mdunlap1
03 February 2002, 11:56 PM
Just to stir things up a little, but...
I think Ron Kirk has been an excellent mayor for the city of Dallas and helped turn a downtown/uptown area that was going in the tank (can anyone say Ballpark in Arlington, Legacy, etc.) into an uptown that is on fire and a downtown that is at least making a little progress rather than failing. There is a world class arena that once the bickering dies down about the surrounding development and its future financing, will clearly produce a strong urban development that can only help prop up the central business district. Ideally this will spread into the West End and elsewhere within the CBD. The city gained a $450 million investment for only $100 million, but unfortunately, people will always trash him for perceived conflicts of interest. This is too bad because, especially economically-speaking, Dallas had a great run under Mayor Kirk. We have one of the most rapidly expanding inter-urban rail networks in the world, traffic problems that, per capita, are far less than others in the list of fastest growing American cities, and have had an economic boom that is even greater than some American cities that would form a pretty impressive list. All this, and John Wiley Price and his ilk finally shutup for the most part. That in and of itself would have made Kirk a great mayor (anyone remember the NW Hwy blockings at morning rush hour and anti-police marches?).
But sadly, Dallas is about to hand the reigns over to a woman who has opposed everything that has ever been proposed, while offering very few solutions of her own. (What good are filled potholes if there's no one left in Dallas to enjoy them?) How wonderful that populist appeal is... even if it's totally void of any economic understanding. Oh well... it should be fun taking the rail to Plano and Arlington in a few years to see every major development that she chases the way of the Ballpark through her complete lack of understanding of economics and incentives. But hey, those cops will make more, right (policing the war zone left behind in her empty central business district)? Yea! Who's not for that (besides rich, Republican elitists, of course)?!? Go, Laura. (She loves the little man, don't forget... she feels your pain.)
By the way... I have no tie to any of the candidates but am one that is sick of the dumbest, most uneducated voices (i.e. the anti-Mockingbird Tunnel brigade) and their well-educated, crafty leaders always being fawned over by the media just because they claim to represent "the little people."
I think Ron Kirk has been an excellent mayor for the city of Dallas and helped turn a downtown/uptown area that was going in the tank (can anyone say Ballpark in Arlington, Legacy, etc.) into an uptown that is on fire and a downtown that is at least making a little progress rather than failing. There is a world class arena that once the bickering dies down about the surrounding development and its future financing, will clearly produce a strong urban development that can only help prop up the central business district. Ideally this will spread into the West End and elsewhere within the CBD. The city gained a $450 million investment for only $100 million, but unfortunately, people will always trash him for perceived conflicts of interest. This is too bad because, especially economically-speaking, Dallas had a great run under Mayor Kirk. We have one of the most rapidly expanding inter-urban rail networks in the world, traffic problems that, per capita, are far less than others in the list of fastest growing American cities, and have had an economic boom that is even greater than some American cities that would form a pretty impressive list. All this, and John Wiley Price and his ilk finally shutup for the most part. That in and of itself would have made Kirk a great mayor (anyone remember the NW Hwy blockings at morning rush hour and anti-police marches?).
But sadly, Dallas is about to hand the reigns over to a woman who has opposed everything that has ever been proposed, while offering very few solutions of her own. (What good are filled potholes if there's no one left in Dallas to enjoy them?) How wonderful that populist appeal is... even if it's totally void of any economic understanding. Oh well... it should be fun taking the rail to Plano and Arlington in a few years to see every major development that she chases the way of the Ballpark through her complete lack of understanding of economics and incentives. But hey, those cops will make more, right (policing the war zone left behind in her empty central business district)? Yea! Who's not for that (besides rich, Republican elitists, of course)?!? Go, Laura. (She loves the little man, don't forget... she feels your pain.)
By the way... I have no tie to any of the candidates but am one that is sick of the dumbest, most uneducated voices (i.e. the anti-Mockingbird Tunnel brigade) and their well-educated, crafty leaders always being fawned over by the media just because they claim to represent "the little people."