Mary Lou Montes Zijderveld
                             

06/13/05  The more things change ...

My councilman invited my handsome husband and me (and a few others) to breakfast with the old and new council members Monday morning.  It was amazing how many of the people there I knew.  It felt similar to my high school class reunion we had last Saturday night at Mercado Juarez on Northwest Highway.  You hug people you haven't seen in a month of Sundays and hug people you saw last week.  Lots of hugging.

It was all very nice.  Everyone was dressed up and polite.  There was genuinely a sense of optimism about this new council.  When it was Mr. Fantroy's turn to be called up to the podium, the place roared with approval.  We all knew how much better off we are without Old Al Lipscomb at City Hall again.

So, what's coming up that's different?  Well, we are about to be in the middle of a another divisive city issue -- repeal of the Wright Amendment.  Everyone is going to get all hot and angry with each other, and none of that energy is going to matter because the decision is going to be made in D.C. anyway.  I'm making no secret about my opposition to repeal, but the nays are the minority this time around.  So, I'm going to sit this one out and hope for the best and expect the worst.

We keep hearing about the need to revitalize Downtown, but Monday morning it looked like that is already happening without the city interfering.  There was construction all over the place.  My old neighborhood is just overwhelmed with new, expensive highrises.  South Harry Hines is now High End!  Really swanky stuff! 

Mayor Miller and Councilmen Oakley and Rasansky saved the Mercantile deal, which is certainly a necessary project to move some of the Uptown energy into the dead zone of Old Downtown.  There would be more money available if Our Downtown Betters (the ODB) were not pouring millions into putting a lid on Woodall Rogers.  Is it just me or is that the dumbest idea yet?  Why is this council wanting to cover Woodall Rogers when we can't afford to hire more police officers?  Who is going to "police" the new parks when we can't afford to hire enough officers to "police" our neighborhoods? 

I actually saw a police car in my neighborhood this week.  When I bought my house in 2001, there were police cars up and down my street all the time -- just cruising and watching.

Much of our city staff are concentrated on the Trinity Project, but we don't have the money to make it happen -- at least not yet.  President Bush is threatening to veto the Transportation Bill.  If that happens, there's no Trinity Bondoogle!

Then, there's the animal shelter that has been put on hold because the architect thought we needed a Taj Mahal and figured the council would "find" the extra money needed somewhere.  See Emily Ramshaw's report:  Busted budget delays animal shelter project (The Dallas Morning News, June 8, 2005).  Wonder how much of the shelter's budget is going to a "make work" art project for some of Princess Velveeta's artsy fartsy friends?  Don't they have to set aside 10% of any city capital project for art work? 

Still, we would not have to worry about a shortfall for the animal shelter or the street bums shelter if that money they plan to waste on the Woodall Rogers lid were spent on those two projects that we actually voted for (or against).

Sharon Cutcher furnished this quote from historian Joel Kotkin:  Arenas, arts centers and hip lofts can't make up for poor schools, weak economies and crumbling infrastructures.  I don't know Joel Kotkin, but that simple statement speaks volumes of truth.

Victoria Loe Hicks (who was so very wrong on the Strong-Arm Mayor proposal) also quotes Kotkin, and she almost had an interesting column with her:

Dallas' future depends on a strong middle class by Victoria Loe Hicks, Dallas Morning News, 6/11/05

... Joel Kotkin writes that the most important work of cities ? and the determinant of their success ? remains what it has historically been: "the transformation of newcomers to America into successful, middle-class citizens." I don't know about other cities, but in Dallas' case, he's right.    Dallas, thankfully, isn't in the same boat as the older U.S. cities Mr. Kotkin describes that are losing population. Situated in the midst of the fastest-growing metropolitan region in the country, Dallas continues to attract new residents ? most of them foreign-born.    The city's challenge is to capture a respectable share of the regional growth and to achieve a healthy mix of income levels. Specifically, the city desperately needs to grow its middle class. It has no shortage of wealthy people and certainly no lack of those who struggle economically. But ? for a variety of reasons that include troubled public schools and a dearth of middle-income housing ? it's at a significant disadvantage in attracting and retaining people in the vast middle. ... Some will be empty nesters seeking a change from the suburbia. Some will be American-born parents and their children.    There's absolutely nothing wrong with trying to become more attractive to those people. But, if current trends continue, Dallas' best hope for the future is to grow its new middle class in place, from the ranks of those "newcomers to America" that Mr. Kotkin talks about. ...

Hicks' politically correct thinking is what Mary Lou Montes Zijderveld talks about in her 6/14/04 Report on the Council Swearing-In Ceremony.  That's what is missing from all the optimistic visions for Dallas.  There's nothing in it for the middle class, particularly the white middle class, particularly "maturing" white middle class homeowners.  They are seeing a lot less bang for their buck and their altruism.

My neighborhood is very mixed (including dozens of gay couples), about 40% Anglo , 45% Hispanic and the rest split between Black and Asian.  We circulate notices of our crime watch meetings in English and Spanish, but the regulars are mostly Anglo homeowners.  Someone always criticizes us for not making more of an effort to attract Hispanic residents.  At almost every meeting we have had since I took over as Chair of the group, we have had an Hispanic elected official on the agenda.  Still, few Hispanics come or return.  I have yet to have someone ask why we don't circulate the notices in one of the Asian languages or why we aren't making more of an effort to attract our Asian residents.

I find the entire discussion very patronizing and demeaning to all involved.  Demanding that more effort be made to attract Hispanic neighbors to our meetings than what is done to get the Anglo attendees implies Hispanic adults need to be controlled by non-Hispanics.  It implies Hispanic adults can't prioritize on their own.  It implies Hispanic adults can't simply decide they would rather spend their evenings with their families than sitting around listening to some politician or police officer discussing crime stats for our area.

Contrary to what Gromer Jeffers reports in his column,

	Gromer Jeffers Jr.: Lipscomb tactic turns election Fantroy's way Monday, June 6, 2005
Disappointing turnout    In case you missed it, only 472 people voted in the District 6 general election between incumbent Steve Salazar and Linus Spiller.    That total was less than the 718 votes Elba Garcia received running unopposed in District 1.

there were 1518 voters in the District 6 race.  The 472 he cites were just early voters (mail-72, in person-400).  I thought Jeffers' numbers were bogus because my little precinct 1122 voted 177, but I didn't take the time until now to double check www.Dalcoelections.org.  Councilman Salazar received 1,518 votes and Linus Spiller got 282.  I'm a big fan of Elba Garcia, but Councilman Salazar got 404 more votes than she did and for all practical purposes, he ran unopposed. 

I would have liked to see Councilman Salazar as Deputy Mayor Pro Tem again, but Dr. Garcia does have seniority in this round of his tenure.  Besides, I like having our councilman focus on the needs of District 6 -- and trust me, we are very needy.

There are way too many "for sale" signs in my neighborhood, and way too many of them are in the yards of Anglo homeowners who are just giving up and moving out.  Some of the sellers are 25-30 year residents.  It's not the ethnic ratio of the neighborhood that's behind their departures, it's the crime, it's the city's refusal to prohibit our single-family homes from being used as apartments with multiple families living in one house.

Ex-council member elected Irving mayor By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News, June 13, 2005

Ousted from the Irving City Council a year ago, Herbert Gears completed his political comeback Saturday night by easily winning a runoff for mayor. ... Mr. Gears, 43, says he'll bring a hands-on approach to problems, including code enforcement ? one of the hottest issues in the campaign. Residents have sounded off about the need for reform.    The new mayor's top code-enforcement priority is addressing concerns that multiple families are cramming into single-family homes.    "In three years, we won't be discussing that issue any longer," he said. ...

Didn't see a single comment about the need for a new sports facility, new bridges, new building anything -- they want REFORM.  Can you imagine a Dallas mayor addressing the politically in-correct issue of "multiple families are cramming into single-family homes"?

When I saw Eric Aasen's story, I sent a snip of it to some Northwest Dallas community leaders.  Thought you would get a chuckle out of one of the responses I got:

Unfortunately, that's just what a lot of my neighbors want to do - move out of Dallas to a city that does appreciate them and their community efforts.

This is one reason I am so strong for Steve Salazar.  He has made a serious effort to include Anglo community leaders in his base of advisers.  He has made our mundane priorities of code enforcement and police protection his priorities.  That's why 1,236 District 6 residents voted for him.  Gromer Jeffers and The Dallas Managed News owe Councilman Salazar a big apology for that huge misstatement.  District 6 is happy with our councilman.

District 12 will be happy with Councilman Ron Natinsky.  When he was on the Board of Adjustment, he really listened to the speakers (pro and con).  When the sex clubs went to the BOA, Ron Natinksky would actually ask questions about their investments and how long their business had been at that location, so he could make an informed decision about a reasonable depreciation period (inside stuff, but very important) for them.  I wish I had jumped on his bandwagon early on because he's exactly what we need at City Hall.

Linda Koop will be a real asset for all of Dallas.  She's so knowledgeable, that she will hit the ground running.  It was great to see her brother, Paul Fielding, at the pre-swearing-in breakfast.  He will always be one of my all time favorite council members, and a good personal friend.  Having him there with her, shows the kind of classy woman we all know Linda Koop to be.  His being there with her, shows the courage his friends all know Paul Field to have.

Councilwoman Pauline Medrano will be a good councilwoman who focuses on where we live, on our neighborhoods and quality of life.

Councilwoman Angela Hunt will be an improvement for District 14, just because she is not Princess Velveeta.  Hopefully, she will not be as vindictive toward Oak Lawn leaders who supported her opponents as was her predecessor.  She could learn a lot about reaching out to former foes from Councilman Steve Salazar.

Councilman Fantroy probably should not be too concerned about extending olive branches to Old Al and his gang.  Councilman Fantroy got stabbed in the back by someone he had already stuck his neck out for, and the rest of the Lipscomb gang.  James Fantroy will be a better councilman this term because he learned some important lessons about who can be trusted and who cannot.  When someone openly criticizes you, there's no deception and you know where they stand.  When someone who has done others wrong pretends to be your friend, you should never forget a snake is always going to be a snake.

I am hopeful about this council and Our Mayor's successes for the next two years.  She has been humbled, but she is still one of the smartest people in town and her heart is in the right place.  I will not join those who want to see her fail, because that will only hurt our city.

For the next few weeks, DallasArena.com will not publish on a regular basis because it's summer and even a political gadfly can have some fun things to do on occasion.  Should have things back on track by July.

Here's to a more successful Dallas where all areas of the city get the basic services we need because our City Council and Mayor turn their backs on the dream schemes of the ODB and focus on making life better for the people who pay the bills and show up at the polls to keep them in office.

sb