Sandy Kress Next Commissioner of Education?

A core group of Gov. Rick Perry's business supporters are making a strong push to install Sandy Kress as the next state's Commissioner of Education. Over the last dozen years, Kress has been the most significant face for the education arm of the Governor's Business Council . If selected, Kress would be the fourth commissioner of education during Gov. Perry's term in office.

While Business is pushing Kress, Conservatives with strong ties to the State Board of Education have lunched an active campaign against him.

Is Sandy Kress, former President of the Dallas Independent School District's Board of Education, the right person to assume the role of Commissioner of Education?

Council Request of Police Officers

Dwaine/Dwayne/Dewayne Caraway, David Newmann and Sheffie Kadane all new Dallas City council persons who have been in office since June 2007 and are making special request of the Dallas Police Department. They have opened up the question of setting policy versus micromanaging. Each council person has made numerous request of the Dallas police department to get rid of crime in their districts as reported by The Dallas Morning News. The Police department is caught between the council person's request or staying focused on lowering overall crime. The Police departments concern is that the people who set their budget is also making special request with little understanding of how their request adversely affects the departments ability to prioritize.

Chief Kunkel says "A lot of this I attribute to new council members wanting to make a difference and wanting to demonstrate that they are effective." and former Dallas Chief Ben Click says "It's amazing how someone gets elected and overnight becomes an expert. Their role is to set policy and give general direction to the department, and then let the professionals figure out how to do it and hold their feet to the fire."

If resources are being moved to accommodate the request of these new council member, who is not being served? Give the police the tools that they need and do not micromanage.

Councilwoman Vonciel Jones Hill

I attended the Budget Town hall meeting at Thurgood Marshall Rec. Center on Thursday Aug. 30, 2007 and was pleased with the number of staff persons that attended. The community also showed up to hear what was being proposed for this year's budget. Councilwoman Hill's introduction to the budget process was good and her closing with asking questions about what the community wanted in the district was refreshing.

I left with three things on my mind about the budget:
1. $43 million for Dallas Public Schools (NO)
2. How much was in the budget for employee raises?
3. A comparative of what the fees and taxes would be on a $100,000.00 house.

City of Dallas Budget has 43 million for Dallas Schools

Almost weekly there is something about the mismanagement of money and personnel at Dallas Independent School District (DISD) ,and in the proposed budget for the city of Dallas there is 42 million of taxpayer money that will go to DISD.

The taxes that go to Dallas Independent School District (DISD)currently are not being spent wisely. Just recently we have had the credit card scandal and the DISD's extra pay which is $80 million a year in supplemental payroll that is paid on top of salaries for extra work or desirable skills. Little oversight was given to this program just as little oversight was given to the credit card program. To make things worse with the credit card scandal, the superintendent spent a million dollars on an investigation that did very little to the people who abused the credit cards. What happened to paying all of the money back?

Mayor Tom Leppert made a campaign promise to get more involved with education, but we should not be using money that we need for public safety, parks, streets and code enforcement. Maybe some of the fees that will be raised in this year's budget can stay as they are with 43 million that is in the budget for education.

Dallas city council JUST SAY NO to any funds for education other than grants .

Homeless

The Dallas Morning News reports that more homeless are looking for meals and shelter. The lines outside of the Stewpot has grown lately, and record numbers are showing up for assistance.
My office has been in the downtown area (28 years on Main Street) for almost 30 years, with 27 years in my own business, and I have watched the homeless situation grow in larger numbers each year. It is apparent that the city of Dallas struggles with the homeless problem. In my opinion there are many reasons why we have not been able to reduce the number of homeless people in the downtown area. Let us also remember that the homeless population is now moving outside of the downtown area into the residential areas.

The city is basically trying to treat all of the problems with the homeless the same. They want to use the cookie cutter approach or one size fit all. The homeless are in the situation for many different reasons, some are new in the city, drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness and working poor. I see more women and children than I have ever seen before.

Everybody is not willing to conform, but for those that are, lets find some temporary housing, job training and substance abuse programs that work.

Paul Quinn College

Thank you Michael Sorrell,interim president of Paul Quinn, for the new student dress code. While some of the students do not appreciate the change now, they will appreciate it later in life. We all know that first impressions are usually lasting impressions and the way that you dress has a lot to say about who you are.

Hopefully the students will have a new attitude about their graduating from college and entering into the business world.

Sankofa Art Kafe Closes

After 12 years on Martin Luther King Boulevard Sankofa Arts Kafe will close its doors. The establishment will be missed. It offered a vegetarian and American cuisine menu and hosted weekly open mic events, poetry slams, lecturers and concerts featuring artist like Erykah Badu.

Sorry to see it go. Another business lost in South Dallas.