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10/01/9 Don't
you wish Dallas official took Code Enforcement so seriously?
Ever so often, you see a story that makes you
smile. DallasNews.com has a laugh out loud story:
Acting on a tip from a neighbor, police arrested a woman suspected of prostitution at a University Park rental home this week.
Cynthia Martinez, 44, faces a prostitution charge after authorities ran an undercover sting with Dallas vice officers this week, police said. ...
Police said they do not expect other arrests. Martinez might face additional charges relating to city code violations for running a business out of her house, police said.
... Unlike the manicured lawns of other homes in the neighborhood, Martinez's house, which is appraised at $430,000 by the Dallas Central Appraisal District, is partially covered by overgrown shrubs and trees.
Authorities do not believe the rental property's owner was aware of any criminal activity. Neighbors, however, said they had long been suspicious.
Michelle Mirkovic, who lives across the street, said Martinez described herself as a massage therapist.
Since Martinez moved into the home, "strange vehicles would park out there day and night," Mirkovic said.
Prostitution is unusual in University Park, Sgt. Bill Mathes said. ...
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I'm big on strict code enforcement. Much of
our crime problem in Dallas is a direct result of lax code enforcement.
Neighborhood decline often starts with one problem house where too many people
are living, parking too many cars at the house (and on the street) and
frequently operating businesses. Houses on either side of the first bad
house become less desirable, and so on and so on. We have rules in Dallas
about how many unrelated adults can live in one house, about illegal storage and
operating a business in a single family neighborhood -- no one even tries to
enforce the rules.
Rather than enforce existing laws, Dallas City Hall passes new ordinances and
closes legitimate businesses operating in long-time locations. University
Park keeps it simple. Behave yourself or they will bust your butt.
If you don't keep your yard up to your neighborhood standards, they will take
notice. If you have too many cars coming and going around your house, City
Hall will respond to your neighbor's complaints. What an incredible
concept -- law and code enforcement!
Prostitution is not a victimless crime. A whorehouse can be almost as
detrimental to a neighborhood as a crack house. A bunch of horndogs
trolling your neighborhood on their way to or from a hooker tryst has a negative
impact on your quality of life. When I first bought my Northwest Dallas
home, the hookers from Harry Hines would bring their "dates" to our quiet
neighborhood in the hours between Midnight and 6:00 am. It was nothing to
find used condoms right out on the street -- ugh!
The hookers and their "dates" that used to frequent my neighborhood were not
social climbers. They would have had to cleanup to be called trashy --
ugh!
You would expect a Park Cities hooker to be a classy looker. Ms. Martinez,
the subject of the rare UP prostitution bust, certainly is not classy and
seriously unattractive. She would have be a better fit in the old days
when Harry Hines was hooker central. The DPD has really cleaned up things
in the Harry Hines area, but Walnut Hill continues to have problems. None
of the stuff we have to see in NW Dallas would be allowed in University Park.
UP police officers have another charge to hit their ugly hooker with -- not
having a state mandated massage therapist license. Thanks to State Rep.
Rafael Anchia, we have legislation that prohibits anyone from touching another
person for money without a massage therapist license. The law was intended
to put a crimp in the white slave trade that goes on in massage parlors. I
doubt UP police officers have a single massage parlor in their jurisdiction, so
that law probably is not high on their awareness zone. DPD officers out of
Northwest Substation are all too familiar with massage parlors.
I hope Martinez' neighbors have seen the last of her. As funny as the
situation is to read about, it's not amusing to live across the street from that
kind of trash. It's not fun to live across the street from a house with
ten men using it as an apartment house.
I'm a big protector of neighborhoods. I'm not a big supporter of
conservation districts or overlays. People have a right to build any kind
of single family house they want on their own property in a single family
neighborhood. People have a right to expect their neighbors to behave and
follow basic considerations. I don't care about the size of someone's
house as long as it's behind the build lines of the lot's setbacks. I do
care about 6-10 cars or trucks at one residence, trashing the neighborhood and
blocking the street.
Dallas has rules prohibiting the storage of vehicles at single family homes.
The politically correct mood at City Hall prohibits enforcement of that
prohibition. Somebody thinks all Hispanics want excessive cars in their
neighborhood. That's baloney! Most of our problem houses are tenant
occupied.
Speaking of neighborhoods, there is another happy tale on DallasNews.com:
Neil Emmons, the longest-serving member of Dallas' City Plan Commission and one of its most powerful voices, will be replaced soon because of term limits.
Emmons may not be well-known, but inside City Hall, and particularly among developers, preservationists, planners and the host of people who shape Dallas, he's no stranger.
Depending on whom you ask, he's feared, loathed, loved or respected for his willingness to put a heavy hand on development projects in any part of Dallas.
Emmons said Tuesday that he has no regrets about his service and particularly his constant support of restrictions on growth and change in established neighborhoods.
... Appointed in September 2001 by City Council member Veletta Forsythe Lill, Emmons continued to serve central Dallas' District 14 under council member Angela Hunt.
Hunt has nominated Julian "Bill" Peterson to replace Emmons. The council could vote on the nomination as soon as Oct. 28. Emmons is expected to serve until Peterson's nomination is approved.
Emmons' departure is certain to change the character of the powerful plan commission. ...
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Neil Emmons is a bad man. He is not a
protector of neighborhoods. He's a power freak who enjoyed playing games
and using his office to intimidate people. All the good Angela Hunt has
and will do as a councilwoman is tainted by her refusal to remove this bad man
from the plan commission. The harm he has done to this city is
incalculable. Several quality projects will never happen because he played
his little power games. His departure will improve the character of the
plan commission. His departure will improve this city.
It always amazes me when people fight to save old worn out houses or buildings,
but refuse to face the reality that no one will want that old house or building
because the neighborhood has so many other problems. City Hall puts the
wants and/or needs of losers before the wants and/or needs of responsible Joe
Taxpayers.
The city would be better served with strict code enforcement and fewer
conservation districts.
I've never desired to live in Highland Park or University Park, but I am envious
of the way they run their cities. They have rules and they expect them to
be followed.
So, hats off to the UP police and city leaders who don't want their city to
decline, one whore house at a time.
sb
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