Sheriff Valdez

If I did not know better I would thing Sheriff Valdez was a new elected Official. all
of a sudden she is every where. In the past three years we could not see or hear from her but now that the Primary is a few months away she has come out of hiding. I know my people will vote for her because she is a Democrat. I hope the people with Loved ones in jail will remember how they are being treated and the $4.10 telephone charge to call home from jail.

Thanks Commissioner Dickey

Thanks Commissioner Dickey for the vote to freeze the tax rate for Seniors and the vote to reinstate the 69,000.00 tax exemption. Thanks to the other four Commissioners. Thanks Commissioner Price for voting no on removal of the exemption the first time.

Michael Vick Probation Is Enough !

I waited until now for my opinion on the Micheal Vick story. First, I have dogs who live in the house and some who live on the outside. I also am a Animal Cops fan. So I follow animal rules of treatment. From what I have read it seems Vick entered into
a business relationship with some friends from his past, he financed it, it had a name so it was not a hidden business. I am not sure if Vick lived on the property
that housed the kennel business. I believe that Vick did not know the laws as they pertained to the type of business he had entered. He should have hired an attorney and gotten legal advice prior to starting the business with his homeboys. Vick trusted his homeboys. First mistake: Dog fighting has been a sport for years I do not like it but it has been around and not much has been said or done about it. The fact now its Urban kids and people involved seem to have put it in the spot light and now everyone is concern. The very same people who think Vick should go to prison for watching or having a dog fight will sit in their homes and watch boxing until one man knock the other out which is temporary death. Vick admitted to killing some dogs, dogs are put to death daily here in Dallas it is not against any law to kill your own dog. Maybe the method of death sounds bad but I do not know how they put dogs to sleep at the animal shelter and I live in a State that still kill people and allow other people to sit and witness the death. Michael Vick is another young man who made his money and fame from a God given talent and was trust into the spotlight over night. Most of these new sports millionaires have not a clue about life in the fast lane and their families are so caught up in the fame that the person becomes God and they have a tendency not to tell then anything. They make very bad decisions
just because they do not know any better. I do not think watching a dog fight deserves a prison sentence. Vick did not from what I have read mistreated the dogs.The cruelty was the actually dog fight. Why should the taxpayers house Vick just to make a point. Probation which is given most first time offenders is just punishment. The public embarrassment is punishment enough and lost of playing in the NFL. Michael Vick should be treated like every one else in the same situation, clearly he is being treated different because he is Michael Vick. Count the people in prison in America for dog fighting the number is 0!

Dallas Morning News/ New City Manager

It was with amazement the DMN story on City of Dallas lack of ordinance on number of animals one can own within city limits. The Dallas Managed News now wants a new ordinance to limit numbers of animals one person has in his home. I think, but maybe I am wrong, there is such an ordinance on the books. I was on CPC when this issue came up back in the 90's so I know we talked about it. The managed News thinks the Michael Vick story calls for new animal control rules. How silly is that? The City of Dallas does not have enough staff for dogs running lose in neighborhoods today. There are Pitt bull dogs running free in Council Districts 4,5,7,8 and no one owns them so we need to start there first. The Southern sector has become the dumping ground for animals people do not want.They bring them from all parts of the city.
Another light bulb went off this morning, first page Metro Dear Laura:Thanks for doing your best. Since Laura Miller is going to be on the Trinity River campaign trail with Ron Kirk and Mayor Leppert the news is now selling how good she was. The whole part of the year before the Council race they said she was not so good and to make sure I did not win in District 5 they did story after story about me and her.
Every month they had me and Laura Miller in some kind of story even up to the run off election when poor James Ragland did that piece on the DHA board appointment
that was four months old. I told James he had been used to harm my election but, I do not write his pay check. A year ago no one could have told me the News set the agenda(OK go on laugh)I was in the mix and really did believe I was doing what was right for the people, the city for all the right reasons. Well now I see said the blind woman. Every subject the News reports on: the City, Schools and other Government agencies soon follow with adopting the news answer. If the News is going to run the City,schools and etc: we need to close City hall and let the new run the city from Belo building it would save the taxpayers lots of money.

So Funny !

People call me on the telephone about this blog but they will not write a public comment. I guess they do not want people to know they read it. It's OK I know lots of people read it from the hit counter. I am just happy to have an outlet to express
my opinion on what's happening in this world.

When You Hurt the Ones That Helped You !

I've watched the crazy going on behind the scene at City Hall surrounding the DART
Board appointment. The Ministers groups in Southern Dallas supported former City
Judge and Pastor Vonciel Hill for City Council District 5. It seem as if Councilwoman Hill dealt them a blow with her lobby effort for Joyce Foreman for the board seat . Councilwoman Hill nominated Joyce Foreman for reappointment to the board ,but the vicious way she lobbied for the vote for Ms. Foreman and
treatment of the other nominee was not God like. Dr. Christian was one of her strong supporters in the City Council race. Dr. Christian did not nominate himself and he had every right to serve. I think he is a fine man and has been very active in helping this community. He worked with Mayor Miller on some projects and good things happen. We need new people to serve on boards and commissions with new ideas. I hope Ms. Lynn Flint-Shaw becomes the Chair of the DART board.

Senior Tax Freeze ! One More Time.

I know and respect Commissioner Dickey. I am sure she was truly working on helping Senior with their tax. I think all Seniors will be pleased at the final results. Trust her.

DISD /Nepotism means Nepotism !

First, I support Michael Hinojosa 100%. When I said I would go down and work for him free I meant it, because he needs someone with common sense.Dr. H. has a staff of Educators and they must have spent all their working careers Reading education books and not experiencing life. Any person in this world working in the private sector or public for that matter knows nepotism means " in chain of command". The policy says relatives can not work for relatives. Mr. Bailey said "Mr.Viramontes is a hands off manager" what kind of madness is that, his wife is still in his chain of command .Mr. Bailey should read the policy. When Mr. Bailey gives Mrs Viramontes an assignment or has to discipline her , and she goes home and tell her husband while they sit at the dinner table or as they relax in bed, he will see why there is a nepotism policy. When other employee challenge Ms. Viramontes work and complain Mr. Bailey will wish he had not violated the policy. It's not about qualification it's about the problems that are caused by having relatives work in the same area on a job. As a former Director of a major Department in Dallas County I know first hand how the work place can be destroyed by these kinds of relationship.
Dr.Hinojosa has people working for him with very poor JUDGEMENT and then they try and justify it rather then correct it, making it worse.

Joyce Forman Is D.A.R.T. Board Train to Haven ?

I can not believe that Joyce Foreman , DART Board member could cause so much havoc and do so many evil things as people say she is doing and my information is credible, to be re-appointed to a free board well they do get paid 50.00 per meeting.
Mr. Foreman so I have been told had to ask to be nominated first because the Council person who nominated her in the past is no longer on the Council. From what I understand she has threaten Council members, promise to cause civil unrest at the Council meeting if she is not re-appointed and said she would bring SCLC down to City
Hall. I worked with SCLC back in the day when we were in the again REAL civil rights war that's been a long time ago, but I do not think SCLC can find a Civil Rights violation in the Dallas City Council members appointing a member to the DART board other the Joyce Foreman. Where is the Civil Rights' violation. Ms.Foreman did not have a lifetime appointment, her term is expiring , the Mayoral candidate she supported did not win the election, in the run off she did not support Mayor Leppart
so what on earth is wrong with her. I do not know her family but someone close to her should speak with her because her behavior if what I've been told is true is not healthy. I want her to be well and do well the DART board is not the train to HAVEN!

How Black Can Hillary Be ?

In 2007 how can or why would a Black Professional group ask How Black is Ms. Clinton
and is Barack Obama Black enough ? if a White group said Obama is not White enough Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and this group would be full Court calling for their heads. The National Association of Black Journalist meeting in Las Vegas posed these question to both candidates. This is America people and the President of the United States represents all the people. Black people have achieve so much success and yet the very people who should celebrate the success are the ones re inventing slavery. Why continue to celebrate the pass and relive each and every bad thing that happen. I am old enough to remember the days of segregation, and my days in the real movement not the make believe one.
I hear people talking about the Black vote and I see Politicians spending grand thief money to attract the Black vote, and the Black vote continue to stay home. Two Presidential candidates went to the Black Journalist convention to talk about problems effecting Black people.
Senator Clinton spoke on the millions of young Black men with out jobs, in jail and dropping out of high school, yet the Black Journalists did not question her on the plan to help, nor did they offer their plan or help, they are Black enough and should know why this is happening to their Black brothers.Instead they wanted to know how Black can she be. Hell from looking she can not be. What about the cause she spoke on. if something is not done there will be no more Black people at the rate we are killing each other, being locked up, drugs killing us and etc. I am so sick of this victim role Black people continue to accept as a condition ,if I could I would create a pill to cure them so we can get back to saving our children and communities.

DMN On / Split of 911 Center

Do Reporters come from Mars or Venus ? First of all the Dallas Morning New calls the 911 Call Center troubled, a few problem calls are not grounds to redo the entire call center concept. The News has reported on a problem or two in the past , but what does the Dallas Morning News reporters know about running a City , much less a call center. From the article not much: the Reporter said "a fallen tree in the roadway is a non police matter", That is the dumbest statement I ever heard, the very first car that comes upon that tree and hits it and all occupants killed because no Police was there to redirect traffic , the first outcry will be "Why were there no Police at the scene" until other City Services could arrive to remove tree or put up barricade. The call center handle 3.6 million calls each year and only three or four go wrong it's a very good call center with those numbers. Because a few employee do not perform well does not mean the system is broke, what it does mean is better pay and training should be implemented. Supervisors should listen to recorded calls and use for training.
One of the other calls was Mr.Lyles the caller said someone was trying to kill a child's mother, the 911 operator told Police someone was trying to harm the child's mother. What the HELL difference is harm or kill. HARM says it all. The dictionary say harm means : damage, hurt. Police should have gone code three to the location on first 911 call. The other calls simply went into rotation. The truth of the matter is we do not have enough Officers to answer all the calls. When John Ware sold 311
it was never said that 311 and 911 would be answered by the same people. 311 is non emergency and could put people on hold or have them leave message as I have done many times on 311. 911 should be priority with it's own set of Operators. If Chief Kunkle of Chief Brown says move 911 under Police then I am for that move, but I know
as a retired Manager that does not cost $600,000 and if this New City Council goes for that then we the Taxpayers are in big trouble. We currently have 140 call center operators, they have 23 in training ,so funded positions does not seem to be the problem. They fired a Call Center Supervisor because one of the not so busy employees documented each time he said hello or patted someone on the back. We are paying him $1.55 million dollars for wrongful termination and violation of his Civil Rights. We could hire Masterd Degreed operators with $1.55 million and hire 500 more Police Officers. Sgt. Paul Morris said there is no one in the 911 center that has a badge and gun to make a command decision.Do we need a certified Police Officer to sit in the call center when we do not have enough on the street to respond.
Here is my suggestion for free: N/C means no cost:

1.Have 311 Operators answer only 311 calls. Technology should make that possible
2.Cut hours for 311 complaints from 24 hours to 7AM until 11PM recorder will answer
after 11PM.N/C.
3.Leave call center at present location. N/C.
4.In Service training on language and words that have same meanings in different Cultures. N/C.
5.Publish handbook on Emergency and Non Emergency calls send to resident or post on web site: Postage

Please City Council do not put more money in a bucket that is already running over.

Why 20-City Vigil ? Talk With Artist !

Reverend Al Sharpton and Action Network's Decency Initiative sounds good but its a little late to stop something that has been going on over ten years. RAP music has been a source of language about Gun's, killings and all sort of other activities that have led to a decline in our Communities. My nephew was in the sixth grade at Longfellow and I was trying to teach him how to ride DART to school, he said to me "I need a gun to ride the bus" my first word was where did you get that from? He than sang the entire song. I could not believe it the words said "when you ride public transportation pack your heat" I could not believe my ears. Needless to say the first time he was caught at school with a gun he was still in sixth grade. He went to Juvenile at the end of sixth grade, three group homes at tax payers expense.TDC three time and is now awaiting to serve a long sentence in TDC for what else murder. I know this child lived RAP music . We took him to Doctor's the Juvenile sent him to therapeutic care.Nothing could undo what the early listening
to RAP music implanted in his mind.
RAP has done it's harm and still is but what can a one day protest do to a Billion dollar industry? Why not meet with the Young Black Men making the music ?

Council Police Squard

You are not going to believe this! I was sitting watching Judge Judy today so it had to have been after 4PM when my door bell ring. I looked out and there was a City of Dallas Code Enforcement truck parked on the curb and a young man with a dog pole standing at my door. I open the door and I said not again and he started laughing
and said his Supervisor sent him over today. I ask what was the problem he said lose dog. I invited him in and we walked to the back yard and again he went and looked at my dogs in the 1/3 acre enclosed cement bottom dog yard. I ask him how long could the City waste money coming out to my house and seeing the same thing. I share this with you because the animal control people are not coming out, who if the dog was out, it's their duty to catch and take to pound . The reason to me that there
is a shortage of man power in Code is because the staff is being used for non code enforcement duties. When will Mary Suhm fix this or do I need the Justice Department.
Clearly my Civil Rights are being violated.

Mayor Leppert told FBI Show UP or Shut UP !

Mayor wanted cloud removed from City Hall.Show could be getting ready to start.

Remember Wright Amendment Change and Low Fare !

When emotions were high and every one calling for the end to the Wright Amendment, I tried to tell you from what I knew from the inside that it was never about people or low fares. I tried to inform the public it was about cheap landing fees at Love Field city owned Airport. Landing fees at Love Field are the lowest in US in comparison. What the public did not want to hear was that Love Field has 32 gates. With the new so called improved Wright Amendment ,they will only have 24. A new terminal that was paid for will be demolished and no other gates will be allowed at Love Field. Guess who has the 24 gates? Southwest has 20, American has 2, continental has 2. When American moves flight it hurts DFW and Dallas citizen lose.
Will someone please tell me where all this competition to lower fares will fly from? I see that fares went up on Southwest not one fare was decreased after Wright change.
What has happen 32 flights have moved from DFW to Love and vendors are closing their stores and people are losing jobs. Revenue from those flights are gone. Told you so.

Is Sheriff Valdez Crazy ?

I worked for Dallas County 20 years and been retired three years. I went through budget hearing all 20, and never in the history of Dallas County has any Department Head or Elected Official ask for 500 new positions. The Lady got 260 positions just since she had been there more then Sheriff Bowles got in any year. The County increased tax last year and remember Parkland also increased tax last year because Jail Health is paid from their budget. Inmates in jail will now be getting better health care then uninsured working people. The Dallas Morning News keeps saying the increase to the budget is for a list of requirement by State and Federal officials. That is not true! Ask to see the list of requirements. There is a summary of things that are required by law, and that has not changed, then there is a list of things that could be improve or recommendations. The Federal recommendation deal with mostly the Health side .The Commissioners and Parkland agreed on implementing some of their recommendation such as hiring an out side Consultant to review the Health side. The $100,000.00 Consultant is not a requirement it's taxpayer money wasted. Would someone call the DMN and ask them to see the State and Federal requirements that has caused the Sheriff to ask for so much money, keeping the jail clean does not cost money, it requires supplies and labor she has plenty of labor. Parkland is doing it's part to correct UTMB's mess on the health side the Sheriff is not doing her part to correct the operation side of the jail.
Please people ,Sheriff Jim Bowles never failed a jail inspection. The last year UTMB
was written up on the TB screening and other health related items. The Commissioners Court and it seem the DMN wants to lay all of Sheriff Valdez problems on Bowles but
I was there it just ain't so people!

Trinity Vote-Southern Sector

Ms. Hunt will only need to say the Plan is the 2003 Mayor Laura Miller idea. She will win the Southern Sector. No need to pay anyone, just say Laura Miller and Black folk will vote against it.

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem of District 4 has hit the ground running. He has identified problems in his district and doing something about it. Good job!

Thanks DA Watkins !

Thank you District Attorney Craig Watkins for speaking up. Thank you for not allowing $1.55 million dollar settlement , using Taxpayer money with no public explanation , City Attorney Tom Perkins put that monkey on your back. When there have been voting problems in City elections you could not get Perkins to Say a word.
You are right ! Big Business want the money from that road so bad they will do anything for it.They have a City Attorney let him or the City Secretary file a official complaint with your office. Who ever heard of the DA reviewing information
that he might need in a legal case later. STAY STRONG .