Crowd says farewell to fair
Dallas: Residents break out blankets, coats on final day
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A stiff north wind ushered in a blustery final day of the State Fair of Texas on Sunday as fall weather descended in convincing fashion.
Hardy fairgoers bundled up in jackets, sweaters and scarves to ward off temperatures that peaked in the morning in the lower 60s, then dropped sharply into the 40s by late afternoon.
Most of the state fair's three-week run had felt like never-ending summer, which was good news for fair officials. It brought out record numbers of visitors.
"We've seen some very impressive numbers," said fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding. "Our first day was the largest opening day we've had."
Even on Sunday, the coldest day of the fair, crowds were steady.
But everyone from exhibitors to fairgoers had to make adjustments for winds gusting as high as 40 mph, which bedeviled performers and blew spray from fountains onto shrieking passers-by.
Pink and purple feathers from the headdresses of a group of San Antonio samba dancers went skittering across the lawn as the dancers shivered in their short costumes.
"The weather's been great so far, but the wind is a real problem for us today," said Steve Ogden, chairman of the Texas Cultural Partnership, which organized 50 groups of multicultural dancers that performed 151 shows at the fair.
Organizers of the popular Fisher-Price outdoor exhibit of children's toys tried to erect intricate play villages, but the wind had none of it.
"It was all blowing down as soon as we got it started," said exhibit worker Serenthia Lucas. "We couldn't have it flying around and hitting kids."
The Chinese acrobats couldn't keep a giant red carpet anchored for their show. It kept flapping up, prompting the crowd to volunteer to hold it down.
Fair officials said the wind caused no major problems, though it did blow down some small signs.
Most fairgoers came prepared, bundling up children in strollers with blankets and pulling out coats.
The fall temperatures that arrived over the weekend will stick around, said WFAA-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Steve McCauley. He said Monday's high temperature is expected in the 60s with a gradual warming to the low 70s later in the week. Lows will be in the mid- to upper-40s
"No more down one day, up in the 90s the next," he said. "This is the way it will stay for a while – more like fall."
Throughout this year's fair, crowds sought out refreshment to suit the weather.
While lemonade and water sales spiked during the record heat, hot chocolate and coffee were the orders of the day Sunday. Piping hot foods such as fried s'mores, chili and red beans with rice warmed visitors' hands.
Stands that had been selling Slurpees and other chilled deserts were abandoned.
"Everything I got is cold, and no one wants it," John Leonard lamented of his stash of strawberry, key lime and lemon chill treats. "I don't think we'll sell too many of these today."
Rides such as the log flume, which had provided a refreshing splash during most of the fair, stood vacant Sunday.
Even the popular Texas Star had a shorter line than usual. Somehow, the Ferris wheel's baskets swaying 200 feet in the air weren't as enticing on the fair's last day. Those who did brave the ride emerged with red noses and hands shoved into pockets.
"I came on opening day, and it was much better that day," said Kelly Bergthold, who cradled her 10-month-old son as she disembarked from the Texas Star. "It felt really windy up there. He couldn't wait to get off."
News from the Lone Star State
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TexasStooge
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Car towings well-received
Irving: Police uncertain if numbers of uninsured down; other cities join in
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – Police like it. The public does, too. And cities are jumping on the bandwagon.
It's hard to find many complaints about a new policy catching on in North Texas: hauling uninsured vehicles to the impound lot.
But as the policy's popularity spreads, police departments are struggling to figure out whether it's an effective way of getting uninsured vehicles and their drivers off the street.
For now, at least, it's worth a shot, police say, because it's a way to combat the issue of uninsured motorists.
The problem seems overwhelming: About one in five Texas drivers doesn't have car insurance, the state Department of Public Safety estimates.
Irving is among the first North Texas cities to launch a towing policy. Others, such as Arlington, are following suit. DeSoto, Haltom City and Mesquite have enacted their own programs, and other cities are studying the idea.
Irving police are pleased with their policy so far. Since June, police have been towing uninsured cars that were in accidents or were pulled over for traffic stops.
Police aren't releasing impounded cars until motorists show proof of insurance.
Cars are being taken off the streets. But there's no way to tow every car, police say. In 2004, Irving police issued about 20,000 no-insurance citations. This year, between June 1 and the end of September, 623 uninsured vehicles were towed, police say.
Police Chief Larry Boyd says it's too early to issue a verdict, although his department has had few problems with the policy. He says he'll need to see a year's worth of data to determine whether it's effective.
"I want to respond to data I have confidence in," he said last week. "At this point it's easy to come to the wrong conclusion."
Nationwide problem
Nationwide, uninsured vehicles are a "huge problem" for police departments, says John Firman, director of research for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, based in Alexandria, Va.
Mr. Firman doesn't track the number of law enforcement agencies that implement towing programs, but he says aggressive policies are most likely to get motorists' attention.
"This is a crime where you're talking about safety, you're talking about liability, you're talking about injury, you're talking about not getting any type of recourse when there's an accident," Mr. Firman said. "It's a serious issue and needs to be dealt with seriously."
DeSoto, believed to be the first Dallas-area city to haul away uninsured vehicles, launched its towing policy in December 2003. Chief Mike Brodnax says residents praise the program and police have received few complaints from motorists whose cars have been towed.
While the program is popular, and while his department has fielded calls from other cities looking for more information about towing vehicles, the chief doesn't know if his city's program is effective.
"We're getting the cars we're catching back on insurance," he said. "Are we putting a dent in it? I don't know."
He says that if all Texas cities enacted similar towing programs, police departments might get more uninsured drivers off the street.
After hearing about efforts in DeSoto and other cities, Arlington is joining suit. The Police Department is scheduled to start its towing policy Dec. 1. Like Irving, the city won't be towing all uninsured vehicles. Last year, Arlington issued about 38,000 no-insurance citations, said Lt. Blake Miller, police spokesman.
The policy is a response to feedback from the public and City Council, he said.
"We're trying to, as all cities are, combat the number of uninsured motorists in the public," Lt. Miller said. The new policy "is another tool that's being provided by the council for us to be able to do that."
In Haltom City, more than 200 cars have been towed since the Police Department launched its policy June 1. Police "make every effort" to verify that someone doesn't have insurance before a vehicle is towed, said Cpl. Shawn Holt, police spokesman.
The department spread the word about the program to residents a couple of months before it was put into effect, he said.
"It wasn't something we tried to blindside people with," he said.
In DeSoto, Chief Brodnax says his city's policy isn't about punishing poor people.
"We've impounded plenty of high-end cars," he said.
Back in Irving, Chief Boyd says he hasn't received complaints that the program targets minorities or the poor.
"The policy is not geared toward any particular group," he said.
A review of towing data from June through mid-September shows that about 50 percent of motorists whose vehicles were towed appeared to have Hispanic surnames. Irving police didn't provide driver ethnicity data.
Many of the cars appeared to have been towed from sites in south Irving, as well as along highways or major roadways, where police say many traffic stops typically occur.
Chief Boyd said he can't put confidence in short-term data.
Concerns dying down
In Irving, concerns from minority groups about the policy seem to have died down, said Manny Benavides, president of the Irving chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Some groups were concerned earlier this year that Dallas County constable deputies were targeting uninsured Hispanic motorists. Constable R.L. Skinner has said that his deputies haven't been targeting Hispanics.
People have "quieted down" about the issue, Mr. Benavides said last week.
"It's not making too much – or any – commotion in the community," he said.
Mayor Herbert Gears says he received only a few complaints when the policy was launched.
"It seems like it's working well," he said. "I know it's a popular policy among citizens."
Chief Boyd said police were at first concerned about implementing the policy because they thought it could bog down officers and prevent them from doing other work. But so far, he said, that hasn't been an issue. He said implementation of the policy has gone smoothly.
But the jury's still out about at least one thing: whether the policy is causing offenders to buy car insurance. Offenders must show proof of insurance before they can retrieve their vehicles from the auto pound.
Most of the towed cars are being picked up, said Officer David Tull, Irving police spokesman. During the first month of the policy, automobiles were impounded on average for three days. At the end of September, 86 vehicles remained in the pound, although some may have been sitting around for just a few days, Officer Tull said.
Some of the vehicles being left behind are junkers, he said. For motorists, those cars apparently aren't worth the cost of getting them out of the pound – or taking out an insurance policy.
Irving: Police uncertain if numbers of uninsured down; other cities join in
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas – Police like it. The public does, too. And cities are jumping on the bandwagon.
It's hard to find many complaints about a new policy catching on in North Texas: hauling uninsured vehicles to the impound lot.
But as the policy's popularity spreads, police departments are struggling to figure out whether it's an effective way of getting uninsured vehicles and their drivers off the street.
For now, at least, it's worth a shot, police say, because it's a way to combat the issue of uninsured motorists.
The problem seems overwhelming: About one in five Texas drivers doesn't have car insurance, the state Department of Public Safety estimates.
Irving is among the first North Texas cities to launch a towing policy. Others, such as Arlington, are following suit. DeSoto, Haltom City and Mesquite have enacted their own programs, and other cities are studying the idea.
Irving police are pleased with their policy so far. Since June, police have been towing uninsured cars that were in accidents or were pulled over for traffic stops.
Police aren't releasing impounded cars until motorists show proof of insurance.
Cars are being taken off the streets. But there's no way to tow every car, police say. In 2004, Irving police issued about 20,000 no-insurance citations. This year, between June 1 and the end of September, 623 uninsured vehicles were towed, police say.
Police Chief Larry Boyd says it's too early to issue a verdict, although his department has had few problems with the policy. He says he'll need to see a year's worth of data to determine whether it's effective.
"I want to respond to data I have confidence in," he said last week. "At this point it's easy to come to the wrong conclusion."
Nationwide problem
Nationwide, uninsured vehicles are a "huge problem" for police departments, says John Firman, director of research for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, based in Alexandria, Va.
Mr. Firman doesn't track the number of law enforcement agencies that implement towing programs, but he says aggressive policies are most likely to get motorists' attention.
"This is a crime where you're talking about safety, you're talking about liability, you're talking about injury, you're talking about not getting any type of recourse when there's an accident," Mr. Firman said. "It's a serious issue and needs to be dealt with seriously."
DeSoto, believed to be the first Dallas-area city to haul away uninsured vehicles, launched its towing policy in December 2003. Chief Mike Brodnax says residents praise the program and police have received few complaints from motorists whose cars have been towed.
While the program is popular, and while his department has fielded calls from other cities looking for more information about towing vehicles, the chief doesn't know if his city's program is effective.
"We're getting the cars we're catching back on insurance," he said. "Are we putting a dent in it? I don't know."
He says that if all Texas cities enacted similar towing programs, police departments might get more uninsured drivers off the street.
After hearing about efforts in DeSoto and other cities, Arlington is joining suit. The Police Department is scheduled to start its towing policy Dec. 1. Like Irving, the city won't be towing all uninsured vehicles. Last year, Arlington issued about 38,000 no-insurance citations, said Lt. Blake Miller, police spokesman.
The policy is a response to feedback from the public and City Council, he said.
"We're trying to, as all cities are, combat the number of uninsured motorists in the public," Lt. Miller said. The new policy "is another tool that's being provided by the council for us to be able to do that."
In Haltom City, more than 200 cars have been towed since the Police Department launched its policy June 1. Police "make every effort" to verify that someone doesn't have insurance before a vehicle is towed, said Cpl. Shawn Holt, police spokesman.
The department spread the word about the program to residents a couple of months before it was put into effect, he said.
"It wasn't something we tried to blindside people with," he said.
In DeSoto, Chief Brodnax says his city's policy isn't about punishing poor people.
"We've impounded plenty of high-end cars," he said.
Back in Irving, Chief Boyd says he hasn't received complaints that the program targets minorities or the poor.
"The policy is not geared toward any particular group," he said.
A review of towing data from June through mid-September shows that about 50 percent of motorists whose vehicles were towed appeared to have Hispanic surnames. Irving police didn't provide driver ethnicity data.
Many of the cars appeared to have been towed from sites in south Irving, as well as along highways or major roadways, where police say many traffic stops typically occur.
Chief Boyd said he can't put confidence in short-term data.
Concerns dying down
In Irving, concerns from minority groups about the policy seem to have died down, said Manny Benavides, president of the Irving chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
Some groups were concerned earlier this year that Dallas County constable deputies were targeting uninsured Hispanic motorists. Constable R.L. Skinner has said that his deputies haven't been targeting Hispanics.
People have "quieted down" about the issue, Mr. Benavides said last week.
"It's not making too much – or any – commotion in the community," he said.
Mayor Herbert Gears says he received only a few complaints when the policy was launched.
"It seems like it's working well," he said. "I know it's a popular policy among citizens."
Chief Boyd said police were at first concerned about implementing the policy because they thought it could bog down officers and prevent them from doing other work. But so far, he said, that hasn't been an issue. He said implementation of the policy has gone smoothly.
But the jury's still out about at least one thing: whether the policy is causing offenders to buy car insurance. Offenders must show proof of insurance before they can retrieve their vehicles from the auto pound.
Most of the towed cars are being picked up, said Officer David Tull, Irving police spokesman. During the first month of the policy, automobiles were impounded on average for three days. At the end of September, 86 vehicles remained in the pound, although some may have been sitting around for just a few days, Officer Tull said.
Some of the vehicles being left behind are junkers, he said. For motorists, those cars apparently aren't worth the cost of getting them out of the pound – or taking out an insurance policy.
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TexasStooge
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- Contact:
Scientologists on the move
Church leaving quirky Dallas mansion for office complex
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
When the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre moved to Far East Dallas, the neighbors were nervous.
Visions of traffic clogging the tree-lined streets and rumors about religious rituals had some homeowners on edge.
Now, after spending five years in a salmon-colored mansion at Buckner Boulevard and Dixie Lane, the Scientologists are moving to the suburbs.
And many of their neighbors are sorry to see them go.
"They've been very friendly," said Jim Depetris, who lives next door to the Celebrity Centre. "We were worried going in, but they've been very nice."
Buoyed by growing interest in Scientology, the Dallas church is expanding, moving from a quirky, 10,000-square-foot estate near White Rock Lake to a 42,000-square-foot office building in Las Colinas.
"We just outgrew the space. We have lots of new things happening ... and we're getting new members," said the Rev. Theresa Dolaway, the Celebrity Centre's executive director. "We have to get bigger quarters to accommodate that."
The church's new home will be a central organization for a multistate region, providing additional services and helping a larger population.
While Scientology officials are eager to expand, they said they would be sad to leave their eccentric pink manse.
Built in the 1940s, the house called Grandwick has been home to a bed-and-breakfast and a wedding chapel over the years.
When the church bought the property in 2000, the ornate abode was outfitted for entertaining, Ms. Dolaway said. "The ballroom featured a large Jacuzzi and was adorned with mirror-covered poles.
"It was pretty gaudy," she said. "We toned it down a little bit."
The hot tub and the disco lights are gone now, and church members study silently in the remodeled room.
Throughout the Celebrity Centre, glimpses of the house's past meld with the modern elements of Scientology.
Sparkling chandeliers and elaborately patterned carpets decorate offices brimming with Scientology books and study materials.
Personality and IQ tests are administered in the former kitchen, and stress tests are given in a refurbished bedroom downstairs. Scientologists can study and seek spiritual growth at the Celebrity Centre.
Despite the name, neighbors report few, if any, celebrity sightings during the last five years.
"Once in a while, we see a limo and a tent, but that's about it," Mr. Depetris said.
The church treats everyone equally, Ms. Dolaway said, and members' privacy is protected when they visit.
Although church officials won't discuss celebrity members' comings and goings, they do acknowledge that high-profile Scientologists have spurred growth.
When Tom Cruise jumped for joy on Oprah Winfrey's couch in May, the phone wouldn't stop ringing at Dallas' Celebrity Centre.
"It really started going nuts about then," Ms. Dolaway said. "We had requests for 800 personality tests in one week."
'Genuinely nice'
She estimates that more than 3,000 people have taken Scientology courses at the Celebrity Centre.
Star Scientologists such as Mr. Cruise and John Travolta are good role models and "genuinely nice people," Ms. Dolaway said. The example they set compels many to learn more about their religion, she said.
Ms. Dolaway dismisses any suggestion that Mr. Cruise's televised rants against psychiatry and anti-depressants have been anything less than positive.
The publicity has "all been good," she said.
Those who criticize Scientology either misunderstand its teachings or "they have something to hide," Ms. Dolaway said.
The church, founded by the late science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has endured a steady stream of criticism, some suggesting that Scientology is a money-making cult.
"People think we're about converting people," Ms. Dolaway said. "We're more about making a better civilization."
She said the church's focus is on providing people with tools that will allow them to be better spiritual individuals.
Even some of the Celebrity Centre's neighbors in this quiet neighborhood with sprawling brick houses said they weren't sure what to believe before the Scientologists moved in. Rumors about rattlesnakes appearing in homeowners' mailboxes circulated on Dixie Lane.
"But none of that's true, of course," Mr. Depetris said.
In general, the center has been an ideal neighbor – pleasant and unobtrusive, said Wendy Popadynetz, who lives across the street.
When she moved to the neighborhood a year ago, Ms. Popadynetz braced herself for church bells and traffic jams, but she was greeted with silence and a manageable flow of cars.
"I still don't know what they do over there," she said. "But I'm sorry to hear that they're leaving because they're very quiet and peaceful."
Rooms with a view
Church officials are preparing to move into a $2.6 million Las Colinas office overlooking a golf course. In February, they'll trade their one-of-a-kind estate for a beige building that blends in with the banks and medical offices down the street. Although the exterior is unremarkable, extensive renovations are planned to ensure that the church's new home is a comfortable fit.
On Dixie Lane, neighbors view the "For Sale" sign in front of the Celebrity Centre with a bit of apprehension.
Mr. Depetris, a real estate lawyer, said he hopes the Grandwick estate will return to being a single-family home, but there's no telling what the unusual mansion might be used for next.
For five years, though, the Church of Scientology was a good neighbor, he said.
"We kind of hate to see them go."
Church leaving quirky Dallas mansion for office complex
By COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON / The Dallas Morning News
When the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre moved to Far East Dallas, the neighbors were nervous.
Visions of traffic clogging the tree-lined streets and rumors about religious rituals had some homeowners on edge.
Now, after spending five years in a salmon-colored mansion at Buckner Boulevard and Dixie Lane, the Scientologists are moving to the suburbs.
And many of their neighbors are sorry to see them go.
"They've been very friendly," said Jim Depetris, who lives next door to the Celebrity Centre. "We were worried going in, but they've been very nice."
Buoyed by growing interest in Scientology, the Dallas church is expanding, moving from a quirky, 10,000-square-foot estate near White Rock Lake to a 42,000-square-foot office building in Las Colinas.
"We just outgrew the space. We have lots of new things happening ... and we're getting new members," said the Rev. Theresa Dolaway, the Celebrity Centre's executive director. "We have to get bigger quarters to accommodate that."
The church's new home will be a central organization for a multistate region, providing additional services and helping a larger population.
While Scientology officials are eager to expand, they said they would be sad to leave their eccentric pink manse.
Built in the 1940s, the house called Grandwick has been home to a bed-and-breakfast and a wedding chapel over the years.
When the church bought the property in 2000, the ornate abode was outfitted for entertaining, Ms. Dolaway said. "The ballroom featured a large Jacuzzi and was adorned with mirror-covered poles.
"It was pretty gaudy," she said. "We toned it down a little bit."
The hot tub and the disco lights are gone now, and church members study silently in the remodeled room.
Throughout the Celebrity Centre, glimpses of the house's past meld with the modern elements of Scientology.
Sparkling chandeliers and elaborately patterned carpets decorate offices brimming with Scientology books and study materials.
Personality and IQ tests are administered in the former kitchen, and stress tests are given in a refurbished bedroom downstairs. Scientologists can study and seek spiritual growth at the Celebrity Centre.
Despite the name, neighbors report few, if any, celebrity sightings during the last five years.
"Once in a while, we see a limo and a tent, but that's about it," Mr. Depetris said.
The church treats everyone equally, Ms. Dolaway said, and members' privacy is protected when they visit.
Although church officials won't discuss celebrity members' comings and goings, they do acknowledge that high-profile Scientologists have spurred growth.
When Tom Cruise jumped for joy on Oprah Winfrey's couch in May, the phone wouldn't stop ringing at Dallas' Celebrity Centre.
"It really started going nuts about then," Ms. Dolaway said. "We had requests for 800 personality tests in one week."
'Genuinely nice'
She estimates that more than 3,000 people have taken Scientology courses at the Celebrity Centre.
Star Scientologists such as Mr. Cruise and John Travolta are good role models and "genuinely nice people," Ms. Dolaway said. The example they set compels many to learn more about their religion, she said.
Ms. Dolaway dismisses any suggestion that Mr. Cruise's televised rants against psychiatry and anti-depressants have been anything less than positive.
The publicity has "all been good," she said.
Those who criticize Scientology either misunderstand its teachings or "they have something to hide," Ms. Dolaway said.
The church, founded by the late science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has endured a steady stream of criticism, some suggesting that Scientology is a money-making cult.
"People think we're about converting people," Ms. Dolaway said. "We're more about making a better civilization."
She said the church's focus is on providing people with tools that will allow them to be better spiritual individuals.
Even some of the Celebrity Centre's neighbors in this quiet neighborhood with sprawling brick houses said they weren't sure what to believe before the Scientologists moved in. Rumors about rattlesnakes appearing in homeowners' mailboxes circulated on Dixie Lane.
"But none of that's true, of course," Mr. Depetris said.
In general, the center has been an ideal neighbor – pleasant and unobtrusive, said Wendy Popadynetz, who lives across the street.
When she moved to the neighborhood a year ago, Ms. Popadynetz braced herself for church bells and traffic jams, but she was greeted with silence and a manageable flow of cars.
"I still don't know what they do over there," she said. "But I'm sorry to hear that they're leaving because they're very quiet and peaceful."
Rooms with a view
Church officials are preparing to move into a $2.6 million Las Colinas office overlooking a golf course. In February, they'll trade their one-of-a-kind estate for a beige building that blends in with the banks and medical offices down the street. Although the exterior is unremarkable, extensive renovations are planned to ensure that the church's new home is a comfortable fit.
On Dixie Lane, neighbors view the "For Sale" sign in front of the Celebrity Centre with a bit of apprehension.
Mr. Depetris, a real estate lawyer, said he hopes the Grandwick estate will return to being a single-family home, but there's no telling what the unusual mansion might be used for next.
For five years, though, the Church of Scientology was a good neighbor, he said.
"We kind of hate to see them go."
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TexasStooge
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Voters set to decide on charter proposals
Irving: Visitors bureau among entities addressed in measures
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Compared with recent elections in Irving, from last spring's high-profile mayoral race to last year's heated alcohol-sales contest, next month's charter election is low on buzz factor.
But voters will head to the polls starting Monday as early voting begins on nine proposed amendments to the city charter. Early voting runs through Nov. 4.
The charter – the city's constitution – specifies things such as the organization of city government.
Four of the amendments enhance the powers of four city boards, including the boards of the convention and visitors bureau and arts center. Residents also will vote on letting only the City Council appoint the city secretary. In addition, voters will decide whether to make it easier for city employees to get retirement benefits.
Some of the amendments, which officials describe as housekeeping items, clarify charter language or bring the charter into compliance with the state constitution.
The city board amendments come after officials discovered that the charter forbids boards from operating independently – a rule that has been overlooked for years.
The convention and arts boards have been in charge of executive director staffing, officials say, while the charter as currently written gives the city manager the authority to hire, fire and supervise almost all city employees. The amendments would give the City Council the option to choose a board or person, other than the city manager, to hire, fire and supervise the executive directors and employees of the various city groups.
Despite the lack of buzz surrounding the Nov. 8 charter election, city officials say turnout will probably be stronger than expected because voters will head to the polls the same day to vote on state constitutional amendments.
Irving Mayor Herbert Gears says he supports the city charter amendments, particularly the items that give the council the power to choose someone to oversee the city group members.
"Some of the items are significant in that they'll allow the council to decide how they want to structure boards," he said.
It's important that residents have an opportunity to vote on the city charter amendments because the charter serves as a guide for the city, said Ike Guest, chairman of a committee that reviewed the charter and issued recommendations. But he admits that not many people are energized about the charter.
"I don't think many people are going to be excited about it," he said. "And I also personally think it's going to be overshadowed by the constitutional amendments."
This fall's election follows two years of charter discussions. The charter review committee was formed in 2003 to study the charter. The group issued a report in 2004, recommending that residents be allowed to vote on a variety of issues. The council reviewed the recommendations before calling the election.
Irving: Visitors bureau among entities addressed in measures
By ERIC AASEN / The Dallas Morning News
IRVING, Texas - Compared with recent elections in Irving, from last spring's high-profile mayoral race to last year's heated alcohol-sales contest, next month's charter election is low on buzz factor.
But voters will head to the polls starting Monday as early voting begins on nine proposed amendments to the city charter. Early voting runs through Nov. 4.
The charter – the city's constitution – specifies things such as the organization of city government.
Four of the amendments enhance the powers of four city boards, including the boards of the convention and visitors bureau and arts center. Residents also will vote on letting only the City Council appoint the city secretary. In addition, voters will decide whether to make it easier for city employees to get retirement benefits.
Some of the amendments, which officials describe as housekeeping items, clarify charter language or bring the charter into compliance with the state constitution.
The city board amendments come after officials discovered that the charter forbids boards from operating independently – a rule that has been overlooked for years.
The convention and arts boards have been in charge of executive director staffing, officials say, while the charter as currently written gives the city manager the authority to hire, fire and supervise almost all city employees. The amendments would give the City Council the option to choose a board or person, other than the city manager, to hire, fire and supervise the executive directors and employees of the various city groups.
Despite the lack of buzz surrounding the Nov. 8 charter election, city officials say turnout will probably be stronger than expected because voters will head to the polls the same day to vote on state constitutional amendments.
Irving Mayor Herbert Gears says he supports the city charter amendments, particularly the items that give the council the power to choose someone to oversee the city group members.
"Some of the items are significant in that they'll allow the council to decide how they want to structure boards," he said.
It's important that residents have an opportunity to vote on the city charter amendments because the charter serves as a guide for the city, said Ike Guest, chairman of a committee that reviewed the charter and issued recommendations. But he admits that not many people are energized about the charter.
"I don't think many people are going to be excited about it," he said. "And I also personally think it's going to be overshadowed by the constitutional amendments."
This fall's election follows two years of charter discussions. The charter review committee was formed in 2003 to study the charter. The group issued a report in 2004, recommending that residents be allowed to vote on a variety of issues. The council reviewed the recommendations before calling the election.
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TexasStooge
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- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Arrest made in Hunt County murders
ROYSE CITY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - Authorities arrested an Abilene Christian University student Monday morning in connection with the slayings of his parents last week near Royse City, a Hunt County sheriff's officer said.
Chief Deputy Robert White said Brandon Woodruff, 19, faces two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Dennis Woodruff, 43, and his wife, Norma, 42. Both were shot and stabbed multiple times, the deputy said.
He wouldn't give the suspected motive for the killings but said the son had been a suspect since relatively early in the investigation because of evidence found at the crime scene.
The arrest was made in Texarkana, Ark., where the family had relatives.
The Woodruffs, who had been living in Heath, were killed in the mobile home they were moving into on Hunt County Road 2648 a few miles northeast of Royse City.
Watch News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.
ROYSE CITY, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/The Dallas Morning News) - Authorities arrested an Abilene Christian University student Monday morning in connection with the slayings of his parents last week near Royse City, a Hunt County sheriff's officer said.
Chief Deputy Robert White said Brandon Woodruff, 19, faces two counts of capital murder in the deaths of Dennis Woodruff, 43, and his wife, Norma, 42. Both were shot and stabbed multiple times, the deputy said.
He wouldn't give the suspected motive for the killings but said the son had been a suspect since relatively early in the investigation because of evidence found at the crime scene.
The arrest was made in Texarkana, Ark., where the family had relatives.
The Woodruffs, who had been living in Heath, were killed in the mobile home they were moving into on Hunt County Road 2648 a few miles northeast of Royse City.
Watch News 8 at Five for more on this developing story.
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TexasStooge
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TXU employee files found in trash bin
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Files from TXU containing sensitive personal information have been found in a Fort Worth trash bin.
Sherri Taylor and Phyllis Small said they found the files while looking for moving boxes. Taylor said they contained names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and drivers license numbers.
TXU said the information in the files was that of TXU employees, rather than customers.
The utility is investigating to find out if additional files were thrown away.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) - Files from TXU containing sensitive personal information have been found in a Fort Worth trash bin.
Sherri Taylor and Phyllis Small said they found the files while looking for moving boxes. Taylor said they contained names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers and drivers license numbers.
TXU said the information in the files was that of TXU employees, rather than customers.
The utility is investigating to find out if additional files were thrown away.
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TexasStooge
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Wind power project planned for Texas coast
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — In a history-making move to develop offshore wind power along a U.S. coast, the state of Texas announced Monday it has signed a lease for a Louisiana company to build a wind-energy project.
"Coastal wind power has come to the United States and found a home in Texas," state Land commissioner Jerry Patterson said.
The state, which has jurisdiction out to 10 miles along the Texas Gulf Coast, has agreed to lease 11,355 acres to Galveston-Offshore Wind, LLC, about seven miles off of Galveston Island. The company is a division of Wind Energy Systems Technologies, or W.E.S.T., of New Iberia, La.
Construction of the Texas project is expected to be completed within five years and cost about $300 million. W.E.S.T. plans to construct about 50 wind turbines, expected to produce 150 megawatts of wind energy—enough to power about 40,000 homes.
The first phase of the project will be the construction of two meteorological towers to collect wind data, which have already been permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Patterson said.
Data collected by the towers will help pinpoint where in the lease area to construct the turbines.
The 30-year lease agreement is expected to generate at least $26.5 million for the state's Permanent School Fund for public education. The project also will help fulfill the state's new goals of increasing the percentage of energy produced by renewable resources, Patterson said.
"The economics work, and they work well, and we're excited about it," he said. "The environmental impacts are very positive."
Patterson said he doesn't think the Texas project will draw the same criticism other offshore wind projects in the United States have received. In some cases, prominent residents have complained about the view.
Attempts to build offshore wind power in New York and Massachusetts, for example, have not been successful because of concerns about coastal views and jurisdiction conflicts.
"Texans are used to looking at offshore production of oil and gas," Patterson said.
Herman Schellstede, W.E.S.T. president, said his company has been building offshore oil platforms for almost 40 years, so embarking on an offshore wind project is a natural move.
"Ask yourself this simple question: Are Texas and Louisiana in the energy business or the oil business?" he said. "If we're in the oil business, we're all going to go out of business eventually, but if we're in the energy business, these wind turbines will operate forever and furnish viable sources of energy."
Worries that tall offshore wind turbines could interfere with migratory birds will be addressed by studying the birds' northern migration paths near Galveston Island as early as next spring, company officials said.
There are some 300 species of "neotropical" migratory birds, said Harold Schoeffler of the Sierra Club of Acadiana, who appeared with Schellstede in Austin to announce the wind project.
Texas already has wind turbines on land in West Texas. The state ranks second in the nation behind California in electricity generated by wind.
AUSTIN, Texas (WFAA ABC 8/AP) — In a history-making move to develop offshore wind power along a U.S. coast, the state of Texas announced Monday it has signed a lease for a Louisiana company to build a wind-energy project.
"Coastal wind power has come to the United States and found a home in Texas," state Land commissioner Jerry Patterson said.
The state, which has jurisdiction out to 10 miles along the Texas Gulf Coast, has agreed to lease 11,355 acres to Galveston-Offshore Wind, LLC, about seven miles off of Galveston Island. The company is a division of Wind Energy Systems Technologies, or W.E.S.T., of New Iberia, La.
Construction of the Texas project is expected to be completed within five years and cost about $300 million. W.E.S.T. plans to construct about 50 wind turbines, expected to produce 150 megawatts of wind energy—enough to power about 40,000 homes.
The first phase of the project will be the construction of two meteorological towers to collect wind data, which have already been permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Patterson said.
Data collected by the towers will help pinpoint where in the lease area to construct the turbines.
The 30-year lease agreement is expected to generate at least $26.5 million for the state's Permanent School Fund for public education. The project also will help fulfill the state's new goals of increasing the percentage of energy produced by renewable resources, Patterson said.
"The economics work, and they work well, and we're excited about it," he said. "The environmental impacts are very positive."
Patterson said he doesn't think the Texas project will draw the same criticism other offshore wind projects in the United States have received. In some cases, prominent residents have complained about the view.
Attempts to build offshore wind power in New York and Massachusetts, for example, have not been successful because of concerns about coastal views and jurisdiction conflicts.
"Texans are used to looking at offshore production of oil and gas," Patterson said.
Herman Schellstede, W.E.S.T. president, said his company has been building offshore oil platforms for almost 40 years, so embarking on an offshore wind project is a natural move.
"Ask yourself this simple question: Are Texas and Louisiana in the energy business or the oil business?" he said. "If we're in the oil business, we're all going to go out of business eventually, but if we're in the energy business, these wind turbines will operate forever and furnish viable sources of energy."
Worries that tall offshore wind turbines could interfere with migratory birds will be addressed by studying the birds' northern migration paths near Galveston Island as early as next spring, company officials said.
There are some 300 species of "neotropical" migratory birds, said Harold Schoeffler of the Sierra Club of Acadiana, who appeared with Schellstede in Austin to announce the wind project.
Texas already has wind turbines on land in West Texas. The state ranks second in the nation behind California in electricity generated by wind.
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rainstorm
TexasStooge wrote:Crowd says farewell to fair
Dallas: Residents break out blankets, coats on final day
By LAURIE FOX / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - A stiff north wind ushered in a blustery final day of the State Fair of Texas on Sunday as fall weather descended in convincing fashion.
Hardy fairgoers bundled up in jackets, sweaters and scarves to ward off temperatures that peaked in the morning in the lower 60s, then dropped sharply into the 40s by late afternoon.
Most of the state fair's three-week run had felt like never-ending summer, which was good news for fair officials. It brought out record numbers of visitors.
"We've seen some very impressive numbers," said fair spokeswoman Sue Gooding. "Our first day was the largest opening day we've had."
Even on Sunday, the coldest day of the fair, crowds were steady.
But everyone from exhibitors to fairgoers had to make adjustments for winds gusting as high as 40 mph, which bedeviled performers and blew spray from fountains onto shrieking passers-by.
Pink and purple feathers from the headdresses of a group of San Antonio samba dancers went skittering across the lawn as the dancers shivered in their short costumes.
"The weather's been great so far, but the wind is a real problem for us today," said Steve Ogden, chairman of the Texas Cultural Partnership, which organized 50 groups of multicultural dancers that performed 151 shows at the fair.
Organizers of the popular Fisher-Price outdoor exhibit of children's toys tried to erect intricate play villages, but the wind had none of it.
"It was all blowing down as soon as we got it started," said exhibit worker Serenthia Lucas. "We couldn't have it flying around and hitting kids."
The Chinese acrobats couldn't keep a giant red carpet anchored for their show. It kept flapping up, prompting the crowd to volunteer to hold it down.
Fair officials said the wind caused no major problems, though it did blow down some small signs.
Most fairgoers came prepared, bundling up children in strollers with blankets and pulling out coats.
The fall temperatures that arrived over the weekend will stick around, said WFAA-TV (Channel 8) meteorologist Steve McCauley. He said Monday's high temperature is expected in the 60s with a gradual warming to the low 70s later in the week. Lows will be in the mid- to upper-40s
"No more down one day, up in the 90s the next," he said. "This is the way it will stay for a while – more like fall."
Throughout this year's fair, crowds sought out refreshment to suit the weather.
While lemonade and water sales spiked during the record heat, hot chocolate and coffee were the orders of the day Sunday. Piping hot foods such as fried s'mores, chili and red beans with rice warmed visitors' hands.
Stands that had been selling Slurpees and other chilled deserts were abandoned.
"Everything I got is cold, and no one wants it," John Leonard lamented of his stash of strawberry, key lime and lemon chill treats. "I don't think we'll sell too many of these today."
Rides such as the log flume, which had provided a refreshing splash during most of the fair, stood vacant Sunday.
Even the popular Texas Star had a shorter line than usual. Somehow, the Ferris wheel's baskets swaying 200 feet in the air weren't as enticing on the fair's last day. Those who did brave the ride emerged with red noses and hands shoved into pockets.
"I came on opening day, and it was much better that day," said Kelly Bergthold, who cradled her 10-month-old son as she disembarked from the Texas Star. "It felt really windy up there. He couldn't wait to get off."
sounds like everyone had a good time
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TexasStooge
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Mother puts deformed baby in Dallas doctor's hands
12:50 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
Tiny fingers grace the perfect hands of sweet and sleepy Li Ying. But the young child's face was so disfigured by a dramatic cleft palate when she was born, her mother couldn't nurse her as a baby.
"I tried to use a bottle [but] it was very difficult to feed her, so I started using a spoon," said mother Wang Jin.
Thousand are born in America with similar deformities and occur in one in every 700 births. However, they are usually fixed right away.
Also Online
Gary Reaves reports
Li Ying wasn't so privileged, but there was still some who wanted to change that. While some looked at the child's face and saw her disfigurement, Dr. Craig Hobar said he saw hope.
"When we see a picture like Li Ying...we immediately see what they'll look like after the surgery," he said.
Hobar heads the Leap Foundation and spends his vacations from Children's Medical Center transforming faces in third world countries. But Ying's case was too extreme for less sophisticated foreign operating suites.
For six months, the Dallas doctor has kept a photograph of the 6-year-old Chinese girl on his desk waiting for the moment he could attempt to help her surgically.
"If you look at that nose, she's got 1, 2, 3, 4 segments to that nose," Hobar said. "How do you put that nose back together?"
So, Ying was flown to America and will undergo a donated $100,000 surgery with a team of five surgeons to rebuild her face.
The surgery will take at least 12 hours, and that's just the first one. As many as five more surgeries may be required before the reconstruction is complete.
The surgeries are a frightening prospect for Ying's mother who is from a poor rural village. She has put her baby's fate in a Dallas doctor's hands.
"Right now, I'm very worried about the surgery," she said.
While the mother is worried for her child, she is also grateful for a chance for some American medical magic.
"Even if she is not beautiful, it doesn't matter," Jin said. "As long as she looks like other people."
Hobar said he has faith that Li Ying's mother's dream will come true, and the world will see her the same way he envisions.
"We see the beautiful face that will be," he said.
The surgery is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
12:50 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By GARY REAVES / WFAA ABC 8
Tiny fingers grace the perfect hands of sweet and sleepy Li Ying. But the young child's face was so disfigured by a dramatic cleft palate when she was born, her mother couldn't nurse her as a baby.
"I tried to use a bottle [but] it was very difficult to feed her, so I started using a spoon," said mother Wang Jin.
Thousand are born in America with similar deformities and occur in one in every 700 births. However, they are usually fixed right away.
Also Online
Gary Reaves reports
Li Ying wasn't so privileged, but there was still some who wanted to change that. While some looked at the child's face and saw her disfigurement, Dr. Craig Hobar said he saw hope.
"When we see a picture like Li Ying...we immediately see what they'll look like after the surgery," he said.
Hobar heads the Leap Foundation and spends his vacations from Children's Medical Center transforming faces in third world countries. But Ying's case was too extreme for less sophisticated foreign operating suites.
For six months, the Dallas doctor has kept a photograph of the 6-year-old Chinese girl on his desk waiting for the moment he could attempt to help her surgically.
"If you look at that nose, she's got 1, 2, 3, 4 segments to that nose," Hobar said. "How do you put that nose back together?"
So, Ying was flown to America and will undergo a donated $100,000 surgery with a team of five surgeons to rebuild her face.
The surgery will take at least 12 hours, and that's just the first one. As many as five more surgeries may be required before the reconstruction is complete.
The surgeries are a frightening prospect for Ying's mother who is from a poor rural village. She has put her baby's fate in a Dallas doctor's hands.
"Right now, I'm very worried about the surgery," she said.
While the mother is worried for her child, she is also grateful for a chance for some American medical magic.
"Even if she is not beautiful, it doesn't matter," Jin said. "As long as she looks like other people."
Hobar said he has faith that Li Ying's mother's dream will come true, and the world will see her the same way he envisions.
"We see the beautiful face that will be," he said.
The surgery is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
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TexasStooge
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Police arrest students in fatal crash
01:05 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Dunbar High School in Fort Worth was already reeling from the deaths of 5 students and recent graduates when police showed up Monday afternoon with arrest warrants.
The warrants stemmed from a car wreck that killed one student and left another critically injured in September.
Police said they believe racing was involved when a car carrying six Dunbar students smashed into a pole in the median of Loop 820 and killed football player Ricky McLarin on the spot.
Two carloads of Dunbar students were heading to McDonald's on their lunch break when police said the cars began a dangerous race.
"[They were] driving on the shoulder, driving on the grassy median [and] passing motorists," said Sgt. Don Hanlon.
Witnesses told police the cars were barreling up Loop 820 at around 80 to 100 mph. One driver said he actually ran off the road into a guard rail to avoid the teens.
"Their actions were so reckless [that] the death was criminal," Sgt. Hanlon said.
Officers went to Dunbar with a warrant for the arrest of Deuante Thomas for manslaughter and aggravated assault. Thomas was the driver of the car McLarin died in.
Police also jailed the driver of the second car.
"That's something he's got to live with the rest of his life," said Jessica McClarty, a friend of Thomas.
A sophomore and student councilmember, McClarty knew both McLarin and Thomas.
"I feel sorry for him because I know it wasn't intentional," she said. "But I know that for every action, there's a consequence."
Meanwhile, Dunbar student Jessica Newton remains hospitalized from her injuries from the crash that included broken bones, a collapsed lung and lacerations to her bladder and aorta.
"It's just absolutely tragic [and] senseless," Sgt. Hanlon said. "There was no need for it."
WFAA ABC 8
Police said racing was involved in the fatal wreck that killed one student.
01:05 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By JIM DOUGLAS / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - Dunbar High School in Fort Worth was already reeling from the deaths of 5 students and recent graduates when police showed up Monday afternoon with arrest warrants.
The warrants stemmed from a car wreck that killed one student and left another critically injured in September.
Police said they believe racing was involved when a car carrying six Dunbar students smashed into a pole in the median of Loop 820 and killed football player Ricky McLarin on the spot.
Two carloads of Dunbar students were heading to McDonald's on their lunch break when police said the cars began a dangerous race.
"[They were] driving on the shoulder, driving on the grassy median [and] passing motorists," said Sgt. Don Hanlon.
Witnesses told police the cars were barreling up Loop 820 at around 80 to 100 mph. One driver said he actually ran off the road into a guard rail to avoid the teens.
"Their actions were so reckless [that] the death was criminal," Sgt. Hanlon said.
Officers went to Dunbar with a warrant for the arrest of Deuante Thomas for manslaughter and aggravated assault. Thomas was the driver of the car McLarin died in.
Police also jailed the driver of the second car.
"That's something he's got to live with the rest of his life," said Jessica McClarty, a friend of Thomas.
A sophomore and student councilmember, McClarty knew both McLarin and Thomas.
"I feel sorry for him because I know it wasn't intentional," she said. "But I know that for every action, there's a consequence."
Meanwhile, Dunbar student Jessica Newton remains hospitalized from her injuries from the crash that included broken bones, a collapsed lung and lacerations to her bladder and aorta.
"It's just absolutely tragic [and] senseless," Sgt. Hanlon said. "There was no need for it."
WFAA ABC 8
Police said racing was involved in the fatal wreck that killed one student.
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TexasStooge
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Foes of gay-marriage ban issue warning
Proposition's supporters criticize tactic that invokes 'activist judges'
11:13 PM CDT on Monday, October 24, 2005
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – As the campaign over a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Texas entered its final two weeks, opponents warned that "activist judges" might use the amendment to strike down traditional marriage.
They used "robo calls," or automatically dialed calls, to spread a "God bless you" message of opposition taped by a Presbyterian minister. And they showcased a decorated military veteran, his wife and other married couples who proclaimed their own marriages "at risk" because of purported errors the Legislature made when it sent the proposal to the Nov. 8 statewide ballot.
"It's really disgusting," said Kelly Shackelford, a leading supporter of Proposition 2.
Mr. Shackelford, president of the Plano-based Free Market Foundation, sent e-mails to his conservative group's supporters warning, "This is an all out fraud to deceive voters. Please beware."
Gay-rights activist Glen Maxey of Austin, campaign manager for No Nonsense in November, said opponents didn't create confusion, lawmakers did.
"In 11 other states, they got it right if they were trying to prevent homosexual marriage. In Texas, they left off words," said Mr. Maxey, a former Democratic House member.
To achieve its ends, he said, the Legislature should have prohibited legal recognition of marriage-like relationships by people of the same sex. The amendment defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars the state and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
Mr. Maxey said "liberal activist judges" or even "strict constructionist Republican judges" could read the "identical" language as requiring them to wipe out traditional marriage.
Mr. Shackelford, who helped Republican House members write the amendment, said it takes a "stilted" reading to reach that conclusion. He said opponents want to alarm and confuse voters – and persuade many to stay home.
The calls opposing the amendment were made by Save Texas Marriage, which shares offices with Mr. Maxey's group. It has not yet had to report its finances.
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DallasNews.com/extra:
Read about all nine proposed amendments (Registration with DallasNews.com required)
Proposition's supporters criticize tactic that invokes 'activist judges'
11:13 PM CDT on Monday, October 24, 2005
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – As the campaign over a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Texas entered its final two weeks, opponents warned that "activist judges" might use the amendment to strike down traditional marriage.
They used "robo calls," or automatically dialed calls, to spread a "God bless you" message of opposition taped by a Presbyterian minister. And they showcased a decorated military veteran, his wife and other married couples who proclaimed their own marriages "at risk" because of purported errors the Legislature made when it sent the proposal to the Nov. 8 statewide ballot.
"It's really disgusting," said Kelly Shackelford, a leading supporter of Proposition 2.
Mr. Shackelford, president of the Plano-based Free Market Foundation, sent e-mails to his conservative group's supporters warning, "This is an all out fraud to deceive voters. Please beware."
Gay-rights activist Glen Maxey of Austin, campaign manager for No Nonsense in November, said opponents didn't create confusion, lawmakers did.
"In 11 other states, they got it right if they were trying to prevent homosexual marriage. In Texas, they left off words," said Mr. Maxey, a former Democratic House member.
To achieve its ends, he said, the Legislature should have prohibited legal recognition of marriage-like relationships by people of the same sex. The amendment defines marriage as between a man and a woman and bars the state and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage."
Mr. Maxey said "liberal activist judges" or even "strict constructionist Republican judges" could read the "identical" language as requiring them to wipe out traditional marriage.
Mr. Shackelford, who helped Republican House members write the amendment, said it takes a "stilted" reading to reach that conclusion. He said opponents want to alarm and confuse voters – and persuade many to stay home.
The calls opposing the amendment were made by Save Texas Marriage, which shares offices with Mr. Maxey's group. It has not yet had to report its finances.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DallasNews.com/extra:
Read about all nine proposed amendments (Registration with DallasNews.com required)
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TexasStooge
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Tax deals not taboo for Miller
Mayor railed against one for Hunt but has supported most others
05:59 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - When the Dallas City Council last week overwhelmingly granted billionaire oilman Ray Hunt a $6.3 million tax abatement to build a new downtown headquarters, Mayor Laura Miller cast one of the two votes against it, decrying the incentive as a "classic example of us needlessly and excitedly giving away millions of tax dollars simply because we are asked."
Since becoming mayor in February 2002, however, Ms. Miller has almost always supported tax abatements for business developments, voting to approve 23 out of 25 abatement proposals before the council, according to city records.
Before last week's Hunt decision, Ms. Miller voted only once as mayor against a tax-abatement proposal: a 2004 historic development abatement worth an estimated $134,960 for a small Main Street property. The council unanimously defeated the plan.
The beneficiaries of the abatements Ms. Miller supported include huge companies – Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven, Lowe's Home Centers and The Dallas Morning News – as well as lower-profile businesses such as a jewel wholesaler and a warehouse operator, city records indicate.
Together, the abatements are worth an estimated $26 million.
Ms. Miller says she's not against all abatements. She has voted for most of them as mayor because they jibe with her philosophy for giving them.
The mayor described that philosophy as such: Tax abatements should be offered to businesses planning to rehabilitate deteriorating buildings, creating an initial economic spark in an area such as downtown or locating to "a part of town that, but for the subsidy, would not be developed – risky and unattractive to developers."
Is it personal?
The Hunt abatement did not fit those criteria, Ms. Miller argued.
And she says her opposition to it has nothing to do with Mr. Hunt himself – the mayor has long criticized him as a greedy businessman always looking for public handouts – despite her council colleagues' suggestions otherwise.
The downtown property on which his headquarters will be built is among Dallas' choicest and shouldn't be eligible for a tax abatement, Ms. Miller said, especially when Hunt Consolidated is moving from only a few blocks away.
"I have a fundamentally different view about how much money we give away here. I had it as a journalist, I had it as a council member and I have it as mayor," she said. "And I have a pretty good track record in saying we go too far at times."
Some council colleagues reject the mayor's explanation for opposing the Hunt measure.
Bill Blaydes, chairman of the council's Economic Development and Housing Committee, said Ms. Miller's support for most subsidies but not the Hunt abatement is caused by "the disdain she has for this individual. It's almost a vendetta."
Said council member Ed Oakley: "The Hunt vote for her has nothing to do with what's right and what's not. The issue is personal in nature for her."
Mr. Blaydes noted that Ms. Miller fully supported a tax abatement for 7-Eleven's relocation from the Cityplace Tower to a new Arts District headquarters, as well as a $70 million incentive package for Forest City Enterprises, which plans to redevelop downtown's long-vacant Mercantile Bank complex and several other surrounding buildings.
Ms. Miller defended her support for other downtown tax-abatement and tax-incentive programs. She noted that the Mercantile Bank complex is utterly blighted and that the 7-Eleven project will be the first downtown office tower built in nearly two decades. They're different projects and required public subsidization, she said.
"But we are surprised the mayor of the ninth-largest U.S. city would not see an investment of $120 million in the downtown area as a positive occurrence," Jeanne Phillips, Hunt Consolidated's senior vice president, said of her company's development.
Earlier opposition
As a council member between 1998 and 2002, Ms. Miller voted several times against tax abatements for high-profile companies.
City records indicate they included a pair of abatements worth more than $1.3 million each for Yahoo, a $2.9 million abatement for Mr. Hunt's downtown Hyatt Regency Dallas hotel and a $1.95 million abatement for Allegiance Telecom, which declared bankruptcy in 2003. In each case, the abatements passed over Ms. Miller's wishes.
Ms. Miller also says she has helped persuade the city staff to sink seven abatement proposals before they reached the council.
Furthermore, the mayor has voted unsuccessfully against the creation of two tax increment finance districts, geographic designations that allow developers to use newly generated property taxes for infrastructure and beautification. And she says she fought three others to the point where they never came before the council.
"She's been reasonably consistent, with a couple of blips," said Sharon Boyd, a former council candidate who edits the political Web site Dallasarena.com. "When she became mayor, she began to go along to get along a little bit. But now, if Laura Miller does nothing more than shine the light of day on these backroom deals and the unfair distribution of taxes, then she has had a successful term."
Mr. Oakley, however, says the mayor's vote against the Hunt abatement is also politically motivated. Ms. Miller is up for re-election in 2007.
"She's absolutely trying to play to her conservative base up north," he said. "What other motivation is there?"
But Ms. Miller said her stands on tax abatements aren't intended to curry favor with voters.
"It's about who I am in every one of my political and intellectual nerve endings," she said.
Ms. Miller says she'll continue to fight any tax abatements that she considers unnecessary, including possible abatements for a proposed multi-use facility on Ross Avenue and for Blockbuster, the video rental giant now headquartered inside downtown's Renaissance Tower. Its lease expires in 2007.
Dallas' tax base will not expand unless businesses are lured with public incentives to relocate and stay put, Ms. Phillips and several council members say.
But Ms. Miller says the council should investigate tightening its criteria for abatements.
Today, businesses with at least 50 workers and worth $5 million qualify, according to the council's adopted standards. That means dozens of businesses could receive tax abatements, which would leave Dallas homeowners to make up for them.
"What I'm singularly unsuccessful in doing is stopping the constant subsidies that staff puts together. And when they come to council, the council is happy to give away money," Ms. Miller said. "All I see is us raising the tax rate on homeowners almost every year now to pay for them."
Mayor railed against one for Hunt but has supported most others
05:59 AM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas - When the Dallas City Council last week overwhelmingly granted billionaire oilman Ray Hunt a $6.3 million tax abatement to build a new downtown headquarters, Mayor Laura Miller cast one of the two votes against it, decrying the incentive as a "classic example of us needlessly and excitedly giving away millions of tax dollars simply because we are asked."
Since becoming mayor in February 2002, however, Ms. Miller has almost always supported tax abatements for business developments, voting to approve 23 out of 25 abatement proposals before the council, according to city records.
Before last week's Hunt decision, Ms. Miller voted only once as mayor against a tax-abatement proposal: a 2004 historic development abatement worth an estimated $134,960 for a small Main Street property. The council unanimously defeated the plan.
The beneficiaries of the abatements Ms. Miller supported include huge companies – Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven, Lowe's Home Centers and The Dallas Morning News – as well as lower-profile businesses such as a jewel wholesaler and a warehouse operator, city records indicate.
Together, the abatements are worth an estimated $26 million.
Ms. Miller says she's not against all abatements. She has voted for most of them as mayor because they jibe with her philosophy for giving them.
The mayor described that philosophy as such: Tax abatements should be offered to businesses planning to rehabilitate deteriorating buildings, creating an initial economic spark in an area such as downtown or locating to "a part of town that, but for the subsidy, would not be developed – risky and unattractive to developers."
Is it personal?
The Hunt abatement did not fit those criteria, Ms. Miller argued.
And she says her opposition to it has nothing to do with Mr. Hunt himself – the mayor has long criticized him as a greedy businessman always looking for public handouts – despite her council colleagues' suggestions otherwise.
The downtown property on which his headquarters will be built is among Dallas' choicest and shouldn't be eligible for a tax abatement, Ms. Miller said, especially when Hunt Consolidated is moving from only a few blocks away.
"I have a fundamentally different view about how much money we give away here. I had it as a journalist, I had it as a council member and I have it as mayor," she said. "And I have a pretty good track record in saying we go too far at times."
Some council colleagues reject the mayor's explanation for opposing the Hunt measure.
Bill Blaydes, chairman of the council's Economic Development and Housing Committee, said Ms. Miller's support for most subsidies but not the Hunt abatement is caused by "the disdain she has for this individual. It's almost a vendetta."
Said council member Ed Oakley: "The Hunt vote for her has nothing to do with what's right and what's not. The issue is personal in nature for her."
Mr. Blaydes noted that Ms. Miller fully supported a tax abatement for 7-Eleven's relocation from the Cityplace Tower to a new Arts District headquarters, as well as a $70 million incentive package for Forest City Enterprises, which plans to redevelop downtown's long-vacant Mercantile Bank complex and several other surrounding buildings.
Ms. Miller defended her support for other downtown tax-abatement and tax-incentive programs. She noted that the Mercantile Bank complex is utterly blighted and that the 7-Eleven project will be the first downtown office tower built in nearly two decades. They're different projects and required public subsidization, she said.
"But we are surprised the mayor of the ninth-largest U.S. city would not see an investment of $120 million in the downtown area as a positive occurrence," Jeanne Phillips, Hunt Consolidated's senior vice president, said of her company's development.
Earlier opposition
As a council member between 1998 and 2002, Ms. Miller voted several times against tax abatements for high-profile companies.
City records indicate they included a pair of abatements worth more than $1.3 million each for Yahoo, a $2.9 million abatement for Mr. Hunt's downtown Hyatt Regency Dallas hotel and a $1.95 million abatement for Allegiance Telecom, which declared bankruptcy in 2003. In each case, the abatements passed over Ms. Miller's wishes.
Ms. Miller also says she has helped persuade the city staff to sink seven abatement proposals before they reached the council.
Furthermore, the mayor has voted unsuccessfully against the creation of two tax increment finance districts, geographic designations that allow developers to use newly generated property taxes for infrastructure and beautification. And she says she fought three others to the point where they never came before the council.
"She's been reasonably consistent, with a couple of blips," said Sharon Boyd, a former council candidate who edits the political Web site Dallasarena.com. "When she became mayor, she began to go along to get along a little bit. But now, if Laura Miller does nothing more than shine the light of day on these backroom deals and the unfair distribution of taxes, then she has had a successful term."
Mr. Oakley, however, says the mayor's vote against the Hunt abatement is also politically motivated. Ms. Miller is up for re-election in 2007.
"She's absolutely trying to play to her conservative base up north," he said. "What other motivation is there?"
But Ms. Miller said her stands on tax abatements aren't intended to curry favor with voters.
"It's about who I am in every one of my political and intellectual nerve endings," she said.
Ms. Miller says she'll continue to fight any tax abatements that she considers unnecessary, including possible abatements for a proposed multi-use facility on Ross Avenue and for Blockbuster, the video rental giant now headquartered inside downtown's Renaissance Tower. Its lease expires in 2007.
Dallas' tax base will not expand unless businesses are lured with public incentives to relocate and stay put, Ms. Phillips and several council members say.
But Ms. Miller says the council should investigate tightening its criteria for abatements.
Today, businesses with at least 50 workers and worth $5 million qualify, according to the council's adopted standards. That means dozens of businesses could receive tax abatements, which would leave Dallas homeowners to make up for them.
"What I'm singularly unsuccessful in doing is stopping the constant subsidies that staff puts together. And when they come to council, the council is happy to give away money," Ms. Miller said. "All I see is us raising the tax rate on homeowners almost every year now to pay for them."
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TexasStooge
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Fatal wreck closes Tarrant highway
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Southbound Highway 81/287 was closed in northwest Tarrant County this afternoon after a fatal 18-wheeler crash that left one man dead and may have caused a chemical leak.
The accident, which occurred around 1 p.m., left the truck's wreckage strewn across the southbound lanes and median at Avondale-Haslet Road near Haslet.
Investigators said it appears that the driver lost control, and the truck left the highway more than one time before it overturned.
Video from WFAA-TV’s helicopter showed the tanker to be venting liquid nitrogen.
Traffic is being forced to exit on to Business 287 at the 81/287 split.
Those in the North Texas region, watch News 8 at Six for more on this story.
FORT WORTH, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - Southbound Highway 81/287 was closed in northwest Tarrant County this afternoon after a fatal 18-wheeler crash that left one man dead and may have caused a chemical leak.
The accident, which occurred around 1 p.m., left the truck's wreckage strewn across the southbound lanes and median at Avondale-Haslet Road near Haslet.
Investigators said it appears that the driver lost control, and the truck left the highway more than one time before it overturned.
Video from WFAA-TV’s helicopter showed the tanker to be venting liquid nitrogen.
Traffic is being forced to exit on to Business 287 at the 81/287 split.
Those in the North Texas region, watch News 8 at Six for more on this story.
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TexasStooge
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Warrant roundup aims to curb gang violence
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A multi-agency task force began a warrant roundup on Tuesday designed to halt the increase in gang violence in the Dallas area.
The Dallas Police Department Gang Unit is working with FBI, ICE, DEA and ATF agents, along with U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety and officers from the Dallas County Sheriff's office, to launch "Operation Summer Storm."
Authorities said the effort is a "saturation operation" targeting gang members who are responsible for a significant percentage of gang-related violence in the Dallas area. Starting Tuesday, the agencies will be executing warrants, ranging from probation violation to murder, in a targeted area in Oak Cliff.
"Today's arrests are the result of a coordinated effort of state, local and federal law enforcement to address the serious problem of gang violence in Dallas," said Guadalupe Gonzalez, special agent in charge for the Dallas FBI office. "(The) successes are only the beginning of a continued partnership to protect the citizens which we serve from senseless violence and organized gang activity."
This is the first operation of this task force aimed at eradicating gang violence in the Dallas area, with other operations forthcoming.
DALLAS, Texas (WFAA ABC 8) - A multi-agency task force began a warrant roundup on Tuesday designed to halt the increase in gang violence in the Dallas area.
The Dallas Police Department Gang Unit is working with FBI, ICE, DEA and ATF agents, along with U.S. Marshals, the Texas Department of Public Safety and officers from the Dallas County Sheriff's office, to launch "Operation Summer Storm."
Authorities said the effort is a "saturation operation" targeting gang members who are responsible for a significant percentage of gang-related violence in the Dallas area. Starting Tuesday, the agencies will be executing warrants, ranging from probation violation to murder, in a targeted area in Oak Cliff.
"Today's arrests are the result of a coordinated effort of state, local and federal law enforcement to address the serious problem of gang violence in Dallas," said Guadalupe Gonzalez, special agent in charge for the Dallas FBI office. "(The) successes are only the beginning of a continued partnership to protect the citizens which we serve from senseless violence and organized gang activity."
This is the first operation of this task force aimed at eradicating gang violence in the Dallas area, with other operations forthcoming.
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TexasStooge
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Surgeries underway for Chinese girl with cleft
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - With nervous tears in her eyes, Jin Wang got an update on her daughter's surgery.
Her Chinese to English translator said she called it the longest day of her life.
Her daughter, Li Ying, is a normal 6-year-old in everyway, except in how other people see her. She was born with a cleft palate so severe it extends all the way through her nose, eye socket and into the brain.
Her mother cried as she explained how her child was barred from school in China.
However that reaction is tame compared to some countries. In some areas, babies born with the same disfigurement are put to death.
But one surgeon said he hopes a series of operations performed in Dallas will change the child's life forever. The first phase of the operation started at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and was scheduled to wrap up around 6 p.m..
"I have a picture of her framed," said Dr. Craig Hobar, the lead surgeon of five who worked on Li Ying's operation. "It's been sitting on my desk next to me for six months."
The Dallas craniofacial surgeon brought the picture with him to the sophisticated operating suite at Children's Medical Center, where the team of volunteer doctors and nurses from the LEAP Foundation are essentially rearranging Li Ying's face.
"[We are operating] so that we can shift her eye socket and her entire facial bones back to where they're supposed to be," Hobar said. "And then, and only then, can we begin to reconstruct the nose and lip."
Tuesday's surgery was the first of several that will take at least 12 hours.
As Jin Wang looked through photos of other children Dr. Hobar has helped, she said she has just one hope for her daughter.
She didn't wish for traditional beauty, but instead dreamed of a chance for her to go to school like any other normal children.
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - With nervous tears in her eyes, Jin Wang got an update on her daughter's surgery.
Her Chinese to English translator said she called it the longest day of her life.
Her daughter, Li Ying, is a normal 6-year-old in everyway, except in how other people see her. She was born with a cleft palate so severe it extends all the way through her nose, eye socket and into the brain.
Her mother cried as she explained how her child was barred from school in China.
However that reaction is tame compared to some countries. In some areas, babies born with the same disfigurement are put to death.
But one surgeon said he hopes a series of operations performed in Dallas will change the child's life forever. The first phase of the operation started at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and was scheduled to wrap up around 6 p.m..
"I have a picture of her framed," said Dr. Craig Hobar, the lead surgeon of five who worked on Li Ying's operation. "It's been sitting on my desk next to me for six months."
The Dallas craniofacial surgeon brought the picture with him to the sophisticated operating suite at Children's Medical Center, where the team of volunteer doctors and nurses from the LEAP Foundation are essentially rearranging Li Ying's face.
"[We are operating] so that we can shift her eye socket and her entire facial bones back to where they're supposed to be," Hobar said. "And then, and only then, can we begin to reconstruct the nose and lip."
Tuesday's surgery was the first of several that will take at least 12 hours.
As Jin Wang looked through photos of other children Dr. Hobar has helped, she said she has just one hope for her daughter.
She didn't wish for traditional beauty, but instead dreamed of a chance for her to go to school like any other normal children.
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TexasStooge
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Leaders work to patch up Fort Worth roads
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A recent survey has revealed what some residents in Fort Worth already believed, there's too much rough riding in Cowtown.
The city developed the information from a new way of measuring for better maintenance. Everyday in neighborhoods, a transportation team takes inventory in a GPS equipped van. They then record every little bump in the road.
Survey results revealed that 12 percent of Fort Worth roads are in poor condition, 18 percent fair, 20 percent good and 48 percent excellent.
The list of Fort Worth roads in bad condition is 40 pages long, and city leaders are considering spending an extra $10 million to fix some of the worst.
Potholes and cracks aggravate drivers in every part of the city, including West 7th Street and Summit Avenue near downtown where avoiding them is a daily challenge for some.
"...The holes should be patched because it messes your car up," said resident Ron Chavis.
But the survey proved that nowhere are road conditions worse than the area in District 8 in south Fort Worth. It was rated number one for streets in poor condition, which is a title council member Kathleen Hicks wants to lose.
"It says to folks, this is a neighborhood in decline," Hicks said. "When the streets look bad, other things start to go as well."
Many city leaders admit they are trying hard to move more roads into the excellent category after neglecting road maintenance in the '80s and early '90s.
Council members in the central city said old neighborhoods inside Loop 820 need the most street reconstruction. Hicks supports the city's interest in approving an additional $10 to $16 million for roads that won't benefit from the 2004 bond money.
Many residents would support it as well.
"I'd like streets to be in better shape," said resident Sammy Hill. "[It] cuts down on car maintenance."
By KARIN KELLY / WFAA ABC 8
FORT WORTH, Texas - A recent survey has revealed what some residents in Fort Worth already believed, there's too much rough riding in Cowtown.
The city developed the information from a new way of measuring for better maintenance. Everyday in neighborhoods, a transportation team takes inventory in a GPS equipped van. They then record every little bump in the road.
Survey results revealed that 12 percent of Fort Worth roads are in poor condition, 18 percent fair, 20 percent good and 48 percent excellent.
The list of Fort Worth roads in bad condition is 40 pages long, and city leaders are considering spending an extra $10 million to fix some of the worst.
Potholes and cracks aggravate drivers in every part of the city, including West 7th Street and Summit Avenue near downtown where avoiding them is a daily challenge for some.
"...The holes should be patched because it messes your car up," said resident Ron Chavis.
But the survey proved that nowhere are road conditions worse than the area in District 8 in south Fort Worth. It was rated number one for streets in poor condition, which is a title council member Kathleen Hicks wants to lose.
"It says to folks, this is a neighborhood in decline," Hicks said. "When the streets look bad, other things start to go as well."
Many city leaders admit they are trying hard to move more roads into the excellent category after neglecting road maintenance in the '80s and early '90s.
Council members in the central city said old neighborhoods inside Loop 820 need the most street reconstruction. Hicks supports the city's interest in approving an additional $10 to $16 million for roads that won't benefit from the 2004 bond money.
Many residents would support it as well.
"I'd like streets to be in better shape," said resident Sammy Hill. "[It] cuts down on car maintenance."
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TexasStooge
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Will the amendment last?
Experts: Broad language leads to varied interpretation
08:35 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas may be headed into uncharted territory with the broad gay-marriage ban on the Nov. 8 ballot, legal experts say.
Proponents and foes dispute whether the language would jeopardize partnership benefits and legal arrangements gay couples make for decisions on everything ranging from property to end-of-life questions.
And the experience of other states provides little guidance, because Texas’ proposed amendment is broader and less specific than many – and courts elsewhere are in the early stages of evaluating laws and amendments defining marriage.
Gay rights activists have been heartened by recent rulings by judges in Nebraska and Michigan. But many worry that in the hands of conservative Texas judges and citizens, the amendment could lead to a rollback of rights and benefits for gay couples.
“The people who oppose equal rights for gay and lesbian people will interpret these in the most harmful way possible,” said Ken Upton, Southwest regional attorney for the gay rights group Lambda Legal. “Will it be successful? You have to have a crystal ball.”
Proponents say they have no thoughts of punishing gays or nullifying their contracts.
Kelly Shackelford, a conservative activist who helped lawmakers draft the amendment last spring, said traditionalists are on defense in this fight.
Amendment supporters want to inoculate Texas from rulings by “activist judges” and make the state’s marriage ban impervious to what Mr. Shackelford called “shenanigans” by legislators or other bodies. He cited California, where, in 2000, voters approved a law defining marriage as “between a man and a woman” and then, last year, the state’s Legislature enacted the nation’s most comprehensive domestic partnership law.
“If the people pass something, we don’t want an end run around it,” said Mr. Shackelford, president of the Plano-based Free Market Foundation.
Opponents are depicting the amendment as a Pandora’s box that, because of purported drafting errors, could prompt a court to wipe out heterosexual marriage.
The suggestion brought swift denunciations from supporters, including Gov. Rick Perry.
As he cast his early ballot Tuesday, the Republican governor said the amendment “will pass overwhelmingly,” despite what he termed opponents’ attempts to confuse voters.
“I have great faith that the voters are rather wise and quite intellectually capable to figure out where there might be some misinformation,” he said.
Legal experts say it’s hard to handicap what courts would do with the amendment, known as Proposition 2, if it passes. But many see the measure’s second sentence as a source of contention.
It says the state and local governments “may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” The language is vague enough that it will be challenged, said Andrew Koppelman, a professor of law and political science at Northwestern University who is writing a book on legal struggles over gay marriage.
“This sentence will certainly generate litigation. It is a drafting catastrophe. It is not even grammatical. And it’s meaning and coverage are extraordinarily obscure.”
Mr. Koppelman, who favors gay marriage rights but takes no part in campaigns, said he would hate to be a Texas judge trying to decide what is and isn’t similar to marriage.
The amendment, he said, “might prohibit all domestic partnerships. It might prohibit no domestic partnerships. It might prohibit some. … It’s impossible to tell.”
Mr. Shackelford, the amendment’s supporter, says predictions of harm to existing rights are exaggerated.
“It’s really not that complicated,” he said.
He acknowledges that the provision might be invoked to eliminate domestic partner benefits given to employees of the city of Dallas and Travis County. But he said he sees no danger to wills, hospital visitation arrangements and other legal precautions gay couples often take.
And he said the 18 other states that have enshrined similar bans in their constitutions haven’t seen a deluge of litigation.
“There’s a lawsuit here or there in most places,” he said. “Most places, there’s not a single lawsuit.”
Mr. Upton is one of the lawyers for gay rights groups who have pored over Proposition 2, looking for ways to attack it in court if it passes.
Compared with bans in other states’ constitutions, he said, “It’s certainly as broad as many of them and it’s less specific than some of them.”
That could make it hard to challenge in court. In Nebraska, for instance an amendment mentioned “two persons of the same sex,” and a federal judge cited that as a factor for striking it down in May because that language singled out a class of people based on a specific trait.
In addition to its vagueness, the Texas amendment will benefit from the fact that the federal appeals court governing the state, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is one of the nation’s more conservative.
Mr. Upton said opponents’ main strategy may be to try to “limit the scope” of Proposition 2. He noted that Michigan’s attorney general interpreted that state’s same-sex marriage ban to mean local and state governments can’t offer employee benefits to same-sex couples. A state trial judge rejected that reading last summer, however.
He also fear supporters want a big win Nov. 8 to create “a perceived mandate” for prodding the Legislature to ban gay foster parents or criminalize health providers who help lesbian couples get pregnant.
Mr. Shackelford called that a “bizarre argument.”
Usually when you spend your political capital on something, you make it less likely that you can pass something else,” he said.
Mr. Upton, noting the GOP’s dominance in the Legislature and the ease with which the ban passed the House and Senate, replied: “I’m not sure they used too much political capital to get this.”
Staff writer Christy Hoppe contributed to this report.
Experts: Broad language leads to varied interpretation
08:35 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By ROBERT T. GARRETT / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas may be headed into uncharted territory with the broad gay-marriage ban on the Nov. 8 ballot, legal experts say.
Proponents and foes dispute whether the language would jeopardize partnership benefits and legal arrangements gay couples make for decisions on everything ranging from property to end-of-life questions.
And the experience of other states provides little guidance, because Texas’ proposed amendment is broader and less specific than many – and courts elsewhere are in the early stages of evaluating laws and amendments defining marriage.
Gay rights activists have been heartened by recent rulings by judges in Nebraska and Michigan. But many worry that in the hands of conservative Texas judges and citizens, the amendment could lead to a rollback of rights and benefits for gay couples.
“The people who oppose equal rights for gay and lesbian people will interpret these in the most harmful way possible,” said Ken Upton, Southwest regional attorney for the gay rights group Lambda Legal. “Will it be successful? You have to have a crystal ball.”
Proponents say they have no thoughts of punishing gays or nullifying their contracts.
Kelly Shackelford, a conservative activist who helped lawmakers draft the amendment last spring, said traditionalists are on defense in this fight.
Amendment supporters want to inoculate Texas from rulings by “activist judges” and make the state’s marriage ban impervious to what Mr. Shackelford called “shenanigans” by legislators or other bodies. He cited California, where, in 2000, voters approved a law defining marriage as “between a man and a woman” and then, last year, the state’s Legislature enacted the nation’s most comprehensive domestic partnership law.
“If the people pass something, we don’t want an end run around it,” said Mr. Shackelford, president of the Plano-based Free Market Foundation.
Opponents are depicting the amendment as a Pandora’s box that, because of purported drafting errors, could prompt a court to wipe out heterosexual marriage.
The suggestion brought swift denunciations from supporters, including Gov. Rick Perry.
As he cast his early ballot Tuesday, the Republican governor said the amendment “will pass overwhelmingly,” despite what he termed opponents’ attempts to confuse voters.
“I have great faith that the voters are rather wise and quite intellectually capable to figure out where there might be some misinformation,” he said.
Legal experts say it’s hard to handicap what courts would do with the amendment, known as Proposition 2, if it passes. But many see the measure’s second sentence as a source of contention.
It says the state and local governments “may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” The language is vague enough that it will be challenged, said Andrew Koppelman, a professor of law and political science at Northwestern University who is writing a book on legal struggles over gay marriage.
“This sentence will certainly generate litigation. It is a drafting catastrophe. It is not even grammatical. And it’s meaning and coverage are extraordinarily obscure.”
Mr. Koppelman, who favors gay marriage rights but takes no part in campaigns, said he would hate to be a Texas judge trying to decide what is and isn’t similar to marriage.
The amendment, he said, “might prohibit all domestic partnerships. It might prohibit no domestic partnerships. It might prohibit some. … It’s impossible to tell.”
Mr. Shackelford, the amendment’s supporter, says predictions of harm to existing rights are exaggerated.
“It’s really not that complicated,” he said.
He acknowledges that the provision might be invoked to eliminate domestic partner benefits given to employees of the city of Dallas and Travis County. But he said he sees no danger to wills, hospital visitation arrangements and other legal precautions gay couples often take.
And he said the 18 other states that have enshrined similar bans in their constitutions haven’t seen a deluge of litigation.
“There’s a lawsuit here or there in most places,” he said. “Most places, there’s not a single lawsuit.”
Mr. Upton is one of the lawyers for gay rights groups who have pored over Proposition 2, looking for ways to attack it in court if it passes.
Compared with bans in other states’ constitutions, he said, “It’s certainly as broad as many of them and it’s less specific than some of them.”
That could make it hard to challenge in court. In Nebraska, for instance an amendment mentioned “two persons of the same sex,” and a federal judge cited that as a factor for striking it down in May because that language singled out a class of people based on a specific trait.
In addition to its vagueness, the Texas amendment will benefit from the fact that the federal appeals court governing the state, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is one of the nation’s more conservative.
Mr. Upton said opponents’ main strategy may be to try to “limit the scope” of Proposition 2. He noted that Michigan’s attorney general interpreted that state’s same-sex marriage ban to mean local and state governments can’t offer employee benefits to same-sex couples. A state trial judge rejected that reading last summer, however.
He also fear supporters want a big win Nov. 8 to create “a perceived mandate” for prodding the Legislature to ban gay foster parents or criminalize health providers who help lesbian couples get pregnant.
Mr. Shackelford called that a “bizarre argument.”
Usually when you spend your political capital on something, you make it less likely that you can pass something else,” he said.
Mr. Upton, noting the GOP’s dominance in the Legislature and the ease with which the ban passed the House and Senate, replied: “I’m not sure they used too much political capital to get this.”
Staff writer Christy Hoppe contributed to this report.
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TexasStooge
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School payments made; ruling pending
Oct. 1 funding cutoff date played down as high court weighs case
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – October payments for school districts were sent out by the state on Tuesday, nearly a month after the Oct. 1 deadline set by a state judge to cut off payments if Texas’ school finance system was not fixed by the Legislature.
The payments came as school superintendents and state lawmakers anxiously wait for a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court on a lawsuit filed by hundreds of school districts challenging the funding system.
Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said school districts received their monthly payments by electronic transfer from the state treasury on Tuesday. The payments were made based on the opinion of agency attorneys that the deadline is on hold while the Supreme Court decides the case.
“The payments went out on schedule today,” Ms. Ratcliffe said, noting that school districts typically receive their allocations on the 25th day of each month.
The high court is considering the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling that found the Texas school finance system unconstitutional and ordered the Legislature to come up with a new system that provides more money for schools. That ruling by state District Judge John Dietz gave lawmakers until Oct. 1 to pass a new funding law.
But the Legislature was unable to agree on a new plan in their regular session earlier this year and in two special sessions this summer.
That left the fate of the finance system in the hands of the Supreme Court, which a decade ago upheld the current “Robin Hood” plan that requires high-wealth school districts to share their property tax revenues with other districts.
Lawyers for the hundreds of school districts that filed the latest school finance lawsuit said Tuesday they have no plans to seek enforcement of the deadline because a ruling from the Supreme Court is expected any day.
“We don’t want to cause the court to rush their decision,” said Dallas lawyer George Bramblett. “We are eager to have their decision and are hopeful that Judge Dietz’ ruling will be affirmed. But we don’t plan to force the issue at this time.”
There had been disagreement between the attorney general’s office and lawyers for the plaintiffs about the firmness of the Oct. 1 deadline, with state attorneys contending it was automatically suspended when the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal.
Plaintiffs lawyers had said the deadline was real, but are not pushing their position, partly because of the financial hardship that would hit school districts if their funds were cut off in the middle of the school year.
Meanwhile, a task force considering a proposed state rule that would require all school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their funds on classroom instruction heard Tuesday that about 40 percent of districts – including several in the Dallas area – already comply with the standard developed by the National Center for Education Statistics.
State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley said 418 districts are at the 65 percent benchmark and the “vast majority” of the remaining districts “face a small hurdle” to reach the standard.
The commissioner has been directed by Gov. Rick Perry to impose the new rule on school districts, and she has appointed twin task forces – one made up of educators and the other made up of citizens and elected officials – to advise her on implementation of the rule.
The biggest question is what school district expenses will be considered instructional and count toward the 65 percent threshold. For example, the NCES guidelines include football and other extracurricular activities for which students can receive class credit. But the guidelines do not consider salaries of counselors, librarians and nurses as instructional expenses.
Oct. 1 funding cutoff date played down as high court weighs case
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN, Texas – October payments for school districts were sent out by the state on Tuesday, nearly a month after the Oct. 1 deadline set by a state judge to cut off payments if Texas’ school finance system was not fixed by the Legislature.
The payments came as school superintendents and state lawmakers anxiously wait for a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court on a lawsuit filed by hundreds of school districts challenging the funding system.
Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency, said school districts received their monthly payments by electronic transfer from the state treasury on Tuesday. The payments were made based on the opinion of agency attorneys that the deadline is on hold while the Supreme Court decides the case.
“The payments went out on schedule today,” Ms. Ratcliffe said, noting that school districts typically receive their allocations on the 25th day of each month.
The high court is considering the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling that found the Texas school finance system unconstitutional and ordered the Legislature to come up with a new system that provides more money for schools. That ruling by state District Judge John Dietz gave lawmakers until Oct. 1 to pass a new funding law.
But the Legislature was unable to agree on a new plan in their regular session earlier this year and in two special sessions this summer.
That left the fate of the finance system in the hands of the Supreme Court, which a decade ago upheld the current “Robin Hood” plan that requires high-wealth school districts to share their property tax revenues with other districts.
Lawyers for the hundreds of school districts that filed the latest school finance lawsuit said Tuesday they have no plans to seek enforcement of the deadline because a ruling from the Supreme Court is expected any day.
“We don’t want to cause the court to rush their decision,” said Dallas lawyer George Bramblett. “We are eager to have their decision and are hopeful that Judge Dietz’ ruling will be affirmed. But we don’t plan to force the issue at this time.”
There had been disagreement between the attorney general’s office and lawyers for the plaintiffs about the firmness of the Oct. 1 deadline, with state attorneys contending it was automatically suspended when the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal.
Plaintiffs lawyers had said the deadline was real, but are not pushing their position, partly because of the financial hardship that would hit school districts if their funds were cut off in the middle of the school year.
Meanwhile, a task force considering a proposed state rule that would require all school districts to spend at least 65 percent of their funds on classroom instruction heard Tuesday that about 40 percent of districts – including several in the Dallas area – already comply with the standard developed by the National Center for Education Statistics.
State Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley said 418 districts are at the 65 percent benchmark and the “vast majority” of the remaining districts “face a small hurdle” to reach the standard.
The commissioner has been directed by Gov. Rick Perry to impose the new rule on school districts, and she has appointed twin task forces – one made up of educators and the other made up of citizens and elected officials – to advise her on implementation of the rule.
The biggest question is what school district expenses will be considered instructional and count toward the 65 percent threshold. For example, the NCES guidelines include football and other extracurricular activities for which students can receive class credit. But the guidelines do not consider salaries of counselors, librarians and nurses as instructional expenses.
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TexasStooge
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TexasStooge
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- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
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Police pursue thousands with active warrants
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - In a new attempt to clear Dallas streets of felons with active warrants, teams of police officers were on the hunt Tuesday night across the city.
Many Dallas residents may be surprised to learn that there are thousands of wanted felons living inside their neighborhoods.
Those with warrant are wanted from everything from burglary to murder. Police are looking for some of the most violent and habitual criminals in the city.
One such habitual offender police went knocking on doors in their felon search was Zemarian Wigenton. He is wanted for 14 offenses ranging from violation of a protective order to assault.
But, police in southeast Dallas have their work cut out for them because more than 60 percent of felons paroled in Dallas come to that division.
"We actually have an abundance of felons walking the streets," said Sgt. Louis Felini. "There are actually 10,000 active felony warrants in southeast alone."
Some residents said they were stunned by that number.
"That many in this area?" said resident Denise Allen. "...It really does surprise me. I did not know there were that many out here."
That number is also why the southeast division has set up the special teams of officers to find them. Since May, they have had seven felony offender roundups, and arrested more than 100 people.
"The more the merrier if they can just get them all off the streets," Allen said. "If they won't turn themselves in, police have to do what they have to do."
Dallas police said they will keep doing these operations as long as they are successful in bringing in wanted and dangerous criminals.
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8
DALLAS, Texas - In a new attempt to clear Dallas streets of felons with active warrants, teams of police officers were on the hunt Tuesday night across the city.
Many Dallas residents may be surprised to learn that there are thousands of wanted felons living inside their neighborhoods.
Those with warrant are wanted from everything from burglary to murder. Police are looking for some of the most violent and habitual criminals in the city.
One such habitual offender police went knocking on doors in their felon search was Zemarian Wigenton. He is wanted for 14 offenses ranging from violation of a protective order to assault.
But, police in southeast Dallas have their work cut out for them because more than 60 percent of felons paroled in Dallas come to that division.
"We actually have an abundance of felons walking the streets," said Sgt. Louis Felini. "There are actually 10,000 active felony warrants in southeast alone."
Some residents said they were stunned by that number.
"That many in this area?" said resident Denise Allen. "...It really does surprise me. I did not know there were that many out here."
That number is also why the southeast division has set up the special teams of officers to find them. Since May, they have had seven felony offender roundups, and arrested more than 100 people.
"The more the merrier if they can just get them all off the streets," Allen said. "If they won't turn themselves in, police have to do what they have to do."
Dallas police said they will keep doing these operations as long as they are successful in bringing in wanted and dangerous criminals.
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