Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 279, Ed. 1 Monday, May 8, 2017 Page: 5 of 14
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LOCAL/STATE
5A
Denton Record-Chronicle
Monday, May 8, 2017
I asked Marchant for an
interview about this. If he said
yes, I would have lost my story.
How can you be lost in space if
you’re giving a true interview to
an inquiring watchdog? But he
declined.
Where, oh where, is Kenny?
“Out of pocket,” his press
aide says.
No lie.
That’s when I decided the
nickname given to him by one
of his detractors fits so well.
Marchant, 66, truly is the
Incognito Congressman.
Burgess does it right
In contrast, U.S. Rep. Mi-
chael Burgess, R-Pilot Point,
the congressman one district
over, should be the one run-
ning with his back to the wind.
He’s considered a prime author
of the repeal-and-replace bill.
Burgess stood behind the presi-
dent at the White House cele-
bration.
Burgess isn’t avoiding his
constituents. Burgess holds
town halls, which Marchant
won’t do. (Marchant prefers
something called a “telephonic
town hall.”)
Burgess’ Lake Dallas district
office is marked with a highway
sign. Marchant’s is not.
Burgess’ door displays the
congressional seal, along with a
clear display of his staff’s office
hours.
that actually were taxpayer-paid
campaign promotions. His
$122,000 mailing bill to taxpay-
ers was many times higher than
other area members of Congress.
At the time, Marchant, his
press aide and his political con-
sultant all ignored me. He was
incognito before he earned the
name.
They make posters.
They made a fake virtual
billboard.
They made a lost-and-found
note for the congressman.
They dropped off an Easter
egg basket.
They also left cupcakes.
They taunt with tweets and
Facebook postings (’’The guy is
a ghost.”)
Once before, I covered
someone I labeled the “In-
visible Congressman.” U.S. Rep.
Joe Barton, R-Ennis, saw cities
in Northeast Tarrant County
added to his vast district. He
rarely made the trip to see his
people.
Back in 2001,1 reported
how the mayors of four cities
asked to be rid of him.
It worked. During the next
redistricting, their towns were
given over to hometown con-
gresswoman Kay Granger.
Sometimes invisible or
incognito members of Congress
do get the boot.
But that’s as rare as a Kenny
Marchant sighting.
Dallas Morning News staff
writer Marina Trahan Marti-
nez contributed to this report.
From Page 1A
ABOUT THIS
COLUMN
Lieber
The Watchdog Desk works for
you to shine light on
questionable practices in
business and government. We
welcome your story ideas and
questions, the congressman
wrote that security is a concern.
His district office isn’t protect-
ed like the U.S. Capitol.
“I will not risk public safety
to entertain individuals that
have no desire to respectfully
discuss important issues,” Mar-
chant writes.
“The only complaints re-
ceived are from members of
the obstructionist group —
Indivisible. The same people
that contacted you met with
members of my staff on mul-
tiple occasions.
“These groups,” Marchant
continued, “prioritize public
disturbance over constructive
dialogue to further their cause.”
The two sides are now en-
gaged in a game of sorts. In-
divisible members want to find
Marchant. Marchant doesn’t
want to find them.
So who are these obstruc-
tionists?
They call themselves “In-
divisible-Texas 24” — for Mar-
Wlien I visited Burgess’
office, a staffer told me that a
member of his staff meets with
members of the Indivisible
group on Mondays.
Burgess handles it the oppo-
site of Marchant in almost
tips.
Contact The Watchdog
Email:
watchdog@dallasnews.com
Call: 214-977-2952
Write: Dave Lieber, P.0. Box
655237, Dallas, TX 75265
Standoff
Although Marchant, in his
email, stated that his Irving
office is open weekdays with
four staff members, constitu-
ents dispute that. But Mar-
chant’s note explains, “When
locked, during normal busi-
ness hours, my staff may be
attending” to constituent
services.
The Dallas Morning News
received several letters of com-
plaint about Marchant’s low-key
approach to his district Two
were printed as letters to the
editor.
every way.
Marchant incognito
The Incognito Congressman
ignored me before. Maybe he
doesn’t like confrontation.
Maybe he needs a little of what
ailed the Cowardly lion.
C-O-U-R-A-G-E.
Maybe since his district is so
gerrymandered with favored
Republican lines, he’s not wor-
ried. (The seven-termer got 56
percent of the vote last time.)
Back in 2012,1 revealed how
Marchant abused his congressio-
nal mailing privileges. Once he
learned he had a primary oppo-
nent, he mailed out cheesy
“official business” newsletters
chant’s 24th District. They are
a group of about 900 sympa-
thizers sharing a closed Face-
book group. They’re not Trump
fans. Their main priority seems
to be to save Obamacare.
When Marchant voted yes
on the House bill Thursday to
repeal Obamacare, they lit up
Marchant’s Facebook page with
a big bowl of nasty.
Weeks ago, a few of Mar-
chant’s constituents started
posting pictures on social me-
dia in front of his office door.
They knock. When there’s no
answer, they drop off little gifts
or tape notes to the door.
“It’s been so frustrating”
trying to talk to Marchant, says
Marsha Fishman, one of In-
divisible’s informal leaders. ‘We
just had to have some fun with
it’
trolled Legislature over objections
from Democrats and immigrant
rights supporters who’ve packed
the Texas Capitol. They call it a
“show-me-your-papers” measure
that will be used to discriminate
against Latinos.
Texas is nation’s second most
populous state, and opponents
say Hispanics will now be sub-
jected to racial profiling and pre-
dicted the law will have a chilling
effect on immigrant families.
Ten Burke, executive director
of the ACLU of Texas, said “we
will fight this assault in the court”
and the ballot box. Abbott said
key provisions of the bill had al-
ready been tested at the U.S. Su-
preme Court, which struck down
several components of Arizona’s
lawbut allowed the provision per-
mitting police to ask about immi-
gration status.
The term “sanctuary cities”
has no legal definition, but Re-
publicans want local police to
help federal immigration agents
crack down on criminal suspects
in the U.S. illegally. Some Demo-
crats said the timing of the sign-
ing particularly stung after three
recent federal court rulings that
found intentional discrimina-
tion in Republican-passed vot-
ing laws.
From Page 1A
From Page 1A
Sanctuary
Burgess
Opposition organizes
During their meeting Sun-
day, Indivisible Denton mem-
bers cited their successes — a
January vigil for those affected
by Trump’s executive order
banning Muslims from enter-
ing the country and a partner-
ship with the Denton Islamic
Society — as benchmarks for
the group’s future activism. At-
tendees also talked about the
need for diversity for continued
growth.
‘We must reach out to those
different from us,” steering com-
mittee member Dorothy Kuhn
said. “We need to speak with
those who aren’t with us here to-
for sanctuary cities have hit
roadblocks in federal courts.
“Let’s face it, the reason why
so many people come to Amer-
ica is because we are a nation of
laws and Texas is doing its part
to keep it that way” Abbott said.
The timing of the signing
caught Democratic lawmakers
flatfooted. Abbott signed the bill
on a Facebook livestream with
no advance public warning. Pro-
tests over the Texas bill have
been intense for months and
about 20 people were charged
with criminal trespassing last
week after staging a daylong sit-
in at a state building where some
of Abbott’s staff works.
Democratic state Rep. Cesar
Blanco said it looked like Abbott
“wanted to get ahead” of any
protests surrounding the bill
signing. Abbott spokesman
John Wittman said they chose to
sign the bill on a Facebook liv-
estream because that’s “where
most people are getting their
news nowadays.”
The bill cleared a final hurdle
this week in the Republican-con-
the current direction provided
by Burgess — who was invited
to speak at the meeting but was
not present — is failing his con-
stituents and needs to be re-
placed.
change — except premiums po-
tentially lowering because the
market changes.
Some Americans with pre-
existing medical conditions are
worried they could find them-
selves unable to get health cov-
erage after the new law goes in-
to effect. Burgess said such is-
sues would be limited to very
specific cases.
He said someone would
have to be uninsured for more
than two months, and then try
to get back on insurance with a
pre-existing condition. He ac-
knowledged that premium
prices could skyrocket, but said
if the person remains insured
for a year, costs would go back
down.
A major goal of the legisla-
tion is to help bring down the
costs of health care, he said.
“The whole idea of what we
are doing here is to make more
policies available, increase the
competition and lower the
price,” Burgess said. “Will that be
successful? Well, time will tell
the tale on that.”
Denton created what it calls
target groups to “apply the
pressure” to specific officehold-
ers who represent Denton resi-
dents, including U.S. Sens. Ted
Cruz and John Cornyn, state
Sens. Craig Estes and Jane Nel-
son, and state Rep. Lynn
Stucky, all of them Republi-
cans.
Burgess on health care
In an interview Friday, Bur-
gess admitted the current health
care legislation — the American
Healthcare Act, which must
now make its path through the
Senate — isn’t everything he
wants because of restrictions on
what this type of bill can repeal
or replace. But, he said, it’s a step
forward.
“I actually thought we had a
very good product when we left
the Energy and Commerce
Committee. ... I was OK purely
making this bill that dealt with
the mandates [that all Ameri-
cans must have health insur-
ance], the taxes, Medicaid ex-
pansion and the subsidies,” he
said.
Burgess, who didn’t have to
campaign too much in his bid
for re-election last year, won
with 66 percent of the vote in
November.
He intends to run again in
2018, and acknowledged his op-
position is getting more orga-
nized.
day.’
“From a partisan perspec-
tive, my admonition is: Pay at-
tention to what is happening,”
Burgess said. “It doesn’t mean
you feel differently about the
principles that you hold, but
the degree of organization for a
group of voters that have been
a minority in Denton County
has increased, and that means
it’s no time to go to sleep at the
switch.”
Steve Wolverton was elected
newest member of Indivisible
Denton’s steering committee,
which is the group’s leadership
team.
‘We have to find what people
are good at and help them find
ways to use their talents,” Wol-
verton said. “We can’t expect the
same thing from everyone.”
Also Sunday, Indivisible
Burgess said for the majority
of people, nothing about their
health insurance is going to
—
Editor’s note: This is Part 5
of a series we call “Cropped
Out.” Steady population growth
and conversion of rural farm and
ranchland into residential, retail
and commercial developments
have created a clash of cultures
on the road to urbanization in
Denton County. Students from
the University of North Texas
Mayborn School of Journalism
reported and wrote the stories.
UNT professor George
Getschow, a former Wall Street
Journal reporter and editor,
edited the stories for exclusive
publication in the
Record-Chronicle.
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Dennis’ Farm Store in Denton has seen a shift of inventory
since it opened in 1988. Despite the drastic shrinkage of farms
and ranches in the county, the store is thriving.
1!
years ago.
The men all murmur and
nod in agreement. They all agree
that development is bringing an
“unwelcome” change to Denton
County. Their close-knit com-
munity, their customs and their
way of life are being lost inside
the maw of urbanization.
“It used to be that everyone
treated each other with respect,”
Smith says, lamenting an agrari-
an way of life that cherished the
land and the people who devoted
themselves to eking out a living
on it “The [city] people I see don’t
have a due what it means to be a
farmer or rancher,” he says.
Smith says few farms have
been passed down to a younger
generation that has no interest in
making a living farming or ranch-
ing. That’s one reason so many
farms and ranches each year are
sold for astronomical prices to
housing developers, Smith says.
Almost all of the properties
surrounding the Smiths’ home
northeast of Denton are up for
sale, and many of the fields Den-
nis and Jerri used to drive by
daily have been developed into
residential or commercial prop-
erty. They believe it’s just a mat-
ter of time until the family farm
goes the way of the horse buggy.
But Dennis and Jerri main-
tain that even as rampant devel-
opment continues to wipe farm-
ers and ranchers off the face of
Denton County, they’ll never
abandon their farm store. “It’s
hard work, but we don’t want to
do anything else,” Smith said.
Photos by Rand Gowan/For the DRC
Dennis Smith talks on the phone with a supplier, while his wife Jerri counts inventory at their
store, Dennis’ Farm Store in Denton.
A sad trend
The “regulars” — weather-
hardened farmers and ranchers
— gather at the front of the store
each morning on a bench be-
neath the whitetail deer trophies
and belt buckles that adorn the
cluttered wall behind the cash
register. Sitting on the bench ,
made from an old pickup tail-
gate, they trade stories and poke
fun at each other.
The regulars include Tommy
Calvert, the head of the Denton
County Farm Bureau. The mus-
tachioed Calvert, who wouldn’t
be seen in public without his
well-worn cowboy hat atop his
head, is spending the early-
morning hours entertaining the
regulars with a story about his
cattle. He talks nonstop for at
least five minutes before Smith
stops him.
“Tommy, you could talk the
ears off a chicken, you know
that?” Smith deadpans.
The regulars erupt in laugh-
gets frustrated that his college-
age customers’ sole source of
knowledge about growing any-
thing is the almighty Google.
“I don’t care what the internet
says,” Smith tells a heavily tat-
tooed man who wanted to plant
Kentucky bluegrass in his yard.
“I’m sure it looked nice in the pic-
tures, but it’ll be dead and brown
as soon as the heat gets here.”
Richard Shaw, a college stu-
dent in his 20s, asks Smith if his
store sells only seeds and plants
that are not genetically engi-
neered. Satisfied with Smith’s
answer, Shaw walks out with his
GMO-fr ee plants. A group of old
farmers and ranchers who have
been eavesdropping on Smith’s
conversation with the tattooed
millennial stare at each other in
astonishment.
“GMO-free, huh,” chortles
one rancher in a cowboy hat.
“I have to sell what [custom-
ers] are buying,” shrugs Smith,
rolling his eyes.
Smith depends on another
salesperson, Leslie Marchman, a
middle-aged woman who works
at the store a few days a week in
the spring, to help manage the live
plant section . She deals with
young people who are adamant
about growing only “organic” and
“natural” plants. Marchman, who
possesses a sharp wit and quick
tongue, knows how to handle
them. She also knows how to
handle Smith and the ‘boys,” her
nickname for the regulars.
ture and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Today, as pastures are plowed un-
der by commercial and residen-
tial development, farms average
120 acres, and just 6 percent of
Denton County’s population lives
in rural areas.
Yet, despite the drastic
shrinkage of farms and ranches
in the county, the store is thriv-
ing. What began as a dusty 400-
square-foot farm shop has tri-
pled in size and has enjoyed ro-
bust sales and profit growth year
after year.
That’s because the agrarian
sage took stock of the shift in his
customer demographics. Starting
about 10 years ago, Smith noticed
more and more people wearing
sneakers and sandals passing by
the front counter looking for flats
of tomatoes, potatoes and herbs.
And fewer and fewer cowboy
boots clicked across his concrete
floor in search of 50-pound bags
of seeds and grains or big drums
of fertilizers, pesticides and herbi-
cides.
wheat, hay and other crops ac-
counted for 90 percent of sales
when the farm store opened.
Today, it’s less than 10 percent,
Smith figures. Giant 55-gallon
drums of Roundup that farm-
ers depended on for years to
eradicate weeds across their
cultivated cropland and pas-
tures now collect dust in a cor-
ner.
From Page 1A
Cropped Out
crop-killing
drought, fungi — you name it. A
few years ago, a group of farmers
from Canada called Smith for
advice on rehabilitating crops
mangled by a grasshopper epi-
demic.
These days, though, boll wee-
vils and grasshopper epidemics
don’t worry Smith and his wife,
Jerri, nearly as much as the in-
festation of housing develop-
ments sprouting across Denton
County’s prairies and pastures.
“It makes me sick to see such
beauty turned into concrete,”
Jerri complains. “I use to drive to
the store and see nothing but
green around here. Develop-
ment has taken it all away.”
Dennis Smith grumbles in
agreement. Neither is sanguine
about the future of farming and
ranching in Denton County.
Changing times
When Dennis’ Farm Store
opened in 1988, the average size of
a farm in Denton County was 266
acres, and 15 percent of the coun-
ty’s population lived on farms and
ranches, according to census data
from the Department of Agricul-
boll
weevils,
Today, wooden pallets just
outside the wrought iron fence
that surrounds the store are
brimming with herbs, flowers
and other plants. The smell of
marigolds, periwinkle and zin-
nias blows through the always-
open door, mixing with the sour
scent of aging fertilizers, pesti-
cides and herbicides.
At 8 a.m. each day the store’s
parking lot begins to fill with
rows of sprightly colored mini-
vans, sedans and sports cars.
Beat - up pickups are an endan-
gered species. Inside the store,
young men and women sporting
tattoos and tie-dyed T-shirts
press Smith for help on the best
fertilizers to grow grass, herbs
and veggies.
Smith, who wears cowboy
boots and Wranglers, is usually
polite and patient with his mil-
lennial customers — even the
ones jabbing at him with endless
questions. But sometimes he
ter.
But the conversation soon
takes a serious turn.
“Did you hear what hap-
pened at Jesse’s place?” one of
the farmers asks the small circle
of men as he slides a can of snuff
into the back pocket of his jeans.
“Someone broke into his house
yesterday, tore it up and stole
some guns.”
“By God, again?” Smith re-
plies, incredulously. “That
would never have happened 10
In response, Smith decided
to “urbanize” his inventory.
Beekeeping equipment, kits
for backyard chicken coops and
electric grills have taken over
prominent display space at the
front of the store, displacing
pesticides, herbicides and coy-
ote traps. Seeds for corn,
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Parks, Scott K. Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 279, Ed. 1 Monday, May 8, 2017, newspaper, May 8, 2017; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1131390/m1/5/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .