The Collin County Observer

From a City of McKinney press release:

City of McKinney Press Release
For Immediate Release

Bond election held in McKinney
Six propositions on ballot worth $51.35 million

McKINNEY, TEXAS (March 29, 2010) – On May 8, McKinney residents will vote to make decisions about the future growth of the city. A bond election will be held with a ballot including projects totaling $51.35 million centered on land acquisition, parks and recreation, public safety and streets improvements.

“McKinney’s bond election will have a huge impact on the next steps in the growth of our community. This year, we don’t have an election for representatives of our citizens, but the bond election is just as important. It is vital to the future of McKinney? that every resident vote and let city leadership know their decisions for the future direction of our fast-growing community,” said Mayor Brian Loughmiller.

The following propositions appear on the bond election, with voters deciding whether or not the McKinney City Council is authorized to issue general obligation bonds for these projects.

• $12.5 million for park and recreational facilities, including land acquisition, construction, improvements and expansion
• $11.35 million for public safety facilities, including land acquisition, construction and improvements
• $15.5 million acquiring, constructing and improving streets and associated drainage improvements within the city, including sidewalks and railroad crossings, traffic control and signalization devices, street lighting, public streetscaping and landscaping improvements, curb and gutter replacements and related improvements
• $5 million for public works facilities improvements, construction and land acquisition
• $4 million for construction and improvement to flood control facilities including creeks, dams and lakes
• $3 million for connectivity and improvements of municipal parking facilities in the Historic Downtown area

Early voting is available for McKinney voters starting Monday, April 26. For a complete list of times, dates and locations, visit www.mckinneytexas.org.

Election Day Polling Locations: Saturday, May 8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

McKinney City Hall
222 North Tennessee Street
Precincts (Distritos) 2, 3, 4, 9, 45, 96, 98, 100, 114, 128, 160, 161, 179

Valley Creek Elementary School
2800 Valley Creek Trail
Precincts 97, 102, 129, 156

Scoggins Middle School
7070 Stacy Road
Precincts 38, 126, 169

Burks Elementary School
1801 Hill Street
Precincts 1, 44, 57, 99

Collin College Central Park Campus
2200 West University Drive
Precincts 13, 16, 20, 43, 150

Dowell Middle School
301 East Ridge Road
Precincts 12, 122, 131, 140, 149, 155, 173

Fire Station #7
861 Independence Parkway
Precinct 163

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Yikes! Another special election?

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Plano legislator McCall is lone finalist for Texas State University chancellor job

Monday, March 29, 2010
By THEODORE KIM / The Dallas Morning News

State Rep. Brian McCall, who has been Plano's face in the Texas House of Representatives for nearly two decades, plans to resign to become chancellor of the Texas State University system.

The Board of Regents on Monday named the 51-year-old Republican legislator as its sole finalist for the job. Law requires the institution to post McCall's name for three weeks before taking final action.

Board of Regents Chairman Ron Blatchley said the system is "honored by Dr. McCall's interest in leading the Texas State University System as it enters its centennial year."

McCall said, "My interest in higher education has been long standing."

He said he decided in November not to seek re-election to his District 66 seat, which includes most of western Plano, so that he could pursue the Texas State chancellorship. His resignation could compel Gov. Rick Perry to call a special election to fill the remaining term, which concludes in January.

McCall said he plans to meet with Perry today to discuss election options. Republicans Mabrie Jackson and Van Taylor are in a runoff for the House 66 seat.

McCall, who was once a candidate to be House speaker and is chairman of the powerful Calendars Committee, said he plans to move to Austin soon for his new job.

He called his legislative tenure, which began in 1991, a "humbling experience."

"I showed up every day, I voted when I had to, I returned every phone call, I read every piece of mail," he said. "I served in the House without a hint of scandal. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to serve my home."

He stands poised to take over a system of nearly 70,000 students and seven institutions, including Texas State University at San Marcos and Sam Houston State University.

McCall received a bachelor's degree from Baylor University, a master's from Southern Methodist University and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Dallas.

link to this article at The Dallas Morning News....

For many election day watchers, one of the more interesting contests turned out to be the County Commissioners, Precinct 2 race.

Challenger and former Plano City Councilwoman Cheryl Williams out-polled 29 yr incumbent Jerry Hoagland by 9 percentage points. However, her 45.8% was not enough to avoid a run-off with Commissioner Hoagland.

The Collin County Observer visited with both Cheryl Williams and Jerry Hoagland this weekend. Both graciously allowed me into their home to record a series of interviews. I hope you find them interesting and helpful.

In the first segment, we talk about roads and mobility:

Bill

Published today in the National Law Journal:

Death penalty process must be fair
The high court should right the wrong in the Hood case, stemming from the judge's and prosecutor's affair.

Mark White
Published in The National Law Journal, March 29, 2010

I'm a longtime supporter of the death penalty, but what's happening in Charles Hood's case in Texas isn't right. If we are going to have the death penalty, we need to make sure that the process is fair and accurate.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (the state's high court for criminal cases) recently granted a new sentencing hearing for Hood on a technical issue related to jury instructions but has refused to address the central issue in this case: The judge and the prosecutor at Hood's trial had a long-term secret affair prior to the trial and concealed the relationship for 20 years. This was a secret that the pair kept even when they knew Hood was on the brink of execution and was trying to verify the rumors of the relationship.

The trial judge and the prosecutor did not come forward voluntarily or abide by their ethical or constitutional duties to divulge this information. Indeed, they denied it or refused to cooperate when asked directly about the affair by Hood's counsel five years ago. Their admissions came only when they were forced by a Texas trial court to testify under oath in 2008.

Now that the world knows the truth and the state courts have failed to correct this injustice, it's imperative that the U.S. Supreme Court intervene in Hood's case and grant him a new trial with an impartial judge and an ethical prosecutor.

The trial judge and the prosecuting attorney's affair breaches every standard of fairness that you would expect a defendant to receive during a capital case or, for that matter, a noncapital case. Hood could not have gotten a fair trial under these circumstances. His trial was infected with an incurable conflict of interest.

The judge and the prosecutor kept the affair secret for their own personal reasons, but they also concealed it from the people who were entitled to the information. If Hood's counsel had known about or had proof of the affair at the time of trial, he could have moved the judge to recuse herself.

The Court of Criminal Appeals, rather than setting things right, issued a two-­sentence boilerplate denial of Hood's judicial bias claim. We all want justice to be blind, but the whole world can see the Texas court's foolishness in turning its back on the egregious breach of ethics in this case.

The passage of time doesn't make it any less of a breach. The only thing for which we can be thankful is that an execution has not already occurred.

As governor of Texas, I oversaw 19 executions. This was a grave responsibility. I have seen frailties in the criminal justice system first-hand as a practicing lawyer and as an attorney general of Texas. Thus, before each execution, I reviewed in agonizing detail each individual's case to be as certain as humanly possible that he had received a fair trial.

Hood was convicted of killing the couple with whom lived in Plano, Texas. I'm not saying he is innocent or guilty. I'm saying that the way we determine guilt or innocence in this country is with a fair trial, and defendant Hood did not receive one.

A BLOW TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE

The harm to Hood is obvious, but the damage does not stop there. If the system fails to correct itself, it will deliver a blow to public confidence that cannot be easily remedied. Citizens can rightfully wonder how many other defendants were denied their right to a fair trial because the presiding judge and the prosecuting attorney concealed the true nature of their relationship.

People often mistake criticism of death penalty procedures for opposition to the death penalty across the board. I believe that the death penalty is appropriate for the most heinous crimes, those in which 21st ­century forensics or other probative evidence prove the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and after constitutional safeguards have been carefully observed.

During the past 20 years, DNA and other advances have gone a long way to hold criminals accountable, but modern science does not address every failing of the criminal justice system. Hood's case shows, at the most basic level, that there are huge flaws in our procedures and human frailties in the people who administer them.

The U.S. Supreme Court should take Hood's case to reinforce not only the standards that are to be applied in Texas courts, but in courts across the country, and strengthen the faith that the American people have in their judicial system. There's only one thing that can cure an unfair trial. That's a new trial. This time, it should be a fair one.

Mark White served as governor of Texas from 1983 to 1987 and as attorney general of Texas from 1979 to 1983. In February, along with 20 former judges and former prosecutors, he filed an amicus brief in support of Hood's petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.

link to article at The National Law Journal.....

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For prior Collin County Observer coverage of the Charles Dean Hood case click here

TxDOT has scheduled two public hearings in Collin County this week:

FM 455 in Anna

TxDOT in cooperation with Collin County and The City of Anna will host an open house and public hearing for the proposed improvements to Farm-to-Market (FM) 455. The hearing will be on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at the City of Anna, City Hall Administration Building, City Council Chambers, 111 North Powell Parkway, Anna, Texas, 75409.

Prior to the public hearing, an open house will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow for questions and review of project exhibits. TxDOT? strongly values the public’s involvement and invites all interested persons to attend the open house to discuss the social, economic, and environmental affects of the proposed improvements to FM 455.

The proposed project is needed to adequately address the expected increase in traffic along FM 455 within the City of Anna. The 6.5 mile improvement project extends from the U.S. Highway (US) 75 northbound frontage road to State Highway (SH) 121, in Collin County. The proposed plans widen FM 455 from a two-lane undivided roadway to a divided four-lane roadway with an ultimate six-lane configuration. This project’s improvements are designed to reduce congestion and improve mobility.

FM 546 in McKinney

TxDOT in cooperation with Collin County and and the City of McKinney will host an open house and public hearing for the proposed improvements to Farm-to-Market (FM) 546. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at the McKinney City Hall - City Council Chambers, 222 N. Tennessee Street, McKinney, TX 75069.

Prior to the public hearing, an open house will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to allow for questions and review of project exhibits. TxDOT? strongly values the public’s involvement and invites all interested persons to attend the open house to discuss the social, economic and environmental affects of the proposed improvements to FM 546.

The proposed project is needed to address uncontrolled access and conflicting left-turn movements on the roadway. The proposed improvement project extends from State Highway (SH) 5 to Airport Road in Collin County. The proposed project would reconstruct the existing six-lane roadway and bidirectional continuous left-turn lane to a four-lane roadway with dedicated left-turn lanes. This project’s improvements are designed to better control access and create safer conditions for motorists traveling along this roadway.

Bill

In light turnout, long time community volunteer André Davidson defeated Cathy Fang in a run-off for Plano City Council, Place 3.

In both the early voting and on election day, less than 5,000 voters cast ballots in this run-off to fill the seat made vacant when Mabrie Jackson resigned to run for the Texas Legislature in District 66.

The results were:

Cathy Fang 2,147 (43.97%)
Andre Davidson 2,736 (56.03%)

Turnout was 3.4%

Davidson was supported by a wide spectrum of the community and its leaders. Fang, who portrayed herself as an outside, independent voice, failed to capitalize on her "cut costs" conservative message.

Today's victory by Davidson will be seen as a set back for the Tea Party movement. While no Tea Party organizations formally backed Ms. Fang, she did get considerable support from many in their leadership.

Bill

Andre Davidson takes an early lead.

Early vote totals only:

Cathy Fang 1,492 42.30%
Andre Davidson 2,035 57.70%

2.5% of Plano's registered voters cast early voting ballots in the run-off. This has been an election marked by very low turnout, both in early voting and on election day.

Bill

Today is election day in the run-off for the vacant Plano City Council, place 3 seat.

The run-off between André Davidson and Kathy Fang has so far gained considerable attention, but a low voter turnout in early voting.

On election day, voters must vote in the neighborhood polling location for their precinct. Your precinct number is on your Voter Registration Certificate, or you can call the elections office at 972-547-1990 to find their correct polling place. Additional voter information can be found at the Collin County Elections Office web site.

Polling locations:

André Davidson
Age: 64

Occupation: Volunteer

Family: Husband and two adult children

Education: Bachelor of arts degree in general studies, University of Texas at Dallas; attended University of Southwestern Louisiana

Community highlights: Served numerous local volunteer groups ranging from Meals on Wheels to the Plano ISD Education Foundation; named Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year in 2005

Campaign Website
Collin County Observer coverage

Kathy Fang
Age: 63

Occupation: Accountant

Family: Single

Education: Master's degree in business administration, University of North Texas; bachelor's degree in business administration, Soochow University in Taiwan

Community highlights: Leadership Plano graduate; founder of a local group for Chinese-American businesswomen

Campaign Website
Collin County Observer coverage

Bill

Sorry, I couldn't resist the headline:

DMN - The Colony, Frisco settle dispute over sliver of land known as The Finger

Thursday, March 25, 2010
By VALERIE WIGGLESWORTH / The Dallas Morning News

After years of wrangling and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, The Colony will hand over to Frisco a sliver of land known as The Finger.

The 22-acre tract – home to two holes of The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes – has been the subject of a long-running dispute that will end with the property in Frisco's city limits. Frisco also received more than $1 million from The Colony as part of a settlement from a 2004 lawsuit.

Frisco officials say the agreement was about more than money.

"It is the rebuilding of good relations and clearing up of several other matters between our cities that make this an important step for both entities," Frisco Assistant City Manager Ron Patterson said.

City Manager Tony Johnston of The Colony said, "The settlement of the lawsuit has been long-awaited, and we look forward to working together with our neighboring city."

The feud between the two started years ago over two tracts of land west of FM423 known as The Finger and The Lightning Bolt. Both cities claimed the tracts were within their extraterritorial jurisdiction. A district court ruled in Frisco's favor in 1984. But The Colony went ahead and annexed The Finger, according to court records. By the time Frisco found out, it was too late to challenge the move in court.

But Frisco officials didn't forget.

In 1998, The Colony and Frisco contracted with the North Texas Municipal Water District to expand capacity at a wastewater treatment plant in Frisco. The district sold bonds and expanded the plant, while the two cities made payments on the debt.

But when The Colony started making plans to connect to the plant, Frisco refused to grant access through its city. It wanted The Finger and The Lightning Bolt, which The Colony was still claiming as its own.

The Colony found itself having paid toward a wastewater treatment plant it couldn't use. And its own 25-year-old treatment plant needed an upgrade. Environmental regulators had already fined the city $16,000. If it couldn't bring its plant into compliance within two years, more penalties were coming.

So The Colony stopped making payments on the new plant and invested $14 million into expanding its own plant. And it sued the water district and Frisco for breach of contract.

According to court records, the contract didn't address how the wastewater would be delivered to the new plant. The contract guaranteed The Colony only a certain amount of capacity once its wastewater arrived, the courts ruled.

The lawsuit advanced from trial court to the Second District Court of Appeals. Last year, The Colony petitioned for a review by the Texas Supreme Court. In recent months, though, all three entities decided to settle the case and move on.

The $1 million settlement reimburses Frisco for the $642,863 it paid to cover The Colony's share of the plant construction plus interest. The amount also covers Frisco's $208,200 in legal fees on the lawsuit. The water district did not receive reimbursement it requested for an estimated $152,500 in legal fees it incurred in the case. The Colony also surrendered The Finger.

Last year, Frisco gave up its claim to 40 acres known as The Lightning Bolt as part of an unrelated settlement with a developer. The Colony had annexed the jagged-shaped property at the request of Wynnwood Peninsula Partners at the same time that Frisco was initiating annexation on the tract. Wynnwood had sued Frisco to keep the land in The Colony. Frisco agreed....

read the rest of this article at The Dallas Morning News....

Douglass community speaks out against plans to outsource center

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
By Kim Nguyen / Plano Star-Courier

Ten speakers voiced concerns to the Plano City Council on Monday about the planned negotiations to transfer operations of the Douglass Community Center to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County.

By allowing the BGCCC to take over control of the Douglass Community Center, the city would save more than $400,000 annually.

Tempting as it may seem – city leaders recently projected a budget deficit of $15 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year – members of Plano’s historically black community say that the move would negatively affect the center’s identity. The speakers requested the council halt negotiations and work with Douglass Community members to find alternative ways to recoup lost funds in the city deficit.

“We are concerned because the Douglass Community Center is more than just a community center for Plano residents,” said T.J. Johnson, a member of Douglass Community Visions, an advocacy group that promotes the significance and livelihood of the community. “The Douglass Community Center is not limited to Douglass Community residents. The center is there for the Plano community at-large.”

Douglass Community Visions promotes and protects awareness of the city’s historically black community. Group members say the current issue with the center is causing an “identity crisis” in the community, as there has not been a clear decision of whether the Douglass Community Center is part of the city as a revenue-producing recreation center or a free community center.

“A community center has programs and may rent some rooms to receive some revenue, but most of the programs are free,” said Eleanor Evans, resident of the Douglass Community. “It was not designed to bring in revenue, but the city wants the center to act as a recreation center, which does produce revenue.”

Evans said the center has long been a site where Plano residents – from the Douglass Community and beyond – meet, socialize and host functions.

“The center is a meeting place for residents of the Douglass Community and churches grew out of the center,” she said. “A lot of people have a vested interest in the center.”

Transferring control from a city facility to a non-profit organization would also diminish the historical significance of the Douglass Community Center. As the former Plano Colored School and Frederick Douglass High School, the building and property have huge historical value in the area, said Dollie Thomas, a lifelong resident of the Douglass Community.

“We want to protect the community and preserve its historical significance,” she said. “It may be one of Plano’s oldest communities, but it is a viable community. We want to work with the city to treat the Douglass Community for what it is – a historical district.”

Thomas said another fear of Douglass Community Visions is the closure of the facility.

“Everyone is going through some rough financial times,” she said. “But later on down the line, if Boys and Girls Clubs decide they can’t handle the Douglass Center and it’s not on the city or the school district’s budget, then the doors will close.”

Douglass Community Visions is not limited to members of the Douglass Community or its community center.

The Rev. Sam Fenceroy of the Mount Olive Church of Plano said the council would not “wipe out a historical area just to do it.”

“It’s easy to look at numbers and pick out a big one,” he said. “But I believe that when we met with the city staff (earlier in the year), they realized that the community is too vital to lose.”

Regardless of how the negotiations turn out, Tanya Greene, president and CEO for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Collin County, said she hopes to continue providing Boys and Girls Clubs programs at the Douglass Community Center.

“I can definitely empathize with their concerns and I understand where the concerns are coming from, but that is the farthest thing that we would want happen to the Douglass Community,” she said, regarding concerns raised about the center losing its identity. “We want to work with the community to continue to preserve (the center’s) history and identity.”

The Boys and Girls Club of Collin County has provided services and programs at the Douglass Community Center since 1992, and Greene said she hopes to continue its open partnership with the children and families in and around the community.

“Since we started the process, we have asked repeatedly for a list of programs and what we can do to support the community,” she said. “In dealing so closely with families, we certainly want to keep communications open so everyone can understand what we do because we play a significant role in the community.”...

read the rest of this article at the Plano Star-Courier....

Editorial: We recommend Mabrie Jackson in House runoff

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board

The Republican runoff campaign for the Texas House from West Plano has been a contest over who has the more legitimate claim to the term conservative.

Both Mabrie Jackson and Van Taylor have signed the nationally known "taxpayer protection pledge" against new taxes and posted it on their Web sites. (Taylor touts the fact that he signed his first, on Nov. 19, as his first act as a candidate.)

As for guiding principles, Jackson, 45, vows to "keep the government out of my pocketbook and out of my house" if elected from the House District 66.

Taylor, 37, maintains that he is the sole "really, truly, deeply convicted conservative" of the two and that his "singular goal" would be that kind of representation.

If conservative-minded Republicans need a tiebreaker between the two for the April 13 runoff, it won't be a weak résumé for either. Taylor, for example, is an Iraq war veteran with a career in real estate finance and banking.

What voters won't find among Taylor's credentials are two important things Jackson can claim: deep roots in Plano and a long record of public service to the community, both as an officeholder and civic leader. With a record as a former Plano City Council member, Jackson was the top vote-getter at the ballot box March 2, with 41 percent of the primary tally, compared with 33 percent for Taylor. (Candidate Wayne Richard ran third.)

Another tiebreaker is Jackson's solutions-oriented approach to governing and the priorities she has set, including economic development, public education and keeping up with growth through forward-looking transportation and water policies. The state also must do better fighting child abuse, she says.

Jackson, formerly in marketing for EDS and a manager for Microsoft, has lived in Plano since grade school in 1970. Taylor moved to the district after losing a race for Congress from Central Texas in 2006.

One recent comment by Taylor might give voters yet another tiebreaker: He told this newspaper that he would "starve state government."

That's a handy catchphrase, but it says nothing constructive about how to educate children, pave roads or boost the business climate.

The winner of the runoff has no Democratic opponent in November.

link to editorial at The Dallas Morning News....

Dueling gets serious between 2 tollway authorities

March 23, 2010
Rodger Jones / Editorial Writer
The Dallas Morning News / Transportation Blog

We see at Bill Baumbach's Collin County Observer site that the competition is heating up between the North Texas Tollway Authority and the upstart Collin County Tollway Authority.

The NTTA already held hearings twice this month on the future extension of the Dallas North Tollway into northern Collin County. So yesterday, members of the county's commissioner's court -- who double as members of their own tollway authority -- voted unanimously to hold their own hearings on the future of the DNT.

County Judge Keith Self has been pushing this real hard from the beginning, drawing the anger of Sen. John Carona, chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee. Carona has been trying to ensure a regional approach to planning and funding of major roadways, and Self has gotten himself in hot water before with the senator. This latest decision for the duplicate public meetings is no different. Carona sent me the following statement this afternoon:

"Once again, Collin County elected officials are thumbing their noses at regionalism as they futilely attempt to seize control of the latest Dallas Tollway extension. It's a short-sighted move surely to incur the wrath of most North Texas leaders. Judge Self has been cautioned previously against this type of predatory behavior and appears eager for yet another bruising by his neighbors."

I talked this over with Commissioner Joe Jaynes, who is key in this debate. He is also a member of the policy-making Regional Transportation Commission and has a good handle on North Texas' planning and financial challenges for large road projects.

Jaynes does not apologize for the vote by county commissioners, doubling as the upstart local toll authority. He said the NTTA is financially strapped from taking on so many different projects in recent years, most recently the SH 161 roadway and, probably, the Southwest Parkway-Chisolm Trail in Tarrant and Parker counties.

NTTA, he says, cannot offer a firm timetable for developing a new alignment for the DNT north of Celina or even for laying down main lanes where the alignment is already set between US 380 and Celina. Until the county gets some kind of assurances from the NTTA, commissioners have a responsibility to push the projects through their own toll authority.

He said since funding for major transportation projects sometimes appears suddenly -- think of the infusion of $250m in stimulus money and how it helped out the D/FW Connector -- the new tollway segments need to be as ready as possible.

"We need all the tools we can get," Jaynes said, echoing the thoughts of Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey, who supports a separate Dallas County tolling agency.

Jaynes said he backs the concept of "primacy," meaning that NTTA should be the default, go-to tolling agency for the region.

"NTTA should have primacy -- but within reason," Jaynes said. "We should have guidelines in place" on timetables that make sense, he said.

Who should set those rules? "The state, or the region," Jaynes said.

As for the idea that the dueling, duplicative public meetings will be awfully and needlessly confusing to the public, Jaynes did not dispute that.

"We may hear that NTTA is on the right track," he said. But the real test is when and whether that agency will commit to spend the money for engineering and construction.

As for Sen. Carona's anger at the duplication, Jaynes said, "I don't know Sen. Carona that well, and I doubt he'd be able to pick me out of a crowd." He said Carona is acknowledged as a leader in transportation, "and I'd like to develop a good working relationship with him."

Update from Sherita Coffelt, spokeswoman for NTTA, on the Collin County toll authority's vote:

"This could be confusing to the citizens, in a situation where the NTTA is conducting a parallel process. Someone might go to a Collin County public meeting and think that they're going to an NTTA public meeting. .... If they provided a comment, it wouldn't be taken into account as part of our planning process."

I asked about the notion that Collin County could push its planning entirely on a parallel track and disregard the NTTA's work. Coffelt said, "That's just not in the public interest. You'd be doing a disservice."

And about the complaint that the NTTA is not advancing the roadway quickly enough, she said, "We have been advancing the roadway, as evidenced by the fact that we have been holding public meetings."

And what about the complaint that the NTTA can't afford to do the work now? The road would not attract the traffic needed to finance construction at present, she said.

"The road is not feasible right now," she said. "The road doesn't get more feasible based on the agency that's building it."

And the time frame? "There's not a firm time frame. I've heard rough estimates between five and 10 years. ... We know the growth will be there in the future."

Link to this post on the Dallas Morning News' Transportation Blog....

"I think that our vision of them [NTTA] being unable to do anything with this road for a long time is probably coming to pass."
County Judge Keith Self

"Lets do it!"
Commissioner Jerry Hoagland

"Bad things happen if you don't play nice"
Senator John Carona

The Collin County commissioners, meeting as the Collin County Toll Road Authority yesterday, voted 5-0 to hold a public hearing on alternative right of ways for Phase IV B of the Dallas North Tollway extension.

They dusted off a resolution passed in January, where they asserted a claim to the NTTA project, and used it to claim their right to assume authority over the IV B extension.

Keith Self told the commissioners:

"I asked to put on (the discussion on the toll road) because NTTA changed their discussion of the Phase IV B recently to include only three routes; one that went into Denton county, one that crosses the Denton County line, and one in Collin County...

"In January 12 of 2009, we assumed RMA (regional mobility authority) authority over the IV B project. NTTA is, obviously, extremely indebted at this point, and I think that our vision of them being unable to do anything with this road for a long time is probably coming to pass.

"It looks to me like we need to be holding our own alignment public hearings along these three or four alignments to see what we would choose in the future as a CTA (county toll road authority), should we decide to build the road under the CTA authority."

Latest NTTA proposed routes

The commissioners took this action after looking at NTTA's proposed alignments. Of the three routes that NTTA presented at a public hearing last week, one was in Denton County, one was on the county line, and one was in Collin County.

At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in future development that will border the toll road.

It was back in January of 2009 that the County Toll Road Authority met for the first time and approved the resolution taking over the NTTA's project to extend the Dallas North Tollway from FM 426 north of Celina to the Grayson County line.

The NTTA was not amused. Neither was the Senate Transportation Committee and its powerful chairman, Senator John Carona (R-Richardson).

Collin County commissioners soon found out that the NTTA had powerful friends.

Testifying before the commissioners court Paul Wageman, the chairman of the NTTA Board warned the court that the legislature could grant NTTA control over all tolled projects in the region, and that included the commissioner's cherished project -- the Outer Loop. In fact a bill was filed in the last session that would have done exactly that.

Wageman told the Senate Committee the same thing. In testimony before the committee, Wageman said:

"Judge Self and the commissioners have had on their agendas, at least twice over the last few months, essentially court orders to issue contracts on elements of our system that are either owned entirely by the NTTA or under contractual arrangements."

Carona reacted by saying:

"I'd like to see everyone play nice, but I don't think Collin County has been lately. And Judge Self, bad things happen when you don't play nice. (I'd like to work with you on this) ... but we are going to have to have a different kind of relationship for that to happen. I don't feel like we have a relationship with you for a number of reasons, and frankly I think that is driven by you, not us."

Carona summed up the situation well when he told Keith Self, "Bad things happen if you don't play nice".

The legislation was dropped after Senator Shapiro helped broker a deal. The county promised to give up its claim on the Dallas North Tollway, and the Senators allowed the county's Toll Road Authority to continue trying to develop its Outer Loop.

But yesterday, the county commissioners reneged on the deal.

Older 4 route plan

This is the second time the county has gone back on an agreement involving the tollway extension. They originally had a deal with Denton County where both counties agreed that the DNT extension would be along the county line. Collin County formally rescinded that compact six months before forming their own Toll Road Authority.

Both actions were taken after the commissioners court began to fear that the county could lose miles of the road to Denton. Along with those miles would be the miles of development that would follow any extension of the tollway. The commissioners want the whole extension in Collin County, eschewing even the county line alignment as half a loaf.

Will they get away with their hijacking?

It was only last week, when Senator Carona's blog contained the following in a discussion on a possible Dallas County Toll Authority:

"Senator Carona has always been a strong supporter of regional transportation solutions and fewer infrastructure agencies instead of more, and throughout the 81st legislation session worked to ensure the cohesiveness of future transportation plans in the region."

"The compromise language between the Collin County Toll Authority and the North Texas Tollway Authority was ultimately removed from legislation. As a result, Senator Carona is observing how the relationship progresses over the interim, and depending on that outcome, may proceed with appropriate legislation in the 82nd session."

(Note to the Collin County Commissioners -- That was a threat.)

The stage is now set for some high stakes gamesmanship, as the NTTA, Collin, Denton and the State haggle over the ownership and future path of the tollway extension.

Collin County is often accused of not being a team player. Their protectionism and publicly stated disdain for regional cooperation may have made the county some powerful foes, and made it all the harder for the county to get a fair shake in regional projects, such as the Dallas North Tollway.

The last time this battle was fought, the commissioners brought a knife to a gunfight. This challenge could be just the first shot in gaining negotiating room, but it could result in the county losing control of both the tollway and the Outer Loop.

At stake is the gain or loss of millions of dollars in future tax revenue.

Bill

The Dallas Morning News' Diane Jennings retells the story, extensively covered here, of the Open Plea decision by the 5th Court of Appeals in ruling against visiting Judge McCraw in a Collin County case.

The DA's office seems to be begging the question of forum shopping, first denying it, then stating that it doesn't make any difference what their motive was.

Michael Curran, the defense attorney in the case told Ms. Jennings that he was appealing the ruling by the 5th COA. My guess is that he will lose. To correct this problem, the law needs to be changed.

Hunter Biederman at the Frisco DWI Lawyer's Blog adds his own commentary today, stating, "The point the article and I sought to make is that the DA cant stop a judge from sentencing a person. They jury serves no purpose, and is not needed to make a determination of guilt -- because the defendant conceded to his guilt."

Hunter's right -- all the State can do is waste taxpayer money and a jury's time.

For what?

Bill

======================

Defendant's bid to plead guilty before judge not an open-and-shut case in Collin County

Monday, March 22, 2010
By DIANE JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News

Robert Blackburn wants to tell a judge that he's guilty. But the people charged with punishing him – the prosecution – won't let him.

When visiting Judge John McCraw tried to allow Blackburn to plead guilty to drug possession charges, saying taxpayers should not have to pay for unnecessary trials, the ruling set off a flurry of legal maneuvers in which the Collin County district attorney's office asserted its right to demand that a jury hear the case rather than let him plead guilty to the judge.

"We're not up here just going through the motions," District Attorney John Roach said. "We have reasons for everything we do – our reason has to do with the promotion of justice."

The spat between judge and district attorney has created a stir in legal circles and the blogosphere. But Roach says the brouhaha over forced jury trials in Collin County, which has arisen occasionally in other counties, is due to "defense lawyers that don't like being made to go to trial."

Roach declined to discuss the Blackburn case, citing pending litigation. But in a peculiar twist due to Texas law, if Blackburn goes to trial, he can demand to be sentenced by the judge, putting the case back where it started after considerable taxpayer expense. Blackburn's attorney is promising to take the issue to the Supreme Court to allow his client to plead guilty to a judge.

Roach said his office doesn't think it is an "honest process" to accept open pleas in which the accused pleads guilty to the judge and the judge decides the punishment without approval by the prosecution.

"A lot of time the defendant and the state, it's just a wink and nod and forcing the judge to decide what the punishment should be," said Roach, who also is a former judge.

Few cases go to jury

Despite the hallowed American right of defendants to face a jury of their peers, 99 percent of criminal cases in Texas never go to trial. Guilty pleas are the grease that keeps the system moving, because it would break down if everyone entitled to a jury trial demanded one.

Texas is one of a handful of states that allow jury sentencing; most leave that task to a judge. But in the few states that do, if you demand a jury trial, you get jury sentencing. Texas is the only state that allows the defendant to choose who sentences the guilty – judge or jury. Only if a Texas defendant pleads guilty to a jury must he or she be sentenced by the jury.

Juries generally are considered less predictable than judges when it comes to punishment.

And in Texas, like many other states, prosecutors must agree to a defendant's decision to waive a jury trial and go before a judge.

Though it is unusual for prosecutors to demand trial when the defendant wants to plead guilty, it's not unheard of.

"It's costly, but it might serve some educational purpose for the public to air the facts," said Nancy King, law professor at Vanderbilt University. "It's a way to test the proof, if there's some doubt about whether the offense actually occurred."

Shannon Edmonds, government liaison for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, said a trial also might \enable the judge to "learn something new in that trial he wouldn't have learned otherwise," and give the victim "their day in court, which they don't get to do if there's a plea."

But judge shopping – by the defense or the prosecution – is always a possibility.

In Blackburn's case, McCraw thought he saw just that. In his December ruling, McCraw accused the district attorney's office of "forum shopping for a particular judge to fix the punishment."

Assistant District Attorney John Rolater, who is handling the Blackburn case, denied it in court.

Attorneys cannot request that a case be assigned to a specific judge, but they can try to gauge a judge's calendar to see when he or she will be presiding.

Hunter Biederman, a Collin County defense attorney who was in court the day McCraw accepted Blackburn's plea, said efforts by prosecutors to avoid certain judges are outrageous.

"If we're going to elect our judges, who are supposed to be neutral magistrates, why are we going to take that [sentencing] power away from them?"

Roach said his office does not target specific judges as some allege. "That's an ignorant statement," he said. The law says prosecutors are entitled to demand a jury trial "and it doesn't make any difference what our motives are."

Rolater also pointed out in court that without a trial, a judge could give Blackburn deferred adjudication in which the accused's record is wiped clean if he or she completes this special probation. Authorities said Blackburn, 27, tried to swallow the evidence and scuffled with an officer. He faces four felony counts.

Prosecutors opposed deferred adjudication in Blackburn's case. But McCraw called that argument a "straw man" because Blackburn did not request deferred adjudication.

"The state wants to control who sets the punishment hearing," McCraw said. "Is that what the fight is about here?"

DA's reasons debated

Biederman, who wrote about the twists and turns of the Blackburn case extensively on his blog, mentioned other reasons the district attorney's office might insist on trials in cases in which defendants want to plead guilty, including giving rookie prosecutors courtroom experience or inflating the district attorney's conviction rate for political purposes.

Roach dismissed those ideas as well, pointing out that young attorneys cut their teeth in misdemeanor court, not felony court, and saying his office doesn't need to "pump up" its conviction rate.

"I'm hired by the people of Texas to try criminal trials – that's what we do," he said. "Who wants an idiot for the district attorney who won't work to try a case?"

When McCraw allowed Blackburn to plead guilty over prosecutor's objections, he said, "I would submit the United States Constitution allows a defendant the right to enter a plea based on the court's request."

McCraw cited "judicial economy" in his ruling, saying the county should not have to pay for up to four jury trials at a cost of about $5,000 per trial when the defendant is willing to plead guilty.

Other costs related to any trial – attorney fees, costs to jurors' time – also would be incurred.

An appellate court overruled McCraw, citing the state law that says the case must go to trial because the prosecutor and judge must consent to the waiver of a jury trial and saying Blackburn failed to "specifically raise a constitutional argument for this court to address."

Blackburn's attorney, Michael Curran, said he is filing a motion asking the appellate court to rehear the issue. If he loses in state courts, as others challenging the law have done, "This thing can go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court," he said. "I intend to take this as far as I can."

Roach stands by his policy to adhere to the law that allows him to refuse to let judges accept pleas without his consent. Even though the law allows Blackburn to be sentenced by a judge after a jury trial.

"I don't think it's a waste of taxpayer money for fellow citizens to make a determination about whether a person is guilty of a criminal offense."

###

Last week, The Republican Men's Club held a candidate forum between the run-off candidates for Texas House, District 66.

Both Mabrie Jackson and Van Taylor fielded questions posed to them by conservative radio personality Jeff Bolton.

I was disappointed in that the questions asked had little to do with the very real issues that will face the next legislature. Instead, the questions were more of a sounding board for Mr. Bolton to expound on the difference between conservatives vs real conservatives. The candidates responded predictably -- both touted their conservative values; neither offered very many specifics.

No questions were asked on exactly how to fund education, how to wean the DPS and education from any reallocation of gas taxes to roads, how to fund highway construction, etc.

Both Ms. Jackson and Mr. Taylor verbally agreed to sit for interviews with the Observer. I hope to pin them down to specific proposals that address the real core issues that the next legislature will grapple with.

Here are a few clips from Thursday's forum. I have tried to choose the questions that elicited the most thoughtful answers (but I have edited out the bulk of Mr. Bolton's prefatory speechlets):

Bill

From a North Texas History Center Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GENEROUS GIFT
North Texas History Center given its largest donation


McKINNEY, Texas (March 18, 2010) – Plagued by financial troubles, the North Texas History Center was recently given a glimmer of hope.

This week, the NTHC received a special gift from a generous donor. This $20,000 contribution is the single largest unsolicited donation in the organization’s history.

“This contribution makes a huge difference to our ability to survive,” said Vicki Day, executive director at the NTHC. “Our funding problems aren’t solved, but this gives us hope to keep fighting every day.”

The donation was made by the Ruth LeVan Fund through the Renaissance Charitable Foundation in memory of Helen Gibbard Hall.

“We are so grateful for the support shown from those who care about preserving our history.” said Day.

About the North Texas History Center

Since 1957, the Collin County Historical Society, now known as the North Texas History Center, has been dedicated to collecting and preserving North Texas history. The NTHC shares local history with students from across North Texas and visitors from around the world. Located at 300 E. Virginia just east of the square in downtown McKinney, NTHC is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Saturday.

For additional information, contact the North Texas History Center at (972) 542-9457 or visit our website www.northtexashistorycenter.org.
###

Hundreds of Celina area residents let NTTA know preferred route for tollway extension


Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Penny Rathbun / Celina Record

More than 400 Celina, Denton and Collin County residents kept NTTA officials busy at a meeting last week held to give information on the proposed routes for the extension of the Dallas North Tollway.

“As the mayor, I am thrilled that so many people responded and came out to the informational meeting,” Celina Mayor Jim Lewis said.

Of the three routes the North Texas Tollway Authority is proposing, he favors the route known as the Orange/Red Alignment.

“It's $60 million less for our route. It's just almost unrealistic to think they're going to spend an extra $60 million in my opinion. Why tear up another 20 acres of wetland if you don't have to? It just doesn't make sense,” Lewis said.

He added he was also glad to see council representatives from so many of Celina's neighbors. There were council people there from Anna, Melissa, McKinney and Pilot Point.

The NTTA is considering three different alignments. The Green Alignment veers west/northwest directly towards Pilot Point and meets up with U.S. Highway 377 just north of Pilot Point. The second alignment, Yellow and Red, veers west then due north up the Denton and Collin County line. The third Orange and Red alignment, goes straight north from the existing roadway.

The Green Alignment moves the majority of developable DNT frontage outside of Celina and Collin County. About $40 million to $50 million of annual tax revenue will go to Pilot Point and Denton County. Project development cost in 2010 dollars is about $890 million.

The Yellow/Red Alignment along the Denton/Collin County line will also divert tax dollars away from Celina. The estimated cost of developing the Yellow-Red alignment is $865 million.

The Orange/Red alignment would allow Celina and Collin County to provide a high level of services for a fairly low tax rate. It would be less expensive to build because it does not go through flood plain. The alignment along the county line will require several bridges to elevate the road above the flood plain. The Orange/Red alignment project development cost will be about $805 million.

“The Orange/Red route would bring prosperity to our town,” Celina resident Kandace Hancock said. It's only a mile off the square.”

The next step for the NTTA staff is to evaluate public meeting comments and finalize an alternative alignment analysis. The NTTA board then selects a locally preferred alternative. The staff will then develop a preliminary design schematic and environmental evaluation on the locally preferred route.

A tentative time line is for the board to approve a locally preferred route in July this year. Design development would take place from July through February 2011. Formal public hearings would be conducted in March of next year. The NTTA board would approve schematic design in June 2011.

Another alternative Lewis said is possible is that the NTTA board could decide not to choose a route or do anything else for awhile.

The NTTA is still taking public comments. They can be emailed to DNT45@ntta.org.

Comments can be written and sent to Corridor Manager, Re: DNT 4B/5A Project, P.O. Box 260729, Plano, Texas 75026.

For information on all three proposed routes for the Dallas North Tollway extension visit www.ntta.org.

link to article at The Celina Record....

Last week, the Bradford Pear trees in my yard broke out in glorious bloom, robins appeared on the lawn, the jonquils in the garden flowered and the Collin County Commissioners Court was on another 2 week vacation.

Yes, it's Spring Break time at the commissioners court.

If it wasn't for all the harbingers of spring, I know I'd have some difficulty distinguishing between their spring break, summer break, holiday break, and whatever break.

The court last met on March 1 and their next meeting will be on Monday, the 22nd.

Just because they're on break, doesn't mean they still don't get paid. Two weeks of salaries for County Judge and 4 commissioners cost the taxpayers $22,188.38.

But I guess they need a break. It's been a hard campaign season, and it ain't over yet. Campaigning started in January, and for two members of the court won't end until November. While some candidates have to work in vacation time or a leave of absence to run for office, county officials have no such limitations. They get paid and get to campaign as much as they want. Heck, most even get to hit the county's vendors up for nice fat campaign contributions.

Over the last few weeks, Joe Jaynes was out campaigning for Kathy Ward, who lost the GOP nomination to Duncan Webb. Matt Shaheen was on the stump for Keith Self, who won. And Jerry Hoagland is still battling for political survival after finishing in second place to former Plano City Councilwoman Cheryl Williams.

Both Self and the winner of the Hoagland/Williams run-off will face Democratic challengers in November.

I guess they're all tired and need the break.

While they're all soaking up the rays, why is it I feel I want my money back?

Bill

From a press release by John M. Bales, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice:

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
United States Attorney John M. Bales
Eastern District of Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010

FORTY INDICTED IN EAST TEXAS MAJOR MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME

PLANO, Texas – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that 40 individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with a major mortgage fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas.

The 16 count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on Mar. 10, 2010, and includes one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 12 counts of mail fraud and 3 counts of money laundering. All 40 defendants, from Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Georgia, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Many of the defendants are also charged with various counts of mail fraud and money laundering.

According to the indictment, beginning in 2004, John Barry, 41, of Windemere, Florida, owned and operated, TKI Group, Inc. and JAB Consulting, businesses out of Florida through which he solicited real estate agents, property finders, mortgage brokers, title company attorneys or escrow officers, property appraisers, and straw buyers to facilitate this scheme. The purpose of the scheme was to defraud lending institutions by convincing them to approve mortgage loans for residential properties for which the property values had been fraudulently inflated. The indictment specifically lists 114 residential properties located in the Texas cities of Allen, Arlington, Cedar Hill, Coppell, Corinth, Cypress, Dallas, Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Frisco, Granbury, Heath, Highland Village, Houston, Keller, Lantana, Lewisville, Little Elm, Lubbock, Magnolia, McKinney?, Plano, Roanoke, Southlake, Spring, The Woodlands, and Willis.

In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Bales specifically noted the breadth of the financial scheme, “This Indictment brings to light a criminal scheme that is quite breathtaking in its scope and beyond disturbing as far as the boldness of the fraud. The agents have done a remarkable job putting together this investigation and we look forward to presenting all of the evidence in court. Hopefully, others involved in mortgage fraud will be taking notice – we will be relentless in discovering, exposing and holding accountable those who have committed similar crimes.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of mail fraud charge, and up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering.

"Mortgage fraud creates so much harm to individuals, businesses and our economy, but today's indictment is a strong reminder how serious our system considers this criminal activity," said Erick Martinez, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field office. "Those who line their pockets with profits from these schemes should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable."

"Evidence collected by the FBI to support today's indictments proves that financial crime conspiracies, particularly mortgage fraud, still threaten our economic stability," said Robert E. Casey, Jr., the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Office in Dallas. "This investigation illustrates the North Texas law enforcement community's commitment to root out those who perpetrate mortgage fraud. Although increased prosecutions alone will not solve the mortgage crisis, we hope these prosecutions will help deter future fraud."

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoil Shipchandler.

This law enforcement action is part of President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.

President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general, and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets, and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.

An indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

###

UPDATE (3/17/10 11:00 AM)

The Observer adds:

The US Attorney has released the names of those indicted individuals. Among the 40 were five from Collin County:

1. Joy Beckner, of McKinney, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud.
2. Sheri Brower of McKinney, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud.
3. Allison Ridgeway a/k/a Allison Raymond a/k/a Allison Hutsell of Plano, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
4. Daniel Ayers, of McKinney, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and ten counts of mail fraud.
5. Brett Relander of Plano, charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

The indictments list fraudulent transactions and representations involving homes all over the eastern part of Texas including 2 in Allen, 4 in Frisco, 47 in McKinney, and 2 in Plano.

Bill

NOTES:

The Indictment by the US Grand Jury, Barry et al - Indictment, March 10, 2010, including a listing of the affected properties.

List of those indicted

Press Release from The US Attorney dated March 16, 2010

---------------------

Collin County's first charter school moves a step closer to opening

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
By MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News

Collin County's long-discussed first charter school has moved closer to opening despite concerns raised by the state over its proposed contract with an education management company.

In an apparent about-face, the State Board of Education approved a charter last week for the Imagine International Academy of North Texas even with concerns over the management contract apparently still unresolved. Board members granted the education commissioner authority to approve a revised contract between the McKinney school and Virginia-based Imagine Schools Inc., one of the country's largest for-profit charter operators. Once it's approved, the state-funded school would be permitted to open.

The education commissioner could sign off on it in the next few weeks, said DeEtta Culbertson, a Texas Education Agency spokeswoman. She said that the agency couldn't disclose possible revisions to the contract until they're finalized because they involve "negotiations and lawyers."

Officials with Imagine and the McKinney school couldn't be reached for comment.

The McKinney school's future had been uncertain for some time, and its opening delayed because of state scrutiny and turnover on the charter school's governing board. TEA's attorneys raised concerns over the initial contract because they said it appeared to grant the company power over the school's governing board. Education officials in other states where Imagine operates have also questioned the fees the company charges its schools and the complex real estate agreements into which some schools are required to enter.

Imagine International Academy of North Texas and a sister school outside Austin have faced challenges since the state awarded them two of its last charter spots in November 2008. Like many Texas charters, they were required to satisfy several contingencies, or concerns, the state raised before they would be approved to open.

One of them: Both schools lacked their own nonprofit statuses – usually a requirement for a charter to open. The state signed off on an unusual relationship with the Texas schools sharing the status of an Indiana nonprofit connected to Imagine Schools.

In recent months, the McKinney school has dropped its association with the Fort Wayne entity and has become its own nonprofit organization, the TEA said. Meanwhile, the Imagine charter school outside Austin has cut ties with Imagine Schools over issues regarding the proposed management contract. (Last week, state board members also voted to allow that charter to open without the company.)

Officials with that Austin-area charter weren't alone in their concerns. Last summer, four of the McKinney school's five original board members quit, saying in their resignation letter that they weren't comfortable with the Imagine Schools contract. The board's president has also changed twice since then.

continue reading the rest of this article at The Dallas Morning News....

The Collin Community College District, now known as Collin College, will soon have some new leadership on the Board of Trustees.

Three of the nine members on the Board of Trustees are up for re-election in May. Two of them have decided not to run. The third faces a challenger.

The Board of Trustees normally has little turnover. The Chairman, Dr. Robert Collins and Trustee Tino Trujillo are "founding members", meaning they have been on the Board since the inception of the Community College District in 1985.

In Place 1, the incumbent, Dr. David Hammel, first elected to the Board in 2004, is being challenged by a local attorney, Nancy Wurzman.

The incumbent in Place 2, Cindy Bauge was elected to the Board in 1998, and currently serves as Board Secretary. Ms. Bauge has decided not to run for re-election. Plano's Jenny McCall is unopposed for the Place 2 position.

The incumbent in Place 3, Dr. E T Boon, who has served on the Board since 1990 also chose not to seek another term. Vying for the Place 3 slot are Earnest Burke and Larry Wainwright.

Members of the College's Board of directors serve a six year term.

New and current board members will face significant challenges over the next few years:

FUNDING

Probably the greatest issue will be funding. The State off Texas will likely reduce state funding to all colleges by 5% during the next biennium. Local tax revenue is expected to fall this year with the anemic economy and lower property valuations. This combination will force the College to squeeze every cent out of their revenue in order to keep services intact and tuition low.

Last years $164 million budget allowed the district to both balance its accounts and grant taxpayers a slight tax rate decrease, but with burgeoning growth, and anticipated State cuts, future tax cuts may give way to tuition and/or tax increases.

Currently tuition is stable. The college had successfully bucked the trend by other public institutions in not raising tuition rates. Instead the college has relied on its growing enrollment (up 15% last year), and frugal management to keep to its mission of affordability.

Collin College now offers the lowest total tuition and fee scale in the State of Texas - and it wants to keep it that way.

EXPANSION

The district's strategic plan calls for new campuses in under-served but growing parts of the county.

The College District has already purchased land in Celina and Farmersville, and needs to acquire property in the Wylie/Sachse area to fulfill the master plan for new campuses.

When it opened its doors in 1986, the College enrolled about 5,000 students. This year it will educate over 46,000, becoming the 6th largest employer in the county.

To maintain its growth rate and to fully serve all parts of the county, the college will very soon need to begin to plan the bonds and construction for both the Farmersville and Celina campuses.

MISSION

With over 760,000 residents, Collin County is the largest county (in population) in Texas without a 4 year university. While the county boasts one of the most educated workforces in the nation, and its economy is driven in large part by high tech companies, until very recently our residents had to travel to Richardson, Denton or Commerce to earn a degree from a public university.

This year, Collin College opened its "Collin Higher Education Center" at a new facility in McKinney. At the Higher Education Center, five university partners offer a variety of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Even though it opened in mid-year, the Higher Education Center has attracted many more students than anticipated. Only 350 students were projected to enroll in the first semester of the Center, but in a vivid demonstration of the need for higher education options in the county, over 600 signed up.

The College's trustees will need to take a hard look at its mission. It needs to answer the question, "What do we become?"

Should it evolve into a 4 year college?

Should it plan to expand to become a university, offering research and advanced degrees?

Both options are very expensive, and will require obtaining substantial financial support from the community and the State.

Right now the school is leaning towards a rather unique alternative where its Higher Education Center 'diffuses', rather than grants advanced degrees. By partnering with nearby universities, the college can offer local student access to almost 30 different degree plans, without hiring professors or building expensive infrastructure. Perhaps this model can guide the future response by the college to the demand for a higher education by county residents.

This year marks the silver anniversary of Collin College. Its Board of Trustees, both older and new members, will be tasked to maintain the sterling reputation of the district in a period of rapid growth -- by both sticking to tried and true formulas, and pushing to "boldly go where no one has gone before".

Recognizing the importance of the college to our community, The Collin County Observer will attempt to offer our readers insights into the campaigns of and interviews with the Collin College Board of Trustee candidates.

Bill

Justin P. Nichols of Plano: Local political forums encourage apathy

Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Dallas Morning News - Local Voices

Justin P. Nichols is a Plano resident and former candidate for the Plano City Council in 2008.

Voters just went to the polls to decide dozens of political contests. But before the election there were countless forums and debates sponsored by various groups. Some groups host forums for the benefit of the public, and some give candidates a chance to cater to a particular type of voter. But the one thing all these proceedings had in common was terrible dullness and boredom – hence why few news sources, if any, covered them.

The typical political "debate" consists of too many candidates being given too little time to introduce themselves with a canned intro, followed by a handful of questions that are asked so candidates can show off their canned responses.

Don't we want some political vigor – some democratic passion?

Sure, it's easy to take a jab in a mailer or through a press release, but it's another thing to call out opponents at a forum. Why aren't there any debates that offer real insight into candidates' personality and positions?

The question, "Why do you want to be elected?" doesn't give me all the information I need. I want to see tough questions asked – questions that no one sees coming – questions that only get whispered in gossip circles. I want to see candidates address each other.

I would have liked to see Kelley Adley ask Justice of the Peace Mike Yarbrough, "Why aren't you willing to get up early on Saturdays to perform arraignments like your fellow JPs?" In turn, it would have been interesting to see Yarbrough ask Doug Reeves, the other candidate in the race, "How many times will you run against me?"

Someone should have asked judicial candidate Linda Drain if she was at all ashamed to have been endorsed by former prosecutor Tom O'Connell, who has recently brought a lot of negative publicity and discredit to the Collin County legal system. After all, Republicans hammered President Barack Obama for associating with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers. He had to address that in debates. Asking tough questions about supporters is fair play – Republican or Democrat.

Besides being interesting and somewhat uncomfortable, these types of questions are good because they allow voters to see the off-the-cuff side of candidates, and they keep candidates on their toes. If you think about it, pre-election debates are the only time candidates are compelled to answer questions. If elected, the most someone can do is make a statement at a public meeting, and the official doesn't have to respond at all.

I'm sure some folks will tout the traditional civility of Collin County campaigns.

But Collin County has outgrown the good ol' boy network, and elections will no longer be decided at a country club over cigars and brandy. Rather, to win an election these days, it will take a fight to win each vote.

I just wish there were public forums where true political discourse occurred. I'm not advocating outright brawls or cheap shots, but I do advocate for more vigorous debate and excitement at these events. Plus, having been a candidate myself, I believe those vying to be elected wouldn't mind these events being a bit livelier. They have to sit through them, too.

Apathy and voter fatigue are already challenges to an engaged electorate, and I think it would help if local debates more closely resembled the Roman senate than an afternoon of tea and crumpets.

Justin P. Nichols is a Plano resident and former candidate for the Plano City Council in 2008.


link to this Local Voices opinion at The Dallas Morning News....

Many in Collin County jumping at chance to serve on city councils, school boards

Sunday, March 14, 2010
By MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Morning News Staff writers Valerie Wigglesworth, Jessica Meyers and Sam Hodges contributed to this report.

Collin County voters this spring will find more candidates on the ballot for some city council and school board races than in previous years.

In the Plano school district, eight candidates are vying for three seats on the school board. Seven people filed to run for two seats on the Frisco City Council. And in Allen, three of the four incumbents drew challengers.

The robust election of mostly political newcomers represents a small shift for Collin County politics, where incumbents often run unopposed. Part of the increased interest comes from a rare opportunity: There won't be any incumbents from the McKinney and Plano school boards on the May 8 ballot.

"They see their opportunity and are jumping," said Mike McConachie, a Collin College political-science professor. "It is so hard to beat an incumbent despite all you hear about the anti-incumbency."

That's playing out in Frisco ISD, where all three trustees up for re-election are running unopposed.

Board president Dan Mossakowski said the school district doesn't have the turnover of other local offices or the slew of political opponents because the trustees avoid drama.

"It has a lot to do with how the community views how the school board is doing," Mossakowski said. "And there's a lot more stuff going on in the city government level that really doesn't happen in the school district."

Controversies

The increased interest in some races, especially for the Plano school board and the Frisco City Council, stems in part from past controversial decisions.

In Plano ISD, trustees unanimously approved a divisive school boundary realignment plan in November without explaining their vote.

"I would really imagine after that redistricting debacle that more parents would put their hat into the ring," said Place 2 candidate Paul P. Kaminksy, a retired Army warrant officer, who faces two opponents.

One of those parents is Nancy Humphrey. She said she decided to run for Place 3 because she thought board decisions have too often occurred unanimously and without discussion.

"I just feel like the communication hasn't been there," said Humphrey, who lives in a part of Richardson that is in the Plano school district's boundaries.

Contested races for the Frisco City Council have been common the past decade and don't seem to faze anyone now.

"The days of council races being unopposed are over," said Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Cheney, who's running for a second term. "A lot of exciting things are happening in Frisco. It's hard not to want to be a part of it."

Cheney faces two challengers for his Place 2 seat, while incumbent David Prince is in a four-way race for Place 4. Most challengers are political novices. In fact, only Jim Joyner, who served on the council for two terms and has been on numerous city boards and commissions, has previous political experience.

Joyner said he filed for the Place 4 seat after the high-profile debate over support for the Collin County arts hall. He said he wants to focus on the city's vision that has made it so successful in the past. Other candidates mentioned that arts hall debate and opposition to the city's support for two proposed multi-housing projects that would include Section 8 voucher-holders.

Those issues served as a wake-up call for Tony Walsh, who's running for the Place 2 slot.

"A lot of people in Frisco have their head in the sand, and I used to be one of them," said Walsh, a mortgage broker and youth sports coach. "I just want to vote for the people."

Raising performance

Allen is seeing competitive races both for school board and city council, but the candidates says they've not been drawn in by single issues or frustration with an incumbent.

Paul Sundar-Singh was among residents of an Allen neighborhood upset by school zone changes that shifted where their children attended middle schools. But he says that's a "closed chapter" and not why he's running against incumbent Gary Stocker for Place 5 on the Allen school board.

Sundar-Singh says he has ideas to lift school ratings and academic performance, particularly in science.

Kevin Livesey is another first-time Allen candidate, running for Place 6 on the city council. Livesey said he's pleased with how Allen is run and has no quarrels with incumbent Jeff McGregor.

"This is just a matter of me wanting to contribute to my community," Livesey said.

McKinney has competitive races for two school board seats, but in both cases the incumbent chose not to run again. So far, the rhetoric has been high-minded, with candidates such as Curtis Rippee arguing that they have expertise that the district needs in a recession.

read the rest of this article at The Dallas Morning News....

Earlier today, I had an opportunity to sit down with André Davidson, and later with Cathy Fang. Both ladies graciously agreed to interrupt their campaigning for a video interview.

I asked both candidates questions relating to their vision of Plano's future and how they saw their role on the City Council in facing the issues of today.

André Davidson

Cathy Fang

Early voting in the city council run-off election continues through March 23.

Early voting locations and hours

Election day is March 27. The polls will be open 7 AM to 7 PM.

Election day polling locations

Bill

The comptroller has released the latest sales tax figures for February, 2010.

With the notable exceptions of McKinney and Melissa most Collin County cities saw an increase in sales tax revenue over last year.

While not enough to pull most towns over year to date decreases, the latest numbers may be an early sign that the county is starting to see some recovery.

Overall, the county's cities reported a modest net increase, both over the same period last year, and year to date:

Collin County Totals:
February, 2010: $11,749,748.15
February, 2009: $11,537,799.70
Net increase: 1.83%

Year to date, 2010: $43,608,384.81
Year to date, 2009: $42,849,302.20
Net increase: 1.77%

LATEST REPORTING PERIOD

YEAR TO DATE

Bill

Collin County at bottom of federal funds distribution

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
By JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News

Collin County, known for its corporate headquarters and explosive growth, has a new distinction: The county reportedly receives the smallest amount of federal funds per person among the country's 200 largest counties.

A Brookings Institution report released this week looked at 2008 federal spending tied to the census in an effort to understand how the upcoming count will affect the distribution of more than $400 billion from federal programs. The bulk of federal assistance goes to states through grants for low-income households and highway infrastructure. States' per-capita funding is tied to income inequalities of high pay and high poverty, Medicaid income limits and the percentage of rural population.

Collin County didn't receive much federal money largely because it doesn't have an income disparity that pulls those funds, said Andrew Reamer, who authored the report. The county got $182 per person in 2008. Suffolk County, Mass., which includes Boston, received the most funding per person at $6,032.

"In wealthier counties, people don't use Medicaid, so they aren't likely to benefit," Reamer said.

Medicaid alone makes up almost 60 percent of federal assistance spending. The low-income health program accounts for most of Collin County's funding, as well. But these services are less utilized than in Texas counties of similar size, said Stephanie Goodman, a spokeswoman for the state's health and human services commission.

Collin County, which has a 6 percent poverty rate, has 31,064 people enrolled in Medicaid. El Paso County, with roughly the same population, has 133,079 in the program. Hidalgo County has 195,559.

That doesn't mean residents can slough off the upcoming census, Reamer said. "If Collin County is undercounted, it may not get its fair share from the state of Texas," he said, pointing to both fiscal and political ramifications. Businesses uses census data to identify markets, and an inaccurate count could lead to mistakes in investment, he said. The data will also be used to draw new legislative boundaries.

The 2010 census may also reveal just how short-lived the county's current distinction is, said Terry Clower, director of economic development and research at the University of North Texas. The county is becoming "more income diverse," he said.

Link to article and more at The Dallas Morning News....

Stakes high as cities debate proposed tollway routes

by STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV
Posted on March 9, 2010 at 9:56 PM
Updated March 9 at 10:38 PM

PILOT POINT — The Dallas North Tollway is expanding far north.

Right now, there are three proposed routes, and the stakes are high. The chosen path will bring with it millions of dollars in tax revenue and economic development.

The Mayor of Celina, Jim Lewis, put it this way:

“The decision on where the Tollway will go is about money — who gets it and who pays it,” said Mayor Jim Lewis of Celina.

Three hundred people converged on the community room of a Pilot Point bank Tuesday to take a look for themselves.

The Green Alignment veers west-northwest toward Pilot Point and meets up with U.S. Highway 377. Cindy Schindler says its the best route for rural Denton County.

“They have no direct route to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex areas, no matter where they work," she said. "They have a long, winding way to get there. This route would benefit them, save fuel and save time."

The Yellow/Red Alignment veers west and then heads due north up the Collin/Denton county line. Pilot Point leaders say this route would share the wealth and cost between both counties. They believe it can be built the fastest.

“It’s just a lot better route. It's a straighter route," said Pilot Point City Manager J.C. Hughes.

But Celina leaders want the Tollway to run through their town in Collin County on the Orange/Red Alignment. They claim it's the shortest route to Grayson County, which means less road to build and big savings.

“And what that means is that's $40 to $45 million less in tolls that will have to be charged to make up the funding," said Celina City Manager Jason Gray.

The cities are competing for big benefits. The Tollway extension is expected to generate $50 million in tax revenue every year.

The NTTA board is scheduled to approve a route in July.

Related:

* Detailed map of proposed Dallas North Tollway expansion options (pdf)
* Dallas North Tollway expansion information Web site

read and watch video report at WFAA....

=================

The Observer comments:

You want to know why there is a Collin County Toll Road Authority?

Look at the DNT extension map, that's why.

The CCTRA was formed out of fears that this extension of the DNT would bypass much of Collin County. for years, there was an agreement between Collin and Denton counties that the future tollroad extension would be along the county line. This is the yellow route on the map.

Hearing that other routes were under consideration that would move the alignment into Denton County, the Collin County Commissioners panicked and after repudiating the agreement with Denton, formed the CCTRA and tried to take the right of way from NTTA.

Unfortunately for our commissioners, the North Texas Tollway Authority has lots of friends in the Texas Legislature. Collin County was forced to back off and promise not to interfere with the DNT extension in return for being allowed to pursue their work on financing the Outer Loop.

At one point, the NTTA floated the compromise idea of the "Y", basically creating two roads one east and one west. At the time, The Observer predicted that the "Y" option was not realistic.

We notice that it didn't even appear in the map used in yesterday's NTTA presentation. Instead there are 3 possible routes, one largely in Collin County and two in Denton County. The original negotiated route along the county line appears to no longer be on the table.

At stake is billions in future long-term economic development.

Because of its 'snatch and grab' attempt, Collin County finds itself at the disadvantage.

Neither NTTA nor Denton County has any moral imperative now to play fair. If they do, you can bet they'll make our commissioners squirm first.

The Collin County Commissioners Court often rails against "regionalism" as if it were some kind of communist plot. Right now they are letting Celina fight alone for the Collin County route.

It will be interesting to watch the commissioners court now that they have no choice but to seek a regional approach.

Bill

Eric Lynn Moore has been appealing his conviction of the 1990 murder of Helen Ayers of Prosper.

Today, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the State of Texas, who was asking that his death sentence be reinstated.

Moore will now spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

Moore and three accomplices went to the Ayers' home and complained of having car trouble. Invited inside the home by Ayers' husband Robert, 53, the men pulled guns and robbed the couple of money and jewelry. The couple was forced into their bedroom, where they were both shot twice. Mrs. Ayers, shot in the head and leg, died. Her husband was shot twice in the back, but survived.

Moore and his accomplice, Kenneth Eugene Bruce were convicted in the 219th Collin County District Court and sentenced to die in 1991. Bruce was executed for Ayers' murder in 2004.

Moore's attorneys argued for years that he was mentally impaired, with an IQ below 70.

In 2002, the United Supreme Court declared the execution of mentally retarded persons unconstitutional, declaring it cruel and unusual punishment.

In 2003 Moore's lawyers sought a stay of execution while appealing his conviction on the grounds that he was mentally retarded. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rejected his claim and Moore appealed to the US District Court.

U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis gave him a hearing and found he should not be executed.

Texas appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. A panel of that court reversed Judge Davis, but later the full court reversed the panel and set aside the death sentence, the court wrote, "After considering the evidence, the district court found Moore to be mentally retarded, and enjoyed the State from executing him."

The US Supreme Court has refused to hear the Texas appeal, thereby affirming the Circuit Court's decision sparing Moore's life.

Bill

See also Sherman Lawyer Gets a Man off Death Row, KTEN, March 8, 2010

On Saturday, the League of Women Voters held a candidate's forum for the Plano City Council, Place 3 run-off between Andre Davidson and Cathy Fang.

The Observer was there with his hand-held camera.

Each candidate was given a 3 minute opening and then several questions were asked. Here are some clips from the forum:

Bill

In a response to an email from The Collin County Observer, Doug Reeves informed me that on Friday, he withdrew for the race for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4.

Mr. Reeves was responding to a request to comment on or rebut the issues raised in this investigative article.

####

Doug Reeves, whose surprising 2nd place finish in the Republican primary race put him in a run-off against the incumbent Mike Yarbrough, will soon have his day in court.

But Reeves will appear in Judge Raleeh's JP Court, not as a judge but to defend himself against a Class C misdemeanor charge of filing an incomplete campaign finance report.

CASE NO. 01-TR-10-01329, STATE of TEXAS vs.DOUGLAS REEVES has not been scheduled for trial as of the date of this article. Court records appear to indicate that a fine of $320 dollars is proposed.

The hapless Mr. Reed, who boasts on his website that he has been "Tea Approved" by the North Texas Tea Party, is also under investigation by the Texas Secretary of State for illegally notarizing his own signature on a campaign finance report.

Not the first time: My Brother's Helper, Inc.

This is not the first time Mr. Reeves has run afoul of state law and regulations.

Research by the Collin County Observer has turned up a disturbing record of failure to comply with the law.

On his campaign website, Reeves writes, "In 1988 I founded My Brother's Helper, Inc. For the past 22 years, I have assisted handicapped adults in their quest to obtain meaningful employment and become self-supporting. This small business, 501(c) (3) non-profit organization also provides for young people to perform community service and learn life lessons. In January, 2009 we began a program mentoring fatherless young men."

There is a website for My Brother's Helper, and it is actively soliciting donations. It asks that donations be sent to "101 West Buckingham Road, Ste. 144 Richardson, Texas 75081".

However the company at that address is not "My Brother's Helper", but "Lincoln American Security Officer/Concealed Handgun Academy".

The website for Lincoln American advises, "Call Doug to schedule a class", and that is is "designed and hosted by Doug Reeves @ Homestead."

A search at the Texas Department of Public Safety lists Doug Reeves at 101 West Buckingham Rd. as a licensed to operate a school for private investigators.

A search of incorporation records at the Texas Secretary of State shows that "My Brother's Helper" was incorporated as a non-profit on August 28, 1989, but that on August 3, 2007 Reeves was sent a "Notice of Forfeited Rights for non-filing of Periodic Report"

The State of Texas then "involuntarily dissolved" My Brother's Helper on December 5, 2007. Yet in an article about a pro-life rally in 2008, Mr. Reeves continued to represent that My Brother's Helper was an incorporated non-profit.

Further, on a web page titled "Ethics and Texas, Happy Halloween from My Brother's Helper", Reeves writes that:

"Approximately seven years ago Carol McKinney, a Texas Rehabilitation Commission Counselor, called me with some astonishing news. Paul Begales, the TRC regional Programs Director had visited the Plano field office. He met with the Vocational Rehabilitation Commission counselors. He told these VRCs that they could no longer take referrals from me and to cease doing business with my organization, My Brother's Helper Inc.

"I had been referring handicapped clients to TRC for years. They in turn would refer many of them back to me for various services that I provide. Some of the services I provide are, helping clients with a resume, and teach them job getting and job keeping skills. The main service I provide is teaching a security course and helping handicapped people get a job as a security officer."

Nevertheless, Reeves continues to state in his campaign materials that My Brother's Helper, Inc. is a non-profit corporation helping rehabilitate young men.

Withdraws from race: Reeves responds

The Observer contacted Mr. Reeves and asked him to refute or comment on any of the issues raised in this article. I received 3 seperate email responses from Mr. Reeves.

The first one was a terse, "I withdrew from the race on Friday."

His second response asked me to double check my facts, charging that I, "have drawn a wrong conclusion in some regards".

On the issue of the campaign finance reports, Reeves stated that:

"You and many others do not take into account the circumstances that I faced in this campaign. I am not a criminal or evil man. I have made stupid mistakes on paper work. Much of this campaign I have been depressed related to circumstances. My father passed away last year, a few months later an uncle who was like an older brother passed. We were close in age, fished and hung around together, and he was the big brothers that I never had. In the middle of the campaign my cousin passed away. You are probably aware of the grief process which can last one week or in some cases over one year. The first stage is shock---you expect them to walk through the door. You pick up the phone to call them; it does not seem real. Then anger sets in. I was at this stage at the very beginning of the campaign. People who knew me inquired into what was wrong with me. I wasn't myself. I was able to put a smile on my face when in public, but as soon as I left the public the smile left my face. The third stage--grief did not set in until the last 1 1/2 months into the campaign. Also my job went the way of the economy. My income dropped and I took on a part time job. I was the candidate, the campaign manager, and the campaign secretary. Almost every night I was up until one or two o'clock, and arose for my part time job at 4:45 in the morning. This eventually took its toll on my body--the grief--the lack of sleep---I developed stomach problems, my blood pressure went up. At 59 I am not the man I used to be. Yes, I made paper work mistakes, and have been beaten up pretty badly for them. I look forward to the day when everything is resolved."

On the issue of My Brother's Helper, Inc. accepting donations, Reeves wrote:

"Incidentally, My Brother's Helper, Inc. was run out of the office on Buckingham. I now operate it out of my home, and have done so for a long period of time. I operate another business out of the Buckingham address. I have asked the building owner to change the name on the door, but they have not. Some tenants have moved out of the building and the name on the door was not changed for up to two years. My Brother's Helper, Inc. does not accepted donations. When people inquire, I refer them to their church. The website needs to be updated, and I will get to it. I have not been on tha site in a long time."

He also issued a veiled threat, asking me if I had checked the statute of limitations, as someone might want to file a complaint against one of my 2006 campaign reports.

In his third response, Reeves again issued a veiled threat, but offered no specific defense or argument other than to say, "Some of your assessments earlier are definitely wrong. Some will amount to slander. I am under no legal obligation to correct before you go to print."

A few hours later, someone revised the donations page at My Brother's Helper, removing the suggested $10 donation and adding the line, "We will resume our non-profit status soon."

The Texas Election Code permits a run-off candidate to withdraw from the race, if he informs the County Chair of that party within 10 days of the primary. If Reeves does in fact officially withdraw, then Mike Yarbrough will be the nominee.

Since Yarbrough is unopposed in November, he is in effect, re-elected.

Bill

On March 8, I received the documents from the Texas Secretary of State's Office that are referenced in this article:

My Brother's Helper - Incorporation
My Brother's Helper - Incorporation Certificate
My Brother's Helper - 1st warning letter of periodic reports not filed
My Brother's Helper - 2nd warning letter of periodic reports not filed
My Brother's Helper - Notice of Involuntary Dissolution
North Shepherd Christian Center - Incorporation
North Shepherd Christian Center - Forfeiture of Incorporation

The big news last week (aside from the elections) was the on again, off again, ready to go, not ready start of construction for the Performance Hall for the Arts of Collin County. Presently the project is in official "go mode", but the Frisco City Council may put the brakes on the project if it approves a second referendum on the bond sales for the hall.

During the same week, the North Texas Historical Center announced that because of funding cuts by the Collin County Commissioners Court, they may have to close their doors forever. The Historical Museum is in the old ca. 1911 post office building in McKinney.

At the center of the downtown McKinney square sits the old Collin County Courthouse, now the home of the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC).

MPAC too is facing an uncertain future as the McKinney City Council has begun a 're-visioning process' that could spell the end of the Performing Arts in downtown McKinney.

All three projects, are victims of the poor economy. Local cities and the county are expecting tax revenue shortfalls and are looking for ways to trim their budgets. Because private donations are also affected by the downturn, these cultural institutions are in financial trouble.

Given the current 'hard times', it makes sense, at least on the surface, to kill funding for arts and history in order to preserve core functions, such as roads and public safety. No elected official, especially in this economy, is wiling to ask voters for a tax hike for the Arts.

But there are good arguments to be made for funding these entities.

One is simple economics.

While it is true that when times are hard, the prudent consumer stops discretionary spending, it is also true that in those same hard times, the savvy investor builds his portfolio. He buys when prices are low.

In the case of the Arts Hall, proponents argue that construction costs are cheaper than they have been in a long time, and much cheaper than they will be in the future. This is the time, they argue, just as America did in the Great Depression, to invest in our community. The costs are low, and the project will bring in much needed jobs.

During the Great Depression, this country invested not only in building parks, roads and buildings, but also in the arts and history. For example, "Federal One" consisted of, The Federal Art Project, The Federal Music Project, The Federal Theatre Project, The Federal Writers Project and The Historical Records Survey.

These programs were created because the government saw an opportunity to preserve its people's culture - culture that was threatened by economic and technological forces that could have doomed the traditional arts.

Now, no one I know is remotely suggesting that Collin County embark on its own New Deal, but it is critical to recognize that our past and our culture is also threatened today. The poor economy has greatly reduced the availability of private donations. If the public subsidies are also killed, we may loose our historic treasures like the old courthouse and post office forever.

Preserving MPAC and the Historical Museum require small, not huge investments.

If we as a community value our own culture, we can easily find a way to afford these projects.

We need to force budget cuts on all three of these programs. But they should be cuts, not mortal blows.

In the end, having a diversity of cultural venues enhances our communities and our quality of life. They bring people to our cities. They make our neighborhoods more attractive investments.

They are who we are.

Can we afford to loose them?

Bill

From North Texas E-News

Town hall meeting planned March 9 to discuss McKinney Performing Arts Center

By City of McKinney
Mar 5, 2010

McKINNEY, TEXAS (March 3, 2010) – A town hall meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Courtroom Theater at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Mayor Brian Loughmiller will speak on the city’s arts facility and take questions from attendees.

The meeting is open to any citizen who wants to attend and present their opinion surrounding MPAC and council’s previously released plan for the future of the city’s arts facility. Unlike the public input meetings, this town hall will give residents the opportunity to directly address and to be addressed by the Mayor during a Q&A session.

This town hall is part of the ongoing process to determine the future course of MPAC. The process started with initial feedback from arts groups who regularly use the facility. One of two scheduled public input meetings hosted by the McKinney Arts Commission (MAC) has been held to review the proposed plans, ask questions and give feedback. The MAC serves as the advisory board to the City Council about expenditures of city funds designated for promoting or sustaining the arts in McKinney.

================================

UPDATE, March 8, 2010

The Frisco City Council voted today to leave intact the planned bond sales for the Arts of Collin county Performance Hall. From a City of Frisco press release:

FRISCO CITY COUNCIL TAKES "NO ACTION" DURING SPECIAL CALLED MEETING INVOLVING ARTS OF COLLIN COUNTY PROJECT

(March 8, 2010) "No Action" was taken during this afternoon's 'special called' Frisco City Council meeting, which revolved around Frisco's position on the Arts of Collin County project.

By voting to take "no action", Frisco continues to be a partner in the Arts of Collin County project.

Today's "no action" move means there will not be a proposition on the May ballot asking voters to revoke Frisco's remaining $16.4 million of the $19 million dollars in bonds approved by voters in 2002 for the Arts of Collin County.

###

History museum loses funding, in jeopardy of closing

by STEVE STOLER / WFAA-TV
Posted on March 5, 2010 at 4:57 PM
Updated today at 5:54 PM

******

A rally will be held on the steps of the North Texas History Center in McKinney Saturday morning in an effort to drum up support to save it. The museum is in jeopardy of running out of money and closing its doors.

The building that houses the center is historic itself. It was built as a U.S. Post Office in 1911. Collin County now owns it and leases it to the history center. County commissioners, who act as landlords, recently decided to cut museum funding 75 percent and stop funding altogether next year. "I was surprised and horrified," said museum executive director Vicki Day.

The museum houses historic artifacts from five North Texas counties, from authentic flags, a covered wagon and civil war uniforms, to military weapons, a mask worn by Abraham Lincoln and slave shackles.

Students from area schools, including the Bonnema kids, often come to the center to learn hands-on about their heritage.

“It’s real-like. It’s not in a book. You can actually feel it,” said Boone Bonnema, a student. His grandfather, Arch Bonnema, also likes the hands-on approach. “It becomes more real to them when our grand kids can go there and try on clothes and actually touch and hold some of the old tools that our grandparents had to do to make things that are all electric for us."

History Center officials say they had a five-year plan to become self-sufficient without any county money. But the commissioners’ sudden move has left them struggling to find a way to survive. “If we're lost, that means history is lost. You can never retrieve it. It's gone forever," said Day.

Many of the supporters who will attend Saturday’s rally will be dressed in civil war uniforms. After the rally, they will march to the downtown McKinney square, where they will ask people to help save a local treasure.

link to this story at wfaa.com....

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is holding a public meeting at 6:30 on Monday night (March 8) at the Allen City Hall to present and get comments on three items:

• Mobility 2035: Determining the Future of Transportation in the Region
  NCTCOG is developing the next long-term transportation plan, Mobility 2035. It will be a comprehensive plan that includes projects and policies aimed at meeting transportation needs through the next 25 years.
  
  
• Status Report: List of Funded Projects and Economic Recovery
  Project Progress
  A comprehensive list of funded transportation projects through 2011 is maintained in the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Projects with committed funds from federal, state and local sources are included in the TIP.
  
  
• Advancing Transportation Projects and Drafting Plans for Potential Funding Opportunities
  Staff will summarize how $43 million awarded to North Texas on Feb. 17 from the federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program will benefit S.H. 161 and the downtown Dallas streetcar project.
  
  

NCTCOG is the regional planning authority for federal and state financed transportation projects. It is an association of just about all the local governments in the North Texas Region and is financed with your tax dollars.

Then on Wednesday, March 10, The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is partnering with the NCTCOG to hold a 'Town Hall' meeting at Plano's City Hall to give residents and local officials an opportunity to share their thoughts on local transportation issues and needs.

TxDOT, along with NCTCOG and other local transportation representatives, will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on projects and funding, including a brief perspective on regional infrastructure requirements for the future.

“It’s important to engage Texans in the discussion—to bring citizens to the table so they can contribute to shaping our future transportation system and participate in the statewide funding conversation,” said Amadeo Saenz, TxDOT executive director.

Citizens are encouraged to attend these meetings and provide feedback on regional transportation issues. The information received will be used to help Texas plan and develop an efficient transportation system—one that is sophisticated enough to meet the needs of future generations, he noted.

A webcast link will be available on the TxDOT home page. Viewers can participate in the town hall via the Internet and have an opportunity to submit questions during the meeting.

Bill

The Arts of Collin County's Executive Director, Michael Simpson, is firing back at those on the Frisco City Council who are proposing that a referendum be held to allow the voters to rescind the decision they made in 2002 when they voted to approve issuing bonds for the Arts Center. Simpson, who is the former mayor of Frisco is sending the below email to Frisco voters urging them to support the Arts Center:

From: Arts of Collin County
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:12:51 -0600
To: Bill Baumbach
Subject: URGENT - Arts of Collin County Facts

Important Facts on the 2002 Bond Election

At the last Council meeting there was a lot of talk about what happened in 2002 when the vote was taken to approve the bonds. Also, about 12 months later when it was discussed at three different Council meetings in October and November 2003 before the council decided to move forward with the project.

Here are the facts:

September Election-2002 Total Vote- 2,403 total Votes 1,624 (67% in favor) –Refer to City Ordinance 02-09-106

About one year later, when the council had to start deciding to move ahead with the agreements with the other cities, there were three (3) council meetings held where public input was taken. The facts are:

(the information below is directly from the Minutes of the meetings from the City Secretaries office)

Council Meeting-Oct, 21, 2003 A total of 11 citizens spoke-7 spoke in favor of moving ahead. 1 other was in favor and asked to find a way to make it work.

Council Meeting-Nov. 4, 2003 A total of 3 citizens spoke- 2 spoke in favor.

Council Meeting-Nov. 18, 2003 A total of 2 spoke-1 for and 1 against. At this meeting the council voted to move ahead with the project and not revote.

At three different council meetings-a total of 16 speakers (some the same each meeting) spoke and 10 were in favor.

If this item was so contentious among the voters as has been expressed by certain council members, why did only 16 speak out of the 2,403 who went to the polls and voted on the bond?

Again, ask your City Council to not revote this item, but to make a business decision on whether or not to move ahead on this item and determine when they might sell the bonds to build the arts hall.

E.Michael Simpson
Executive Director
Arts of Collin County

In other ACC news, The Arts of Collin County announced a $100,000 in-kind donation of sandstone from Sunset Stone. The sandstone will be used on the interior walls of the Arts of Collin County’s 2,100-seat performing arts hall.

Sunbelt Stone is owned by Scott and Lisa Carpenter, formerly of Plano and now a Highland Park resident.

Bill

This year citizens are being asked to vote, and vote, and vote, and then vote some more.

In January, Plano citizens cast their ballots for the vacant Place 3 City Council seat. Since no one won the three way race they will vote again in a runoff on March 27.

Tuesday was Primary Election day, and there will be runoffs in the Republican primary. The run-off election date will be April 13.

....and two weeks later most Collin County voters will once again be asked to do their civic duty. City Council and School Board Elections are slated for May 8.

On the first Tuesday in November, voters will once again troop to the polls for the 2010 General Election.

Primary elections here are typically very low turnout, and so the results are often skewed to the most highly motivated voters. Those are generally voters on the extremes of their party.

In recent years, both Keith Self and Matt Shaheen have benefited from run-off contests. In both 2006 and 2008 primary run-offs the conservative far right in the Republican Party turned out enough of their voters to defeat the more moderately conservative incumbents.

On Tuesday, many Republicans stood in line for an hour or more in order to cast their ballots. They likely won't see those kind of lines in the 2nd round of voting - that is, if they show up at all.

2010 ELECTION DATES

• January 30, 2010 Plano special election
  
  
• March 2, 2010 Democratic and Republican Parties Primary election
  
  
• March 27, 2010 Plano special election run-off
  
  
• April 13, 2010 Republican Party Primary run-off
  
  
• November 2, 2010 General elections

Bill

Frisco voters have already approved bonds to build the Arts Of Collin County's Performance Hall.

Recently the beleaguered project got a huge shot in the arm when construction bids came in at $16 million less than planned. Donor's have already added $10 million to the public funds promised. And the City of Allen announced they would give the ACC a $5 million loan guarantee so that construction could begin.

But don't break out the shovels yet. From Thursday's Dallas Morning News:

No Frisco means no arts hall, Plano mayor says

March 4, 2010
By VALERIE WIGGLESWORTH / The Dallas Morning News
Staff writer Matthew Haag contributed to this report.

An effort to put Frisco's bonds for the planned Collin County arts hall before voters again could cripple the project if they're turned down, Plano's mayor says.

Some members of the Frisco City Council want residents there to vote again to authorize Frisco's remaining $16.4 million in bonds for the project. They say the original 2002 vote was based on Frisco, Plano, Allen and McKinney teaming up. McKinney later opted out.

"The city gave its word," Frisco council member Pat Fallon said during a council meeting on the subject Tuesday that went late into the night. Fallon and some others on the council want a referendum on the bonds in May or November.

"If they feel this is the will of the people, why not ask them?" Fallon said Wednesday.

The council will meet Monday afternoon to decide whether to put the question on the ballot.

And if Frisco votes against re-authorization, what then?

"The deal dies," said Plano Mayor Phil Dyer, whose city would be left with Allen to figure out how to make up Frisco's share of the construction costs. The two cities would also have to pick up Frisco's portion of the operating costs once the arts hall opens.

Plano couldn't afford that, Dyer said.

As to what Frisco should do, Dyer said it's not his place to say.

Allen Mayor Steve Terrell said this is just the latest of many hurdles that the Arts of Collin County has faced over the years. He doesn't expect the project to be derailed forever if Frisco pulls out.

"We'll just keep going and try to make it happen," he said.

The man in charge of making the 2,100-seat performance hall happen, meanwhile, says he is frustrated by what he calls a misguided effort.

Mike Simpson, executive director for the Arts of Collin County, was there Tuesday as the Frisco City Council debated.

And Simpson, who was Frisco's mayor during the original vote, said the council thought long and hard before deciding to proceed with a three-city project. The matter was settled back then, he said. After seven years of Frisco's involvement, this shouldn't be an issue, Simpson said.

What the council should be debating, he said, is whether this is the time to move forward. Simpson has a construction bid that's brought the total costs for Phase 1 to $68.9 million, down $17 million from earlier estimates.

He's ready to finalize the contribution agreements and set a date for breaking ground in Allen.

"Did they not think I would get the job done?" he asked.

Frisco City Council member Jeff Cheney said Tuesday that he has struggled with the three- vs. four-city issue and what's right.

"Circumstances change," he said. "I'm not afraid to ask the voters."

Frisco Mayor Maher Maso said the city prides itself on weighing the facts and getting things done. "There's too much to do here to dwell on this," he said. "A very real and valid dialogue needs to take place about if now is the right time [to build]."

Read this article at The Dallas Morning News....

Bill

It's been a long night of counting votes. The elections office finally reported their final counts at 2 AM.

But amid all the drama of the election, there was some really wonderful news.

Congratulations to Collin County Elections Administrator Sharon Rowe on the birth of her 4th grandchild.

The young lady, who was named after her favorite Grandma, was born in Denver while Grandma was counting votes in McKinney.

I hear that mother and baby are doing well.

Bill

Election Summary Report
Democratic and Republican Primary
Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races

COMBINED ACCUMULATED TOTALS (all precincts reporting)

Local races only:

U.S. Congress 4th CD - REP
Statewide results (76% of precincts reporting). Hall wins, and makes it look easy. He will face Democrat VaLinda Hathcox in November.

Ralph Hall [I] 29,336 58%
Steve Clark 14,775 29%
John Cooper 2,708 5%
Jerry Ray Hall 2,146 4%
Lou Gigliotti 688 1%
Joshua Kowert 714 1%

State Rep, 66 - REP
Mabrie Jackson will face Van Taylor in a run off. This will be an expensive, knock down brawl.

Van Taylor 4581 33.48%
Wayne Richard 3485 25.47%
Mabrie Jackson 5616 41.05%

District Judge, 219 - REP
Another run off

Scott J. Becker 18014 48.43%
Angela Tucker 12434 33.43%
Wendy McMillon 6749 18.14%

District Judge, 296 - REP
Judge Roach wins re-election in this very hard fought over race.

Keith Gore 19621 45.75%
John R. Roach, Jr 23263 54.25%

Criminal District Attorney - REP
With a surprisingly large margin, Greg Willis gets a clean win - no run off. He will face Democrat Raphael de la Garza in November.

Jeff Bray 7786 19.76%
Greg Willis 25638 65.06%
James Angelino 5985 15.19%

County Judge - REP
Keith Self wins decisively and will face Democrat David Smith in November

Keith Self 26822 57.54%
John Muns 19790 42.46%

Judge, County Court at Law 2 - REP
Jerry Lewis cruises to another term

Sharon Ramage 17394 45.99%
Jerry Lewis 20430 54.01%

Judge, County Court at Law 3 - REP
Who will face Baxter in the run off? It may be a few days before we know.

Stewart Matthews 10571 31.66%
Lance S. Baxter 12298 36.83%
Barnett Walker 10518 31.50%

Judge, County Court at Law 4 - REP
Matt Goeller will face off with David Rippel in a run off. they have very different personalities and styles. It will be an interesting contest.

Linda Wynn Drain 8263 23.89%
Matthew Goeller 9713 28.09%
Chrysti Bryant 7115 20.57%
David Rippel 9493 27.45%

Judge, County Court at Law 6 - REP
Terri Green will meet Jay Bender in the run off

Shawn Ismail 2396 6.70%
Jay Bender 11224 31.40%
Don High 10554 29.52%
Terri Green 11573 32.37%

District Clerk - Rep
Late comer to the race, Terrye Evans, is the spoiler - forcing a run off between Crigger and Hays

Patricia Crigger 15984 43.35%
Terrye Evans 8587 23.29%
Alma Hays 12303 33.36%

County Commissioner, 2 - Rep
Williams handily beats the 30 year incumbent, but not with a majority - This will be one heck of a run off. (83% of the precincts in district reporting)

Karl Voigtsberger 1827 17.45%
Cheryl Williams 4796 45.80%
Jerry Hoagland 3849 36.76%

County Commissioner, 4 - Rep
Webb unseats incumbent Kathy Ward

Kathy Ward 5181 49.29%
Duncan Webb 5330 50.71%

Justice of the Peace, 4 - REP
This one is a big surprise. Reeves is totally unqualified, but looks to face Yarbrough in a run off. In the next few days, there will be a lot of embarrassed Republicans who didn't look at who they were voting for.

Doug Reeves 2738 28.00%
WM "Mike" Yarbrough 4800 49.08%
Kelley Don Adley 2242 22.92%

Democratic Party County Chair - DEM

Shawn Stevens 3879 79.02%
Yasin R. Ali 1030 20.98%

Republican Party County Chair - REP
Fred Moses keeps his chairmanship

Fred Moses 23313 63.57%
Mandy Tschoepe 13362 36.43%

Complete election results from the Collin County Elections Department are here.

Bill

Doug Reeves, who came in a surprising 2nd place in the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 race has been accused of violating "the duties and responsibilities of [his] office as a Notary Public.

Reeves is accused of notarizing his own signature on a campaign ethics filing. State law specifically prohibits Notary Publics from notarizing their own signature.

In a letter to Mr. Reeves from the Texas Secretary of State's office, Reeves was ordered to respond to the accusations within 20 days. He was also asked to turn over to the State portions of his notary log book.

If the allegation is upheld, Reeves could have is Notary commission suspended or revoked. He may also face a fine and criminal prosecution.

Last month, the Observer pointed out that Reeves campaign ethics reports were the worst we've ever seen. It is our understanding that more than one complaint has been filed with the commission. The errors, omissions and creative accounting on all 3 of his reports will, if sustained, likely subject Mr. Reeves to heavy fines by the Texas Ethics Commission.

Reeves will face incumbent Mike Yarbrough in a run off for the Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Republican nomination.

Bill

Notes:

Letter to Doug Reeves from the Office of the Texas Secretary of State dated February 25, 2010

Reeves form C/OH Campaign Finance Report dated February 3, 2010 signed and notarized by him on Feb. 2.

Reeves form C/OH Campaign Finance Report dated January 15, 2010

Reeves form C/OH Campaign Finance Report dated February 22, 2010

Collin County election results delayed amid heavy voter turnout

Wednesday, March 3, 2010
By ED HOUSEWRIGHT / The Dallas Morning News

Election results were delayed Tuesday night in Collin County, where officials said voting was extremely heavy.

At some polling places, people waited in line more than an hour, said Patty Seals, assistant county elections administrator. And some locations still had people waiting in line to vote at 7 p.m., when the polls are supposed to close. Those people were allowed to vote.

"A lot of locations probably could have used more [voting] machines," Seals said.

The county's highest-profile race was the Republican primary for county judge, and first-term incumbent Keith Self led John Muns in early voting.

The winner will face Democrat David Smith in the fall. He had no opposition in his party's primary.

During the campaign, Self said he had kept his promise to lower the county tax rate and slow the growth of government spending.

Muns, meanwhile, said the budget was too austere. He said the county needed to hire more sheriff's deputies and add courts to keep crime from increasing.

The county judge heads the five-member Commissioners Court, which approves the county budget.

In other Republican Commissioners Court races, Commissioner Kathy Ward was trailing Plano school trustee Duncan Webb, and Commissioner Jerry Hoagland was behind business consultant Cheryl Williams, with retired engineer Karl Voigtsberger in third place.

In the Republican district attorney's race, former county court-at-law judge Greg Willis was leading lawyer James Angelino and Jeff Bray, senior legal adviser to the Plano Police Department. Incumbent John Roach did not seek re-election.

In the county judge race, both Self and Muns had high-profile, passionate supporters.

Self was endorsed by state Reps. Jodie Laubenberg and Ken Paxton. Muns had the backing of former Plano mayor Pat Evans and former county Commissioner Phyllis Cole.

Self, a retired Army officer, toppled longtime county judge Ron Harris in the 2006 Republican primary.

Muns, a real estate developer, has been on the Plano school board for 17 years and has deep ties to the community. His father, James Muns, was Plano mayor from 1992 to 1996. His mother, Betty Muns, is on the Arts of Collin County Commission.

John Muns said he would work closely with local mayors if elected. Some were angered by Self's opposition to a 2007 county bond program that included money for city projects, Muns said. Voters overwhelmingly approved the $328.9 million package.

Muns also said he would increase the county's economic development efforts.

Self, meanwhile, said the best way to attract businesses was to keep county taxes low. He said he had a more proven conservative record than Muns.

Last month, some fellow Republicans criticized Self for using a quotation from a Nazi official to rebut campaign statements made by Muns.

Self put a post on his Web site and Facebook page titled "Let's Try Some Truth" that leads off by quoting Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany's notorious propaganda minister: "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."

Muns and some other Republicans said they were offended that Self would invoke a Nazi official's comments in a campaign. Others, however, defended Self, who said he didn't intend to link Muns to Nazism.

A record 39 candidates in 14 contested races appeared on the Republican primary ballot.

read this article at The Dallas Morning News....

Election Summary Report
Democratic and Republican Primary
Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races

COMBINED ACCUMULATED TOTALS (73% of precincts reporting)

Local races only:

U.S. Congress 4th CD - REP
Statewide results (76% of precincts reporting). Hall wins, and makes it look easy. He will face Democrat VaLinda Hathcox in November.
Ralph Hall [I] 29,336 58%
Steve Clark 14,775 29%
John Cooper 2,708 5%
Jerry Ray Hall 2,146 4%
Lou Gigliotti 688 1%
Joshua Kowert 714 1%

State Rep, 66 - REP
Mabrie Jackson will face Taylor in the run off
Van Taylor 3387 32.93%
Wayne Richard 2631 25.58%
Mabrie Jackson 4269 41.50%

District Judge, 219 - REP
Looks like another run off
Scott J. Becker 14775 48.67%
Angela Tucker 10254 33.78%
Wendy McMillon? 5329 17.55%

District Judge, 296 - REP
Judge Roach wins re-election in this very hard fought over race.
Keith Gore 16080 46.06%
John R. Roach, Jr 18832 53.94%

Criminal District Attorney - REP
With a surprisingly large margin, Greg Willis gets a clean win - no run off. He will face Democrat Raphael de la Garza in November.
Jeff Bray 6123 19.08%
Greg Willis 21127 65.83%
James Angelino 4843 15.09%

County Judge - REP
Keith Self wins decisively and will face Democrat David Smith in November
Keith Self 21728 57.67%
John Muns 15947 42.33%

Judge, County Court at Law 2 - REP
Jerry Lewis cruises to another term
Sharon Ramage 14159 45.82%
Jerry Lewis 16741 54.18%

Judge, County Court at Law 3 - REP
Who will face Baxter in the run off? It may be a few days before we know. UPDATE: With 90% of precincts reporting only 50 votes seperate Matthews and Walker
Stewart Matthews 8564 31.26%
Lance S. Baxter 10151 37.06%
Barnett Walker 8678 31.68%

Judge, County Court at Law 4 - REP
Matt Goeller will face off with David Rippel in a run off
Linda Wynn Drain 6786 23.96%
Matthew Goeller 8011 28.29%
Chrysti Bryant 5795 20.46%
David Rippel 7729 27.29%

Judge, County Court at Law 6 - REP
Another toss up for the run off. Terri Green and either Bender or High. The result might have to wait for all absentee and provisional ballots to be counted. Update: with 90% counted Jay Bender moves into the solid #2 spot with a 450 vote advantage over Don High.
Shawn Ismail 1944 6.65%
Jay Bender 9053 30.95%
Don High 8788 30.04%
Terri Green 9470 32.37%

District Clerk - Rep
Late comer to the race, Terrye Evans, is spoiler - forcing a run off between Crigger and Hays
Patricia Crigger 13331 44.00%
Terrye Evans 6849 22.60%
Alma Hays 10121 33.40%

County Commissioner, 2 - Rep
Williams handily beats the 30 year incumbent, but not with a majority - This will be one heck of a run off. (83% of the precincts in district reporting)
Karl Voigtsberger 1551 17.24%
Cheryl Williams 4162 46.27%
Jerry Hoagland 3283 36.49%

County Commissioner, 4 - Rep
Way too close to call, this is a real cliff hanger. (65% of the precincts in district reporting) Update: With 97% reporting Webb is holding his lead, with a 76 vote advantage.
Kathy Ward 3764 49.49%
Duncan Webb 3841 50.51%

Justice of the Peace, 4 - REP
This one is a big surprise. Reeves is totally unqualified, but looks to face Yarbrough in a run off, unless Yarbrough can get a clean majority (68% of his precincts are reporting)
Doug Reeves 2320 27.41%
WM "Mike" Yarbrough 4155 49.09%
Kelley Don Adley 1989 23.50%

Democratic Party County Chair - DEM
Shawn Stevens 2745 79.50%
Yasin R. Ali 708 20.50%

Republican Party County Chair - REP
Fred Moses keeps his chairmanship
Fred Moses 19011 63.58%
Mandy Tschoepe 10890 36.42%

Bill

The Associated Press has called the Republican Governor's race for Rick Perry, and the Democratic race for Bill White.

Election Summary Report
Democratic and Republican Primary
Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races

COMBINED ACCUMULATED TOTALS (17% of precincts reporting)

Local races only:

U.S. Congress 4th CD - REP
This is only the Collin County vote
Lou Gigliotti 232 3.29%
Steve Clark 2653 37.58%
John Cooper 437 6.19%
Joshua Kowert 109 1.54%
Jerry Ray "Tea" Hall 466 6.60%
Ralph M. Hall 3162 44.79%

State Rep, 66 - REP
Looks like Jackson will have to face Taylor in the run off
Van Taylor 2628 31.96%
Wayne Richard 2131 25.92%
Mabrie Jackson 3463 42.12%

District Judge, 219 - REP
Too close to call. Will Scott Becker make a clean victory?
Scott J. Becker 10015 49.84%
Angela Tucker 6642 33.05%
Wendy McMillon? 3437 17.10%

District Judge, 296 - REP
Keith Gore 10155 44.02%
John R. Roach, Jr 12916 55.98%

Criminal District Attorney - REP
Looks like Greg Willis will get a clean win - no run off
Jeff Bray 3563 16.82%
Greg Willis 14355 67.79%
James Angelino 3259 15.39%

County Judge - REP
Keith Self 13641 54.58%
John Muns 11353 45.42%

Judge, County Court at Law 2 - REP
Sharon Ramage 9320 45.22%
Jerry Lewis 11292 54.78%

Judge, County Court at Law 3 - REP
All three running about even to each other - the race is now to see who makes the run off
Stewart Matthews 5479 30.04%
Lance S. Baxter 6773 37.14%
Barnett Walker 5986 32.82%

Judge, County Court at Law 4 - REP
Another toss up for the run off
Linda Wynn Drain 4576 24.13%
Matthew Goeller 5431 28.64%
Chrysti Bryant 3754 19.80%
David Rippel 5201 27.43%

Judge, County Court at Law 6 - REP
Another toss up for the run off
Shawn Ismail 1283 6.56%
Jay Bender 5850 29.90%
Don High 6140 31.38%
Terri Green 6293 32.16%

District Clerk - Rep
Late comer to the race, Terrye Evans is spoiler, forcing a run off between Crigger and Hays
Patricia Crigger 9214 45.60%
Terrye Evans 4422 21.88%
Alma Hays 6572 32.52%

County Commissioner, 2 - Rep
Williams is beating the 30 year incumbent, but a run off will be needed
Karl Voigtsberger 778 15.07%
Cheryl Williams 2464 47.73%
Jerry Hoagland 1920 37.19%

County Commissioner, 4 - Rep
Still too close to call, but Webb appears poised to replace Kathy Ward
Kathy Ward 2992 48.43%
Duncan Webb 3186 51.57%

Justice of the Peace, 4 - REP
This one is a big surprise. Reeves is totally unqualified, but looks to face Yarbrough in a run off
Doug Reeves 1437 27.83%
WM "Mike" Yarbrough 2511 48.63%
Kelley Don Adley 1215 23.53%

Democratic Party County Chair - DEM
Shawn Stevens 1981 79.56%
Yasin R. Ali 509 20.44%

Republican Party County Chair - REP
Fred Moses keeps his chairmanship
Fred Moses 12493 62.39%
Mandy Tschoepe 7530 37.61%

Bill

Election Summary Report
Democratic and Republican Primary
Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, , All Races

EARLY VOTING ACCUMULATED TOTALS

U.S. Congress 4th CD - REP
Lou Gigliotti 223 3.31%
Steve Clark 2564 38.01%
John Cooper 422 6.26%
Joshua Kowert 108 1.60%
Jerry Ray "Tea" Hall 451 6.69%
Ralph M. Hall 2978 44.14%

Governor - DEM
Felix Alvarado 98 3.72%
Star Locke 40 1.52%
Alma Ludivina Aguado 58 2.20%
Bill White 2146 81.38%
Farouk Shami 218 8.27%
Clement E. Glenn 37 1.40%
Bill Dear 40 1.52%

Governor - REP
Kay Bailey Hutchison 8891 31.86%
Rick Perry 13980 50.09%
Debra Medina 5037 18.05%

Lt. Governor - DEM
Marc Katz 359 15.49%
Linda Thompson 1100 47.48%
Ronnie Earle 858 37.03%

Commissioner of General Land Office - DEM
Hector Uribe 928 44.15%
Bill Burton 1174 55.85%

Commissioner of Agriculture - DEM
Richard Friedman 1319 55.58%
Hank Gilbert 1054 44.42%

Railroad Commissioner - REP
Victor G. Carrillo 9532 46.77%
David Porter 10848 53.23%

Justice, Supreme Court, 3 - REP
Debra Lehmann 4267 21.78%
Rick Green 3666 18.71%
Jim Moseley 4337 22.14%
Jeff Brown 2005 10.23%
Rebecca Simmons 3842 19.61%
Rick Strange 1473 7.52%

Justice, Supreme Court, 9 - REP
Eva Guzman 13256 69.67%
Rose Vela 5771 30.33%

Member, State Board of Education, 9 - REP
Don McLeroy? 6770 48.90%
Thomas Ratliff 7074 51.10%

Member, State Board of Education, 12 - Rep REP
Geraldine Miller 2176 45.33%
George M. Clayton 2624 54.67%

State Rep, 66 - REP
Van Taylor 2323 31.94%
Wayne Richard 1805 24.81%
Mabrie Jackson 3146 43.25%

District Judge, 219 - REP
Scott J. Becker 9565 49.86%
Angela Tucker 6379 33.26%
Wendy McMillon? 3238 16.88%

District Judge, 296 - REP
Keith Gore 9672 43.96%
John R. Roach, Jr 12332 56.04%

Criminal District Attorney - REP
Jeff Bray 3357 16.60%
Greg Willis 13731 67.90%
James Angelino 3133 15.49%

County Judge - REP
Keith Self 12981 54.50%
John Muns 10837 45.50%

Judge, County Court at Law 2 - REP
Sharon Ramage 8908 45.20%
Jerry Lewis 10798 54.80%

Judge, County Court at Law 3 - REP
Stewart Matthews 5212 29.91%
Lance S. Baxter 6496 37.28%
Barnett Walker 5717 32.81%

Judge, County Court at Law 4 - REP
Linda Wynn Drain 4394 24.27%
Matthew Goeller 5179 28.60%
Chrysti Bryant 3582 19.78%
David Rippel 4952 27.35%

Judge, County Court at Law 6 - REP
Shawn Ismail 1225 6.55%
Jay Bender 5556 29.71%
Don High 5906 31.58%
Terri Green 6013 32.16%

District Clerk - Rep
Patricia Crigger 8839 45.74%
Terrye Evans 4194 21.70%
Alma Hays 6292 32.56%

County Commissioner, 2 - Rep
Karl Voigtsberger 771 15.10%
Cheryl Williams 2442 47.83%
Jerry Hoagland 1893 37.07%

County Commissioner, 4 - Rep
Kathy Ward 2687 47.78%
Duncan Webb 2937 52.22%

Justice of the Peace, 4 - REP
Doug Reeves 1378 27.86%
WM "Mike" Yarbrough 2399 48.49%
Kelley Don Adley 1170 23.65%

Democratic Party County Chair - DEM
Shawn Stevens 1723 79.44%
Yasin R. Ali 446 20.56%

Republican Party County Chair - REP
Fred Moses 11872 62.10%
Mandy Tschoepe 7247 37.90%

Bill

Early voting totals:
(incomplete with another 620 paper ballots to be counted)

U.S. Congress 4th CD - REP
Lou Gigliotti 219 3.31%
Steve Clark 2517 38.05%
John Cooper 416 6.29%
Joshua Kowert 104 1.57%
Jerry Ray "Tea" Hall 440 6.65%
Ralph M. Hall 2919 44.13%

Governor - DEM
Felix Alvarado 98 3.78%
Star Locke 38 1.46%
Alma Ludivina Aguado 57 2.20%
Bill White 2110 81.34%
Farouk Shami 217 8.37%
Clement E. Glenn 35 1.35%
Bill Dear 39 1.50%

Governor - REP
Kay Bailey Hutchison 8690 31.82%
Rick Perry 13662 50.03%
Debra Medina 4957 18.15%

Lt. Governor - DEM
Marc Katz 353 15.51%
Linda Thompson 1085 47.67%
Ronnie Earle 838 36.82%

Commissioner of the General Land Office - DEM
Hector Uribe 916 44.36%
Bill Burton 1149 55.64%

Commissioner of Agriculture - DEM
Richard Friedman 1298 55.64%
Hank Gilbert 1035 44.36%

Railroad Commissioner - REP
Victor G. Carrillo 9319 46.73%
David Porter 10625 53.27%

Justice, Supreme Court, 3 - REP
Debra Lehmann 4207 21.93%
Rick Green 3581 18.67%
Jim Moseley 4265 22.23%
Jeff Brown 1964 10.24%
Rebecca Simmons 3718 19.38%
Rick Strange 1448 7.55%

Justice, Supreme Court, 9 - REP
Eva Guzman 12973 69.60%
Rose Vela 5667 30.40%

Member, State Board of Education, 9 - REP
Don McLeroy 6640 48.93%
Thomas Ratliff 6931 51.07%

Member, State Board of Education, 12 - Rep REP
Geraldine Miller 2117 45.25%
George M. Clayton 2561 54.75%

State Rep, 66 - REP
Van Taylor 2259 31.74%
Wayne Richard 1772 24.89%
Mabrie Jackson 3087 43.37%

District Judge, 219 - REP
Scott J. Becker 9350 49.75%
Angela Tucker 6274 33.38%
Wendy McMillon? 3169 16.86%

District Judge, 296 - REP
Keith Gore 9494 44.02%
John R. Roach, Jr 12072 55.98%

Criminal District Attorney - REP
Jeff Bray 3302 16.69%
Greg Willis 13496 68.23%
James Angelino 2982 15.08%

County Judge - REP
Keith Self 12749 54.65%
John Muns 10578 45.35%

Judge, County Court at Law 2 - REP
Sharon Ramage 8712 45.16%
Jerry Lewis 10580 54.84%

Judge, County Court at Law 3 - REP
Stewart Matthews 5112 29.96%
Lance S. Baxter 6376 37.37%
Barnett Walker 5574 32.67%

Judge, County Court at Law 4 - REP
Linda Wynn Drain 4322 24.35%
Matthew Goeller 5087 28.66%
Chrysti Bryant 3525 19.86%
David Rippel 4817 27.14%

Judge, County Court at Law 6 - REP
Shawn Ismail 1201 6.55%
Jay Bender 5445 29.71%
Don High 5772 31.50%
Terri Green 5907 32.23%

District Clerk - Rep
Patricia Crigger 8673 45.80%
Terrye Evans 4135 21.83%
Alma Hays 6130 32.37%

County Commissioner, 2 - Rep
Karl Voigtsberger 758 15.20%
Cheryl Williams 2370 47.52%
Jerry Hoagland 1859 37.28%

County Commissioner, 4 - Rep
Kathy Ward 2619 47.71%
Duncan Webb 2870 52.29%

Justice of the Peace, 4 - REP
Doug Reeves 1345 27.73%
WM "Mike" Yarbrough 2357 48.60%
Kelley Don Adley 1148 23.67%

Democratic Party County Chair - DEM
Shawn Stevens 1692 79.36%
Yasin R. Ali 440 20.64%

Republican Party County Chair - REP
Fred Moses 11648 62.16%
Mandy Tschoepe 7090 37.84%

Bill

I drove to several polling locations this afternoon. All were reporting a heavier than expected turnout. I captured a couple of shots of candidates doing some last minute electioneering outside the polls.

The scene at Lucas City Hall was extraordinary, cars were parked along FM 1378 for at least 2 blocks, and a police unit was there to try and control the flow of traffic. (next door however, donkeys grazed, seemingly oblivious to the crowds a few hundred feet away).

Meanwhile, McMillan? Jr. HS in Wylie was reporting that the line to vote was over 25 minutes long. Other locations were also reporting long lines to vote.

According to the Elections Office more than 29,000 people had voted by 6PM, and that number, I was told was probably understated, since all polling sites had not reported in.

The Collin County Observer will be reporting election results as they come in this evening.

Bill

UPDATE:

At 7:40 PM there was still a long line to vote for the GOP primary at McMillan? JHS in Wylie. I think it will be after 8PM before the last voter casts her ballot.

Bill

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836.

With this document, settlers in Mexican Texas officially broke from Mexico, creating the Republic of Texas.

The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836.

The convention was convened on March 1 with Richard Ellis as president. The delegates selected a committee of five to draft a declaration of independence; the committee was led by George Childress and also included Edward Conrad, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman, and Collin McKinney.

The Unanimous Declaration of Independence made by the Delegates of the People of Texas in General Convention at the town of Washington on the 2nd day of March 1836.

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted, and so far from being a guarantee for the enjoyment of those inestimable and inalienable rights, becomes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers for their oppression.

When the Federal Republican Constitution of their country, which they have sworn to support, no longer has a substantial existence, and the whole nature of their government has been forcibly changed, without their consent, from a restricted federative republic, composed of sovereign states, to a consolidated central military despotism, in which every interest is disregarded but that of the army and the priesthood, both the eternal enemies of civil liberty, the everready minions of power, and the usual instruments of tyrants.

When, long after the spirit of the constitution has departed, moderation is at length so far lost by those in power, that even the semblance of freedom is removed, and the forms themselves of the constitution discontinued, and so far from their petitions and remonstrances being regarded, the agents who bear them are thrown into dungeons, and mercenary armies sent forth to force a new government upon them at the point of the bayonet.

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

Nations, as well as individuals, are amenable for their acts to the public opinion of mankind. A statement of a part of our grievances is therefore submitted to an impartial world, in justification of the hazardous but unavoidable step now taken, of severing our political connection with the Mexican people, and assuming an independent attitude among the nations of the earth.

The Mexican government, by its colonization laws, invited and induced the Anglo-American population of Texas to colonize its wilderness under the pledged faith of a written constitution, that they should continue to enjoy that constitutional liberty and republican government to which they had been habituated in the land of their birth, the United States of America.

In this expectation they have been cruelly disappointed, inasmuch as the Mexican nation has acquiesced in the late changes made in the government by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who having overturned the constitution of his country, now offers us the cruel alternative, either to abandon our homes, acquired by so many privations, or submit to the most intolerable of all tyranny, the combined despotism of the sword and the priesthood.

It has sacrificed our welfare to the state of Coahuila, by which our interests have been continually depressed through a jealous and partial course of legislation, carried on at a far distant seat of government, by a hostile majority, in an unknown tongue, and this too, notwithstanding we have petitioned in the humblest terms for the establishment of a separate state government, and have, in accordance with the provisions of the national constitution, presented to the general Congress a republican constitution, which was, without just cause, contemptuously rejected.

It incarcerated in a dungeon, for a long time, one of our citizens, for no other cause but a zealous endeavor to procure the acceptance of our constitution, and the establishment of a state government.

It has failed and refused to secure, on a firm basis, the right of trial by jury, that palladium of civil liberty, and only safe guarantee for the life, liberty, and property of the citizen.

It has failed to establish any public system of education, although possessed of almost boundless resources, (the public domain,) and although it is an axiom in political science, that unless a people are educated and enlightened, it is idle to expect the continuance of civil liberty, or the capacity for self government.

It has suffered the military commandants, stationed among us, to exercise arbitrary acts of oppression and tyrrany, thus trampling upon the most sacred rights of the citizens, and rendering the military superior to the civil power.

It has dissolved, by force of arms, the state Congress of Coahuila and Texas, and obliged our representatives to fly for their lives from the seat of government, thus depriving us of the fundamental political right of representation.

It has demanded the surrender of a number of our citizens, and ordered military detachments to seize and carry them into the Interior for trial, in contempt of the civil authorities, and in defiance of the laws and the constitution.

It has made piratical attacks upon our commerce, by commissioning foreign desperadoes, and authorizing them to seize our vessels, and convey the property of our citizens to far distant ports for confiscation.

It denies us the right of worshipping the Almighty according to the dictates of our own conscience, by the support of a national religion, calculated to promote the temporal interest of its human functionaries, rather than the glory of the true and living God.

It has demanded us to deliver up our arms, which are essential to our defence, the rightful property of freemen, and formidable only to tyrannical governments.

It has invaded our country both by sea and by land, with intent to lay waste our territory, and drive us from our homes; and has now a large mercenary army advancing, to carry on against us a war of extermination.

It has, through its emissaries, incited the merciless savage, with the tomahawk and scalping knife, to massacre the inhabitants of our defenseless frontiers.

It hath been, during the whole time of our connection with it, the contemptible sport and victim of successive military revolutions, and hath continually exhibited every characteristic of a weak, corrupt, and tyrranical government.

These, and other grievances, were patiently borne by the people of Texas, untill they reached that point at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. We then took up arms in defence of the national constitution. We appealed to our Mexican brethren for assistance. Our appeal has been made in vain. Though months have elapsed, no sympathetic response has yet been heard from the Interior. We are, therefore, forced to the melancholy conclusion, that the Mexican people have acquiesced in the destruction of their liberty, and the substitution therfor of a military government; that they are unfit to be free, and incapable of self government.

The necessity of self-preservation, therefore, now decrees our eternal political separation.

We, therefore, the delegates with plenary powers of the people of Texas, in solemn convention assembled, appealing to a candid world for the necessities of our condition, do hereby resolve and declare, that our political connection with the Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.

Bill

If you've been stuck on an ice flow in the Antarctic for the last 4 months, you might not know that today is primary election day - but it is.

The polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Precinct conventions begin at the polling place just after the 7PM closing.

More than 1/2 the anticipated voters have already done so, most in Early voting, a few by mail. In recent years a little more than 1/2 the voters vote early. Some analysts have told me that in west Plano, more than 70% of the expected voters voted early.

On election day, you must vote in your assigned neighborhood polling place if you want your vote to count. You must bring your voter registration card or a valid ID.

The Collin County Elections Department has great links and maps to voting locations.

If you are unsure where to vote, call the Elections office at 972-547-1990 or 800-687-8546 (Toll Free). they can help you.

The Elections Office also have sample ballots. Since the GOP ballot is very long, I would recommend printing out and marking up a sample ballot before entering the voting booth.

Oh yea and Happy Texas Independence Day!

Bill

Texas death row inmate set to die for murder of Brazilian couple in Plano

Monday, March 1, 2010
The Dallas Morning News / Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Michael Sigala was on probation for robbery and allowed to leave a Dallas-area substance abuse treatment center for the day to look for a job. Instead, he violently ended the lives of a newlywed Brazilian couple and ended up on death row.

Sigala, 32, was set for execution Tuesday evening for the death of Kleber Santos, 28, a Brazilian engineer whose wife also was killed in an attack nearly a decade ago at their Plano apartment

Sigala would be the third Texas inmate to receive lethal injection this year and the first of four scheduled to die this month in the nation's most active death penalty state.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week refused to review his case and no new appeals were in the courts Monday.

Sigala, of Plano, was condemned for the fatal shooting of Santos, whose job brought him to Texas in January 2000, a month after he was married. His wife, Lilian, remained in Brazil to continue her veterinary studies at the University of Sao Paulo and was visiting her husband during a school break that August.

Evidence showed the 25-year-old woman was raped and also fatally shot several hours after her husband was killed. Their wedding rings were among items taken in the attack. Sigala also was charged with her slaying but was not tried.

read the rest of the article at The Dallas Morning News....

UPDATE (March 2):

The Associated Press reported that Michael Sigala was executed in Huntsville at 6:20 PM CST. He is the third person executed in Texas this year.

From the AP story in the Houston Chronicle:

"During his final statement, Sigala asked for forgiveness from the slain couple's relatives who attended the execution."

"'I have no reason for why I did it,' Sigala said. 'I don't understand why I did it. I hope that you can live the rest of your lives without hate.'

"Relatives of Kleber Santos and his wife, Lilian, did not speak with reporters afterward, but the parents of both victims issued statements saying they were grateful justice had been done.

"'For many people facing such tragedy, life would be worthless. For us, however, we have faith and we find meaning in an eternal life that our merciful God will provide us. We really believe that we will meet our dear son and daughter-in-law one day in heaven,' Jonas and Lizete Santos, Kleber Santos' parents, said in their statement."

Bill

History center in McKinney fighting to survive

Monday, March 1, 2010
By ED HOUSEWRIGHT / The Dallas Morning News

Vicki Day is trying to preserve the museum that preserves Collin County.

The 28-year-old North Texas History Center in downtown McKinney could close because of a sharp cut in county funding and private donations, said Day, executive director.

"We are in serious jeopardy of running out of money shortly," she said.

The museum took an unexpected financial hit when Collin County commissioners slashed its funding from $134,950 in fiscal 2009 to $32,000 this year, Day said.

"I was so surprised," she said.

Commissioners say they told Day last year the museum needed to become self-sufficient through private fundraising.

It had been receiving far greater county funding than other historical organizations, said County Judge Keith Self, who heads the Commissioners Court.

"The North Texas History Center is a wonderful organization, but they are just one of many historical organizations in the county," he said.

Commissioner Jerry Hoagland said the county had to focus limited funding on core functions, such as building roads and operating courts and the jail.

"These are tough economic times," he said. "You have to make cuts that are not always popular with people."

Civil War event

The history center had hoped a Civil War re-enactment last November at Myers Park in McKinney would raise $50,000. Instead, the event lost $7,000, worsening the museum's outlook, Day said.

Attendance didn't meet projections, and recent heavy rains prevented people from parking on the grounds, she said. As a result, organizers had to rent buses to take people to and from the park. In addition, insurance costs to hold the event exceeded expectations, Day said.

Commissioner Joe Jaynes, who took part in the Civil War re-enactment, voted against cutting the museum's funding. He said another year of higher county funding might have helped the center hold a successful Civil War event.

"Those re-enactments can basically be a cash cow, but you need three or four years to get it going," Jaynes said.

In search of help

Day said the history center may seek money from the city of McKinney, which currently does not provide funds. It may also approach the county commissioners again, she said.

"It's worth the county getting involved to help us survive," she said. "We've got a collection that is very unique."

About 8,000 students a year from Collin and surrounding counties visit the North Texas History Center, Day said.

On Friday, two fifth-grade classes from Daffron Elementary School in Plano attended and saw a Civil War exhibit.

"It's wonderful," said Cindy Burns, one of the teachers. "We teach the Civil War in school, and this really gives them the opportunity to see how it affected their ancestors."

The museum is housed in an old post office, built in 1911, at Virginia Parkway and Chestnut Street, a block off the square in downtown McKinney. It has exhibits with photographs and a variety of artifacts on the main floor and in the basement.

Upcoming rally

The museum has tried to sell memberships and get corporate sponsors for exhibits, but had little success, Day said. It receives revenue from school field trips, ticket sales and gift shop purchases.

The history center is holding a "Save the Museum" rally on its front steps on Saturday. It's also having a dinner and lecture on March 27 with Arch Bonnema, a Collin County resident who funded an expedition to Iran in search of Noah's ark. Tickets are $75.

"This could make a world of difference for us," Day said. "We hope we can clear about $7,000."

Jaynes said he hopes the museum can remain open. Although he supports it, he doesn't believe county commissioners will approve any additional funding.

"The court has let its will be known," Jaynes said.

link to the article at The Dallas Morning News....

-----------

The Observer comments:

My wife and I went to see the "Reluctant Confederate" exhibit at the NTHS last Saturday.

The building is a real jewel, and the exhibit was interesting and informative. Anyone interested in the history of their community will be entertained and educated by a trip to the North Texas History Center.

Bill

Note to Joe Jaynes -- put your Confederate uniform back on before the next court and fight a little harder for these guys. They deserve our support.

Bill

Election day is only one day away and the candidates are busy slinging barbs at each other as to who stood where, who gave to who's campaign and who spent money on campaign consultants.

Meanwhile real issues, involving real people are little debated or even discussed.

I haven't seen any substantial discussion of the Collin County Toll Road Authority and the county's Outer Loop.
Bill

It was in May of 2008, when the commissioners court met at Murphy City Hall in a meeting that was supposed to "take the court on the road", but which instead made two decisions that had great impact on the county. In executive session that night, the court approved a law suit against their Auditor. The suit eventually cost the citizens over $350,000.

But also that night, the commissioners voted to rescind an agreement made with Denton County and the NTTA on the alignment of the future expansion of the Dallas North Tollway. The commissioners wanted the road, and its subsequent commercial development, not on the county line, but completely in Collin County. They also began to make plans to create a county toll road authority to develop the extension of the Dallas North Tollway.

A few months later, the Collin County Toll Road Authority was born. It's mission was to secure financing for the DNT extension and to finance and build what Collin County called their "Outer Loop".

The Outer Loop is a segment of a regional "Loop 9" originally conceived as the DFW bypass along the Trans Texas Corridor. This huge loop road will, when and if built, completely encircle Dallas and Fort Worth. The Collin County portion begin at the DNT on the Denton county line and would run north of McKinney before turning south to end at the Rockwall County line.

The Collin County Commissioners, facing rapid growth in their own county, were clearly frustrated with the slow pace of development of the regional loop. They decided to go it alone at a cost of $4 billion. They had no idea how to pay for such a huge project, but they hoped that the county's rapid growth would attract a public-private partnership that would finance and operate the Outer Loop for toll revenue.

They didn't count on the recession, the killing of the Trans Texas Corridor, or the fact that no one, not even the Spanish giant Cintra, was going to write a check for $4 billion to build a super highway to connect Melissa to Royce City.

Their insistence on forming their own toll authority, their attempt to hijack the DNT extension, and their perceived reluctance to work in a regional manner also frustrated those local partners whose cooperation was needed to make the road economically possible. At a State Senate hearing, Dallas' Republican Senator John Carona told Keith Self, "I don't think Collin County plays nice lately. "I don't think they have a regional concern, but only for provincial Collin County."

Denton County Judge Mary Horn scolded the commissioners with, "I think you should honor your county's agreements." Denton Commissioner Andy Eads told the press that, "I was very disappointed. Everyone represents their own jurisdiction, but we also have to wear the hat of regionalism."

The NTTA, reacting to the takeover of the DNT extension garnered support in the legislature for a bill that would have required the county to get the NTTA's permission to build any toll road in Collin County. The chairman of the NTTA board, a Collin County appointee, told the commissioners, "We're not going to make a political decision. We're going to make the right decision for the agency."

Frantic, last minute backtracking by the county allowed for a compromise where Collin County gave up any claim to the DNT, and the bill was dropped.

The commissioners, in going it alone, likely slowed any opportunity for regional cooperation with Denton and Rockwall Counties. Cooperation with both counties is critical. To make the Loop economically viable, it needs to connect more than small towns here - it needs to go west in Denton County to I-35 and South through Rockwall to I-30.

However, even though no financing of the construction of the Outer Loop is in place (nor likely to be anytime soon), the commissioners court believes that it is important to acquire the needed land for the Loop's right of way. Their reasoning is that over time, the land will become more expensive, and as vacant land fills it will be harder to plot a path across the county.

The county has the cash. $7 million was set aside for the road back in the 2007 budget. So the land acquisition plan, especially on the northern leg of the loop, has gone forward - with or without the acquiescence of local land owners.

For the last year, the county has been using its power of Eminent Domain to force the purchase of at least 7 different properties without the consent of the sellers.

In today's court session, the commissioners will vote to "lend" (against future toll revenue) the Collin County Toll Road Authority $6 million to pay for these condemned properties.

For a road that may never be built, at least not in our lifetime.

Bill

Update March 1, 2010:

The Commissioners Court agreed in today's meeting to lend their Toll Road Authority the money. The only discussion was on a suggestion by Jerry Hoagland that the county charge the CCTRA interest on the funds.

Then, meeting as the Collin County Toll Road Authority, the commissioners voted without discussion to spend the money to close the condemnation sales.

I was interested to see that the Chairman of the Texas Senate Committee on Transportation issued a not-so-veiled threat today to the CCTRA. On his blog, Senator John Carona's spokesman wrote, "The compromise language between the Collin County Toll Authority and the North Texas Tollway Authority was ultimately removed from legislation. As a result, Senator Carona is observing how the relationship progresses over the interim, and depending on that outcome, may proceed with appropriate legislation in the 82nd session."

He's telling Self and company to "play nice".

Bill