Texas government corruption
From Sunshine Review
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New interactive Texas budget project
The Texas Legislative Budget Board's budget plan is available online in a very large PDF document, but this being the only form of the budget making examining the budget difficult. It is not in a machine-readable format nor is it open for programming applications by the public.
The LBJ School has taken on a project to make the budget as interactive and informative as possible. The school has put the President’s budge as well as the state level. They have included of the appropriations process and specific budget mark-ups on the budget project.
Some team members who have worked the Texas side of the project focused on this proposed legislation. Other members built support from other state officials and interest groups.[1]
Dallas City Council divided over ethics reform
The proposal for ethics reform comes in response to recent political corruption in the city council. A few weeks ago, Don Hill, a former city council member, was convicted for extortion and bribery. While serving on the council, Hill extorted real-estate developers. He threatened them that he would not grant approval of their zoning permits unless he received money from them. On many occasions, Hill successfully employed this extortion scheme to secure large sums of money from real estate developers[2] .
The proposed ethics reform is designed to prevent other city council members from engaging in the sort of political corruption for which Don Hill was convicted. Specifically, the proposed ethics reform would limit a city council's member control over permit granting. As it currently stands, a single city council member has great control over any permit granting in his district[3] .
Former Dallas councilman convicted in extortion case
Don Hill, his associates, and his wife were convicted by a jury who had strong evidence against them. In the case, two real-estate developers testified against Hill. Both of the real-estate developers said they pursued city zoning approval, so that they could develop low-end housing in Hill's district. They said Hill indicated to them that he would not approve of their zoning permits unless he received payment [4].
In addition to the testimonies, the prosecution presented audio and video evidence that was collected by the FBI. In one conversation between Hill and his associate, his associate told Hill to delay a vote over zoning permits, allowing the associate more time to shake-down a developer. In another instance, photos show Hill receiving $10,000 from an associate who had, shortly before, received $20,000 from a real-estate developer [5].
Besides extorting money, Hill also secured questionable consulting contracts. His wife, for example, had a $14,000 per month consulting contract for her involvement in community development projects[6].
Houston airport-linked nonprofit has ’systemic problems,’
"The nonprofit agency through which the Houston Airport System builds and runs airports in other countries has “systemic problems” and could hurt the city’s bond rating, the city’s chief financial officer said Monday — an issue that could make it more costly for the city to borrow money."
City of Houston’s efforts to rein in airport nonprofit could create more problems than they solve
"The Houston city government could be in a pickle over the city airport system’s work overseas, building and running airports in Latin America and elsewhere.
But the two most obvious solutions — giving City Hall a bigger hand in directing those foreign affairs, or pulling the plug on them all together — could put the city in an even bigger pickle.
Maybe even a whole pickle jar."
Rep. Sylvester Turner, frequent critic of power providers, is lawyer for CenterPoint
"When people in Houston have problems with electric utilities, the person to whom they often turn is state Rep. Sylvester Turner, who has frequently criticized power providers. But Turner, a lawyer, is on retainer for CenterPoint. He discloses that fact on his annual state ethics form. The Democratic House member from Houston says it's not a conflict of interest."
La Porte councilman traveled, other council members stayed home
"La Porte Councilman Howard Ebow traveled more than any other La Porte council member over the past three years, including a trip to Washington just two months before he left office. Ebow says the trip was still valuable for the people of La Porte."
Did U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison cross an ethical line by supporting a rail line that is a payday for her husband?
"In 2007, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison boasted how she helped secure $700 million in federal funding to expand a mass transit line in Dallas. But here’s what she forgot to tell you: The law firm of her husband, Ray Hutchison, worked on the bond financing for the same project, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in hourly fees."
Houston's Metro board votes in chorus, just one dissenting vote since 2006
"The board that runs Houston's transit agency moves in lopsided lockstep, with only a handful of votes that weren't unanimous since October 2006. But Metro's board members say that's because any disagreements are worked out beforehand."
Houston City Council ethics forms published via an interactive map
"The Houston mayor and City Council members' 2009 personal financial disclosures are available at Texas Watchdog via an interactive map. Learn more about how your elected officials make their money by checking out these disclosures."
Texas Superintendent misspent $139,000 at School of Excellence
A local news company, News 4 WOAI, followed an investigation trail leading to the discovery that the $139,000 of taxpayer money went to a trip to China for the School of Excellence in Education's school band.
The Texas Education Agency found these numbers after an audit revealing the trip that the board never approved. The T.E.A. says the school should be reimbursed.
Courruption trial in Dallas for officials accepting bribes
One of Texas' most prominent low-income housing developers, Brian Potashnik, is expected to testify as he is a key player in the public corruption case. The case is about how Hill and others pressured him and another developer to choose between paying city officials and a fail to win approval of their southern Dallas apartment projects.
Four years ago, when the FBI sought cooperation from Potashnik and his wife, Cheryl, they turned them down.
James R. "Bill" Fisher was another developer targeted by the city officials refused to pay bribes and agreed to become a government informant, wearing a wire.
During Tuesday's trial, jurors heard from Dallas city attorneys testifying that Hill asked for legal opinions about his dealings with developers.
Prosecutors displayed to jurors Hill's 2004 financial disclosure form. In it a reference to his mistress-turned-wife, Sheila Farrington Hill, was blacked out. The defense attorneys commented that Hill made a paperwork error and corrected it there.[1]
Houston, Harris officials conceal details on ethics forms
"The actions by the city and county contrast with a state attorney general’s ruling saying that spouses’ names, addresses, are public record when listed on financial disclosures. Texas Watchdog will challenge the officials’ decisions to the attorney general. Also: Read about the misadventures of an average citizen requesting access to Dallas forms."
Expense records should be public
"Lawmakers in Austin are scouring the state budget. Watchdog groups and interested citizens are monitoring public disclosures to ensure that state officials and agencies are wisely using the taxpayer money appropriated to them.
But there's one area of state spending that you won't be able to scrutinize if the Texas Senate, the Department of Public Safety and Gov. Rick Perry have their way."
School employees bill would put records back in shadows
"This legislative session is no different from others in the numerous and energetic ways that legislators are trying to keep public information away from the public's scrutiny. One of these is a bill that would keep date-of-birth information about public school employees out of public records.
Date-of-birth information is key to identifying a person. It's one of the important pieces of information that can distinguish one John Doe from another John Doe. It's particularly helpful if John Doe has a criminal history and another one does not."
Don't block access to public information
"Texas House members are scheduled to debate today a bill that will restrict public access to public records. It really shouldn't be debated at all. After all, the public pays to create and maintain those records and should be able to retrieve them at will.
At the center of the debate is a bill filed by Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, that would block access to state employee birth dates. The legislation is yet another assault on the Texas Public Information Act."
Texas judges can keep information private
"In another attempt to close access to public records, the Texas Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would make secret the addresses of the spouses of federal and state judges.
The addresses of the judges themselves - contained in otherwise public records such as property appraisal documents and voter registration applications - are already secret."
Houston Mayor Bill White keeps calendar, correspondence with developer hidden from public view
"Mayor Bill White has for more than two months hidden his calendar and his correspondence with a developer, but the attorney general says White must now release at least a portion of this information."
Nederland ISD, bond opponents already at odds over getting information
"A committee set up in opposition to the $120.3 million Nederland ISD bond issue proposal on the May 9 ballot recently requested records from the Nederland school district and met what its members said was resistance.
Through a committee consultant who requested the records, the Nederland Citizens Acting for Responsible Education committee was charged $376.23 and had to wait 17 calendar days before receiving the records."
EDITORIAL: Keep information available to public
"A delicate balance always has existed between protecting people's privacy and the public's right to know things about those who serve them in government.
A bill being considered in the Texas Legislature runs well past the delicate part of the equation and tilts the field away from the public good."
[edit] More information
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