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08/26/04 No Place Like Home.
After Dorothy had seen all the wonders of the Emerald City, when asked to stay
she turned her back on all the beautiful colors and glitter and adamantly said,
"There's no place like HOME."
How could anyone in their right mind chose a black and
white, flat, dusty, tornado ridden, Kansas farm to that magnificent Emerald
City? She knew what most in our community
understand, but what City Hall and Downtown Business Leaders seem to have lost.
My family came back to Texas and Dallas in 1964 after trying other Metro towns
such as Atlanta and Chicago. They
returned to Dallas because it was family and community
centered. Dallas was a friendly place to do
business and even more important, a town in which one could raise their family
in a community with down home values.
This was the attraction of Dallas back in the 60's
and early 70's. This
is what made Dallas. Back
then Dallas residents and leaders were motivated to promote that image
due to the tragic assassination of Kennedy. Whatever
the reason, it worked for our community and the nation as people and businesses
sought out Dallas to work and live.
Fast forward to today. Who in their right
mind would spend the money to build a playground in their backyard while their
house is crumbling down around them?
Only the arrogant Wizard of Oz who hides behind smoke and mirrors inside
the Palace, backed by armed, red-mustached, heartless men clothed in $green$
from head to toe would do such a thing.
While the $350,000,000.00 million dollar playground known as the Trinity River
Project might bring in a few Dorothy's to visit, they
will certainly see what Oz Dorothy saw. Nice
place to visit, but I wouldn't
want to do business or raise a family there.
Image is no replacement for reality. Our City has been going downhill for years
because we have kept putting "keeping up with the
Jone's" before
community. Wealthy minority before working class
majority. Two in the bush before bird in the hand.
There are many things that need to be done to fix our house but the first
is to get that Wizard into the Hot Air balloon and send her back to OZ. Then we
can live our old slogan: Dallas,
Welcome Home.
James K Waghorne
Dallas Homeless Neighborhood Association President
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