NO Tax-Payer Owned Hotel

I went to Robert Ashley's Show (KHVN) along with Anne Raymond from Crow Holdings so that she could give our side of the issue on the taxpayer owned hotel. As I have stated before, I am a consultant for the Citizens Against a Taxpayer Owned Hotel. My intention was not to be on the show, but with Mr. Ashley's encouragement, I spoke my mind. Most people in the community who know me, know that I believe in doing my homework before I take a position on any issue. I take great pride in getting the information for myself and making an informed decision about where I will be on an issue. I am not a person that take second hand information and carry that tale. We all know what happens when something is repeated over and over. You have a new story.

I personally am not against a convention center hotel, but I am against the taxpayers taking the risk and the city owning the hotel. If it is such a good deal, let the private developers do what they do best, develop. Mr. Ashley informed us that he had ask Dwaine Caraway to come on the show and that he was told that they are not starting their campaign until February. I do not see that as a reason for us not to move forward with educating the community. The good thing about the show was that the callers were educated on the issue and clearly understand what is at risk.

While serving on the Executive Committee of the Greater Dallas Chamber, the taxpayers added dollars to the convention center for expansion because we were told that there was not enough meeting space. Taxpayers did that, and now the convention center is loosing about $4 million per year.

The issue of Minority Contractors participation is an interesting one. That question was raised on the show. People who have never been in business have a difficult time understanding the process. This might be a new day, but we do not award contracts to just a few contractors in the name of the community.


Facts To Remember:

Fact: We know that the city has capped the cost of building the hotel, but there are other expenses, like a $50 million dollar reserve, attorney's fees, cost of land, cost of financing the bonds, etc. which will add up to half a billion dollars or more.

Fact: The Omni Hotel in Fort Worth is not owned by the taxpayers. It is fully owned by Omni, with assistance by the city, therefore Omni is taking all of the risk.

Fact: People in favor of a Taxpayer owned hotel were not at the community meeting.

Fact: The low-end job creation will not help the struggling people in our community. We want jobs that will give a livable wage.

Fact: Dallas has an abundance of Hotel in downtown, Hyatt, Adolphus, Sheraton, Plaza of Americas, Jewel, Ritz Carlton, Fairmont, Magnolia, Crescent, Holiday Inn, and Indigo. Fort Worth downtown is more compact and they do not have the large number of hotels in their downtown area.

Fact: Hotels are not destinations. How often have you had people to say that I am going to a city so that I can stay in the Omni Hotel?

Fact: The largest number of citywide conventions in Dallas has been 20. Let's say that we get to that number again and that the conventions last for 5 days, that would give us a 100 days that the hotels are full, what about the other 265 days?

Fact: The hotels that we currently have pay taxes to the city of Dallas, and the convention center hotel will not be paying taxes.

Fact: Dwaine Caraway was on KNON not KHVN talking about the taxpayer owned hotel when I called the show. He did not want to take questions, but the Host, Rev. Barnett insisted. I guess some people do not know the difference between KHVN and KNON. Oh well, can't believe everybody who say they have facts.

District 5 Served Best By Councilwoman Vonciel Jones Hill

I have lived in District 5 (Redbird area) since 1973 and have come to love the area. I have seen the ups and downs of what has taken place and certainly have not always agreed with the elected officials (when I started to take note of the representation) from Dr. Charles Tandy, Don Hicks, Don Hill and now Vonciel Jones Hill. Before living there, I lived in the District 4 area(Lancaster-Kiest) and watched the slippery slope of retail development and housing stock start to decline in the area prior to my moving further south in 1973.

While there are complaints by haters about what is not happening in the Redbird area, I can say that my street has been repaved, my trash is picked up, I recycle, I rarely see trash along the streets in my neighborhood (only when bulk trash is being picked up), a walking trail has been put in with park improvements, there have been neighborhood beautification projects and other initiatives. I am fully aware that the District stretches from Southwest Oakcliff to Pleasant Grove and that there are different neighborhood needs.

I am disappointed that more senior facilities are not available, but I also understand the part of District 5 that I live in, there are few places to put those facilities and I would like to see the surrounding districts 8 and 4 do more in collaboration to get more in the area. I know that Southwest Center Mall (former Redbird Mall) is in District 8, Lancaster-Kiest Shopping Center is in Distrait 4, the Inland Port is in District 8, and that they border on District 5. I am aware that these development opportunities outside of District 5 effect my area.

I have not called Councilwoman Hill's office one time and not received a response from Ms. Hill or her staff. In fact, when I call her office, I mostly need to talk with her staff because they are there to take the information and assist the voters of District 5 on a daily basis.

What I am most worried about are thing that cost taxpayers that are outside of one councilpersons control like the budget, taxpayer owned hotels, increasing cost of the Trinity project, foreclosure rates, crime rate, senior concerns (transportation, housing repair, etc.) and public transportation within the city limits.

Oak Cliff

These newbies to Oak Cliff make me laugh. It's like they moved in yesterday and have all of the answers to what is needed in the area. I say they should take time and learn from people who have been working in the black community for years and then pick up the baton and run. You know, I see it as passing the baton, not dropping it and loosing because you did not practice and learn how to pass and then run. The idea is to win each leg of the race to be the ultimate winner. The last leg of the race can not run without successfully grabbing the baton and running to the finish.

Are we even in the race?

Mill City Renaissance Update

Talk is cheap and performance cost. We want our project recognized in the upcoming bond program in 2010. We have been very patient with the wheels of government. Not one of my strong points. If your goals are attainable and ours goals are, then we need to be about our business of redeveloping our community. We are getting ready to begin the process of streetscape planning. From Fitzhugh to Scyene on 2nd Ave. Envision the trees. benches and sidewalks/crosswalks that are inviting to pedestrians. Our draw will be the Fair Park and the variety and quality of goods and services we are willing to make available to our new patrons.

By Big "Tex" Ed Harris

Josh Hixson in Preston Hollow Peoples reports that Councilman Mitchell Rasansky was thrilled with the vote by Dallas city council to tow uninsured motorist. " It took me four-and-a half years to get this" Rasansky said. The vote eventually was 9-6 when a vote to table lost by 8-7 (all minority councilpersons voting to table). The successful vote of 9-6 had only one minority councilperson, Dwaine Caraway voting with Rasansky.

Rasansky switched his vote on the DART board nomination and voted with Caraway and Mayor Leppert. Wonder why???????????

2008

Dallas is a city that struggles to get it together and 2007 was not different from the previous years. There have been some interesting factors in Dallas this year and they will truly be something to watch in 2008.

1. Downtown: While millions of TIF (Tax Increment Financing) dollars have been poured into downtown, there is still little life in the heart of the city (Main Street,Commerce St. and Elm Street). All you find are non-affordable apartments and townhouses being constructed and virtually no retail. There are restaurants, but as soon as the TIF money goes, they go out of business or move. It will be interesting to see how Mayor Leppert will make a difference in Retail Downtown.
2. DART: The fact that DART is 1 billion over budget on the Orange Line and nobody understands why DART is in this mess is amazing. Let's see if Mayor Leppert,Dwaine (Dwayne,Dewayne) Caraway, Tennell Adkins and Jerry Allen will make a public statement since there is the possibility of rail lines in Dallas being delayed to keep Irving quiet.
3. DISD: As I wrote a month ago, DISD is not deserving of the publics trust for a new bond program. There are too many holes in the system and they are not being plugged. Where is Mayor Leppert on this? Do you suggest that we have a new superintendent?
4. Trinity: Mayor Leppert made the public many promises on the Trinity vote and we are going to hold him accountable along with all of the council members who supported the Trinity Toll Road.
5. Southern Dallas Development: I have noticed that some people are not using southern sector as much as they have in the past and are now talking about southern Dallas development, and that is where I have an interest. I want to see southern Dallas developed so that jobs will be in the are and so that Dallas can grow its tax base.
6. Dallas Housing Authority: Mayor Leppert made it public that his intent was to do something different with Ann Lott if she could not fix the accounting problems at Dallas Housing Authority. Why? His pension for the camera showed itself during this time.

Leppert/Perot

Councilman Mitchel Rasansky better be careful that he doses not get on the bad side of Mayor Tom Leppert by speaking out about the mayor's party that was thrown at Ross Perot Jr.'s condominium in W Dallas Victory Hotel & Residence. Who is he to question Tom Leppert?

There is no way that you could have all of the council members invited and "no business talk" would take place. Remember this is the mayor who played wild and loose with the truth on the Trinity vote.

Most may not recall that Eddie Reaves, who work for Perot,Jr., was nominated to replace me on the DART board. The spin doctors had him removed from Perot Systems website and said he no longer worked for Perot Systems so that he could get on the DART board. When the city council found out, they rejected the notion of putting Eddie Reaves on the DART board and that is how the city has the unfortunate experience of Jerry Christian serving on the DART board. It should also be noted that Willis Johnson, the mayors head Negro, was the one who bought the name of Eddie Reaves to Dwaine (Dewayne/Dwayne) Caraway for nomination to the DART board, and that Willis Johnson's son works for Perot, Jr.

Councilwoman Pauline Medrano is being cautious, as she should be about this new administration. She too had better be careful because these are bad people who go after you with meanness.

The Allen Group,Dallas Logistics Hub,should watch what is going to happen with their investment in the Southern Sector and make sure that the Dallas Mayor is not to cozy with to Perot, Jr. who has openly stated that the Dallas Logistics Hub is a threat to the development at the Alliance Airport. Southern Dallas needs the 60,000 jobs that have been projected by The Allen Group.

Bank Loans in Southern Dallas

What is new about banks not lending money in Souhtern Dallas? Maybe there are some new people on the scene who can not remember 15 to 20 years ago when Robert Pitre posted banners outside of his car lot on Harwood and Grand that indicated that banks were not making loans in Southern Dallas. Maybe they cannot remember when banks were protested for not lending in South Dallas. Forgive me, these Negroes do not protest. Maybe some of the people who are writing and talking about the disparity now were not here when others made the same claims or just maybe they think they have a better handle on things and the bankers will listen to them.

Clearly there must be an investment in Southern Dallas for the city of Dallas to grow, because the city can not grow North. There will be investors in Southern Dallas, but they will not all be African Americans. Southern Dallas is racially diverse and the expectation is that all will participate in the growth.

Negro Politics

Peter Johnson went on Wednesday November 28, 2007 to speak to the city council about lead in toys. Peter and Ronald Wright went to California to visit with manufacturers on this issue. He was approached by Willis Johnson before speaking and asked what did he need? He simply stated what his reason was for coming before the council. Peter then was called by Dwaine (Dewayne,Dwayne) Caraway to come up front before he spoke (private conversation) and Caraway assured him that he was going to say nice things about his work.

These Negroes are trying to keep African American citizens from coming to city hall to express themselves on issues of concern. I think the name for that is gatekeeper. Our community is in trouble!!!!

Thank You

Thank You to the people who have been reading Rufus Shaw's comments on Dallas Blog about me and responding with a positive message about me. I find it curious that after Willis Johnson,Dwaine (Dewayne,Dwayne)Caraway, Tennell Adkins, Mayor Tom Leppert and others worked so hard to get me off the DART board (8/7 vote) they can not let it rest. I am sure that I can not be that much of a threat to them or their desire to play a shell game with the community.

There is a mean spirit in these people and Southern Dallas will continue to be stagnant because of it. It is impossible for Southern Dallas development to take place with a few elected and appointed officials asking for their share at the expense of development in the community. If you do not believe me, then just read what is written about Southern Sector Development by Rufus Shaw, Michael Davis, and others. You should also listen to what is being said by people who say they are representatives of the Southern Sector.