DART's "not so good thing" - Update

An anonymous poster submitted a comment to an old article (read here) regarding Rep. Angie Chen Button's role as a DART board member in DART's $900 million cost overrun in 2008. DART is still reeling from that. I don't know about a Button-Jeffus connection the anonymous poster refers to nor the requirements for a conflict of interest charge, but if what he or she says is true, this particular situation doesn't pass the smell test.

"Ed, I ran across this article while doing some research on Rep. Button. I did some checking into this Garland Council meeting and found this shocker: The guy questioning Button about the $900M shortfall (Jeffus) shows up on Button's payroll to the tune of over $60K in 2008 alone [Texas Ethics Commission filings and streaming video obtained from Garland City Secretary's Office]. This raises a question: A Dart Board representative works for the council that appointed them right? So was there a conflict of interest going on in 2008 with a sitting council member being on the payroll of a sitting board member the council appoints? Is there a statute of limitation for conflict of interest violations?"

Health Care End Game - Update

With full awareness of the immodesty of saying, "I told you so", I couldn't help but look back with much satisfaction on a post I made last August, titled "Health Care End Game" and subtitled, "Spoiler alert: How it will end." Now the end has come. That old post was remarkably prescient. Close vote. No GOP support. Budget reconciliation. The one prediction that failed was the expectation that if reconciliation were used (it was), then some form of the public option would be in the final bill (it wasn't). Still, I give my prognostication a solid B+.

No Mercy - Please Don't Go

This blog comment deserves to be a blog post of its own:

Destiny said:

"This is getting old.

And I figured OBVIOUSLY the only reason you're not coming back is because no one has written you a song yet begging you to. (you're so dramatic) So here, I wrote this for you and produced the music video as well, all by myself...in your honor."

In response, all I have to say is...