Dumb questions about Bush pre-Crawford ranch

[Norquist Nemesis]

(and I'm too lazy to look it up.)

It's well known that the "ranch" in Crawford was built and finished as Bush was entering his term in the WH. Before that, was he solely mooching off the good taxpayers in Texas for his living arrangements? What kind of house did he live in before he went on this welfare program? And what did he do with the property?

[tanyev]

1. He lived in the Texas Governor's Mansion.

Before that he had a house in the Dallas area which I assume he sold for many $$$$$$.

[Was_Immer]

2. he was a son of the land

lived off the earth! also know as a HOBO

[jmowreader]

3. Before he was governor of Texas...

he lived in a van down by the river.

[Raster]

4. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that before the stint...

...in the Texas Gov's mansion, $hrubco lived discretely in houses provided by his family or friends of his family.

The Crawford ranch was conceived and built as a movie set would be. The purpose was to provide the homey-folksy-ranchy setting for $hrub's frequent Texas visits. After all, he had to have somewhere to wear his hat, drive his truck and clear brush. RETCH!!!

In other words, smoke and mirrors, just like the owner.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. So he went from a family and friends welfare program

to a state welfare program?

[Raster]

14. For years the bush family has sucked off of the public tit. For years.

They don't produce doctors, lawyers, architects, etc. They produce politicians and spys. Oh, and war profiteers. Lots of war profiteers. In fact, as a friend in the banking industry pointed out, just follow the money. It's quite amazing.

[dogtag]

5. I've never seen anything of the ranch

other than the haybale backdrop the reporters use. Does anyone have a link to pics of the McRancho?

[grasswire]

8. hate to tell you this...

...but that haybale scene isn't on Bush's ranchette. It belongs to a neighbor.

[grasswire]

13. cite

"No, those picturesque hay bales that frequently get national exposure are not on the Bush ranch, but in a field on the edge of town."

http://www.texas-ec.org/tcp/303crawford.html

[fob]

18. Interesting article grasswire. Here's a snip...

Bush bought the 1,600 acres he named "Prairie Chapel Ranch" when he was governor of Texas. Laura Bush filled out the application to become a McLennan County EC member on May 26, 1999. Haile said the Bushes helped pay for new underground lines across the ranch

helped pay??? WTF? If they are for his ranch why did he only "help" pay for them. Who else pitched in? The citizens of Crawford subsidized his electrical setup?

What a dick.

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. Not sure about this

but I think the haybales backdrop is actually at a school nearby the ranch where the presscorps gives their reports. I could be mistaken, but IIRC I heard that in passing a few weeks ago. It stuck with me because I had always thought the outhouse ( :P ) in the background was a corner of the ranch till I heard this.

[underpants]

6. I understand that he lived in a "Gated lakeside community"

I remember reading that somewhere but I can't find it now. That is one of the great mysteries of the last 20 years..........that and the rest of his actual life.

[liveoaktx]

12. He lived in far North Dallas when he was owner of Rangers

with a cabin near Athens, Texas in an exclusive gated community

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/9522654.htm

For those of you that live around Dallas, it's not in the article, but I believe it was around Hillcrest.

[Raster]

15. He was NEVER the owner of the Rangers. That's one of the myths.

$hrub owned, at most, 3% of the Rangers. He was the front man. However, when the consortium that owned the Rangers sold, $hrub was GIVEN a disproportionate amount of the cashout by the rest of the consortium. Much of that money went to start the campaign for gov.

[liveoaktx]

17. Rephrassing- *One* of the owners, even if it was a paltry amount

[Raster]

19. sorry, a bit touchy. I lived in DFW during the time and followed the....

...entire Rangers/Stadium @ Arlington gig. I was and still am appalled. One of the more shady land dealings in a state known for some shady land dealings.

[liveoaktx]

20. me, too, still do.. the one that got me was taking people's homes for the

stadium. I was amazed and appalled that eminent domain could be used for private interests.

[Raster]

21. If I am not mistaken, it was the first time in Texas history, maybe even..

...American history that a private entity was given the power to acquire through eminent domain. Then they tried to swallow up the land surrounding the stadium at the assessed valuation before any mention of the land deal. Some of the land owners sued and won.

This was the usual texas, repuke, good-ol-boy mafia cohorts: Hicks, Rainwater, Muse and $hrub. There were others, of course.

[liveoaktx]

22. Found the 2 articles

http://www.tylwythteg.com/enemies/Bush/bush12.html

(About Rainbo Lake, exclusive gated community and GW tax scam)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/bush073199.htm

Bush lived in Wash, DC (circa 1987) before getting lured back to Texas for the Rangers, moved to North Dallas. Rainbo Lake wasn't a *cabin* in the woods, but an exclusive community

[kwyjibo]

7. He lived in Midland, Texas (where I'm from) before Austin

There's a PBS Frontline special about Bush's religion, and it talks a lot about Midland and how the only things to do there are basically... make money from oil, go to church, and go to high school football games. There's a movie coming out called Friday Night Lights (based on a book) about rival high school football teams, one in Odessa, and one in Midland. So.. watch those if you want some insight.

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Do you know anything about his Midland residence? n/t

[dogtag]

16. Let me see if I've got this straight -

Prince Bandar Bush lolls around on the ranchette, but we, the public, are not allowed to see as much as a picture of the place? Unreal. What utter sheep the press is not to mention the fact that they're standing in front of a haybale 7 miles away from the actual rancho.