"In China, the delicate and lively goldfish is revered as a
symbol of wealth & good fortune - in fact, its Chinese name - jin-yu - sounds like "gold in abundance." Traditionally, eight yellow and one black goldfish are placed
in an aquarium to attract money. But having a school of our little guys in
the house couldn't hurt."
Words below were taken from FW Weekly Article written in June 2007.
"From 1996 to 2005, the city received HOME allocations to build low-income affordable housing totaling more than $41.3 million but spent only about $29.6 million. The report also said that two nonprofits the city has been dealing with do not meet HUD guidelines — and the city not only has been ordered to immediately cease funding those two organizations but will also be required to pay back the money already granted to them.
HUD recently forced the city to set aside $1.45 million that may have to be used to pay back federal funds misspent between 1999 and 2004. The figure is based on a 2003 HUD audit that found discrepancies in the way the city housing department had accounted for federal dollars on projects such as the Mercado commercial development on the North Side and the Evans-Rosedale redevelopment project on the East Side. Both projects have cost millions, and neither has delivered the promised commercial and residential redevelopment of the surrounding low-income areas.
Because of housing projects, jump-started with federal funds, that are now being foreclosed on by banks. They include the Victory Arts apartments on Hemphill Street ($287,000), Women’s Second Chance transitional housing project ($61,000), and the Rolling Hills/Glen Eden housing development off Riverside Drive ($253,628.) The city housing department was also cited in the reports for failing to diligently oversee its contractors, failing to keep proper accounting records, and failing to follow HUD rules regarding the use of government funds that passed through its coffers from 1992 to 2006. "
http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=6093
1997 - 2005 Ralph McCloud, City Council Rep, District 8
Kathleen Hicks, Aide to Ralph McCloud (for about 8 of those years)
2005 - present Kathleen Hicks, City Council Rep, District 8
Talk about needed CHANGE. How about it?! Vote Suzette Watkins, City Council, District 8
http://www.suzetteforcouncil.com/
Two projects mentioned were Victory Art Center (Southside) & Texas Housing & Economic Resource project (Southeast D8). Problem? Defunct/bankrupt projects, corrupt politicians, poor planning, oh and Affordable Housing requirements not met. And our politicians wonder why we question their decisions & honesty?
Below is a great example of why we should pay closer attention to what they do, what they say, how they vote, etc. It's time to bring some tax payer watchdogs to the City Council table in Ft. Worth, Texas. Elect Suzette for Council http://www.suzetteforcouncil.com/ .
Donate here: http://www.suzetteforcouncil.com/donate.html
Here's the explanation according to CFW:
COUNCIL ACTION: Approved on 12/16/2008 DATE: 12/16/2008
REFERENCE NO.: G-16403LOG NAME:17 ESCROW AMEND
CODE: G
TYPE: NON-CONSENT
PUBLIC HEARING: NO
SUBJECT: Authorize Use of Funds from the Custodial Account Established by the Custodial Agreement with Wells Fargo, N.A., for Resolution of Audit Findings from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Authorize use of funds from the Custodial Account created by a Custodial Agreement executed with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., on August 7, 2007, City Secretary Contract No. 35607, to resolve any and all audit findings from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;
2. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute any related legal documents with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and Wells Fargo, N.A., regarding payments to resolve audit findings from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
3. Authorize the City Manager or his designee to release funds from the custodial account up to the amount of $1,452,675.00 to resolve audit findings from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
DISCUSSION:
In 2004, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted a financial management review of the City’s grant-funded programs. This review resulted in an audit finding with questioned costs of $1,452,675.00 which could not immediately be resolved. As a result the City retained the services of the accounting firm Weaver Tidwell to complete an investigation and reconciliation of these questioned costs. To resolve the outstanding HUD findings, City Council in May 2007, (M&C G-15737) authorized creation of a custodial account at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., in the amount of the questioned costs. These funds were to be held until HUD had reviewed the results of the Weaver Tidwell reconciliation at which time any costs that were deemed ineligible would be returned to the City’s Line of Credit for HUD grants. HUD has completed its review and to date has authorized the City to draw $266,190.00 of the $1.4 million in questioned costs. The overall repayment could be up to $440,731.00.Subsequent to the 2004 review HUD conducted an Affordable Housing monitoring review in February 2007, and a Comprehensive Monitoring Review in March 2007. These reviews resulted in findings of which certain ones can only be resolved through repayment of funds to the City’s Line of Credit for grant funding. Therefore, staff is recommending that the funds in the Custodial Account be used for resolution for all HUD findings.
FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION:
The Financial Management Services Director certifies that funds are available in the custodial account established at Wells Fargo, N.A., for the purposes stated above.
TO Fund/Account/Centers
FROM Fund/Account/Centers
GG01 106000 0000000
$1,452,675.00
Submitted for City Manager's Office by: Tom Higgins (6140)
Originating Department Head: Jay Chapa (6192)
Additional Information Contact: Jerome Walker (7537) Barbara Asbury (7331)
http://www.fortworthgov.org/council_packet/mc_review.asp?ID=10897&councildate=12/16/2008
http://www.fortworthgov.org/
We want solutions, not excuses Ms. Hicks. Local paper here in Ft. Worth quotes my opponent as saying that she has worked on issues such as homelessness & gas drilling but that it requires "cooperation" from the County, State & Federal levels. Who's not cooperating? Perhaps my opponent is treating them the same way she treated me when I would walk into her office for a meeting. She would lambast you with several people in the room that you didn't know would be there, come in with a defensive, arrogant attitude, not give you eye contact when talking, and acting as if her time was so very limited and that she was really "above" this level of communication and didn't have the time nor real desire to discuss root causes and solutions of concerns. Out of 5 to 6 meetings I had with her, I found one to be somewhat productive....another waste of tax payer's dollars.
http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1105265.html
For the record. I have never served on any of Hicks' committees.
I've noticed that when one speaks up (or out) against unaffordable spending by our elected officials, you may get hit with, "But undocumented people are humans too, the poor are people too, the homeless drug addicts are people too, the homeless drunks are people too, the irresponsible parents are people too, the pregnant teenagers are people too, the drug addicted incapable parents are people too, the child abusers are people too, irresponsible pet owners are people too, police officers, Executives, criminals, politicians, and the list goes on and on.
I say, ABSOLUTELY.....ALL THE MORE REASON TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. All the more reason to start electing newbies to positions of decision making for your tax dollars, start electing people who actually are seated for the right reasons:
- care for people
- love of the City
- respect of the American dollar and hard work
Taxpayers are people too and our governments aren't running our businesses in a fiscally viable manner.
I say we start bringing some business sense to your investment in the community. We start bringing some new ideas, energy and commitment to tackling the money sucking issues affecting our pocketbooks. Elect me to Ft. Worth's City Council in May 2009 and you'll hear a vocal advocate for holding ourselves accountable to the City's shareholders.....you, the taxpayer!
http://www.suzetteforcouncil.com/
www.meetup.com/suzette-watkins
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
Thomas Jefferson
If you look close enough at local politics here in Ft. Worth, Texas, ask questions and listen, you will hear that the money came from "a Federal grant, The City, The State, a Federal Grant, grant money." At the same time you will hear, "they've lost their front yards to eminent domain, gas companies, the government, they lost their small business due to eminent domain for big business development, etc." If you turn on your TV, you'll hear all about our elected officials using hard earned tax dollars to BAIL OUT big businesses. Webs are surely getting more tangled in our governments. What are the taxpayers doing? My hopes are that they are paying closer attention to how their elected officials are voting, what they are saying and how they are using their power. We the taxpayers are the judges! Judgements are delivered via our vote. Make sure you are paying attention, make sure you vote.
At the disposal stations, they charge a lot more $$ for disposal of flow back water due to the hazardous chemicals and such. When our municipalities speak of "salt water," they don't distinguish between "flow back" and "produced" water from the well. What are we doing here in our local governments? Who is paying attention? Who is making the money and to who's expense? Get involved in your local governments and watch your back!
"Drilling for natural gas hasn't started in Lewisville yet, but the city is taking action to protect itself. Inside city hall Monday night, council members voted 3 to 2 in favor of a resolution similar to one passed in Dish, Texas. The Mayor of Dish said he drafted it after pipeline companies "tore up his city."
"There's so many unknowns about this gas drilling. People are still very very concerned about it," said Lewisville Mayor Gene Carey.
http://cbs11tv.com/local/Pipeline.Placement.Control.2.877664.html
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but isn't Ft. Worth on the map because of oil & gas? Why wouldn't Ft. Worth "do the right thing" from the beginning and protect this beautiful, charming City and it's taxpayers? Some say it's because we the people signed leases, some say our City Council has indeed protected us by bringing $$ to some, some say it's because our Mayor has most, if not all, of our City Council members under his powerful thumb and they are scared to speak up for fear of losing their political careers. Good for Lewisville's City Council, they are doing the right thing and thinking ahead......planning, analyzing...you know those sorts of things that a City normally does for big ticket items that affect their taxpayers.
"gains a sense of himself as an individual, rather than developing a group or victim mentality. This leads to a sense of individual responsibility and personal pride, making skin color irrelevant. Racism will endure until we stop thinking in terms of groups and begin thinking in terms of individual liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims. Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence - not skin color, gender, or ethnicity.
Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups. By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called "diversity" actually perpetuate racism. "
It is the federal government that most divides us by race, class, religion, and gender. Through its taxes, restrictive regulations, corporate subsidies, racial set-asides, and welfare programs, government plays far too large a role in determining who succeeds and who fails.
http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/pages/issues.html#Racism
Glad I come across readings that make perfect sense every once in a while. This one did!
"The area has been partially excavated, and the operator is still searching for the "perimeters and depth" of the pollution
according to the report.
An attorney representing the Cole family, Jim Eggleston, questioned why the pipeline corroded after being underground for about three years."
http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/1040455.html
Election is Saturday, May 9th, 2009.
"All truth passes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Secondly, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher
The quote above grabbed my undivided attention because it's been a belief of mine that one of our downfalls in America is our inability, collectively as communities and individuals, to discuss, own, and address, the truths of matters and their statistics which prevents us (or one) from truly solving problems because we are seldom, if ever, dealing with problems at their root cause levels.
To me, this is a brilliant discussion and a better starting point than I'm hearing from the Democrats or the Republicans. So glad I voted for some of the Libertarian candidates:
Below is a post from a Libertarian site. Not that I agree 100% with every word, but I love the discussion, ideas and reasoning. I hope The Libertarian Party will come alive in the months and years ahead as main parties are really ONE in much of what they say and do (BAILOUT OF 2008!!) and aren't doing a whole lot for "the people."
"You have had an opening created with Ron Paul, where many have found themselves upset with both parties, but with no alternative that is either viable or doesn't violate some of their principles. There are disenfranchised fiscal conservatives coming together with people such as myself who are on the left, but are disgusted by the bailout, the federal reserve's policies, the war on drugs, the foreign policy choices, the massive military spending, etc. That is truly strange bedfellows, and you should take advantage of this opportunity while you can. Regardless of who wins (looks like Obama, but who knows), neither is going to be able to stop the coming deep recession/depression that is going to make life harder across the board for all of us. 2012 is your chance , imo. I have been very interested in politics and economics for many years, and have found the Libertarian Party compelling for many reasons, but there are some things I just cannot get behind. To me it seems like the Republicans and Democrats debate about Tier 2 issues, which while still important and effect many people...they do not offer a choice on what I consider Tier 1 issues: The Federal Reserve, The "Bailout" plan, the war on drugs, Imperialism.
I am VERY compelled to the libertarian party because of things I've heard about their views on the federal reserve, our monetary policy, currency issues, and LETTING companies who make bad bets fail. I also agree very much with their stance on the war on drugs, as this is a private issue, and the government has no business involved in it. On Imperialism, what I hear from Ron Paul, about pulling out of all of these military bases around the world, and ending this imperialist "policing" of the world, I agree with. Here are where I have issues with the Party:"
2.8 EducationEducation, like any other service, is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Schools should be managed locally to achieve greater accountability and parental involvement. Recognizing that the education of children is inextricably linked to moral values, we would return authority to parents to determine the education of their children, without interference from government. In particular, parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children's education.
2.9 Health Care We favor restoring and reviving a free market health care system. We recognize the freedom of individuals to determine the level of health insurance they want, the level of health care they want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions.
2.10 Retirement and Income Security Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government. We favor replacing the current government-sponsored Social Security system with a private voluntary system. The proper source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals." I cannot, and most people will not, get behind the view that the free market is best to provide education. This will undoubtedly leave less fortunate areas, hitting the minorities the hardest, without access to good education. Their chances will be even slighter than they are today. This is completely unacceptable, and in fact radical. You are going to have to take much more moderate stand, where you give ACCESS to those who want to opt out of public schooling to do just what you propose, but you are going to have to accept public education as a necessary evil, I suppose, because (a) it is vital to those who are less fortunate than yourselves to give them at least a basic education and chance to better themselves and (b) because it will NEVER fly politically and you turn people away just on this alone. Period.
Next, healthcare. Again, this free market will solve everything attitude simply doesn't work. It doesn't work because it will get corrupted, and business will exploit it at every turn. Again, this country can afford to give the basic level of care that other industrialized countries all over the world afford their citizens. We can have a healthcare plan, and then have the OPTION to keep your existing "free market" plan. You will never have a chance in hell without accepting this as another necessary evil. You have to pick your battles. And there are many to be had, most of which MANY Americans agree with you on, and the 2 main parties are ignoring.Lastly, The retirement thing. You are going to have to meet halfway on this one. I agree that those who want to take on retiring for themselves should not be forced into any retirement plans, or forced to take money from their checks on Social Security..., but for the vast majority who don't have the time, knowledge etc, there still needs to be those programs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a safety net such as this, as you will end up paying for their mistakes of misallocating their retirement money anyway, short of letting them die homeless and starving (not exactly a great party platform). Compromise.... you should push to allow those WHO CHOOSE to not be forced to contribute to these programs of retirement (obviously those who chose to do so would not receive any benefits from it either, but they could invest it how they see fit). Whether or not you become a viable alternative or not depends on you making these necessary compromises. You will have pissed off and betrayed republicans coming together with pissed off and disappointed democrats, and you can have an enormous effect in 2012, but in my opinion, you will have to embrace some of the left's values that they WILL not compromise on. If you did, think of what could be accomplished. Massive cuts in spending by cutting back unnecessary wars and bases across the globe. Ending the war on drugs. Dissolving the Federal Reserve, and having our money backed by gold again. Ending foreign economic aid, or at least radically cutting back. Ensuring individual rights and liberties , regardless of race, sex, etc. Putting a wall inbetween church and state, and ending the tax exemption of churches. (real) election reform, ensuring privacy, and more. Those things would be revolutionary. What do you have to do to get them? Compromise on healthcare, education, and retirement. On each, allow the public system to go on, while allowing vouchers, charters, exemptions etc for those who wish to opt out. That is your shot. This is an opening you might not have again, and Ron Paul has gotten the ear of many young , and energized people on the right, but also MANY on the left. Take advantage and do the smart thing.
http://libertarian.meetup.com/388/boards/view/viewthread?thread=5674457
Are they held accountable to ANY degree? Is there an excuse for this behavior? Furthermore, what are the chances of this little girl growing up to be independent, self-sufficient, educated, no teenage pregnancies, no drug addiction, high degree of self worth and esteem? Who will pay? The child and the taxpayers, not the parents! Why?
"A 2-year-old girl found Monday night walking in the middle of an Arlington street will remain in foster care for at least two more weeks, a judge ruled Tuesday afternoon.
Despite repeated pleas from Ty'tianna Weatherspoon's parents, LaQuianta Weatherspoon and Maurice Stewart, and a grandfather to return the child, Judge Jean Boyd decided to leave the toddler and the family's other two children -- a 10-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl -- in foster care.
A fourth child, a 13-year-old girl, will be allowed to live with a family member."
http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/988965.html
