02/02/04  What Happened To The Basics?

Now It?s the Trinity, String Bridges, and a Vagrant City.

When I watched the news cast of the Mayor meeting with the vagrants that were herded into the politically correct meeting January 29^th to get their take on the issue of my tax dollars going into their new facility. I became quite perturbed.

It seems the vagrant population's opinion is more important than the low-income working class taxpayers who live and work near the proposed Harry Hines location.

It?s no secret that downtown businesses and property owners have long been looking for a way to remove the homeless from their "neighborhood".  In order for the downtown revitalization to continue, and for the city to increase the tax base downtown the homeless/vagrants must be relocated.  It?s a festering problem that should have been addressed years ago.  Unfortunately, the City hasn?t had the fortitude to do so.

Ft. Worth has managed to pass and enforce the necessary laws to keep vagrants out of their downtown, but Dallas hasn?t.

It?s a bit surprising that our politically savvy mayor forgot to include true input from any NW Dallas area neighborhood representatives.  On the other hand, if the Harry Hines location is chosen the percentage of active voters in the area won?t cost her enough votes in the next election to cause Mayor Miller to pause and consider area residents' concerns.  She will by far and away gain more votes and political contributions for reelection from downtown businesses and developers by pushing for the Harry Hines location.

Councilwoman Finkelman's shuttle service is a ridiculous appeasement to the non-voting vagrants and liberal thinkers of Dallas.  Once the homeless population is removed from downtown, they will not be allowed to return.  Ms Finkelman is a veteran of Dallas politics, and it shows in this tax-wasting lie to the homeless/vagrants.  If in fact such a service is to become the norm what reason would there be to remove the homeless/vagrants from downtown?

I want the vagrants out of downtown as well, but NOT on the backs of hard-working, NW Dallas non-voters, and the taxpayers of the entire city.

	Who will pay for the upkeep of the facility, and its employees? Dallas taxpayers.
	Who will pay for the electricity, water, gas, and food? Dallas taxpayers.

When word spreads that Dallas, TX has a wonderful facility that will give you a place to sleep, take a shower, a hot meal and "job training", Dallas will become the vagrant capital of the Southwest like San Francisco is to the West Coast. Then we?ll need a larger facility to accommodate the growing vagrant population.  Perhaps, we?ll come to our senses and say enough is enough.

My suggestion is to stop the problem before it starts.

Another concern we should consider is the fact that the NW division is one of the highest crime divisions in the highest crime city per capita in the nation.  Let me repeat that, one of the highest crime divisions in the highest crime city per capita in the nation.

The influx of 1,000 plus vagrants into NW Dallas will only make for an explosive combination.

How many more patrol officers is the Mayor willing to pay for to keep up with the increased crime that will arrive with the  homeless/vagrants?

Let me correct that, how many more patrol officers will the taxpayers of Dallas have to pay for to keep up with the increased crime that will arrive along with the opening of the facility?

'Think ahead kids, think ahead' that's what my great dad always told us growing up.

What the Mayor and council are proposing is a wonderful retreat and spa for street people.  It's quite unfortunate that they won't spend the same money for tax-paying citizens living in NW Dallas.  
 
I'm sending the city a check for thousands of dollars for my property taxes, and for what?  It's sure not the 'basics' that I was promised.