Hunt's Decree
Verified Response
Philip Minshew
                             

10/17/05  We may pay the bills, but Our Downtown Betters own this city.

It's enough to make you cry, but tears won't get the job done.  We have got to make some of the Bill Blaydes gang of 10 realize we don't want them to sell out Dallas taxpayers just to curry favor with Ray Hunt.  They need to know we want billionaires to pay their rightful share of the property tax load.  Not one of those 11 council members were elected by Ray Hunt.  Ron Natinsky, Bill Blaydes, Sandra Dee Griffith and Not So Angelic Hunt were elected by homeowners who are tired of carrying an inordinate share of property taxes while all the services go to Billionaires who get tax abatements and sweet land deals.

In Who's watching out for us, while Bill Blaydes helps out Ray Hunt?, I asked why our elected and appointed officials (Asst. Mismanager Lying Ryan Evans) are so eager to suck up to the likes of Ray Hunt.  You and I know the answer, but don't expect to ever get an explanation from any one of the 10 council members who stood behind Bill Blaydes and the FBI's Favorite Target Don Hill in their "We are happy to assume the position for Ray Hunt" demonstration.

Dallas native and long-time community activist Tim Dickey asked an even more telling question.  Why don't we see any parks or donated buildings with the Hunt name on them?  Drawing the obvious and frequent comparison between the generosity of the Bass Family to the City of Ft. Worth and the parasitism of the heirs of Bigamist H. L. Hunt, you have to conclude Dallas was dealt a bad hand when the Bass Family settled in Ft. Worth and H. L. Hunt started procreating in Dallas.

The Dallas Managed News has a new hand-delivered magazine "North Dallas Neighbors" that gets thrown in my flower bed on a weekly basis of late.  Before I tossed away the most recent assault on my mums and daisies, I opened it up.  There was a story on page 21  by Allison Wisk:  "Royal A. Ferris: From railroad to roadway".  Wisk says Royal Lane is named after Mr. Ferris.  The story has a 1963 picture of Ferris Plaza with the caption "Ferris Plaza stands as a reminder of Royal A. Ferris's lasting contributions to the city of Dallas."   It's not on-line for a link.

Royal A. Ferris: From railroad to roadway by Allison Wisk, Neighbors Editor 10/15/05

... Ferris Plaza, located at Houston and Young Streets across the street from The Dallas Morning News Building and Union Station, was built with about $50,000 donated by the prolific Dallas businessman. ... Ferris was instrumental in creating the Dallas Chapter of the American Red Cross April 21, 1911. ... Ferris also served to help White Rock Lake developments off the ground was instrumental in creating scholarships and endowments in his name at Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Austin.

Unless you are a member of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, you have to think very hard before you come up with a non-profit or park named after anyone related to Ray Hunt.  The hypocrisy of the FBC is remarkable.  One of their large Downtown buildings is named the Ruth Ray Hunt Young Building.  Ruth Ray Hunt is Ray Hunt's mother Hunt and the last wife of H. L. Hunt, who married her after his first wife died.  Ruth and H. L. already had 4 children BEFORE they married, children conceived while he was married to Lyda Hunt (mother of Bunker, Herbert, Lamar).  Only in Dallas, could a rich man's mistress become the pillar of a major church, but that's the Dallas way.  NO, the Ruth Ray Hunt Young Building is not a home for unmarried mothers.

Still, we have Bill Blaydes and hosts of others calling Ray Hunt/Hunt Oil -- a Dallas "icon". 

Doesn't that make you proud? 

Ten council members want our city's "image" to be Ray Hunt, a selfish, self-serving Son of a Bigamist who like his Daddy only takes from all around him and shares nothing.  For more on Daddy H. L  see HL Hunt's Boys and the Circle K Cowboys - Print Version.  He didn't just cheat on his wives, he cheated his friends and partners.  Yet, we are supposed to look up to Ray Hunt and Hunt Oil and the rest of the Hunt holdings as objects of uncritical devotion.   Ray Hunt may be an icon to Bill Blaydes and his gang, but Ray Hunt is an icon-not to me.

As the ODB's major mouthpiece, Belo's Dallas Managed News is already on the job spreading the propaganda to justify this travesty and diversion of property tax revenue.

Does anybody but we diehard Bad Dealers!! remember warning voters that Reunion would be demolished even though we owe money on the building?  Remember how we were pooh-poohed?  Weren't we promised it would not be demolished, but would be used for smaller venues?  We were lied to by Con Jerk and Our Downtown Betters (the ODB).

Reunion may face wrecking ball 08:13 PM CDT on Saturday, October 15, 2005 By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News

When Reunion Arena opened its doors in 1980, it was a state-of-the-art sports venue. National Basketball Association officials even suggested perhaps Dallas had aimed too high and constructed a building that was too big. ... Now, with a nearly empty calendar and no prospective tenants, Reunion could become the city's largest teardown.     The Dallas City Council is considering a land-swap deal that could signal the final act for the arena. If an agreement with Dallas-based Hunt Consolidated is approved, the city would turn over rights to Reunion in exchange for a parking lot near the convention center. ...  Although Reunion was an immediate success, it was a project that had been a struggle. Former City Manager George Schrader said several false starts and questions about financing had stalled final approval of the arena. But the mayor at the time, Robert Folsom, was determined to see it built. ... The city eventually settled on an old rail yard that was filled with debris and standing water as the new home for the $27 million arena. ... But little more than a decade had passed when bigger, better arenas began cropping up in NBA cities. The new venues had luxury suites and an assortment of restaurants ? key moneymakers that Reunion lacked. ... "If [Reunion] was old and dilapidated and things were falling apart, that would be different, but that's not the case," said Steve Letson, the Mavericks' vice president of operations. ... But it's a question of dollars, not dilapidation, and the arena has become a drag on the city's finances, running up an annual debt of about $1.3 million in recent years.    American Airlines Center has the right of first refusal for all events. Managers of the new venue seldom say "No," leaving only an occasional ice-skating show or church gathering for the old arena. ... Constrained by a contract that forces city officials to forward any event inquiries to American Airlines Center, Mr. Poe said the city could do little, if anything, to market Reunion or refurbish it. ...

If Reunion is costing Dallas taxpayers $1.3 million annually after all revenue, it is a real bargain compared to the $3-4 million that the Meyerson costs us after all revenue.  Does that mean we need to demolish the Meyerson and give that land to Ray Hunt, too?

City to consider razing Reunion; Proposal calls for entertainment complex, possibly gambling Saturday, October 15, 2005 By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas will formally consider demolishing Reunion Arena in 2008 to create a massive downtown entertainment complex and potentially attract horse racing and casino-style gambling to the city's center, according to a document obtained late Friday.    The 26-page document, slated for presentation to the Dallas City Council on Wednesday, confirms predictions this week by some officials that Dallas would attempt to swap city-owned Reunion Arena and its surrounding land to billionaire oilman Ray Hunt in exchange for part of a parking lot on which it wants to develop an entertainment complex to complement the adjacent Dallas Convention Center.    The city, according to the document, will in turn partner with Dallas City Limits, a group run by Texas entertainment mogul Billy Bob Barnett to create the complex in the near future,  ...    The "Trinity Crossing Entertainment Complex," according to the proposal, would include: ? An outdoor festival area for at least 27,000 people. ? A small indoor stage facility for live entertainment. ? A small outdoor arena for bull riding, cutting horse competitions and similar activities. ? Skybox suites including facilities for guests and sponsors. ? Several themed restaurants featuring seafood, Tex-Mex, steaks and barbecue. ? About 40,000 square feet of retail space.    A second project phase calls for the creation of an equestrian center that would feature horse racing. It also mentions options for video gaming if the state government approves such gambling in the future.    Dallas City Limits "anticipates having a racing license at the equestrian center, thus it is likely video lottery terminals will be in both phases of the entertainment complex if the state legislature authorizes gaming," the document states. ... Dallas would sell the land where the entertainment complex would sit ? a combination of land the city owns and would obtain from Mr. Hunt's company ? to Dallas City Limits at "fair market value based on independent appraisals." ... As for Reunion Arena, the city would lease the facility for $1 per year from Hunt until June 30, 2008, the proposal states. Dallas could remove all items of value from the arena before Hunt demolished the arena, which is located next to the Hunt-owned Hyatt Regency Dallas and Reunion Tower near the Trinity River.    Dallas' land swap proposal suggests that it may not be a cashless land-for-land deal. ...

Check out a 2/22/05 letter from Ray Hunt, as well as the Letter of Intent (see Hunt's Decree) between Hunt Realty Corporation and Dallas City Limits, L.L.C. (of which the City is a partner). 

You will be told the city cannot take Ray Hunt's 331,909 square foot parking lot by eminent domain and sell it to Dallas City Limits.  We could take that land and make it part of our convention center and lease it to Dallas City Limits.  We could, but Lying Ryan Evans says we can't.  He interprets the law in a way that suits Ray Hunt's goals.   You have to assume at this point that Lying Ryan Evans is trying to pull off another John Ware coup and is working his way into a job with Ray Hunt. 

In his 2/22/05 letter, Ray Hunt tells a potential developer he will not ALLOW Reunion Arena to be used as a casino:

Would someone tell me the difference between a casino where they gamble and a horse track where they gamble?  They have gambling machines at both types of "gaming" operations.  People gamble at both types of operations.  People waste money at both types of operations.

	Then there's the question of why Ray Hunt gets to determine what is a "first class general municipal purpose"?  What about the issue of why Ray Hunt never built out the things he promised under the 1974 Master Agreement between "Hunt and the City of Dallas"?			10/17 Rad Field: Since the City and DISD take property away from individuals, business owners and religious institutions, the city should use eminent domain to take the property they need for the Barnett project rather than swap Reunion with Hunt.  That way, the taxpayer can finally come out ahead and Reunion can be sold to the highest bidder or turned into the Dallas Casino on the River.
Not to mention, the irony of a Son of a Bigamist determining that "gaming" is sinful!  Looks to me like a Son of a Bigamist should avoid issues of appropriate behavior altogether.

No wonder the FBI's Favorite Target Don Hill and Shakedown Leo Chaney would stand up for Ray Hunt.  They figure no one's going to pay much attention to their small potato graft when Ray Hunt gets to take us for millions on a fairly regular basis.

Here's another question, why can't Dallas voters decide whether we want Reunion Arena sold and demolished?  Why can't Dallas voters decide whether we want a casino near the Convention Center to attract convention business?  Las Vegas sure draws a lot more conventions than we do of late.   Sure, the Legislature didn't pass the new gambling bills last session, but that's going to happen.  There's no difference in buying a lottery ticket, betting on horses and feeding a slot machine or table at a casino.  If you don't like gambling, don't go to a casino and don't gamble. 

This is our town.  We pay OUR TAXES.  We don't have a choice.  I heard the Mayor say on some radio show that if a homeowner refused to pay his or her taxes that we would send the Sheriff out to arrest them. 

When ODB fat cats like Ray Hunt concoct some new scam to rip off Dallas taxpayers, we have Bill Blaydes and his gang of 10 calling Hunt an "icon" and telling us we should be grateful to have that Son of a Bigamist picking our town to rip off.

I want to say right here -- Ray Hunt is not going to build that monstrosity of an office building in Las Colinas.  If I'm wrong, that building is going to be the biggest eyesore in Irving. 

Here's a message to Bill Blaydes, Gary Griffith, Ed Oakley, Angela Hunt, Ron Natinsky and the rest of the gang of ten -- stop embarrassing us by behaving like a bunch of plantation managers asking your master how low he wants you to stoop.

sb