Folks out Gun Barrel City way are discovering how city slickers in expensive suits take care of bidness up here in Fort Worth.
The Monitor, a newspaper that covers the Cedar Creek Lake area, reports that State Rep. Lance Gooden testified before a grand jury regarding his complaints that the Tarrant Regional Water District makes it so difficult to get information requested under the Open Records Act.
Listen to some of his quotes per The Monitor:
“I’ve turned in open record requests in March and they have stonewalled me since then.”
“There are unanswered questions and possibly law breaking.”
“I’ve never had this experience with any other governmental agency.”
Gooden’s frustration sounds familiar to local news reporters who are often stymied when trying to get public records from the water district. Public info requests that might be considered sensitive information are routed to attorneys that begin a long cat-and-mouse exchange of emails and letters that generally lead nowhere.
Even water district board member Mary Kelleher can’t get information, as Fort Worth Weekly has reported in the past.
You know what I think is funny? That we’re all so used to the crap coming out of the Water District that none of us have made any snarky comments yet!
When are the Texas Rangers, FBI or anyone going to investigate this?
It’s not just the Water District – it’s FWISD as well.