Dallas Blog

Okay, help me out, cause I'm a bit cloudy on the details.
If I'm against the hotel being funded by the city, that means
I'm for the hotel being built by a private business, right?
And if that happens, then a private business gets all the profits but also takes all the risks, right? And if it does well,
that's good for the Dallas economy, right? And if it goes in the shitter, that's bad for a private business, right?

"Dallas politicians are not concerned about the substantial, ongoing financial losses from a taxpayer-owned hotel."

Uhhhh, isn't that a little misleading, Anne Raymond?

What if the hotel is a huge success?

I am ready for this whole thing to be over with so that 1) The No-Hotel people will stop mailing me stupid fliers in the mail and 2) The Observer can go back to complaining about the Trinity. Oh wait, I guess that never stops.

Will this hotel rent rooms by the hour? Because I really want to find a nice hotel in the downtown area that does that -- I need my after lunch naps, after all!

Anybody who took a basic economics class knows that if this were a solid investment, private enterprise would be in a bidding war to see who can get their hands on such a goldmine. This is not the case. The idea is just to throw money at a convention center hotel because other cities have them because there is a school of thought that believes a cookie-cutter model works every time. Unfortunately, downtown Dallas, like most other cities, has unique characteristics that differentiate it from other cities. I'm all for a vibrant downtown that people want to actually spend time in, but a convention center hotel is not that magic bullet. All these fools talking about keeping businesses in Dallas should pick up a worthy cause such as the inland port, which would be an economic boon for the city and, by the way, doesn't require taxpayer money to make a reality.
And I really like the insistence that those who are against the convention center hotel have ulterior motives and are aligned with rival hotels. Do you not think that they have any constructive knowledge or advice on hotels in downtown Dallas? If not, who is the expert? And finally, look at the current occupancy rates and available rooms. That alone tells you that this idea is a waste/bad gamble of taxpayer dollars.

Its the fourth owner of golf courses that "make money" and in the same fashion, no high rise of any kind is initially profitable. They build it for posterity which was solidified in the councilman's comments here.

Spent Friday night at the Worthington in Downtown Ft. Worth..ate at the Reata..walked around a ten block area to listen to live music on the street; enjoy a brew on a roof-top bar; visited a bookstore and saw a flick. Wandered down to the water gardens. Lots of people, lots of fun. Dallas--it ain't gonna happen here in the next 20 years and no convention hotel will speed it along.

"What if the hotel is a huge success?"

It's not going to be. I'd bet everything I own on it. Name one hotel downtown that is a 'success'? The Adolphus is nice, but I wouldn't call it a success. I can't think of anything that's been a 'success' downtown when the city has stuck their oar (and our money) into it - they spruced up Main Street at the expense of all the mom and pop shops that used to be on it, Farmer's Market is a big, empty shed, Victory Park is foundering from all reports.

If the city council really wanted to improve Dallas, it would disband and drown Tom Leppert in the Trinity.

Would it be too much to ask to have a bit of clarity when it comes to what people are voting for? How about, just as an example, a "no" vote meaning that you are voting for no hotel. And then a "yes" vote could mean that you wanted a hotel. Boy, that sure would make things simpler.

Not only does Jerry conveniently forget his wstatements, he also forgot to take his pit bull, hired gun campaign manager along to manage him through such a tough interview. I can picture Jerry in a top hat, sitting on Good Ol' CP Henry's lap doing their Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy schtick.

Thanks for the audio, Sam. In this case, a few ill chosen words are worth imagining the picture.

OMG. It is even worse when you hear it.
It is so clear that he really doesn't give a shit.

Sam, I don't know how you do it. I can't even imagine the patience it must have took to sit down and have an interview with this idiot.

people, people....those of us living in LH have been trying to tell the world what an idiot we have for the City Council.

This man "doesn't recall" just about anything that has to do with an idiotic statement he has made, a lie to a constituent, and other just dribble.

If you think this interview was stupid you should hear him at the meetings between his opposition. At one I couldn't hear him from the back - 6 rows back. I politely asked him to please speak up - and he was so concerned that I couldn't hear him that he spoke more SOFTLY. He uses the phrase "at the end of the day" in every other sentence while pointing his index finger skyward.

But don't blame me. He ran unopposed 2 years ago - and I still did NOT vote for him.

Jerry, if you really love Dallas you would resign your council seat. Dallas deserves better than you.

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. Poor dear. You just can't do anything right. I feel so sorry for you. Why don't you take a LONG, LONG vacation, and try to calm your nerves, and compose yourself. Come back around May 15th and all your problems will be solved. You'll be able to go back to that Bankrupt bank of yours and finish out your days in peace. No more silly reporters with tape recorders to make you sound stupid. No more appearances in front of political gatherings where your favorite words are "At the end of the Day". No more wagging your silly finger at people. No more nightmares about John Kennedy giving a speech about the moon after he was dead. No more Dinasuar air for you, Brother. I think you've had quite enough. It's time to retire, Jerry, and let someone else take the heat off you, someone who can think on their feet and give intelligible answers, someone who knows how to listen and is willing to REPRESENT the citizens of Lake Highlands, someone who doesn't owe his existence to anyone who came before, someone who knows how to say NO to spending our money with reckless abandon. Take Leppert with you, and Walne, and Halstead, and the whole bunch that think they control Lake Highlands. Yea, May 15 is a good day to come back. By then, it will be over, and you can begin to heal. Good luck, old boy.

Mr. Allen, I would maintain that building a convention center hotel is thinking small. Sure, it's expensive (making it a big project in that regard), but it does nothing to put Dallas on the map. And yet another highway? Even though there are technical challenges involved, at the end of the day, it won't be any different than any other highway in the city.

President Kennedy pushed us to the moon because it was hard, not because everybody else had already gone to the moon and we needed to compete. He was pushing us to think beyond what we believed was possible. It's that kind of "outside the box" (for lack of a better term" thinking that our city needs. Not somebody who cribs off what Houston's doing and says "Hey. Me, too!"

Even if we could guarantee that the convention center hotel would be a huge success, is it the best use of our city's time and effort? Is there something else we could focus on that would truly be groundbreaking. Something that would make this city better for its citizens. Something that would actually be a true challenge that, if successful, would change our very perception of who we are and what is possible.

Why think small, Mr. Allen? Why settle for nine miles of road and a 1,000 hotel rooms? Why not take Mr. Kennedy's challenge and do something great for this city, not because it's easy, but because it's hard? Supporting yet another convention center hotel is easy. Supporting yet another highway in a nation full of asphalt is easy. Doing something different is hard.

Have the courage to escape this small thinking, Mr. Allen. Say no to the Hotel. Say no to the Trinity Parkway. Think big and wait to say yes until there's something truly big and earth shattering to say yes to.

LH momma,

Thank you for saying what many of us know, but don't have the guts to say out loud. It is time for us to elect our own leader, not the hand picked successor of our former elected officials. For years we have been a wonderful example of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. It is time to elect a councilman who will listen to what we want for our community. Your vote can make a difference this year in Lake Highlands.

I'm just wondering, but for all the Lake Highlands people who have been complaining about Jerry Allen, why is there only ONE challenger? You people are supposed to be, ah, "politically sophisticated". In my district, people are hopping mad at the incumbent and she has drawn SEVEN challengers. That's a mandate. That's really saying something. I just can't help but think that LH puts more lip service into blogging about how terrible their city council representative is than actually on-the-ground campaigning and voting.

I don't care how many people are seeking office in any given race. I just want to know that at least one qualified person with integrity will step up in every race and accept the enormous responsibility and challenges that comes with being a public servant. Notice I said, public servant, not politician. There is a huge difference, although the distinction escapes most voters hereabout.

A public servant listens to what the public says.
A politician, by contrast, tells the public what he wants it to know or it wants to hear.
A public servant believes he works for the taxpayer.
A politician thinks taxpayers work to support government.

District 10 is blessed to have someone willing to take on the responsibility of serving his constituents. His name is Don Sanders. I know Don personally, having spent hundreds of hours doing volunteer work together. And I will tell you he entered this race because of his concerns about the future as it affects his family, their families and, yes, your families. You need only visit his webpage at donsandersdallas.com to understand the issues that evidence a city government out of control and out of touch with the needs of the citizens.

The examples on Don's website come straight from the headlines and stories we read every day. Rather than bang his head in frustration against the wall in my kitchen, Don decided to redirect that energy to making a difference at City Hall. After he is elected, the head banging will continue, but, knowing Don as I do, I am confident it will not be his. Those who think Don can be pressured or persuaded to vote or act against his principles or the interests of his constituents are in for a surprise they will never forget.

If we are to ever change City Hall, it will only begin when men and women with courage and convictions like Don Sanders stand up to the likes of Tom Leppert and city administrators who believe taxpayers work for them.

cp - I read statements made by your councilperson and cringe with you. But rather than find comfort in the knowledge the incumbent has seven challengers, I hope you find at least one equipped with the skills and integrity to give your district the type of representation all taxpayers in Dallas deserve. If you have already found that person among the challengers, than you need search no further.

Residents of District 10 seeking a candidate who will listen -- actually listen to them before he speaks and acts on their behalf need look no further than Don Sanders. The frustration and anger expressed against Jerry Allen reveal that District 10 wants a change. Don Sanders has offered to work for you as your public servant. If you want a public servant instead of a politician, make your choice clear on May 9th.

Vote for Don Sanders and let's get government working for us again.