FBISDWatch Endorses Dora Olivo For State Representative!--click the title link for more--

Follow the title link above for more...

FBN: Raymond Gains More Support From Law Enforcement Agencies With HPD Endorsement!

Houston Police Union Endorses Richard Raymond Fort Bend DA’s Race
January 28th, 2010 | by John Pape, FortBendNow

The Houston Police Officers Union this week endorsed Republican candidate Richard Raymond in his bid to unseat Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey.

Fort Bend County resident and HPOU Executive Director Mark Clark and HPOU President Gary Blankenship made the announcement.

Clark is a 31 year veteran of the Houston Police Department and has resided in Fort Bend County for 40 years.

HPOU represents all 5,092 Houston Police officers and takes an active interest in area political races.

Raymond’s endorsement by HPOU and other law enforcement leaders, including four-term Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright, appears to be in response to what many law enforcement officers believe is an anti-police bias on the part of Healey and his staff.

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/01/28/43604

Chron: Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion Update!--follow the title link for more--

Group wants landfill operator to yield more

January 28, 2010 2:11 pm Zen T.C. Zheng, Houston Chronicle

Here is an update on a grassroots group’s fight against the proposed expansion of the Blue Ridge Landfill on the east side of Fort Bend County.

Last week, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved a revised application for a permit to pursue the project by BFI, which is now Republic Services after a corporate merger.

The revision reflects the terms and conditions in an agreement reached between the company and the city of Pearland last year, which includes what municipal officials regarded as “substantial compromise” by the trash disposer.

Previously, three television stations opposed to the project had all struck undisclosed deals with the company, leaving the Coalition Against Blue Ridge Landfill Expansion the lone party still in the fight...

http://cabrle.spaces.live.com/

Chron: Visit Community Involvement Websites To Stay Informed On Local Issues--click this title link for sources--

Follow the title link above...

Sad Day In The U.S. (Supreme Ct. Ruling Opens The Corporate Flood Gate)--click the title link for the story--

From Brazos Riverblog: For God And Conglomerate

Oh hurray!

Mandatory American middle-class servitude to the Corporate Elite is nearly complete now, thanks to today’s comic [US] Supreme Court interpretation that the First Amendment guarantees businesses the right to unlimited spending on political advertising.


Get the full article: http://www.bobdunn.com/for-god-and-conglomerate

Chron: Jimerson Announces Retirement... Jubilation At MCC!!!

MCC comment: This was one of the guaranteed Houston development company votes on Missouri City council. He supported the EDC-backed landfill expansion to 20 stories and voted consistently for projects like 2800 high density apartments in MC in Sienna Plantation against the wishes of homeowners in that community. More than likely he will endorse Danny Nguyen, another developer and Allen Owen supporter, for the seat. Let's hope someone steps forward to end this type of cronyism in the city and county government.

Stay tuned for more as this heats up.....

FBN: Crime Jumps Again In Missouri City, TX By 3% For 2009

Follow the title link above for the full story....

Chron update: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2010/01/crime-goes-down-missouri-city

Chron: Asks the crucial questions on GSTC--

Click the title link for more and visit http://fbisdwatch@yahoo.com to get background on this...

FBN: District Attorneys 2nd Debate (Sparks Fly)

Healey: I Am A Public Servant, I Am Not A Politician
January 18th, 2010 | by Jamie Mock, Fortbendnow

Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey spent a large portion of a recent debate responding to accusations that he has mismanaged the office he has held for the past 17 years.

The debate, featuring Republican candidates Healey, Richard Raymond and Nina Schaefer, was sponsored by the Spirit of Freedom Republican Women’s Club and held in Missouri City Jan. 15. According to information from the Fort Bend County Democratic Party, no Democrat filed to run for district attorney, and the three Republicans will face off in the March 2 primary.

While all three candidates touted “swift” justice, long sentences, no tolerance for crime in the county and the prosecution of white collar crime, Raymond and Schaefer repeatedly accused Healey of being “stagnant,” creating a backlog on the court dockets, mishandling the office’s budget and not working well with police and the courts...

Get more: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2010/01/18/43380

FBH: District Attorney Candidates Debate--click here--

DA candidates trade punches

Three Republicans spar in first debate of political season
BY DON MUNSCH
dmunsch@fbherald.com
Published:Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:07 AM CST

District Attorney John Healey took some jabs but punched back at his two opponents in the Republican field of district attorney candidates Tuesday during a debate at the Cinco Ranch Branch of Fort Bend County Libraries in Katy.

Healey faces lawyers Nina Schaefer and Richard Raymond in the GOP primary on March 2. The debate was sponsored by Katy Area Republicans and West Fort Bend County Republican Women’s Club. The three candidates are set to spar again at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Spring Creek Barbecue on Texas 6 in Missouri City in a debate sponsored by the Spirit of Freedom Republican Women’s Club.

After candidates introduced themselves, they took questions from reporters from two local newspapers and prepared questions from the audience and then made closing statements. Around 75 people attended the debate...

... “Justice delayed is justice denied,” she said. “You elect me, you will have swift justice. We will not tolerate criminals.”

Raymond said he was the “best man for the job” and said he was a certified public accountant in addition to be a lawyer. He said his experience in running a budget and office help make him a viable candidate.

“I currently run three budgets in excess of a million dollars; two of them alone each independently are more than the budget of the district attorney’s office now,” he said. “I know how to run a payroll, I know how to run a business and I know how to do it profitably. Unlike the incumbent, when he runs out of money, he runs to commissioners court and asks for more money. You and I both know that’s not the way to run any business or any office. We have a budget and we have to stick to it.”

Full story: http://www.fbherald.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/doc4b4df75a168d9551028901.txt

Chron: Despite Community Opposition Jenney Moves Forward With Duplicate Science Museum (as DA continues investigation)-

Follow the title link above for more...

HCN: Sherman Runs For Pct. 2 Justice of the Peace--click the link for more--

Tony's website is http://www.tonyshermanforjp.com/

A Big Congratulations To Our Fellow HOA Reform Minded Brethren In Missouri City On Their Victory Over Some Pretty Stiff Odds!!!--click here for more--

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2010

HOA REFORM CAN BE A REALITY
It started with a small group of concerned residents meeting at the Black Eyed Pea on September 5th, 2009. The concern – a petition that was circulating to drastically change the restrictive covenants for single family homes in the Meadowcreek subdivision, along with an increase in the annual maintenance assessment for these properties.

It culminated in a resounding victory for reform candidates at the annual meeting held on January 9th, 2010. Four board positions were on the ballot, and reform candidates prevailed in all sections. This win represents the first time in years that new and fresh ideas will be a norm rather than the exception on the Meadowcreek Association board of directors....(get the full piece by following the title link above).

MCC comment: We've followed this story since its early reports on abc13 Houston back in Sept-Oct, 2009.

Background: http://myfortbend.net/news/local/community/1275-sl-council-member-russell-jones-in-middle-of-mc-neighborhood-controversy

Statewide Watch Network Picks Up Report On Investigation Of FBISD TPIA Violations--click the title link for more--

Click the title link for the full story....

GET MORE ON FBISD DISTRICT ISSUES AT FBISDWATCH--CLICK THIS TITLE LINK FOR MORE--

Wishing Everyone A Happy New Year!

From FBI: http://fbindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=89&twindow=Default&mad=
No&sdetail=2193&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption
=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2531&hn=fbindependent&he=.com

OP/ED: Another New Year Brings Hope (and more elections)

Every year we go through this. First we close out the old year with the obligatory reflection and then look ahead with hope for the new. How often have we looked back and found that little has changed locally, especially in the political realm. Last years local and national recession appears to be continuing unabated as we look at an unemployment rate in the county of about 8.5%, well up from the 5.5% of a year ago.

Naturally many of our local political leaders won't emphasize these negatives or the facts that our ad valorem (property taxes) increased in this down economy on average by almost 11% making us one of the most highly taxed counties in the U.S., according to the tax foundation, and the leader in Texas for this not so coveted crown, nor will they mention the huge jump in home foreclosures county-wide or increasing crime.

During recent yearly reviews, by organizations like the Fort Bend County Economic Development Council and many of their backed politicians, all we seem to be reading is how bright and "rosy" everything is. I guess we shouldn't bother to look more closely at some of these issues as we move into a bright and "rosy" new year. If we did we might start asking questions and looking at connections as well as projects that won't help many of the issues that impact our quality of life here in FBC, such as the unsustainable development of high density housing (apartments) and low end repeat commercial and industrial development all financed with our taxes and bond debt as older areas empty out.

So rather than bleeding more facts about challenges we must face in our community and the importance of independent elected officials that focus on those already living here, I think it is better to wish everyone the best and urge them to get involved as more local elections are approaching on March 2nd and again in May. Turn-out has been traditionally low, but there is always hope and that is one commodity that is usually free (not always though).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

To get more involved this year see: http://www.ultimatefortbend.com/2009/10/fort-bend-county-local-blogs-websites-independent-sources-info