Vindication

Laura Miller delivered, as expected by all of us who worked so hard to get her there. She lost a big vote on Palladium in July. She did some homework, and look what happened in September.

If Mayor PreTend Mary Poss is not happy, Senatorial Candidate Ron Kirk must be having digestive problems. Except for MPT Poss, Attorney Don Hill and his puppets, most of the people who opposed Laura in her election are looking very smart these days by co-operating with her, particularly Veletta Lill.

09/13/02
L.Garrett:
I wish you were the owner/editor of the Dallas Morning News (if you want to call it a "news" paper), teamed up with Jim Shutze.
     Then, just maybe, the tax-paying-citizens of Dallas could have a local news paper that truly keeps its readers/subscribers "informed" -- and did not attempt to manipulate them on big-ticket items, for the benefit of the "good-ole" sleazy, unethical, corporate-welfare-wanting scumbags!!!!!
   Thank you for being a VOICE OF TRUTH, HONESTY, & INTEGRITY!!!!!
...a sharp contrast to the Dallas "Managed" News

Listening to the council meeting, I wasn't sure whether I was hallucinating or actually hearing Beat that Indictment Fantroy actually criticize a bunch of rich guys. Guess they didn't come through for him as expected. He said he would not have supported Palladium had he known what was in store regarding Reunion. He said he would vote against anything else they asked for and didn't care if that property (arena area) ever developed. He even asked Mayor Miller to let the city and his community know how "disappointed" he was. That's when the Mayor stepped in with her little bombshell.

In the most "demure" voice possible, Mayor Miller told BTI Fantroy there was a way he could fix his mistake. The City Attorney had informed Mayor Miller that the council could vote (2/3 vote) to suspend its rules and re-consider any vote they had taken in 2002. The silence was deafening, then audible snickers.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. So little time, so much to revisit. After the Palladium vote, I stopped speaking to my dear friend, Ed Oakley. Maybe because I'm just a girl of limited financial means, Ed did not take what I told him seriously about the Palladium deal, but then Laura Miller is pretty well off and he didn't listen to her either. Yesterday, Oakley was one of the chorus of angry pro-Palladium voters.

You know what they are most angry about? Having to find another $3 million or more to run Reunion when they are not even close to a balanced budget.

In the District 3 race, Oakley still has some ground to make up over his Palladium vote, but Mark Housewright has his own problems. Housewright's support for homophobe Joe Thug May (vote harvester extraordinare) has cost him the gay vote in Kessler and Stevens Parks -- big votes -- big problem for him.

But, back to the momentous council meeting ---

Mayor PreTend Mary Poss went first in her new hard consonant and "most annoyed" style of speaking. Who would have ever thought we would miss that smarmy, suck-up manner she effected while Con Jerk reigned as Emperor Mayor? Ever the pro-Robber Baron, she had a question and answer session with staff. One of her questions, "Were they within their legal rights" to dump Reunion back in our laps? Obvious answer is "yes". Everything else she said or asked went along the same lines -- like a bad lawyer who got his training from Perry Mason re-runs.

One of the excuses Center Operating Co. ("COC", Hicks/Perot, et al consortium that operates the arena and Reunion) says they are dropping Reunion is because they want access to the $900,000 escrow set aside for capital repairs -- not operations. They claim they lost over a million last year running Reunion (but we cannot audit their books). MPT Poss thinks $900,000 would be a bargain rather than the city having to absorb the annual losses COC claims. There's not a whole lot of difference in $900,000 and a million dollars. $100,000 or more would certainly improve my net worth, but we are talking about the city's situation.

When the mike passed to Councilman Mitch Rasansky, he made several important points, but my favorite was when he said "It was A BAD DEAL!!". You could hear several council members laughing in the background. One told me they all got the joke.

You can't say you never heard about the Reunion connection to the arena deal. Bad Dealers spent almost $100,000 to get that message to you. Of course, Ross, Jr. and Tommy Hicks spent almost $4 Million telling you lies -- with their puppet Con Jerk/Ron Kirk out in front of their lying machine (accompanied at all times by his Large White Shadow). Just to remind yourself of what you already knew, check out Bad Deal. It's the rockem-sockem Bad Deal flyer that blew them away (at least for a few weeks).

But, back to the September 11, 2002 meeting. Alan Walne had the most compelling comments. His DallasArena.com nickname is "Duh Walne" because he always gives the most compelling comments and observations, and then votes exactly opposite to what he just said. Yesterday was the exception.

Walne said last Fall he told then Mayor Ron Kirk that COC wanted to renegotiate regarding Reunion. Kirk told him that wasn't going to happen and not to worry. Walne and at least 10 on the council are worried now.

Walne asked City MisManager Ted Benavides when he knew COC wanted to renegotiate. Benavides said as of May, 2001. He told COC it was a bad idea. Bearfield (city staffer, assistant city manager or assistant city attorney?) said COC had a moral obligation to operate Reunion for at least 5 years because Reunion's fate was a key component in "winning" the arena election. Even BTI Fantroy said his "people" would not have voted for the arena sales tax if they had not been assured Reunion would not be demolished. Dave Michaels heard Councilman Walne finger Con Jerk, too.

Council may renege on Victory fund
City officials angry at prospect of running Reunion at a loss
09/12/2002 By DAVE MICHAELS / The Dallas Morning News

. . .    According to the management agreement, Center Operating had the right to cancel its contract with 60 days' notice. The company insisted on that clause when it was negotiated in 1997, city attorneys said.
       But officials such as Mr. Walne insist that Center Operating should have kept Reunion for a full five years. Anything less would have soured the public mood, possibly jeopardizing a referendum that authorized public money to build American Airlines Center.
       To make his point, Mr. Walne said Center Operating officials inquired in January 2001 about canceling the contract. But they were rebuffed by Mayor Ron Kirk, who negotiated the original contract.
    "I was told ... in no uncertain terms [by Mr. Kirk] that wasn't going to happen, because that wasn't the deal," Mr. Walne said.
    Center Operating then dropped the proposal, Mr. Walne said. . . .

No uncertain terms? Why is it that you and I realize that Con Jerk is a liar years ago, and these people who dealt with him almost daily for 6 years are just now getting it? Kirk said it best himself:

Elections - AP Senate
Democrats Covet Texas Senate Seat
Sun Sep 1, 2002
By RON FOURNIER, Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Democrats could embarrass President Bush ( news - web sites) with a Texas-sized victory in his home state this fall, but only if Senate candidate Ron Kirk avoids more scenes like this: Five angry cops, one cagey rival and a bank of TV cameras watching Kirk grovel.
      "I apologize," Kirk said, nervously twisting the knot in his tie.
       Leaders of a state police organization . . . .   He wanted their endorsement. They wanted to know why he had criticized his opponent for insisting on the death penalty for a convicted cop killer.
      "I think that may have offended some of you," Kirk said. "It was more political than thoughtful."
       Kirk . . . is boundlessly affable, a man with a deep laugh and an unquenchable thirst to shake hands, trade jokes and make friends ? even among foes.
       Cornyn . . . impressed the police by moving comfortably from issue to issue, layering his talk with specifics.
       Smooth as Cornyn was bland, Kirk danced away from details or commitments on police matters. . . . the Democrat tried to sidestep questions about Bush's tax cuts ? "It is confusing. I don't like to be hemmed into a box" . . . .

I bet Con Jerk is not dancing today. Ted Benavides said Ron Kirk also told him not to worry. Benavides said COC went to him again in December about Reunion, and he told them to "give it to me in writing". He called them in January to check on status, and heard nothing until they made an appointment and "presented" their terms in July. He took their "terms" to the City Attorney and she said he could not renegotiate without council because the proposed contract exceeded $25,000.

Walne said he called Ron Kirk a few weeks ago to ask him to intervene with this issue, and Kirk said he would not get involved.

Walne said he no longer trusts "these people" (COC - Hicks, Cuban, et al).

Councilman Mark Housewright wants an audit to determine if COC has commingled Reunion funds with arena operation funds.

Veletta Lill questioned Asst. CM Miguez as to whether COC Pres. Brad Mayne had been invited to attend the council meeting. Miguez said Mayne was personally requested to attend the Council's Business & Commerce Committee as well as the council meeting -- even sent him a fax. Mitch Rasansky said he got an e-mail that was sent after 11 pm to his City Hall box that Mayne had a prior commitment. It was disrespectful of Mayne -- but typical of the whole gang of Arena Robber Barons. They talked and used Con Jerk/Ron Kirk, and they talked down to the rest of the council. Veletta Lill said it right -- the COC folks were "rude" and "arrogant".

Mitch Rasansky said Kirk was the Mayor who did the deal and John Ware left out the "5 year" commitment.

Mayor Miller said "we got snookered".    (No, Mayor Miller, we were lied to by Ron Kirk and John Ware.)

Dr. Elba Garcia said no honest businessman would "kick Dallas when it's down." But, then we are dealing with the Hicks/Perot/Cuban consortium, and she was referring to an "honest businessman".

Folks, we are down. This council knows it! Mayor PreTend Poss may not know it, but then she only has conversations with herself. John Burton reported on her reaction to comments at her budget townhall meeting. She was oblivious to any complaints and took credit for stuff that no one believes related to her efforts. She's so obsessed with being Mayor, she's going bonkers.   She was recently spotted explaining national security to a valet parking guy because no one else would talk to her. With her new African-American alliance, she thinks she has a base of voters. Old Al Lipscomb may have "the community" with him, but he is not going to be able to sell Mary Poss to African-American voters.

Speaking of the Poss A-A alliance, you may or may not know most of the Black districts are getting a piece of the Palladium tax abatement pie. It may not be a lot of money to you, but it would represent over a million dollars to be controlled and distributed by each of them. That's why Shakedown Leo Chaney got all testy yesterday and Brain-Dead Thornton-Reese started talking about "keeping our word." No wonder Mary Poss endorsed Brain-Dead, they are the only two people in Dallas who understand what the other is talking about.

Most of the council members who voted with the Mayor to suspend the rules spoke about COC not keeping their word and not being trustworthy. One councilman admitted he didn't know what all was in the Master Agreement after almost 5 years, but he took them at their word. That's not very comforting to those of us out here being stuck with our tax bill.

We will see which of the Mayor's coalition hold true in two weeks when they consider canceling the Palladium tax abatement. Here was the September 11, 2002 vote on the motion to resend the rules which will allow them to reconsider the Palladium deal:

FOR: Dr. Elba Garcia (1), Dep. Mayor Pro Tem John Loza (2), Mark Housewright (3), Ed Oakley (6), Alan Walne (10), Lois Finkelman (11), Sandy Greyson (12), Mitch Rasansky (13) and Mayor Miller.

AGAINST: Maxine Thornton-Reese (4), Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill (5), Leo Chaney (7), James Fantroy*(8) and Mary Poss (9).

*Fantroy went on and on about how he would not support these people again and wish he could change his vote on the Palladium deal -- until Mayor Miller gave him the chance.

It is amazing how strong some of the weakest council members have become under Mayor Miller. Some people are concerned that the Mayor is giving them too much reign, but apparently when you treat people like grown ups they start acting like adults. Veletta Lill, Lois Finkelman, Alan Walne were all very eloquent yesterday, but Sandy Greyson said it best.

It's about time these council members acknowledge that for 6 years they were treated like they did not count. They were not privy to information that Ron Kirk kept to himself.   They were not adequately apprised of the dire financial crisis looming. They know it now, and they are not happy. They are catching holy grief at their townhall meetings. That's what upset Dr. Garcia so much about COC wanting to dump Reunion back on us. Where in the world are we going to get another $3 million?

A friend of mine, said we should keep the Aquarium open and "mothball" the Meyerson since it is costing us $3+ million annually -- no profit -- just more drain on our resources. There's another big push for a companion to the Meyerson. Did you get their slick flyer? They are very optimistic, but the timing is just terrible for the people behind the new performance hall campaign.

There was an interesting face on their flyer, with a more interesting resume.

All that matters to me today --
Ten people on the council had the good sense to stand up for Dallas taxpayers and fight back.