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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Letters to the Editor
More Help in NEED
To the editor: Great piece by Jeff Prince! (“Crumbs in the Cupboard,” Nov. 9, 2005). For a comparison study, you could interview the folks at Northeast Emergency Distribution (NEED), a private coalition of churches, civic groups, and businesses that has been successful for many years. The NEED food pantry provides emergency food and assistance with rent, utility bills, and school supplies for families whose kids receive free or reduced-price lunches in northeast Tarrant County. They’re located at 424 Bedford Euless Rd. in Hurst (817-280-0286) and at 3255 Beach St. in Fort Worth (817-759-1506). They also run a clothing and item resale shop and all monies go directly back to NEED.
Paul W. Barger
Bedford
Call Again Here
To the editor: I was wondering when Last Call visited Xouba in Arlington (“X Marks the Snots,” Nov. 2, 2005). I went for the first time last Saturday night and had a different experience than your columnist described.
The place was nearly empty that night as well — maybe 12 people in there, tops. I sat at the bar and was served immediately. While I was drinking my too-expensive drink, one bartender introduced herself. I asked her about the drink she was mixing, and she gave me the leftover from the shaker and asked me what I thought. All three bartenders and the waitress were very nice.
I have to add, I am not a fancily dressed, extremely handsome, trendy guy, but the Xouba folks still made me feel welcome. I hope this place succeeds. It would be nice to have somewhere a little close to home to hang out besides Sherlock’s.
Justin Baize
Arlington
The Top Turkey
To the editor: As usual, we get the news no one else prints from Fort Worth Weekly. For that gift to our once-fair burg, I give thanks. The Turkey Awards should really be handed out twice a year, since there’s so many folks eager to get one of those beauties. Still, I must point out a glaring omission: Fort Worth oilman and Lord Mayor Mike Moncrief.
As the top turkey in our barnyard, Moncrief gets credit for what I and many others see as the biggest disaster to ever strike Fort Worth: gas well drilling in our neighborhoods. So far, we have only seen the tip of the iceberg, but big plans are in the works, and hundreds of permits to drill have already been issued. As mayor, Moncrief has allowed this insanity to flourish out of control, with drilling allowed a measly 300 feet or less from a residence. The city’s propaganda machine has worked overtime to spin a web of lies that bear little comparison with the reality on the ground. (Much of this has been reported in the Weekly by Jeff Prince.) Moncrief’s recently appointed but long delayed task force, which was supposed to re-visit the drilling ordinance, was a farce from the get-go. Once the council got wind that the task force might actually hold the drilling crooks accountable, the city attorney abruptly cancelled it. In its place we have a task force largely made up of pro-drilling members and a contingent of developers and lawyers. Such a committee is not independent and will not represent the greater good of Fort Worth.
It must also be noted that Moncrief, an oilman from way back, has direct ties with many of the companies seeking to drill our neighborhoods. I suspect that many on the council have similar ties. Yet none of them have recused themselves. Far from it: They have rubber-stamped every drilling vote that has come up — unanimously. And that includes allowing drilling on some of Fort Worth’s most admired and much-needed greenspace.
If you ask me, a turkey carcass is too good for the lot of them. I can’t wait until the next election so I can atone for my previous voting sins.
Don Young
Fort Worth Citizens Against Neighborhood Drilling Ordinance (www.fwcando.org)
False Froth
To the editor: Tracy Everbach’s column on Bill O’Reilly, (“He Doth Froth Too Much,” Oct. 26. 2005) reminded me of one of Molly Ivins’ opinion columns several years ago. She stated that she loved the new rules of journalism because they required nothing — no facts, no responsibility, no retribution, just state an idea and go with it. Dan Rather said that if the news should be true, the facts don’t matter.
When I studied journalism, the teacher hammered into us that the first paragraph must answer the who, where, what, why, and how. And the title must be interesting but must relate to the article.
Obviously, you follow the Ivins and Rather school of journalism. Your title fails to live up to the article. You do admit that Macarena Hernandez failed to research the facts and instead repeated verbiage from Media Matters for America, a liberal-leaning group. And you do note that it was a caller who made the comments and not O’Reilly. However, you gave a totally false impression of what Hernandez said in her column — she did say that he was the reason that people hated illegals, which is false.
It used to be that the media and journalists were bound to stop myths and lies and only print the truth. Sadly, all that has changed — which may be a reason that newspapers and the “major” networks are dying. Besides, people aren’t taught to read anymore, only to hear without listening. But that is another topic.
Frank Smith III
Fort Worth
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