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5/18/9 They were just a
bunch of dumb crooks!
What were you doing this morning when you heard THE
VERDICT?
I had to go to City Hall this morning to turn in my re-appointment papers for
the Board of Adjustment, so I was running late in my normal Monday morning
routine of pre-office stops at the bank and post office. The radio news
guy said there was a verdict that would be announced at 10:30. Expecting
to be tied up in the post office for a while, I called my real smart friend and
alerted her to the news and requested a cell phone ring as soon as she heard
something. Turned out I was back in my Escape heading for work when she
called. Almost ran off the road with the news!
I honestly expected the verdicts, but this is Dallas. In the past, some
people could not get past race, regardless of how wrong the deed. Things
are changing. Allen Gwinn (Dallas.org) called this afternoon and said he
was proud to be from Dallas again. We both have some other names we want
to see under the hard gaze of the FBI.
When all is said and done, this trial gave truth to the lie that Don Hill was a
smart man. What an idiot he has turned out to be. If the jury were
to have believed he knew nothing of the graft going on around him, they should
have recommended a mental institution for his jail time. If the jury were
to have believed he truly that he was doing nothing wrong but only wanted to
help his community, all that time he and his mistress-turned wife spend in
church must have been wasted -- unless his preacher is another Rev. Wright that
important congregants tune out when he preaches.
I don't think Don Hill is an idiot. This trial has proved that he is no
rocket scientist, but he is not an idiot. He is just a greedy,
self-serving crook who surrounded himself with dumber, greedy, self-serving
crooks. The whole bunch of them were con artists who ran out of fools and
time.
The Dallas Observer
has done an incredible job covering the trial. Sam Merten, Jim Schutze and
Robert Wilonsky have put the J back in journalism in this town. Still, I
wish Sarah Dodd was again reporting for one of the TV stations. Her gotcha
where she cornered Don Hill in the City Hall garage and demanded to know who
owned the BMW he was driving really blew this thing open for the average man
on the street. Remember Hill's response? "I earned the right to
drive this car."
One of Jim Schutze's many talents is cutting to the heart of a story (when he
wants). All through this mess, the crooks and their buddies tried to
compare Laura Miller taking campaign contributions which she reported on her
financial reports to Don Hill taking cash bribes behind a church. I've had
differences with Mayor Miller, but she would never take a bribe or shake down a
developer. Just wouldn't do it. She tried so hard to get a stronger
Code of Ethics for the council. Had she succeeded over the opposition of
Mayor Con Jerk/Ron Kirk and Don Hill to tighten up the rules, Hill and his
current wife might not be looking at prison time.
In Schutze report on the prosecutors' press conference, he zeroed in on the
Miller issue:
Unfair Park asked Marcus Busch, the lead trial attorney for the government, about repeated suggestions by the defense that the government practiced a double standard by not investigating and charging former Mayor Laura Miller in relation to campaign contributions she received from one of the contractors who confessed to paying Hill bribes.Busch pretty much jumped on it.
"There is no inconsistency," he said. "There was nothing improper about former Mayor Laura Miller's campaign contributions that she received."
He went on...
"I think you will recall from her testimony that she was precise in reporting campaign contributions, that there was even a contribution for one dollar listed in her campaign finance disclosure form."
And on ...
"So she was never a person who was anything other than an important fact witness in this case. The defense aspersions to the contrary, there was nothing unusual or improper about her campaign contributions."
He paused, and somebody was about to ask the next question, but he went on ...
"So there was no inconsistency whatsoever."
Beat.
"It's not even in the same ballpark."
O.K. Well then. We guess we got that one off our chests. ...
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"So
there was no inconsistency whatsoever."
Something that Hill said today was beyond inappropriate. Standing there
with his mistress turned second wife, Hill had the audacity to exclaim, "We are
going to remain FAITHFUL -- faithful to the God we serve." Had he remained
FAITHFUL to the first Mrs. Hill, Don Hill might not have gotten so deep into
this disgusting breach of faith with the voters who trusted him. For a
cheater like Hill to use the word "FAITHFUL" is outrageous.
Faithful to the God we serve? Give me a break!
Mayor Pro Tem Caraway was very sad and serious when he was interviewed about the
convictions. It was probably the appropriate response from him, but Allen
Gwinn has it right. This is not a sad day for Dallas. It is a good
day!
We no longer have to accept crooked politicians from the Southern Sector.
More importantly, politicians from the Southern Sector can no longer assume they
will get away with blatant criminality without consequences, serious
consequences.
There is so much wrong South of Downtown, but I'm really proud of the good work
Dwaine Caraway has been doing, closing hot sheet motels and marketing the area
for redevelopment. Redistricting will help improve the area even more.
Right now, three districts run east to west and are impossible to represent.
Mayor Pro Tem Caraway is already calling for more compact council districts.
At a breakfast meeting held by State Rep. Rafael Anchia for community leaders in
his district, one attendee asked why the city council districts are so bizarre
that District 14 runs from Love Field to East Dallas. It didn't make sense
when the late Joe May and Maxine Aaronson pushed our horribly gerrymandered
districts through with the blessing of Velveeta Lill. May was all about
race and getting some "safe" Hispanic districts. As a slumlord himself,
May had no concern for viable neighborhoods or communities of interest. He
actually used the demographic of how many telephones were in a household to
justify District 6. In response to that ridiculous idea, Allen Gwinn asked
the commission if we would have to redistrict if we bought everyone a second or
third phone. Bunch of dimwits didn't get Allen's joke.
Gary Turner (Crime and Politics) and Rep. Anchia tried to explain the redistricting process to
the man at his meeting, but
it was over the guy's head. He didn't want to know how the sausage was
made, but how it could wind up so ugly.
When council districts respect neighborhood boundaries and geographical
dividers, the community has true representation at City Hall. People know
what's going on and can hold their council rep accountable. When council
members stop going along to get along with ward politics, there will be fewer
opportunities for dumb crooks to get into trouble.
The verdicts may have shocked 5 crooks and their supporters. The
verdicts certainly jolted some politicians who think they are bullet proof.
More importantly, the verdicts have encouraged community activists like Allen Gwinn who have been
fighting public corruption for years to keep going.
The verdicts are good for Dallas.
The verdicts will be a blessing for the Southern Sector of this city. The
Lord moves in mysterious ways.
sb
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