VOL 3 No.5
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARy 3, 2010
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County Democratic Party Chair Quail Valley accords hero’s race starts with a hiccup welcome to USAF pilot
By SESHADRI KUMAR A candidate for the Fort Bend County Democratic Party Chair has successfully forced the Fort Bend County Election Administration to correct his name on the ballot, after a few mail-in ballots were already sent out. The Democratic Party Chair candidate Steve Brown had submitted an application to the incumbent party chair Elaine Bishop. On his application, Brown indicated his name should appear as Stephen “Steve” Brown. However, when the official ballots were released his named appeared as “Stephan Brown,” both misspelled and omitting the short form. The county has already sent some of these ballots to absentee voters, such as servicemen overseas. Bishop, who has been the county Democratic Party Chair for the last years, is seeking re-election and Bishop says she has been asked by numerous community members to run again because they felt it was important. On the correction to Brown’s name on the ballot, Bishop said “We have resolved. It is a done deal. We
are moving ahead.” “Ms. Bishop’s lack of diligence in carrying out her official duties was a motivating factor in my decision to run for this position. This isn’t the first time Ms. Bishop has made errors in submitting a candidate’s name for the ballot... her lack of attention to detail in the discharge of her public duties costs the taxpayers,” Brown said in a statement. The Texas Election code requires that a candidate appear with the name of his choice, and that ballots be corrected if changes are made to the voter’s choices in an election. As only a handful of ballots had been mailed, the administration agreed to reprint the mail-in ballots instead of precipitating a litigation. “It may seem like a small thing, but my campaign materials, which were planned months in advance, are affected by the misspelled listing and the omission of my nickname, which is how I am known to voters around the county,” Brown stated. “My website, social networking tools, mail advertisements, and signs all use the name ‘Steve,’ which is how I was told my name would ap-
pear on the ballot, and which is how it has appeared in the past.” County elections officials assured Brown’s campaign that the correction process, which includes reprogramming the county’s electronic voting machines, would be complete before early voting, which begins Feb. 16. Brown’s career in politics began as a campus organizer for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Harvey Gantt, and founder of the North Carolina A&T State University College Democrats chapter. Those efforts resulted in being awarded an internship in the Clinton White House. He has since worked on a number of campaigns and in the legislative offices of such Democrats as U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Rep. Sylvester Turner, and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. “Fort Bend County stands at a political critical juncture. Through leadership, resources and an engaged base, we can speed the pace at which we turn our county blue, and begin electing Democrats to office today. But, it will take an united and energized move See BALLOT, Page 3
Priceless flag
Bill and Robyn Tompkins, Quail Valley residents, recently welcomed home their daughter Lieutenant Alicia Tompkins Carey, who was visiting between deployments with United States Air Force. Lieutenant Alicia Tompkins Carey, a graduate of Elkins High School, the United States Air Force Academy and daughter of Quail Valley residents Bill and Robyn Tompkins, recently returned home from deployment in the Middle East for a delayed Christmas with her family. When the Quail Valley Exchange Club heard the news, the members quickly went to work getting permission from
the Tompkins’ neighbors, to line their street with American Flags upon her return. “It is our pleasure to honor these fine young men and women who are serving our country,” said Kirk Wilkerson of the Exchange Club. Carey is a C-17 pilot in the U.S.Air Force 15th Airlift Squadron in Charleston, South Carolina. In the fall of 2009, she deployed with the 17th Airlift Squadron to Qa-
tar and flew daily missions to transport supplies, equipment and personnel as well as performed medical evacuations and Command transport services. Carey is scheduled for redeployment mid year. Her husband, Lt. Zach Carey, is also in the United States Air Force. He is a Security Forces Officer presently deployed to Afghanistan.
Stafford prepared to face economic downturn
Mike and Judy Schmid, left, bought a U.S. flag in an auction during the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner of the Fort Bend County Republican Party on Jan. 29. The final bid was $7,800. The flag was flown over Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, on Patriot Day, Sept.11, 2009, in honor of Spirit of Freedom and the Republican Party of Fort Bend County for their support of U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines serving in “Operation Iraqi Freedom” and “Operation Enduring Freedom.” The family who donated the flag is Catherine (far right), son Nick and daughter Noelle. Their father and husband is Navy Commander Michael Smith. Smith is due to return this week from Kuwait. He was called back into active duty last year. He sent the flag in October to Mary Favre to be auctioned off to the charity of her choice.Favre has been sending him suppplies to help support his troops. The Smith family lives in Sugar Creek. Third from left is Laura Ingraham, keynote speaker. More on Page 8.
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar www.fbindependent.com Publisher & Editor 281-980-6745 Fort Bend Independent is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodical postage application pending. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
By BARBARA FULENWIDER Having just left a “turbulent decade” the city enters another “as it scrambles to rebound from a tumble the likes of which occurred only once before in the city’s history” -- in the mid-1980s when the lights went out in Houston, Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella told his audience at the civic center. This time tumbling oil prices aren’t the culprit but instead it was “an insatiable and unchecked greed on Wall Street” that led to government bailouts, which, Scarcella said “threw the people and businesses on Main Street … under the bus,” Scarcella said while delivering his annual
state of the city address. He said the results have been devastating for the city’s “vibrant corporate network, which continues to reverberate with negative impacts on the city.” Stafford’s strong local economy pays for the great majority of the city’s services via sales taxes. When that financial base is eroded, Scarcella said, “the damage is significant and that is exactly what has happened to the Stafford economy.” Despite the downturn, the mayor said the city has prepared for the past 20 years to withstand such a severe downturn, and that preparation includes eliminating debt. AN EVENING WITH WINDBERG. Sugar Land Area Artists will present “An Evening with Dalhart Windberg” at Sugar Land’s Lakeview Auditorium on Feb. 10, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Dalhart Windberg will also be conducting a 3-day workshop Feb. 11-13. To get a registration form, go to www.sugarlandareaartists.com, then to workshops and Windberg. You may download the registration form or contact Pam Bravenec at 281-265-7256.
Children’s Emergency Center Now Open. childrensmemorialher mann.org • 713.222.CARE
After 15 consecutive years of zero property tax, Stafford continued to eliminate debt this past year. The city’s approach resulted in cutting outstanding long-term obligations to less than $1.7 million – part of the goal to be debt free in four more years. Not everything was about the economy in the mayor’s speech. He pointed out that in 2009 Stafford saw the completion of widening and improvements to U.S. 90A, which gives the town a new, vibrant look, and quiet zones negotiated with Union Pacific have eliminated the noisy train horns that have reverberated across Stafford for the past 150 years. Scarcella noted that last year the city acquired rights of way and engineering plans for the multi-entity Stafford/Staffordshire roads plan to connect the Fifth Street expansion to Beltway 8 at a total cost of $19 million. The city will pay $6 million of that total. Improvements to Brand Lane and Dulles Avenue are also on the radar at a combined cost of $2.5 million. Renovating Kirkwood Road and extending Cash Road are being considered. See STAFFORD, Page 3