Morales v. Kirk
                             

04/01/02  If it's all a big joke -- it's on us!

Let's count some realities in our day that seem too absurd to be true -- but they are:

1.  Ron Kirk is in a runoff with Victor Morales.  Some normally sensible people, who know what a crook, racist and all around general jerk is Ron Kirk, may vote for him "for the good of their party".  That logic ought to be a separate April Fool's item.  In case anyone wasn't watching, Republicans out-voted Democrats in the primaries across the State, and the really hot  races were Democrats.  Victor Morales beat Kirk and Bentsen (who is apparently just another sell-out after all).  Victor Morales spent no money.  Kirk spent millions.  To paraphrase Old Briar Rabbit, please don't give us Ron Kirk to run against in November.  Please don't give us a big-spending, double-dealing, conflict-of-interest jerk to run against.

But, here's a question -- How come the only cars you see with a Kirk bumper sticker are big expensive ones?  How come the only houses where you see a Kirk yard sign would qualify as a castle to most of us?  Are those "Limousine Liberals" the true power in the Democrat Party?

2.  Palldium (aka Tom Hicks, Ross Perot, Jr., Marc Cuban and Belo) is only going to get $33 Million rather than the $42 Million they wanted.  How will they ever manage?  Using the old "ask for the sun and stars, when you only want the moon" developer's strategy, it looks like by morphing into a slick California PR dude, our local Robber Barons are going to hit another Mother Lode at Dallas taxpayers' expense.

As reported in:

This could be a very interesting vote.  Since Ed Oakley and Mark Housewright are likely to oppose each other for the District 3 seat in 2003, this vote will most certainly be a campaign issue.  District 3 voters will not take kindly to either of these men giving more money to Robber Barons against the wishes of Mayor Miller.  Dr. Garcia knows this would be a wrong thing to do when we are laying off city employees and cannot give our public safety officers the raise they deserve.  Alan Walne will most definitely wind up voting for the tax abatement after he makes some reasonable speech why it should be turned down.

3.  Police and firefighters 17% referendum.   How can anyone who signed their petition which specifically called for a 17% raise being put on the ballot for Dallas citizens to decide now take anything but a supportive position for the referendum?  It's a puzzlement!

Wish I could tell you all will be well -- but these are perilous times.  Considering what is happening in the Mid-East and around the World, our problems might seem trivial -- except they are not trivial.  There is a risk that Ron Kirk might be a U.S. Senator.  It is very possible that 8 council members will again give the Robber Barons what they want (but don't deserve) while they force Dallas cops and firefighters to beg for what they do deserve.  

It all may be an April Fool's joke -- but it's not very funny.

There may not be a Thursday edition because I am packing up my office -- packing up my house -- moving my cats and dogs and all my earthly belongings to my new home in a not so new house on Newcastle.   I will be dWhatever else you may have to do between now and April 9th, if you did not vote in the Republican primary, get yourself to the polls and VOTE AGAINST RON KIRK.