings anymore. Part of that reason could be to make their parroting more influential. In a meeting where several people around the room all seem to be in agreement it can influence perception differently than if a group comes in together and pushes for having things their way.
But “parroting” using just parrots that are not from this county (Outsiders) would be ineffective. So the Patterson political team will have to talk some of the people who have sponsored or condoned or who are just plain uninformed about the Outsiders, to come forward to help parrot what a great Sheriff Henry Patterson has been. Businessmen and other officials may not be too excited about standing bird to bird with the Outsiders and talk about a sheriff record that does not match what the people have seen.
The campaign may have to add in some more “shut up” politics and use the intimidation of the Sheriff’s department to do it. Liberty Dispatch has already reported the threats we have received. But we are also aware that the Sheriff is alleged to have let it be known some people working for the county better not say one negative or revealing thing about his leadership. Birds of a feather stick together – Patterson seems to be doing his part with the Outsiders.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Dear Liberty Dispatch and Judge
Recently I accompanied a friend to his court hearing in the 75th Judicial District Court in Liberty County. I have visited the 75th Judicial District Court on several prior occasions when the former judge was sitting on the bench.
I just wanted to comment on the distinct difference in our new Judge, Mark Morefield and the old judge. I found the new Judge very businesslike and professional. The difference between our new judge and that of the old Judge CT Hight is like night and day. I believe our county is much better served by a real legal administrator and honest man like Mark Morefield. It is apparent Judge Morefield has a real and genuine interest in the people of Liberty County and wont be bullied by the corrupt good ole boy network.
Thank you in advance for posting my letter.
I just wanted to comment on the distinct difference in our new Judge, Mark Morefield and the old judge. I found the new Judge very businesslike and professional. The difference between our new judge and that of the old Judge CT Hight is like night and day. I believe our county is much better served by a real legal administrator and honest man like Mark Morefield. It is apparent Judge Morefield has a real and genuine interest in the people of Liberty County and wont be bullied by the corrupt good ole boy network.
Thank you in advance for posting my letter.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
TAXPAYERS DOGGED BY DA’S PET PROJECTS
If Liberty Dispatch’s readers are ever asked what caused all of the questions about the integrity of District Attorney Mike Little to arise, we could give a one word answer, a two word answer, or an answer that names three of his friends that to some have linked him to a lack of integrity forever.
The one word answer is “politics”. Mike Little has been the most political District Attorney in memory, but unless you’re real involved in politics you may not have had an opportunity to witness it. When Little was appointed District Attorney over two decades ago the county politics were so lopsided in favor of the Democrats, Little never faced an opponent. All those years with no opponent are not by accident or dumb luck however. The District Attorney he replaced is the legendary W.G. “Dub” Woods. Woods went on to be an extraordinary District Judge whose reputation for upholding justice and the rule of law was totally untarnished when he retired after over three decades of public service. Judge Woods would undoubtedly be considered a conservative Republican these days, but no one would ever know it – he was too busy with the fulfilling his responsibilities to be political. Little and Judge Woods are very different. Unlike Little’s predecessor Little worked to perfect a carrot and stick approach to staying in office. He rewarded his friends and made new friends by using the power of his office to gain political favor. He punished or intimidated anyone who hinted at standing upon against him by using harsh realities a District Attorney can inject into any ambitious attorney’s career who dreams of being a D.A.
The word answer to what caused all of the questions about the integrity of District Attorney Mike Little to arise is “pet projects”. Little has leveraged his power and position to get huge increases in his budget along with tremendous amounts of “booty” from confiscating the belongings of convicted drug dealers – all money that is unaccounted for or “off the books” according to County Auditor Harold Seay. A District Attorney that is a political animal like Little will always devote most of their time to three main things. One thing is cases that will make them look good to the public. Another thing they will make a priority is cases that suck money in and add it to what the county allots them. And last but not least, they will use their time and resources to achieve their political goals. The public is just now being made aware of the fact that many times this District Attorney has different priorities than the public. He has had “pet projects’ that has caused him to ignore or pass the buck on many of the public’s concerns. He spends loads of his “extra” time, money, and resources on HIS priorities.
A discussion of three names would help to explain what has caused all of the questions about the integrity of District Attorney Mike Little. Chip Fairchild, Phil Fitzgerald, and Greg Arthur. For the purpose of this article we will only briefly review what HAS BEEN and what WILL BE talked about concerning Mike Little’s relationship and his obsession that involves these three men.
Endless allegations about the personal and professional conduct of veteran law enforcement officer Chip Fairchild have been ignored by this District Attorney for years. Of all of the allegations the one that really caused citizens to start talking openly about (and investigate) the unholy alliances between Chip and Russell Fairchild and officials in the courthouse was the land and cattle theft of rancher John Stockton. Little has made a political career out of avoiding conflicts with people like the well connected and well respected John Stockton, but not this time. The way Mike Little figured it, Chip Fairchild has been much too valuable to him and his pet projects for Little to allow him to be investigated. Little had no way of knowing that the protection he was giving dependable friend, Chip Fairchild might become known to the public. He had no way of knowing Chip Fairchild would present evidence that could lead to the indictment of another of Little’s friends, former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald. He had no way of knowing the public and the federal authorities began to learn some about what was going on in Little’s political “family” because of a difference in goals within.
Any hope of maintaining a level of respect from those who know what has been going on was lost by Mike Little when he chose to help former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald attack District Judge Chap Cain- in response to Judge Cain raising questions about the way FEMA contracts were being handled. Rather than look out for the taxpayers and look into the wheeling and dealing of his friend Phil Fitzgerald like any District Attorney should look forward to, Little influences newly elected County Attorney Wes Hinch to join him in passing on investigating and prosecuting all of the allegations surrounding Judge Fitzgerald. Instead, it is well known in the courthouse he has tried (unsuccessfully) to find evidence to indict Fitzgerald’s enemies.
The third name is Greg Arthur. Mike Little lost a handle on the Sheriff’s Department when voters sent Greg Arthur packing. The onslaught of political revelations and the bad press and campaign against former Sheriff Greg Arthur led by Liberty Dispatch caused Little to be “on board’ with an offensive and a very expensive pet project to “get” Ray Akins. Arthur injected himself into a private business dispute and Little has spent months trying to help him by finding something he can call a crime and prosecute his political family’s enemies. Little has had a great deal of help from his political allies at KSHN and I-dineout.com who have so muddled the reporting of what actually happened the public has little reason to understand the case. Rather than indict the people that committed a crime by forging names on checks and documents filed with the government, and rather than negotiate some kind of sentencing for those who were stealing money – Little has spent all kinds of money and time trying to persecute his political enemies and to exact revenge for Greg Arthur against Ray Akins.
Again, unfortunately for Mike Little, his routine of avoiding conflict with anyone powerful enough or rich enough or gutsy enough to not capitulate under the stress a District Attorney’s office can cause, was abandoned. Now at least three different groups of people have come forward and the public is now hearing for the first time what Mike Little has been doing for years.
In a time when we need to tighten our belts, nothing seems to stop Mike Little from opening up the purse he controls and using it try and paint a picture of who the bad guys are. His picture is much different than what the federal officials have painted. His picture is very different from what the voters have painted. With all of the power of his office and with KSHN and I-dineout.com, Mike Little is leading a charge. While he is doing that, the taxpayer is paying the bill. If we want a true picture of what is happening, maybe all of the spending on these pet projects should be put on his campaign reports.
The one word answer is “politics”. Mike Little has been the most political District Attorney in memory, but unless you’re real involved in politics you may not have had an opportunity to witness it. When Little was appointed District Attorney over two decades ago the county politics were so lopsided in favor of the Democrats, Little never faced an opponent. All those years with no opponent are not by accident or dumb luck however. The District Attorney he replaced is the legendary W.G. “Dub” Woods. Woods went on to be an extraordinary District Judge whose reputation for upholding justice and the rule of law was totally untarnished when he retired after over three decades of public service. Judge Woods would undoubtedly be considered a conservative Republican these days, but no one would ever know it – he was too busy with the fulfilling his responsibilities to be political. Little and Judge Woods are very different. Unlike Little’s predecessor Little worked to perfect a carrot and stick approach to staying in office. He rewarded his friends and made new friends by using the power of his office to gain political favor. He punished or intimidated anyone who hinted at standing upon against him by using harsh realities a District Attorney can inject into any ambitious attorney’s career who dreams of being a D.A.
The word answer to what caused all of the questions about the integrity of District Attorney Mike Little to arise is “pet projects”. Little has leveraged his power and position to get huge increases in his budget along with tremendous amounts of “booty” from confiscating the belongings of convicted drug dealers – all money that is unaccounted for or “off the books” according to County Auditor Harold Seay. A District Attorney that is a political animal like Little will always devote most of their time to three main things. One thing is cases that will make them look good to the public. Another thing they will make a priority is cases that suck money in and add it to what the county allots them. And last but not least, they will use their time and resources to achieve their political goals. The public is just now being made aware of the fact that many times this District Attorney has different priorities than the public. He has had “pet projects’ that has caused him to ignore or pass the buck on many of the public’s concerns. He spends loads of his “extra” time, money, and resources on HIS priorities.
A discussion of three names would help to explain what has caused all of the questions about the integrity of District Attorney Mike Little. Chip Fairchild, Phil Fitzgerald, and Greg Arthur. For the purpose of this article we will only briefly review what HAS BEEN and what WILL BE talked about concerning Mike Little’s relationship and his obsession that involves these three men.
Endless allegations about the personal and professional conduct of veteran law enforcement officer Chip Fairchild have been ignored by this District Attorney for years. Of all of the allegations the one that really caused citizens to start talking openly about (and investigate) the unholy alliances between Chip and Russell Fairchild and officials in the courthouse was the land and cattle theft of rancher John Stockton. Little has made a political career out of avoiding conflicts with people like the well connected and well respected John Stockton, but not this time. The way Mike Little figured it, Chip Fairchild has been much too valuable to him and his pet projects for Little to allow him to be investigated. Little had no way of knowing that the protection he was giving dependable friend, Chip Fairchild might become known to the public. He had no way of knowing Chip Fairchild would present evidence that could lead to the indictment of another of Little’s friends, former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald. He had no way of knowing the public and the federal authorities began to learn some about what was going on in Little’s political “family” because of a difference in goals within.
Any hope of maintaining a level of respect from those who know what has been going on was lost by Mike Little when he chose to help former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald attack District Judge Chap Cain- in response to Judge Cain raising questions about the way FEMA contracts were being handled. Rather than look out for the taxpayers and look into the wheeling and dealing of his friend Phil Fitzgerald like any District Attorney should look forward to, Little influences newly elected County Attorney Wes Hinch to join him in passing on investigating and prosecuting all of the allegations surrounding Judge Fitzgerald. Instead, it is well known in the courthouse he has tried (unsuccessfully) to find evidence to indict Fitzgerald’s enemies.
The third name is Greg Arthur. Mike Little lost a handle on the Sheriff’s Department when voters sent Greg Arthur packing. The onslaught of political revelations and the bad press and campaign against former Sheriff Greg Arthur led by Liberty Dispatch caused Little to be “on board’ with an offensive and a very expensive pet project to “get” Ray Akins. Arthur injected himself into a private business dispute and Little has spent months trying to help him by finding something he can call a crime and prosecute his political family’s enemies. Little has had a great deal of help from his political allies at KSHN and I-dineout.com who have so muddled the reporting of what actually happened the public has little reason to understand the case. Rather than indict the people that committed a crime by forging names on checks and documents filed with the government, and rather than negotiate some kind of sentencing for those who were stealing money – Little has spent all kinds of money and time trying to persecute his political enemies and to exact revenge for Greg Arthur against Ray Akins.
Again, unfortunately for Mike Little, his routine of avoiding conflict with anyone powerful enough or rich enough or gutsy enough to not capitulate under the stress a District Attorney’s office can cause, was abandoned. Now at least three different groups of people have come forward and the public is now hearing for the first time what Mike Little has been doing for years.
In a time when we need to tighten our belts, nothing seems to stop Mike Little from opening up the purse he controls and using it try and paint a picture of who the bad guys are. His picture is much different than what the federal officials have painted. His picture is very different from what the voters have painted. With all of the power of his office and with KSHN and I-dineout.com, Mike Little is leading a charge. While he is doing that, the taxpayer is paying the bill. If we want a true picture of what is happening, maybe all of the spending on these pet projects should be put on his campaign reports.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dear Liberty Dispatch
A few days ago I was embarrassed for Liberty County again when the Liberty County District Attorney’s office responded “not ready” to a very serious aggravated assault of a child case. The pattern of foot dragging and misguided priorities by the very political DA, Mike Little should concern every citizen of this county.
Juxtapose, the new District Judge, Mark Morefield, is ready to go to work. He ignored all of his opponent’s nasty snipes at him during election time and he got right to work cleaning up the mess he was left after winning a slam dunk election in November. Despite, being booby trapped by former District Judge, Rusty Hight’s theft of most of the law books used by this office and despite having to work overtime making up for all of the days Judge Hight campaigned rather than held court, Morefield has reinforced the claims of those who were practically screaming voters needed a change in this office, by working hard and applying his expert legal mind to our local courts.
Now what the public needs is for the infamous persecution and selective prosecution of District Attorney Mike Little to be challenged by the new business-like “a speedy trial is the right of every defendant” approach to the courts. Little has developed a reputation that is so pervasive that anyone familiar with him is not surprised by his ill preparedness on even a case like the one mentioned above. While he is focusing the time and resources of Texas’ most bloated budget- in the courthouse on cases that satisfy his political goals. Liberty County Taxpayers are now paying visiting Judge Don Taylor to hear “not ready for trial”.
Little was not ready to bring the scandal involving former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald to trial either. He has not indicated he is ready to bring the Liz Beausoliel mail theft case to trial either. In fact he has taken a pass on nearly every corruption case that has come through Liberty County’s courthouse – except cases that serve his political objectives, ie – Scott Parker and Roy Bennett, Janet Harrelson and Ray Akins. All cases he had a cheering squad sitting in the political shadows.
Meanwhile, Little and his office with a budget that has not only weathered the recession, it has thrived – leaves defendants dangling in the wind running up huge legal bills in hopes he can wear them down and instead of go to court, cut a deal. Little’s game may have worked fine under Hight, but Morefield is ready to go to work. In the campaign Hight’s supporters repeatedly said Morefield was sick. They said his expertise was real estate. These statements were meant to convince people that we were stuck with Hight because Morefield couldn’t do the job. Instead, we now see Morefield is “sick” alright. He is sick of people playing politics with the courts. He is ready to go to work. Anyone attending court also has witnessed that Morefield is an expert in real estate law indeed, but he is also an expert and prepared for all areas of law that come before him.
Mike Little is currently dragging his feet with the results of handwriting analysis that he asked for on the Akins/Shauberger case. That example of Little’s modus operandi is no less representative of his abuse of office and deception just because of our affiliation with these two men. We taxpayers paid for handwriting experts to help resolve a case that Mike Little has spent huge amounts of time and resources on and what were the results. The samples were taken almost two years ago. Where are the results Mr. Little? Judge Hight allowed you all kinds of foot dragging excuse making, but Judge Morefield is ready to go to work.
Call a press conference tomorrow, Mr. Little. Explain to us why you were “not ready” on the child abuse case. Prove to us you are not hiding evidence that blows your case against Akins and Shauberger by showing the media the results of the handwriting analysis. Despite your media friends’ efforts take it look otherwise; you blew the Harrelson case and left us taxpayers with huge bills and one remaining yet to be overturned conviction. We know you have a slush fund that is “off the books”. We know you had a deal with the last County Judge and since 2006 your office has gotten more and more money, but please start getting more and more results. Many of us believe your deal with Judge
Fitzgerald should be undone, but if your office has money to burn, please show us the results.
We are ready for YOU to go to work forget the showboat stuff at election time. Start trying some cases yourself. Start taking care of the day to day business and hard work of the fighting crime, and ease up on all of the time you spend trying to get votes.
Juxtapose, the new District Judge, Mark Morefield, is ready to go to work. He ignored all of his opponent’s nasty snipes at him during election time and he got right to work cleaning up the mess he was left after winning a slam dunk election in November. Despite, being booby trapped by former District Judge, Rusty Hight’s theft of most of the law books used by this office and despite having to work overtime making up for all of the days Judge Hight campaigned rather than held court, Morefield has reinforced the claims of those who were practically screaming voters needed a change in this office, by working hard and applying his expert legal mind to our local courts.
Now what the public needs is for the infamous persecution and selective prosecution of District Attorney Mike Little to be challenged by the new business-like “a speedy trial is the right of every defendant” approach to the courts. Little has developed a reputation that is so pervasive that anyone familiar with him is not surprised by his ill preparedness on even a case like the one mentioned above. While he is focusing the time and resources of Texas’ most bloated budget- in the courthouse on cases that satisfy his political goals. Liberty County Taxpayers are now paying visiting Judge Don Taylor to hear “not ready for trial”.
Little was not ready to bring the scandal involving former County Judge Phil Fitzgerald to trial either. He has not indicated he is ready to bring the Liz Beausoliel mail theft case to trial either. In fact he has taken a pass on nearly every corruption case that has come through Liberty County’s courthouse – except cases that serve his political objectives, ie – Scott Parker and Roy Bennett, Janet Harrelson and Ray Akins. All cases he had a cheering squad sitting in the political shadows.
Meanwhile, Little and his office with a budget that has not only weathered the recession, it has thrived – leaves defendants dangling in the wind running up huge legal bills in hopes he can wear them down and instead of go to court, cut a deal. Little’s game may have worked fine under Hight, but Morefield is ready to go to work. In the campaign Hight’s supporters repeatedly said Morefield was sick. They said his expertise was real estate. These statements were meant to convince people that we were stuck with Hight because Morefield couldn’t do the job. Instead, we now see Morefield is “sick” alright. He is sick of people playing politics with the courts. He is ready to go to work. Anyone attending court also has witnessed that Morefield is an expert in real estate law indeed, but he is also an expert and prepared for all areas of law that come before him.
Mike Little is currently dragging his feet with the results of handwriting analysis that he asked for on the Akins/Shauberger case. That example of Little’s modus operandi is no less representative of his abuse of office and deception just because of our affiliation with these two men. We taxpayers paid for handwriting experts to help resolve a case that Mike Little has spent huge amounts of time and resources on and what were the results. The samples were taken almost two years ago. Where are the results Mr. Little? Judge Hight allowed you all kinds of foot dragging excuse making, but Judge Morefield is ready to go to work.
Call a press conference tomorrow, Mr. Little. Explain to us why you were “not ready” on the child abuse case. Prove to us you are not hiding evidence that blows your case against Akins and Shauberger by showing the media the results of the handwriting analysis. Despite your media friends’ efforts take it look otherwise; you blew the Harrelson case and left us taxpayers with huge bills and one remaining yet to be overturned conviction. We know you have a slush fund that is “off the books”. We know you had a deal with the last County Judge and since 2006 your office has gotten more and more money, but please start getting more and more results. Many of us believe your deal with Judge
Fitzgerald should be undone, but if your office has money to burn, please show us the results.
We are ready for YOU to go to work forget the showboat stuff at election time. Start trying some cases yourself. Start taking care of the day to day business and hard work of the fighting crime, and ease up on all of the time you spend trying to get votes.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)