| Leppert Needs to Make Smart Moves Regarding Trinity |
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| by Sam Merten | Mon, Jul 2, 2007, 06:47 AM |
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To keep his friends happy, Leppert will fight the referendum and appoint his right-hand man, District 3 Councilmember Dave Neumann to chair the Trinity River Committee. Making the smart decision would be to embrace the will of the voters by supporting the referendum and appointing the woman behind it, Angela Hunt, as chair of the committee. Leppert has made it clear he wants this toll road running through Angela Hunt is all about the details. She has torn this project apart, making sure the citizens get what they voted for. When she realized this toll road wasn’t what the public voted for, she started asking questions. When she didn’t get the answers she wanted, she asked more questions. Hunt, a council member, had to make open records requests to get information that wasn’t given to her by city staff. Hunt didn’t stop until she had all the information and when she had it, she started a petition drive. In 60 days, her grassroots effort to bring this back to Could there be a better candidate to chair the city’s Trinity River Committee? This is an extremely important project for Don’t get me wrong. Dave Neumann seems like he’s going to be a fine council member, but handing over this committee to someone just getting his feet wet on the council when you have someone as capable as Hunt would be a mistake. As I said in my wrap-up of his first agenda meeting, Neumann asked several questions that he should have already known the answers to. To be clear, I’m not trying to make Neumann look bad, I’m simply illustrating that he is inexperienced when it comes to council matters. Neumann was barely elected to the council, earning just 36 percent of the District 3 vote in the May 12 election and winning the runoff by only 282 votes. He is the anti-Angela Hunt, serving on the Board of Directors for the Trinity Commons Foundation, which opposes the referendum. It’s not a done deal that Neumann is going to be named, but Leppert has a decision to make. It’s not too late to listen to the voters and realize that even though what they want is different from what Leppert and his friends want, he works for the City of 
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Comments (13)
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written by Sharon Boyd , July 02, 2007 If Dave Neumann is chosen to Chair the Trinity Committee, it would be due to his representing an Oak Cliff District directly impacted by the Trinity Project. Dave was very involved in the Trinity Project support effort as head of the Stemmons Business Corridor Association. He is knowledgeable about the Project. Don't get me wrong. I am completely behind Angela Hunt to chair the TR Committee. There's just no reason to dis Dave Neumann. I disagree with him on all things Trinity, but he's a good guy. I also agree that Mayor Leppert should back off his unilateral decision to push for the Trinity Project and fight the will of 80,000 voters.
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written by walter , July 02, 2007 What absolute rubbish on the part of the author of this commentary! The voters voiced there opinion on the project in 1998. The toll road was clearly outlined that year as the voters went to the polls. One need only read once again the Dallas Monring News editorial and the accompanying drawing. Angela Hunt has decided this is her means of positioning herself to run for mayor.
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written by Dallas Perfect Voter , July 02, 2007 The point of the petition is transparency. The project needs to be fully disclosed and we need to debate the merits of certain decisions which have been made behind close doors and away from the public's purview. Leppert is correct that we need to "get it done" (get over analysis paralysis) but what gets done is another matter altogether. Most voters want a beautiful park as the main objective and main result, not some toll project. Why not Angela and Dave as Co-Chairs?
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written by Farinata X , July 02, 2007 Another way to say “detail isn’t Leppert’s style. He paints with broad strokes. Leppert has a big vision and he’ll worry about the details later” is to say that he speaks in vague and vapid generalities that he has no intention of carrying out but which leave him plenty of wiggle room when he fails to do so. I wonder how Sam will feel when Leppert, the man “who rules with an iron fist” for whom he continues to express such gushing admiration, tries to bring down that iron fist on Angela Hunt and her supporters, whom he also supports so fervently. Gee, Sam, that contradiction could make your head explode.
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written by Ken Felder , July 02, 2007 Farinta X I got the same vibe from the "rules with an iron fist" posting. I read it, and re-read it and while it is not as mushy of a Matt Pulle love letter to Leppart, it does make it look like the early stages of a solid fan base. I did wonder how one rules the very first meeting they have as mayor of a new city (to him) with an iron fist. For the first few months they can still lay some blame on Laura Miller and Ed Oakley for all that is wrong with the city. At some point, they will have to let go of those punching bags. If you are looking for an example of such, just read the incredible article by Mr. Bennett above regarding pResident Bush. His "iron fist" approach has left us the most hate country in the world. Ken Felder
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written by John McClelland , July 02, 2007 You could always appoint Natinsky chair of the committee. He thinks we should have highways in rivers like he saw in Korea (as stated at our DMN editorial board meeting)
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written by Farinata X , July 02, 2007 "Leppert “ruling with an iron fist” was simply an account of how he ran the meeting." How he runs the meeting is indicative of how he will attempt to run the city. Guys like this don't like to have their judgment questioned or their "leadership" challenged. Witness his pledge to engage referendum supporters "aggressively." You will see the real Leppert during this campaign.
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written by Wylie H. , July 03, 2007 "Highways in rivers like he saw in Korea...???" I travel to Seoul regularly, including the extended drive from the airport into the city along the Han River... I have no idea what Natinsky is talking about.
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written by Art , July 03, 2007 Interesting way for the Council to start its term, you think? Dallas' inaugural tab tops $30,000 More than half spent on breakfast event as costs beat '05 festivities 02:56 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 3, 2007 By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it With Dallas craving more police officers, fewer potholes and a host of enhanced services, some City Council members vowed to curtail their biennial inauguration festivities, which in 2005 taxpayers spent nearly $30,000 to conduct. "I'm happy to say, 'It's fine with me if we do without it,' " then-Mayor Laura Miller said afterward. Wishful thinking it was: This year's inauguration cost even more than before. In all, the city spent $30,373.59 to install its new council June 25 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. More than half of that went toward a pre-inaugural breakfast for hundreds of dignitaries and invited guests and flowers for their tables, according to city records. Other public expenditures include video and photography services, certificate frames, invitations, programs, decorations, "greenery/ferns" and gifts for outgoing and incoming council members. City Hall's Office of Cultural Affairs spent a couple of thousand dollars on staffing, musicians and overtime pay. Considering Dallas' 2006-07 municipal budget is about $2.34 billion, the $35,000 that council members authorized for the celebration is but a tiny fraction. What City Hall ultimately spent is enough, however, to buy nearly 11,000 gallons of gasoline to fuel city vehicles. Or purchase a few dozen AR-15 police assault rifles. Or fund a new code enforcement officer's salary for a year. "This isn't really showing concern for our citizens' dollars," said council member Mitchell Rasansky, who alone voted against Dallas' budget last year. "We really ought to have the inaugural in our council chambers. It doesn't need to be this expensive." Dallas did receive at least $11,500 in private funds and in-kind contributions for the inauguration, not including several entertainment groups who performed for free. And although the breakfast ceremony was exclusive, anyone could attend Mayor Tom Leppert's inaugural address and ceremony. It's worth the expense to produce a tasteful, memorable inauguration that honors elected public officials and invites the public to participate, freshman council member Tennell Atkins said. "Voters love to have the opportunity to see their representative and be with him or her on such a special occasion," Mr. Atkins said. "You don't want to spend too much. But I couldn't invite all the people I wanted to the breakfast. In the future, we should have the opportunity to invite as many people as we can."
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written by East Dallas Eccentric , July 05, 2007 Angela Hunt is the smartest person on council in many moons. She has earned the loyalty of her wonderful district, full of urban Dallasites who are up on the issues and are intelligent readers and travelers who know what makes a good city. She has managed to mobilize people not only in her district but also in all of central Dallas. It's not easy getting out to get signatures on these petitions, form conservation districts, serve on committees, support the local schools, etc. -- but these people do it, and how! So it would behoove the new mayor and council to wake up and smell the coffee. Write comment
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Tom Leppert is a smart man. Now is the time to make smart decisions rather than ones to make his business and political friends happy. His concern should be for the people of the City of 
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