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06/26/03 Have the
Lipscomb's walked through their Big Screen?
Through the magic of internet, I was able to
keep up with local doings while playing Aunt Sharon in Saline, Michigan (about
40 minutes from Detroit). Of course, anything one reads in the Dallas
Managed News may or may not be accurate, but couldn't be any worse than
the New York Times.
The following report by McCain Nelson got my blood boiling:
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Ethics
inquiry chugs on at City Hall;
7 weeks after mayoral election, panel is still going over complaints
06/23/2003
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas
Morning News |
The mayor's chief of staff has been absolved of politicking on city time,
but other ethics charges against Dallas employees continue to wind their
way through City Hall.
. . . a panel of the city's ethics commission dismissed
a complaint alleging that Crayton Webb coerced another staffer in Mayor
Laura Miller's office to do campaign-related tasks. Jim Graham, a
supporter of failed mayoral candidate Mary Poss, filed the complaint.
. . . This year's campaign season sparked unprecedented interest at
City Hall, as many city employees openly supported Ms. Poss. Complaints
lodged against Poss supporters and Miller staffers became an issue on the
campaign trail.
. . . After the election, City Attorney Madeleine Johnson
recommended that the complaints be dismissed and the internal
investigation be suspended. She argued that the guidelines governing
permissible political activity were vague and should be clarified before
employees were held accountable.
But the ethics commission has continued hearing complaints.
And City Manager Ted Benavides said he plans to finish his investigation
once the commission has completed its work.
. . . In the meantime, the ethics commission is expected to hear the
two remaining complaints.
In the first, Allen Gwinn, a political watchdog and a Miller
supporter, charged that employee Yolanda Lara used a city computer to send
e-mails encouraging her colleagues to support Ms. Poss. . . . Mr.
Gwinn said he thinks his charge details a clear-cut violation of the
ethics code. . . . "It's pretty clear that she used city
resources."
. . . The final complaint was filed by Lovie
Lipscomb, the wife of former council member Al Lipscomb. . .
. complaint takes issue with the actions of Ms. Miller, Mr. Webb, a
city employee and the leader of an employee group. She alleges that they
improperly used city facilities for political purposes when they held a
press conference in a public room at City Hall. . . . |
My first reaction was that Lovie & Old Al have been spending too much time
in front of their big screen TV watching soap operas, because either one of them
filing an ethics charge against anyone in the World is beyond crazy. It's
back***ward -- it's opposite to reality -- it's like something from Alice in
Wonderland/Alice through the Looking Glass. Then, I realized that the two
of them must have jumped through their new big screen TV that sits in the new
part of their house that was built for them while Old Al was under house
arrest. No wonder they are acting so disturbed of late.
As any regular DallasArena.com reader knows, Allen Gwinn is highly regarded by
me and frequently mentioned on this web site. If there is a pure soul
in Dallas County who really and truly believes in honest government, it is Allen
Gwinn. On top of his personal integrity, he is smart and focused and
multi-talented. He knows everything there is to know about computers -- at
least everything I have ever needed to know. If Allen Gwinn has a
flaw, it's his being methodical to a fault.
Contrast a person of Allen Gwinn's standards to those of Al and Lovie Lipscomb.
It is appropriate for a man of integrity like Allen Gwinn to file an ethics
complaint against Yolanda Lara because she knowingly violated a long standing
personnel rule prohibiting a city employee from publicly endorsing a city
council or mayoral candidate. It is outrageous for either Lipscomb to be
questioning anyone's ethics, motives or actions.
There was a mystery movie in the 70's with Lee Remick. She
explained ending her engagement when her former fianc?said if she "ever
had a thought, it died of loneliness." That phrase comes to
mind when I try to think of a single ethical moment Old Al Lipscomb may have had. Nothing comes to mind. If he ever did anything ethical,
it was too long ago to be relevant.
It is infuriating when a convicted felon is let go on a technicality. Any
person with an iota of decency would be so ashamed of what we all know he did
that he would keep a low profile. Not Old Al Lipscomb! But then, he
is without an iota of decency.
Just in case you forgot, Old Al Lipscomb admitted in Federal Court to accepting
bribes.
One of those bribes he took as a councilman was from Caligula Rizos, who said
his measly $7,300 bribe got him assistance from a "high ranking police
officer" to order police officers out of the NW Substation to "lay
off" enforcement in Bachman area sex clubs, particularly Rizos' sex
club. Many (if not all) of us in the Bachman area continue to
believe the "high ranking police officer" was none other than our
current Chief of Police.
Before I went to Michigan, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek plea (Change
is Needed Now!) for the council to replace Bolton with Chief
Moose. Apparently, my closing statement as to why it could not
happen was lost on a reader who cites the article on another website. Sure
makes you worry about some of the people carrying guns around town.
Still, Dallas has many people in high places who sorely lack
ethics or integrity, but they must have the goods on the right people.
We continue to have cab problems stemming from what Old Al and his buddy Floyd
did to that local industry. Because of what they did to Dallas area cabbies, we have gone way over the top to make it up to them. Some
council members want to continue flogging ourselves for
Old Al's sins. It was Old Al who did wrong, and he certainly feels no
shame.
A concerned citizen submitted these comments regarding the 6/18/03
council discussion on insurance required for cab operators:
CITIZEN ED:
The DMN carried a small item on Thursday (6-19-03) about the City
allowing reduction of liability insurance which cab companies are
required to carry. It went from $500,000 to $100,000.
Rasansky, Salazar and Miller were the only ones who "got it."
Oakley admitted he had misgivings, but voted for the reduction anyway.
Most of the council was worried about putting small cab companies out of
business. They (small cab companies) said the premiums had risen
to the level of putting them out of business. No one wants to put
"small" businesses out of business. Blaydes even argued
competition is good and basic to America.
What they did is subsidize "marginal" businesses -- not small
business. This is hardly competition. I own a small
business, but it is not "marginal." My business has
adequate capital and reserves, budgets, tax returns, etc. I
suspect these cab companies are run on the "seat of their
pants" and the council just voted to subsidize them.
You and I will pay when a lawsuit is filed and a cab company does not
have enough coverage. Salazar argued that in today's world
$100,000 is not enough and the City will be exposed. He
is right.
Supposedly, the City thinks there are too many cabs. I think I
heard we have roughly 1800. Los Angeles has 900. Cab drivers
do not make money because there are so many, most sit all day long
waiting for a fare. Instead of letting them "die a natural
death," the City has propped them up, until another study is
complete on how to eliminate some of the cabs!
DFW requires $500,000 insurance and will not allow these companies to
operate there.
I cannot believe the City Manager would recommend such a thing.
There is no upside to the City in this fiasco. One stupid vote
will not break the bank, but 10 will. Let's keep track. |
Whatever the council ultimately does on this
issue, I am glad the Mayor and my councilman understand the city's exposure. Steve Salazar is going to work a lot harder this term than
before.
The Trinity River Project is one to watch. We don't have the money to do
it right! The recommendation from the Mayor's consultants looks pretty
good at first blush, but it's going to cost a bunch. Considering how long
it has to last and what we want it to do, that's probably a valid risk for the
city.
I am not sold on the city funding (or underwriting through tax abatements) a
convention center hotel. It would be improper for a city to own a hotel,
whether near the Convention Center or anywhere else. If such a hotel has viability, the public sector
will do it.
The rule of thumb for public/private partnerships -- If the banks will not loan
the developer the money, why risk should taxpayers' money? If the
developer will not put up his/her own money for the project, why is it a good
deal for taxpayers' money?
Ft. Worth citizens made their council pay attention to
their concerns, but Dallas residents don't seem to have any fight left in us.
On second thought, we should save our energies to help Dave Capps shut down Jerry
Jones next year. www.NoJonesTax.com
Rad Field shared the following thoughts from his friend who is frequently in town and
gets to pay the Con Jerk tax:
My friend is a
retired, former FBI Agent and former Director of a major Dallas and
National company. He lives outside of Dallas County now and writes
the following after a recent visit to Dallas. (Read and weep)
Rad
*********************************************************************
To: No Jones Tax Team
Members: 6-24-2003
While reading through some of the material you e-mailed to me, I see
where the Cowboys want to fund a new stadium with additional tax on
hotel rooms and car rentals. That really gets me upset.
The Dallas hotel tax now is 15% (city and state combined). I come
in 6 - 8 times a year on school board business for a local private
preparatory school (expenses not reimbursed) and for visits with
the kids - not to attend some function at the stadium.
The Cowboys want me to pay more to build them a new stadium for these
activities that have nothing to do with a Cowboy game.
I cannot understand why cities fall for the new stadium bit when team
owners all the money. Why do the local citizens and visitors to
the city that are not there for football have to pay for a
stadium????????
Let the folks who go to the game and the teams using the facility pay
for it.
An Angry Visitor To Dallas |
And the beat goes on.
Old Al is
probably trying to negotiate for campaign consultant spot with Grandpa
Jones. Vote Harvesting Queen Kathy Neely is surely designing her luxury
box in the Jones stadium to match her payoff at the Robber Barons' arena.
It will likely be another Don Quixote effort, and the good guys will fail and
Grandpa Jones and his hoodlum team will get a stadium at our expense. But,
we have to do it!
We are not like
Old Al Lipscomb or Grandpa Jerry Jones.
So, dust off those chin guards and your pie tin hat, get ready to start calling voters, find that
yard sign hammer. We are going to fight Grandpa Jones and Old Al and all
the other bad guys.
That's what we do -- because we have integrity and ethics.
We are the good
guys.
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