07/29/02  Brain Dead  Rules -- for now

I live in District 4, "Dr." (still don't know how she pulled that one off) Thornton Reese's district.  I have lived here for years.  Despite how disgusted I am with the fact that I'm stuck with her as my representative for now, I will continue to stay here.  

Since my little crash course in "Thornton Reese Ethics 101" (Urbandale Serf, a previous letter Ms. Boyd was kind enough to post on DallasArena.com), I've been a busy gal.

I have personally gone out and talked to as many neighbors as possible, informing them of our cerebrally challenged Council woman's repeated acts of corruption, neglect and downright idiocy during both her term as our councilwoman and before (her Tri City exploits, for example).

I honestly hadn't done much research on Larry Duncan at the time, so my attempts weren't so much pro-Duncan as they were anti-Reese.  Nevertheless, I'm confident that I got through to at least a few people.  Unfortunately, a few just wasn't enough.

As much as I think I've learned, I am still terribly naive.  I was absolutely sure that someone with a documented history of racial remarks, underhanded dealing,  holier than thou sense of discipline, and a court-proven history of ballot tampering against her could never be re-elected by the good people of District 4.

I was busy with family matters the week before the election, but made it a point to remind as many as I could of  last Saturday's special election.  I was disappointed to see that only 17 people had voted before me at our voting location, but I still had high hopes as I tuned in the local news to see the final results Saturday evening.

Instead of dancing a happy jig around my living room, I  found myself sitting on my couch because my legs were too shaky to support me, watching a giddy Dr. Thornton Reese mentally grasping for  halfway smart-sounding words to describe her elation at the chance to screw the taxpayers who don't "look like her" a little while longer.  When she busted out in a huge grin and said "My motto is Maximize with Maxine", I think I became a tenured bulimic.

I downright hurt.  Hurt for Larry Duncan.  Hurt for my neighbors.  Hurt for a doomed district.  The rest of the evening was spent wandering around like some extra in a George Romero zombie movie.

 That was Saturday.  Although I'm still recovering, I'm sadder but wiser.  I'd like to make a promise to Dr. Thornton Reese.  I'm including it here because I have a pretty hefty amount of confidence that she and her cronies come to this site often.

"Dr." Thornton Reese, I may be just one person in one of  your less favorite areas of District 4, but rest assured that this one person is going to be watching your every move during the rest of your term. From what I've learned and personally seen, I cannot help but think that your desire to be our councilwoman is driven by a selfish need for power and an insatiable amount of greed.  

I personally don't care if you are black , white, Hispanic, or Vulcan, but it appears that you have no problem pulling out that race card to divert attention from your doings.  

Maybe I'm wrong; maybe you'll start to actually help the parts of this community you've neglected before instead of hitting them with code enforcement officers and scolding them as if they were two year olds caught in the cookie jar.  Maybe you'll start "maximizing" the areas of this district that don't particularly look like or vote for you.  Maybe you'll show up when a camera's not around and stay long after the news van has driven off.  Maybe so, but I sorta doubt it.  There's not much money to be made or votes to be bought here.

I'm not saying I have the power to make sure we don't get the pleasure of your company for another term; but I promise I'll be around to watch you hang yourself with all that extra rope this special election just handed you.

Sincerely, an Urbandale Serf