| A Cheap Shot by Jim Schutze |
|
|
|
| by Tom Pauken | Thu, Mar 13, 2008, 11:52 AM |
|
What’s that old saying about not speaking ill of the dead? Well, Jim Schutze must never have heard of that expression because he couldn’t resist taking a number of “rhetorical shots” at Rufus and Lynn Shaw in an article that appeared in the Dallas Observer two days after their tragic deaths. Jim Schutze apparently called Rufus Shaw on the day of his death (“seeking comment and authentication of the emails, the Observer spoke to Rufus Shaw on Monday”). In the column, the Observer city hall reporter couldn’t resist rehashing Rufus Shaw’s problems with the law decades ago or bringing up a controversial book Rufus wrote in 1980. Clearly, Jim Schutze was seeking to paint Rufus Shaw in a negative light in his story. In his column, Schutze also is determined to rehash all of the recent legal problems that Rufus’ wife, Lynn Flint Shaw, had been facing. For example, we have learned after their deaths that the Shaws had serious financial problems. That may have been a factor in Lynn Shaw doing things which seemed so out of character for her. (A side note: speaking only for myself as a friend of Rufus Shaw, Rufus was a very private man who, while he shared with me in confidence his bout with cancer, he never once gave me any indication of the seriousness of the couple’s financial troubles. In our conversations on what was going on, Rufus simply seemed concerned about his wife’s legal difficulties and felt that certain individuals in the city were determined to make it as difficult on his wife as possible. You could see that reflected in some of the negative posting on Rufus’ columns at DallasBlog.com. There were some comments so inappropriate in the way of personal attacks on Apparently, Jim Schutze’s latest attack piece on the Shaws was going to revolve around claims that Lynn Flint Shaw was trying to steer business in the southern sector of That apparently was the latest “scoop” Schutze had uncovered. I guess this is what led the Observer reporter to phone Rufus Shaw on the day all of these tragic events unfolded. Rufus Shaw had emailed his regular column to me on Sunday around noon with the words “Tom, Here is the latest article. Thanks, Rufus.” The column itself was a well-written, cogent article about the possibility of a Hillary Clinton – Barack Obama dream ticket which was not to Rufus’ liking. As I said to reporters who called me after the tragic events involving the Shaws last Monday evening. I felt that something must have set Rufus off on Monday. I don’t know what it was, but perhaps he despaired that “all of this stuff” about This is a Schutze column which obviously was written in large part prior to the Shaws’ deaths. It would have been more appropriate had Jim Schutze and the Dallas Observer had the good judgment to kill this particular column, rather than run it after their deaths.
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (12)
...
written by Nathan , March 13, 2008 Tom, In the aftermath of the Shaw's tragedy, the DMN reported about a heartbreaking phone conversion that the Shaw's had with their son. If you ask me, this conversation was not at all newsworthy and should have remained a private moment for their family. Schutze on the other hand decided to focus on Mrs. Shaw's relationship with Tom Leppert, who is still very much alive and responsible for the direction of our city. His focus was on minority contracts and how they might be questionable procured. Think Trinity River Project and taxpayer subsidized hotel, both of which Leppert is a strong supporter of! If there were any shots (cheap or not) they were at Leppert, not Mrs. Shaw. If anything Schutze keeps his eye on the target and does not distract his reader with private family information that is not newsworthy.
...
written by Michael Davis , March 13, 2008 I have been holding it in for two days but I can't take it anymore. I'm disappointed at a lot of the coverage from many sources. Linking and posting to 911 calls linked to tragedies is behavior that I have always detested. Now we have that going, too. And who the hell cares about what Rufus got arrested for more than 20 years ago?! Does that really matter now?! From what I understand the charges were dismissed. We can't even grieve and have the process of a funeral for two beloved individuals in this community without turning it into a circus. I would like to thank Brad Watson, Shaun Rabb, Steve Pickett and Craig Civale for trying to approach this tragedy with a high degree of professionalism and looking for different angles other than the same-old story. I'm disgusted. I thought Dallas was better than this.
...
written by Michael O'Shaugnessy , March 13, 2008 The fact that you define Schutze's post as a cheap shot reveals that you have been and will continue to keep a blind eye towards sickening corruption - as long as it is performed by "your guy" (or gal).
...
written by Nobody's fool , March 13, 2008 In a time of grieving, proper respect should be shown for the departed. Many are grieving for the loss of two very beloved people in our community. RIP. No doubt the Observer went too far allowing the Schutze/Merten post today - certainly it was insulting and disrespectful of the dead. We the public should not support such reporting. But one thing in your own post, Tom, also does not ring true. How do you define what is or isn't out of character for a person, when that very same person actually does something illegal or immoral while they are in public office? Isn't the fact that one chooses to commit such negative and consequential acts defining of one's character, not an exception to it, especially (specifically) when we are talking of our own trusted Dallas public officials, as Ms. Shaw most certainly was? Unless you are Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread to survive during a time of war, the Public should never condone or except such morally deficient behavior from our leaders. Public figures right to certain types of privacy (such as in financial dealings) is waived by them the minute they step into a public position - especially one where they are directly involved with public funds and power. All of the identified recent charges brought against Ms. Shaw (forging the DA's name, stating there was a theft that never happened, converting campaign funds to personal use, etc) are specific transgressions that, ironically, were brought to light because of other folks who were involved by Ms. Shaw were themselves trying to discover the truth of these matters. Finding out that a public official has done unholy things by its very nature begs the public make a further investigation and ask still more questions of that person: what else were they involved with on the public's watch? It's a slippery moral slope, for sure. Once you break the public's trust, it is hard to be trusted. So many unanswered questions remain, yet the very person who should be facing them and answering them chose a permanent one-sided silence. Is the truth still needed? Of course - it matters because the public has the right to know the truth. This is a Dallas tragedy of so many proportions.
...
written by Grrr , March 13, 2008 Since there is no comment link on the Tom Paulken/Workers comp story, I'll comment here. Two Words: Claim Denied!!!! No, really Tom, good luck on your new adventure.
...
written by BettyCulbreath , March 14, 2008 How the hell can anyone put corrupt in the same sentance with Lynn Flint-Shaw. Lynn was murdered and her husband shot himself because they had money problems. Corrupt people have money and power and use it to gain more of the same. My Friend is Dead, I will not hear her french creolo speaking again, I will not see her face at the corner store again, I will not debate her on an issue again. The book should be closed on Rufus and Lynn Flint-Shaw they gave a great deal to this city and I do not know anything they stole. Their son and dtr.should get some respect from people in this city. Lynn did not have to die if not for blood thirsty medis and people hating for no good reason. Please let my friend rest at least until she is buried. My Friend Lynn was a wonderful woman , mother and wife. ps.If I have missspelled words forgive me.
...
written by joe , March 15, 2008 Yes, let's all show some respect for deceased, corrupt public officials.
...
written by Richie Sheridan , March 16, 2008 The Shaw's recent murder-suicide is the cat-out-of-the-bag concerning the corruption of the November Trinity Tollway vote, and the corruption of our city. Many are still in shock. The Shaws lives were threatened. As I stated in a recent speech to the Dallas City Council, the Trinity Vote was stolen with lies and money...some money which flowed unreported throughout the black community. This was recently reported on at the Unfair Park blog through emails of Lynn Flint Shaw, and Jim Schutze's writings. I'm no lawyer, but there must be a strong basis for a lawsuit to force a re-election on the Trinity Tollway-Highway. Rich Sheridan, P.E. Professional Engineer, N.Y. - Activist ________________________________________ The Trinity Tollway Vote – A Common Law Ethics Complaint Against Mayor Leppert and Mitch Rasansky Presented to the Dallas City Council by Richie Sheridan Professional Engineer, New York Activist January 23, 2008 (Filed in the City Secretary's Office) We just had an election, the Trinity River Tollway vote, which if it were a football game, the 53 to 47 finish was one close game. In close games there are always key plays, big plays that can be looked back at as game makers, the 3 or 4 big plays that significantly contributed to the win. Politics and elections today have unfortunately sunk from one of the true collective voice of the people expressed at the polls, and in the decision making of elected officials, sunk to an advertising campaign paid for by special interests to get the people to vote for something that they wouldn’t have if they were told the truth, something that will be better, at the taxpayers expense, for the special interests, and not in the interest of the public. With big, and subtle enough lies, and enough money, the people are misdirected in an election. That certainly is what happened with the Trinity Tollway vote. Many know that there were some lies, or the more politically correct word is misrepresentations in the recent election. Let’s call them alledged lies. Three of the most prominent “Big Plays”, alledged lies were by the “Save the Trinity” group, and two members of the Dallas City Council. The “Save the Trinity” group presented the perception to Dallas voters, based on their name alone, that they were the ones that were going to SAVE THE TRINITY from any environmental blight, environmental degradation caused by a tollway highway. This name was purposely chosen to mislead the voters. Back in 1998 during the initial Trinity bond election, there was a same name group, but they were against the then parkway. You’d think “Save the Trinity” would be ballistic over a high speed tollway. A man in this room held up his arms, outstretched, with a thumb turned in, saying that’s all the space the Tollway Highway, relatively, would take up in the park. Hardly noticeable, right? What wasn’t pointed out by this man was that the Dallas Morning News had clearly pointed out that the car and truck air pollutants from the Tollway would extend at least 600 ft out in to the Trinity Park. That’s a lot more than a thumb’s length of environmental degradation, it’s more like an arm, or a leg, or both. But this man, with his alledged lie, tried to reduce the environmental concerns over the Tollway built in a park. Lastly, another man in this room stated in a Tollway debate that the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers had approved all the environmental and safety aspects of the Tollway. One of the major objections to building the Tollway highway is that, as Councilmember Hunt has pointed out, a highway has never been built in a flood zone before, and the Army Corp would take at least 1 to 2 years to approve it. But in a Tollway debate, and later reported in the media, this man took away a major voter concern with some voters with an alledged lie intended to get more votes. How did these alledged lies impact the election? In addition to the three “Big Plays” just cited having a major impact on the election, the special interest group who wants the surface Tollway Highway in “Our” park, (also published in the Dallas Morning News), outspent the TrinityVote-No Tollway group 8 to one. The number of elected officials on the side of the Tollway was more like 30 to 1. It was like a coming out party for politicians. There was also a constitutional violation with a few politicians being against the petition, where it the right of every citizen to petition the government. It is clear to me, and many others that the Tollway election was stolen by and for a Special Interest group. (edited for length)
...
written by Political hack , March 17, 2008 Two very visible members of our community unfortunately took their own lives by their own hands telling their family beforehand. Mr. Sheridan, where's the conspiracy linking their tragic suicides with the Trinity issue? Please allow us our deep sadness over their deaths and please show respect. [It's challenging enough for many that there isn't closure or clarity as to what exactly prompted the Shaws to end their lives so premeditatively and so violently together in a pact.] While Dallas has had its share of issues and dirty politicians (including the most recent round Federal indictments against public officials and business) at least on the Trinity it was Dallas voters who went to the polls and there was a very public Trinity referendum vote - which meant the Trinity project could not remain a back room deal at all. There was much public discussion and debate beforehand on that vote. Where were you then? Councilwoman Hunt did a great service to our community alerting the public to the breadth of issues. But when all was said and done and votes counted, the voters still want the Trinity to move forward. With all due respect, where do you come (especially being from NY) trying to tell us otherwise? What exactly is YOUR interest in all of this? Go compare the voter log signatures if you are so convinced that there was corruption there. But what you'll find is that Dallas runs clean voting and registered voters voted, and those folks spoke at the ballot box - how can you say there was a "stolen" election at all? Many of us are very disappointed with the outcome of the vote, but Dallas voters did vote and those votes were counted...Please respect that fact. The best thing we can all do from here on forward is to demand accountability and make sure all cost estimates and planning are done within the public's view and are representative of the public's interest. Shine the light of transparency! Schutze and Merten continue to keep it real for us (thanks guys for all your hard work).
...
written by Pecos 45 , March 18, 2008 I think that Dallas is still trying to figure out who shot JFK. We'll get to the Trinity vote after we solve that.
...
written by grow up , March 19, 2008 Jim Schutze was doing his duty as an investigative reporter, which is to inform the public about the constant waste, corruption and collaboration of those charged with responsibly managing public projects and monies. Tom Pauken is the one taking a cheap shot. How many Katies have you won Tom? A bit jealous? Write comment
|
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
