5/21/7   Who are we?

Now that we are nearing the post-Laura Miller era, Dallas, both North and South, needs to decide just who we are as a City.

Back in the early 60's when my family moved here, it was a simple choice.  Back to our home State and to the City, which offered small town social atmosphere, yet big town conveniences.  Friendly towards business, yet family was still the top priority.  Sure, we had our social problems as we do today, but the communication gaps started to close as desegregation was instituted, Walker vs. HUD was finalized, and Dallas had championship sports teams to rally around.

Something then happened, I like to call the J.R. factor.  Good schools, low crime rates and social growth were not good enough for some. Full of huff and puff and bloated with the greed for glitz, Dallas and its politics were kidnapped.  The kidnappers started to transform the city into their own personal playground.  Good-ole-boy politics behind doors where politicians are turned into nothing more than Harry Hines street walkers, lay down before greenbacks, both now spineless and living in integrity poverty.  The citizens of this City were left with an identity crisis. Who are we?

When it comes to Dallas politics, history is supposed to be the ultimate teacher, but somehow that course was bypassed in school and along with reason.

Remember the famed West End and how it would revitalize the Downtown area? How about Reunion Arena?  Remember the "Hot Spot" Deep Elum?  

I'm not saying Downtown couldn't use a "Face lift", but Downtown hasn't been vitali since 1960.  Every project put forth to revitalize it has failed.  North Dallas people like North Dallas, and South Dallas people want the same conveniences as North Dallas.

Giving over 400 million dollars in tax credits and relief to ODB's is irresponsible when both North and South Dallas need help.  

It is irresponsible when the only thing a person hears about DISD is corruption and children dying from "cheese".

It is irresponsible when Dallas has one of the highest crime rates and poorly paid civil servants.

It is irresponsible to talk about a "Trinity River Project" when much of the needs of the people have gone unmet.
 

Some of our millionaires are laughing all the way to the bank, while the backbone of our society and city is slowly being crushed under the weight of ODB greed.  Dallas is at a crossroad and has been for a long time trying to decide, "Who are we?"
 

Do we want quality schools, low crime rates, conveniences nearby and a government friendly to small local businesses to assist with growth?  Or, do we go for the glitz and glamour, large meaningless projects such as the Trinity River Project which will benefit only a few people?  Do we go and meet the needs of corporate greed and prestige, or do we help families in both North and South Dallas?
 

Do we address dilapidated apartments by replacing them with multi-income level complexes, which have proven to increase property values and lower crime rates while not throwing people out onto the streets?  I would rather throw tax credits this way to help all local neighborhoods than to build multi-million dollar lofts in Downtown.
 

There isn't any better way to have quality and loyal employees than to have quality pay and support. When we take care of our civil servants, they take care of us.  It is also time to understand that quality social services and education matched with crime fighting efforts lowers crime rates. It is cheap and proven.

It would be nice to see Dallas politics go back into history to those things, which have been proven and fiscally responsible for all of our citizens.  To see this to fruition, we as a community must decide (as opposed to others deciding for us), "Who we are?"

James K Waghorne