Maybe you’re not like me. You don’t explain life as science fiction. So you don’t think of Dallas politics as The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I do. Body Snatchers is the movie where the space pods grow in your basement, and then they turn into you. I forget what…
Dear Readers: It’s not just questions and racist rants that invade the Mexican’s mailbox—your feedback sneaks under my digital fence también. Let’s start with Lean Like a K Street Chola, a former gangbanger-turned-lobbyist who wrote in a couple of weeks back wondering how she could explain to quizzical pals why…
I was half of a debate on the Trinity River project last night. It was between me and Craig Holcomb, executive director of Trinity Commons Foundation, the pro-toll road political lobbying group. We rassled in front of a group called the “Dallas 40” — one of those leadership-type outfits. Right…
In the August 13 edition of Time, a story by Michael Grunwald tells how the Corps of Engineers is in the process of repeating all the same mistakes that created the Katrina disaster. Only 10 times worse. This story is a must-read for anybody who really cares about Dallas’ own…
Dear Mexican: I had a heated discussion in my van pool with a couple of gringos where they made a comment that immigration (both legal and illegal) needs to stop. I replied jokingly, “Then who will take our orders at McDonald’s or work in the fields?” They had the nerve…
President Bush said last week he doesn’t think Congress should raise the gas tax to pay for new bridges until it does something first about all the gas tax money wasted on so-called “earmark” projects—projects that don’t meet federal standards but get done anyway as political favors to Congress members’…
So, it’s on. We will indeed have an election November 6 on whether to put a high-speed toll road through the proposed new park along the Trinity River downtown. Council voted it up 15-0 just now. Of course, they didn’t really have a choice. When the city secretary certified the…
Not to try to stir the pot or make trouble or pour gasoline on a fire or anything, but several thousand loud, irate and semi-out-of-control citizens really need to show up at City Hall tomorrow for the 9 a.m. briefing session of the Dallas city council. First item on the…
On its front page yesterday, The Dallas Morning News ran a story about the Trinity toll road in which there was a discussion of stories written by me and other people at the Dallas Observer. The story, written by Bruce Tomaso, said, “Mr. Schutze did not return telephone calls or…
Look, Jim and Tim and Patrick, you know that Angela Hunt’s married, right? As it turns out, our Patrick Williams and your Angela Hunt have both been peppering the same guy in the Dallas regional office of the Texas Department of Transportation with questions about the Trinity project. These are…
Oh my word. Oh my, oh my. I am looking at this. I don’t want to see it. It just came in the mail. This is scary. A couple weeks ago in the course of some reporting on Dallas County Judge Jim Foster, I asked his assistant, Bob Johnston, for…
Dear Mexican: I’ve run into a problem with my wife. I’d like to proudly display our last name on the back window of the family car, but she won’t allow it. How can I convince her that’s it’s a long and honored Mexican tradition to do so? —Tejano Rick P.S.:…
Like father, like son: Anyone remember former Texas Rangers pitcher Mike Bacsik? Not that one, this one. Too bad The Dallas Morning News didn’t pen its own Mike Bacsik piece for this morning’s paper — Bacsik being, like, the Washington Nationals pitcher who served up Barry Bonds’ 756th homer last…
As Rob Allyn’s folks haven’t yet had much luck — they’re workin’ on it, sure — if anybody out there has a means of getting copies of the television ads that ran in 1998 urging people to vote for the Trinity River bond issue, I sure wish that person would…
Read The Dallas Morning News’ coverage of the Minnesota bridge collapse closely for the story you will not see: What is the truth behind the claim of the Trinity toll road/signature bridge boosters that all of the major freeway bridges in downtown Dallas are slated for replacement, anyway? I’m so…
Yes, and we’re gonna run this again and again and again. Another interesting day Trinity toll road-wise. I appeared on (actually, was heard on) Krys Boyd’s show on KERA-FM (90.1), Think, with Dave Levinthal of The News to discuss the toll road referendum. Snag yer podcast here, but as usual,…
Dave Levinthal of The Dallas Morning News and I will be on KERA-FM (90.1)’s Think at noon today to “discuss” the TrinityVote petition campaign and Mayor Tom Leppert’s allegations of fraud by signature gatherers. As usual when I appear on the radio, I will be wearing my Speedo and a…
Dear Mexican: Why do Mexicans say “¡Ojalá Dios quiere!”? Ojalá refers to Allah, the Muslim god, and Dios is the Christian god. Do Mexicans want to cover their bases and get a double blessing, or maybe they can’t make up their minds? ¿Qué pasó con los dos dioses? —White Paddy…
It’s a different city now. Fundamentally. Here’s why. Last weekend the city secretary ruled that a citizens group had met the legal test for calling a referendum on building a major high-speed, limited-access toll road through the proposed river park downtown. But don’t get all lost in that. You’ll hear…
Flood, Karen Kunc (2002) Cheat Sheet on Petition Signatures Total number of signatures collected by TrinityVote: 91,000 Of those, total number certified by City Secretary Deborah Watkins as valid: 52,500 Total number required by law to call a referendum on the Trinity Toll Road: 48,000 Surplus of certified signatures: 4,500…
I just spoke with Angela Hunt, who told me something quite stunning about the allegations of fraudulent signatures being leveled against the TrinityVote petition campaign. She said she had been informed that none of the allegedly suspicious signatures is among the 48,000-plus signatures that have been certified as valid by…
They did it. In an hour or so, City Secretary Deborah Watkins will certify that TrinityVote has gathered and exceeded the statutory requirement of 48,000 signatures on petitions calling for a referendum on the Trinity River toll road. At this hour, the word I get is that Watkins believes Angela…
