Rumor Control

Last month some residents in Fort Worth received a robo call survey asking them to rank people in Fort Worth (no, we aren't kidding).  From what we understand the call asked about different people such as Clyde Picht and Dee Kelly, Jr.

Last week we heard a rumor Jim Lane was planning on running for Mayor.  The best response we saw to that was, Lord help us all.

Today the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms the rumor.  Let's hope the residents have learned something over the years.  Lane said he would focus on business.  WHEN will we have a mayor that focuses on citizens?  WHY would Lane not have to give up his seat on the Tarrant Regional Water District Board?  Is that a conflict?  Haven't there been others?  Sounds like some of the council doesn't want the "old guard" to change. 

And so does District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan, who said he probably would have an interest in the job, but his chief concern is that the "same type of leadership stays intact" if Moncrief doesn't run.

What kind of leadership is that?

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Kudos

to Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission for looking out for their residents.  Not just the residents with gas leases.  Maybe you could teach some other P & Z Boards a thing or two.

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

Pleas from residents who don't want a 16-inch natural gas pipeline near their Southlake homes paid off early Friday.

Heavy snow was falling just after midnight when the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to deny XTO Energy's request to drill on Texas 26 near Brumlow Avenue.

Southlake resident Molly Bullard said the line would devalue "million-dollar homes" and would kill the trees that define Johnson Road.

John McFadden said he's concerned because his son's bedroom "would literally be within putting distance from this pipeline."

Commissioner Joe Lancor said he was concerned that XTO didn't have waivers from one of the Southlake homes within 1,000 feet of the drill site.

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And it all comes crashing down...

Ice fell from the "Super" Bowl at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas today.  Or "Dallas, Texas" depending on which station you are watching. ESPN is broadcasting from Fort Worth, too bad that's been a ghost town.  Due to the cold weather, the reporters packed up and moved inside. 

Unfortunately some people were hurt in the ice and gravity incident.  You can read about that here.  We hope they all recover quickly and no one else is injured.

WHO PAYS for the Super Bowl? 

Some in Fort Worth wonder if the taxpayers will end up on the hook for the ice storm clean up and the short fall in revenues expected with the big game. The best response we saw to that was, "Well, there's Mike's plan and then there's God's plan".  Words of wisdom.  (Those of you in Arlington, feel free to insert "Jerry" in Mike's place).

Who paid to clear the roads from the hotels to the stadium? 

It's reported a fly over is costing the taxpayers $450,000.   Now we love the fly overs.  But don't we have jets up the road? Why are we flying them across the country for a football game?  Oh come on, we know, it's the "SUPER" BOWL.  It's still a football game, is it worth half a million dollars? Of YOUR money?

WFAA.com has been on a roll with chasing the money down.  You might want to read it.  In some way, you might be paying for it.

Aren't we broke??

The NFL receives all of this tax-free, at a savings of at least $7 million, according to the contract.   The tax bill goes to the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.

But that's not all the NFL and related events are getting for nothing.

The NFL Experience pays no rent for its use of the Dallas Convention Center. The league keeps all income from tickets and food sold inside.

On Saturday night, the Taste of the NFL will pay just $1 in rent for the Fort Worth Convention Center.

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Fracing in...

Texas and the New York Times.

Oil and gas service companies injected tens of millions of gallons of diesel fuel into onshore wells in more than a dozen states from 2005 to 2009, Congressional investigators have charged. Those injections appear to have violated the Safe Water Drinking Act, the investigators said in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday. 

...concerns have been growing over the potential for fracking chemicals — particularly those found in diesel fuel — to contaminate underground sources of drinking water.

“Whether the E.P.A. has the chutzpah to try to impose retroactive liability for use of diesel in fracking, well, everyone is in a wait-and-see mode. I suspect it will have a significant fight on its hands if it tried it do that.”  

The above was a quote in the article by an attorney for the oil and gas industry.  No, we ain't kidding. Why does it sound more like a threat than a quote?  And chutzpah, really?  Is that how they say it up north?

Two years later, when Congress amended the Safe Water Drinking Act to exclude regulation of hydraulic fracturing, it made an express exception that allowed regulation of diesel fuel used in fracking.

Why?

The diesel-laced fluids were used in a total of 19 states. Approximately half the total volume was deployed in Texas, but at least a million gallons of diesel-containing fluids were also used in Oklahoma (3.3 million gallons); North Dakota (3.1 million); Louisiana (2.9 million); Wyoming (2.9 million); and Colorado (1.3 million).

Everything's bigger in Texas...

No permits for diesel-based fracking have been sought or granted since the Safe Drinking Water Act was amended in 2005.

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WHO Pays?

For the Texas Rolling electricity blackouts?

You guessed it, YOU do.  Read about it of WFAA.com

But during the rolling blackouts on Wednesday morning, the price of wholesale electricity skyrocketed. Power plants charged providers the maximum:  $3,000 a megawatt hour.

That's 66 times higher than usual.

Customers without contracts are billed based on the fluctuating market prices. That means next month's bill could be big.

Don't forget about the "Smart" meters that you are being switched to as well.  WFAA.com also did a story on those recently.  Same question, WHO pays?  Same answer. 

Had enough yet? 

Some Dallas residents who already have "smart" meters monitoring their power echo claims of higher electric bills. They believe the new meters are to blame, and they're fighting back.

On Sunday afternoon, dozens of Oak Cliff homeowners gathered at Norma's Diner to discuss the issue.

"It's really good to know that I'm not alone," said Oak Cliff resident Ree Wattner. "They're not just doing that to me — they're doing that to all of us."

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Any publicity

is good publicity.

The industry is apparently worried Josh Fox and Gasland might win the Academy Award and more people would be aware of what really goes on during gas drilling, and what the consequences might be. 

Read about it here. 

Go, Josh, Go!

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All roads lead to...

The Superbowl.  Many complaints from many folks that while their roads are iced over, there is no ice around Jerry's dome. 

We wonder, with all the rolling blackouts in Texas today, will Cowboys Stadium go without power?

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