09/10/02  Staff's in -- Hicks is on the way out!

DallasArena.com will address these two events in more detail, but it is truly a good day for Dallas that former School Board President Roxan Staff is willing to continue serving Dallas taxpayers.  Although DallasArena.com did not agree with every vote she took as a DISD Trustee, Roxan Staff became more of a fiscal watch dog with each year.  

Former DISD trustee Staff planning to seek council seat 09/10/2002 By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News

Roxan Staff, former president of the Dallas school board, wants to leave one public office for another: a seat on the Dallas City Council.     Ms. Staff, 52, said Monday that she would run for the District 9 seat that includes Lakewood, Far East Dallas and other neighborhoods around White Rock Lake. The next City Council elections are scheduled for May. . . . Mayor Laura Miller said she spoke with Ms. Staff last week and agreed to endorse her. . . .

Her worst votes were when she was an ally and confidant of Mayor PreTend Mary Poss.  As she distanced herself from Poss and those "big ticket" ideas, Roxan Staff got stronger in her decision making and independence.  She has learned about public service from experience, and will use that experience to really get things done for the "real people" of Dallas.  That's because Roxan Staff is part of the "real world" where the rest of us live and work.  

For over a decade, Roxan and Randy Staff have fought City Hall to get code enforcement and compliance on Northwest Highway -- not just relating to the sex clubs and bars in the area, but for all non-conforming uses.  She knows the obstacles City Hall can put in the way of honest business people, while City Hall lets cash cows like the sex clubs operate illegally.

DallasArena.com backs Roxan Staff for City Council from District 9.

Then there's the big "surprise" that Tom Hicks is going to cash out his ill-gotten gains from the Arena Bad Deal! and take OUR money to Arlington.  From the beginning, Bad Dealers said the arena scam was just an enormous real estate deal.  Less than 5 years later, both original robber barons are gone or going, and Dallas taxpayers are left holding the bag.

Hicks to sell Stars, interest in arena  Two big-league teams too many, he says; price could be $300 million 09/10/2002  By KATIE FAIRBANK and CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning New

Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks has put the hockey club on the block, along with his interest in American Airlines Center.      National Hockey League executives say the sale could have a price tag as high as $300 million. Included in the deal would be the Stanley Cup-winning franchise, a half-interest in the company that manages and operates the $420 million American Airlines Center,  .  .  .  .   A Forbes magazine study valued the team at $207 million ? the seventh-most valuable franchise in the NHL ? at the end of last year. The Stars' value had increased 14 percent from the year before, Forbes said.  .  .  .      Mr. Hicks and developer Ross Perot Jr. persuaded the city in 1998 to contribute $125 million to build American Airlines Center, plus $25 million for infrastructure. The arena opened last summer, but its first year in business brought controversy.      Mr. Hicks became frustrated when the City Council delayed a decision to fund development around the arena.     Then, in March, he announced that he would sell his 50 percent interest in the $600 million Victory development. So far, no buyer has been found.  .  .  .   If Mr. Hicks sold the Stars, his stake in the arena and his interest in Victory, his exit from American Airlines Center would be almost complete.     He plans for his investment company to be the lead tenant in the largest office building planned for Victory,  .  .  .  ."

We now have Reunion back in our lap -- with restrictions on how we can market it, but no idea where we get the money to maintain it.

We have a new arena, but where's all the new development that was coming -- if we just approved the sales tax for the arena as was promised by Ron Kirk/Con Jerk?  To date, we have almost another $80 million in tax abatements related to the arena, not to mention the $125 million from the sales tax on car rentals and hotel/motels, which has crippled our convention business.  Five years, and no additional development!  

First, Ross Perot, Jr. grabbed his pot of gold and hauled his rear out of the deal -- once again a step ahead of Tom Hicks.  

Tommy Hicks can read the papers after all!  He must finally realize that he has drained our municipal well dry and there is no more money left to loot from Dallas taxpayers.  Good riddance to another robber baron.