“Political Sign Wars in Frisco”

While the world tackles climate change, AI ethics, and the moral collapse of TikTok, Frisco is dealing with… loss of our children’s innocence, assaults and stolen/vandalized political signs. That’s right, political signs!  Welcome to the great political crime spree of 2025 in what our Mayor and Council claim is one of the safest cities in America, or is something else going on?

If you’ve driven down Preston, Legacy, Main Street, or Eldorado lately, you may have noticed something peculiar: political signs popping up like spring weeds, then suddenly poof—gone. Others are bent, knocked over, or tossed into ditches like yesterday’s Whataburger cup. Some have been found face-down in drainage ditches, others mysteriously sliced like a scene from a low-budget political thriller.

On March 30th, we had a candidate reach out to us letting us know that 15 of her political signs were stolen and several more intentionally damaged.  She also stated that zip ties were cut, poles were pushed over, and some poles were completely missing.  She documented the damage with pictures to us and said she would be filing a police report.  We decided to pull a PIR and research the issue because last year we got the same complaints from candidates. 

Now, don’t get us wrong, sign fatigue is real. By week three, those smiling headshots and bold promises start to blur together. But here’s the twist: it’s not just Mother Nature or rogue sprinklers. Nope.  It seems there’s something more coordinated—and sneakier—going on.

Reporting Political Signs

First step, we indexed the reports in order.  What we found or should we say who we found reporting them – was quite interesting!

1/26/25: Email to City Secretary from Mel M (kookykate) asking how she would make a report for political signage being out more than 90 days before the election.

1/26/25: Email to City Secretary from Councilman John Keating, yes, he used his official city email to report a Elad sign at Legacy & Eldorado.  He wanted to know when signs can go up and reported that it does not have Place 4 on the sign.  Kristi Morrow replied to him they can go up 90 days prior to an election and nothing in the state code says it has to have a place number on it.

Side Note: Keating has endorsed Elad’s opponent, he is one of the longest councilman in the history of Frisco, he has run several times – so shouldn’t he know the rules by now?  Nope. He has to email the City Secretary to ask which shows off his complete incompetent nature.

2/25/25  Case 25023400: Reporting Party said a political sign struck a water line for the HOA water which has now been turned off and they wanted to file a vandalism complaint and complained to be with the HOA.  The reporter was unsure if it was a city pipe or commercial pipe and he was told to contact the city water department.

2/25/25 Service Request 4914712: Ann Anderson reported a political sign at the corner of Preston / Warren and wanted to know if it was allowed to be there because she has never seen signage in Stonebriar area of the city.

2/27/25:  Email to City Secretary from John Lettelleir, Director of Development Services for the City of Frisco.  He was concerned about a sign located on the west side of Independence Pkwy, just north of SH 121 (in front of Race Trac) and was concerned if that was city property.  Kristi Morrow, City Secretary responded she also noticed there are signs in the right-of-way along Dallas Parkway / Cotton Gin, and Dallas Parkway / Main.  She went on to say some seem to be running down Dallas Parkway by the hospital but not necessarily at an intersection but placed close to the road. 

2/27/25: Email to City Secretary from Cindy Hons asking for the city to check the placement of the following signs below. 

Muni Sign: NE corner of 121/Preston

Sangita Sign: SE corner of Gaylord/Preston

Sangita Sign: SW corner of Warren/Preston

Sangita Sign: SE corner of Eldorado and Dallas Parkway (alongside Eldorado)

Side Note: We can only assume Cindy Hons makes her away around the city often to see all these signs in one day. 

2/27/25  Case# CE25-00618: Randy Archambualt called code enforcement to make a complaint related to “incorrect sign placement” regarding a Burt Thakur political sign on teal parkway.  It is interesting that Randy was once married to Rene (Frisco ISD BOT) and is a known supporter for the opposite side of the isle.

2/28/25 Email to City Secretary: Ginni Scott emailed the city secretary regarding the political sign she felt was a “safety concern” at the intersection of Teel Pkwy / The Trails Pkwy.

2/28/25  Email to City Secretary from Ben Brezina Assistant City Manager regarding a “big giant political sign” for Burt Thakur at Teel / The Trails Parkway and he is concerned that is hard to see oncoming south bound traffic when trying to turn south on to Teel. 

Amy Moore, Code Enforcement Supervisor immediately sends it to Amy Smith telling her to have it checked TODAY and if this is VISION CLIP to remove it.  She specifically notes “THIS IS FROM 5TH FLOOR AND BEN LIVES OVER THERE”

Side Note: Why does it matter that it came in from the 5th FLOOR?  The fact that Amy Moore wrote that in her email, clearly shows a bias.  Ben Brezina works for the City Manager’s Office, who clearly supports the encumbant and the FCFA. If it is not a targeted attack by all of these folks – it sure looks like it.

3/4/25 Case# CE25-00681: Reporter listed as ADMIN sent an email (which the city did not provide us) lodging a complaint for “Incorrect Sign Placement” at the NE Corner State Hwy 121 and Preston for a MUNI sign.  It was determined by code enforcement that the sign as NOT in violation.  Who is the ADMIN that reported it?

3/4/25  Case# CE25-00695: Email complaint received by Caleb Davis for a Burt Thakur sign located at the NE Corner of Preston / Lebanon and it was later determined it was NOT in violation. 

3/4/25  Case# CE25-00697: Email complaint received by Caleb Davis for a Burt Thakur sign at the SW Corner of Preston / Lebanon and it was later determined it was NOT in violation. 

Side Note: We researched the number on the report for Caleb Davis and funny thing – the number did not come back to a Caleb Davis nor anyone that lives in Frisco.

Is This the Pettiest Political Season Yet?  Yes!  City officials and supporters of specific candidates are now going around documenting and reporting their opponents’ signs to the City—for being too close to the curb, for not having the right permit, or just for existing in the wrong median. It’s like Mean Girls but with clipboards and zoning codes.

Sign Stealer in our Midst?  Multiple candidates have emailed us that their signs have been damaged or stollen.  Removing your opponent’s signs doesn’t make your message stronger, it makes you look desperate. It’s political sabotage with the maturity level of a middle schooler sneaking gum into detention.

For those thinking of tampering with a campaign political sign – don’t!  In Texas, tampering with campaign signs is a crime and is a Class C misdemeanor.  That’s the same category as public intoxication and fireworks violations—basically, it’s for people who lack impulse control and creativity.

Why the Drama Over Corrugated Plastic? Is it just ego? Control issues? The thrill of a late-night mission to liberate signs from a busy intersection?  Maybe. But more likely, it’s a symptom of something deeper, a political culture that’s forgotten how to win people over with ideas and instead relies on eliminating competition by any means necessary. Including sign sabotage.

What does this say about us as voters, as neighbors, as a city? Maybe it says we need to start demanding more maturity from the people asking for our votes. Or maybe it just says that campaign season turns otherwise reasonable adults into territorial raccoons with a hammer and a clipboard. Either way, the message is clear: Frisco deserves better. We can disagree on policy without disappearing each other’s signs in the dead of night. Let’s raise the bar, not just the yard signs.

We want to hear from you: Do you think Burt Thakur, Muni, Jared Elad and Sangita Datta are being targeted?

Seen any suspicious sign activity?  Know someone with a trunk full of political signage that doesn’t belong to them? Report it to the police or drop us a line—anonymity guaranteed.

Keating Rescinds Endorsement

Currently, our great city of Frisco is facing a lot of pressure from “outside forces” relating to the Anthony / Metcalf case.  Everywhere you turn, from social media posts to the news stations (nationwide), they are talking about this case.  We have a Civil Rights Group meeting with our Police Department, demanding fair justice and asking our Board of Trustees not to expel Anthony when he has one month left in his senior year.

Recently, we saw a post by Councilman, John Keating where he said he recently endorsed a Frisco ISD Trustee candidate, believing we shared a vision for academic excellence, transparency and parental empowerment.  He went on to say he was made aware of several social media posts the candidate made in the past which contradict those values.”  Then he closes with in light of these revelations, I am withdrawing my endorsement for this candidate.

At first, we were confused because Mr. Keating, who has Whistleblower blocked from his Official Councilman page (breaking the law), never saw a post of his “original endorsement.”  We started digging around and realized he had endorsed Stuart Shulman for Frisco ISD BOT Place 3.  We looked through Shulman’s page and didn’t see much that concerned us, which left us more confused.  Then we saw in several different Facebook groups, screenshots of posts from his page that had been shared, and now we understood. 

The first photo is of Shulman with a Beto For Texas sign.  No big deal vote for who you want as that is your constitutional right!  However, Keating claims to be a Republican and he donates to several Republicans and for him to OPENLY ENDORSE a democrat is a BIG Problem because he will lose his claim to be a Republican (to his Republican friends).  He can quietly endorse a democrat and then play stupid but not someone openly posting their political view. As we said to each his own, we are a house divided and it is Shulman’s constitutional right to vote for whoever he wants, and we respect our differences.   

Then we saw the BLM – Black Lives Matter Post!  Here is a man who wants to run for our Board of Trustee’s openly supporting a racially divisive group.  Everyone has a feeling or opinion on BLM and to act as if it is not controversial would-be understatement.  We just had a horrible thing happen here in our district and if Shulman was on the Board of Trustee’s would he be shouting Black Lives Matter?  He should be shouting ALL OUR KIDS LIVES MATTERS!  Would that make an impact on his decisions?  Honestly, I don’t want to find out! 

This is not Frisco!  Frisco is a blended community and that is honestly what makes us great.  We may not all agree politically – that’s okay!  We may not all operate the same – that’s okay!  However, divisive rhetoric based on race or the color of one’s skin tone is simply unacceptable from a Leader in this city.  Our children need real leaders right now!  Our school district has real LIFE AND DEATH issues happening.  Our children deserve to be safe and know that all their lives matter (red, yellow, brown, black, white and blue).   The last thing we need is someone on our Board of Trustees who supports any type of race-driven organization or racially divisive groups.  Just NOT ACCEPTABLE!

The question we have after this tragic event and after all the folks saying we are not a racially divided community – why didn’t the rest of them pull their endorsements?  That’s right, Shulman is endorsed by a lot of our folks in our community and no one else pulled their endorsements.  It begs the question do the following folks support a man who openly supports a racially divisive group to be on our schoolboard?  Do they think this is the kind of leader we need today facing the adversity we are facing?  If yes, then you should question THEIR JUDGEMENT! 

Are we surprised Mayor Jeff Cheney endorsed him?  No, he already took a knee in solidarity!

What about the rest?  At a time when we should be unified for ALL THE CHILDREN IN OUR DISTRICT – do these so-called leaders support this?  The two other candidates (Suresh and Renee) that have been campaigning with him – silent! Angelia Pelham – silent! Rene Archambault – Silent! The list goes on! If these leaders sit in silence at this time, after what has happened then in our opinion, they do support him and what he stands for. They are advocating for him to be on the Board of Trustee’s. Is that what you want for your child? Is that what we want for all the children in the district? I hope not!

So here we are, perched on the edge of civic glory or total chaos, depending on which Facebook group you follow. Early voting begins tomorrow, and I encourage you to participate. Not just because it matters (which it does), but because if you don’t vote, someone with worse judgment than you will.

The Frisco Chronicles
Your Friendly Neighborhood Overthinker

Frisco’s Human Trafficking

If you hear “Frisco, Texas” what is the first thing that pops into your head?  Is it the glitzy new PGA lifestyle we have?  Maybe it’s The Frisco Star, oh wait, the Cowboys would need to win a game first. What about The Mix or Grand Park, our bad, those are not built yet.  Soon to be new downtown in time for FIFA?   Maybe it is none of those things!  Maybe you are more pragmatic and think of the CROWN JEWEL … that we are the #1 Safest City, where nothing bad ever happens, or at least that is what the city wants you to believe.

Certainly nothing bad is happening behind the tinted windows of countless “massage” parlors scattered across town, right? Nope, in the city that proudly boasts its title as the #1 safest place to live, there’s absolutely no way anything shady could be going on.  If it were, surely our vigilant city council and ever-watchful police force would be all over it, right? Because it’s not like they’d want anything to hurt that squeaky-clean image or anything…

Back in November we received an email tip from one resident who was concerned about the number of POP UP “Massage Parlors” and how they seem to be as popular as the fast-food restaurants on every corner.  The resident noted that she went to pick up an RX late one evening and while sitting in her car waiting in line, she noticed a massage business with tinted windows and a scrolling open neon sign saying open until 11pm with men coming and going the whole time. 

She felt something was off and was pretty sure illegal activities were happening there, but like many residents turned a blind eye.  It was not until her neighbor mentioned something two days later about going there to get a massage and was turned away because they were “busy.”  The neighbor noted that there were no cars near the place, and it didn’t make sense.  That is when she told her neighbor about her concern and what she saw when picking up her RX earlier that week. 

The next day the neighbor who had been refused service texted (still upset) saying she googled the business, and she was shocked when the phone number pulled up sex ads.  She texted her screenshots which prompted her to go look it up too!  After finding the shocking info she decided to file a report with Frisco PD they were supposed to send her a statement form to fill out but never did.   After a few weeks of no response to her call and email, she reported it to us, and we started looking into it!

When you first google the name of the business Massage Aces it appears to be very reputable!  It is located at 423 & Stonebrook Parkway behind the CVS Pharmacy.  They had a link to their YouTube Channel which showed a nice video of a reputable massage business. A simple search of the business phone number just like the tipster said, brought us to a whole new world.

The business phone number on the website pops up on multiple “other” websites like bodyrubsmap, bedpage, skipthegames, and craigslist. The ads offer massages, sex, clean girls, escorts, and call girls which all link back to the business address 400 Stonebrook Pkwy, and the business phone number. Disturbing pictures of rather young girls in sexually provocative poses and clothing.

We were shocked that this was reported sometime in late October, and nothing was done until the middle of February 2025. The tipster forwarded us the email she sent to Frisco PD, leaving us wondering – what took so long to take action? How many other massage parlors are there in Frisco, just like this? We determined within one day of getting the tip this was a front for a lewd sexually oriented business. Just google the phone number that offers sex in their “CLEAN ROOMS” with “CLEAN GIRLS!” We are left wondering if the issue of being the safest city will be on John Keating’s political mayor when he tries to run for Mayor! Frisco…the home of human trafficking and exploited underage girls! Ladies check your husbands’ receipts, if you see Massage Aces or Sandy Spa, it might be time to talk with them.

Our biggest concern is the safety of these young women being trafficked, the fact that it is 1/2 mile from our schools and backs up to our neighborhoods. At least we can assure you as of this week Frisco PD, Code Enforcement, or Building Inspections did stop by, and the business has a big “red tag” on the door! It was done with little fanfare, not to attract attention to it. The notice is for an “occupancy issue” under the new name Sandy Spa. The red tag notes it is a “sexually oriented business” and closed until further notice. Wouldn’t you like to know what the city and/or Frisco PD did to protect these women? Our guess is not much in hopes of quietly moving them to another city so it’s “not in our #1 backyard!”

NFL BREAK-IN

Goodbye, 2024, you chaotic overachiever, and hello 2025! Like every New Year, we dive in headfirst and pretend that turning the page in our calendar will suddenly fix our lives! We treat each year like a shiny new model, but are we expecting too much? Gym memberships rise, and vision boards are crafted, and plastered with our new year’s resolutions. Really those “visions” are like drunk promises we know we won’t keep.

By day three or four, we are tired of eating Kale and wish we had the holiday cookies still left in our pantry. One thing that never changes with each new year is that we know whatever promises or commitments we made in good faith will most likely never be met because they are just one of those New Year’s resolutions that fall by the wayside. Cheers to the illusion of change!

As we enter the new year one would hope our City Council members had an epiphany to put the community first over their own self-interests. Soon we will know because a new year also means a new city council election and guess what, it is right around the corner. The first day to file for a place on the ballot is January 15th and the last day to file for a place on the ballot is February 14th. Time will fly and soon it will be April 22nd, the first day to early vote. All of it will come to a close on election day which is May 3rd.

From now through election time, you can expect to hear how the candidates or incumbents will be transparent and represent you the residents. We will hear the same old tired-out slogans such as “We are the #1 this and the #1 that.” You can bet money the incumbents will talk about how “we are the #1 Safest City” and how they have a personal stakeholder position in making that happen. It leaves us wondering if residents will open their eyes to the fact that the city manipulates what we “need to know” versus the truth of what is happening around us! Remember John “Cheating” Keating (who hopes to be our next Mayor) threw the #1, #1, #1 in our face over and over during his election.

Even high-profile NFL athletes are not exempt from being the victims of crime. By now you have heard about the burglaries targeting the homes of NFL players, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Recently, local DFW news stations reported that on December 27th in the affluent upscale Preston Hollow neighborhood, the home of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was broken into. Reports say the thieves got away with $30,000 worth of jewelry. The FBI has gone as far as to warn the NFL and NBA that players need to increase the security of their homes when they are away playing, and they believe they have connected these burglaries to a “transnational South American theft group.”

The good thing is we can rest easy here in Frisco! We are the #1 SAFEST CITY! That means it would never happen here, right? One might think since Frisco is known as Sports City USA, we could be a target! If something like that happened here, surely the city and Frisco PD would put out a crime alert to warn the residents of Frisco. It would have made the local news stations just like Luca Doncic home break-in. Frisco has several affluent neighborhoods, filled with high-profile players, and I am sure their neighbors would want to know if that happened in their community.

FWB received a tip over the holiday break that it did happen here! In fact, based on the police report, the home burglary took place in our very own affluent community of Stonebriar Country Club. According to one website, residents of SCC enjoy a wealth of amenities in the exclusive guard-gated community that epitomizes luxury with elegant homes and a lifestyle of unparalleled sophistication and tranquility. Residents should know they are not exempt from this kind of potential danger.

When did this happen? November 28th just after Thanksgiving, during the Dallas Cowboys game against the New York Giants at AT&T stadium. The home game started at 4:30 pm and the report states the crime was committed 11/28/24 between the times of 15:05 (3:05 pm) and 20:44 (8:44 pm). Ken Wang is listed as the case officer and the Incident Report number is 24143447. The offense code is listed as Burglary of Habitation. The Frisco Police Report states 8 watches totaling $550,000 along with 2 purses totaling $100,000 were stolen. The remarks state unknown suspect forced entry into a home and stole $700,000 worth of miscellaneous jewelry. Luca Doncic got off easy!

To protect the NFL player, we are not going to release his name or address because his family has been through enough! We can tell you we googled the address, and we were surprised to see it on Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. One would assume that Realtors who handle multi-million-dollar listings like this would remove the photos once the listing is sold. The images on the Douglas Elliman listing, show the whole home, and the location and access points of the home. Douglas Elliman is a well-known, respected real estate brokerage which is why we are a little surprised the listing agent did not remove the photos after selling it. We are curious if those images could have helped the criminals figure out how to access the home.

I asked my neighbor, a Frisco Realtor if agents usually remove high-end listing photos after a sale. He said that good Realtors are usually proactive and to protect the privacy of both parties after a sale, they request removal of the images on luxury listings. He also told us while the listing agent can request the removal of photos after a home has been sold, there is no guarantee a third-party website will take them down. I asked him how an owner could request the images be removed and he told me owners can google how to remove the pictures of your home from real estate websites and each one has step-by-step instructions on how a homeowner can remove them.

Residents of Frisco had the right to know about a burglary of a habitation where over $700,000 worth of valuables were stolen in our opinion. Frisco PD could have withheld the player’s name and address but a warning to the community. How is it, that every other high-end pro-athlete burglary made the news, and this one didn’t? Did Frisco PD ask the FBI if this could be related to the other high-end thefts? How come we never heard about this burglary on the news?

The city does not point out we are a safe city, they always say we are the #1 safest city and to be honest, it does not feel very safe here anymore. We have had more crimes, shootings, and God knows what else because leaders manipulate want, they want to share so it fits their narrative. Just like they manipulated the sales presentation of Universal Kids. After it passed, residents learned everything they promised changed from the height of rides, the traffic congestion they claim will not happen, and the times the theme park would be open. In Frisco, the NFL stands for Navigating Frisco Lies!

Magic Number

There is a magical art behind asking for something you want and then getting it!  I read an essay many years ago that talked about how culturally it was not always the norm to ask directly for what you want and when we do, we are usually bad at it.  People tend to hem and haw and often walk away from asking because we cannot clearly articulate the message.  For example, many are uncomfortable asking their boss for a raise or salary bump.

Persuasion tactics are strategies that can help you convince people to see things your way and being good using these tactics is usually an art form.  To be good, or to be great you must first know exactly what you want and what you need others to “buy in” to.   Second you must ground yourself in why you are doing it and make sure it resonates with you so you can “sell it from the heart.”  Third, you must be able to state clearly and with no confusion what you are asking for or trying to sell to the people. It must be direct, clear and specific.  Lastly, you must be selective and targeted about who you ask or when you announce it. 

In Frisco, one man is very good at Persuasion Tactics and his name is Mayor Jeff Cheney.  When he “wants” something in Cheneyville, well he gets it!  He is very good at “telling you” what you want versus “asking” residents what they want.  For example, he has put together his team and he has been gathering his clan of supporters to push for the Performing Arts Centre.  When he hit a no with the public/private partnership with the school district and Hall Group, he didn’t stop.  Nope, he just changed course and came back at it again with his little clan in toe.  Next thing you know he will get what he wants, residents will bitch, and no one knows the wiser of how we ended up here.

The talk of a Performing Arts Centre is not new, but what is new is we are curious “How much has this cost taxpayers?”   The city has spent $1.6+ million on the current Theatre Projects assessment or feasibility study, but how many others have we done in the past?  What were the costs to taxpayers in the previous studies?  Why are we doing so many studies?   When it comes to wanting studies and assessments what is the magic number of how many we will do before we say enough is enough?  We did some research, and this is what we found:

Feb 17, 2015: Under the consent agenda for the city council meeting item 17 reads, “Consider and act upon approval of publishing a RFQ for the development and implementation of a study to examine the feasibility of a performing/theatre arts facility within the corporate limits of the City of Frisco.”  We looked high and low and could not determine how much any of this cost.  We could not even find the RFQ they approved to publish.

2015: Frisco Association of the Arts commissioned a “Facility Programming Report” by Page Southerland Page.  According to the minutes for the Citizens Bond Committee on 01/26/2015, Tammy Meinershagen provided an update that a feasibility group has been identified to conduct a study for the PAC in Frisco.  She went on to say it would take about six (6) months to complete the study and has an estimated cost of $200,000 dollars.

2018: The City of Frisco commissioned a “Needs Assessment” by Webb Management Services and Parkhill Smith & Cooper (PSC).  According to a Community Impact article, the study showed there 14 performing arts groups that have 667 days of demand for performance facilities in Frisco.  According to the study, the majority of this demand—466 days—calls for a facility with 225 to 500 seats while 177 days of demand calls for a facility of 1,001 to 1,750 seats.  At the June 2018 Council Summer Work session, PSC Associate Michael Howard presented the findings and told the council there is not enough capacity in Frisco right now.  At that time Cheney told Community Impact that “it was council’s preference to use available bond funds to build a 300- to 500-seat facility to meet the current demand of community arts groups with the hope of working with a private partner to build a larger performing arts center.”  Of course, Cheney always changes his tune later!  The CI article goes on to say the Councils “Performing Arts Committee is in the middle of a feasibility study to determine the size and needs of a potential PAC.”    HOW MUCH DID IT COST – We don’t know!  We can’t find anywhere in an agenda search where this shows up from 2017 to 2019. 

August 2020: Frisco ISD commissioned a “Programming Report” by Schuler Shook.  We can’t determine how much this one cost our ISD Taxpayers either.  We have sent a PIR asking for that information.

October 2020: The City of Frisco and Frisco ISD commissioned a “Feasibility Report” by Garfield Public Private and Schuler Shook.  Well Shocker – we cannot find anywhere what this one cost taxpayers either!

September 2021: Frisco Arts Foundation commissioned a “Market & Feasibility Study” by Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc.   We cannot find out how much this one cost either.  However, we are guessing since each year the city “FUNDS” the FAA through Hotel/Motel Fund somehow Taxpayers still paid for it.

May 2022: City of Frisco, Frisco ISD, and Hall Group commissioned a “Space Analysis Narrative by Corgan + Studio Gang.  In February of 2022 the city council authorized an agreement for services in the amount of $175,000 dollars.   Remember in late June of 2021, the city and Frisco ISD entered a public-private partnership with developer Craig Hall to construct a $67 million performing arts center. The city has agreed to contribute $14 million in voter-approved bond money, while Frisco ISD will contribute $43 million from the 2018 bond package, and Hall will contribute $10 million.  Remember this is the one that “FELL APART” and truly if the city had wanted a PAC would have been the best option for everyone involved but we have learned from city insiders that “to many chiefs got involved” which caused the band to break up. 

July 2022:  Hall Group commissioned and performed a “Proposal and Outline” and we could not find out what the cost of this study was.

January 2023: The City of Frisco commissioned and executed an agreement with Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc., for consulting services related to a performing arts venue in the amount of $99,300 which was to be paid for by Bond Funds

September 2023: The City of Frisco commissioned part two of the agreement with Theatre Projects Consultants, Inc., in the amount of $1,415,500 dollars.  Recently in 2024 after some CLARITY they Upp’d that amount to $1.6 million as we told you in our last article.

We did learn a few interesting facts along this deep dive…

According to the Dallas Morning News, “Frisco leaders also launched the HEARTS Project initiative — an acronym for Hall, Education and the Arts — to crowdsource an additional $100 million in donations for auxiliary upgrades. The amenities could include a large video screen facing The Star in Frisco, box suites, a VIP arts club with membership benefits, Frisco summer musicals, and a restaurant or bistro, according to the campaign website, but would not contribute to additional seating.”  The 2021 article went on to say that “although city officials have previously said the center could host professional performances, the petition states that the limited seating capacity is too small for consideration by Touring Broadway. Experts recommend between 1,750 and 2,000 seats, according to the petition, which cited Theatre Projects’ market assessment and feasibility study for Frisco.

Next, we found it interesting just a few years ago in 2021 Frisco ISD had committed $43 million from a 2018 bond package and now they are back in 2024 asking voters to VOTE FOR the new 1-billion-dollar bond because they are broken penniless poppers!  Just a few years later, they are begging for us to vote in favor of the bonds so the Frisco Kids can have an 11,000,000-tennis center. 

We also learned Keating was a huge fan of the arts from a 2018 article in Lifestyle Frisco.  He is quoted as saying Deputy Mayor Pro Tem John Keating said, “This is our chance to blow it out of the water, Frisco style!”  Remember, Keatings motto in his last re-election we are #1 this, #1 that, #1 here, #1 there!  Now he is closing on his house in The Preserve at Fields the #1 most exclusive community in King Cheney’s Frisco.

In closing, the city has buried how much these things cost deep in agendas, under nicknames and code words, hoping that you or I will give up looking.  We did but what we can tell you with the most recent study in 2023 plus the other three we are at about $2 million alone in just “STUDIES, ASSESSMENTS, ANALYSIS” done for a Performing Arts Center.  That means we are going to keep paying money for these via the bonds, hotel/motel tax fund, or something else until King Cheney gets his Performing Arts Center.  You can bet little pretty Princess Tammy will be right next to him the whole way.  Trailing behind will be their wingman “John “The Infamous Cheating” Keating. 

Diving into all this has taken a lot more time than we expected and unless you understand the arts and all these studies it is a bunch of well-pitched jargon crap to confuse the residents of Frisco.  We will continue our deep dive into this because we know the city is about to hit us with a bond. It will be through the City or the secret weapon “THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD”.  Just wait and see…. the EDC will make the pitch because the city has been called out.

Guilty of Gaslighting?

The other day I was reading an article about the most common 6 phrases people say to gaslight and manipulate you.  What is gaslighting? It is a manipulation tactic often wielded by emotional disruptive abusers and is insidious in nature making it hard for a person to recognize the tactic is happening.  What happens when someone tries to gaslight you?

Gradually you begin to question your own judgement, memories, feelings and questioning reality.  The article quoted therapist Shannon Thomas who stated that “people who cannot authentically argue their point of view or stand behind their words turn to gaslighting as a tool.”  She went on to say ’they resort to confusion creating tactics, and that it really is a true sign of character weakness.

It made me think back to our recent elections and the mixed messaging the city tried to sell to citizens while attacking our Frisco Firefighters relentlessly while also saying they support our first responders and dedicate at least ½ our annual budget to public safety.  They also attacked and tried to destroy the reputation of Former Fire Chief, Mark Piland by saying he was the problem and the reason for the low morale.  The solution, to make Lee Glover, the new “SAVING GRACE” Fire Chief. Based on the In-Service notes we have reviewed, the city may have failed “BIG TIME” and the leader driving the bus is our very own City Manager, Wes Pierson!

After the election was over there was a large disdain between our Fire Department and the city so they planned a weeklong set of In-Service Meetings, aka “Healing Sessions” to listen to the firefighters’ concerns.  We filed a PIR for anything related to those meetings and after reading the 50+ page report of notes one thing became very clear, the city council knowingly and repeatedly lied to citizens during the election.

Example 1:  The Vote No PAC, funded by Frisco Developers, and run by Mayor Pro Tem Bill Woodard

Councilman Woodard was interviewed by Jack Fink with CBS Texas and when asked why the Fire Fighters were bringing the propositions to the ballot, he specifically said due to the “FORMER LEADERSHIP” of the department, referring to Former Fire Chief Mark Piland.  We assumed we would see some of those issues noted in this 50+ page report, however only 2 comments were made, which is one the environment is a little more relaxed now (uniforms) and that Piland may have tended to over communicate to the department. 

However, they had a lot to say about the current Fire Chief, Lee Glover.   When it comes to budgeting and purchasing new equipment, they feel the Chief Glover is out of touch with today’s firefighting tactics.  Firefighters said Glovers’ only tactic since arriving has been cost cutting measures to look good to the City Manager’s Office and council and that means he his neglecting his duty to his command.

Remember the Blood Program, otherwise known as which was carried by the Squad Unit? Refresh your memory by reading our older articles “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Make It Look Pretty.” At the time Councilman Woodard was the “city mouthpiece” across social media supporting Glover’s decision to end the Squad program and transfer the blood program to two battalion chief vehicles.  The report talks about Glover’s cost cutting measures and how the firefighters believe removing the Squad Unit and transferring the Blood Program was a huge failure as it took away two extra working people on calls and losing the expertise of the Squad members could be and will be deadly to citizens.   

What is the end result of the firefighter’s statement above about their concerns with Glover being out of touch with today’s firefighting tactics?   Chief Glover has cut valid programs, training and they believe he is purchasing the wrong equipment.  Glover has also de-incentivized training under his command, and today they have less training which is dangerous.   Courses and training are required for promotions to the next rank and other departments pay for employees to attend training, but Glover is telling his command to “put stock in your own training.”  As for equipment, Glover is buying more Quints -the big bulky fire trucks of the old days, which are hard to get around the neighborhood’s tight and crowded streets.  The firefighters prefer more engines and tillers. We are told engines are quicker and shorter in size making them a better choice. We are also told the tillers are an advantageous truck because they can go anywhere, carries more tools and is quicker to vent with 107’ ladder. 

Are we done yet?  Oh no, we are just getting started!  There is so much to go over that we are going to break it up into multiple articles this week.  Tonight, we leave you with three questions:

1. Why is the City Council and City Manager gaslighting residents into believing all of these issues are due to Former Fire Chief Piland who was endorsed by the Frisco Firefighters Assocation this year during the election?

2. Why is the City Council and City Manager gaslighting residents into thinking the problem is our Fire Association, who they called Greedy Bastards, power hungry and lazy during the election?

3. Why is the City Council and City Manager dying on a sharp sword for Fire Chief Lee Glover who in all respects to his command his nowhere to be found and neglecting his duty to his command?

We leave you with a strong remark in the In-Service notes which we stated above, “Firefighters believe Glover’s only goal is to look good to the City Manager’s Office and City Council which results in him neglecting his duty to his command.” ….. come back tomorrow for part two

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE MADE CORRECTIONS TO OUR ARTICLE BASED ON MORE DETAILS RECEIVED. CORRECTIONS CAN BE NOTED IN RED OR WITH A STRIKETHROUGH MARK.