Read about the TLC employees ... Click here and read Oct 9th entry.
See and hear what our legislators were told about VLT's, Click Here.

Nov 22, 2005 - OK - let me try to bring ya'll up to date - I'm sorry that I haven't been able to answer your questions sooner but I'll do so now. It's hard to spend 4 days in Austin then try to keep my web site and my Lotto Report current at all times!

Last Tuesday two legislative staffers and a couple of folks from the State Auditors office and DIR took a tour only of the Texas Lottery's disaster recovery site. They did NOT test to see if it was operational - there is NO proof that it would function if something happened to headquarters. If headquarters burned or was hit by a tornado, I firmly believe the TLC could NOT resume business as usual but they claim they could. It would take them time to obtain the necessary equipment (servers, bandwidth, internet connections - an expense of roughly $300K to $500K).

The latest RUMOR is that Mike Fernandez is trying to find another job. He was not at the Commission meeting last Friday and normally he is present. He is the one who employees, including Shelton Charles, claim has constantly threatened to "fire the SOB's." Again, I must stress - this is only a RUMOR but it does come from pretty good sources.

Last Thursday (Nov 17th), I did an interview with Texas Public Radio. I just heard it and I'm surprised that they aired as much as they did. Ya'll should go listen to it - click on Nov 18, 2005 #273 in the program archive. We discussed several topics - the disaster recovery site, Mr. Heflin, the inflated open records charges and the purchase of the Megaplier drawing computer.

Regarding the megaplier drawing computer - the TLC spent $400K instead of the necessary $30K to buy what they really needed to conduct JUST the Megaplier drawings. Gary Grief denied spending any money to convert other draws over to computerized draws during the Commission meeting in May 2005 (start bottom page 066 - line 8 - and top page 067). He said that "only research" had been done as of that date, no decisions had been made, etc.

However, that was not true as they bought the equipment needed to convert all draws over to computerized draws and they did that when they bought the Megaplier machine back in 2003. All they need to spend now is about $15K per game to make the change as the equipment contains 5 slots to upgrade. Needless to say, more taxpayer money has been wasted and more lies were told to the Commissioners.

I have also learned that Shelton Charles (the fired TLC engineer who designed the recovery site) has completed his list of equipment needed to make the site functional and is providing both a test plan and the list so they can test the system. He's ready to turn it over to the legislature who will then provide it to the state auditors office.

The TLC continues with their deceptive advertising on the scratch tickets. Here's one example but there are others: If you go to their web site and click on "scratch offs" then scroll down and click on "25,000 Money Machine." This shows you the "promotional piece" that is sent to the stores. Notice that the 3rd bullet (right column) says, "More than 1.8 million winning tickets!"
(NOTE: At the time I posted this - this is what the sheet says. Now they may change it!!!)

This is deceptive because there are only 929K "winning tickets." These sheets are sent to retailers and some retailers have them on display. The TLC is counting the "break-even" tickets as "winning tickets" and this is DECEPTIVE.

If you spend $2 and you scatch it and it says you have $2 coming, tell me - how much did you WIN? The definition of "winning" is to receive more than you paid to "win."

The TLC promised us back in late 2000 that they would NOT be deceiving us anymore but this kind of advertising has continued. I've been meaning to file a complaint with the AG but just haven't gotten to it yet. I did a TV interview last July and supplied the reporter with copies of all the promotional pieces that were deceiving but I don't know what actually aired.

I simply don't understand why the TLC refuses to give us truth in advertising, fair games, a guarantee that we will receive our share of sales and open government. I don't think this is asking for too much. Do you?

I've run out of time - I have more to tell you but it will have to wait til later. But just in case I don't post in the next couple of days, I hope you all have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

Nov 15, 2005 - Revised - Ever wonder what it's like to sit on a jury and have to decide who is telling the truth? Well, pretend you are on a jury and watch this hearing to see what you think. Those of you who are networking and computer guru's will find the testimony from both sides of great interest. I'd love to hear your comments - in fact - I'll even post them! Watch the first 2 hours and 41 minutes of the hearing (Nov 14, 2005 Licensing and Administration).

Also, watch Lee McGuire's (political reporter) newscast that aired last night. Click here.

Some lawmakers DIR & the State Auditors IT folks are going to the recovery site TODAY. Good for them.

What I'd like to know is why Joe Goebler did not testify? Mr. Goebler was Shelton's direct boss and the ONE person who should have been able to say IF the site was funtional. So WHY wasn't he on the agenda and WHY didn't they ask the "TLC expert?"

Read news accounts of the hearing, Click here.

Much more coming ...

Nov 8 ,2005 - Yesterday I erred in reporting which agency many of the newer executive staff was coming from though I corrected it last night. For that I apologize. You can scroll down and re-read the paragraph.

Anyway, just thought I'd report too that the TLC has been busy moving equipment into the disaster recovery site. They started this past week-end. This reminds me of the time that I reported there were no camera's in the drawing studio and Ms. Cloud told me that they were on order. After ONE year of waiting and getting the run-around, I finally reported it to the People. Immediately following that report, the TLC made emergency purchases for the equipment. That's when we got the camera's.

Also, the House Administrative & Licensing Committee has scheduled a hearing for Monday, Nov 14 - 11 AM - at the capitol regarding Shelton's allegations against the Commission. This should be interesting to say the least. All of you should be able to watch it live if you want. A perfect opportunity to meet the TLC executive staff! Just click here on Monday, Nov 14, 2005- 11 AM and then click on the scheduled hearing.

"Fire all you Son's of Bitches" (who says it - hardly professional behavior)

"Proudest day is when I fire people, including Mark Bradshaw"

"Kim Kiplin and Diane Morris have witnessed these comments [sons of bitches]
so you don't have to involve us employees - just ask them"
(However, two have said they'll talk anyway)

The amended contract with Northrop Grumman and what
$500K is spent wasted for each year

The post hole digging incident at Linda's ranch and why she wasn't fired

Correction: The buddy hiring - all those folks from
Texas Workforce Commission moved to the TLC. WHY?

The employees who were instructed to destroy public documents and
what they did or didn't do ...

The employees who can tell who all really knew about the Megaplier purchase

"Oh we've had bad press before, it'll stop and then it'll get back to normal"

The extra-marital affair the state is funding with taxpayer money

The lie to the Commissioners in a public meeting

The folks who delete all their emails so there are no records

The insinuations regarding why Lee Diveny was really fired

Employees who say they were told by Kim Kiplin to inflate open records costs.

The ghost transactions

NO critical spare parts on hand though requests have been made

The promotions without a competitive process

The Global 91 report

The at will terminations since Grief, Fernandez and Ericson acquired their positions ...

Employees are angry ... they are determined that Shelton Charles will become a legacy ... And I'll just bet he will, in fact, become a legacy.

Oct 18, 2005 - (Revised a sentence 10-19-05 - 3rd paragraph - 8 am) I know it's been a long time since I posted here and I'm sorry. I've just been so busy that I haven't had time. I have however continued to post the Sad but True stories for you. I have a stack of news and I will get it posted in the near future. OK.

Let me start by saying Thank You to all of you who have written about my applying for the job as Executive Director for the TLC. Your support is and was appreciated very much. I was really surprised to have seen all of the comments that ya'll sent to your legislators in support of me. So ... Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

I did go for the interview last Friday and I felt that I did extremely well but I was not selected by the committee to move forward with an interview with the Commissioners. This does not necessarily mean that I will not get to interview with them - the Commissioners will make the decision on who they want to interview. I knew going in that the cards were stacked against me but I still threw my name in the hat. I knew that I was qualified, I felt that I was the best candidate and I owed it to ya'll to at least try.

Because the process is not over and the TLC has not "officially" released the names of those they plan to interview, I will refrain from posting everything I know about the applicants at this time. If they post the names that a reporter told me about yesterday, then we'll have some problems as two of them will be a PR nightmare for the TLC.

I will at this time share with you the questions they asked me during the interview - at least as best as I can remember. I will come back later and post my answers - I've already written it all down so that I wouldn't forget. I'm sure you can understand why I'm not posting my answers. The questions were easy but I can't help but wonder if any other applicant could answer them. The questions were ....

Q. What was the last big mistake you made and how did you handle it?

Q. What would I do in the first 100 days?

Q. Could I handle testifying at legislative hearings?

Q. Why do I think I'm qualified for this job?

Q. You seem to be doing quite well now, why do you want this job?

Q. Why do you think we have a sales problem and what would you do to fix it?

Q. What would you do to boost employee morale?

Q. Did I hear you say that current employees call you now?

Q. Do they call you?

Q. I want to hear more about what you think the retailers problems are - what issues would you address?

Q. Do you really think current staff would accept you as the next director?

Q. Dawn, we all know that you are the favorite - we know that you are well regarded by the players, the media and the retailers. We know you have a good name. But what if we don't hire you, what do you think will happen to the agency?

More later ....