The TRWD board votes to censure Mary Kelleher.

Over the years, I've burned through a few blog entries about the notorious Tarrant Regional Water District board. 

We managed to get Mary Kelleher, a decent human being, on the board last year. 

Mary has had to sue the board to get records and other info.  In a just world, in a city whose newspaper wasn't staffed by lapdogs, Mary Kelleher would be a Fort Worth hero.  That would put an end to the cronyism, the no-bid contracts for Flood Control BBQ restaurants, and the spiraling costs for projects having nothing to do with water. 

This morning, the TRWD voted to censure Mary Kelleher. 

Here's the best account of the proceedings. 

My favorite moment was when Mary basically censured the board with a litany of their extremely questionable actions. Mary brought up nepotism, cronyism, other isms I'm forgetting and most memorably Mary brought up an illicit liaison a between high ranking TRWD employee and a lower ranking TRWD employee, saying this as she sat a couple feet from Jim Oliver.

I wish I could remember exactly what it was Mary said when she got to the illicit liaison part of her censuring of the TRWD Board.

While watching this absurd meeting a couple times it was reminding me of a Simpson's episode. With Mary being Lisa Simpson, you know, wise beyond her years Lisa Simpson, usually smarter than any of the adults in the room, being totally flummoxed by the utter ridiculousness of what she is dealing with.

Here's a video. 

Here's a typical Bud Kennedy whitewash.  Please note that Democrat Lon Burnam and Republican Jonathan Stickland are both opposed to the actions of this Den Of Thieves, once again proving John Spivey's adage correct.....

"No matter what your politics, there's something for you to hate about the TRWD." 

 

Congratulations, Mary Kelleher !!!

Let me tell you a story.

About two months ago, I got an email from my friend Layla Caraway.  She invited me to a meeting about the Tarrant Regional Water District board elections.  It was the most politcally diverse room I've ever been in. 

There were Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, 9-12'ers, Greens, and environmental activists.  We had one thing in common.  We were all sick of Fort Worth taking land and money from the little guy and giving it to the big guy. 

We'd tried and failed before to get candidates onto this board.  This time we had some money and a consultant. 

We had a trio of three candidates - John Basham, an experienced candidate, Tim Nold, a surveyor, and Mary Kelleher, an Arlington landowner and rancher/farmer who had gotten sick of her property falling into the river.  And black helicopters landing in her ranch without permission in the middle of the night.  You know, the usual. 

Mary was painfully shy in that first meeting. 

Mary turned into a monster candidate. 

Mary Kelleher went out and won the son of a bitch!!!  She did it. 

Go here.  Most of the article is the usual Star-Telegram blather supporting anything City Hall wants to do.  But here are the money quotes:

In recent years, the district has also been a key player in the $909 million Trinity Uptown project, a flood control and economic development effort that stretches from an industrial area on Fort Worth’s near north side to the green spaces of Gateway Park on the east side. Its plans include a bypass channel and a Town Lake north of downtown.


District officials worried that if Basham’s slate prevailed, a number of projects would be in jeopardy.

They said that if the pipeline project were stopped, it would mean dire consequences, including water shortages.

Oh yes.  There would have been "dire consequences".  Our guys woulda stopped that boondoggle faster than you can say "Crony Capitalism".  That thing has more to do with The Manichean Heresy than it has to do with flood control. 

But the people now have a voice on the water board.  We have access to the file cabinets (if they've bothered to keep any records).  No more Freedom Of Information Act requests will be necessary. 

Note to the Star-Telegram - Let us know if you want to learn anything about how Fort Worth's money is being spent by your downstairs neighbors on the water board.  Maybe one day you'll want to stop cheerleading and start doing your freakin' job.