Dallas Housing Authority

Looks like the dirty work of getting rid of Ann Lott has been done and now Mayor Tom Leppert is going to rid himself of Betty Culbreath. So sad, but that's the way it works. Betty should know that once you are used to do the dirt, your service is no longer needed.

Where is Dwaine (Dewayne,Dwayne)Caraway who is one of Mayor Tom Leppert's gatekeepers? I think he is close to Betty and he is Leppert's head Negro watcher at Dallas city hall. Will he take a stand for Betty? I think that Betty also has a good relationship with Willis Johnson (another gatekeeper for Leppert), and I do not know if he will help his friend. Don't forget that Betty also has a good relationship with Tennell Adkins another disappointment to the African American community. With all of those connections, you would think that she would have very few problems getting reappointed.

I can not help but remember my situation on reappointment to the DART board and the role that this same cast of characters played.

What goes around comes around.

Lancaster ISD

Things are heating up at Lancaster ISD. It is very serious when the Board of Trustees vote to hire an attorney to investigate claims that have been raised about Superintendent Larry Lewis withholding information from board members and tampering with their mail.

I have know Board President Carolyn Morris for years and I know that she is fighting for the education of the children.

Ann Lott

I told you so. Mayor Tom Leppert got his way again. That does not make it right. He used the power of not making new appointments to get Ann Lott to resign from the Dallas Housing Authority. I do not blame Ms. Lott, I would have found me something better also. Working with Betty Culbreath must have been horrible. Betty is put in positions to tear other black people down. I should know, and she should know better.

I do not know Ann Lott personally, but all that I have heard about her has been good. Yes, there were some accounting problems, but I can not see where the issue at Dallas Housing is as bad as what is happening at Dallas Independent School District with its' Audit. Forgive me, Mayor Leppert and Dallas Achieves want to take over the yearly billion dollar budget at DISD and don't forget the 1.35 billion dollar Bond program. Wasn't Leppert in the construction business? Go figure!!!!! Therefore not one peep out of Leppert about the shape of DISD.

Ms. Lott, God has a better plan for you.

Thought of the week

Every man's got to figure to get beat sometime.

Joe Louis

Dr. C.A.W. Clark

Another legend has passed away in Dallas. Born Caesar Arthur Walter Clark on December 13, 1914 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Dr. Clark spent half a century preaching at Good Street Baptist Church in Dallas, and was known nationally for his preaching and his community work.

While growing up and attending St. James A.M.E. Church on Good Latimer Expressway, we teenagers would leave our church and go to the Baptist church which was a block away from us. That church was Good Street Baptist Church. We wanted to hear that fiery preacher preach. We would always have to leave Good Street after the preaching because our church would be over long before Good Street's services ended, and we had to be back before our parents were ready to go home.

As an adult I had the opportunity to interact with Dr. Clark when my company sold the church a copier. It was always amazing to me that he was in his office each time I went to the church on business. I would often stop and spend time talking to him. He was aging then, but that did not stop him from being there everyday and having a lively conversation with me. I always had to give him my pen. I will always have good memories of Rev. Clark.

His legacy as a preachers preacher will always be remembered. May you rest in peach Dr. C.A.W. Clark.

ARTS Magnet

Mrs. Hamon is a very generous person, and I am sure that the students, teachers, parents and community appreciate her contribution to the school. In fact, I have not heard one person say anything different.

The question is the visual that is presented when you are on Routh Street. The only name on the building is Hamon Arts Magnet. Voting to put that wording on the building was incorrect and should never have happened. It has caused an outcry from people who have seen DISD make numerous mistakes in the past.

I believe that there is a reasonable way to honor Mrs. Hamon and insure that Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts name is the only prominent name on the building.

Dwaine Caraway pushing for TAX INCREASE

In an article in today's Dallas Morning News, it was stated that Dwaine (Dewayne,Dwayne)Caraway would be pushing his fellow council members to support a TAX INCREASE for the city of Dallas. I wonder if he is a home owner? Our taxes go up every year because the valuation of our houses increase yearly from the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Just thinking of the median income in his Council District (District 4), I would think that Caraway would only support a TAX INCREASE if there was absolutely no other way to balance the budget.

I have not seen the budget, but I wonder how much additional revenue will be going to the southern sector to insure that development will take place? My guess is there will not be a significant difference.

Caraway has been known to carry Mayor Tom Leppert's water, so maybe that is what he is doing. So sad!!!!

Booker T. Washington for the Performing and Visual Arts School

On the agenda for a Called Board Meeting for Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm, the Dallas Independent School District will address the issue of "Adoption of Clarification of Action Taken on August 25, 2005, regarding board file No. 46372 Consideration of Proposed Names for New and Existing Facilities, regarding Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts".

As I understand it, when you go by the campus on Flora Street, the school name is not on the building, but on a new wing of the school is Hammon Arts Magnet. It look like once again they have moved to remove the black history of Dallas. What in the world are our school board members doing?

Thought of the Week

If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us.


I John 1:8

Dallas Achieves/DISD/Tom Leppert

On Wednesday July 16, 2008 at 9:30 am-11:00 am in the Conference Center of The Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce at Plaza of Americas-700 N. Pearl Street (12th floor of the parking garage elevators) Dallas Achieves will have a discussion about DISD Board of Trustees Ethics Policy. Please join me and others at the meeting who are concerned about DISD. This meeting is not open to the public, but 3 DISD Trustees will be there and it is about our tax dollars.

While there are people who are apart of this group that I have great respect for, I am concerned that a non-elected group is in the position to direct the policies and people who have been elected by the citizens to run the public schools. In my opinion this is the beginning of an effort by the business community ( Mayor Tom Leppert and others) to takeover the schools for the 1 billion dollar per year operating budget and 1.35 billion dollar construction budget just voted in by the people.

President of the School Board Jack Lowe made it clear that prior to moving into Dallas from Highland Park to run for the school board that it was cleared with DISD officials that he could still do business with the district. It has also been stated that by limiting board members from doing business with DISD that it would limit the pool of people running for that office.

I do not know another public entity in Dallas where that kind of policy is allowed. Is that being pushed because Mayor Leppert believes that he will have the opportunity to appoint board members and want to leave that open for his friends?

There are more important issues at DISD. Let's spend time working on the low performing schools. The H. Grady Spruce situation shows us that we had better start talking about educating the students and not about making someone rich.

Tipster Provide Break in Northpark Case

Thank God. We need more people that are willing to come forward with information on criminal activity.

Are the Southern Sector Suburbs ready to jump on DART's bus offer?

It looks like a presentation was made to the DART Board of Directors about cities like Grand Prairie, Duncanville and DeSoto ready to contribute 1/4 of a cent to join the agency for bus service only. Wait a minute,that might not be quite the truth. It was stated in The Dallas Morning News that Duncanville City Manager Kent Cagle said his city, Cedar Hill and DeSoto have approached DART together about the possibility of the agency providing on-demand bus rides for senior citizens. He also said that his city never expressed any interest in paying for a commuter bus service along the lines that animated the discussion at Tuesday' DART board meeting. And in Grand Prairie, City Manager Tom Hart said his city has had no conversations with DART officials about contracting for DART bus service.

So what is the real story? Did DART President Gary Thomas and his staff have the conversations or not? Is this another one of those steps to mislead the Board?

All types (bus,rail,para transit and HOV) of public transportation are subsidized. That means if new service is added there is a strong possibility that the 1/4 cent will not pay for the service and additional dollars will come out of the operating fund which could have an impact on future DART service plans. That is what Ray Noah was implying with his comments.

DISD Corruption Trial

I was told that it was just a matter of time before the scam being played by Ruben Bohuchot and Frankie Wong would come in question. It is my guess that there were more contracts than mentioned that could have been investigated.

These are taxpayer dollars that are not being used to better the education of the students.

Venus Williams vs Serena Williams at Wimbledon

I do not watch a lot of tennis, but when the Williams sisters are playing each other, I am glued to the television. Saturday's match was all that I thought it would be between the two siblings.

We all know about sibling rivalry and Serena was on the wining side the last time . We knew that Venus would be ready. Some have said that the Williams family made the decision that it would be Serena again, but I do not buy into that theory. Venus would have to be crazy to agree to getting her butt kicked by here little sister all of the time.

So this time at Wimbledon, Venus was ready for baby sister Serena, and beat her quickly. Venus made sure that once she had won, she did not gloat about it but you could tell she was happy.

I must admit that I am a Venus Williams fan. That does not take anything from Serena, but I just think Venus is a class act.

They did compete in the doubles as partners and won. You go Williams sisters!

Polk Street Beautification Project

Thanks to the people in my neighborhood who are working on the Polk Street Beautification Project and other ways to beautify our neighborhood. These volunteers are working to let more people know about what they are doing and wanting them to join them.

This group planted over 77 crape myrtles along the Polk Street median between Highway 67 and Red Bird Lane and will continue in phases until they reach Camp Wisdom and Interstate 20.

Good work!!!!!

DART and The "T"

I just learned over the weekend that DART and The "T" (Fort Worth Public Transportation) are having heated discussions about The "T" buying DART's trackage rights on the portion of the Cotton Belt line that is in Tarrent County. This should be interesting because over 2 years ago The "T" presented a plan to the DART board which showed that it would get to DFW Airport quicker than DART using those tracks.

Thank you Mayor Tom Leppert, Dwaine Caraway, Jerry Allen, Tennell Adkins, Ron Natinsky, Dave Newmann, Sheffie Kadane,Elba Garcia and Mitchell Rasansky for having such insight and putting people on the DART board who do not have a clue what is going on. Let's see what happens to the second downtown alignment, Monroe Shops and the extensions in Southern Dallas. Dallas is going to loose again.

Stay tuned for the Regional FIREWORKS!!!!!!!!!!

Thought for the Week

If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Emily Dickinson

DART's new Rail Corridor Ad Hoc Negotiation Committee

DART is doing just what I expected. They have formed a special committee of DART Board members to discuss the Cotton Belt rail line. Suburban cities have begun work on funding options to speed the process up of building the rail line. This Ad Hoc committee will have a set of recommendations to give to the full DART board in August. They want to move this along quickly.

The makeup of the Ad Hoc committee members make me wonder what is going on? Robert Strauss who is the appointee of Dallas Councilman Ron Natinsky (the representative of the North Dallas area where the Cotton Belt line will enter and exit Dallas) is not on the committee and none of the African American Southern Dallas representatives (Jerry Christian,Pamela Gates or Claude Williams) are on the committee either. The absence of some representation speaks volumes about what is going to happen with the Southern Dallas proposed extensions.

The suburban members of the DART Board are outsmarting the Dallas members on every issue. Remember the suburban members rallied to help Gary Thomas keep his job after several missteps last year.

Patrick Waller "Robbed of 16 Years"

Now there are 18 that have been cleared by DNA in Dallas County. This is the most exonerated in any county in the nation since 2001.

Patrick Waller is just another example of how people have been sent to prison for crimes that they did not commit. The system is broken and have been for years. Mr. Waller was robbed of 16 years of his life and will not ever be able to get those years back. He states "It's been a struggle daily - going to bed, knowing I'm someplace I don't deserve to be." Can you imagine the feelings that have to be built up inside of a person who has been wrongfully imprisoned?

Why are so many people being exonerated in Dallas County?