and he's got a gun?

09/01/03 Terrell Bolton is Absolutely Nuts!

For 6 days, Dallas has been like an Old Time Burlesque. Not the sleaze stuff in modern day sex clubs that Bolton and Lipscomb condone, but the kind where George Burns and Gracie Allen stood up and told corny jokes, sang a couple of corny songs, did a little dance or two and stepped off for the next act.

	Different face for each occasion, but where's the supportive wife, Mrs. Bolton? Bolton's Gracie to George Burns' Gracie? Trouble is, Terrell Bolton has been the entire show, putting on a different persona with each act.
	Grinning buffoon at his press conference the day he was fired.
	Sardonic observer in a Ch. 11 interview who says ?She just destroyed me and my family?s life today."
	Helpless crybaby who loses control and dashes up a staircase weeping uncontrollably the day after City Manager Ted Benavides discloses he asked for Bolton's resignation in early August,
	A threatening rabble rouser who compares himself to Jesus -- on Sunday morning in church -- no less.

When he was fired on Tuesday, Bolton claimed not to know the reason and the City Manager didn't tell him. Everyone else in Dallas knew why he was fired, we just did not know why Ted Benavides took so long to do it.

Most people point to 8 commanders being demoted or the fake drug or even Dallas ranking #1 in crime 6 years in a row. I think Ted Benavides soured on Terrell Bolton this time last year when he wanted to save $200,000 by eliminating Bolton's 2 PR people and Bolton's driver. Bolton went around the City Manager to the African-American council members and kept both PR's and his driver and their squad cars. That must have embarrassed Benavides.

I don't much like Ted Benavides. He has no more business being City Manager than Terrell Bolton being Chief of Police. Benavides was a pretty good Asst. City Manager who could fudge a Budget report with the best of them, but I have seen him stare in silence at Townhall meetings when a citizen asked a question until someone else would try to respond. He's a typical bureaucrat who until lately has practiced CYA exceptionally well.

Other than Terrell Bolton, the person Ted Benavides should be really ticked off at is Asst. City Manager Charles Daniels, who groomed Bolton from the get go. Daniels recommended Bolton and Benavides hired him without even an interview. Daniels has been Bolton's Rabbi, but now even he has turned against him.

John King:
   Dallas Mayor Laura Miller speaks with candor and veracity. City Council Meetings are open to the public and on WRR Radio. The Mayor meets with people and listens to concerns and answers questions with hard straight facts.
   Watching Ted Benavides on television, I perceived he was seeking a hiding place, and he didn't answer any questions.
   My question to Mr. Benavides:
Since you behave like a man who no longer is interested in serving the best interests of Dallas, do you have another job lined up?
Does your next employer hate Laura Miller as much as you do?

Bolton says Benavides lied; 'I took my firing like a man. ... You destroyed my family' Friday, August 29, 2003
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News

Covering his face to hide his tears, Terrell Bolton said Friday that he couldn't even get a job as a dogcatcher now.
. . . Mr. Bolton said he strongly believes that allowing the mayor to become involved in the day-to-day operations of the Police Department is a violation of the city charter. Although the mayor and City Council set policy for city departments, the police chief reports to the city manager.
Mr. Benavides and Assistant City Manager Charles Daniels initially shared his concerns, Mr. Bolton said.
. . . Other city officials took issue with Mr. Bolton's accounting of events.
Mr. Daniels said that he and Mr. Benavides had no problem with the weekly meetings. He acknowledged that parameters were discussed to ensure that the meetings did not lead to council members overstepping their authority.
"The manager and I didn't think that meetings themselves would be in violation of the city charter," Mr. Daniels said. "If it ever got to the point that the council was dictating to the chief where he needed to put his resources, then that would be a problem." . . .

Dallas Police Chief Fired; Bolton Grants Exclusive Interview to CBS 11 - J.D. MILES
Aug 26, 2003 9:11 pm US/Central

. . . RACIALLY MOTIVATED?
Bolton says he personally blames Mayor Laura Miller for what he calls a racially motivated action.
?She?s good at tearing things up,? Bolton said. ?She just destroyed me and my family?s life today. But that?s all right. God will pick us up and put us back together.?
?I will tell you that if you look at her record in terms of how she has treated African Americans in positions of power, going back to the stories that she?s written, going back to how she has criticized even our former Mayor Ron Kirk, I think it leads one to wonder or question her motives.?
Bolton recently faced criticism over the crime rate, police shootings and hiring procedures. ?To lay that at my doorstep is very unfair,? Bolton said.?
. . . ?CONSPIRATORIAL ICEBERG?
Bolton?s attorney says the firing is the culmination of an agenda set by the mayor that included deals with the Dallas Police Association.
?We are seeing the tip of a conspiratorial iceberg,? attorney Robert Hinton said. ?We are seeing a situation where Laura Miller has tried to change the form of government here in Dallas, unsuccessfully. But as a matter of fact she has done that because she has overreached the city manager, she has micromanaged this police department. Terrell Bolton has been treated in an undignified manner. . . .

Watching that interview, I could not believe Reporter J.D. Miles let Bolton get away with saying "She just destroyed me and my family's life today" without challenging him about the 8 commanders he demoted. What about their families? He demoted 8 commanders, anyone of which were more experienced and better qualified to be Police Chief than Terrell Bolton. Without regard for their families, he demoted them for quota reasons.

When you are at the management level of any city department, you serve AT WILL to your supervisor. It was Bolton's will to demote those 8 experienced commanders, and those who did not settle found the Courts agreed they could be demoted without cause.

If you watched the Ch 11 interview, it was not the smiley face Bolton from his press conference. It was a crafty fellow with eyes narrowed and mean comments.

When he got caught in his lie by the City Manager's revelations, Bolton went from smiley face and crafty leer to helpless crybaby. This man is licensed to carry a gun? He turned and buried his face on some bodyguard's shoulder. Where was his wife? Where was the supportive Mrs. Bolton standing by her man? Once again, he cries that Benavides and Miller have "destroyed my family".			Anonycop: Good article. On Bolton having bodyguards right now, I don't know why he thinks he needs them, but there is one error in the article. When you said he could carry a gun because he is a police officer. He can't. He is still a licensed police officer, certified by TCLEOSE and all that, but he cannot exercise any of the rights and responsibilities right now because he must also be employed as a police officer. Without employment, he's a citizen with a card in his pocket that says he can be hired as a police officer without having to redo the academy. Several smaller cities don't have academies and hire people who have been accredited by other agencies. I think Eastfield College can even get people accredited. So, if you see him packing, call 911 because he's breaking the law unless he has a Concealed Handgun License.

Bolton says Benavides lied; 'I took my firing like a man. ... You destroyed my family' Friday, August 29, 2003
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News

Covering his face to hide his tears, Terrell Bolton said Friday that he couldn't even get a job as a dogcatcher now.
   Mr. Bolton, fired Tuesday as Dallas police chief, sobbed as he accused City Manager Ted Benavides of lying to save face and of ruining his law enforcement career.
   "I took my firing like a man," Mr. Bolton said. "I smiled about it, and you destroyed my family."
   Mr. Bolton, who had greeted questions about his termination with a wide grin earlier in the week, left his own news conference crying after disputing his former boss's account of the events that led to his termination.
   Before he left, he said he was fired for no reason and that Mr. Benavides was simply doing the mayor's dirty work.
   "All you've got to do is tell the truth, Ted," Mr. Bolton said. "You don't have to lie. You were pressured to fire me. You carried out the order." . . .

No one has destroyed Terrell Bolton's family, but himself. Which family is he talking about? The family he has with his first wife? The family he has with his current wife (who is nowhere to be seen during all these theatrics)? Or, is it some other family he is concerned about? Sure gets around a lot for a church deacon, but again they may do things differently in Mississippi.

Isn't that CONFESSED & CONVICTED BRIBE-TAKER also a church deacon?

Speaking of deacons, did you see Crybaby Bolton at his church on Sunday morning? Who were those big guys with the ear pieces following him around?

Bolton: 'I refuse to bow down'; Area churches use the pulpit to voice support for ousted Dallas police chief
11:00 PM CDT on Sunday, August 31, 2003
By ROBERT THARP and JAIME JORDAN

. . . "I've got news for you Madam Mayor and Mr. City Manager," Mr. Bolton said from the pulpit of Antioch Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church where he is a deacon. "I didn't bow down. I refuse to bow down."
. . . He said that Mr. Benavides was "tricked by Satan" and called Ms. Miller a "wizard pulling strings." And both Mr. Bolton and Senior Pastor Karry D. Wesley made references to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as well as the recent 40th anniversary of the civil rights march on Washington in describing his situation.
. . . Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, charismatic pastor at Friendship West Baptist Church on Kiest Boulevard, eloquently warned congregants that they could find themselves in a position similar to that of Mr. Bolton. . . . But he also said those members of the community who are upset about Mr. Bolton's firing need to do more than carry signs and shout "no justice, no peace." He said that instead of trying to recall Ms. Miller, as many critics of the mayor have demanded, he said a better response would be to find and financially support a plausible candidate to run for mayor.
. . . At St. Paul United Methodist Church downtown, the Rev. Sheron Patterson led a congregation of about 200 in prayer for Mr. Bolton and called Mr. Benavides' reasons for the firing "puny and unacceptable."
. . . Rev. L. Charles Stovall, pastor of the Camp Wisdom United Methodist Church, told his congregation Sunday that the firing of Mr. Bolton would not solve the department's or the city's problems. . . . "Conflict is not always bad," Mr. Stovall added. "This is a necessary conflict because this conflict has to do with a community that has been offended, misunderstood [and] taken for granted."
. . . morning's most fiery sermon came at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church pastored by the Rev. Stephen Nash, president of the Interdenominational Alliance of Metropolitan Dallas.
"Dallas is a racist city and what are we going to do about it?" said Mr. Nash as about 150 congregants passionately clapped and shouted. . . . Mr. Nash urged the congregation to attend a downtown rally and march to protest the firing . . .

No one asked him to bow down.   We just want him to bow out.

What is it with these preachers getting involved with politics? How do they keep their church status (or tax-exempt status) if they are organizing recall petition drives and looking for mayoral candidates? Can we start getting property tax revenue from their church holdings if they violate their tax-exempt status?

At least Rev. Haynes understands the real world in which Laura Miller has won 3 consecutive elections. She won her contest with Domingo Garcia and Tom Dunning. She won the runoff election with Dunning. She just beat the thunder out of MPossible. In all three victories, she got little or no help from African-Americans. Instead of her reaching out to them, they should be trying to get on her good side.

Bolton's lawyer, Bob Hinton, is making a fool of himself, claiming some conspiracy involved with the City Manager firing an incompetent managerial employee who could not perform his job and had not improved in 4 years. Hinton now is saying 'all this could go away if the council makes him a settlement offer'.

That's what all this posturing is about -- Bolton's financial situation. Ch. 11 did a report on his $150,000 motor home, with his $30,000 steel frame hanger to house it on his $20,000+ acreage. That would be OK if Bolton were a single man and planning to use that big old thing for his home, but he has all those families to provide for.

Plus, the reporter said the local Building Inspections people said Bolton advised them he would be back soon with plans for a house. All management level city employees must live in the City of Dallas. Bolton's property is not in Dallas. Was he going to violate city rules? Or, was he planning not to be working for the city much longer?

Former Councilwoman Sandra Crenshaw showed up at the Mayor's house Sunday morning (after talking with her earlier on the phone).

Bolton: 'I refuse to bow down'; Area churches use the pulpit to voice support for ousted Dallas police chief
11:00 PM CDT on Sunday, August 31, 2003
By ROBERT THARP and JAIME JORDAN

. . . Former City Council member Sandra Crenshaw led about eight people in a meeting at Mayor Laura Miller's home Sunday morning to discuss Mr. Bolton's firing. Ms. Crenshaw said they spoke for about 15 minutes and plan to meet again this week.
She urged the mayor to support restoring Mr. Bolton as an assistant chief and placing him on paid leave until an agreed-upon date, when he would resign or be fired. That would allow the former chief's pension to increase and would allow the firing to be "done right," Ms. Crenshaw said.

The guy is not working with a full deck, and he carries a gun.

There are some in this town who think I might be a bit teched. They could be right, but I DON'T CARRY A GUN.

This nut case, Terrell Bolton, is running around with bodyguards (at Church, no less) when he is licensed to carry a weapon himself and probably does. My dad was a DPD officer for over 20 years and wore his pistol whenever he left our house, as his job required. My dad was a very calm, very sane man who did not have mood swings like Terrell Bolton has exhibited in the past 6 days. Very few police officers could do their job everyday if they did not have control over their emotions.

Granted, it's tough to get fired. Worse, if it's right out there in front of the whole town. Sort of like losing an election.

Bolton knew it would not be a long-term gig when he and Asst. City Mgr. Charles Daniels engineered things for him to be the FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLICE CHIEF. There were other Black commanders more qualified, both from experience and temperament than Terrell Bolton. They were too busy being real policemen to do the political route that Bolton and Daniels used to make him Chief.

We have had 6 different Police Chiefs in 20 years. Bolton's been with the DPD (not consistently) for 23 years. If he didn't know the position was temporary, he is as dumb as he looks. His DPD career ladder is outlined in this excerpt from www.UndergroundCop.com and somewhat explains Bolton's desperation:

I agree with the former chief's attorney and his other advocates, he should be allowed to return to his last position. Of course that would be his last civil service position.

Mr. Bolton left the Department in the early 80's when he was a Sgt. He quit DPD to become a civilian manager of the city's civilian security force. He was asked to come back into DPD, appointed as a non-civil service rank of Deputy Chief.

If he rejoined DPD after he initially quit, he would have to come back at the rank of police officer. He'd have his salary and seniority adjusted over other PO's, but he'd still only be a police officer.

Let him come back on, I think he'd do a great job working for Kyle down in the 460's.

Is that what Ms. Crenshaw had in mind? I don't think so. Bolton could not make the payments on his motor home as a police officer.

This is a dog and pony show -- a con game -- a tacky burlesque act. Only problem for the star of the farce is there's no Mrs. Bolton standing by his side as he finishes each act.

Bolton knows he's special. Sunday, he compared himself to Jesus. Since George Burns played God and Bolton must to be feeling very God-like with all this adulation, it seems appropriate for him to turn to the nearest person and close his day with George Burns' favorite line: