Vote Bernie!

Congratulations Joel

2007-12-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Joel Burns on his victory in the runoff election last night. Now get to work, Joel!

Interestingly, our endorsement may ultimately have helped swing the vote toward Joel. Joel's final margin of victory: 271 votes. On November 6, 262 people voted Bernie.

The toughest campaign decision I've had to make...

2007-12-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

...was whether to endorse either runoff candidate. As you active blog readers know, I felt personally attacked by both candidates (Joel with the URL fiasco, and Juan with the false claims on his "Trinity Trees" mailer). So, the bad taste left in my mouth by both these campaigns left me, on a personal level, with a bad taste in my mouth.

However, in these final days before the runoff election, I'm reminded that this campaign isn't about me and my personal feelings; it's about improving District 9, and I think my supporters deserve to hear from me about who I think will do the best job.

I've had a chance to meet with both candidates to discuss their plans for the city, and their positions on what I consider to be the most important issues facing us today. I've also taken into consideration the manner in which their campaigns have been run, as I believe now more than ever, Fort Worth needs positive leadership. Since the URL dust-up, Joel has changed the tone of his campaign. He has stayed positive and started talking about real issues. Juan's campaign has continued with negative tactics.

So, dear friends, I'm announcing today that I will cast my vote for Joel Burns on December 18.

Again, this was not an easy decision; both candidates have actively sought my support, and both have their merits. However, I feel that Joel will be a more effective leader at city hall. It's also important to note that Juan already has an elected position with the Fort Worth ISD, a district that still very much needs his progressive leadership.

I can tell you that I would not have endorsed Joel Burns if he had not given me good answers about his position on urban gas drilling. This is the most pressing issue facing our district, and we need someone in office who can advocate changes to the current system.

Admittedly, Joel took the issue up late, but his position is strong; Joel has a very practical plan to not only protect our citizens from the dangers of gas drilling, but also to place more power in choosing drilling sites in the hands of the citizens, rather than the drilling companies themselves. Joel also has good proposals about pipeline safety, and about the handling of the tremendous amount of wastewater that gas wells are producing.

The second most pressing issue we face is the transportation crunch. As you all know, I'm a proponent of light rail, and Joel Burns is the only one of the two remaining candidates who truly understands the need for more rail transit, and for more sustainable urban planning in general.

Joel and I still have some minor disagreements on less pressing issues, like tax abatements for wealthy developers and huge corporations. However, I feel that of our remaining two choices, he is the best guy for the job.

Please vote; early voting starts Monday, and runoff election day is December 18. Even if you didn't vote on Nov. 6, you can vote in the runoff; no excuses!

What comes next?

2007-11-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Well, as most of you know... we didn't make it into the runoff.

That doesn't mean this is over though; our vision for the future has resonated with lots of people (even people that didn't vote for us). I plan to stay involved, and to continue working to try and make our city a better place for everyone to live.

My phone has been ringing off the hook for the last 4 days. Both runoff candidates and their supporters have been calling asking for my endorsement. I've talked with other non-runoff candidates about their plans, and many of the folks who voted for me have called and asked who I will support.

Let me be clear: both candidates in the runoff have used campaign tactics that I find unacceptable, and both have some minor differences with me on the issues. For those reasons, I have not yet even commited to make an endorsment, much less chosen an endorsee.

As I continue meeting with folks over the next few days, I will come to a decision about my public stance on the runoff race. When the time is right, I will announce my decision right here on the Vote Bernie! blog, so stay tuned...

Go Vote Right Now!

2007-11-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

We've been making the rounds at the polls today... turnout doesn't seem as high as some predicted. If you haven't voted, GET OUT AND VOTE NOW! And of course, Vote Bernie!

Polls close at 7.

VOTE TOMORROW!

2007-11-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

We've finally arrived! It's the eve of election day, and we're ready to make our mark on this city's politics. We CAN elect an able regular citizen, who listens to and speaks for regular citizens.

So tomorrow it's time for you to do your part: VOTE! Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

If you don't know where you're supposed to vote, call me at 817-401-0146 and I'll help you figure it out.

If you or someone you know needs a ride to the polls, call me and we'll schedule one for you.

If you get home between 5 and 6, knock on your neighbors' doors or call them and ask if they've voted. If not, put some peer pressure on them to get to the polls!

And of course, be on the lookout for the Vote Bernie! get-out-the-vote-mobile, our vintage Ice Cream Truck:

Why you should vote for me

2007-11-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you are probably reading this blog doing your final research before heading to the polls. Thanks for visiting! I'd like to personally ask you for your vote, and to tell you why I believe I'm the best candidate for the job.

I'm running for city council because I love this city, and I have a vision of how it can be the most liveable city in the country. I'm NOT running because of political ambitions... I have no political ambitions beyond city hall. I'm not a longtime politician like Rangel; I haven't been entrenched in city hall for 10 years like Burns; I wasn't asked to run by special business interests downtown like Beckman; and I'm not a partisan lobbyist like Turner.

I'm a small business owner, a regular guy, who genuinely wants to serve this city. In the process, I want to give all the other regular guys and gals who love this city (that's you) a voice down at city hall.

And while I've picked three hot-button issues to run a campaign on, they are by no means the scope of my plans at city hall. I have a vision for the future of Fort Worth, and I won't rest until that vision is realized.

Fort Worth is a lucky city, because in the past we've grown a lot slower than other big cities. That slow, steady growth has allowed us to preserve a lot of the history and architectural fabric that gives Fort Worth its identity. Some cities (ahem- Dallas) demolished most of their historic downtown buildings in the 70s and 80s, but we kept ours. That's what makes Sundance Square a destination today.

Things are changing, though. Fort Worth is now the fastest growing city in the U.S., putting our historical resources and quality of life in danger. Did you know that F.W. landmarks like the Tarrant County Courthouse, Will Rogers Memorial Center, and the Botanical Gardens have no historic preservation protection whatsoever?

What about the fact that the fastest-growing city in the U.S. hasn't been trying very hard to get its transportation system ready for the new residents? Former mayor Kenneth Barr started the ball rolling on a light rail project, but our current mayor let it die because Federal funding was unlikely.

I don't think it's the Federal government's responsibility to build us a transit system. It would be nice if they were willing to help, but if they won't we still must take the initiative to build it on our own.

When I dare peer into the future of Fort Worth, I see a city as grand as the ones this great country used to build. Think of New York, Boston, or Chicago.

I see diverse neighborhoods, where the wealthy live near the less wealthy, and both are richer for it. I see citizens that get involved in their local government and work together to make their city better.

I see a city with a transportation system so complete that car ownership is a luxury, not a necessity. That way, poorer families can get out from under the financial burden of old, maintenance-hungry cars.

I see a city that sticks together. I see folks who buy from their local small businesses, instead of from the carpetbagging big-box stores. I see a city that doesn't give tax abatements to big-box stores, expecting them to pay their fair share of city taxes just as the small business owner does.

I see a city with something for everyone: world class cultural and recreational opportunities, a vibrant night life, and the best school system in the country. I see top-tier companies relocating here because they can recruit the best talent here, not because we gave them breaks on paying taxes. Quality of life is the key here; we want companies that value their employees.

I see a city that holds on to its heritage while simultaneously planning for the future.

If this sounds like the kind of city you want to live in, then go to the polls on November 6 and cast your vote for Bernie Scheffler.

The Final Countdown

2007-11-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

As election day draws near, I'd like to thank everyone for their support so far. Once again, you guys have helped me defy all the local political "experts" by putting your hearts and efforts into this campaign. As a result, even with little money at our disposal, we've positioned ourselves at a front-running campaign.

Now, we need one strong push to election day! I know you're all tired, as I am. With the level of competition and number of candidates in the race, this has been an especially difficult process. But we have a lot to show from it. We're on the cusp of landing in a runoff, and when we do -- the momentum will be ours.

So I'd like to ask each and every one of you for your help. Be an "influencer" in your communities. Make a few phone calls or knock on a few doors in your neighborhood, and find out who is registered to vote. Tell them why you think it's important that they vote in this election. If anyone needs a ride to the polls on election day, just let me know. We'll make sure they get to vote and make their voices heard.

Thanks again. I'm humbled by your support, and I hope that together we'll have an opportunity to make this city the place we all know it can be.

2007-10-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'll be posting a serious message tonight, but here's a fun one for now...

My friends Steve and Pete (two of my colleagues at westandclear.com) recently posted their celebrity lookalikes, so I went and found mine.

I'm flattered... there's no way I look as good as some of these guys. And although there's no way I think I look like Winston Churchill either, I still think he's a pretty cool guy to have on your lookalike list. Better than Omar Sharif, anyway.

Letter to the Editor

2007-10-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Star-Telegram decided to go ahead and print their biased edit of a reader's letter. The writer mentions that she is a close friend of both Joel and I, and that she believes either one of us would be excellent choices for city council.

The Star-Telegram, however, removed any reference to me. Here is the original first paragraph of the letter:

"I have tried to stay neutral in the District 9 City Council race because both Joel Burns and Bernie Scheffler are close personal friends, and I believe either would serve our city well. However, I cannot keep quiet after reading "Councilman raises issue of homosexuality in city race," I just have to reply. It would be a moral lapse not to."

Here is what the Star-Telegram printed:

"It would be a moral lapse not to respond to the remarks by Fort Worth City Councilman Chuck Silcox about candidate Joel Burns. (See Thursday news story “Councilman raises issue of homosexuality in city race.”)"

I understand the need to edit for space, but to remove one candidates name but leave another's in place changes the overall meaning of the letter, even if the main point was intact.

Kind of makes you wonder what other edits are being made to letters to the editor. There have been an awful lot of letters supporting Joel Burns, the Star-Telegram's status-quo endorsee, and a fair number for Juan Rangel, another establishment candidate. But strangely, letters supporting other candidates don't get printed. How's that for 'fair and balanced'!?

What we're up against:

2007-10-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's tough being a small-money, by-the-rules-playing, non-partisan city council candidate. Here's an example of what we're up against:

Most of you have probably read the story in today's Star-Telegram about City Council member Chuck Silcox bringing party politics into this campaign by questioning another candidate's sexuality.

Well, my wife got a call today from a friend of ours explaining that she had written a letter to the editor lambasting the use of party politics in what should be a non-partisan campaign. In the letter, she said she mentioned that she was friends with both me and Joel Burns, and that we were both excellent candidates for the city council position.

But here's the frustrating part: the Star-Telegram called her and told her they edited her letter for space, and in doing so removed any references to the Bernie Scheffler Campaign.

This is isn't the first time the Star-Telegram has altered the message of a Letter to the Editor on a contentious issue either... I'm just saying.

Update, 2:54 p.m.: Somebody from the Star-Telegram visited this post today... there's still time for them to reconsider their biased edit of the letter in question. I hope they do so before it goes into print tomorrow.

Meet the Candidate

2007-10-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Many of you who read this blog know me, but many have never met me. My volunteers and I have been knocking on as many doors as we can, but we've still nowhere near met everybody in the district (as we expected... it's a big district, so that'd be a lot of walking!).

Anyway, if you'd like a chance to meet me and tell me what matters most to you in District 9, we've set up a meet and greet event. Meet me, and meet other folks from district 9, at the Rahr & Sons brewery (701 Galveston Ave) this Sunday at 7 p.m.

I'll look forward to meeting you Sunday!

Early Voting is underway...

2007-10-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

And it runs until November 2. Texas law allows anyone to vote early in person for any reason. So, if you think there's ANY chance that a hectic Tuesday might prevent you from voting November 6, PLEASE Vote early!

There are lots of hours and locations to choose from, so no excuses for not voting:

Early voting hours:
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 27: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Oct. 28: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oct. 29-31: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 1-2: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Fort Worth early voting locations:

Tarrant County Elections Center
2700 Premier St.

Griffin subcourthouse
3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth

Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center
6201 Beaty St.

Diamond Hill/Jarvis Library
1300 N.E. 35th St., Fort Worth

Como Elementary School
4000 Horne St., Fort Worth

Southside Community Center
959 E. Rosedale St.

Southwest subcourthouse
6551 Granbury Road

Worth Heights Community Center
3551 New York Ave.

Tarrant County Plaza Building (Entrance off Burnett Street)
200 N. Taylor St.

Nance Elementary School
701 Tierra Vista Way

The final candidate forum

2007-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

The last big candidate forum goes down tomorrow night at 7, at Travis Avenue Baptist Church's meeting facility (on the south side of Berry Street, opposite the church).

Each candidate will have two minutes to introcuce himself, and then there will be a one-hour question and answer session. I'd love to see you all there!

LWV Forum Roundup

2007-10-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you didn't make the district 9 candidate forum tonight, you missed a great event. The League of Women Voters really did a fantastic job moderating, even if they were a microphone or two short.

I had a great time meeting lots of folks before and after the forum, and I think I truly differentiated myself from the other candidates with my answers. I'm already looking forward to the JNC forum October 18th.

A couple of brief write ups about tonight's forum can be found here and here.

Bad News Today

2007-10-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

If ever there was any doubt about the need for a stronger Gas Drilling Ordinance here in Fort Worth, there's a bad piece of news at Star-Telegram.com that drives the point home.

The City approved a permit for Chesapeake to drill at the Trinity Trees Site today. All this after 400 people showed up at a town hall meeting to protest, and after many passionate citizens spoke in favor of saving the trees at a city council meeting. Mind you, not one citizen not on Chesapeake's payroll spoke in favor of the drilling site at said council meeting. But the city still granted the permit because Chesapeake fulfilled all the requirements of the ordinance.

An ordinance that does nothing to protect the Trinity River, it's tributaries, or the precious natural resources that surround them.

Big Candidate Forum TONIGHT

2007-10-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

At 7 tonight at the University Christian Church (University and Cantey, right by TCU), the league of women voters is hosting a candidate forum for the upcoming special election.

The 6 candidates for the state congressional seat will be up first, then we six district 9 city council candidates will answer questions.

Be there!

And on that note...

2007-10-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some excerpts from a press release that went out over the wire late this week:

Bernie Scheffler, frontrunner in the campaign for Fort Worth City Council District 9, today challenged his opponents to fight fair in their quest for city council...

“I want to serve the people of our district with honor and integrity,” said Mr. Scheffler. “I believe that one measure of my propensity to be a credible representative in city government is my deportment during this campaign. I’ve run a clean campaign from the start and will continue to do so. But today I challenge my opponents to do the same.”

Mr. Scheffler offered specific guideless for a clean campaign. He promises to:

Not conduct push polls or other forms of unethical telemarketing

Not purchase Internet domains that contain the names of his opponents

Not steal, destroy or replace yard signs

Not defame his opponents

Not mislead voters on his positions regarding important issues like Urban Gas Drilling

Not accept campaign contributions from special interests such as energy companies

“I consider these guidelines to be part of an unwritten code of ethics which govern community elections,” said Mr. Scheffler. “We’re not running for senate here. We’re running for the right to represent the voice of our neighbors in city government. It’s important that our neighbors come to understand what we truly believe in without being swayed by win-at-any-cost campaign tactics. I hope my opponents will join me in cleaning up this campaign...”

You can read the entire press release here.

Keep an eye on your yard signs

2007-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all of you who are displaying a Vote Bernie! yard sign at your home or business. Your choice to display visibly your choice for City Council helps us a great deal.

Unfortunately, however, we have had reports of 10 different yard signs being stolen, knocked down repeatedly, and/or vandalized in a single neighborhood. While some incidents have likely been perpetrated by vandals with no political affiliation, others are undoubtedly carried out by overzealous supporters of other campaigns.

If your yard sign gets stolen or vandalized, please let me know and we'll come out and replace it as soon as possible. Report yard sign vandalism by emailing votebernie@gmail.com.

Thanks for your support!

Thought you guys would like to see this:

2007-10-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a press release sent out over the wire today; the campaign is heating up, and the campaign HQ is now a constant flurry of activity. There are a few press releases going out over the next few days. I'll post them here as they go out.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bernie Scheffler Proposes New Gas Drilling Ordinance for Fort Worth

Candidate for City Council District 9 Restates Position on Neighborhood Drilling

FORT WORTH – October 4, 2007 –Bernie Scheffler, frontrunner in the campaign for Fort Worth City Council District 9, today called for a new city ordinance regulating neighborhood gas drilling to ensure the safety of residents, protection of the environment and the highest possible quality of life for citizens of Fort Worth. Mr. Scheffler is categorically opposed to Urban Gas Drilling. His position on the issue is clearly stated on his campaign web site (www.iheartfw.com) and stands in stark opposition to the positions of his opponents, none of whom categorically oppose drilling in our neighborhoods.

“I’ve been very clear on this point from the beginning of my campaign. I categorically oppose drilling for gas in our neighborhoods,” said Mr. Scheffler. “I believe that neighborhood drilling is unsafe, bad for the environment, bad for quality of life and a poor economic choice. Proponents of urban gas drilling would have us believe that bonuses and royalties add up to an economic windfall for the people of Fort Worth. But residents of neighborhoods where drilling has already started will tell you these limited economic incentives are small compared to increases in property taxes and decreases in home value. And the economic issue becomes less important once residents experience the sharp decline in quality of life caused by neighborhood drilling complexes. This is a simple equation: energy companies win and the people of Fort Worth lose.”

Mr. Scheffler proposes a new city ordinance to virtually eliminate neighborhood gas drilling. A new ordinance, created by a committee comprised of neighborhood residents rather than energy company representatives would create a strong defense against special interests. Mr. Scheffler’s recommendations include:

• Impose a moratorium on all urban gas drilling until studies have been conducted to determine environmental impact as well as the impact on quality of life and safety in neighborhoods where drilling has already begun.
• Increase the minimum set back of drill sites to one mile from homes, parks, schools and hospitals, and ban high-impact variances to the set back distance
• Permanently ban disposal wells within the city limits.
• Require special use permits for all wells within the city limits, and require drill sites within 2 miles of a park to be reviewed by the city parks board.
• Impose strict limitations (and enforce penalties) on construction hours, noise pollution and light pollution.
• Impose strict limitations (and enforce penalties) on heavy truck traffic within residential areas.

Mr. Scheffler calls upon all residents and neighborhood associations to refuse leasing their mineral rights and to support the passage of a new ordinance. “I urge District 9 residents and all citizens of Fort Worth to flatly reject leasing their mineral rights to energy companies. And I challenge my opponents in this race to rethink their positions on Urban Gas Drilling and get behind the people rather than the energy companies. Despite what the energy companies say, neighborhood drilling will not improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. The only people getting rich of the Barnett Shale are energy companies.”

Joel Burns Controversy

2007-10-02T09:43:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to give you all an update on a Joel Burns/Vote Bernie! controversy you may have heard about... if you don't know what I'm talking about you can read about it here or here.

Basically, when Joel heard I was running against Wendy last election, he registered the berniescheffler.com domain name. I knew about this, but came up with the (much cooler, in my opinion) domain iheartfw.com.

However, during this campaign, he directed the berniescheffler.com domain to his own website. After a bit of an out cry the last couple of days, Joel has redirected the berniescheffler.com domain to my website.

I did receive a message from Joel about the change. The complete message follows:

"Bernie,

Sorry about that. I apologize. Best of luck with your campaign.

Joel"

I'm Back!

2007-10-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

A few have mentioned the recent paucity of posts here on the Vote Bernie! Blog... well, after two trips in a week, I'm back. Thanks for waiting.

Now we're a month away from election day, so things are heating up around here...

Dirty Tricks from Rangel Supporters?

2007-09-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, one of my yard signs, located in front of the Spiral Diner, was stolen and replaced with a Juan Rangel sign.

I know Juan, and I'm sure he's not personally behind this incident. It was probably an over-zealous supporter. But, my message to over-zealous supporters of any campaign (including mine) is this: don't be tempted to do things like this. Word gets out, and in the end, you only make your preferred candidate look bad.

Latest appearance on the Cowtown Chronicles podcast

2007-09-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Had a good show with Pete at Cowtown Chronicles today. We discussed this week's city council meeting, yard signs, the character of our older neighborhoods, and even mangaged to slip a restaurant plug in there. Check it out.

City Council Meeting Last Night

2007-09-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

It was a big one. There were lots of important issues on the agenda, including what to do about bad ambulance response times.

I was really encouraged to see a large group of citizens to show up and support Wendy Davis in her effort to save the trees along the Trinity River Trail. There were lots of thoughful, persuasive citizen presentations.

Ms. Davis was dead-on with her comments that the drilling ordinance needs to be revisited, and she got deserved applause from her constituents for that statement. But then a funny thing happened... the rest of the city council basically told her to take a hike, including the mayor who gave what basically amounted to a public rebuke of Ms. Davis for her assessment of the weakness of our drilling ordinance.

Well, Mr. Mayor, your relationship with the gas drillers pretty much strips you of your credibility on the issue. You're in office to represent the citizens of Fort Worth, not an Oklahoma City company who happens to have a Fort Worth HQ thanks to the Barnett Shale. You seem to forget that, though, and you became an apologist for Chesapeake before they've even broken ground on the drilling site. That suggests to us that you don't care what we want.

And for the record, those of us who support the Trinity Trees coalition aren't anti-private-property-rights. Yes, certain rights come with private property ownership, but certain responsibilities come with it as well. One of these responsibilities is being a good neighbor.

We're not trying to tell Chesapeake what to do with their land. 1300 citizens (and more are being added every day) are asking Chesapeake and Union Pacific to help us find a win-win alternative. If they want to brand us as a bunch of anti-liberty malcontents and drill anyway, they might do that. But they must recognize that their image as a good corporate neighbor will be ruined forever. No number of billboards or TV spots will make up for the destruction of a treasured natural resource like this one.

It was nice again to see a couple of candidates attend the meeting as well. Jim Beckman and Chris Turner were in attendance. Joel Burns left early.

Raising the level of the debate

2007-09-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last election, I decided to run for city council, because I heard she wasn't going to run again. When she did enter the race again, I wasn't sure if I still wanted to run, but I decided that I should stay in at the very least to raise the level of the debate.

This campaign I felt one issue is most threatening to the quality of life in our city. I've said from the beginning, I am against urban gas drilling.

Well, I'm proud to report that my continued hammering of this issue is working. After gingerly tiptoeing around the issue of urban gas drilling, looks like my opponents are finally starting to take it seriously. Juan Rangel sent around a press release today proposing a moratorium on gas drilling along the Trinity River.

Hooray Juan! You're late to the party, but it's nice to have you closer to the right side of the issue, anyway.

I'll tell you though, a moratorium to ensure safety is not enough in my book. We need to go back to the drawing board with the neighborhood drilling ordinance, and place serious limitations on where and how companies can drill for gas in Fort Worth. Our community shouldn't have to bear the burden so bigwigs at Chesapeake can get wealthier (see the video posted 9/9, in which Chk V.P. Tom Price himself admits that gas drilling is as much a curse to Fort Worth as it is a blessing).

New Cowtown Chronicles Podcast

2007-09-09T18:46:00.002-07:00

Another new episode of the Cowtown Chronicles. featuring our host Pete, Steve-o from The Caravan of Dreams, and Kevin from FortWorthology.

The subject this week was mass transit (or lack thereof) in Fort Worth:

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Trinity Trees Forum

2007-09-09T18:46:00.001-07:00

At Thursday evening's Trinity Trees public meeting acted like he just didn't understand why all these people want to keep his company from cutting down a grove of trees.

If anyone wonders why we question Chesapeake's commitment to protecting the environment, it's because of Chesapeake's own words. Take a look at this video from the Labor Day Picnic, in which Chesapeake VP Tom Price says he doesn't know if global warming is "Fact or Fiction":

Well, Mr. Price, 99% of the world's scientists now agree that it's real, so its existence is becoming rather compelling. If comments like your are any indication of your company's respect for the environment, I'm not sure I want you drilling anywhere in the Fort Worth city limits, much less in one of our oldest groves of trees.

Interestingly enough, there were only three candidates at the Labor Day Picnic at the Trinity Trees. Only two of us cared enough to speak: Chris Turner and yours truly. Joel Burns left early.

The Cowtown Chronicles Podcast

2007-09-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

After speaking at the Trinity Trees Picnic yesterday, Pete from The Cowtown Chronicles and Steve-o from The Caravan of Dreams invited me to come record a podcast with them talking about the campaign.

It was a nice little roundtable discussion; we talked about the picnic we'd been to earlier that day, and then got into a little deeper discussion about the way urban gas drilling is affecting our neighborhoods.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Speaking at the picnic:

2007-09-03T21:51:00.001-07:00

Trinity Trees Picnic

2007-09-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of video from the Trinity Trees Picnic today. It was truly encouraging and inspirational to see such a great number of people from all walks of life rally around a cause so central to the quality of life in our city:

The new website is live!

2007-09-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

Our new, improved website is now live... check it out:

www.iheartfw.com

The Magnificent Seven

2007-08-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

There are now seven... yes, that's right, SEVEN candidates for the council seat vacated by Wendy Davis. Joel, Chris, Jim, Victoria, Mark, and Juan: I look forward to seeing each and every one of you on the campaign trail.

Trinity Trees

2007-08-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

I've mentioned the Trinity Trees before; they're one of many reasons I stand against urban gas drilling. We're working on a short video highlighting these trees and why it would be awful to lose them. The video still needs some work, but here's a teaser:

Greenspace is vital to the health of any community, and these are some of the oldest trees in all of Fort Worth. My hope is that Chesapeake energy, who claims to want to be a good neighbor, will reconsider the location of this drilling pad. Future residents of District 9 will thank them...

Endorsement News

2007-08-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

The Vote Bernie! campaign is pround to announce another big endorsement. You may have seen the new link appear a couple of days ago...

J.J. Robb Real Estate Services has officially endorsed me for city council. Owners Robb See and Jeff Inman feel that small business owners don't have an adequate voice downtown, and support me to provide that voice. They're also against urban gas drilling, because they expect it to lower property values in the area as well as pose a serious safety threat.

3rd candidate enters the race...

2007-08-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Chris Turner.

OK, there are two Chris Turners who are political consultants in town. One is a Democrat, and the other is a Republican who is running for city council. For clarity's sake, I'll refer to Chris Turner, Republican, as "my opponent Chris," instead of differentiating between "Bad Chris" and "Good Chris." I used the positive and negative to indicate that I agree mostly with one's and disagree mostly with the other's political views.

I had to reword this blog entry, because I was a little off-the-cuff with my delivery earlier. It's probably pretty clear that I disagree mostly with my opponent Chris' politics.

All this should be moot, because city government is "non-partisan." But when you've got three candidates in a race, one of whom (Joel Burns) is deeply connected to a Democratic Political Consultancy, and another of whom (my opponent Chris) is a partner in a Republican Political Consultancy, I think its safe to say the race is going to be run in a partisan fashion, with only the names of the parties excluded.

It's going to be fun.

New Link:

2007-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

You may notice a new link to the right, above the donation button. It's an opt-in for the Vote Bernie! email list.

You can choose whether you want emails about volunteer opportunities, special events, general campaign announcements, or all of those. Sign up now.

Alright! That's what I'm talking about...

2007-08-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

The thread below has turned into a forum on the public smoking ban! If you have an opinion on the ban as passed by the city council this week, make your voice heard in the comments section.

Now here's another topic, brought up by Steve-o. I pulled it out of the comments below so the discussion could have a separate thread.

Steve-o writes: "The whole layout of the city on the near west side and downtown is going to change with the Trinity River Vision development. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Oh yes, I've got some thoughts. Here are a few of them:

The Trinity River Vision plan points to an exciting future for Fort Worth. It will do some wonderful things for the North side of town, as well as downtown. The integration of the riverfront back into city life is a noble and important goal, and I'm glad to see it happening. I'm also glad TCC stuck to its guns and didn't alter its downtown sunken plaza; one of these days those two parking lots in Sundance Square will become available, and the Bass' public plaza complete with a huge fountain w/ sculptures of the family can go there.

All that said, though, the TRV is not without some problems. I've been following with some concern the environmental impact of the changes to the area, and the fact that the land will not be cleaned up to EPA standards. Eminent domain is always a controversy, so it must be closely monitored to make sure no private land to benefit other private landowners. I would like to see more of the cost of the project borne by the developers who stand to make all the money there.

Finally, I've been wondering lately if we haven't put the cart before the horse a bit with the TRV. Anytime you plan to add that much density right in the heart of town all at once, I think you've got to do a stellar job of transportation planning. Fort Worth needs a light rail system, and it should have been put in place before this kind of infrastructure got built, in my opinion. Now we're going to have to build rail around Trinity Uptown, which will come at a much higher cost than if Uptown had been built around the rail line. Plus, the light rail system will be a huge help in bringing those big conventions to downtown (you know, the ones that the city once wanted to build a city-owned hotel to attract).

So there are my thoughts. Now it's your turn... discuss.

Starting a conversation.

2007-08-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

About 100 people were interested enough in the campaign to visit this blog in the last couple days. I'm excited that we're generating that kind of interest, but noticed we're not getting comments from most of those visitors.

I would love it if you would all use this as a place to voice your opinions, and hear from other folks interested in the campaign.

So go ahead: interact, opine, discuss, debate, tell me how cool I am, or whatever makes you happy.

We're number 1!

2007-08-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Looks like we were the first to file today! Joel filed about an hour after me, but surprisingly new candidate Chris Turner didn't file today. Perhaps after meeting me at last night's Mistletoe Heights Neighborhood Association meeting, he decided to leave the race... (Just kidding, Chris. It was good to meet you. I'm looking forward to the race.)

Gas Drilling Tidbit

2007-08-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

One of my goals with this campaign, and eventually my position on the city council, is to help educate people on what's really happening in their neighborhoods. The Landmen working for gas drilling companies don't always tell prospective lessors the whole story, so I will be posting lots of info on gas drilling, as well as debunking lots of myths, on this blog. Here's tidbit number one:

Any independent entity who has tried to come up with a list of pros and cons for urban gas drilling always seems to come up with a far longer list of cons.

On the short list of pros, one usually finds the argument that tapping our natural resources at home lessens our country's dependence on foreign energy. However, consider this:

Geologists estimate that the ENTIRE Barnett Shale Formation hold 30 tcf (trillion cubic feet) of natural gas. Sounds like a lot, right? But the United States uses 23 tcf of gas every year. So even if we extracted all the gas from under Tarrant County at once, it would still only last the country less than a year and a half, after which we'd go right back to being dependent on foreign energy.

So I guess we can take that off the "pros" list, can't we?

Dear Friends and Neighbors in District 9:

2007-08-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

After 8 years and three months of commendable service on Fort Worth’s city council, our representative Wendy Davis has resigned her position. I hope you’ll join me in wishing her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

But I’m not writing to give you the news of Ms. Davis’ departure, because I’m sure you’ve all heard or read the news. I write today to officially announce my candidacy for the vacated city council seat. Tomorrow morning I will file for a place on the ballot.

Owning a small business on Magnolia Avenue has given me a unique persepective on what’s going on in the heart of the district, and I feel the time is right for me to offer my service to the city of Fort Worth.

I seek this job first and foremost because, like you, I love Fort Worth. One need only look as far as our district’s neighborhoods to understand the beauty and character of this city.

That said, it is a city at a crossroads, and I believe action must be taken now to preserve that character. Some of the newer corporate citizens in town - namely, the gas drilling companies - are making billions off of Fort Worth. Unfortunately, they do so with little regard for our people or neighborhoods. It’s time someone took a stand against the threat urban gas drilling poses to our homes and our parks.

Along 8th Avenue, drillers plan a well just 300 feet from the nearest home. The city-mandated safe distance is 600 feet, but the drillers continue planning, hoping to get a variance from the city. As a city council member, I will vote against any such variance.

Along the Trinity Trails just across the river from the Colonial Country Club, drillers plan to clear-cut 2.5 acres that is home to some of Fort Worth’s oldest and most beautiful trees. This move could prove environmentally disastrous, and would irreparably damage one of Fort Worth’s finest recreational resources. As a city council member, I will fight tirelessly to keep urban drilling from negatively impacting our quality of life.

To protect our city, we need energetic and forward-looking leadership. We need a candidate who is beholden to the people of Fort Worth, not to special interests.

Three months ago I was a political newcomer, hardly given the time of day by the local media. Together, however, we showed them that even without the financial resources of the powers-that be, a candidate with an honest message that resonates with his neighbors can make an impact in an election.

Today, I’m firmer than ever in my resolve to win a seat on City Council. This time, our campaign has the resources and experience it needs to win. Now all we need is you.

Over the next three months, I’ll need help from each and every one of you. Some of you will contribute financially, some of you will contribute with volunteer work. Hopefully ALL of you will vote, and when you do…

Vote Bernie!

Sincerely,

Bernie Scheffler

Star-Telegram Funny

2007-08-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

I thought J.R. Labbe's assessment of how quickly I entered the race was pretty funny:

"The last tear from Davis' emotional speech in front of the council hadn't dried upon her cheek before bicycle shop owner Bernie Scheffler, who ran against her just three months ago, had "elect me" signs in his yard."

Endangered Trees

2007-08-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

You all may remember me posting recently about some beautiful trees along the Trinity Trails we stand to lose if Chesapeake Energy gets its way. Here are a couple of photos of those trees:

As you can see from that second picture, these are extremely mature trees that it would be a tragedy to lose. PLEASE visit www.trinitytrees.org to find out what you can do to help save these trees!

Today's Star-Telegram

2007-08-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today's election story in the Star-Telegram is a huge improvement in my eyes, and I think the folks in district 9 will appreciate the coverage too. Thanks, Mr. Spangler.

If you still have your yard sign...

2007-08-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

I collected most of the yard signs after the May election, but I know there are still a good number out there... if you still have your yard sign, put it back out on your lawn!

No wonder people don't read the paper anymore...

2007-08-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

Reporters don't even try to get all the facts these days! The Star-Telegram reports this evening that two people are thinking about running for Wendy Davis' vacated council seat. But did they even bother to call the guy who ran three months ago? Of course not; my phone never rang.

Mr. Spangler, Batheja, and Lee: shame on each of you. I realize that blog posts like this one probably won't make me any more likely to get coverage in your paper, but still... you owe it to the people of Fort Worth to at least try and get the whole story. Give me a call next time, OK?

Read the Startlegram story for yourself.

Big News

2007-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Just 3 months after defeating me in the election, my opponent Wendy Davis has announced her resignation from her City Council seat.

I was already starting to lay the ground work for the '09 election... admittedly, I had a strong hunch that Ms. Davis might make an early exit, but I really didn't expect that to happen until '08. So I'll need to get cracking!

We made a good strong push to the end of last election, and surprised a lot of people. Now let's go win a seat on the City Council!

Action Alert

2007-06-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

Gas drilling is about to have a negative impact on one of our city's prime recreational opportunities: The Trinity Trail system. Read about it here.

Chesapeake Energy has a corporate responsibility department that claims to do good for the communities in which Chesapeake does business. Please email Chesapeake and tell them If they must remove the trees to drill, one of the best things they can do for us is to temporarily move these beautiful trees to a safe location, then move them back when the drilling is finished.

Moving 100-year-old trees is expensive, but not as costly as losing them. Save our trees!

Campaign positions

2007-05-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

As we start looking toward the next election, there are two campaign volunteer positions that need to be filled. These are very involved positions, so they need to be filled by very committed individuals. I know there are some of you out there!

1. Campaign Fundraising Director - Not a position for the shy; I need somebody who will pursue our strategy of soliciting multiple small donations from individual donors to reach our fundraising goals. No corporate or PAC money here! This job will require lots of time on the phone, and the organizing of a few fundraising events, as well. Responsibilities can be handled by a couple of people if necessary, so if you'd like to do part of the job, let me know.

2. Volunteer Coordinator- this job will grow more important as the election nears. I need somebody to grow a network of enthusiastic volunteers to support the campaign. Will organize blockwalking, yard sign distributing, and other campaign activities. The most important responsiblity for this position is getting people to show up, so you should be an inspiring individual! May also work with Fundraising director on special events.

If you're interested in being part of a winning campaign in '09, or know someone who would be, get in touch!

Now for the good news:

2007-05-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

Since we've got the concession out of the way, I want to talk about the positives that came from our campaign...

First, voter turnout was higher! There were 1759 ballots cast, about 410 more than last election. Our campaign had a lot to do with getting more voters to the polls, so thanks to those of you who made the effort. The percentages are still awfully low (2.93% in the lowest precinct, 16.3% in the highest), but 410 new votes is nothing to sneeze at.

Also, we showed that a candidate can be competitive without being beholden to corporate interests and PACs. Now, you might look at the final tally (1329-405, not in my favor) and wonder, "What does he mean when he says competitive?" Let me explain: We actively campaigned for about 60 days, while my opponent campaigned for about 2 years. My opponent spent about $21,000 dollars, much of it special-interest money, while I spent about $1600 (all donations under $100, from individuals). So, even though my opponent had 12 times more campaigning time and outspent me 13 to 1, she only out-polled me three to one. I'm proud of that!

Just imagine what we can do with fundraising and network building if we have a campaign 10 times as long!

Dear readers, the "Vote Bernie 2009" campaign begins tomorrow. Please don't stop reading this blog, and please continue to contribute to the debate. I'll be looking for other outlets to work for the improvement of our fair city between now and next election, and I plan to continue encouraging folks to get involved with the governing process; voting isn't that hard, and it's vital to the health of our local government.

Concession

2007-05-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with my opponent, whom I offered congratulations on a successful campaign. One thing we agreed on is that it was nice to face an opponent who ran a positive campaign. In a political world where races tend to morph into dirty slugfests, that's not something to take for granted.

Returns Watching

2007-05-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

For those of you who want to gather tomorrow evening to watch election returns, Victoria and I will be at Cafe Chadra starting about 7. Cafe Chadra is located at 1704 Galveston Ave. (Galveston and Allen)

The food there is Mediterranean, and it's phenomenal. You can bring your own wine and beer, too.

Final Countdown

2007-05-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Here we are, less than 24 hours from the opening of the Polls!

If you're not sure of your polling place, you can look it up at Tarrant County's voter website. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who've helped get the word out about this campaign, we're going to surprise some people tomorrow. This grassroots campaign has had and will have an impact on District 9 politics for a while to come, because we're getting people who haven't voted in city elections in the past to show up at the polls. I think we'll see a significant increase in voter turnout in DIstrict 9 tomorrow, and a lot of that is thanks to all of you who've helped this campaign.

Win or lose (but preferably win) tomorrow, that's what I'm most proud of and I hope it will be the hallmark of any future Vote Bernie campaigns. After all, it's not about me... it's about you.

Just Four Days to Election Day

2007-05-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

It looks like the number of early voters is up this election, which is a great sign. It's one of the goals of this campaign to get more people involved in local government, and voting in Municipal elections is the first step. Thank you to all of you who voted early, and to all of you who will vote on election day.

Now lets keep getting the word out, and keep building on this momentum we've gained in the last two weeks! By voting Bernie, you can send a message to the city government: that the status quo isn't good enough anymore. It's time for a new direction, new ideas, and new leadership.

Early voting ends soon...

2007-05-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is the last day to vote early. Early polling location hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. today, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. tomorrow, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

If you think there's even the slightest chance you might get busy and not make it to the polls Saturday the 12th, PLEASE vote early!

Send us pictures of your yard sign...

2007-05-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

...and we'll post them here. Thanks for getting them up in your yards, they look great!

YARD SIGNS ARE HERE

2007-05-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

They get your attention, don't they? We'll have 'em at Rahr tonight, so if you live in District 9 come get one. I'll be distributing the rest this weekend.

Don't forget Pizza Party at Rahr tonight!

2007-05-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a great evening, so don't miss it! 7 p.m. at Rahr Brewing (701 Galveston Ave).

Print your own "Vote Bernie" flyers

2007-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

We've developed some 4-to-a-page campaign flyers that you can print at home, for distribution to your neighbors. I printed mine on yellow paper in black and white, and they came out great. They could also be printed in color on white paper, albeit at a higher cost.

Below you can see what the flyers look like... E-mail me, and I'll send you the flyers in Adobe pdf format for home printing.

Website Traffic

2007-05-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Campaign website experienced a HUGE spike in traffic when early voting began this week. Since we now have hundreds of visitors per day, I have two requests for all of you:

1. Vote early. See post below for early voting locations convenient to District 9.

2. Send an email to everybody you know in Fort Worth, and ask them to vote in this city election. 1349 votes last election in District 9 is just sad... let's start having a say in our local government. VOTE!

Pizza Party/Live Music Thursday, May 3

2007-05-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

Election day is drawing ever-nearer, and we're making one strong final push to the finish line. As part of that effort Rahr Brewing and Mellow Mushroom are sponsoring a campaign event Thursday evening from 7-10 at Rahr Brewing (701 Galveston Ave).

$15 at the door gets you Pizza, plenty of Rahr Beer, and live music from White Hot Soul. As a bonus you get to hang out with your district 9 city council candidate and tell him what you think, as well as meet lots of other great people from the district. (Star-Telegram employees who are reading this: please don't be shy; come join us!)

Don't miss it! It's lots cheaper than going out, and it'll probably be more fun, too. I hope to see you all there.

Early Voting starts today!

2007-04-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

If you live in District 9, go vote early. Turnout in this district has historically been very low, with only 1349 votes in the last election. Election day is the Saturday before Mothers' Day, and I'm afraid lots of folks will get busy and forget to vote.

Don't let that happen to you! Make your voice heard, and get out and vote early.

Some Early voting locations in the area:

1. Tarrant County Elections Center
2700 Premier St.
Fort Worth, TX 76111

2. Southside Community Center
959 E. Rosedale St.
Fort Worth, TX 76104

3. Southwest Regional Library
4001 Library Lane
Fort Worth, TX 76109

4. Tarrant County Annex Building
600 W. Weatherford St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102

Hours for early voting:

Today-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

May 7-8: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Get to the polls, and tell your neighbors to do the same! (And if you don't vote, don't complain about what you get)

Block Walking

2007-04-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

We'll be walking neighborhoods this Sunday, April 29, to let our District 9 neighbors know why they should vote Bernie for City Council.

If you'd like to join us, meet at Panther City Bicycles (1306 W. Magnolia Ave.) at 3 p.m.

Posters anyone?

2007-04-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

You may be starting to see these campaign posters popping up around town (pardon the blurry photo):

If you have a business in or near District 9, or some other public place you'd like to hang a poster, please let me know!

Fort Worth, we have a problem.

2007-04-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

We need more police officers.

By some estimates we are over 300 officers short of what we need to safely police the city. The shortage has been caused by rapid increases in both the geographic size and population of Fort Worth.

Here's the biggest problem, though: our current police academy can only hire and train about 50 new officers per year. At that rate, it could take a decade or more for police staffing to catch up with the city's growth.

The current academy is slated for destruction since it sits on land that will be developed as part of the Trinity River Vision project, but there are no plans in place for a new academy. I propose the new academy be built as soon as possible, and that its capacity be at least double what it is currently.

With more space and instructor staffing, the department can make some real headway with reaching the optimum number of officers. The class size can get smaller in times where fewer new officers are needed.

Following the Rules

2007-04-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

I feel very strongly that if you're going to run for election, you'd better follow all the rules. After all, the rules exist to make our democratic process fair. Nobody's perfect, of course, so if you make an honest mistake, you should simply have to pay a penalty and move on.

Thursday at 5 p.m. was the filing deadline for candidates 30-day-prior campaign finance report. I turned mine in on time, as did most candidates. Two candidates, however, including my opponent, filed late on Friday April 13..

If she's "too busy" as the CEO of a title company to turn in a simple campaign finance form on time, is it any wonder she has a reputation for not returning her constituents' phone calls?

Campaign Finance Report

2007-04-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

A HUGE Thank-you to everybody who's contributed to this campaign so far. This has been a fantastic grassroots effort, and I appreciate each and every one of you. Be sure to spread the word of this campaign to all of your like-minded friends, and encourage them to contribute, too!

Here's a quick little campaign finance report, as of today:

Total political contributions to date: $1196.69

Total political expenditures to date: $693.06

Balance on hand (most of which will go to printing campaign signs and other materials, which are in the works): $503.63

This information was filed officially today, along with an itemized list of contributors. Click Here to see the official 30-day-prior campaign finance report and a list of who has contributed thus far.

Possible Yard Signs

2007-04-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

What do you blog readers think?

Option 1:

Option 2:

Use the comment thread below to vote for your favorite sign, and make any suggestions. If you haven't donated to the campaign yet, please consider doing so! Even a modest $10 donation will buy 3 of these yard signs, with wire stakes.

Star-Telegram Interview

2007-04-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today I was interviewed by the editorial board of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I was excited to see their offices, because I was editor-in-chief of a college newspaper and always wondered what a real "big-league" newsroom looked like.

I was shown into the editorial department by Bob Ray Sanders, whom it was a pleasure to meet. I was interviewed by Paul Harral and Jack Smith of the editorial page, and Mike Lee from the news end of the paper.

The interview went well; we talked about the tougher issues facing district 9, like neighborhood gas drilling, street repairs, and transportation. Of course, the fact that I have no prior experience in political office was brought up, but I think a majority of voters find that refreshing and not really a reason not to vote for me.

I'll be curious to see what they write...

Candidate Interviews

2007-04-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with lots of candidate interviews lately. Tuesday I was interviewed by the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors; I'm never sure how well I've done at one of these events, but here's what one of the panel members had to say in an email to me:

"I certainly wish you the best. You did a commendable job at the interviews
yesterday. I thought much of what you had to say in your questionnaire was
dead-on accurate and candid -- particularly the historic preservation
aspect. I look forward to the city benefiting from your increased involvement."

Campaign volunteers needed!

2007-03-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have my first assignments ready for campaign volunteers... I need people people, who enjoy talking to strangers and are enthusiastic about the campaign.

Email me for more details about what we're going to do to win a seat on City Council.

Bring the Brahmas back

2007-03-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

One thing I'd like to see next year is a return to action by the Fort Worth Brahmas, our Central League Hockey team.

It's a shame that the city wasn't willing to work with the Brahmas to make sure they were able to continue playing in downtown Fort Worth. Surely a deal could have been worked out between the new basketball team and the Brahmas to share the Convention Center Colliseum, if only the city had been willing to negotiate. After all, the Brahmas have been "tenants" at the convention center for nine years, and have been a great revenue generator for downtown businesses. A team that averaged 4000 fans on the weekends is a profound loss for downtown restaurants and retail businesses, and a great loss for the city's sales tax revenue, as well.

Unfortunately, it's looking less and less likely that the Brahmas will return to downtown. They do hope to resume league play next season, but it will probably be somewhere else.

I'd certainly like to see the city council return to the negotiating table to try and bring the Brahmas back downtown. Or at least to the Will Rogers Memorial Center, which has a great tradition of professional hockey all the way back to the 1960s.

First on the Ballot!

2007-03-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today at 2 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, I attended the drawing for places on the ballot. My opponent wasn't there to draw, but a city staffer drew #2 for her, leaving the #1 for me!

It's not a huge advantage, but I'll take it anyway.

It's Official...

2007-03-12T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today I filed the final paperwork to get on the ballot for the City Council election May 12. A few hours later, the Star-Telegram called and asked a few questions about my candidacy. Look for a write up in tomorrows paper!

Important endorsement

2007-03-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

The campaign picked up an important endorsement today! FortWorthology.com, a website dedicated to urban living in Fort Worth, endorsed me for the District 9 city council seat.

Why our Historic Preservation laws need teeth:

2007-03-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

The 1927 Smith-Swinney Motor Co. building:

Even in its current state of disrepair, you can see that this building has class. Unfortunately, it's an architecture type that's quickly disappearing from Fort Worth.

The building has sat without a roof since before the tornado of 2000, a condition which has sped up its deterioration. In 2004 and 2005, the Smith-Swinney made Historic Fort Worth, Inc's "Community Assets Prioritized for Preservation" (CAPP) list. Yet the city only saw fit to designate the property "Demolition Delay" under the Historic Preservation program.

Unlike "Highly Significant Endangered" or "Historic and Cultural Landmark" designations, "Demolition Delay" designation offers a building no real protection. It simply means that when a building owner applies for a demolition permit, he or she must meet with officials within the next 180 days to discuss alternatives to demolition. If the building owner wishes, he can wait until day 180 to have the meeting, and then knock down the building on day 181.

City Council needs to be more proactive in designating buildings as Historic and Cultural Landmarks. The Demolition Delay designation has no teeth.

Be the change you want to see

2007-02-17T17:14:00.000-08:00

Sure, it's sort of a cheesy line (when I say it, that is... when Mahatma Ghandi said it I'm sure there was nothing cheesy about it).

But it's true. If you want to see something happen, the first thing you should ask yourself is "what am I doing to help?" The Fort Worth Mountain Bikers' Association is a great example of what I mean.

This morning, I helped members of FWMBA pull tons of trash out of Fort Worth's Marion Sansom park. Broken Bottles, tires, dumped construction trash, prophylactic wrappers... you name it, and we probably removed it from the park.

Rather than complain about not having enough trails to ride their mountain bikes on, the FWMBA has rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work. They're well on their way to turning one of our city's most neglected parks into a great place for our citizens to enjoy again, whether they ride a bike or not.

I applaud the FWMBA's efforts, and I'm looking forward to working with them again sometime.

Contact Me

2007-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

It's been brought to my attention that there's no way to contact me from the website... until I remedy that with a more permanent email button, you can email me HERE.

Weekly Campaign Finance Update #3

2007-02-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU! Those of you who have donated funds to the campaign have enabled us to get off the ground very quickly!

Contributors this week:
Lonnie Burns of Fort Worth contributed $100
Kyle Carr of Benbrook contributed $33

Expenditures this week:
Credit Card processing fees for online donations: $7.95
Domain Registration and 1 year of web hosting: $116.84
Printing, 1000 4-color Campaign calling cards: $75.90

Balance to date: $392.31

It's up!

2007-02-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

The campaign website is up!

There are a few small changes that need to be made, but I'm really pleased with it. A big thanks to Kenneth Alan for all his hard work and patience.

Weekly Campaign Finance Update #2

2007-02-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

Contributions this week:

$100 from Jim Klimchock of Arlington, TX
$10 from David Hill of Fort Worth, TX
$50 from Andrew Mans of Fort Worth, TX
$25 from Ric Ceron of Dallas, TX
$25 from Keith Hollar of Fort Worth, TX

no expenditures this week; today's balance: $460

Campaign Platform Preview

2007-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Looks like the website will actually be up and running early this coming week, hopefully monday; in the meantime, here's a little preview... one part of my 5-part platform:

Accessibility and Accountability in Local Government

“Government, local or otherwise, works best when those who feel the impact of the decisions are involved in making the decisions. Unfortunately, I think the current council has lost touch with the people of Fort Worth, making city government slow to respond to the will of its constituents.

When I represent District 9, I will do two things to make city government more accessible to those it represents:

First, I’ll return EVERY phone call and email that comes into my office. I feel this is a common courtesy that citizens deserve from their elected officials, yet it has not always been offered by current council memebers.

Second, I will hold monthly public meetings for people in my district to discuss city issues of particular importance to them. Such discussions will serve to both inform citizens about the state of the city, and to provide the council with valuable feedback from the people it serves.”

Online donations now accepted

2007-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

One step closer to a completed website; the paypal account for campaign donations is up. Follow the button to the right...

Weekly Campaign Finance Update #1

2007-01-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

I've pledged to openly declare every campaign donation I receive and every expenditure I make. Here is my first weekly update:

$25 from Ken Loose of Arlington, TX, an architect with Cauble Hoskins
$100 from Thomas Daniels of San Antonio, TX, a limousine operator with Rolls Royce Limousine Company
$25 from Aleisha Force of Dallas, TX, a professional actor
$100 from Bill Baker of Fort Worth, a teacher at Fort Worth Country Day School

Balance to date: $250

I have no payments to report yet. The campaign website should be up and running by the end of next week; the web design services will be my first expenditure.

Humble Beginnings

2007-01-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here it is... the new Campaign Blog.

Vote Bernie for Fort Worth City Council May 12!