City of Sachse Ethics Void in Council

Certain Sachse City Council members may face questions of ethics or even more serious questions with regards to campaigning for Rep. Joe Driver.

As reported by Jay Root of the Associated Press and the The Dallas Morning News There is an active investigation underway by the Travis County District Attorney as evidenced by the halting of the destruction of state records as reported by the DMN. Rep. Joe Driver admitted to double submitting receipts to his campaign fund and to the State for luxury hotels and travel expenses. The expenses collected from the State of Texas were pocketed by Rep. Driver , although his campaign had already paid his expenses. The admission from Rep. Joe Driver that he didn't report the money he pocketed, would naturally interest the IRS, if you ever watched the "Untouchables" remember this is the way they sent Al Capone to prison. This might explain the response from the United States Attorney's Office in Dallas with a no comment when ask if they are investigating Rep. Joe Driver.

Now, why would Sachse Council members Patterson and Smith who availed Themselves to Rep. Driver to make automated calls to his constituents,  representing Themselves as a Sachse City Council person? Maybe there is a "Quid Pro Quo" or a past favor that needed to be repaid. Then we have Sachse Council person Timm who put pen to paper and told the citizens of Sachse not to believe the News papers or their lying ears when Rep. Driver confessed to pocketing almost $50,000 in the last five years while being interviewed on TV.

Folks, here is the problem we elect our representatives and council people the be of high moral, ethical character, which lends itself to a honest person. If we have elected leaders in our community that use the office to support those who would corrupt our government and pocket our tax dollars, it's time that they were investigated and removed from office if malfeasance is discovered. I do believe the old saying that "Birds of a feather flock together". "No man who is corrupt, no man who condones corruption in others, can possibly do his duty by the community" - Theodore Roosevelt

We did observe one favor or debt whichever it might be, provided by Council member Smith and shown in the following photograph. Where is the councilman's sense of decency and respect? Who allows campaign signs at the cemetery entrance?

The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party.
John Caldwell Calhoun

ANOTHER BAD APPLE IN GOP BARREL

The one shred of truth from Rep. Joe Driver, District 113 was the statement to the Dallas Morning News that he wasn't the only one Double Dipping. Now we learn that two media outlets are conducting an investigation of Larry Taylor, District 24 for the same over billing and pocketing tax payer dollars for travel and expenses.

We find a common interest of both Joe Driver and Larry Taylor. It seems Joe Diver is a Insurance Broker for State Farm and the Joe Driver Agency in Garland,Texas.. Larry Taylor is on the Texas House Insurance Committee that has oversight of the Texas Insurance Commission. I wonder if this is a common thread in the Insurance industry to Charge Twice for the same expense.

Again, we must suppose that Rep. Larry Taylor didn't report this extra income to the IRS which is supposed to dwarf the amount pocketed by Joe Driver. The Texas House of Representatives has a few rotten apples that were thrown back in the barrel by voters to add a stench of corruption to the House. The Travis County District Attorney and US Attorney are going to have their hands full throwing the Bad Apples from the barrel.

We also learned that Rep. Leo Berman of Tyler has filed complaints with the Ethics Commission and the Travis County DA against Speaker Straus for Bribery in that he gave over $100,000 to have the Campaigns of Joe Driver, Linda Harper-Brown and four others in return for their vote for Speaker. You know it's just as illegal to accept a bribe as it is to offer one. As I have quoted before - " A public man can't be just a little crooked" (Calvin Coolidge)


Larry Taylor



Linda Harper-Brown



Joe Driver







GOP SPINS DRIVER AND HARPER-BROWN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR

The Dallas Morning News recent article which ask the question.

"State Reps. Joe Driver and Linda Harper-Brown overcame ethics questions and sailed to re-election last week, as the Dallas County Republican incumbents easily held off Democratic challengers.
But does that mean Driver's double-billing travel reimbursements from the state and his campaign and Harper-Brown driving a state contractor's cars are now water under the bridge? "-Dallas Morning News

The Travis County District Attorney has been conducting this investigation since August. The DA has stopped destruction of documents due to be shredded and made a point not to comment on the investigation, With the Grand Jury in session in Austin as I type this Blog, If I were Joe Driver especially I would be very nervous.

"The Travis County district attorney's office is looking into Driver's travel reimbursements. An official there last week said he couldn't comment on whether Harper-Brown's use of a 2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 was being investigated.
Kathy Colvin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Dallas, said she couldn't comment about whether her office was looking into either Driver's or Harper-Brown's actions. "- Dallas Morning News

These Non-statements by the Travis County DA and U.S. Attorney's office to the trained and experienced observer these actions may be ominous in their scope and nature for both Rep. Driver and Rep. Harper-Brown.

"At the GOP's county election party Tuesday night, both incumbents said their unsuccessful opponents focused on "lies" during the campaign. Driver beat Jamie Dorris to earn a 10th term. Harper-Brown defeated Loretta Haldenwang to earn a fifth term. " -Dallas Morning News

The "lies" they refer to are the ones that Rep. Driver admitted to in a Associated Press interview as well as a TV interview. Driver tried to blame his opponent for his confession to the media. Rep. Harper-Brown didn't deny she had been driving a Mercedes Benz furnished by a State contractor. In both cases they insisted giving back the Money or the Mercedes Benz was supposed to make things right. Let's see how many criminal in Huntsville would like the opportunity to get out of jail on a "Do Over"?

We as citizens must remove graft and corruption from our government when ever and where ever it is found. For we must remember in the words of Calvin Coolidge - "A public man can not be just a little crooked"