Water board election; AIDS and abstinence
Water board election
The Trinity River project is a deceitful, wasteful boondoggle that will be a disaster if it fails and will enrich the well-connected if it succeeds, while destroying the confluence that led to the founding of Fort Worth.
I wish I could vote against its supporters, Marty Leonard and Jim Lane, in the Tarrant Regional Water Board election.
However, Monty Bennett is a Dallas businessman who, to avoid having a pipeline buried beneath his ranch, would deprive 1.7 million people of access to a vitally needed resource. He’s bankrolling Leonard’s and Lane’s principal opponents.
If they win, a private citizen will have successfully gained control of a unit of government to avoid obeying the same laws as the rest of us. That’s worse than the Trinity Mud Puddle.
I urge voters to hold their noses and vote for Leonard and Lane, even though I think they’ve behaved foolishly. The alternative is unacceptable.
— George Michael Sherry, Fort Worth
The Tarrant Regional Water District has delivered its “annual report,” a slick, taxpayer-funded mailer supporting challenged incumbents. It contains not a word on Panther Island, which consumes most of the district’s attention and resources.
It mentions incumbent Marty Leonard’s bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University, and bestows on incumbent Jim Lane the unique title of “secretary pro tem.”
The four status-quo members are nicely flowered. Mary Kelleher, the only director who has challenged the status quo, and who has led the charge to inject ethics and transparency into this organization, is listed simply as “director,” with no educational credentials.
With a master’s in educational psychology and certificates in advanced graduate studies, she is likely the most highly educated board member.
Three challengers – Keith Annis, Craig Bickley and Michele Von Luckner, are vying for Leonard’s and Lane’s seats. We must ensure new blood to clean up this corrupt cesspool. Study up, and vote!
— Mark Greene, Fort Worth
The TRWD owns Eagle Mountain Lake and is responsible for mitigating and removing hazards to navigation in the lake.
Current low water in the channel at Harbor One Marina has exposed a dozen tree stumps that will be a danger to boating when the water level rises and they are no longer visible. This is the perfect time to remove them.
Their location is known and removal is relatively easy and inexpensive. The board and management of the TRWD have flatly refused to help the boating community with this problem.
TRWD says this removal would expose it to some unspecified liability. Can anyone imagine a lamer, more outlandish excuse?
The ordinary taxpayer is not an unalloyed beneficiary of the TRWD, but all too often a victim.
— William S. Wright, Fort Worth
AIDS and abstinence
Only in Texas would a legislator slip in a bill removing AIDS prevention funding and divert this money to support “abstinence programs.”
He was obviously riding the coattails of Nancy Reagan’s success with her “Just Say No” slogan in preventing drug abuse.
— Tom Stroope, Bedford
Letters
Letters should be no longer than 200 words and must have a full name, home street address, city of residence and both a home and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters about the May 9 elections should be no longer than 150 words and must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 30.
E-mail (preferred): letters@star-telegram.com; Fax: 817-390-7688
Regular mail: Letters to the Editor, Box 1870, Fort Worth TX 76101
This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 6:35 PM with the headline "Water board election; AIDS and abstinence."