02/03/06   Dallas City Limits Subsidy

Councilman James Fantroy is right.  We don't need to give money to anybody who doesn't even have their own to contribute. The other aspect is that Billy Bob Barnett has no experience doing this size or type of project.

In the private sector, these folks wouldn't be able to do such a project unless it carried a high rate of interest to compensate for the risk or promised funding of say, $20 million.
And that's why they go begging to the city.

That Reunion land is desirable to many people.  We don't need to give away money to build anything else in that area. 

Downtown Dallas will not be a destination of choice until people feel safe, no matter what they build.  If city property or Reunion is going to be sold, just get a commercial real estate agent, list it commercially and be done with it.  Maybe then,we won't have to depend on the Caruth's and other foundations to give us $15 million for our cops.

The trick is to build that unnecessary 183 to Lancaster Tollway, and ferry people directly into the downtown glitz without them having to see any of the extreme poverty seen in areas that surround downtown not named Uptown.

I'd love to see the day when people use business acumen combined with their own funds (not those of the city) and see if they can make a project work.