Darryl Baker
                             

4/21/10  Maybe, but would have been better to do the right thing first.

Since at least December, 2007, I have been on a tear about what was happening to Woodard Paint & Body, a long-time Dallas business on Ross Ave.

Princess Velveeta strikes from her political grave to put a family out of business (12/6/07); Woodard being done wrong (2/4/8); Lying Emmons goes too far (4/13/08); Angela Hunt shows her true colors (8/14/08); Woodard Paint & Body (4/22/8); Hypocrisy at City Hall (10/9/9); Don't trust politicians (10/9/9).

If you don't want to go back and read all those postings, here's a brief summary.  Neil Emmons (P&Z commissioner) and Veletta Lill (council member) told Woodard Paint & Body owners that they would be protected if they didn't fight a planned development intended to turn Ross (East of Central) into another Uptown.  Then, the two liars wouldn't return Woodard's calls.  When they went for a SUP (Special Use Permit) to maintain their business in a location where they've been for 30 years, Emmons told them what he was going to do and if they spoke he would move for denial with prejudice.  By that time, Angela Hunt had replaced Princess Velveeta on the council.  Contrary to previous assurances, Ms. Hunt went along with lying Lill & Emmons and moved to terminate Woodard's use at Ross Ave. by December, 2010.  All those jobs, all those customers, all those property taxes and sales taxes -- just discarded on her whim, with only a handful of council members going against her.

As amazing at it may seem, Councilwoman Angela Hunt has had a change of heart and has found a way to allow an existing, taxpaying, Dallas employer to continue operating his business, paying much needed property taxes and employing people in Dallas.  Sam Merten's After Zoning Woodard Paint on Ross Ave. Out of Business, Angela Hunt Reconsiders  (DallasObserver.com, 4/7/10) .

Wish I felt better about this.  It's the right thing to do, but it was the right thing to do last year.

I'm sick of ward politics at City Hall.  Too many of the council members think they own their district, rather than represent it.  Angela Hunt is one of those with a Napoleonic complex.  She's very bright, but not smart enough to recognize smarts in others.  Like most Liberals, she judges one's smarts, by one's wealth or status.  Like most Liberals, she thinks average people need to be herded rather than heeded.

Last year, Councilman Dave Neumann decided he didn't have enough to do and City Hall wasn't screwed up enough, so he came up with the idea of merging the 3 Board of Adjustment panels into one panel that could be controlled by the respective council members, like the Plan Commission.  There's been no scandal or corruption connected to the BOA.  It was no BOA member who conspired with a council member to extract bribes from developers.  We not only can't talk to any council member about a case; we can't talk to anyone outside of our briefings and hearings about a case.  

When the P&Z ignored ZOAC's recommendation to merge the BOA into 2 panels and voted 11-2 to keep us as we are, we thought that was the end of the effort.   But No!   It continued in the bureaucratic swamp, like a lost sea creature swimming up an inland river.  Last week the council's Economic Development Committee was briefed about merging the BOA.  It was very clear from the committee members' comments that only Councilmen Neumann and Natinsky were in favor of changing the BOA's configuration.   Monday of this week, the EDC met again about the matter, and voted unanimously (including Neumann and Natinsky) to uphold the Plan Commission's 11-2 vote and recommend the BOA remain 3 panels of 5 members each.  It was the right thing to do.

This was another issue where Angela Hunt had flipped.   Via the grapevine, I heard she was no longer on my side in the BOA fight.  So, I called her.  Can't remember ever having a conversation with someone who was so patronizing and condescending.  Can't imagine ever having a reason to have another conversation with her.  Despite her multi-syllabic pronouncements, it was clear she did not understand the restraints and responsibilities of the BOA.

We have 3 panels of 5 members, and each council member has a direct appointment.  Each panel has a vacancy because a council member has failed to fill the slot.  Even when the economy is strong, most working people cannot leave their jobs a day a week.  Unlike most panels, the BOA only requires a member to serve a day a month.  Most people can do that without jeopardizing their professional life.  As Laura Miller said as a council woman, that leaves service at City Hall to the very wealthy, housewives and the under employed. 

Councilman Salazar has the right mix.  He refuses to give up his law practice because he has a family to support.  Why would you trust someone so politically ambitious they would give up their profession for an 8-year (at the most) job making $37,000 a year?   Why would you want someone lacking so much common sense that they would jeopardize their career and family's financial well-being  making decisions on a billion dollar budget?  One council member gave up a very high dollar legal position for the glory of being 1 of 15 council members.  Another council member is now in a divorce and trying to salvage the family business after embezzlement by an unsupervised employee.  All for a $37,000 temporary job? 

Yes, Councilman Salazar has the right balance.
 
The council should have fewer committees and fewer committee meetings.  They need to have real jobs in the real world.  

So, all's well that ends well -- sort of.

We will never know how much money and long-time customers Woodard Paint & Body lost in the past two years as they've faced a potential shut down.  Relocation was not an option for the business.  They would have had to just close it down.  None of that anguish was necessary had Emmons, Lill and Hunt just kept their word.

There are hard feelings over Neumann's meddling in the BOA's configuration and operations that won't go away.  Rather than try to fix the P&Z's problems, he went after a board that wasn't broken.

It still comes down to doing the right thing the first time. 

sb