Thank God Liberty County is a rural county full of self reliant, second amendment, look-you-in-the-eye, patriots because in the absence of a leader in the sheriff’s office, landowners and next door neighbors are proving to be the best warriors against drugs Liberty County has.
A few weeks ago, a local blogger complained about the truthfulness of press releases coming out of Henry Patterson’s office. But it is time to just ignore what Sheriff Patterson’s re-election machine may or may not do with drug busts and start patrolling our communities and turning crop growers into the rest of the hard working men and women down at the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and help stamp this cancer in our community out. Between now and Election Day it is obvious Patterson is going to try and appear to have finally hit his stride. People that don’t know what a do-nothing he has been the rest of the time he has been in office might be fooled, but hopefully his efforts to appear to be some great crime fighter while he hides behind his spokespeople will be seen for what it is- a joke.
It could have been de ja vu. Saturday around noon, the owner of a property on CR 2134 in the Romayor area of north Liberty County called law enforcement and told them it looked like they had found a marijuana growing operation in its early stages.
Liberty Dispatch had hoped the Sheriff’s campaign team wouldn’t run out from the heavily wooded area where the operation was discovered and start trying to roll up enough stories to change his image as some great warrior against drugs - although, that is exactly what they did just a few months ago when another private citizen led the LCSO to much larger fields of marijuana.
Perhaps, Patterson, his spokesman Rex Evans, and his campaign team has learned that private citizens deserve the kudos given in cases like these, not law enforcement. Last time Patterson and his re-election gurus immediately took credit for the largest drug busts in county history. Then when it was pointed out no arrests were made during their entire chest beating celebratory rhetoric, Patterson and company turned full circle and said that the Sheriff was just a small part of a larger operation that included the feds, etc. And then, as we have cataloged, Patterson turned full circle again when eventually someone was arrested and again Patterson was declared a conquering hero – nothing much was ever made of the citizen who was responsible for 99% of the case.
So here we go again. Locks on the gates leading to the property had been cut and placed in such a way as to make the gates appear secure to any passerby, but private citizens saw they were cut and decided it was suspicious enough to warrant them looking into the woods further. They found a seed-starter tray holding approximately 100 tiny budding marijuana plants. None of the plants appeared to have been planted in the ground. Scattered around the site were bags of fertilizer, rapid-grow chemicals, clothing, shoes, camping supplies and personal items.
Thus far, none of the items so far have led law enforcement to the identity of the marijuana grower. Liberty Dispatch has a pro law enforcement, conservative point of view and applauds all efforts by those who follow-up on this crime scene and try to arrest those who would sacrifice the health and well being of this nation by selling harmful drugs so they can very selfishly make a profit. But we also believe that a candidate for sheriff or anyone else, who steals “pats on the back” and public kudos from brave patriotic citizens who risk getting involved by reporting what they know, is just plain unacceptable. Not quite as bad, but still unacceptable – this sheriff needs to tell his spokespeople not to jump in front of the media and try and take credit for the follow-up work done on this case.
Here is a novel idea for Sheriff Patterson. Make sure the person who does the work gets the credit.
REST IN PEACE ANDREW
"I do what I do because the mainstream media chooses not to do it," Andrew Breitbart said. "The game of the left controlling the narrative ... is ending."
Our hats are off to Andrew this week at Liberty Dispatch as we celebrate the life of a man whose flare for battle with politicians and the media made him a warrior for truth. Andrew died Thursday. The websites he founded ran a statement Thursday morning announcing that at age 43, he died "unexpectedly from natural causes" in Los Angeles shortly after midnight.
"We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior," the statement said. "Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love."
Here is the concluding passage from Andrew’s book, Righteous Indignation and a great perspective from someone who chose to take full advantage of freedom and to speak up without counting the cost:
"I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -- famously -- I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I've lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I've gained hundreds, thousands -- who knows? -- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”
Andrew Breitbart is gone from this earth, but no one can say he was unnoticed while he was here – no one can say he did not fight against the things he considered harmful to this great country. No one can say they did not know what he stood for. He was a modern day Samuel Adams. We salute you sir, RIP.
Our hats are off to Andrew this week at Liberty Dispatch as we celebrate the life of a man whose flare for battle with politicians and the media made him a warrior for truth. Andrew died Thursday. The websites he founded ran a statement Thursday morning announcing that at age 43, he died "unexpectedly from natural causes" in Los Angeles shortly after midnight.
"We have lost a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a dear friend, a patriot and a happy warrior," the statement said. "Andrew lived boldly, so that we more timid souls would dare to live freely and fully, and fight for the fragile liberty he showed us how to love."
Here is the concluding passage from Andrew’s book, Righteous Indignation and a great perspective from someone who chose to take full advantage of freedom and to speak up without counting the cost:
"I love my job. I love fighting for what I believe in. I love having fun while doing it. I love reporting stories that the Complex refuses to report. I love fighting back, I love finding allies, and -- famously -- I enjoy making enemies. Three years ago, I was mostly a behind-the-scenes guy who linked to stuff on a very popular website. I always wondered what it would be like to enter the public realm to fight for what I believe in. I've lost friends, perhaps dozens. But I've gained hundreds, thousands -- who knows? -- of allies. At the end of the day, I can look at myself in the mirror, and I sleep very well at night.”
Andrew Breitbart is gone from this earth, but no one can say he was unnoticed while he was here – no one can say he did not fight against the things he considered harmful to this great country. No one can say they did not know what he stood for. He was a modern day Samuel Adams. We salute you sir, RIP.
2012 Texas Primary Election Court Ruling
The judges in San Antonio have come down with a ruling as regards the 2012 Texas election primary time lines.
It has been made final- the Texas primary election will be held May 29th. The last day and time for candidates to sign-up will be Friday, March 9th and 6:00pm.
It has been made final- the Texas primary election will be held May 29th. The last day and time for candidates to sign-up will be Friday, March 9th and 6:00pm.
PORN IN THE COUNTY JAIL
Liberty County Sheriff Henry Patterson may be under the mistaken impression that ballots will be passed out in the county jail and he can hope to get the inmate vote in the Republican primary in May.
Patterson’s struggling bid for re-election just hit another major impasse as a widely reported story about Liberty County Jail inmates viewing pornography on the county jail’s community room television for two months is informing the public of yet another of Patterson’s problems. The Community Education Center, or CEC, and a close friend of Patterson’s, runs the day to day operations of the jail and that contract with the county is currently up for reconsideration by the commissioner’s court. Some have suggested that the county reclaim control of the jail. With Sheriff Patterson already overseeing the jail, news of more problems may detour any efforts to get away from hiring outside management unless one of Patterson’s opponents is considered in the decision making formula.
Patterson has expressed no interests in expanding his control and influence so he can have better oversight. And he has not been critical of the current management. On the other hand, Bobby Rader, Patterson’s chief opponent, is the only candidate to have asked to see the figures so he could analyze the feasibility of taking the jail back under the day to day management of the sheriff.
No explanation of why inmates possibly watched two months of porn on cable courtesy of Liberty County taxpayers. One would think the inmates were being more closely monitored and that Patterson would not allow something like this to go on for so long. If nothing else, the televisions could have been unplugged until the cable company blocked the porn channel. But who knows, maybe Patterson is hoping to get the orange jumpsuit vote.
Patterson’s struggling bid for re-election just hit another major impasse as a widely reported story about Liberty County Jail inmates viewing pornography on the county jail’s community room television for two months is informing the public of yet another of Patterson’s problems. The Community Education Center, or CEC, and a close friend of Patterson’s, runs the day to day operations of the jail and that contract with the county is currently up for reconsideration by the commissioner’s court. Some have suggested that the county reclaim control of the jail. With Sheriff Patterson already overseeing the jail, news of more problems may detour any efforts to get away from hiring outside management unless one of Patterson’s opponents is considered in the decision making formula.
Patterson has expressed no interests in expanding his control and influence so he can have better oversight. And he has not been critical of the current management. On the other hand, Bobby Rader, Patterson’s chief opponent, is the only candidate to have asked to see the figures so he could analyze the feasibility of taking the jail back under the day to day management of the sheriff.
No explanation of why inmates possibly watched two months of porn on cable courtesy of Liberty County taxpayers. One would think the inmates were being more closely monitored and that Patterson would not allow something like this to go on for so long. If nothing else, the televisions could have been unplugged until the cable company blocked the porn channel. But who knows, maybe Patterson is hoping to get the orange jumpsuit vote.
Now there are maps- Texas Redistricting
Federal judges in San Antonio unveiled maps for the state's congressional delegation and for the state House this afternoon, and they did it in time to allow the state to hold its delayed political primaries on May 29. The court also signed off on Senate plans agreed to earlier this month.
The court has not ordered a May 29 election, but on Monday it asked the political parties to detail the election law waivers they would need in order to hold their primaries on that date. The judges put out the maps early enough to take comments from the various parties on them, but they didn't immediately seek those comments, and aren't required to do so.
Attorney General Greg Abbott said these maps are much closer to those originally approved by the Texas Legislature last year. "I consider these interim maps to be a substantial improvement over the maps previously issued by the San Antonio court," he said. "The court properly rejected demands by some plaintiffs to draw drastic and over-reaching maps."
The state objected to the court's first maps because the judges started their drawings from the current political maps instead of starting with the maps approved by the Legislature last year. The U.S. Supreme Court kicked those back, telling the Texas judges to start from the Legislature's work, correcting for violations of the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act.
Gov. Rick Perry blamed the Democrat judges for the delay in the state's primary elections. "As the Supreme Court has agreed, the federal court in San Antonio overstepped its boundaries when it took it upon itself to draw new maps," he said in a press release. "Had the federal court done it correctly to begin with, the time, costs and inconvenience to our state could have been avoided, and we would be having our elections on schedule."
The court has not ordered a May 29 election, but on Monday it asked the political parties to detail the election law waivers they would need in order to hold their primaries on that date. The judges put out the maps early enough to take comments from the various parties on them, but they didn't immediately seek those comments, and aren't required to do so.
Attorney General Greg Abbott said these maps are much closer to those originally approved by the Texas Legislature last year. "I consider these interim maps to be a substantial improvement over the maps previously issued by the San Antonio court," he said. "The court properly rejected demands by some plaintiffs to draw drastic and over-reaching maps."
The state objected to the court's first maps because the judges started their drawings from the current political maps instead of starting with the maps approved by the Legislature last year. The U.S. Supreme Court kicked those back, telling the Texas judges to start from the Legislature's work, correcting for violations of the Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act.
Gov. Rick Perry blamed the Democrat judges for the delay in the state's primary elections. "As the Supreme Court has agreed, the federal court in San Antonio overstepped its boundaries when it took it upon itself to draw new maps," he said in a press release. "Had the federal court done it correctly to begin with, the time, costs and inconvenience to our state could have been avoided, and we would be having our elections on schedule."
Children in Need...
There are some things in this world we can almost all agree on. One of those things is rescuing children from unhealthy and abusive situations. In stark contrast to our political writing and our normal confrontational and expose’ format, please find below excerpts from an excellent article written by Kevin Ladd and shared with the community via The Cleveland Advocate and The Dayton News that encourages helping children in the most vulnerable situations:
The number of foster children in Liberty County has risen dramatically in the past few weeks, depleting supplies at the local Rainbow Room and prompting Children’s Protective Services to seek additional donations — both monetary and essential items for the room.
CPS Board President Helen Green says the numbers have been stunning.
“We now have 230 children in foster care in Liberty County,” she said. “At Christmas we had 160. Eleven children were removed from one home in Dayton recently. Of course there are many other children under supervision that have not been removed from their homes.”
You can find the full story at: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cleveland/news/cps-board-seeking-donations-for-rainbow-room/article_cce6d789-1334-5564-94da-0b20bad89fda.html
The number of foster children in Liberty County has risen dramatically in the past few weeks, depleting supplies at the local Rainbow Room and prompting Children’s Protective Services to seek additional donations — both monetary and essential items for the room.
CPS Board President Helen Green says the numbers have been stunning.
“We now have 230 children in foster care in Liberty County,” she said. “At Christmas we had 160. Eleven children were removed from one home in Dayton recently. Of course there are many other children under supervision that have not been removed from their homes.”
You can find the full story at: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cleveland/news/cps-board-seeking-donations-for-rainbow-room/article_cce6d789-1334-5564-94da-0b20bad89fda.html
HO HUM, WHEN WILL IT COME
For decades now, Americans have heard every four years how “this is the most important election of our lifetime”. Now that we have finally arrived at an election that fits that billing, Texans are being subject to the “sore loser” behavior of the state’s donkey party. Many conservative Texans have gone from feeling like nostril burning thoroughbreds waiting for the gate to open at the Kentucky Derby to more of a ho-hum, when will it come attitude toward the primaries because of a small coven of liberal magistrates holding up the final decision on re-districting maps.
The Democratic judges who have perpetrated this drug-like slumber on Texas voters may have lessened the impact conservative voters in the Lone Star state have on choosing the Republican nominee for President, and they may even lowered the overall turnout in both primaries, but trust me – the slumber will end. In November the idea that this is the most important election in the history of this country will drive Texans to the polls to weigh in on the fundamental changes President Obama has promised to America.
Local and state primary races in many Texas counties will be important to the Republican dominated state because of inter party efforts to elect true conservatives and not allow the recent popularity of the party be co-opted by candidates who are Republican In Name Only, or RINO’s, as they are disparagingly referred to by longtime conservatives.
As for the nationwide contest for President, there is little doubt the Republican nominee for President will win easily in Texas. But Texas voters are likely to want to send a message to the more liberal of the fifty states by squashing Obama and the liberals in record numbers. Election night, regardless of a few liberal judges from the central part of the state, will be anything but ho-hum. For many it will either be a victory for Republicans in the most important election in history, or it will be the last straw of an ever intrusive unconstitutional attack on what America has been for over two hundred years.
The Democratic judges who have perpetrated this drug-like slumber on Texas voters may have lessened the impact conservative voters in the Lone Star state have on choosing the Republican nominee for President, and they may even lowered the overall turnout in both primaries, but trust me – the slumber will end. In November the idea that this is the most important election in the history of this country will drive Texans to the polls to weigh in on the fundamental changes President Obama has promised to America.
Local and state primary races in many Texas counties will be important to the Republican dominated state because of inter party efforts to elect true conservatives and not allow the recent popularity of the party be co-opted by candidates who are Republican In Name Only, or RINO’s, as they are disparagingly referred to by longtime conservatives.
As for the nationwide contest for President, there is little doubt the Republican nominee for President will win easily in Texas. But Texas voters are likely to want to send a message to the more liberal of the fifty states by squashing Obama and the liberals in record numbers. Election night, regardless of a few liberal judges from the central part of the state, will be anything but ho-hum. For many it will either be a victory for Republicans in the most important election in history, or it will be the last straw of an ever intrusive unconstitutional attack on what America has been for over two hundred years.
Santorum steals spotlight in Arizona Republican debate
MESA, Ariz. — Rivals heaped criticism on surprise front-runner Rick Santorum in a debate among U.S. Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday, hoping to stall his surge at a pivotal period in the 2012 campaign.
Mitt Romney and libertarian congressman Ron Paul tried to raise doubts about Santorum and questioned his fiscal conservative credentials based on his time in the U.S. Congress when he was an easy backer of government spending projects deemed wasteful by critics.
Paul, asked by CNN moderator John King why he had launched a campaign ad that labelled Santorum a "fake," responded: "Because he's a fake."
Romney, scrambling to make up for a deficit in the polls to Santorum, put the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania on the defensive for backing a much-derided $400 million "bridge to nowhere" project in Alaska that was eventually abandoned.
Santorum fired back that Romney, as chief organizer of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had sought similar government spending items known as "earmarks" and often deemed wasteful spending.
"When I was fighting for the Olympics, you were fighting for the 'bridge to nowhere,"' Romney told Santorum.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Santorum snapped back. He insisted that earmarks do enjoy public scrutiny and can be useful, although there has been a move among congressional Republicans to ban them.
Santorum needs to build on his momentum going into the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Feb. 28 and pave the way for Super Tuesday on March 6.
Santorum and Romney are in a close race in Michigan, according to opinion polls, with most recent surveys showing the two divided by four percentage points or fewer. A victory in Michigan is critical for Romney as he needs to prove he can win in the state where he was born.
An NBC/Marist poll on Wednesday had Romney at 37 per cent to Santorum at 35 per cent among likely primary voters in Michigan, a statistical dead heat.
The poll gave Romney a lead of 42 per cent to 27 per cent over Santorum in Arizona. A Time/CNN poll on Tuesday found Romney ahead by 36 per cent to 32 per cent there.
A Quinnipiac University poll also released on Wednesday showed Santorum up nine percentage points nationally against his Republican rivals, at 35 per cent compared to 26 per cent for Romney. It showed Gingrich with 14 per cent and Paul with 11 per cent.
Mitt Romney and libertarian congressman Ron Paul tried to raise doubts about Santorum and questioned his fiscal conservative credentials based on his time in the U.S. Congress when he was an easy backer of government spending projects deemed wasteful by critics.
Paul, asked by CNN moderator John King why he had launched a campaign ad that labelled Santorum a "fake," responded: "Because he's a fake."
Romney, scrambling to make up for a deficit in the polls to Santorum, put the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania on the defensive for backing a much-derided $400 million "bridge to nowhere" project in Alaska that was eventually abandoned.
Santorum fired back that Romney, as chief organizer of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, had sought similar government spending items known as "earmarks" and often deemed wasteful spending.
"When I was fighting for the Olympics, you were fighting for the 'bridge to nowhere,"' Romney told Santorum.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Santorum snapped back. He insisted that earmarks do enjoy public scrutiny and can be useful, although there has been a move among congressional Republicans to ban them.
Santorum needs to build on his momentum going into the Arizona and Michigan primaries on Feb. 28 and pave the way for Super Tuesday on March 6.
Santorum and Romney are in a close race in Michigan, according to opinion polls, with most recent surveys showing the two divided by four percentage points or fewer. A victory in Michigan is critical for Romney as he needs to prove he can win in the state where he was born.
An NBC/Marist poll on Wednesday had Romney at 37 per cent to Santorum at 35 per cent among likely primary voters in Michigan, a statistical dead heat.
The poll gave Romney a lead of 42 per cent to 27 per cent over Santorum in Arizona. A Time/CNN poll on Tuesday found Romney ahead by 36 per cent to 32 per cent there.
A Quinnipiac University poll also released on Wednesday showed Santorum up nine percentage points nationally against his Republican rivals, at 35 per cent compared to 26 per cent for Romney. It showed Gingrich with 14 per cent and Paul with 11 per cent.
Liberty PD Nabs Burglar
The Liberty Police Department has taken a Hurricane Katrina evacuee, arrested and charged with theft elsewhere on Feb. 13, into custody and charged him in connection with driving the getaway van in a Feb. 20 burglary of the Brookshire Brothers grocery store located at 2325 N. Main St. in Liberty. Meanwhile investigators have been following leads left in the van in the search for three other alleged burglars who fled the vehicle.
Ronald Wayne Harvey, 35, had been uncooperative, as of deadline, in helping investigators to identify and to locate the other three suspects who fled the vehicle that he was driving on Highway 90 near Crosby, where Harris County Sheriff’s Department deputies set up devices that snagged a tire and stopped the vehicle, according to Liberty Police Department Lt. Chip Fairchild. Harvey, held at Liberty County Jail, has been charged with burglary of a building and felony evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. Police have recovered 20 cartons of cigarettes and clothing.
The Liberty Police Department received a call from store security at about 2 a.m. Security noticed that three subjects — their heads, faces and hands covered — had broken into the store. They had tried unsuccessfully to enter the pharmacy.
“What [security] reported to us was that they had surveillance going on of people in the store at that time,” Fairchild said. “Officers responded; we had a less than two-minute response time. Upon getting to the store, three individuals were coming out of the store, jumping into a silver-colored van. As the officer approached the van, the subjects fled.”
Deputies were ready for them.
“They crossed FM 2100 on Highway 90 where Harris County had set up spikes in the roadway,” Fairchild said. “One of the tires was punctured. They exited at the first exit on Highway 90 at the San Jacinto River bridge. At that point, three subjects exited the vehicle. One subject, the driver of the vehicle, was apprehended when the vehicle stopped. The three subjects that fled were actually the three that had been in the store.”
Deputies and officers have continued to pursue the trio, which, according to the lieutenant apparently had been a “part of a group that has been burglarizing stores all over this part of Texas,” based on previous similar arrests.
Courtesy HCN Cleveland
Ronald Wayne Harvey, 35, had been uncooperative, as of deadline, in helping investigators to identify and to locate the other three suspects who fled the vehicle that he was driving on Highway 90 near Crosby, where Harris County Sheriff’s Department deputies set up devices that snagged a tire and stopped the vehicle, according to Liberty Police Department Lt. Chip Fairchild. Harvey, held at Liberty County Jail, has been charged with burglary of a building and felony evading arrest or detention with a vehicle. Police have recovered 20 cartons of cigarettes and clothing.
The Liberty Police Department received a call from store security at about 2 a.m. Security noticed that three subjects — their heads, faces and hands covered — had broken into the store. They had tried unsuccessfully to enter the pharmacy.
“What [security] reported to us was that they had surveillance going on of people in the store at that time,” Fairchild said. “Officers responded; we had a less than two-minute response time. Upon getting to the store, three individuals were coming out of the store, jumping into a silver-colored van. As the officer approached the van, the subjects fled.”
Deputies were ready for them.
“They crossed FM 2100 on Highway 90 where Harris County had set up spikes in the roadway,” Fairchild said. “One of the tires was punctured. They exited at the first exit on Highway 90 at the San Jacinto River bridge. At that point, three subjects exited the vehicle. One subject, the driver of the vehicle, was apprehended when the vehicle stopped. The three subjects that fled were actually the three that had been in the store.”
Deputies and officers have continued to pursue the trio, which, according to the lieutenant apparently had been a “part of a group that has been burglarizing stores all over this part of Texas,” based on previous similar arrests.
Courtesy HCN Cleveland
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