City Attorney, City Manager Insist They're Not Hiding Trinity Project Docs From Us

By Robert Wilonsky Fri., May 20 2011 at 3:16 PM

Categories: City Hall, Trinity River Project

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Dallas City Attorney Tom Perkins

Just spent 20 minutes getting an earful from Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm and City Attorney Tom Perkins, who insisted, over and over, that the city's lawsuit over those Trinity River records has nothing whatsoever to do with our request to see "all the individual invoices paid in relation to the bonds sold for improvement of the Trinity River corridor in the 1998, 2003 and 2006 bond programs," per Sam's open-records request filed way the hell back on February 1.

Instead, Perkins said, the city filed suit to stop the release of "names of Department of Defense personnel and a couple of emails the [U.S. Army] Corps [of Engineers] has asked us not to release. The Corps has asked us to hold them because of national security."

Well, OK. We appreciate the clarification. But, look, Tom, it's not like the city's suit -- which was filed in Travis County earlier this month, after the Texas Attorney General's Office told the city what it could and couldn't release -- is specific. Far from it. Read it for yourself after the jump. Shouldn't take long. It's barely three pages.

And besides, the Texas AG already told the city: That Corps stuff you're saying is exempted from release? Sure is. As in: "Based on the city's representations and our review, the city must withhold the information we have marked under section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with federal law."

Look, we just want to know how the city's spent our money. And on what. And what was -- and is -- being said about the status of the Trinity River Corridor Project within the confines of Dallas City Hall.

"You're gonna get what the AG said to release," Perkins insists, adding that at this very moment, "binders' worth of stuff is being compiled for release."

Yeah, but for release when? "In three to five days we'll have it compiled in one place," Suhm says, at which point we'll get our invite to begin thumbing through the docs. Shouldn't take long -- she says it's only 8,800 pages. Give or take. CityofDallasVTexasAG

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Personally I don't think anything is going to change unless we change the city charter. The problem is the system itself; if you replace Suhm you're practically guaranteed to end up with someone just like her.
No, different city attorney.
No, different city attorney.
Robert, I volunteer to help read through the pile when it finally gets released. Sounds like you're gonna need the help.
Right, because the Dallas city government is anxious to hear from thousands of people who can't vote.
I meant Dallas Citizens Council........you would have known what I was talking about if you have read any of the post or been following City Politics at all, Brain Fart!!!
Too Funny!!!!!!!!
Yeah, but the good news is they're not very smart about it. Sometimes a "document dump" can reveal a whole series of "missing" documents, or communications, that were not disclosed. Some forensic reconstruction will almost always uncover the "holes". It really upsets them when you go back and "drill down" on the documents that were NOT included in the document dump, because you can then effectively show that they intentionally witheld public information, despite an order from the State Attorney General.
Amen, Factman. Amen!
No moral compass at all, if they ever had one. Kunkle's got alot of clean-up to do at City Hall.
Dallas City Council appointed Mayor???? what's that? Where have you been? The mayor is E-L-E-C-T-E-D by voters of the entire City not, A-P-P-O-I-N-T-E-D and certainly not appointed by the "City Council". No wonder why Kunkle is losing this race. Bunch of dumb dipshits.
Hey, Factman, CAPs don't add emphasis. Everybody but you, knows that CAPS is SCREAMING. But, I will forgive you because I see you are a Kunkle groupie, and by now, all you Kunkle people are probably all SCREAMING!
Thanks guys for not responding. They cut my finger off when they realized that they didn't need my whole body there, but just the one appendage. They are going to use my family for rebar when they build the new shiny bridge(I heard it's supposed to be nice, world class is what the little korean boy said(he has his finger in Caraway's bung hole). Anyway, have a nice night and I wonder what i'll do now for employment. Since I took this job as the levee attendant i've heard the economy took a dive. Oh well.
I'm getting sick and tired of the lies that Mary Suhm and Tom Perkins seem to utter at every turn. [Instead, Perkins said, the city filed suit to stop the release of "names of Department of Defense personnel and a couple of emails the [U.S. Army] Corps [of Engineers] has asked us not to release. The Corps has asked us to hold them because of national security."] Then why isn't the Corps formally participating in this legal action, via an interpleader or otherwise? It doesn't make sense that the Corps (a federal agency) would be relying on the City of Dallas (run by mendacious, incompetent characters) to defend its national security interests. And, indeed, as Schutze points out, they've already been given permission to with that stuff. ["You're gonna get what the AG said to release," Perkins insists, adding that at this very moment, "binders' worth of stuff is being compiled for release." Yeah, but for release when? "In three to five days we'll have it compiled in one place," Suhm says, at which point we'll get our invite to begin thumbing through the docs. Shouldn't take long -- she says it's only 8,800 pages. Give or take.] As stated elsewhere in the post, the Observer made the request on February 1. Per the Texas Open Records Act.... "a governmental body must respond "promptly" to a request for information. If a governmental body is unable to produce the requested information within ten business days, the officer for public information must send you correspondence certifying that he is unable to do so and he must set a date and time when the records will be available to you." I wonder what trick Mary Suhm and Tom Perkins have up their sleeve next?
YES!!!!!
I suspect the same thing. They will try to comply via a "document dump," which means they will give you tons of useless information, printed in very tiny type, lots of duplicates, all scrambled together, so that you're job of finding the relevant stuff will be rendered as difficult as possible.
Absolutely; it's not just all the problems we see here, but her quasi-insubordinate attitude when certain council members ask her for information and she simply refuses to provide it... or provides information that is superficial and not terribly useful in the decision making process.
No, just adds emphasis, you see.
Is this the same Dallas city attorney that told James Fantroy and Don Hill that is was legally ok to accept "payments" for their votes? Well that should explain his point of view. Mary Suhm's record of managing the City of Dallas' nightmare of inefficiency, waste, corruption, and plain stupidity (keeping the 15 year old girls found money, police helping with a cop killer's funeral procession, etc.) speaks for itself.
You are probably the dumbest person I have ever come across to make such a stupid comment. What a idiot!!!!
@ Suhm and Perkins - Your reign is soon coming to an end!!! The voters are sick of the shenanigans that come with a Dallas City Council appointed Mayor such as Leppert and now, Rawlings. Lets vote these people out on their ASSES just like Natinsky and Neumann!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is time to mobilize the masses, which are the non-elitist families, to get to the polls and put a stop to these insane abusers of our tax dollars. Nuff is a nuff!!!! Lets end this.............once and for all........all it take is getting to the polls.............get off your asses people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It means more because it's in all caps, you see.
They are so full of shit, the lawsuit was just to stall, so they could get Rawlings elected to be next puppet of the Dallas Citizens Council and to carry the torch from Leppert, their last puppet. VOTE FOR KUNKLE, IF WE EVER WANT TO SEE THE DAY THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS STOPS INDEBTING THE CITY WITH BRIDGES TO NOWHERE JUST TO ENRICH THE ELITIST FAMILIES IN THE PARK CITIES!!!
Help me...they want let me take any breaks and they keep on promising that they'll release my sister(the little dutch girl) and mother/father(big dutch guy and big dutch gal). Please hurry! I think they're on to me!
Question: Is this Perkins guy the same city attorney that advised the city council about the late councilman Fauntleroy’s security proposition that was reported upon (in the DO) back during the Don Hill fiasco? The one who seemed to find a way for the council to support Fauntleroy’s questionable business dealings.
Remember the story of the little dutch boy with his finger in the dike........maybe Dallas has a little boy or girl with finger in Levee, and location is "Top Secret".
'Must be getting pretty warm in the kitchen. Keep turning up the heat, Observer. They're finally starting to capitulate. I'll bet that the vast majority of the 8800 pages are duplicates, unrelated information, etc. 'Better take your waders with you when you go to City Hall to see the docs.
I know we're all focused on the Mayoral race right now, but if we have a Council/Manager government, shouldn't the problems we have in city government weigh in favor of replacing Mary Suhm?
What could possibly be a national security issue? Did Arthur and Archie give al Qaeda keys to the city?
City Hall: 8800 pages, you're gonna hate it, will take you forever to read, omg, it's so big and heavy,well, okay if you really want to spend time reading this.......translation.....it's a bombshell.
For what it's worth, I believe those docs are already printed -- they are, I was told by Suhm, compiled in binder after binder stores in several places around City Hall. Now they have to put in one room for us to look at 'em. And, incidentally, this does nothing to keep us from making sure the city complies with the AG's ruling concerning the other docs.
why didn't I think of that? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Hello?
Seems like an even further waste of taxpayer money to have them print up 8800 pages. Thanks Dallas Observer : )
man...someone needs to get high schoolers in large bunches to protest things like this. obviously grown up issues are dealt with properly by grown ups. apathy...most grown ups are struggling to get by and could care less about these issues after working all day. we are totally getting fleeced. maybe if young high schoolers and college kids got involved it would put more pressure on issues. i say this because....those young people hang out in bunches. get a bunch of kids together and make the protect fun or something. sounds crazy...but what large groups of people are putting pressure on the city to have these records shown asap? large groups of kids would attract the adults attention.
Well, that takes care of that then. Nothing to see here!
Prediction: The City will hold the documents until the day after the election because some are fearful that the shocking expenditures on the Trinity Toll Road will taint Park Cities candidate Mike Rawlings.