tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark/9 2012-02-09T14:33:31Z The Dallas Observer Blog Movable Type Enterprise 4.21-en tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.576108 2012-02-09 08:33:29 2012-02-09 08:33:31

​At the end of yesterday's lengthy, heated debate over hopping into a bed made of tax-free bonds with Uplift Education, Mayor Mike Rawlings delivered the passionate testimonial Jim and I referenced. Several Friends of Unfair Park have asked to hear...

Robert Wilonsky ​At the end of yesterday's lengthy, heated debate over hopping into a bed made of tax-free bonds with Uplift Education, Mayor Mike Rawlings delivered the passionate testimonial Jim and I referenced. Several Friends of Unfair Park have asked to hear the entire thing, the "Our Poor Kids" speech, so I've snipped out the excerpt and dropped it below. Long story short: "I believe freedom is choice, choice creates excellence, and excellence graduates kids." And, far as he can tell, there ain't a lot of excellence in the Dallas Independent School District: "Twelve percent of our students graduating from DISD schools are ready for college. It's only 12 percent. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem."On Monday, Rawlings will debut his Southern Dallas Economic Growth Plan, which will include DISD; how, he won't say just yet. But it wasn't long ago that Rawlings offered a sort of sneak peek in The Dallas Morning News, providing the paper with his report card for the district. To summarize: Amongst a few "signs of hope," he wrote, "we have a lot of ground to make up." At which point the mayor laid out a handful of "tactics critical for our success," among them:Continue to foster our high-performance public charter schools such as Uplift and KIPP, which are growing and preparing students for college at a record pace. We must find facilities for them to expand.The entire city council will be briefed on the Uplift bond issue next week, after which there will be a vote the following Wednesday -- Carolyn Davis v. Mike Rawlings, rounds two and three. As the mayor said yesterday, "This is a tough time in this city." 0 tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.576034 2012-02-08 20:48:26 2012-02-09 08:40:03

Stormy Magiera, no longer a Dallas officer​In the end, the posting to the Dallas Police Department's Facebook page, made moments ago, probably comes as no surprise. But as of today, Stormy Magiera is no longer a Dallas Police officer. The...

Robert Wilonsky Stormy Magiera, no longer a Dallas officer​In the end, the posting to the Dallas Police Department's Facebook page, made moments ago, probably comes as no surprise. But as of today, Stormy Magiera is no longer a Dallas Police officer. The announcement comes days after the officer, decorated by Chief David Brown in November for saving the residents of a burning building, was arrested for getting into a fight with her husband, fellow Dallas Police Lt. Mike Magiera, at their home in Murphy. According to today's announcement: "The Internal Affairs Division's investigation determined that Sergeant Magiera escalated the disturbance and caused injury to a family member."Magiera began the new year as she left the old one: under investigation. DPD tonight reveals that mysterious incident at Forest and Audelia on December 28, the one where Magiera said she was attacked by a man with a knife who got away with her gun, was all a lie. "Sergeant Magiera had been attempting to obtain a controlled substance (hydrocodone) without a prescription," says the release, which also notes this is far from the end of that. "Sergeant Magiera has two more pending criminal allegations related to this incident."And there is more, much more, not to mention her lawsuit against the city involving allegations of sexual discrimination and retaliation. The entire adios, which also just arrived from DPD HQ, follows. It notes: "Under civil service rules, officers have rights to appeal disciplinary action."This is not the sole announcement made by DPD tonight. Another, involving the just-finished review of Mickey East's case files, also follows. Long story short: Cases are being filed; more are on the way. And East, who took home case files, will be disciplined. At a later date. 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/StormyMugShot.jpg More Stormy Weather as DPD Chief Fires Sergeant tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575991 2012-02-08 18:03:17 2012-02-08 18:12:56

Photo by Nick RalloLast year, when DPD guesstimated close to 100,000 people lined the parade route​At the end of the week Joe shot up the flare: The Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade is in danger of getting adiosed, unless...

Robert Wilonsky Photo by Nick RalloLast year, when DPD guesstimated close to 100,000 people lined the parade route​At the end of the week Joe shot up the flare: The Greenville Avenue St. Patrick's Day Parade is in danger of getting adiosed, unless the Greenville Avenue Area Business Association can raise $40,000 to cover the ever-escalating costs of the event. Since then a few fundraising sites have popped up to help raise the green, though as the bossman noted Monday, there's only one operating with GAABA's blessing (and it's raised about $800, a fraction of a fraction of what's needed).But since Friday, I've wondered -- and so have many, many Friends of Unfair Park -- about using CrowdTilt, which helped the Deep Ellum Community Association raise around $14,000 in 30 days for the community garden they want to plant at Canton and Good-Latimer. So I went over to the site, typed in "Greenville Avenue Parade," and up popped this: We Have to Save the St. Paddy's Day Parade! 0 tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575793 2012-02-08 16:18:37 2012-02-09 08:35:36

​We still have to read between the lines to glimpse the bottom line on the Komen Foundation's attack on Planned Parenthood, but the slowly emerging truth of the matter doesn't bode well. Karen Handel, the Komen executive who resigned yesterday,...

Jim Schutze ​We still have to read between the lines to glimpse the bottom line on the Komen Foundation's attack on Planned Parenthood, but the slowly emerging truth of the matter doesn't bode well. Karen Handel, the Komen executive who resigned yesterday, has a weird talent for letting the cat out of the bag every time she tries again to toss the cat in the river. Speaking to her home-state newspaper yesterday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate reiterated her story about going to work Komen only to fight cancer. But then in a statement the newspaper paraphrases rather than quotes directly, the paper reports that she also told their reporter her job at Komen was to "shepherd the organization to 'neutral ground' with respect to the abortion issue." Yeah. That's what we thought. 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/NancyBrinkerandObamaTopper.jpg Brinker Used to Like Pink. But It's Clear: She's Gone Red. tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575920 2012-02-08 15:34:48 2012-02-08 16:24:23

Click to enlarge these first looks at the new-look 508 Park Avenue. You'll find more, many more, below.​Amongst all the maybes, could-bes and one-days downtown, one development's as close as it gets to a Sure Thing: 508 Park Avenue, which...

Robert Wilonsky 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/508parkavetoppersq.jpg One Day You'll Be Able to Dance on 508 Park Ave.'s Rooftop Deck tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575829 2012-02-08 14:06:25 2012-02-08 15:41:56

Photo by Anna MerlanThe council -- well, most of it, anyway -- collects Fair Park's prize for being one of the best public spaces in America.​You may recall that back in October we told you Fair Park had been named...

Anna Merlan http://www.dallasobserver.com/ Photo by Anna MerlanThe council -- well, most of it, anyway -- collects Fair Park's prize for being one of the best public spaces in America.​You may recall that back in October we told you Fair Park had been named a Great Public Space by the American Planning Association. Well, during the council's lunch break today, just after he got emotional about the children, Mayor Mike Rawlings gathered with the city council, Parks Board chair Joan Walne and Ann Bagley of the City Plan Commission to collect that award and sing the park's praises. "Fair Park is an asset to our region and our state ever year," Rawlings said, from the Texas-OU game to the corn dogs at the State Fair to the Hall of State. "And it still functions after more than 70 years. Think about that." A few moments later, council member Carolyn Davis called for a standing ovation for Fair Park, and everyone in the room happily obliged. Rawlings pointed out too that it's been just 10 years since Fair Park was named as one of the 11 most endangered historical places in America. But, he said, there is "still a lot of work to be done, and a lot of tough decisions that we as a council are going to make and the community are going to make, to make sure the park becomes a vibrant place that people come to." "For too long," the mayor said, Fair Park and its surrounding neighborhood "have been separated." The city, he said, needs to find a way to unite them. "In the upcoming bond initiative and the elections," he said, city government has to ask itself, "how do we leverage Fair Park?" 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/hallofstatetoppersq.jpg Mayor: Council Must Ask, "How Do we Leverage Fair Park?" tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575837 2012-02-08 13:07:52 2012-02-08 14:10:15

"We will not be great city unless DISD becomes a great school district."​This was a good day -- such days do occur -- to study democracy in action at Dallas City Hall. The city council engaged in a smart debate...

Jim Schutze "We will not be great city unless DISD becomes a great school district."​This was a good day -- such days do occur -- to study democracy in action at Dallas City Hall. The city council engaged in a smart debate on a proposal to help a charter school organization sell bonds to build more charter schools. The mayor and council decided not to decide. If you listened to the whole thing, you had to agree with the final non-decision. This was all about a group called Uplift Education asking the city to give a certain kind of legal imprimatur to Uplift's upcoming attempt to borrow a bunch of money to build new schools. If the city ever agrees, Uplift will be able to borrow the money at a lower interest rate. According to the lawyers for Uplift and to city staff, the city will never be on the hook for anything even if Uplift gets in trouble making its payments. Seems like one, two, three, right? The city creates this legal agreement to "sponsor" Uplift's borrowing. That way Uplift saves $300,000 on its mortgage. Uplift spends the three hundred grand on kids and classrooms instead. No skin off the city's nose. The problem was that somebody tried to slide this whole thing under the council's nose. Whoever was running it, they stayed silent on the issue until the very last moment, beyond the time when the city council would be able to ask a lot of questions. Then they said they had a big deadline and everything had to be approved immediately. Then they slipped it into a part of the city council voting agenda that normally is reserved for small housekeeping items most council members don't even look at. So what did all of that accomplish? It made the whole operation smell like a Nigerian banking scam. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that Uplift also is involved right now in an effort to build a school in the middle of a bar and entertainment district in what skeptics in that neighborhood are suggesting may be a shady real estate scam. All of this comes right in the middle of an extremely contentious campaign by the Dallas school system that will shutter 11 schools in areas where the district says there aren't enough kids. 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/RawlingsatUpliftBriefingTopper.jpg Mayor Makes Passionate Plea on Behalf of "Poor Kids" tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575798 2012-02-08 12:04:50 2012-02-08 12:04:52

​Jim will be along shortly with his take on the passionate discussion surrounding Uplift Education's efforts to get the city to assist with the selling of bonds to help with the charter school's expansion. I'll just note this: During his...

Robert Wilonsky ​Jim will be along shortly with his take on the passionate discussion surrounding Uplift Education's efforts to get the city to assist with the selling of bonds to help with the charter school's expansion. I'll just note this: During his closing remarks on the subject, just before council voted to delay the issue till a full briefing can be brought to the horseshoe next week, Mayor Mike Rawlings came this close to cry-shouting about the subject of the Dallas Independent School District and how it's time to help "the poor kids" in the city. Said the mayor: He's going to take on the DISD "in a personal way" beginning next week.I asked the mayor's chief of staff, Paula Blackmon, what he meant by this. She would only say that the mayor will address the subject Monday, at Jack Matthews's South Side Studios on 2901 S. Lamar, when he unveils his so-called Southern Dallas Economic Growth Plan. That will take place beginning at 4 p.m.; says the invite, the event should last till 6 and includes some sort of a reception with the mayor.But Monday's presentation is merely the first of three Rawlings will give; the others follow at the same spot, at the same time, on February 23 and March 1. Blackmon says the presentations will be the same on each day. If you're interested in hearing Rawling speak in person, you're invited: Just send an RSVP to this email address. And be sure to let them know which presentation you plan on attending. 0 tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575727 2012-02-08 11:16:46 2012-02-08 12:09:28

​A Friend of Unfair Park who knows of my affection for local relics, myself included, sends word: The Texas Rangers are selling off the outfield bleachers pulled out of the Ballpark in Arlington to make way for those $11.5-million renovations...

Robert Wilonsky ​A Friend of Unfair Park who knows of my affection for local relics, myself included, sends word: The Texas Rangers are selling off the outfield bleachers pulled out of the Ballpark in Arlington to make way for those $11.5-million renovations set to debut in a matter of weeks. And, turns out, those bleachers actually date back to Arlington Stadium. Karen Morris, executive director of the Texas Rangers Foundation, tells Unfair Park "you can even see the paint from the old ballpark underneath" some of the sections.Morris says there are about 150 finished-out sections of bleachers being made available; they've been "cut down and finished with caps put on the end, then mounted so they can be placed in a room -- because they'd look nice in a man cave." Those sections are going for $540 each, with all proceeds going to the foundation. And, Morris says, there are longer, unfinished sections going for less: A 10-foot piece of bleacher sells for $300, while a 24-foot-long section is available for $500. Morris says you can call the Rangers' offices at 817-273-5030 if you're interested.Morris tells Unfair Park the team had originally considered melting down the whole lot, but after seeing how well the Dallas Cowboys did when selling off every last scrap of Texas Stadium before its implosion, they figured they'd give this a go. And so far, she says, "we've sold some," but there are plenty of pieces left. But time is of the essence: The bleachers are being stored in a ballpark tunnel entrance: "We have by the end of the month to get the bleachers out of storage," she says. "And when the players get back, they need a place to park." The sale ends Friday. 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/ArlingtonStadiumTopperSq.jpg For Sale, Some of Arlington Stadium's Last Remnants tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575716 2012-02-08 10:20:49 2012-02-08 11:21:38

The former Baylor offices at 2625 Elm in Deep Ellum where Uplift Education expects to open a new campus in August​At this very moment the city council members are discussing whether they'd like to get into the bond business to...

Anna Merlan http://www.dallasobserver.com/ The former Baylor offices at 2625 Elm in Deep Ellum where Uplift Education expects to open a new campus in August​At this very moment the city council members are discussing whether they'd like to get into the bond business to help Uplift Education with its plan to sell tax-exempt bonds to help open a new charter school in the former Baylor offices Deep Ellum. (Sounds, so far, like the item will be deferred, though, as Angela Hunt just said, "it sounds like we're being asked to take sides" -- charters or DISD.) Last week, business owners from the area met at the Deep Ellum Foundation's HQ to fret about what the project will mean for their bars and restaurants, specifically a rule that prohibits new alcohol-having businesses from opening up within 300 feet of the school. (Privately, some of them have started calling Uplift's new venture "Nightlife High.") But last night, Sean Fitzgerald, president of the Deep Ellum Community Association , dropped by the weekly meeting of the Deep Ellum Enrichment Project (D.E.E.P) to cautiously deliver some good news. He "can't say a whole lot yet," but after a meeting with Uplift higher-ups, it's possible that they will agree to lobby the city to grant a variance on the 300-foot rule, making it possible for new bars and restaurants to freely open up around the school. "In general, the tone of that meeting was very positive," Fitzgerald told the crowd, consisting of several dozen who'd crammed into La Bella Cupcakes on Elm Street. "We want to be in control of the nature of this neighborhood." Small business and bars, he said, "are our life-blood. ... We're still in negotiations, but we can probably work out a way that this is a win-win." 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/UpliftLocationinDeepEllumTopper.jpg Uplift, Deep Ellum Trying to Work Out Solution For School tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575713 2012-02-08 09:45:30 2012-02-08 12:15:40

Daniel Cates​The leadership of the Thomas Jefferson High School student council (sniff), guests of Ann Margolin at this morning's meeting of the Dallas City Council, got quite the treat this morning: a parade of public speakers once again thoughtfully, kindly...

Robert Wilonsky Daniel Cates​The leadership of the Thomas Jefferson High School student council (sniff), guests of Ann Margolin at this morning's meeting of the Dallas City Council, got quite the treat this morning: a parade of public speakers once again thoughtfully, kindly but also forcefully berating Mayor Mike Rawlings for not signing that same-sex marriage pledge to which dozens of other big-city mayors attached their names.Rawlings has offered myriad reasons for why he didn't sign the pledge; he's met with gay-rights activists, explaining why he didn't sign the pledge. And yet they remain unmoved.Rawlings knew they were coming; Cece Cox, executive director and CEO of Resource Center Dallas, said she was "not here as a surprise." And so, once more, she asked Rawlings to sign the pledge and asked the council "to support him." Said Cox, who is raising a 13-year-old son with her partner, Barbara Houser, Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of Texas: "This is a matter of standing for justice pure and simple. ...This is about equality, civil rights and justice for the sixth-largest LGBT community in the U.S." Cox, who said Texas "is a mean state for an out lesbian," asked the council to "take the courageous position and ask your mayor to do the same." 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/DanielCatesatCouncilTopper.jpg LGBT Leaders Not Done Asking Mayor to Sign That Pledge tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575682 2012-02-08 08:25:07 2012-02-08 10:31:43

​One month ago Dallas Area Rapid Transit released its 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey, with nine out of 10 riders insisting they would recommend DART to others. But Pages 19 and 20 of the 23-page report are filled with concerns over...

Robert Wilonsky ​One month ago Dallas Area Rapid Transit released its 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey, with nine out of 10 riders insisting they would recommend DART to others. But Pages 19 and 20 of the 23-page report are filled with concerns over security aboard DART buses and trains: Only 78 percent of those surveyed said they felt safe at stops and stations, a five-year low for the transit agency; and only 70 percent said they see DART cops riding the rails, a new low. "This may have a direct correlation to customers' decline in feeling safe on DART trains," said the survey.DART said it had several fixes in mind: "modifying deployment plans to increase police presence," installing closed-circuit cams at stations by the middle of the year, strengthening the ties between DART police and local and federal law enforcement agencies. "One particular effort with Dallas Police," said the release accompanying the survey, "is aimed at reducing crime involving juveniles." This, after 19-year-old Octavius Lanier was killed by kids, between the ages of 12 and 14, at the MLK Station in November; and 20-year-old Dominique Wilson was shot and killed in January at the Pearl Station.A little farther north, of course, was the scene of yesterday's incident that began when a man, thought to be around 25, boarded a bus at the Arapaho Center Station and had a run-in with a driver. Cops were called; shots, ultimately, fired. And in the end, two are dead: the gunman and a passenger waiting on a platform, caught, perhaps, in the crossfire. A DART officer was also wounded.And once again DART will be asked: Are you doing enough to make the trains and buses safe?"This, in my opinion, has gone too far," council member Dwaine Caraway tells Unfair Park this morning. Till now, he says, he's been fine with letting the council's appointed members to the DART board deal with issues of security; now, he says, it's time for the council to ask questions of DART President Gary Thomas and Chief J.D. Spiller, among others. "I will turn up the heat and my voice: They have to do something. They must. Today. They need to have a new plan and implement it. An emergency plan. They need to keep the people safe. If it's a fact of money, stop building and keep the people safe. They're gonna build and build, but who's gonna ride if it's not safe?" 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/Dwaine%20Caraway%20at%20Council%20Jan%2025%20Topper.jpg Something About Safety. "Now."]]> tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575496 2012-02-07 17:43:20 2012-02-08 08:29:11

​Earlier today Rudy posted an explainer to the City Hall blog about those so-called "conduit bonds" Uplift Education hopes to sell with City Hall's backing. But long story short, per a Los Angeles Times piece last year, they "allow private...

Robert Wilonsky ​Earlier today Rudy posted an explainer to the City Hall blog about those so-called "conduit bonds" Uplift Education hopes to sell with City Hall's backing. But long story short, per a Los Angeles Times piece last year, they "allow private entities to tap into low-cost municipal bond financing for projects that boost economic development" -- in this case, Uplift's planned expansion into Deep Ellum and Fort Worth. The council's been promised that the creation of this so-called Education Finance Corporation wouldn't be the obligation of the city, per tomorrow's agenda, and that "the issuance of the bonds does not impact the credit rating of the Sponsoring Entity," which would be the city in this case. But as The Times piece points out, "Although conduits account for roughly 20% of all municipal bonds, they have been responsible for about 70% of all defaults in the municipal bond market in recent years."That's just one reason Alliance AFT, which reps local teachers, has Big Problems with the city's involvement in Uplift's expansion efforts. But there are myriad others, of course, all of which are outlined in a letter we received this afternoon; it's below, but of course. And now there are some at 3700 Ross wondering why the city didn't reach out to the Dallas Independent School District before it rushed through this item, which only debuted as a consent addendum item Friday -- a mere five days before council's scheduled to vote on the creation of the corporation. DISD higher-ups don't have anything against charters -- in fact, some of Uplight's board members are part of the district's Commit! initiative -- but a few do privately wonder if Mayor Mike, who ran on a platform to save DISD, isn't giving a helping hand to a competitor.I've just been told the item's been pulled from the consent agenda -- no surprise, given several council members' what-the-hunh? responses at yesterday's Economic Development Committee meeting. The council was also just sent a memo containing four pages' worth of A's to the Q's asked yesterday, including the big one: "What happens when a conduit corporation ... defaults?" Well, as The Times explains, the investors lose; the feds too, since they're not getting the tax revenue from the sale of these particular bonds. The memo to council also. Fourteen speakers are lined up to address the council about this tomorrow. Popcorn's popping. 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/uplifteducationtopper.jpg Questions and Concerns Before City, Charter Get in Bond Biz tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575537 2012-02-07 16:07:05 2012-02-07 18:00:21

​We started this morning by noting Brett Shipp's piece from last night suggesting the Texas Education Agency is threatening to withhold Dallas ISD from close to $80 million in federal funds birthed by No Child Left Behind. The reason, says...

Robert Wilonsky ​We started this morning by noting Brett Shipp's piece from last night suggesting the Texas Education Agency is threatening to withhold Dallas ISD from close to $80 million in federal funds birthed by No Child Left Behind. The reason, says Commissioner of Education Robert Scott: Only 40 students out of an eligible 29,349 have gotten their after-school tutoring paid for. Which, on the surface, sounds just horrible.But DISD says today that's far from the whole story. Like, very far. Like, not even half the whole story. More like a couple of chapters from a really long story.As proof we were sent the January 27 letter interim DISD superintendent Alan King sent to Scott in response to his January 13 warning letter on which Shipp based his account last night. In the letter, which follows, King writes that the reason DISD hasn't spent the money is because while performing its annual audit the district discovered "potential irregularities involving invoices received from several vendors" -- all of whom, incidentally, are tutoring services approved by TEA. Writes King, who later outs the issue as one involving double-billing, "the district took immediate action by reorganizing the department in charge of oversight for the program and hired a forensic team to conduct further investigations into the program."King writes that district staff and TEA employees chatted about this in October, and that the result was an "action plan" that would resolve the hold-up. In the meantime, DISD continued trying to find out where the irregularities had come from -- inside 3700 Ross or with the contractors TEA had signed off on. Says the letter:The initial concerns were that district employees were being paid by both the district and vendors for the same work or tutors were being paid by multiple vendors for the same time period. The District's Office of Professional Responsibility conducted a sampling of interviews with several district employees and found no indication of employee misconduct. The District, therefore, concluded that the apparent fraudulent activity was conducted by the vendors and the forensic audit team focused their procedures on these vendors.Now here's where it gets really interesting ... 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/nochildleftbehindtopper.jpg DISD: It's Not Sitting on Feds' Money, Just Trying to Save It tag:blogs.dallasobserver.com,2012:/unfairpark//9.575482 2012-02-07 15:13:59 2012-02-07 16:12:54

Photo by Anna Merlan​It probably hasn't escaped the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation's notice that an awful lot of people are very, very unhappy with the organization lately. Just to drive the point home a little further, reps...

Anna Merlan http://www.dallasobserver.com/ Photo by Anna Merlan​It probably hasn't escaped the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation's notice that an awful lot of people are very, very unhappy with the organization lately. Just to drive the point home a little further, reps from MoveOn.org, CREDO Action and UltraViolet announced they'd be hand-delivering a MoveOn petition to the Komen HQ today around noon. Yes, Komen has announced they will "continue to fund existing grants" and "preserve eligibility for future grants," including Planned Parenthood's. And yes, Karen Handel, Komen's vocally anti-Planned Parenthood senior VP for public policy, just announced that she's out. But a tiny, vocal group of protesters -- mainly composed of ladies in the 55-and-up age group -- still gathered outside Komen's LBJ office, many of them holding purple signs that read "Shame on Komen" and "Planned Parenthood Saves Lives." They were outnumbered by police, building security officers and press, who lined up on the grassy median across the street from the building. "We're thrilled Handel has stepped aside," Dawn Mefert, a MoveOn volunteer told us. But Komen still has a lot of work to do "to repair their brand's standing within the female community," she said. "If you look online, a lot of women are saying they won't give another dime to Komen." And MoveOn wants a commitment that the organization will continue to fund Planned Parenthood not just this year, but into the future. "They haven't committed beyond 2012," Mefert said. "They're saying Planned Parenthood can reapply, but they haven't committed to funding that application." Many of the women present said they had given money to Komen and participated in walks, runs and marches for years, but that the past several weeks had left them uncertain that they'd continue to do so. "I'm conflicted about it," said Cynthia Beard. "This has really raised a lot of issues." 1 http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/KomenProtest2topper.jpg How Much Media Does It Take to Cover a Komen Protest?