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Tarrant New Times Get the real skinny on what everyone's talking about:        No Choice Tolls Levied on Your Existing Roads        Broken Promises about Property Tax Reduction        And more Follies and Failures of Your County Government And how we will set things right for Tarrant County in November! Read the Tarrant New Times ! Successful Fundraising! From the Star-Telegram.com, July 15, 2008: Democratic challenger Jerry Lee Phillips raised more than his Nov. opponent: Republican County Commissioner Gary Fickes. Phillips raised $12,772 and reported $9,799 cash on hand. Fickes raised $4,750 but reported $66,437 cash on hand (Fickes reported loaning his campaign $25,000). Less Blame, More Accountability Jerry Lee Phillips calls for less blame and a lot more accountability and responsibility in relation to JPS trustees and the JPS Health Network. “The Commissioners Court is responsible for appointing JPS board trustees and are solely responsible and accountable for the stewardship of JPS hospital,” said Jerry Lee Phillips. “It’s time that tough questions be asked in relationship to the stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The Commissioners Court must seize the moment and ask why JPS executives are getting richer while JPS hospital staff are underpaid in relation to their dedication to patient care. Why are JPS executives getting richer while JPS hospital is in desperate need of upgrades and refurbishing?” “I appeal to Commissioner Gary Fickes to reject the course he and others on the Commissioners Court have set for JPS and bring JPS services back into line with the original mission of the hospital district. The damage their fiscal misdirection and lack of accountability have caused is a tragedy to real people with real health problems.” County Leases for Less, Taxpayers Lose Tarrant County Commissioners continue to aggravate the county budget woes. The recent lease of 35.3 acres by the County at $6,220 per acre, stands in contrast to the City of Ft. Worth's average lease of $17,000 per acre. Wednesday, only nine days after the County announced its paltry $6,220 lease, the Greater Meadowbrook Mineral Leasing Task Force released details of a lease with XTO Energy affecting five East Fort Worth neighborhoods. Residents will receive $25,000 per mineral acre and a 26 1/5% percent royalty. In addition, XTO Energy, agreed not to drill in the lease area except for two sites near railroad tracks in an industrial area well away from residences and livable green space. By the acre, the county mineral rights leasing is 37% as much as the amount the City of Ft. Worth's average and only 25% as much as Meadowbrook. To be clear: Tarrant County Commissioners approved gas leases for a sum less than one quarter of the amount the Meadowbrook residents were able to negotiate. Jerry Lee Phillips, Democratic candidate for Commissioner in Pct. 3, commented, "County green space, along the banks of the Trinity River, is being sold for pennies on the dollar. This is one more example of poor leadership and the ongoing failure of commissioners to make sound financial decisions for Tarrant County taxpayers." Natural Gas Proceeds Assist College District. County Taxpayers Reap No Benefits. On the same day that Tarrant County College announced money from the lease of mineral rights will fund $4,000 scholarships to qualified students, Tax Assessor Collector Betsy Price made an astounding appearance before the Commissioners Court. Despite the almost 5 million dollars of new mineral accounts in the county and more expected, taxpayers will feel no reduction in their tax burden. While the Star-Telegram Editorial Board has proclaimed urban natural gas production to be a boon to the local economy, it appears even the financial windfall cannot improve the dire budget picture for the county. In ten years the county budget has nearly doubled, far outstripping inflation and population growth. And factoring in the annexation of county land by cities during that period, the county budget has grown faster than state or federal governments, the usual targets of budget hawks. Math The Toll Proponents Don't Want You To Think About "The toll is only $2 to work and $2 home." After you have paid your gasoline tax and after you have paid into the state highway fund, you will pay again! Here is the impact of paying $2 to work and $2 home: $2 + $2 = $4 toll per day $4 x 23 workdays per month =        $92.00 per month        $1,104.00 per year        $5,520.00 every 5 years Phillips Calls For 'Green' Cement Resolution Jerry Lee Phillips calls for immediate adoption of a 'green' cement resolution by Tarrant County citing the detrimental effects of the Midlothian cement kilns on air quality in the Metroplex. “Every summer downwind air quality plummets as Midlothian cement kilns pump tons of unhealthy particulates into the air that North Texans breathe. DFW air becomes a hazard causing mothers and dads to make sure their kids don’t play outside in the late afternoon. And for people with respiratory problems, especially those who are elderly, the problems are acute,” said Phillips. Phillips advocates the county mirror actions taken by the Cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth. “The template is in place for a resolution for consideration by the Commissioners Court. Will the Republican commissioners do what’s right for the people of Tarrant County or will they side with big polluters? The inaction of the not-so-good ol’ boys gives us a clear indication.” On May 23, 2007 the City of Dallas passed an ordinance requiring cement used in city projects be acquired from cleaner 'dry process' kilns instead of cement from heavily polluting 'wet process' plants. The City of Ft. Worth followed suit. Phillips Thanks Volunteers Jerry Lee Phillips wishes to thank the volunteers who assisted the effort to acquire hundreds of signatures to place Phillips' name on the ballot. "Many went door to door in the rain and cold of mid-December to get people to sign the petitions. All took the time away from their family and friends to devote to making Tarrant County a better place," said Phillips. And the campaign wishes to thank all the persons who signed the petitions. "We found it noteworthy that many signers were Independents and Republicans. A comment we repeatedly heard was people are tired of failed Republican leadership and they really want something better," commented Phillips' campaign treasurer Miki Hawkins.