Tim Dickey
Rad Field
Gordon James
Kelly Newbill
SW Med vs.
DISD & Edison
                             

05/20/02  It ain't Dallas!

We take 1 step forward, then it's 3 steps back.  .

Against all odds --  all the ODB money that's fit to print and all the mail-in ballot harvesting inhumanly possible, Laura Miller was elected Mayor - step forward.  To prove she was serious about balancing the budget, our Mayor went against the police/fire pay referendum, the nays carried the day and our public safety officers still rank at the bottom of the metroplex pay scale - step backward 1.  Now, the people she lined up with are ganging up against her efforts to deny another $43 million to Hicks and Perot -- the Palladium deal - step backward 2.

Against all odds -- every minority big shot in the County (except Commissioner John Wiley Price), mail-in ballot harvesting being conducted by a former council member and a current state representative, Ed Oakley was elected to represent District 6.  Unfortunately, he has gone with the big boys more often than he has stood up for his constituents.  Unless some miracle happens, he is going to vote FOR the Palladium give-away.

The police and firefighters are very bitter toward Mayor Miller, but she will still be the best mayor we have had in the past 20 years.  She was wrong on the referendum, but more people agreed with her than those of us who supported the pay raise issue -- a whole lot more.  

Miller is the people's choice.  You would think the rest of the council might take notice, but that would be asking much from a lot of morons.

Miller is opposing the Palladium deal.  Mitch Rasansky opposes the Palladium deal because it makes no sense -- it's too much money for too risky a deal -- it's open ended and it's unfair to Dallas taxpayers.   Veletta Lill opposes the Palladium deal because it is bad for Downtown.

Dr. Elba Garcia says she now supports the deal.  Her husband, Domingo Garcia, opposed the arena sales tax.  Guess DallasArena.com was wrong about Dr. Garcia.  You can bet your bottom dollar (it may be all you have left after Palladium destroys our tax base) that her constituents in District 1 are not telling her they want her to support a $43 Million give away to Hicks and Perot.  Her last opponent, Steve Salazar, supported the sales tax for the arena.  Just enough more people voted for Dr. Garcia than for Atty. Salazar for her to be the council rep from their district.  She promptly had Salazar drawn out of District 6 -- just in case the people think they made a mistake.   

Send Me Some Money John Loza should be doing what Lill is doing on the Palladium deal, because they both represent the Central Business District, but Loza could care less about the CBD or anything else other than what's in it for him.  If he had a friend left with enough integrity to ask him why he would support another tax abatement for the robber barons when they did not perform up to the agreements of the last two handouts, John Loza would probably just say -- So, they will send me some money -- some more money.

Mark Housewright and Ed Oakley are in the same boat.  They live in the same district -- the Mayor's home district.  If Oakley votes FOR Palladium and Housewright does not, then Oakley is toast.  If they both vote FOR Palladium, Oakley is still in trouble because Housewright has an edge over him being from North Oak Cliff where they vote like crazy.  If Housewright votes FOR Palladium and Oakley votes NO, the Mayor will likely campaign for Oakley and that could mean the difference in whether he is a 1-term council member.  The people in District 3 vote very conservatively -- which would be an anti-Palladium vote -- and the people of District 3 love their Mayor.

Brain-Dead Thornton-Reese, Beat that Indictment Fantroy, Shakedown Leo Chaney and Atty. Don Hill are all supporting Palladium.  All together now -- I M A G I N E  T H A T!!  

T-Reese has no idea why she is supporting Palladium -- she just does what Atty. Hill tells her to do.  You remember a few weeks ago when Fantroy actually said into the microphone how much he loved rich people, how he can't afford a car -- swear to God and by WRR! 

Mayor PreTend Poss is the least surprising of all the council crooks.  The only thing surprising about her support for Palladium is her participation in the debate at all considering her husband's ties to Jr. & Sr. Perot.  Her constituents in District 9 voted overwhelmingly for Laura Miller as their mayor.  They won't get a chance to vote Poss out of office next time because this is her last time.  Remember she was the main spokesperson for the anti-Miller gang.  She said nasty, nasty things, but the people of her district said very loudly they could care less what Poss has to say.

Alan Walne is in the same boat as MPT Poss.  Termed out.  Duh Walne will likely vote FOR the Palladium deal even though he knows there was some hanky panky going on in hand outs to several council districts.  The people of District 10 voted big time for Miller.  

Lois Finkelman said she would not run again for council if Miller was elected.  We can dream.  Her district supported Miller.  If she wants to be re-elected, she will vote with the Mayor.  Don't count on it.  Remember she is the one who stole the first $50,000 that Laura Miller raised to save those three pools. Mean, spiteful and so full of herself, but she does care what her people think.   Oh, Danny Boy, I hope you are getting ready!

Sandy Greyson says her constituents are very much against the Palladium shell game.  Let's see if she listens to her people in District 12.  She does have 1 more term to run..

Someone wants the people to contact their council rep because there was an anonymous mailer received by a bunch of voters Friday and Saturday.  Having recently moved, I did not personally get a mailer (they don't forward bulk mail stuff).  Some friends of mine in Rasansky's District 13 got the mailer.  Voters in Poss' District 9 (Poss) got the mailer.  Mailing to Rasansky's people was a waste of money since he is already against it.  I don't know how many other districts were included, but my neighbors in District 6 did not get the mailer.  Ed Oakley is still technically our council rep, but he sure is not listening to his constituents on this Palladium deal.

Is that a hoot?  I swear I do not know who mailed this piece.  It is so outrageous, I wish I could take credit for it.  Some think it should have a disclaimer.  Why?  There is no political campaign going on.  This is just some VERY RICH citizen or citizens exercising his or her or their right of free speech to notify other citizens of another bad deal.  Some don't think Ross, Sr. should be pulled into this mess, but it seems perfectly appropriate to me.  There is no way Daddy is not benefiting directly or indirectly from Jr.'s money-grubbing.  If Jr. makes a $1, Daddy has a piece of it.

His appearances and comments during the arena election convinced me that Jr. is some sort of roboton.  Those clever computer people who so adore Daddy Ross probably created Jr.  

All kidding aside, we are dead broke in this city.  We have no money!  We have no money for cops and firefighters!  We have no money for street repair!  We have no money for park maintenance!  Y E T, we are going to give Palladium and Hicks and the Perot's a $43 Million tax abatement, which will actually represent $60 Million, when you include interest, etc.

Guess what Palladium and the boys get to do with the $43-60 Million.  They can use it to hire private security (maybe some former Dallas cops).  They can use it to build brand new streets to and through their project.  They can use it for pocket parks and landscaping in their project.  They can apparently use it to pay off certain council members for their support.  

One council woman say she was comforted that there would be an audit in a year or so to see if Palladium and the boys are doing what they promised.  What good will that do?  That's like inventorying the barn after the gate has been open so long that not only are the horses gone, but the people hired to take care of them have left the building.  

www.BarkingDogs.com has furnished a helpful phone and e-mail list for the city council.  You really need to let them know how you feel.  Particularly, MARK HOUSEWRIGHT, ED OAKLEY, ALAN WALNE, LOIS FINKELMAN and SANDY GREYSON.

Contact your council representative and these 5 members, today.