Friday, February 27, 2009

FBN: Top Administrator COO Mike Seale Resigns From District

"His departure comes as the district has been wrestling with its first-ever deficit budget. At the same time, the district administration just proposed building a major project, described as a “global science center,” adjacent to the Fort Bend ISD administrative offices, as part of a plan to boost student science scores.

One source close to Seale described his exit as “a parting of the ways” with the school district." FBN

Monday, February 23, 2009

Rematch Could Be In The Works For MC Races!

May 9 Could See Rematch of Mo. City’s Closest Council Race - If Reiter Decides To Run Again
February 23rd, 2009 | by Bob Dunn, FortBendNow

Rodney Griffin has filed to run for Missouri City Council in District A, possibly setting up a rematch in what was the city’s closest council race ever in 2007.

That year incumbent Councilwoman Eunice Reiter won in a nail-biter, when a recount gave her a three-vote edge over Griffin.

But this year the race could be very different, as Reiter hasn’t yet decided whether to seek another term.

“I’ve been very busy. It’s tax season now,” Reiter, an accountant, said on Monday. “The application is sitting on my desk.

Asked if she intended to fill it out and file for the race, she replied, “it’s not for sure…check with me the middle of next week.”

Reiter has served on City Council since 1994.

Businessman Griffin called for a recount after May 12, 2007, election results showed Reiter got 277 votes to Griffin’s 274. But nothing changed, as the recount showed the same number of votes for each candidate. . . (http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/02/23/35845)

Saturday, February 21, 2009

FB Sun: Rodney Griffin & Cynthia Gary File For Candidacy To City Council (Reform rematches)

From HCN (FB Sun):

Five file in Missouri City for four open council seats

By DIANE TEZENO
Updated: 02.16.09

The upcoming May election for four open city of Missouri City council seats has drawn the interest of several candidates, both incumbents and challengers.

According to the city secretary, as of 12 noon Feb. 16, five persons have filed as candidates for various city council seats.

In District A, Rodney Griffin, a local business owner, has filed for a second run for the District A council seat currently held by incumbent Eunice Reiter, who has held the seat since 1994.

The two faced off in the May 2007 city election in which Reiter won by a slim 3-vote margin of 277 to 274 votes.

During the election Griffin cited voting machine irregularities that resulted in his full name not being reflected on the ballot summary sheet.

Then Fort Bend County election administrator, J.R. Perez, called the problem a glitch in election machine equipment that caused long names to be truncated on the summary sheet page, but displayed in their entirety on the ballot.

In District B. incumbent Cynthia Lenton-Gary, the first African-American female to be elected to council, filed her intent to run for re-election around mid-day. At press time, Gary is unopposed, with three weeks remaining for candidates to file for the post.

Councilwoman Barbara Gibson, elected to council in May 2007, has filed for re-election and drawn a challenger for her current District C council seat.

Robin Elackatt, a member of the Missouri City Parks and Recreation board, filed as a candidate for the District C post around 9 a.m. on Feb. 16. . . (get the full piece at: http://hcnonline.com/articles/2009/02/17/fort_bend_sun/news/sws_-_mc_council_candidates_216.txt)

Friday, February 20, 2009

Elackatt Announces Run For City Council District C

Robin Elackatt Announces He’ll Run For District C Seat On Missouri City Council
February 20th, 2009 | by Bob Dunn, FortBendNow

Robin Elackatt, a healthcare administrator who serves as vice chairman of the Missouri City Parks and Recreation Board, has announced he’ll seek a seat on Missouri City Council in the May 9 election.

Elackatt, who also is president of the Colony Lakes Homeowners Association, will face incumbent District C Councilwoman Barbara Gibson, assuming she seeks reelection. . .

Full story available at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/02/20/35827

or

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/02/23/fort_bend_sun/news/sws_-_elackatt_219.txt

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Chron: Blue Ridge Landfill Update (T.V. stations settle out of the fight)--click the title link for more--



This is the same landfill expansion project to nearly 20 stories that was endorsed and approved by edc politicians Bob Hebert (County commissioner) and Allen Owen (Mayor of Missouri City, TX). MCC comment/editorial

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Monday, February 16, 2009

FBW: During Budget Crisis, Record Bond Debt, Tough Economic Times, Higher Property Taxes, The School District Proposes New "Taj Mahal" Global Center!

“it’s too early to know what the price tag will be.” Jenney (FBISD Superintendent)

Fort Bend ISD Administration Proposes ‘Global Science Center’ In Bid To Boost Science Scores
February, 2009 | by Bob Dunn, FORTBENDNOW.com

Administrators topped off plans to boost student science scores at Fort Bend Independent School District with a proposal for a major science facility including a planetarium, “Sci-Max” theater, interactive labs and a giant globe rotating in the lobby.

The plans were unveiled for the FBISD board of trustees Monday night during a presentation that ended with a video by Houston’s PBK Architects showing a 3-D rendering of the “Global Center for Science and Technology” while rock music blared in the board room.

Presented by FBISD Chief Academic Officer Dr. John Frossard, Chief Accountability Officer Olwen Herron and Secondary Science Coordinator Melissa Stadfeld, proposal offered the science center as a method of “bridging the divide between theory and practice.”

Accompanying construction of the facility would be a “standards-based” science program for elementary and middle school students whose components would dovetail with interactive labs that could be used throughout the school year on a classroom by classroom basis. . . (get the full story at http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/02/10/35567/comment-page-1#comment-1234)

Related stories & updates:

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2009/01/pbk_architects_judson_isd.php

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/Judson_ISD_becomes_target_of_FBI_probe.html

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/Judson_examines_its_legal_advice.html

Thursday, February 12, 2009

FBSun: Elackatt Moves To Address Problems Left By Developer In Colony Lakes

Click the title link for more information.

Chronicle: Local Elections Are Approaching Again!


Chronicle: Local Elections Are Approaching Again!

After such information over-load, during the recent national elections, many of us are sitting back unaware that some of the most influential local campaigns are approaching again. Our school boards and municipal council races are upon us this Spring. Filing has already begun and runs through early March 9th with the elections in early May.

These elections often have more of an impact than most realize, given the direct involvement of ‘out of area’ special interest corporations and their efforts to seek out tax exemptions or abatements, which commonly, but indirectly, shift the property tax burden back on the local homeowners and small businesses living and working in our community. As a matter of fact a recent Tax Foundation study listed our county property taxes per median home value as #1 in our state and 11th nation-wide. Our local elected officials on our boards, councils and commissions make the appointments for the county appraisal board which has been hearing record numbers of appeals over the last few years. Not only that, some of our larger cities and the county have been hiring lobbyist to go to Austin and oppose property tax rate and appraisal cap reforms, while misrepresenting another viewpoint to the public (done to fatten the local entities budgets at our expense).

When you review many of our local elected officials campaign finance reports, which are available often free of charge to the taxpayers and voters of the county (or for a nominal fee for copying), you find many large none local companies seeking tax breaks or abatements. If we elect the wrong individuals to office we end up with what we have and that is some of the highest property taxes in the U.S. and the highly undesirable #1 spot for our county in Texas.

Please do your homework this election cycle, make sure you are registered and get to the polls for early voting April 27th through May 5th or election day May 9th.

Can we afford more politics as usual with tough economic times upon us? If you want help doing your homework, then please contact us at responsible_dvlpmnt@yahoo.com . We are not a highly financed or powerful PAC, but your neighbors and local taxpayers like you.

Chris Calvin, Ph.D.
Committee for Responsible Development
Fort Bend County, TX

Monday, February 09, 2009

Visit Fortbendweb.com For County-wide Information & Community Forums

Click the title link for more...

Thursday, February 05, 2009

HOA Board Instigated Foreclosure Filings Soar In This Houston Area Study of HOAs (update Bob Adolph 2/4/09)--click the title link for the full story--


Since the 1987 Texas Supreme Court decision in Inwood North vs. Harris and the 1995 passage of Texas Property Code Chapter 204, Homeowners Associations (HOAs) have filed thousands of legal actions against homeowners in the Houston area, generally with threat of foreclosure, causing many to lose their homes and causing others financial hardship.

This site also includes the law firms most involved in this assault on homeowners property rights and the middle class! AARP has come out against this abuse with a new homeowners "Bill of Rights" because so many retirees have been targeted in these filings.

http://pages.prodigy.net/hoadata/

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Commissioner Morrison Leads Charge To Weaken Potential GFBCEDC Monopoly! --click on the title link for the full story--

Original media source: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/02/04/35418

Monday, February 02, 2009

Here's An Interesting Piece On Local Political Corruption--click on this title link for more--

FB Star: QVGC Eminent Domain Hearing Set To Begin Soon!

Follow the saga on the QVGC locked in a eminent domain abuse suit in Missouri City. The mayor, Allen Owen, is quoted as saying, “spending money on something we don’t totally have control of yet,” Owen said. “Things such as the golf course have got to be taken care of but building a new building (club house) will wait until we know that we own it. We can make our money back that we invested in the golf courses.” FB Star

In the same FB Star article the city announces sinking another 5 million into the courses before the property dispute is even resolved. This apparently conflicts with Owen's claims in the paragraph above:

"Heritage Links of Houston won the bid to rebuild Quail Valley’s El Dorado Golf Course. The action came at council’s annual retreat on Jan. 23. The city received a total of eight bids and Heritage Links was the lowest at $4.9 million." FB Star

-Get the full story by following the title link above and keep a close eye on cost over runs...

POLLHOST POLL RESULTS:

POLLHOST POLL RESULTS:

 

Question: Do you trust Allen Owen, mayor of Missouri City, TX, to represent you rather than his Houston corporate backers?

 

Results:

 

3%  participating said yes  (n20)

 

91%  participating said no  (n573)

 

6%  participating responded not sure  (n39)

 

(N) sample =  632

 

Stay tuned as more surveys for coming elections are posted!

Web Statistics
Alienware Computers

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