The Dallas Forum!!!!

[trolleygirl]

So far I haven't gotten anyone's information........

Well, we're still looking at next Tuesday, November 14 at 6PM at South Side.

Who else is coming??

[south side kiki]

if you want food...we'll need rsvps. also need them to determine what size room to reserve.

[trolleygirl]

Thank you all for coming to the meeting last night- it was a great meeting and we managed to get some good focus on our goals. Thank you, southsidekiki, for hosting us and for providing a fantstic dinner.

Just to quickly recap, our *action items* are to start linking city officials to their DISD counterparts, and vice versa. We're going to draft a letter introducing ourselves and our mission. We're also going to start connecting the neighborhood groups within the DTD areas. Since we are issues driven, we can rally folks around the Comp Land Use Plan, the Trinity River Project, get them informed at a grassroots level, just as long as we remain consistent.

Oh, I almost forgot, sustainable development, lowering crime and a better DISD all lead to healthy community and that's what we want for the city of Dallas, so our mission of electing candidates will be to find those folks who are "urbanists" like most of the people on this forum seem to be. And no, we're not restricting age.

What have I missed? Let us know if I missed anything.

Oh, I'll notify of the next meeting location hopefully by the end of the week, but it will be within three weeks and it will be someplace fun downtown. Someplace that serves adult beverages! *smile* Hopefully more people can join us, we've got great momentum.

Thanks again everyone. I feel that we're off to a great start!!!

[trolleygirl]

Hey y'all! It's that time again. I'm going to try to schedule another meet up for this important new organization and I'm looking at dates now.

What about Tuesday. Feb 6?

As far as location, I'm thinking that we can either meet at someone's office somewhere or we could do a fun meeting at a bar/club/restaurant/entertainment venue somewhere in Downtown/Uptown/Deep Ellum...I'm not a s hip as most of y'all so I need ideas on a venue.

We've got to sort throught the list of candidates, both for the Mayor's race as well as the City Council, we need to draft a set of "interview" questions for each candidate and then submit those to eaach candidate and then decide if we'll be hosting candidate forums or if we'll just use their interview applications as our basis for who decide to support.

This is very important as we believe that our 2007 local elections will be a critical year for Dallas. Sooooo............venues, anyone?

[Mballar]

It's a new year. Elections are coming up in May, and the City faces some very important issues. Now's the time to get started. . .don't you think? Who's willing to make some room on their busy schedule for a meeting next Tuesday or Wednesday?

[Mballar]

Sorry trollygirl. We must have been posting at the same time. I think you should take the lead on this. I defer to you.

[trolleygirl]

^ great minds think alike *smile* - I initially thought about next week but was afraid that it might not have been enough time- although I am certainly open next week......

[Haretip]

Yeah, I was watching the news tonight talking about how it looks like HALF of the city council will be up for grabs this election. Half the council populated with fresh blood and new ideas could really get some stuff done, if they worked fast before they get corrupted by the system. ;-)

[ahunt]

Yeah, I was watching the news tonight talking about how it looks like HALF of the city council will be up for grabs this election. Half the council populated with fresh blood and new ideas could really get some stuff done, if they worked fast before they get corrupted by the system. ;-)

You don't necessarily get corrupted by the system, but you definitely get frustrated by it.

I have read so many good posts on this forum and great ideas about how to improve Dallas. Half the council is up for grabs. RUN FOR A COUNCIL SEAT. You can make a difference in our city.

I offer this advice from personal experience. There is some perception that the people who serve on the council are "those people." Somehow separate from everybody else. I can understand how that perception came about, but the fact is, we're all residents of Dallas. I ran because I was sick of sitting on my butt watching the local news and being frustrated by the direction our city was going. Now I'm in a position to do something about it instead of just complaining and throwing up my hands about how "those people" are screwing up our city. Talk is cheap.

I guess my point is this: It's great to have high-level discourse about challenges facing Dallas. We certainly need that. It's also great to have watchdogs and commentators and analysts. But we also need good people to run and serve on the city council. Politics isn't a spectator sport.

[Edited because "personally experience" doesn't make any sense."]

[tamtagon]

You don't necessarily get corrupted by the system, but you definitely get frustrated by it.

I kinda have a crush on ahunt

[trolleygirl]

Ahunt-

That's the whole reason we came up with this new group, so that we could pool our ideas, experiences, talents and resources into a working and organized group. I've been a little down that we haven't had as much feedback as I'd have liked, because there are a lot of hits to this thread so I know people are reading it. But I worry that the good thoughts shared here, also end here, as far as "putting a verb" in there- and turning thouhts into action.

And maybe you hit the nail on the head. Maybe too many people who have so many great opinions but always end with, "...well it's all corrupted anyway...", would rather not engage those thoughts nd ideas into action.

It seems like the people who contribute to this forum are at least aware enough, and that they care to some extent, and that they want to know what's going on at the very most, or in the very least, find our local government entertaining. Which is probably more than most people on this planet.

[warlock55]

Politics isn't a spectator sport.

That's for sure. I'm always baffled and saddened that many people complain about government in America, but then don't do anything about it even though any person CAN actually do something about it. It's an amazing opportunity that we have that so many people in the world don't. I wish everyone would take to heart that we do have the power, and the responsibility, to actually govern our cities, states, and nation.

Having said that, I'm definitely in favor of a more informal meeting downtown somewhere with food. Don't ask me where though. I still know very few places downtown because I'm loathe to go outside when the temperature is below 60. :rolleyes:

[Haretip]

Hey, that corruption comment was meant in jest. I had the little sideways smiley face next to it. I don't think all of the city council is corrupt!

Besides, I ran for office last year, so I am not just spectatoring. I've got to wait another year and a half before they have elections again. In the meantime I will probably volunteer with one of our city council races.