tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post7393356488561296790..comments2024-03-25T20:06:39.794-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Craig Watkins learns the Golden Rule of politicsGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-32865282779459379422009-10-02T12:08:50.646-05:002009-10-02T12:08:50.646-05:00So the commissioners agree to pay an outside attor...So the commissioners agree to pay an outside attorney $300/hr and pay his associates $200/hr, but criminal defense attorneys appointed to represent indigent defendants now get a paltry $90/hour due to the budget crisis? Funny how that works.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-61590662126298747532009-10-02T09:19:08.231-05:002009-10-02T09:19:08.231-05:00I didn't say they were creating a new position...I didn't say they were creating a new position, 12:26, but they still made the decision to "hire" an outside attorney. You're right that it's a contract arrangement.Gritsforbreakfasthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-56105059827243726972009-10-01T12:26:40.141-05:002009-10-01T12:26:40.141-05:00I doubt the county is actully creating new positio...I doubt the county is actully creating new positions. It's simply getting the services of an outside lawyer through a contract.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-31306775404700898972009-10-01T06:16:01.737-05:002009-10-01T06:16:01.737-05:00Wow ! Perry is making lots of news. Raw Story repo...Wow ! Perry is making lots of news. Raw Story reports that "Texas governor stops review of possible wrongful execution". <br /><br />http://rawstory.com/2009/09/texas-gov-stops-review/<br /><br /><br />yep, same story as today's Forsenic Commission headline here on this blog, which makes me wonder why Grits didn't frame the headlines around the larger issue of wrongful executions (which relates to the Innocence Project, in a way), but rather chose to frame the headlines in terms of a pissing contest, bureaucratic squabble...???<br /><br />10/01/2009 06:12:00 AMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-72311622119614036992009-09-30T09:49:59.447-05:002009-09-30T09:49:59.447-05:00That's pretty good advice Grits. Daddy always...That's pretty good advice Grits. Daddy always said don't bite the hand that feeds you. <br /><br />Voters and the news media can be informed of the sometimes mismanagement of county funds by commissioners by utilizing sources not connected to other elected offices who are able to get the word to the appropriate sources without implicating the other elected officials.<br /><br />That's politics and how it works.<br /><br />The one thing I question about the hiring of the private investigator and now an outside attorney "was the money appropriated and budgeted in the current budget (assuming the Dallas County fiscal year is Oct-Sept) and if not how the commissioners were able to amend the budget for these positions?"<br /><br />The way I read the Texas Local Government Code makes me think these positions could not be added once the budget is adopted. Dallas County probably has a "catch all" line item for these positions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com