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The tax law that suicide pilot Joe Stack hated Do you have a tip about the Austin plane crash? Update on why I'm afraid to fly: American Airlines, Southwest and regulators are all under fire Problem Solver: Finding average temperatures Texas nursing-home regulator: We'll move faster East Texas church fires update: Know these guys? Problem Solver: Telecom services out Politicians are not returning donations from alleged Texas Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford Recent Comments
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February 19, 2010
The New York Times has a fascinating background piece today on the tax law that software engineer Andrew Joseph Stack III (right) blasted in his suicide note. The 1986 legislation started as a favor to IBM and "made it extremely difficult for information technology professionals to work as self-employed individuals, forcing most to become company employees," The Times reported. "Many software engineers and other such professionals say that the law denies them the opportunity to become wealthy entrepreneurs and that it makes it harder to increase and refine their skills, eventually diminishing their income." Joe Stack, in the note he posted online before flying a plane into IRS offices in Austin yesterday, said those who wrote the law "could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave."
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The entry "The tax law that suicide pilot Joe Stack hated" is tagged: Andrew Joseph Stack III , Austin , IBM , Internal Revenue Service , IRS , Joe Stack , plane crash , software engineer , suicide attack , suicide note , suicide pilot , tax law February 18, 2010
Send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. What we have so far: A small plane crashed this morning into the Echelon office complex in northwest Austin. Austin TV station KVUE says the building that was hit is at 9430 Research Blvd. The IRS has offices there, according to the Austin American-Statesman. And the FBI has a field office elsewhere in the complex, at 9420 Research Blvd. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.
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The entry "Do you have a tip about the Austin plane crash?" is tagged: Austin , Echelon , FBI , KVUE , plane crash , Research Boulevard
A little over a week ago, I was blogging about safety issues at Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. Now my investigative reporting colleague in Washington, Dave Michaels, is breaking a story about similar problems at Fort Worth-based American. "Federal regulators have failed to correct mounting and long-standing maintenance deficiencies at American Airlines despite receiving detailed complaints about the carrier's problems," Dave writes, citing a report due to be released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general. The Federal Aviation Administration responded by saying it has been working with American to "elevate its maintenance practices" and was strengthening its oversight of other carriers. FAA officials proposed a $2.9 million fine Wednesday against American Eagle for flying inadequately repaired planes, The Dallas Morning News' Eric Torbenson reported. AA and Southwest say they're proud of their safety records.
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The entry "Update on why I'm afraid to fly: American Airlines, Southwest and regulators are all under fire" is tagged: American Airlines , Dave Michaels , Department of Transportation , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , inspector general , maintenance , safety , Southwest Airlines February 17, 2010
Some readers noted that I mentioned an average monthly temperature for the Dallas area in a previous column and wondered where to get that information. The easiest place to go is the National Weather Service. To find the average for each month, the information is located in the notes. To do a month-to-month comparison, you'll have to pull the information out yourself, though. To look into things on a daily basis, I go to the University of Dayton's website where they keep average daily temperatures for the Dallas area. They also use the official weather service numbers and it's really easy to read.
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The entry "Problem Solver: Finding average temperatures" is tagged: Problem Solver; average temperatures; National Weather Service; utility bills February 16, 2010
Texas nursing-home investigators usually miss deadlines for responding to complaints with a "high potential of harm," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Chris Traylor, the new commissioner of the Department of Aging and Disability Services, vows to improve response times soon. The agency says it "expects to complete 1,550 nursing home investigations during a two-week, statewide blitz later this month" and will start hiring 35 new investigators next month. Do you have a tip about a nursing home? Regulators? Send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.
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The entry "Texas nursing-home regulator: We'll move faster" is tagged: abuse , Chris Traylor , Department of Aging and Disability Services , investigation , nursing homes , regulation February 15, 2010
Now that my power's back on and the igloo in the front yard is melting, I'm catching up on some news from late last week. One item near the top of the pile: Federal authorities released sketches of three men they want to identify and question about the East Texas church fires. Click on the link and see if you recognize them. Use the magnifying glass icon to blow up the images and check out the tattoos -- one (at right) appears to be an upside-down cross, and the other looks like flames. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Around-the-clock tip lines include: 1 (888) ATF-FIRE (888-283-3473); (903) 675-0061 and (903) 675-0062. Also, you can send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.
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The entry "East Texas church fires update: Know these guys?" is tagged: arson , ATF , church fires , East Texas , reward , sketches , upside-down cross February 12, 2010
WIth the heavy snow it's likely there is going to be a long line of people waiting for their various utilities to be up and running. Remember that if you have someone disabled, newborn, elderly or ill in your home to tell that to the customer service people who answer your call. I wrote about a woman who needed help getting AT&T to fix her services in last Sunday's column. That column points out two things everyone should do when calling in a repair problem: Ask if there could be a reduction in the wait time and a credit for the days service was down.
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The entry "Problem Solver: Telecom services out" is tagged: Problem Solver; utilities; AT&T; weather February 11, 2010
Dallas lawyer Ralph Janvey is the court-appointed receiver assigned to recover money that disgraced Texas banker Allen Stanford (at right) allegedly obtained by defrauding investors. Among those Janvey is seeking funds from are the many politicians who benefited from Stanford's generosity -- members of Congress and fundraising committees for both major political parties. Janvey started asking them to pay up a year ago. Many have not done so, reports Dave Michaels of the The Dallas Morning News' Washington bureau. Click here for Janvey's list of who has paid and who owes what.
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The entry "Politicians are not returning donations from alleged Texas Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford" is tagged: Allen Stanford , Congress , Democratic Party , Ponzi scheme , Ralph Janvey , receiver , receivership , Republican Party
College presidents quit in mid-semester all the time, right? Two weeks' notice is standard, right? So there's no need for the University of North Texas and its president, Gretchen Bataille (pictured here), to explain why she is suddenly resigning, right? The taxpayer-funded school's Wednesday press release and Bataille's "message to the UNT community" total 755 words and explain nothing. The stonewalling continues today at the UNT Board of Regents meeting, as the Denton Record-Chronicle is now reporting: "When approached at the meeting for comment as to why she is resigning mid-year, with only a few weeks' notice, Bataille only shook her head, making it clear she did not want to discuss her reasons for leaving." Can somebody please shed some light on this situation? You can send me an e-mail or join the conversation by commenting below. If you're on Twitter, follow our blog at DMNInvestigates. You can also check us out on Facebook.
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The entry "They won't talk: University of North Texas leaders are silent on why president is quitting. So is she." is tagged: chancellor , Gretchen Bataille , Lee Jackson , president , resignation , University of North Texas , UNT February 10, 2010
Some blame Muslims for the East Texas church fires. Some blame Palin-hating liberals. Some blame the devil. The online speculation was enough to make me call Tom Crowley, spokesman for the Dallas office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Here's a quick summary of what we talked about: Q: Does any evidence point to Muslims, liberals or Satan? Q: Any sense of what's motivating the arsonist(s)? Q: What do you see as the possible motives? Q: What sort of other crime? Q: Where on church property were the fires set? Q: What types of churches have been targeted? Q: What accelerants, if any, have been used? Q: Any advice for churches and their neighbors?
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The entry "Q&A with ATF on East Texas church fires" is tagged: ATF , Baptist , Christian Scientist , church fires , devil , East Texas , Methodist , nondenominational , Protestant , Satan , Tom Crowley February 9, 2010
Two more East Texas churches burned down Monday night. Authorities aren't saying yet whether the fires are part of the string of several arsons plaguing Tyler and surrounding areas. But don't be surprised if they're connected -- these last two blazes broke out within 45 minutes of each other, just a few miles apart. The first was reported about 8:45 p.m. at Dover Baptist Church (right). The second was reported about 9:20 p.m. at Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church. Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said it was activating a national response team after Russell Memorial United Methodist Church in Wills Point was torched. Tips? Send me an e-mail.
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The entry "Who's torching East Texas churches? And why? " is tagged: arson , ATF , Bureau of Alcohol , church fires , churches , Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church , Dover Baptist Church , East Texas , Firearms and Explosives , Russell Memorial United Methodist Church , Tobacco , Tyler
Let's add this up and see how safe we feel about a certain Dallas-based airline -- and the government employees who are supposed to oversee it. The latest: Federal regulators suspect Southwest Airlines, for several years, flew dozens of jets whose fuselage repairs didn't follow approved procedures. Previously: I'll stop for now. If you need more scary stories right away, go to dallasnews.com and type these terms into the search box: Dave Michaels (investigative reporter in our Washington bureau) and Southwest Airlines. Southwest says safety is its top priority.
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The entry "Hot Links: New safety probe of Southwest Airlines " is tagged: cracks , Dave Michaels , FAA , Federal Aviation Administration , fuselage , maintenance , regulators , repairs , safety , Southwest Airlines February 8, 2010
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan wasn't the only guy with extremist ties counseling soldiers at Fort Hood last year, as my story in Sunday's Dallas Morning News shows. There was at least one more: Louay Safi (shown at right). A month after the worst military-base massacre in U.S. history, he taught Islam to officers who were deploying to Afghanistan. He'd been doing this work on bases around the country, as a military subcontractor, since 2005. That same year, federal prosecutors named Safi an unindicted co-conspirator in the terrorism-support trial of his old buddy Sami al-Arian. The reason: a wiretapped phone call in which the two men mocked a U.S. order banning dealings with foreign terrorist groups and agreed that Jews controlled the White House. Al-Arian has since been convicted. But he still faces criminal contempt charges for refusing to testify before a grand jury about the International Institute of Islamic Thought -- a northern Virginia think tank that counterterrorism agents raided in 2002, when Safi was its research director. Safi now faces a criminal inquiry by the military but has never been criminally charged. He denies wrongdoing. He also has described post-9/11 counterterrorism crackdowns as a "campaign against Islam."
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The entry "Fort Hood fallout: Military suspends trainer with ties to terror suspects; criminal inquiry pending" is tagged: 9/11 , Afghanistan , al-Qaeda , Anwar al-Aulaqi , Anwar al-Awlaki , campaign against Islam , Dar al-Hijrah , FBI , Fort Hood , hijackers , IIIT , International Institute of Islamic Thought , Islam , Islamic Society of North America , ISNA , Louay Safi , massacre , military subcontractor , mosque , Nidal Hasan , Nidal Malik Hasan , North American Islamic Trust , Sami al-Arian , terrorism , Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , Underwear Bomber , war against Islam , Yemen February 5, 2010
I've found there is very little help out there for people who owe money on old bills. There are a number of churches and charities which help when a current utility bill is beyond a person's resources. That helps keep the lights and water on. But in the case of Todd and Shirley Ritrovato of Greenville, the utility debt was 14 years old. and created when their daughter was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. The Ritrovatos have known they owe the money for the past two years, but have not had much extra money to pay it. The couple lives on less than $700 a month, along with food stamps and housing assistance. I've had some readers interested in helping out. If that's you, Hunt County Shared Ministries is willing to handle any donations for the couple. The address is 3724 Oneal St
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The entry "Problem Solver: Couple owes hefty utility bills" is tagged: Problem Solver; GEUS; Greenville Electric Utility System; utilities; charity; Hunt County Shared Ministries February 4, 2010
Many people write to me because they're unhappy with the bill they've received, but occassionally I'll hear from someone who can't get a statement. That was the case for John Bigony. He tried to get the electric bill on his rental house for months. He knew that if he ignored the situation, he'd wind up with a whopper of a bill someday down the road. TXU Energy got him a statement soon after I called. They also charged him less than the original quote since the meter was changed out during that period.
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The entry "Problem Solver: The bill is in the mail" is tagged: Problem Solver; Electric bill; TXU Energy; February 3, 2010
As I read the court records today from State Rep. Terri Hodge's guilty plea on tax fraud, one sentence contained a detail that seemed new and intriguing. Federal prosecutors noted that some of the $73,000 that went unreported on her tax returns was "campaign contributions made by various donors to Hodge, which she used for her own personal benefit ... ." But that's where they left it. I re-read the 2007 indictment against Hodge, as well as a 2008 filing citing supplemental evidence that authorities had gathered. I didn't see anywhere allegations of her using campaign contributions for personal use. Prosecutors say in today's plea agreement that they will present later a routine supplement. Perhaps that's the time and place when they will elaborate on the contributions. For now, they remained focused on the rent payments Hodge received -- and failed to report to the IRS -- from Dallas developers Brian and Cheryl Potashnik, whose low-income housing projects needed her support for millions in public subsidies. Until we hear more from the prosecution, I'm left wondering who made these campaign contributions, were there any strings attached, and how did Hodge use them for her personal benefit?
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The entry "Terri Hodge case: Hey, what's this line all about? " is tagged: bribery , corruption , Dallas City Hall , FBI , fraud , Gladys Evelyn Hodge , IRS , Potashnik , representative , Southwest Housing Development , tax credits , tax returns , Terri Hodge , trial February 2, 2010
Over the weekend, fire departments in two of Texas' biggest cities were in the news again over allegations of employee misconduct. The News' Selwyn Crawford told us about the lawsuit headed to court accusing some inside Dallas Fire-Rescue (Chief Eddie Burns shown at right) of "rampant sexual and gender harassment." One female worker claims she was touched and sent a photo of a naked woman. Another was "repeatedly propositioned," according to the lawsuit. The Houston Chronicle followed with a story that summed up the issues there in the first sentence: "Racist graffiti, threats, profanity and a noose hanging in a locker; claims of harassment and a culture of accepted sexism, evidenced in part by a topless female firefighter posing in panties on a widely distributed calendar." Fire officials in Houston and Dallas say these allegations are not indicative of their departments. Dallas, in addition, disputes the lawsuit allegations and cites an internal review that found some to be uncorroborated. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group.
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The entry "R-rated accusations hit Dallas, Houston fire units" is tagged: calendar , Dallas Fire-Rescue , discrimination , Eddie Burns , gender bias , harassment , Helen Watts , inappropriate touching , lawsuit , Leanne Siri , racism , Rick Flanagan , sexism , sexual harassment February 1, 2010
Different types of concerns are on residents' minds in two different suburbs: 1. Arlington's mayor and council members have reaped free tickets and food at the city's luxury suite at publicly subsidized Cowboys Stadium, the Star-Telegram reports. The market value of the "perk of the office," as one leader called it, is around $400,000. Some observers fear this creates a conflict of interest. 2. In Frisco, residents living near a battery-recycling plant continue to worry that their health is at risk. The News' Valerie Wigglesworth and Matthew Haag cite study results from 15 years ago that found 45 children had "lead levels that today are linked to myriad health issues, from learning disabilities to behavior problems to brain damage." Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group.
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The entry "Hot Links: Arlington leaders enjoy Cowboys perk, Frisco residents concerned about battery plant" is tagged: Arlington , Cowboys Stadium , Environ Corp. , Exide Technologies , exposure , food , Frisco , GNB Battery Technologies , Law Engineering and Environmental Services Inc. , lead , Mel LeBlanc , perk , Robert Cluck , suite , Texas Department of State Health Services , tickets January 29, 2010
Steve Thompson, The News' ace Dallas Police Department writer, explains a few important caveats to yesterday's positive news that the city's crime rate dropped 6.4 percent in 2009. 1. This, of course, factors only reported crime. 2. Of those reported crimes, the total didn't reflect some that "appear to be undercounted according to federal guidelines," Steve wrote. As you may recall, he and Tanya Eiserer have found questions in DPD's reporting methods, such as omitting some car burglaries and classifying assaults and break-ins as lesser offenses. Their stories prompted Mayor Pro-Tem Dwaine Caraway to call for a review. 3. Even including the possible undercount of some crimes, the city's decrease missed the goal of a 10 percent drop, which had seemed attainable earlier in 2009. Do you have thoughts or tips to share? Leave a comment or e-mail me. Use social-networking media to get your news? Follow the blog on Twitter, or join our Facebook group.
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The entry " Dallas' notoriously high crime rate down, but ..." is tagged: assault , break-in , burglary , City Hall , crime rate , crime statistics , crime stats , David Kunkle , Dwaine Caraway , Mary Suhm January 28, 2010
Texans for Public Justice, a research and advocacy group based in Austin, has released a report on the Texas Enterprise Fund, which under Gov. Rick Perry has given companies and universities hundreds of millions of public dollars to create and retain jobs. The report, which I reported on Thursday, used the Texas public records law to examine the track record of 45 projects in 2008, when the recession hit hard. The study said only 13 were performing well. Texans for Public Justice also found that Perry's office quietly had amended contracts to lower job creation requirements or give companies more time to comply with their pledges. The study notes that the contracts usually enable the state to terminate an agreement -- and recover public funds -- if a company doesn't meet job targets. But Perry has used that penalty only twice.
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The entry "How well is Rick Perry's enterprise fund working?" is tagged: governor , jobs , Rick Perry , subsidies , tax breaks , Texans for Public Justice , Texas Enterprise Fund |
So at core, Adam believes terrorism is
We may be seeing more citizens blowing
Brian,
You are a dope dweeb. Why
Doesn't the 2nd amendment protect Stack
Kevin, you're a sick dweeb. Innocent pe
adam, spare us
I wouldn't consider this terroism, I wo
When the ballot box is broken, the patr
If such a law exists (which I do not do
I would just like to know if my cousin