05/20/02  PALLADIUM DEAL

Sharon:  I read with interest your article on the Palladium "deal."  I have to admit I was one of the people suckered by the Arena deal.  I also remember thinking how wrong this Sharon Boyd was, when she said it's a bad deal and it's getting worse.  She must be some kind of mindless naysayer I thought to myself.  How wrong I was.

In my defense I had only lived here since 94 and at the time I didn't know the city leadership and business establishment were such slimy liars and cheaters.  I didn't know how the Dallas Managed News, managed the news.  The establishment was brilliant to pick Ron Kirk as their water boy and lobbyist.  Kirk the Svengali, first among men exceptionally talented at lying.

I didn't know men like Tom Hicks and Ross Perot, Jr. were bloodsucking leaches who would do or say virtually anything to steal our tax dollars.   Their duplicity is just beyond my experience and beyond the pale.  These men, if that term can be applied, are disgusting excuses for human beings. 

Well, later I found out just how bad the deal actually was for Dallas.  Tom Hicks made what amounts to an offer of employment to our chief negotiator John Ware, then City Manager.  Ware went to work for Hicks at about twice his annual salary for the city.  And we also later discovered that Dallas was to
share in none of the $125 million in naming rights revenues for the stadium.   I guess John just forgot about that during the "negotiations."  

By my reckoning the city should have gotten at least $25 million in concessions off that alone.  It was only later in retrospect that many of us who were duped by Hicks and Ross Perot, Jr. found out how bad this deal really was for Dallas.

A short time later Ross Perot, Jr. enriched himself to the tune of over $115 million just by speculating on the willingness of the voters to help pay for his stadium.  That's increased value solely attributable to taxpayer support and investment.  Ross, Jr. ought to have to give every damn penny of that back to the people of Dallas.  His interest in the Mavericks was purely monetary speculation and short-term.  What a scumbag.

We need federal legislation to proscribe anyone from getting away with larceny like that again.  We need a federal law to prevent jerks like Hicks and Perot from ripping off taxpayers and playing off cities one against the other.

Given these revelations, I wanted to take back my vote, but the damage was done.  I still didn't see how it could get any worse.  Sure enough Hicks, Perot and the company formerly known as Palladium (can you say Trademark infringement?) figured out a way to rip us off for even more money.  Despite having promised additional real estate development around the area without more taxpayer money, they were back for more, pigs feeding at our expense. 

Why is it that market capitalism works everywhere but Dallas? 

It's one thing to ask for more money, but to have the very people who campaigned for this deal, our city council members endorse corporate welfare for the company formerly known as Palladium is unbelievable.  Aren't these the same people who went around promising that real estate development that wasn't going to cost us anything?  You bet they are.  And they are the worst kind of traitors to the people I can imagine. 

They are worse than Hicks and Perot because they are fully complicit in this taxpayer rip off.  Yes, Chief Bolton, we do have a problem with prostitution in this city and we need to start by arresting the members of the council who vote for this "Palladium deal."  They are the real blight on this city.  These are men and women with any personal integrity whatsoever.  None. 

Well eventually I came to my senses and was part of the people's revolution to elect Laura Miller Mayor.  I also voted for Mitchell Rasansky.  But we still have the problem of these remaining prostitutes on the council.  

Now, I know the meaning of the phrase "there is no honor among thieves."  I sure was wrong about you.  We need another revolution to take out the establishment lobbyists from their council seats.  Let the heads begin rolling!

Mr. Kelly R. Newbill, Esq.
Dallas, TX