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Mike Perry
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01/14/05 Who would want to do
business with the City of Dallas?
If you listened to the council meeting Wednesday and you
own any real estate in this city, you had to have at least a moment of sheer
panic. As usual, DMN's Emily Ramshaw covered the incident with her laser
beam on what was significant about the force.
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Basically, the city leased a building from John Rader for the Day Resource
Center for street bums and others down on their luck. When two street bums
got run over a few months ago (a woman was using her pickup to run down an
errant boyfriend and didn't notice the bums sleeping on the sidewalk), the city
council and other bleeding hearts decided to make the DRC a 24-hour operation.
The landlord did not want people sleeping in his building and reminded the city
that the property's zoning prohibited sleepovers. A bigger issue to Mr.
Rader was the matter of insurance for the building and liability insurance for
the sleepovers. |
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James Northrup:
What happened to John Rader should not happen to any building
owner.
The City basically re-wrote Rader's
lease for him to the detriment of his property and the CBD.
They turned
a soup kitchen in the shadow of City Hall
into the street people's Times Square.
Better representation is the most obvious solution. Don't
agree with all your picks, but it's a start. |
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The city is self-insured. If some street bum gets injured or worse while
sleeping in the DRC in Mr. Rader's building, you can bet your sweet tax-paying
rear that some ambulance chaser would be ready to file a lawsuit on the bum's
behalf. Since getting big bucks from the city would be a lot harder than
going after Mr. Rader, you can readily see why Mr. Rader is legitimately
concerned about his exposure just because he foolishly entered into a lease with
the City of Dallas.
Councilmen Bill Blaydes and Mitch Rasansky were the only two council members who
showed any concern for Mr. Rader. Even after they went into executive
session, the vote was 13-2 to shaft a Dallas taxpayer and businessman.
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Council approves round-the-clock homeless center
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas
Morning News |
Dallas City
Council members on Wednesday cleared the way to open the Day Resource Center
24 hours a day, giving the city's homeless a safe place to spend the night
starting early next week.
... "The purpose of a 24/7 facility is, if [the
homeless] are hungry or tired or need to see a doctor, there's a place to do
it," Mayor Laura Miller said.
A wide majority of council members
supported the zoning change needed to open the center around the clock. But
their efforts were nearly derailed by safety concerns voiced by owners of
adjacent properties and questions over what the city was doing to properly
insure the facility's landlord.
... John Rader, who owns the Day Resource Center
building at Cadiz and Ervay streets, said he was concerned about his
insurance liability if there is an incident at the center at night. He also
said he was disappointed the city wasn't addressing neighbors' concerns.
... Randy Wilkinson, a
homeless advocate and Garland resident, scolded council members for
the slow process.
... Council members Bill Blaydes and Mitchell
Rasansky voted against the zoning change, saying their concerns about the
insurance situation were too strong to overlook.
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You can imagine the sleepless
nights Mr. Rader has ahead of him until his lease with the city is up for the
Day Resource Center.
We have some sleepless nights ahead of us until May. I'm going to get to
the Strong-Arm Mayor campaign, but we have council races coming up.
District 1 - Dr. Elba Garcia will run again and deserves to be re-elected.
She works hard and good things are happening in Oak Cliff under her watch.
DallasArena.com endorses Dr. Elba Garcia for District 1 whether she has an
opponent or not.
District 2 - Thank God and Greyhound, Send Me Some Money Loza can't run again.
Pauline Medrano is going to be the next representative from District 2.
She has been working in the community all her life. DallasArena.com
endorses Pauline Medrano for District 2 because she and her family have invested
their resources in the district for over 3 generations.
District 3 - Ed Oakley has been very good for Oak Cliff. He has had some
disappointing votes, but he probably won't have an opponent because all in all
he's been good for District 3. DallasArena.com endorses Ed Oakley for
District 3.
District 4 - Brain-Dead Thornton-Reese needs to go -- yesterday. Dwayne
Caraway is challenging T-Reese again. He has stepped out against the
Strong-Arm Mayor campaign. He will stand up to the Mayor without the
tirades and embarrassing temper tantrums we have seen from Brain-Dead for the
past several years. She's had 3 terms to show us something besides her
rear. DallasArena.com is endorsing Dwayne Caraway for District 4.
District 5 - Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill will have an opponent in Don
Robinson, who thinks he can win. Don Hill has stepped out against the
Strong-Arm Mayor campaign, and was very effective against Mayor Miller at the
debate hosted by Councilman Rasansky. Because 4 terms are too many for any
council member and we need new blood at City Hall, DallasArena.com is endorsing
Don Robinson for District 5.
District 6 - Councilman Steve Salazar has worked very hard to change his image
at City Hall and with his constituents. He shows up at so many community
meetings, he probably has to re-introduce himself to his kids every so often.
He has fought bad projects and fought for good development in NW Dallas, which
has been ignored and abused by past council representatives and City Hall in
general. Steve has revived a Dallas tradition of working with former
opponents to get things done for the common good. DallasArena.com is
endorsing Steve Salazar for District 6.
District 7 - Leo Chaney can only run this last time, and probably will not have
an opponent.
District 8 - We don't know if Councilman Fantroy is going to run again or if he
will have an opponent. Councilman Fantroy has shown restraint in his
opposition to the Strong-Arm Mayor campaign.
District 9 -- Very unlikely Gary Griffith will have an opponent.
District 10 - Very unlikely Bill Blaydes will have an opponent.
District 11 - Lois Finkelman is termed out, and there will be a new
representative in that district. Linda Koop has a great resum?and
certainly is qualified. Danny Harrison has run for the council seat
previously and has worked in several council races. He has a close
relationship with the Mayor. We need someone with his fresh energy, and
DallasArena.com is endorsing Danny Harrison for District 11.
District 12 - Sandy Greyson is termed out.
District 13 - DallasArena.com endorses Mitch Rasansky for re-election.
District 14 - Velletta Lill is termed out. Several candidates are running
to replace her: Angela Hunt (the M Streets Mussolini and Lill's choice),
Candy Marcum (business woman and Oak Lawn community activist and volunteer),
Bah! Bah! Blackwood (Park Cities alum who was forced her strong-arm mayor
referendum on the rest of us), Kathy Ingle and PD Sterling. Candy Marcum
is a mediator and counselor. Her people skills will help bring more order
and cooperation around the Horse Show. DallasArena.com is endorsing Candy
Marcum for District 14.
We need new blood at City Hall. With the exception of Elba Garcia, Ed
Oakley, Steve Salazar and Mitch Rasansky, we need to remove the other
incumbents. Bill Blaydes and Gary Griffith have had some good moments, but
just as many bad.
sb
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