Posted on 09/16/2004 12:39:49 PM PDT by SpeedRacer
BYLINE: Dave McNeely AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
DATE: February 14, 1993
PUBLICATION: Austin American-Statesman
EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: EDITORIAL
PAGE: J3
COLUMN: Dave McNeely
The Senate confirmed John Hall's nomination to the Texas Water Commission shortly after Gov. Ann Richards appointed him in May 1991. Now that she has promoted him to chairman, he must be confirmed again - to a new, six-year term.
Hall and the commissioners who joined him, former Travis County Commissioner Pam Reed and former Upton County Judge Peggy Garner, have upset some powerful people by making controversial decisions about the Edwards Aquifer and some commercial matters.
Even so, Hall has gotten rave reviews from disparate sources in advance of his hearing Thursday before the Senate Nominations Committee.
The Texas Association of Business has endorsed him. A letter expressing "strong support" is signed not only by representatives of Texas environmental groups, but also by Harry Whitworth of the Texas Chemical Council, Larry Milner of the Texas Chamber of Commerce and Rob Looney, president of Texas Mid-Continent Oil and Gas.
Still, some people are quietly trying to fan opposition to Hall. It takes only 11 members of the 31-member Senate to block confirmation.
The Water Commission's declaration that the Edwards Aquifer is an underground river and thus subject to pumping limits and another controversial decision Jan. 6 are still reverberating.
In the January case, Hunter Environmental Services Inc. applied for state permits to drill 10 hazardous waste dumps in an underground salt dome near Dayton, in Liberty County. The project had drawn opposition from the Houston City Council and the Harris County Commissioners Court.
Although the proposed dump site is 35 miles from downtown Houston, it is 10 miles from Lake Houston, a source of Houston's water.
Among those trying to get the dump approved were lobbyist Jack Gullahorn of the Akin, Gump law firm; lobbyist Ricky Knox; former Texas Transportation Commission member Ray Stoker; former Texas Water Commission Chairman Lee Biggart; Austin developer Gary Bradley; Houston political consultant Dan McClung; and Austin political consultant George Shipley.
(Shipley was a consultant for Richards during her gubernatorial campaign. She came out against the Hunter project in 1990, while campaigning in Dayton.)
Although the Water Commission staff in October recommended rejecting all 10 dump sites, the commission's hearing examiners recommended approval for six sites. Then, the commission voted unanimously against all the sites. Hunter's stock nosedived, dropping from almost $6 a share to $1 the next day.
The firm acknowledged spending more than $20 million on lawyers, lobbyists, public relations representatives and expert testimony to pursue the permit, which was estimated to be worth $500 million.
Hall said Hunter did not prove an urgent need to use the salt domes, did not demonstrate that the dumps could be operated safely enough to protect the public and did not show that the company had sufficient financial backing.
Hall also looked askance at a matter raised by opponents to the project: that all six of Hunter's expert witnesses had been given stock in the company. Hall asked his staff to investigate the "appropriateness" of the arrangement and possibly draw rules governing how much weight such testimony should be given in the future.
"I think many citizens in the state would be concerned about expert testimony in which the witness has a stake in the outcome of the decision being contested," Hall said.
The support Hall has gotten from people like Whitworth, who might have been expected to oppose his confirmation, as well as from representatives of the environmental community, probably is enough to get him confirmed again. But there are some people with a desire to poison the water against him - if only they thought they could get away with it.
McNeely, an American-Statesman columnist, covers political issues affecting the state.
Ok that is it for the statesman, but I will be searching other avenues when I get home.
I hope we can find some personal info on this knox guy.
He is not listed as a principle for Entrecorp:
http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/servlet/cpa.app.coa.CoaGetTp?Pg=tpid&Search_Nm=Entrecorp%20&Button=search&Search_ID=30113595356
must keep digging...
... The report also alleges Smith took Texas ``kickbacks'' from a company co-owned by Knox's wife. The firm, GPMC, was hired by GTECH ``ostensibly to provide ribbon processing services in Texas,'' according to prosecutors....
Search of corporate records for GPMC in Tx:
http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/servlet/cpa.app.coa.CoaGetTp?Pg=tpid&Search_Nm=gpmc%20&Button=search&Search_ID=17424791352
No Knox listed as agent...
dig, dig, dig...
this was linked on drudge last night.....I'd say its a link between Barnes and Van Os via Texas DU party....Burkett may well be their useful idiot.
David Van Os
Summarized Biography
http://www.vanosforsupremecourt.com/vanos_biography.htm
Born: February 19, 1950, Kilgore, Texas
Age: 54
Personal
Son of Seymour and Francene Van Os, of Tyler, Texas
Married to Rachel Barrios-Van Os, a native of San Antonio
Four children, B.J., son, age 20; Kay, daughter, age 19, freshman at UTSA; Maya, daughter, age 7, second grade; Leya, daughter, age 6, first grade
Family resides in San Antonio
Educational Background
National Merit Finalist
Graduated Kilgore High School, May 1968
Awarded General Motors Scholarship (competitive) to attend University of Texas at Austin
Entered U.T. Austin September 1968, in Plan II, interdisciplinary honors degree program
Selected Junior Fellow, UT- Austin, 1970
Graduated U.T. Austin in Plan II, Cum Laude, May 1972
Entered U.T. Law School, August 1973
Received Human Rights Research Council Distinguished Research & Writing Award, 1974
Graduated U.T. Law School, August 1976
Employment and Professional Background
1976-78:
Associate Counsel, National Treasury Employees Union
1978-81:
Associate, Law Office of David R. Richards
1981-83:
In-house counsel for District 12, Texas, Communications Workers of America
1983-1989:
General Counsel, Texas AFL-CIO
1984-present:
Member and managing shareholder of law firm concentrating in Union-side labor law, representation of workers, and civil rights and human rights issues - David Van Os & Associates, P.C., composed of six lawyers, located in San Antonio, with regional practice from Texas to Missouri
Professional Honors
Ø AV-Rated Attorney, Martindale-Hubbell peer rating system, highest rating for legal ability and ethics
Ø Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Woodward & White, by peer review, Labor & Employment Law, since 1986
Ø Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, by invitation
Ø Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
Ø Listed in Texas Monthly’s “Super Lawyers 2003”
Political & Community Activities, Positions, & Honors
Ø Life Member, NAACP
Ø 1985-1995 – Member, Board of Directors, Texas Equal Access to
Justice Foundation, by appointment of Texas Supreme Court
Ø 1990 – President’s Citation for Achievement in Civil Rights, Austin NAACP
Ø 1990 – Civil Libertarian of the Year Award, Central Texas Chapter, ACLU
Ø 2002 – Texas Women’s Political Caucus “Good Guy” Award
Ø Attended every Texas Democratic State Convention since 1974
Ø Block-walked for Democratic Party general election tickets in 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2002
Ø President, Northeast Austin Democrats, 1978-1980
Ø Democratic Precinct Chairman, Travis County, 1981-88
Ø Travis County Democratic Party Chairman, 1996-98
Ø Ran in statewide General Election as Democrat for Texas Supreme Court, 1998
Ø 2000-2003 – Chairman, North East Bexar County Democrats
Ø 2001-03 – Democratic Precinct Chairman, Bexar County
Ø Represented Austin NAACP in federal voting rights suit over Austin City Council elections
Ø Represented LULAC in federal voting rights suit over Austin School Board elections
Ø Represented Central Texas ACLU in federal suit over re-segregation of Austin AISD elementary schools
Ø Traveled to Palm Beach, Flo
this was truncated from the preceding post:
Ø Traveled to Palm Beach, Florida, November-December 2000, to assist Democratic Party in vote recount efforts
Yup, been all over his site, but no mention of Barnes/Burkett. But then no list of former/current clients.
Check out the photo album:
http://www.vanosforsupremecourt.com/dvo_photo_album_campaign.htm
James Carville, the impeached Bill Clinton, Max Cleland!
Some people have no shame!
Iterestingly .. a Marian Knox of Houston contributed to the Marth Wong campaign ... Wong is a Republican.
Her son is Pat Carr ... she was obviously married before she took the name Knox. Trying to find the Knox she married...
There is also mention of Pat Carr who is active in Chamber of Commerce work in two different SE TX communities .. not sure if they are the same person.
OK, I know this sounds morbid, but check out the names in this Houston Obituary. Pay close attention to ALL the names.
This may be nothing, but we are looking for connections here. May not even be same Knox!
Funeral services for Mr. Robert Kyle, 41, of Conroe, will be Sunday, June 25, 2000, at 2 p.m. at Cashner Colonial Chapel with Pastor John Terry officiating. Interment will follow in Bays Chapel Cemetery with Cashner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be Saturday, June 24, 2000, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mr. Kyle passed away Thursday, June 22, 2000, at Memorial Hermann Hospital surrounded by his loving family. Born in Houston, July 4, 1958, he was the son of Mr. Rok and Elaine Kyle. He was the loving husband of Mrs. Cynthia Kyle and a proud and loving father of his daughters, Amanda, 10, and Christy, 7.
Robert and Cynthia were married for almost 16 years. Mr. Kyle attended Conroe High School, where he met his soul mate, Cynthia Knox. Together they built a more than loving and honorable life in Montgomery. Robert was a loyal and dedicated employee of RPS, now known as FED EX Ground.
Robert enjoyed many sports, although bowling was his greatest passion. His credits in the sport he loved so much consist of 11-300 games, one 800 series and many more top honors. Mr. Kyle served on the board of directors for the Montgomery Men’s Bowling Association for four years.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia; daughters, Amanda and Christy, of Montgomery; brothers, Tim Kyle, of Houston, and Tony Kyle, of Cleveland; father and mother-in-law, James and Linda Knox, of Richards; stepmother, Dolly Kyle, of Houston; three sisters-in-law, Debbie York, of Montgomery, Angela Kyle, of Cleveland, and Margo Kyle, of Houston; brother-in-law, Ricky Knox; grandmother, Ruth Kyle, of Houston; step-brother, Robert; step-sister, Anita; seven nieces; four nephews; and many, many aunts, uncles and cousins.
©The Courier 2003
I've been able to discern that her son is likely the Patrick Michael Carr that was born in Harris County TX in May of 1953. That would likely make him the Patrick M Carr that was married in Harris County TX in November of 1974.
What I cannot find is the name of the father or her Maiden name.
Neither can I find any woman with the name Marian (Carr or otherwise) getting married to any man with the surname Knox between 1968 and 2002 in Harris County, TX. So she would had to have gotten remarried prior to 1968, or she didn't get re-married in Harris Couty TX. (Or my eyes blurred and I missed it, but I don't think so.)
Where am I going with all this?
Not to slime the son, his name is nothing more than a research tool. I want to find the Knox.
I find it strangely coincidental that:
- Ricky Knox was the name of the campaign manager for President Bush's opponent when he ran for congress in 1978.
- Ricky Knox was the name of Ben Barnes' (of 60 minutes and Tom Daschle fame) former business partner when he was scamming lottery cash.
- And now the lady who could not remember Pres Bush's time in the Guard 2 weeks ago suddenly has clear memories of conversations from 30 years ago... and her married name is ... Knox.
Anyone out there with the resources to do some more follow up? I may be barking up a dead tree, but then again maybe not.
There was also a Marion (with an o) Carr who gave birth to Elbert Gene Carr in 1941 with a man named John H Carr.
Does Pat have an older brother?
Marion (with the O) and John also had a son Paul in 1939.
Typo or different lady?
Marian's husband was probably William A. Knox. I did a search here http://www.hcad.org/Records/ which is a database of Harris county property owners and came up with 4 properties for a Marion A Harris. When I checked for previous owners her primary residence showed it was coowned by William A. and Marion Knox bought in 1988. I double checked to make sure I had the right Marian at the voter registration site and sure enough the only Marion Knox registered to vote in Harris lives at that address and was born in 1918.
http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/voter/voter_cert.asp?cert=01176213 is the link for that database.
I haven't been able to find any record of what happened to William.
I'm with you, BlueNgold. It is strangely coincidental that the name Knox comes up as the name of the Guard's secretary, and a business partner for Barnes. I'm still digging around on whether the two are related.
We should dig into whether Barnes and Van Os can be firmly tied together as well.
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