1/12/09  City of Arlington is Nuts! 

Does the Dallas/Fort Worth "Metroplex" have a monopoly on stupid voters who have no clue about their own best interests when they respond to campaigns?  If you look at the results of various elections over the last decade or so, it certainly looks like the inmates are running things around here.

In the past 50 years no Texas Governor has been impeached or caught trying to sell a Senate appointment like in Illinois .  I don't know of any Texas Congressmen who compare to Louisiana's William Jefferson.  I don't know of any Texas Mayors who are in prison or facing indictments, like Detroit's Kwame Kilpatrick or Baltimore's Sheila Dixon.  See Baltimore mayor indicted for perjury, theft; Democrat faces 12-counts.  That said, many former city council members have certainly had their share of legal and scandal problems.

From Al Lipscomb, who faked serious illness so he could serve his jail time in his living room, to James Fantroy, who died after serving his jail time in jail, to Don Hill, who ran for Mayor to keep the Feds from indicting him until after the election.  All three of these men got into trouble over really minor amounts of money, considering what they had to lose and did lose.  These three men were elected from single member districts.  It's relatively easy for a faction to control a gerrymandered single-member district, where neighborhoods are cut up.

What makes even less sense is when citywide votes go against common sense and the best interests of the people doing the voting.  Dallas has certainly had its share of mistakes caused by Stupid Voters, from the vote that destroyed our convention center business to both of the Trinity River Project elections. 

Arlington Voters not only live with the fruitless benefits of The Ball Park, but they aren't that far from Texas Stadium and the lack of development around that sports facility after 30 years of waiting.  Irving elected officials didn't even try to hang on to the Cowboys with promises of a new stadium.  They know that almost anything would generate more tax revenue for the city than a sports facility.

So, why in the World would Arlington voters support taxing themselves to build a monument to the ego of that Arkansas Freak?  That alone puts Arlington voters head and shoulders above Dallas voters in the Stupid Voter contest.  The saddest part of what happened in Arlington was that their Stupid Voters were willing to destroy an entire neighborhood of modest income homeowners to build the Arkansas Freak's ego monument.  It's un-American to take one man's home to give that property to a Billionaire, but it happened in Arlington.

No one seems to be building anything around the area of the new football stadium.  Glory Park got shelved by Tommy Hicks last May, 2008.  Arlington Ducky Mayor Cluck claims there is renewed interest in the shopping center, but the two new hotels probably won't be ready for the 2011 Super Bowl.  So, the Arlington Stupid Voters must be feeling particularly clever.  They get to pay for a billionaire's place of business.  They don't get any new development for their taxes.  When the Super Bowl comes, the fans and the teams will not be staying in Arlington -- or spending any money there.

The NFC team will stay in Irving at the Omni Mandalay.  (Isn't that precious?)  The AFC team will stay in Downtown Ft. Worth at the new Omni.  Ft. Worth made no effort to lure the Cowboys to Ft. Worth when Jones was whoring his team around to the highest bidder.  For that matter, Ft. Worth made no effort to get the Mavericks to Ft. Worth when they were pretending there was competition among metroplex cities to steal them from Dallas.  Ft. Worth spends its municipal entertainment dollars on its world renowned Zoo and art museums like the Kimball.  Ft. Worth will make millions on the 2011 Super Bowl without any investment in Jones' ego monument.

Arlington will spend millions on security for the Super Bowl, but will get little in return.

Arlington is spending millions on new roads and bridges in and around the new stadium, and there is no guaranty the roads will be ready for the opening of the stadium in 2009.  Won't that be fun trying to get to a Cowboys game on roads under construction?  Capital projects that would actually benefit Arlington residents (presumably the same Stupid Arlington Voters) are on hold while all available funds are diverted to the stadium's needs.

No one really should consider eating or sleeping in Arlington because the city is so short on funds that they've laid off 5 of their 7 their health inspectors.

Layoffs of Arlington health inspectors may delay restaurant checks By JANET ST. JAMES WFAA-TV  1/9/9

Talk about the fox guarding the hen house. 

This is just a glimpse of what the future holds for Arlington.  The city is spending money it doesn't have, and so far, it looks to be the only major city in the Metroplex that will get next to nothing from the 2011 Super Bowl.

Do you think it's all the bad karma from stealing all those homes from low income families who had lived in the same neighborhood for generations?

It is a comfort, even though a small one, that Stupid Dallas Voters aren't as dumb as Stupid Arlington Voters.  Now, don't get me wrong.  There is no doubt in my mind that enough Stupid Dallas Voters would have turned out to give the Arkansas Freak a positive election had he wanted his stadium in Dallas. 

Two things saved us from Stupid Dallas Voters:

1.  The Perot/Hicks sales tax had us tapped out without new legislation in Austin; and

2.  Jerry Jones never wanted to build his stadium in Dallas, not at Fair Park or near the Trinity Sewer.

So, Stupid Arlington Voters take the prize for Metroplex dumbies -- at least for now. 

We have our own referendum coming up soon regarding the convention center hotel, and possibly a referendum regarding use of eminent domain. It's a new year in Dallas with lots of opportunity for Stupid Dallas Voters to out-stupid Arlington Stupid Voters.

sb