Okay, so it’s obvious that I’m not a professional journalist, because I obviously didn’t explain what the heck I was talking about with all the “convention” talk.

Regular readers of the blog probably know that Bernie Scheffler and I were elected delegates to the Texas State Democratic Convention in Austin, which is going on right now. (Actually, as I type this, U.S. Representative Al Green (D-Houston) is giving a speech introducing and in praise of U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega.)

SO, now that I can post from my iPhone (and annoy you all wirelesly from wherever I am), you’ll be getting updates occasionally from me and Bernie. Hopefully it’ll be almost like you’re here with us!

(If you ARE here with us, we hope you have a great time and that we get a chance to meet you!)

Bernie and I leave the hotel to find breakfast after a night of drinking with my brother-in-law, and who do we run into? Our Fort Worth City Councilman, Joel Burns, his partner, J. D. Angle, and Fort Worth’s own ink-stained journo, Bud Kennedy, sharing a table but not their migas con hongos, at Las Manitas on Congress.

Okay, so I actually don’t have any proof to back up the headline… but how else do you explain the fact that the Arlington City Council is actually considering passing a very forward-thinking law?

It’s the largest city in the U.S. with no public transportation system. It gives huge handouts to rich folks who want to build stadiums. And let’s not forget our very own Steve-o’s personal jihad against Arlington. And these guys want to pass a law that’s good for the environment? A law that started in, [gasp], San Francisco? 

To be fair to the council, the death of mass transit and the gifts to Jerry Jones were moves given the stamp of approval by Arlington voters in elections. I hope the council can pass the plastic bag ban without having to put it on the ballot!

And if the ban is enacted, I hope Fort Worth is brave enough to follow in Arlington’s footsteps. (That has to be number one on my all-time list of things I never thought I’d say.)

My neighbor and friend of West and Clear Mike Lee reported in the Star-Telegram this week that the city delayed its decision on transportation impact fees. Quite naturally, developers don’t want to pay the fees and are lobbying hard to lower the price.

I think the city staff’s original proposal, which would have encouraged growth in areas that already have sufficient infrastructure, was an excellent plan. The proposed compromises, which would levy a much lower fee across the city, including areas that already have good roads (!?), would be an unfortunate example of the citizens’ best interest being ignored in favor of corporate developers.

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Come raise your spirits as you raise a pint as America’s network of progressive drinking clubs arrives in Fort Worth.

Drinking Liberally is an informal, non-programmatic gathering of like-minded left-leaners, an opportunity to share you ideas while you share a pitcher. You don’t need to be a seasoned activist or policy wonk to join us in meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones, and enjoying a stiff mix of socializing with a dash of politics.

PeteW and I will be hosting Fort Worth’s inaugural DL gathering at Buffalo Bros. (3015 S. University Dr.) this Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m.

America was born in the taverns…and now we’re returning to promote democracy one pint a time.

The Revolution begins at Happy Hour; we’ll see you there.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the record turnout in this year’s primary elections. Well, it turns out the voting isn’t quite over yet… there are runoffs in a few key elections. Yay!

The Democratic runoff includes a race we here at West and Clear really care about: Texas Railroad Commission. For the uninitiated: the TRC doesn’t have anything to do with railroads anymore. Instead, they are mostly charged with regulating the oil and gas industry.

We encourage you to vote for Dale Henry for railroad commissioner. If you’re concerned about “saltwater” (read: carcinogenic-chemical-water) injection wells and what they mean for our long-term groundwater safety, Mr. Henry is your candidate.

Mr. Henry is also the only candidate who seems to realize that we can’t drill our way out of an energy shortage, and he plans to focus on a sound renewable energy policy as Railroad commissioner.

Please note: if you voted in the Republican primary on March 4th, you cannot vote in the Democratic runoff. If you voted in the Democratic Primary OR if you voted in neither party’s primary, you can vote in the runoff. Look up your polling place, and vote for Dale Henry!

After nearly 21 hours of waiting and deliberation, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has won the State Senate District 10 Convention with 66% of the total delegation.

Both Bernie Scheffler and yours truly were elected as delegates to the State Convention in Austin this June.

I’m going to bed.

You’re just going to have to listen to this one.

We give our takes on the upcoming primaries, Rick Perry’s book, and squirrel vs. grackle deathmatches.

Special guest this episode: SteveB from FortWorthBlogorrhea

 

 Standard Podcast [24:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Since I’m lazy by nature, I see no reason not to just link to the roundup of political events that the Star-Telegram has put together, instead of going to all that effort myself.

I will add this, though: Please take public transit. That’s the one thing that the roundup leaves out. They list plenty of parking options, but never mention that a whole bunch of perfectly good buses (in the case of the stockyards) and trains (the convention center gets both!) that go by these places that would love to see you on them. (You could also ride your bike, since both are on street bike trails and/or near the Trinity trails.)

The Senator from Arizona will be holding a fundraising luncheon at the City Club in downtown Fort Worth on Thursday. There will be a private reception at noon, the luncheon begins at 12:30.