ThePalmerPost.com | 972-891-2135

May 8, 2010 Election Results | Palmer City Council, Palmer ISD School Board

2010-05-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

Palmer City Council (three at-large)

x-Jeff Vick (I) – 199

x-Jeff Greenlee – 168

x-Chris Ivie – 159

Greg Penny (I) – 105

Tony Roybal (I)– 104

Laurie Huskins – 96

Palmer ISD School Board (two at-large)

x-John Gould - 279

x-Tim Birdwell (I) - 217

Doug Young - 112

The Palmer Post | May 1, 2010 Issue

2010-04-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

The May 1, 2010 issue of The Palmer Post is now online. This was to be a full-color issue, but due to extremely high costs for color and paper, we had to scale back those plans.

[Click Here to Read The May 1 Issue of The Palmer Post]

However, this issue will be mailed to registered voters in 693 households in the city limits of Palmer before Election Day, May 8. The rest will be placed on news stands and mailed to residents in Rockett and Palmer ISD neighborhoods. The total press run of the May 1 issue is 800 copies.

Palmer on YouTube | Jeff Vick's 'Fire Hydrants,' Lance Anglin Slams Hand

2010-04-22T12:03:00.002-05:00

The hilarious video making the rounds is available here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O8EJuQ96w4

The Palmer Post | April 12, 2010 Issue

2010-04-08T17:57:00.000-05:00

The April 12, 2010 issue of The Palmer Post will hit news stands just in time for the Tuesday, April 13 run-off election.

[CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE APRIL 12, 2010 ISSUE OF THE PALMER POST ONLINE]

Contact Us:

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Maps | Emergency Services District No. 9 & Palmer ISD

2010-04-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

Emergency Services District No. 9 (in essence Palmer's fire department) boundary map: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=267

Palmer ISD Boundary Map: http://www.co.ellis.tx.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=160

The Palmer Post | April 1, 2010 Issue

2010-03-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

The April 1, 2010 issue of The Palmer Post is now online:

[Click Here to View The April 1 Issue of The Palmer Post]

Clicking on individual images/pages will make a larger view.

PalmerRadio.com | The Palmer Post Radio 'Station'

2010-03-26T19:38:00.000-05:00

The Palmer Post is now available on the air: http://www.palmerradio.com/

First Show: Friday, March 26, 2010
Time: 10:30 p.m. CST
Guest: The Palmer Post reporter/photographer Elizabeth Thomason
Topics: We discuss The Palmer Post, the vision for the future and more

Direct Link: http://www.palmerradio.com/
Listen Live or Download the Archives!

The Palmer Post | March 14, 2010 Issue

2010-03-11T00:39:00.001-06:00

The March 14, 2010 issue is online - Click here to read the latest issue (March 14, 2010)

From now on, go ahead and expect the online "go-to-press" edition to be up first, followed by the actual hard copy of the paper shortly thereafter.

Paper locations will be located on the left-hand sidebar.

The Palmer Post | March 2010 Issue

2010-03-03T10:05:00.000-06:00

This March 2010 issue should shape the Palmer City Council elections, but only one person has filed to date: incumbent Councilman Greg Penny. The filing deadline is Monday, March 8 at 5 p.m.

Send any letters, editorials, guest columns, comments or suggestions to:

Freedom of the Press Group
The Palmer Post
P.O. Box 221
Palmer, TX 75152
editor@palmerpost.com
972-891-2135

Please Note: The Palmer Post has gone back up to 50 cents. Due to increases in paper and a one-month trial run at 25 cents.

Palmer Post March 2010 Issue: http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/?p=12524

Ex-Mayor Roasted While Councilmen Late in Paying (if at all) Water Bills

2010-03-01T15:39:00.000-06:00

This is just a preview of what's to come in March's issue of The Palmer Post.

Hypocrisy: Ex-Mayor Roasted While Councilmen Late in Paying (if at all) Water Bills

JOEY G. DAUBEN
Palmer Post
PALMER - Current and former city councilmen routinely paid their monthly water bills late and were not given disconnect notices, an analysis of public documents show.

A large portion of the water bills that were paid late by former Palmer Councilman/Mayor Mike Greenee and Councilman Kenneth Bateman, for example, show that both were late in paying their water bills, and rather than receive a disconnect notice from water utility clerk Charlotte Follis, the councilmen had their late fees waived.

Follis, who declined to comment for this story, has the arbitrary power to waive late fees and instruct Palmer's utilities department to turn off citizens' water, according to city officials and public testimony at city council meetings giving her the power.

According to public records, Follis also routinely adjusted her mother's water bill, crediting back charges for "yellow water" 10 times since March 2007. The only other person in Follis' neighborhood near Elizabeth Street to have received credits (i.e., lower water bills) for the mucky water known as "yellow water" that appears from time to time in Palmer water lines was Charles Clark, a political supporter of Greenlee, who, several years ago, hired Follis' mother to work in the Palmer Police Department.

Don Huskins, the former mayor of Palmer and a councilman at one time, was brought before the Palmer City Council two years ago with his wife, Laurie, to address the city council's allegations that Huskins had instructed Follis to waive one man's water bill late fee. Mayor Lance Anglin, who also declined to comment on this story, spoke on the public record that he had seen a computer screen showing Huskins' involvement in the water late fee waiver.

However, in a response to an open records request from Huskins' lawyer, the city of Palmer could not produce a document, e-mail or other record that city councilmen had alleged existed. Follis, meanwhile, is on a sworn affidavit (meaning she swore an oath to tell the truth) alleging Huskins of instructing her to waive late fees.

Huskins denied her allegations, but the examination of Follis' records as the city's water utility clerk reveal that:

Councilman Kenneth Bateman, a political ally of Greenlee and Mayor Anglin, simply did not pay a water bill from March 2007 to June 2007; from July to Aug. 28, there was no payment; he did, however, pay a portion of the water bill shortly thereafter. In fact, Bateman, while Huskins was before the city council with his wife to answer to the late fee allegations, was late in his water bill that night.

The Huskins were on the Palmer council agenda in September of 2007.

"He didn't say a word [the whole night]," Huskins said. "And now we know why."

Jeff Vick, another ally of Greenlee and Anglin who votes with Bateman on the city council usually, himself is listed in city records as not paying or not receiving late fees. He was, however, the only councilman to have a disconnect fee, but that was after several years of paying late and not receiving a late fee.

In Nov. 2005, Vick wasn't disconnected; he didn't pay in December of 2005; paid half his bill in January the following year, then paid late in Feb. 2006 and once again, in July 2006, he was late in paying his water bill but was not given a late fee or a disconnect fee.

In October 2006, Vick was given a late charge, but no disconnect; in November of 2006, he did not pay the water bill at all, but in December, he was charged a $30 disconnect fee from Follis, the water utility clerk.

In June 2007, Vick received no late fee for paying his bill late; in July, no late fee. September's bill was paid late, as was November 2007, but no additional disconnect fees were charged.

On the night of Huskins appearing before the city council in Sept. 2007, Vick was sitting at the city council horseshoe table himself late in a water bill with no late fee charged or disconnect notice.

Mayor Anglin, re-elected to a second two-year term last year over two opponents, was paying his water bills late on an almost routine basis up until he filed to run for the city's top elected spot.

In the analysis of city documents obtained by the Palmer Post, Anglin was never given a disconnect notice for his late water bills, but during the three-month (Feb/March/April) campaign for mayor, he paid his water bill early.

Greenlee, who lost by seven votes in 2008, had routinely paid water bills late, but had late fees waived and never received a disconnect notice.

A family friend of the Greenlee political alliance, Merle Cravens, has appeared before the city council repeatedly over the years to request more time in paying water bills, but has never received a disconnect notice, an issue highlighted by Huskins.

"They never went after her on the agenda," Huskins said, who recently sued the city of Palmer over the allegations. County Court at Law No. 1 Judge Greg Wilhelm, a Republican from Midlothian, sided with the city's outside attorney, David Miller, in that Palmer had sovereign immunity and therefore, could not be sued in Wilhelm's court.

An analysis of public documents from Palmer City Secretary Alicia Baran, who released the legal bills in response to an open records request, shows that Palmer councilmen started consulting with Miller on Huskins' suit - and were billed - several months before the official vote took place in a special called July 2007 meeting to hire him.

And here's a chart that shows how many times Palmer water utility clerk Charlotte Follis adjusted her own mother's water bill:

From May 2006, Palmer Water Utility Clerk Charlotte Follis adjusted her mother's water bill to lower the payments due to "yellow water." The chart below is an excerpt from thousands of public documents obtained by the Palmer Post showing those yellow water credits given to Jacque Bonner, Follis' mother.

May 2006
Credited $47.68

June 2, 2006
Credited $39.88

June 13, 2006
Credited $54.75

Sept. 14, 2006
Credited $27.50

Oct. 16, 2006
Credited $27.50

Nov. 2006
Credited $33

March 2007
Credited $45.50

April 2007
Credited $45.50

Sept. 2007
Credited $52.25

Forward Palmer PAC Launched for 'Legal Sale of Beer & Wine'

2010-02-02T18:55:00.000-06:00

I'll be taking this paperwork into the Ellis County Elections Department this week, but the Forward Palmer PAC has been launched to support the "legal sale of beer and wine" in Palmer. The ballot proposition will be slated for the Nov. 2 ballot (tried getting it done for the May 8 election, but I was provided the wrong dates.)

Instant Message Conversation with Mayor Lance Anglin and John Templer

2010-01-11T18:33:00.000-06:00

Live Instant Message Chat With Mayor Lance Anglin and John Templer

LanceAnglin75152: Sup John
KnightTempler: How’s the new agenda coming along?
LanceAnglin75152: Excellent. Greg Penny and Tony Roybal will never get anything passed.
KnightTempler: Good. I want you to direct Jeff Vick a bit more. He seems to be making a total a** out of himself and you.
LanceAnglin75152: Right, I know. If not for Christen Vick on the school board, poor Jeff wouldn’t even be on the council.
KnightTempler: When I ran Mike Greenlee, Shannon Conger and Linda Harper two years ago, how obvious was it that Vick was not in our plans?
LanceAnglin75152: I hear ya, John, I hear ya. Give it time. We just need to keep Jeff happy with some steel work. Eagle Steel is I’m sure struggling because of the economy.
KnightTempler: I’m considering another slate of candidates this year to take out Penny and Roybal. If we cannot contain Vick, we must take him out. I’m tired of telling him why he has to vote a certain way.
LanceAnglin75152: I’m working with him. Don’t worry.
KnightTempler: Well hurry. I must take control of the city. Having a 3-2 vote margin is too risky. I want total control.

ECP-TV.com | No Action Taken on Curfew Ordinance

2009-10-25T18:20:00.000-05:00

Palmer councilmen voted 3-2 not to take any action on a proposal to adopt a curfew ordinance for the city.

There are two videos that I want to upload from tonight's meeting that pretty much tell the whole story. Stay tuned. But for now, those who voted for and against the "take no action" item:

VOTED TO TAKE NO ACTION ON CURFEW:
Greg Penny
Tony Roybal
Kenneth Bateman

VOTED NO (i.e., wanted a curfew ordinance):
Jeff Vick
Dianne Drewery

I was impressed with this issue and how Mayor Lance Anglin stood up for parents and made a distinction between the city's role (which was not to parent) and a parent. Also impressed with Bateman on this one, as well.

Ironically, I think I like the Palmer City Council every time I drop in.

:)

Parts 1 and 2 are posted below:

Here's Part 2:

Ex-Palmer Mayor Sues City

2009-07-31T20:56:00.001-05:00

Former Palmer Mayor Don Huskins and his wife filed suit against the City of Palmer two weeks ago for - I believe - issues related to a rival political faction (who hold a 3-2 majority on the city council right now) slamming Huskins for failure to pay water bills.

That rival political faction, led by former Councilman Mike Greenlee (ousted last year because of this) and his current allies on the city council, as well as their "mob boss" John Templer, has accused Huskins of theft and has sought a vendetta because of Huskins' alignments with councilmen Greg Penny and Tony Roybal. Greenlee and Co. believe Huskins to be Dick Austin, the infamous news editor at the Palmer Post, an underground newspaper that has exposed the Greenlee clique.

Random smattering of Palmer-related videos on ECP-TV.com.

Details are developing about this lawsuit, but the city has kept this issue hush-hush.

Developing...

FEMA Report w/ ‘Removing People’ Missing in Palmer

2009-07-31T12:07:00.000-05:00

This story just went global, thanks to my friend Andrew West Griffin syndicating it :)

FEMA report detailing Palmer, TX ‘population removal’ section missing
Joey G. Dauben
Ellis County Observer
Friday, July 31, 2009

PALMER, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s reports of how to mitigate potential civil uprisings and disasters have sections dealing with the mass relocation and confinement of citizen populations: except in Palmer, a city 20 miles south of Dallas.

The City of Palmer and the Palmer Police Dept., according to a former reporter for conservative weekly The Ellis County Press who requested the FEMA documents for three months, have the federal plans but the section instituting population relocations came up missing.

“I have already talked to [Palmer PD Chief Mike Zaidle] about FEMA in Palmer the section of the emergency management plan regarding moving people into camps is totally gone from the 3 inch binder,” said Brandy Owen, the former reporter who penned a series of articles on the Trans Texas Corridor last year. “There is a chapter or [section in] it but the section is gone from the plan.

“He [Zaidle] is quite aware of federalization and says he has tried to be “compliant” and make proper arrangements for housing people in the high school gymnasium and other places,” she said. “FEMA always tells him his plans are inadequate.”

Recently, plans were announced by the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office to team up with local church pastors for a “safety seminar.” Some critics of the federal government plans involving local police agencies and churches cite FEMA’s attempt to “quell” dissent and facilitate the confiscation of guns from private citizens.

“A shocking KSLA [Shreveport, La.] news report has confirmed the story we first broke last year, that Clergy Response Teams are being trained by the federal government to “quell dissent” and pacify citizens to obey the government in the event of a declaration of martial law,” Paul Joseph Watson reported two years ago for Austin-based website Infowars.com.

“In May 2006, we exposed the existence of a nationwide FEMA program which is training pastors and other religious representatives to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to “obey the government” in preparation for the implementation of martial law, property and firearm seizures, mass vaccination programs and forced relocation.

“A whistleblower who was secretly enrolled into the program told us that the feds were clandestinely recruiting religious leaders to help implement Homeland Security directives in anticipation of a a potential bio-terrorist attack, any natural disaster or a nationally declared emergency.”

When she first approached the City of Palmer, Owen said Mayor Lance Anglin fielded requests to City Administrator Doug Young.

“For three months I asked and checked back in with Palmer City Hall,” she said. “Mayor [Anglin] turned all of his emergency plan responsibility to Young. Lots of sections are missing but specifically relocation of people.”

http://www.prisonplanet.com/fema-report-detailing-palmer-tx-population-removal-section-missing.html

Judge Sue Schmidt Fired

2009-06-08T21:17:00.001-05:00

The question now becomes, since Palmer's revenue is derived from municipal court fines, fees, etc. on a 51 percent scale (meaning other revenues come from sales taxes, property taxes), how much higher will Palmer citizens pay?

The current council majority, fueled in the May 9 election when all three incumbents won - including Mayor Lance Anglin - despises the fact the police are on Interstate Highway 45 writing tickets after tickets. However, being that 51 percent of the city's revenue coffers are filled in this fashion, what will new Judge Bill Scott do? That remains to be seen...

Videos courtesy of Megan Gray/The Ellis County Press. Available at ECP-TV.com.

Police Chief's Ultra-Job Security Policy

2009-03-18T23:40:00.000-05:00

I personally like Palmer Police Department Chief John Zaidle. I think he does a good job for the crap he has to deal with, but this decision last night by the city council is totally uncalled for (this could have been for any employee, and I’d still criticize it):

Source: Waxahachie Daily Light

Following an executive session, the council approved a city policy covering the police chief from political dismissals. The action came at the request of Police Chief John Zaidle, who asked the council for a policy that would protect him in the event of an administration change and “political dismissal.”

“I like what I do and like working in the city of Palmer, but I need some type of coverage for myself and my family,” Zaidle said.

Councilman Greg Penny told the council members they need to look past Zaidle.

“I’d like to make a point to the council. Do we want to put into place any type of security clause to protect him from political change? Do not look at this as a John Zaidle issue, but an issue of any police chief in the city to follow,” Penny said.

The council agreed on a motion by Kenneth Bateman, saying, “The city of Palmer is to put into place a policy to protect the police chief from termination due to political action due to no fault of his own with compensation up to 120 days plus paid time off.”

It must be nice to have that type of job security. Again, personal opinions aside, this is a slippery slope. What if Zaidle sucks? What if he is breaking the law? By the very theory and language of the ordinance and policy, Palmer can’t fire him.

What kind of brain damage are the Palmer “leaders” suffering from? Can they not legitimately think about what they are doing before they vote for asinine policies?

I think the decisions of an elected majority of a city should be carried out with the citizens vote those people to make the decisions.

Good God. Who’s next? The city administraitor? (that’s misspelled on purpose)

See Also: PalmerPolitics.com

Archives | Palmer's Mike Greenlee

2009-03-12T00:15:00.000-05:00

To take a look back at all the dirt that exists about former Palmer Councilman Mike Greenlee, click the link below.

And to find out who on the Greenlee Gang is running for re-election, click below the link:

[Background and Archives on Mike Greenlee]

Greenlee Gang Running for Re-Election
Mayor
Lance Anglin

City Council
Dianne Drewery
Kenneth Bateman

PalmerPolitics.com | Comment Policy

2009-03-12T00:12:00.000-05:00

Readers of PalmerPolitics.com will be happy to know that there are absolutely zero restrictions on who can post comments.

All comments are automatically posted, and users can remain anonymous.

Civil, uncivil, it really doesn't matter. Politics is warfare. Get used to it, or don't read it.

May 9 Election | Palmer City Council, School Board

2009-03-12T00:06:00.000-05:00

Palmer City Council Election
Mayor
Lance Anglin - Incumbent

Roy Edgar

Jenny Burnett

Council At-Large (2 spots)
Kenneth Bateman – I

Dianne Drewery – I

Joe Poss

Cary Scott Lynch

Analysis: The candidates in green are those who back/favor/support former Palmer Councilman Mike Greenlee, who was defeated for re-election after all these big, bad things became public. Cary Scott Lynch is the former police chief. Joe Poss is on the planning and zoning commission. Jenny Burnett, I believe, is the same Jenny who owns Jenny's Cafe :)

Palmer ISD
At-Large (3 spots)

Mike Kahler - (I)
Vice President-Operations

Gary Barnes
Outside Sales

Dianne Epps
Graphic Artist

Lillian Saucedo
Business Owner

Rodney Winn
Branch Manager

Analysis: I know Dianne Epps and she would be a great fit on the PISD school board. Gary Barnes ran last year and would probably fare better this time around.

Palmer, Texas on YouTube

2009-03-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

Things have been heated at Palmer, Texas City Council meetings before:

Selected video footage of Palmer, Texas City Council meetings:

Town retard Charles Clark ran into The Ellis County Press in his attempt to buy up all of our papers after controversial coverage of politics in Palmer was too much for him to handle:

Charles Clark's stone columns that have been the center of much controversy in the town...

Palmer Recount Leaves Winners, Losers in Place

2008-05-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

Palmer
Recount leaves winners, losers in place

JOEY DAUBEN
The Ellis County Press
PALMER – A recount in the May 10 city council elections Tuesday didn’t result in a change in winners and losers, but incumbent Councilman Jeff Vick and challenger Linda Harper both lost one vote each, while Councilman-elect Greg Penny received one in the recount.

Harper requested the $50 recount, according to city officials.

Palmer’s controversial election was printed on the front pages of The Ellis County Press, with ousted incumbent Mike Greenlee answering for spending tax dollars on strip clubs, bars and hotels when he was mayor during the 90s.

Greenlee’s “slate” of candidates – Harper and Shannon Conger – all lost, with Greenlee attributing the “altered” election to the newspaper coverage.

Aside from Vick and Penny, first-time candidate Tony Roybal also won in the three at-large seats up for re-election. Councilwoman Joice Price chose not to seek another term.

Recount @ 10 a.m.

2008-05-20T00:25:00.000-05:00

Check back for the results of the Palmer City Council recount.

The Palmer Observer

2008-05-20T00:06:00.001-05:00

As part of the growing legion of news readers making their eyes focus online, The Ellis County Observer tapped into a burgeoning market: Palmer.

If you would like to contribute to The Palmer Observer and your name isn't JoAnn Livingston (since she lives here), please drop us a line:

info@elliscountyobserver.com