Democratic Voice

News And Information for Garland Area DemocratsFebruary 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41

Produced and published in-house by Rachel Baker Ford, 3317 Knights Haven Lane, Garland, Texas 75044

“There’s No Gas In Garland!”“Just so you know,” says Dallas Cothram, Trinity East Energy official.

Thursday, February 7: Dallas City Planning Commission public hearing meeting regarding theTrinity East Special Use Permit (SUP). Opposition to the granting of the projects was given byvarious groups and individuals. Officials of the Trinity East Energy Company spoke in favor ofgranting the permits.

Trinity East CEO Robert Blanton stated, / The natural gas under Dallas does not contain benzene or hydrogen sulfate./ In the U.S. the air quality is improving probably due to the increased use of natural gas./ We provide the list of chemicals used in the salt water. [ed: fracking fluid]

/ It’s not a refinery. It’s a production facility. / There is no documented results of property damage. / We want to be a partner with Dallas, not an adversary.

City Planning Commissioner Liz Wally asked Blanton about the full list of all chemicals used. Mr.Blanton responded, “The natural gas under Dallas does not contain benzene or hydrogen sulfate.”

Environmental groups, citizen groups, and individuals reiterated the known hazards related to fracking,gas refining, and compressor stations. Much concern was expressed regarding the placement of thecompressors adjacent to the new multimillion-dollar soccer complex. Accidental spills and incidents, andthe dangers of the production emissions are lethal. Fracking and the disposal of the used fracking fluid[Blanton: salt water] have been proven to cause earthquakes. http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/earthquake/

At the December 20, 2012, Dallas City Planning Commission meeting, Dallas Cothram stated theTrinity East gas refinery and compressor unit would generate 75 tons of hazardous materials into theair per year.

The permit requests for the Trinity East Energy project are to be located in the Trinity River FloodPlain. Nearly 80 percent of water use in the Trinity River Basin is used to meet municipal demands. The 22 reservoirs on the river provide drinking water and flood control. A spill, an incident, andeveryday pollution in the Trinity River will spread the poison throughout the basin to Galveston Bayand the Gulf of Mexico. http://trinitywaters.org/trinity-river/trinity-river-basin-characteristics/

“What happens in Dallas, happens in Garland.”

The effects, the pollution generated by these processes, does not respect nor stop at city boundaries. There may not be any gas in Garland, but we would get all of the negative effects of drilling andrefineries. None of the projected financial benefits would cross city boundaries. Health costs, utilitycosts and clean up costs would.

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Garland Democratic Voice Editorial

So Much for Open Government

Recently, Sen. Ted Cruz (TX-R) proclaimed, “The first thing I would urge is forevery Republican member of the House of Representatives to stop reading TheNew York Times. Cancel your subscription.” (C-Span 01/26/13) Gov. Paul LePage(Maine-R) stated in Waterville’s Morning Sentinel, “My greatest fear in the state ofMaine is newspapers. I’m not a fan of newspapers!”

The Dallas Morning News reported on February 4, 2013, freshman Texas Rep. JonathanStickland (Bedford-R) has proposed governments be allowed to post notices aboutmeetings, taxes and policies on their websites instead of publishing these notices in thenewspapers, as currently required by law. The purpose of this is supposedly to savemoney by not paying for space in the newspapers, thus “removing a government subsidy[of newspapers].” More strikes against freedom of information and transparency ingovernment.

Teachers are encouraged to use The New York Times in their classrooms to “enhancevocabulary, reading comprehension and writing skills, integrate informational text tomeet Common Core standards, foster critical thinking, provide content and conceptsrelevant to your curriculum, spark student interest and stimulate discussion.” http://nytimesinschool.com/ Worthy goals for the Congress!

“If notices disappear from newspapers, there would no longer be a statewide archive of public notices— which could affect the public’s ability to access the accuracy of records and hold governmentaccountable.” Citizens, taxpayers, would have to research each and every website to get the information.“Residents in Harris County would have to consult the sites of 496 units of government that levy taxes.”

[Jim Moser, chair of the Texas Press Association legislative committee.]

In an article, AËH1EIA, ALITHEIA— Truth In Ancient Greek, Gabriel Chiron explains, “In a time like thepresent where propaganda, disinformation and psy-ops are being constantly and heavily utilized to dupethe masses in America, Britain and Europe (throughout the entire English-speaking world), truth ofgovernment wrong-doing, abuse-of-power and do-it-yourself-false-flag-terrorism, is constantly covered-up and needs uncovered, alitheia. The English word, Truth, etymologically connects to the same root astrust, which implies hypnotic states, conditioning and belief. In English, truth is merely what people firmlybelieve, have faith in. In the English-speaking world, whatever people believe without question, withoutinquiry and investigation, is supposed to be “Truth”. This is the underlying sociolinguistic tendency. Thevery meaning of “Truth” in English is whatever the stupid masses are manipulated to believe by theirgovernment so their government can successfully cover-up, litheia, with lies.”

http://www.absolutoracle.com/Neosocrates/Articles/alitheia.htm

We have the ability, the obligation to stay informed — not relying on half-truths,innuendos and opinions. True democracy is in informed consent. Elected officialsin our representative democracy must vote according to the will of the people notfrom a desire to pay campaign debts to big funders or to avoid a primary challenge. Question resources and sources. Reject the untruths. Don’t accept boldproclamations of “rebranding.” Call, write and meet with elected officials on alllevels.

The ultimate power is the vote. Cast your vote based upon information garneredfrom many sources and not based on advertisements, potentially paid for by specialinterest entities.

— Rachel Baker Ford, editor

Sen. Ted Cruz, TX-RAP Photo

Rep. JonathanStrickland, TX92-R

Photo: TX HS Reps

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February 8, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 2

Garland Democratic VoiceImmigration

Two Proposals For Immigration Reform

The Gang of Eight proposal (Senate Bill S.1.IS) It is the sense of the Senate that Congress should:

1. Create a roadmap for immigrants who are herewithout legal status to earn citizenship, providedthey pay taxes, complete a background check,learn English, and show a commitment toAmerica; 2. Allow students who came to America as childrento earn citizenship by attending college or joiningthe Armed Forces; 3. Protect the American agricultural industry,including the dairy industry, with a stable andlegal agricultural workforce; 4. Encourage those who seek to invest in theUnited States and create American jobs; 5. Permit and encourage individuals who earn anadvanced degree to remain in the United States,rather than using that education to work for ourinternational competitors; 6. Fulfill and strengthen our Nation'scommitments regarding security along ourborders and at our ports of entry; 7. Strengthen our Nation's historic humanitariantradition of welcoming asylum seekers andrefugees and improve existing policies to supportimmigrant victims of crime and domestic violence; 8. Create an effective electronic verification systemand strengthen enforcement to prevent employersfrom hiring people here illegally; 9. Promote job creation by converting the currentflow of illegal immigrants into a more manageable,controlled, and legal workforce while, at the sametime, safeguarding the jobs, rights, and wages ofAmerican workers;10. Adopt practical and fair immigration reformsto help ensure that all families are able to betogether.www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s1is/pdf/BILLS-113s1is.pdf

President Obama’s proposal (Jan. 2013)

President Obama’s proposal contains much moredetail and multiple items related to security. Thepresident’s proposal requires immigrants to paypenalties and fees when they register. Unfortunately, illegal immigrants aren’t likely to come forward andregister if they have to pay. Because the president’sproposal has additional detail, it is worth using thelink below to see what else must be done to makeimmigration reform a meaningful action.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/29/fact-sheet-fixing-ou

r-broken-immigration-system-so-everyone-plays-rules

They Contribute, Too— Charles E. Ford, Jr.

Because they are undocumented, no one knows howmany illegal immigrants arein the United States. Mostcome looking for a better lifeand hoping to find a jobs tosupport themselves and theirfamilies. They pick ourgrapes and strawberries, cleanour motels, cut our lawns,and replace roofs in 100-degree weather. Those notfortunate enough to be hiredby a contractor on a regularbasis hang around HomeDepot or other busy locationsearly in the morning lookingfor day work. There are

some bad apples who cross the border, but mostpeople just peacefully hide in the shadows to escapedeportation. They have a difficult time finding jobswhere communicating in English is a required skill. There are an estimated 11 million illegal immigrantsin the United States now compared with 12.5 millionat the peak. Many have children who were bornhere and are U.S. citizens. If caught the parents facedeportation, leaving the children in the States, andsplitting the family. The number of persons crossingthe southern border is believed to be decreasing. Infiscal year 2011, 327,577 migrants attempted to crossthe border illegally, down from 858,638 in fiscal year2007 — a nearly 62 percent drop. By May 2012, thePew Hispanic Center found immigration fromMexico to the United States had leveled off. Thistrend, which began in 2005, is a first since the waveof immigration to the north began in the 1970s.www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/17/border-crossing-deaths-illegal-immigratio

n_n_1783912.html

It isn’t feasible to deport 11 million people, so thebest solution is to make them legal residents with areasonable path to citizenship and to pressureemployers to collect taxes from them just as theywould for a natural-born citizen. The children bornhere are U.S. citizens and should be treated as suchwith the same rights and benefits as the rest of us.

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 3

“Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning

to breathe free.”

The Trinity River

/The Trinity River begins near theTexas-Oklahoma border in Clay,Archer, and Montague counties.

/The Trinity River flows 512 miles,traversing five of the state’s 10 ecoregions, before emptying intoGalveston Bay near Houston.

/There are also 1,983 miles of majortributaries that drain into the Trinity.

/The Trinity River watershedencompasses 18,000 square miles (7 percent of state’s land area), andincludes all or parts of 38 Texascounties.

/Many human activities affect theTrinity River, including 22 reservoirs on the river to provide drinkingwater and flood control.

/Different land uses also affect theTrinity River, such as urbanization,commercial/industrial development,row-crop farming, livestockproduction, outdoor recreation andtimber production.

/There are various habitats within the Trinity River watershed,including native grasslands,bottomland hard-wood forests, andwetlands, though the extent ofthese have been reduced due to

human activities. http://trinitywaters.org/

Garland Democratic VoiceSpecial report

What happens in Dallas affects the entire Trinity River Basin.

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 4

Dallas Morning News 02/12/13

Dallas Morning News 02/12/13

Dallas Morning News 02/12/13

Dallas Morning News 01/04/13

Dallas Morning News 02/08/13

Garland Democratic VoiceBits & Pieces

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 5

The NRA — A Paper TigerAll this talk about the power of the NRA is smoke andmirrors. Most of its own members do not support theleadership. In the last election, it was 0.82 percent effective in getting its Congressional supporters elected orenemies defeated. Its most fearsome adversary is not theObama White House. The NRA has more reasons to beafraid! It has never gone toe-to-toe with 20 souls ofelementary school children shot down in cold blood intheir classroom. — Stephen L. Love

Garland Democratic VoiceOut & About

Garland NAACP MLK Day ParadeSaturday, January 19, 2013

Willa Kulhavy, Fran Donnell, Harold Johnson, and Ruth Ann Cloud (in car)

Dallas County CommissionerHon. Theresa Daniel with

Sergio Garcia & Shannon Long

Hon. Gilberto Hinojosa

NDTDW meeting GADC members Fran Donnell and Karla Lee Zemler

NDTDW Welcomes Texas Democratic Party Chairman

Hon. Gilberto Hinojosa

Harold R. Johnson, a candidate for Dallas

County judge, Willa Kulhavy & Fran Donnell

GADC President Harold R. Johnsonwith Mr. Hinojosa

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 6

Garland Democratic VoiceOut & About

Commission Fact-Finding TourPlanning of Proposed Sites for the

Refineries and Wells

Golf Course

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 7

Soccer Complex Soccer Complex

Invited Public Citizens

The Golf Course

Pre-Meeting Press Conference

Dallas City Planning CommissionFebruary 7, 2013

Garland Democratic Woman’s ClubMeeting

Wed., Feb. 20, 2013, 11:30 am Enjoy the company of Democratic women overlunch! All are welcome, bring a friend. Siciliano’s Taste of Italy, 2210 W. Buckingham,

Garland, Texas

Info: Ruth Ann Cloud, 918 Woodhaven Ln.,

Garland, 75040 (972) 495-5329 mcloud002@tx.rr.com

National Summit: Stop the Frack!Saturday and Sunday, March 2–3, 2013Best Western Plus Dallas Hotel & Conference Center8051 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway Dallas, TX 75251Conference Fee: $50.00 includes lunch both days and full accessto the conference. Room plans for out-of-town folks. Scholarshipsavailable.

The Dallas/Fort Worth area represents urban fracking at its worstwith over 3,700 well pads and accompanying compressor stations. Projected expansion of the drilling is within the Dallas park landsand the Trinity River flood plain. The Metroplex is home to manyof the oil and gas companies destroying communities around thecountry.

Plan to attend to share stories, build your spokesperson skills, learnabout clean energy alternatives, celebrate victories, and help buildthis national movement. For more information and to register logonto http://www.stopthefrackattack.org

A Stop the Fracking Rally will be held on Mon., March 4 in Austin.

Garland Democratic VoiceBulletin Board

Planned ParenthoodStatewide Lobby Day

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Capitol Building, Austin, TX

Cost:$10 Austin Rally, lunch & tote

$25: Round-trip transportationto the Capitol Rally from Dallas,Fort Worth or Waco, lunch atthe Capitol, and a tote bag.

Buses leave D/FW at 7 am and Waco at 8 am.Scholarships are available.

Join hundreds of Planned Parenthood supporters fromacross the state as they rally on the Capitol Lawn, meetwith legislators, and build support for women’s health inTexas.

It’s important now, more than ever, to raise your voicein support of women’s access to healthcare. Noexperience necessary. Training and materials provided. Bring your friends! Questions? Email community@ppgt.org.

The last day to register is Tuesday, March 5, 2013.To register: visit www.ppgreatertx.org .

Garland Area DemocraticClub Meeting

Thurs., Feb. 14, 2013, 7:00 pm

All are welcome. Women’s Activities Building, 713 Austin St., Garland 75040 Contact: Harold R. Johnson 721 Forest Ridge DriveGarland, Texas 75042-5168H: (972) 272-2863drizzlehj@yahoo.com

February 11, 2013 Garland, Texas Edition 41, Page 8

CallingProgressive

WomenDemocrats!

An new progressivewomen’s group with the goal of forming afederation of Texas Democratic women’sorganizations and individuals, facilitatingefforts in organizing women and electingDemocrats at all levels. Communication,education and support, are among thegoals of this new group. Under theguidance of temporary officers: presidentLenna Webb, secretary Maria Arras, andtreasurer Ellen Chase, the PDWN isdividing Texas into six geographic regionsand will proceed to the election ofpermanent officers and the finalization ofgroup bylaws. For more information, visit the group’swebsite or check “like” on Facebook.

http://www.progressivedemocraticwomensnetwork.com.