Did you see the Victoria Advocate online?

Your police chief and city attorney were just indicted on several felonies relating to the release of evidence to the press and witness tampering.

What you residents don't know is that this same scenario happened in 2004 when then Police Chief Tim Braaten refused to leak the info to he press. Braaten was forced to retire by Smith and the City Council. Braaten has since taken a higher position with the State of Texas as Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.

What is wrong with this scenario? The Victoria Advocate knew all of this, but refused to report it in 2004. So, you have been living with corrupt city officials in bed with a corrupt paper for over 4 years. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?

Let the Victoria Advocate know how you feel. It will be especially hilarious when David Tewes, a reporter with the Victoria Advocate, and his superiors testify that they have been getting fed info from the indicted attorney David Smith for several years, knowing the process is illegal. That will be great.

City Attorney Smith has taken the due process clause of the Constitution and made it his own personal toilet paper. Releasing evidence to the press to ensure indictments of high profile accused persons.

Congrats Victoria powers that be, you made your bed and now you have to lie in it.

This whole town is the suck.

I think the writing has been on the wall for a couple of weeks on this one.

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The Victoria Advocate knew all of this, but refused to report it in 2004.

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Link? Quote? Any kind of evidence or support at all for that statement?

No quotes, no links, just familiar with Braaten's situation. It will come out in trial when the newspaper editors and reporters testify about the information given to them by Smith.

Braaten retired in 2004 because he let "his ethics get in the way of his politics." Those are the words of then City Manager Denny Arnold. Braaten is the key to this case for the Victoria County DA. With Braaten's testimony, he can prove a culture of corruption in City Hall in Victoria that worked with the cooperation of the Advocate.

OK, so then all you've got is gossip and slander. Just checking.

Btw, you'd make a great journalist...

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so then all you've got is gossip and slander

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That, and a few other legal documents that pertin to the situation.

Maybe so, but unless you post them, it's just gossip and slander. No different than if it was the Victoria Advocate making allegations against you but publishing no evidence.

I've been keeping up with the local news since I moved, so I did see that today.

There's definitely a lot of shady stuff going on. I don't know all the details of any of the stories, but from what I've read, I don't know if Stephen Tyler is doing his job correctly either.

Craziness, that's for sure.

This is getting worse. Now the mayor was indicted.

http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/848/story/254034.html

The AP has picked up the story. The investigation is still not finished, too.

Denny Arnold and David Smith. Two people that I would not trust.

They tried to screw the golfers of Victoria to no end during the Riverside Golf Course fiasco several years ago. Arnold and Smith would agree to terms with the Riverside Board verbally, then Arnold and Smith would write up the papers totally different, time and time again.

Some people in town say that Tyler (DA) is out of control. Well then, if he is and this is just showboating he has crashed his own career. If he is truly out of control, why have none of his assistants quit saying he's a nut case? If he is not out of control, and these people are corrupt and have been for years and it all comes out......

Our town will be on 60 Minutes.

Embarassment to my homestown.

Old Sarge, you are well informed on the Riverside fiasco, but how do you know all of this? I didn't think the lying and changing rules stuff was public knowledge. My dad was the Prez of the Riverside Association at the time and he got to the point where he HATED those SOB's. Said he wouldn't pee in Arnolds ear if his brain was on fire!
Arnold was also pissed then VCC opened up their course to RGC players in 98 when it closed for a month or so after the flood. He told one of the members (a friend of dads) that he didn't want "all of those riverrats running around on his golfcourse!" OF course those riverrats (as citizens) were paying his salary. fkig Denny Arnold and a few others in power around here....

Smith, my father has been on the board several times. Not much of the info was not public knowledge because they were still trying to negotiate with those clowns.

I had seen Smith's work and arrogance first hand in other arenas, so it came as no surprise with Arnold in the mix that they were trying to "work" the citizenry for more $$$ to use at their discretion. Sneeky bastages. I wish Arnold's comments about the "Riverats" would have made the news during the negotiations, but with the iron fist and his cronies it is no surprise it did not.

Did you go to the City Council meeting the night everone showed up to express their feelings over the fiasco? It was not hard to tell that Arnold, Smith, and their cronies had bitten off more than they could chew. I knew Middleton's days were short as Mayor when he shook his finger at the crowd after cutting off the people wishing to address the council...."Let me tell you people something, you're gonna get....". I really believe that the golf course fiasco cut short a few peoples tenures. Middleton failed to realize that most of the several hundred people in attendance that night had probably voted for him in the last election or not at all. After that they were motivated to show up and definately vote against him. And in Victoria several hundred votes swing any election one way or the other. That is the problem with Victoria politics, arrogance to think that "they" whoever they are can do what they please with no consequences.

I do not wish to think that Mayor Armstrong intentionally did wrong, but precedence may have let down the guard to crossing all of the t's and dotting the I's and making sure you do no wrong first.

Thank god the city did not get the ultimate control that Arnold had wanted. Riverside would be a dustbowl by now.

[This message has been edited by Old Sarge (edited 6/7/2008 10:19p).]

Yes, I was there, I loved it when one of the council members called a police officer to the side and had him call in more cops for "crowd control". I agree that meeting prbably help end the Middleton reign here. BTW, who is your dad?

Smithjg,

If you play during the Labor Day and Wild Game Tourneys, we have to know each other. I don't want to post Dad's name here.

What is your email?

I'm not shy, I am Greg Smith, played for about 20 years in Wild Game and Labor Day with Tom Friedel. We generally hung out in the 2nd/3rd flight, tho we spent a few years sentenced to 1st flight when we won. Also played in the Tx Time at VCC for over 20 years with various pardners. Dad was Fred Smith, he was Prez in 98 when we had the Great flood.

[This message has been edited by Smithjg (edited 6/10/2008 11:09p).]

DP. Sorry.

[This message has been edited by Old Sarge (edited 6/11/2008 10:35p).]

Smithjg,

It's not that I am shy, but I would like to protect my Dad's privacy.

I have met your before. I really miss Fred, as he was always extreemly nice to me and my father.

Fred bought my boat, so that ought to give it away. It made me sick that the motor had problems right after he bought it. It never gave any indication of problems as I thouroghly tested it prior to deciding to sell it. I knew that Fred wanted it, and had people trying to buy it but I had told Dad that Fred had first dibs. One even wrote me the check before Fred had known completely it was going to be for sale, but I wanted him to have it. I only hope during his sickness it brought him the joy he so much wanted from it. It is my understanding that one of his grandchildren (yours?) caught their first Red out of it with him.

While I am not close to the flights you play(ed) in, I hope you continue to play in those tournaments at Riverside. I used to play with Dad in both, but the heat has proven too much for the Labor Day. We still play in the Wild Game.....

and still ***** about Arnold and David Smith trying to screw so many people over.

We really need to find a day or so while we can to play with the Bully Group, as they are dwindling.

I hope your Mom is doing well at the monogram shop. And prayers for you and your family during the Father's Day weekend.

Old Sarge
(I'm sure your have figured it out by now)

Sure, I know exactly who you are now. Saw your dad in the clubhouse at RGC a couple of days ago. He is a great guy also. Dad thought of him almost as a brother, they had some great times together.

A tip, play every round of golf with your dad that you can, you won't regret it. My dad and I played hundreds of rounds together, sometimes till well past dark-thirty. Several times he made me call mom at home on the way FROM the golf course to vouch for him, cuz he knew he was in deep shiite..... Tell your mom hi too. Greg