The Ellis County Observer was launched in October 2005 by former investigative reporter Joey Dauben, at the time a staffer at the independent weekly The Ellis County Press.
The focus and mission of The ECO was and still is to report on political news and information in Ellis County, mainly following the campaigns and elections throughout the year. The ECO has now merged into the de facto online project of The Ellis County Press, where Joey now consults the news department. The ECO, since its inception, has since morphed into a full-fledged operation consisting of five editors and numerous contributors. Many fans of this site have freedom to publish – free of retaliation and resentment – facts and news about political figures they would otherwise be reluctant to share.
The ECO is a subsidiary of Dauben, Inc., but recently, the Republic Political Marketing (RPM) management company Dauben, Inc. launched has taken over the day-to-day duties.
We welcome news tips by contacting:
The Ellis County Observer
P.O. Box 1545
Waxahachie, TX 75168
972-891-2135
info@elliscountyobserver.com
“He’s [Joey Dauben] the Woodward and Bernstein of Ellis County.” – KDFW Fox 4 reporter Jeff Crilley
“If anyone can help [Ellis County], it’s him [Joey Dauben]. He has balls.” – Jeff Crilley
Before: The Ellis County Justice Center was a three-story government building erected in downtown Waxahachie in 2000 – it was referred to as “The Pink Elephant” due to its pink stucco walls. The building was built even after taxpayers rejected a bond referendum; commissioners at the time, led by Republican County Judge Al Cornelius, passed a tax anticipation note to fund the construction of it and a jail annex. Both buildings were plagued by excessive constructural damage, mold and water damage, etc., preventing the use by county officials. Joey Dauben was the first reporter to have documented the inside damages that plagued the Justice Center. His digital photos appeared in a 2003 issue of The Ellis County Press. A week later, the building and its surrounding property were boarded and fenced up.
After: County commissioners had the Justice Center razed in January of 2007.
Photos by Joey Dauben. Permission granted for redistribution and usage, though credit is requested.
2 Comments
January 11, 2008 at 10:20 am
This was on a Houston TV station last night.
11:36 PM CST on Thursday, January 10, 2008
By Rucks Russell / 11 News
It isn’t often we can peak behind the walls of the Department of Public Safety to see firsthand the pressure some troopers are under — the pressure to perform.
But after 11 News obtained interoffice memos about quotas for criminal charges and DWI arrests, a retired trooper was willing to break what he calls the department’s code of silence.
“The troopers that are working are afraid to come forward because of retribution,” he said. “They’re afraid to come forward and say anything.”
11 News verified his background but is hiding his face and altering his voice to conceal his identity. He said it’s the only way he feels safe to speak out. We’ll call him “Bill.”
“They’re under extreme pressure,” Bill said. “The morale in the department has gotten so bad, because of these issues.”
Issues like quotas, according to Bill. He said they’re used as a measuring stick to award job promotions and more pay but often cause troopers to use poor judgment.
“It causes them to make arrests that normally they wouldn’t make,” he said. “They are under that strain and under that pressure that they have to produce those numbers.”
Like the numbers spelled out in a memo from last month, instructing troopers to make at least one DWI arrest by Dec. 31 and four in 2008. It warned that failure to do so could have a negative impact on a year end review.
“The problem with quotas is statewide,” Bill said. “It’s not isolated to Houston, Dallas or Austin.”
11 News wanted to speak with someone from DPS about the allegations, but a spokesman said, on the phone, that there would be no on-camera interviews, while insisting the department fully complies with state law prohibiting quotas for traffic enforcement.
“They can say whatever they’re going to say, but it doesn’t make it true,” 11 News legal expert Gerald Treece said.
He believes there is no question DPS is breaking the law.
“The last time I checked, driving while intoxicated requires you to be driving in traffic,” Treece said. “That’s why I think the statute applies.”
At least one state lawmaker, who looked the memos over for himself this week, agrees.
“These are inappropriate policies for the Department of Public Safety, and they need to be rescinded,” state Rep. Garnet Coleman said.
In a written statement, an official said: “The Department of Public Safety does not support using specific numbers to communicate work goals for commissioned personnel. However, DPS does expect troopers to do the jobs that Texas taxpayers are paying them to do ….”
But Bill said enforcing the law by breaking the law is not what he and other troopers signed up for.
DPS has not yet replied to the question about whether any disciplinary action would be taken against the supervisors who wrote the two memos.
February 7, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Joey, it seems some of your posts were removed and you are quiet to day. Could it be the result of pending litigation that’s changed your beat a little? I told you man, you just didn’t want to listen.
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