Monday, March 31, 2008
Why worry about Democratic Party Division?
Should I, or Should I not?
So I get this gas drilling contract in the mail from XTO Energy. I don't even know if I own my mineral rights because it just hasn't been something I've made time "to do." I've been sort of sickened by all the gas drilling stuff due to much, if not 99% percent, of the hard work that Don Young www.FWCanDo.com and TXSharon www.txsharon.blogspot.com and www.westandclear.com do on the topic for us! However, if I don't sign, they still drill ; that is a fact. On the other hand, if I do sign I get $5K that I could really use about now. If my little "not signing" would make a difference, then I would not sign; the truth is....it will make no difference.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Fort Worth Police Department says enforcing Dog Laws aren't their responsibility
The day after the incident posted below about the Police being called out for the new City Ordinance that states you can't chain a dog to a stationary object, Officer Reyes called me to say that the Police Department is not responsible for enforcing the Dog Laws. It really amazes me that our Politicians create laws and Ordinances (Federal/State & Local) and have no idea nor concern about how, if, and by whom they will be enforced. It creates such many "hot potatoes" in our government and more importantly, so many of our hard earned tax dollars wasted on undoing, redoing and back peddling by our local & State politicians! Why don't they "think" about something thoroughly before signing off on it and commnunicate more with each other (State/City) so that what they do actually serves the people instead of the opposite. It is so disgusting! It still amazes me that Fort Worth politicians don't see the advantage in requiring that all dogs be spayed and neutered at 4 months of age unless the owner has breeding permit and has been thru some education classes. This would save so much money for the City and so many dogs from neglect and abuse. There are so many stray dogs in East Ft. Worth (don't know about the other parts of the City) and so many people who are breeding dogs for extra money and have no idea how to care for them and end up selling them to ignorant people who have no idea how to care for them. It is such a problem over here. Animal Control is overwhelmed and requires much more funding, the PD doesn't want to deal with it -- PD Officers don't like to deal with the "petty" stuff, plus the Officers "don't know of City Ordinances." Blah Blah Blah...our City government is failing us! IMO.
Dear Mayor -
Officer Reyes (#3717) just called me to say that Animal Control is the Department that handles Dog Abuse Laws and the PD has nothing to do with enforcing them.
I don't have time to research the wording of the law, at this moment, but I find this unbelievable. That would mean that "after hours" no one is responsible for enforcing the dog laws which makes the State Law unenforcable since it is only illegal, per the State, to chain your dog AFTER 10pm!!
And we wonder WHY our political systems and laws are so messed up! What did Tip O'Neal say, "All Politics are local!"
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Why is the New Dog Tethering Ordinance Not Being Enforced?
Long history with my neighbor and his dog(s). I used to feed his dog when he was out of town, I used to go over and let our dogs play together until I started asking my neighbor too many questions about repairing his deck so that his dog would not get hung up in the decking with the chain around his neck which prevented him from standing. I would come home, the dog would be squealing and crying due to his chain being caught in decking. It has gotten worse over the past couple of years, now the dog is much older, has lost lots of weight, has hurt hips and leg, probably from getting kicked when roaming the neighborhood during the few moments he has been off the chain. The dog climbs the chain link fence probably to get out of his depressed & lonely environment just about every time his gets loose from his enslavement. Finally, we get a City Ordinance on the books and below is the story what good the law does!
Dear Mayor Moncrief -
Once again, I am asking you (and the Council), as the City's Leader(s), the one(s) responsible for making sure that the laws of this City are enforced, making sure that all of the Departments in our City Government function properly, efficiently and effectively. Yes there are many "Directors, Assistant Directors, Managers, Assistant Managers, Supervisors, Captains, Lieutenants" and so on, between you and the taxpayers. However, each of you signed up for the responsibility (and the "fringe benefits/perks") of making sure that the laws and/or City Ordinances are upheld and enforced. Last night the following happened:
Police call #F080852048 was called in about 6pm about an unattended dog chained to a stationary object which according to the New Ordinance that many of you and us spent valuable time (taxpayer paid and personal volunteer time!) helping to create and get on the books.
The Ordinance reads as follows:
"That Section 6- 13 “Restraint of Animals” of Chapter 6 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, is hereby amended to amend subsection (d) and to add new subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) to read as follows:
(d) It shall be unlawful for a person to use a chain, rope, tether, leash, cable, or other device to attach a dog to a stationary object or trolley system.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to a violation of subsection (d) that the dog tethering:
(1) is during a lawful animal event, veterinary treatment, grooming, training, or law enforcement activity;
(2) is required to protect the safety or welfare of a person or the dog, and the dog's owner maintains direct physical control of the dog;
(3) occurs in the direct physical control of the owner in a designated City dog park; or
(4) occurs on the owner’s premises and:
a. while the dog is within the owner’s direct physical control; and
b. prevents the dog from advancing to within fifteen (15) feet of the edge of any public street. "
2 Police cars come out to the scene - they walk with owner to his backyard where dog is chained. Owner let's dog off chain and they visit about the dog.
3 police officers walk directly over to my house and talk to me. Officer Reyes (#3717) is the Officer who talks most. He says that "the dog had food and water, the dog appears to be in good health." I asked how he arrived at the "good health" statement. Officer Reyes stated, "Well, there were no flies around." I also stated that I made the call because the owner of the dog was in violation of a City Ordinance -- the fact that the dog had food and water was not the issue -- the tethering law says nothing about food and water, that is a separate law -- it is about tethering a dog to a stationary object! HELLO!!
Long story short, once again, the Police Officers in this City, time and time again on a variety of subjects, have no idea what the City Ordinances are, how they are to be enforced, what they mean, why they are created, etc. The owner of this dog was not given a written ticket. Why? The owner of this dog was not given any time frame inwhich to provide a proper safe, contained environment for his dog. Why? The owner of the dog was not asked to show proof of any shot records for his dog. Why?
"(g) A person commits an offense if the person fails to comply with this Section.
(1) An offense under this Section is a Class C misdemeanor. If a person fails to comply with this section with respect to more than one dog, the person's conduct with respect to each dog constitutes a separate offense.
(2) An offense under this Section is punishable by a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000.00)."
Before leaving the other Officer, (Hines) asked why I didn't call 5 days ago if I noticed dog on chain then. What difference did it make, I called now and the Officers still didn't do their job. However, I learned that Officer Hines was trying to make a point that this was a "person conflict" between me and my neighbor and therefore the Officers were "off the hook" for not doing their job. Yes, it is a conflict over the proper and lawful care of a dog which this City, supposedly, is taking care of by creating laws and making sure that the laws are enforced.
This a matter of abuse of a dog and my quality of life. This dog has been on a chain its' entire life and I can't enjoy my backyard due to this poor abused, flea infested, malnourished chained dog crying because his owner won't come outside and let him off the chain and show him some love! It is more than sickening, disgusting, bothering and abusive. It is inhumane and cruel!
Furthermore, if my neighbor would have harmed or killed me last night after the police left, I can assure you that I, or my family, would be filing a lawsuit against the City of Ft. Worth for allowing our Police Officers to expose the identity of the complainant to the offender before a suit has been filed. This also has happened time and time again in various situations in dealing with Class C Offenders at my business and now at my home.
Again, last night I got to witness and experience a complete waste of tax dollars being spent in the City of Fort Worth! As I have said before, this City definitely needs a new Police Chief, one that knows how to maintain an effective force all the way down through the enforcement of Class C Misdemeanor Offenses. Do we also need a New Mayor and new slate of City Council Members before this City will run efficiently, effectively and progressively?
Seriously. What I see time and time again is absolutely ridiculous, out of control, irresponsible, waste of tax dollars in our City Government on a variety of issues.
Disappointed with All Involved,
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
East Lancaster between downtown and Beach Street
Saturday, March 22, 2008
East Fort Worth
"Upright, Grand and All Right" Starbucks jazz piano cd
It's great. I love it. I tend to end up buying quite-a-few Starbucks cd's. Most are really great -- including this one!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Another opinion that involves..."slavery."
I came across this guy's comments and I'm glad to know that there's yet another person in the universe that see's what I, and many others see, in Obama. This is reassuring in that, there are like minds out there. Like minds as well as "nonlike minds" much of the time, make for great conversations and friendships, togetherness and all that warm fuzzy stuff. BTW, I have a quote by Budda/Dhammapada on my refridgerator that reads: "Togetherness arises out of separteness, begin with separateness. In this way there can be both togetherness and separateness."
OKAY, back to this guy's comments that I agree with,
"I read the speech that Barack Obama and I must say I found it shocking, provocative and disturbing. Obama admits that there are strongly and widely held, anti-white, anti-establishment views in the Black community. He makes no apology for them; indeed he seems to credit their source as having been born in our imperfect Constitution and a product of a society that imposed slavery and Jim Crow on the people for years. Never does he suggest that perhaps it is time for the madness to end, that the Black community must turn the page. Instead he suggests that he must come to the larger society and heal it of its racist beliefs and tendencies. In his cool, egomaniacal way he declaims that he himself embodies the healing that is necessary. Should he not be working, agitating even, within his own community, starting in his Church, to end such divisiveness? Or is he simply the emissary, a Trojan Horse , sent to educate and heal non-black America? Either way it's not for me."
Pete Kent, Union, KY USA
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3591359.ece
