Published: April 25, 2008 05:13 pm            

Letters to the Editor, April 27, 2008

The big give

Dear editor,

In honor of the TV Show, “Oprah’s Big Give,” I have started a fundraiser for the Pythian Home for children in Weatherford.

God has really put it on my heart to get the community involved with this.

I spoke with Valerie at the Pythian Home this afternoon and let her know I was ready to give big to their organization!

I would like to provide each child with a brand new summer outfit (shirt, shorts, flip flops or sandals).

She also mentioned to me that the playground is not up to code and needs to be torn down and they are currently looking for donations to help them get a new one for the kids.

I plan to do everything I can to spread the word and get that donated to the home.

Thus far, I have eight people on board to help me with this dream I have.

I feel that if I spread the word we could move mountains within the community and make a difference for these children who have so little.

Many blessings ...

Heather Callahan,

Realtor, Prudential Texas Properties,

Weatherford

(817) 688-2915



I endorse

Leanne Osgood

Dear editor,

I would like to endorse Leanne Osgood who is running for re-election to the Aledo School Board, Place 7. My endorsement is based on two important dynamics.

1. Leanne is a lady with a great reputation for character and family stability. She’s well thought of in our church and in the neighborhood in which she lives. This lets us know that her friends, and the people who know her best, support her and trust her judgment and concerns for our schools.

2. Leanne is an independent voice. It’s the nature of school boards to be a stamp of approval for the direction and vision of the school administration. We’re very blessed to have such fine leadership in place in Aledo.

We are represented by fellow citizens of high character and sound financial judgment. Having noted those facts, it is important in any organization, and doubly so when dealing with the citizens funding and resources, to have independent counter veiling ideas and accountability.

Leanne has the courage, vision and wisdom to question ideas, and to consider other alternatives that might better benefit the well being of our schools. This independence is vital when expenditures are being considered because those decisions directly impact the rate of taxes levied on citizens to fund school programs. Accountability is, therefore, good.

Our Founding Fathers believed in checks and balances. Leanne will continue to provide that independent judgment, accountability and balance that’s needed for schools to grow in quality and size.

I’m happy to formally endorse Leanne Osgood in her desire to continue to serve our citizens and children through her work on the Aledo School Board. Leanne, best wishes, encouragement and blessings in all your efforts!

Kenneth Hawkins,

City of Willow Park,

Council Member, Place 4,

Mayor Pro-Tem



Let your conscience be your guide

Dear editor,

What’s happening to OUR town?

Elected, hired and appointed officials are spending tax dollars for projects we voted down.

Changes to Holland Lake Park and the creation of Love Street Park (on an old dump site) were defeated on a bond election two years ago. Yet, miraculously, money was found to proceed with these projects.

Holland Lake Park was improved back in the 1970s to be a quiet, inviting place with nature trails and a natural habitat for small wildlife. Now, with ball fields, how quiet is it going to be? And I’m sure senior citizens across the street are really going to appreciate the lights and

noise. No one considered the impact on these folks.

Our all-knowing officials have endorsed the current, on-going square renovation. While

the redirection of traffic may help the flow, those walls are hideous! They have

no historic significance and make our square look like it’s barricaded against some

marauding invader. Guidelines to keep the square “historic” — canvas awnings, rock

store fronts — are anything but. Many cities are very careful that their historic heritage is

preserved; apparently, that’s no longer of great importance here.

Many citizens have recently met face-to-face the multitude of frivolous ordinances and

sub-categories of zoning. Why does our city have to micro-manage every aspect of our

homes and businesses? Weatherford is an old, historic city. We are not a planned

community with cookie-cutter neighborhoods and shopping centers. At least, we didn’t

used to be.

Please vote in the May city election. If you care about our unique, historic city, then you

realize we have to have changes! We have elected and appointed officials that

have held on to their positions for years like drowning rats to scraps of wood. And our

taxes, traffic and simplicity of life have been impacted because of it.

I implore you, get out and vote in the May 10 election. Vote your conscience — not your friendships and not your workplace’s loyalties — but YOUR beliefs.

Carla Hollingsworth,

Weatherford



I know what I want

Dear editor,

Who is Dennis Hooks? Where are his business interests?

A recent article stated he lives and works in the city of Weatherford, but his business, Hooks Lincoln-Mercury, is in Hudson Oaks.

Mr. Hooks served as a member of the Weatherford Municipal Utility Board (WMUB) while a city councilman in the 1990s. He was defeated by Tom McLaughlin for mayor in 1998.

Hooks Lincoln-Mercury, in Hudson Oaks, benefits from wholesale water and wastewater rates provided by the WMUB at Weatherford ratepayers’ (you and me) expense. Mr. Hooks’ business benefits from less city control in Hudson Oaks, yet he is in favor of implementing new rules that will cost new and existing businesses in Weatherford.

1. An ordinance was recently passed prohibiting temporary storage buildings in residential areas and imposing outrageous fees for businesses to use them.

2. A national car rental agency has expressed an interest in opening a Weatherford location. Mr. Hooks and the council have voted to micro-manage the business by establishing what size building they may have, how many rental cars they may have on the property at any given time and how many/few spaces for customer parking.

3. Other recent council action under Dennis Hooks’ leadership passed a rezoning request to allow another section 8, low- income apartment complex on the northwest side of Weatherford supposedly because it would increase taxable property. Even Weatherford ISD opposes this complex: Bus service

cannot be provided to that location and elementary schoolchildren would have to cross North Main to reach their school; and schools would be burdened with the increased enrollment and the need for special education programs.

Ask yourself these questions, “Do I want, as described recently in the Democrat, a man who ‘dresses elegantly,’ but has his business interests in Hudson Oaks? Or, do I want a guy who ‘wears jeans,’ drives a pick-up and owns a mobile home park who pays Weatherford business taxes and who pays full utility rates just like me?”

Sid Johnson,

Weatherford



Economic fools

Dear editor,

A few years back, I wrote another letter to the editor with this same title, “Economic Fools.” That time I was discussing city and college bureaucrats viewing monies from the federal and state governments as “free money” and reminding them that in reality, all money was our money. This time it is the citizens of Weatherford, who are the fools. Fools to tolerate the sham of Weatherford Electric.

All of the information and data that follows has been gained through the Texas Open Records Act.

The City of Weatherford didn’t produce one single bit of electricity in the year 2007. The City of Weatherford purchased over 352 million units of electricity from AEP Energy Partners of Columbus, Ohio, for a little over $25 million. Those same units of electricity they then sold to us, the citizens, for a little over $36 million. The difference between what they paid AEP and what we paid Weatherford Electric was almost $11 million.

A further shock came when the city was asked what price was negotiated with AEP for the electricity they purchased. The city’s answer was “the contract between Weatherford Utility System and AEP was not negotiated at a fixed price.” A $25 million contract with no fixed price?

The price Weatherford paid AEP fluctuated over 52 percent during the 12-month period. Who negotiated this farce, Mickey Mouse?

The Texas legislature has passed a law allowing competitive pricing of electricity. We cannot participate because we have a municipal power company, but that can be changed by public vote.

It is time for some severe house cleaning in the Weatherford halls of power. The only three people on the Municipal Utility Board who are answerable directly to the voters are Jan Barton, Waymon Hamilton and Dennis Hooks.

Bill Moylan,

Weatherford

Fiction — stranger than truth?

Dear editor,

The constant political spin of misspeaking, mishearing, not recalling, not remembering, or just plain bending the truth has become a mind-numbing exercise for us, the voters.

It has to be corrupting the younger generation — it is OK to lie for the common good!

I hope all of us can agree on one thing — we should not stand for the current level of, well, lying!

People have the right to express their opinion, but do not have the right to make up their own facts.

Why are large staffs retained to sort out and spin the garbage from the day before; fixing he/she misspoke, or misheard — that one is a hoot!

These individuals are running for the highest office in the world. We know politicians stretch the truth, but never this bad.

One candidate’s closest advisor was impeached for lying under oath — while president; that ought to tell you something about character.

There may be some folks reading this letter remember growing up that a lie tasted like soap!

Telling the truth is hard and maybe hurtful sometimes, but the right thing to do.

The political mind set is to invent some facts, spin it if we have to, and if we get away with it — great! This is called dumbing down the population so they take everything at face value.

Electing a president is almost like playing liars poker; it numbs the brain thinking that these candidates are the best this country can come up with for president!

Please excuse me if this letter is not as concise as others I have written — I’ve been under heavy mortar and sniper fire for the last 30 minutes while composing this!

Lonnie R. Williams,

Weatherford

Dominion over

the people

Dear editor,

Do you know there are two ways to run a presidential debate?

As we recently saw at the beginning of the Democratic presidential debates, it was ran by a corporate media shutdown of each candidate, beginning with the elimination of Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, who followed the Constitution most closely in giving answers to questions.

The time given them was less than one minute for most answers, where more time was given to other Senator candidates. The most time was given to Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton.

The same game was played at the beginning of the Republican debate where Rep. Ron Paul, who followed the Constitution most closely in his answers, was given little to no time for his responses.

All these eliminations seemed to be more of a popularity contest than whom our Founding Fathers would have chosen for the best presidential candidate.

Although I believe these candidates have integrity, has our Constitution taken a back seat to whom the corporations want to be president? What about who the people want? Has multi-millions of dollars donated to candidates spoken louder the last 40 years than our people?

Yes.

There are two ways to run a presidential debate: A fair one, and a corporate and money controlled one.

As far as the November 2008 election is concerned, I believe the fix is already in. The electronic voting machines will be swinging the vote however the corporations and Wall Street and the Israel-controlled Bilderbergers want it to be.

Here’s hoping Hillary or Obama can save our country! If one of them does not win, the poor and middle class may later resemble the Hebrew slaves under the ancient dominion of Raamses, the pharaoh of Egypt.

Darwin Yeary,

Weatherford

        

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