Guest Blog: Tom Erickson

Tom Erickson won an impromptu Twitter movie quote quiz I came up with while waiting in a drive-through. His dubious prize? A guest blog.

(Heads up: If you’re not up on the Classics, watch this Duck Soup trailer first.)

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By Tom Erickson

I’m happier than Rick Perry at a Tea Party to guest blog on Trey’s turf. I’m an “occasional blogger,” who, except for the annual One-of-my-new-years-resolutions-is-to-blog-more-often post, sticks mainly to making snarky comments.

While it’s tempting to go with how I wonder if the right to bear arms applies to anything other than 18th Century militias, or my flirtation with the idea that handguns should be banned, I’ve decided to focus on the topic that earned me this forum: Duck Soup.

Trey and I may be polar opposites on guns, but at least we have similar tastes in classic film. Trey will argue his position until the cows come home, never wavering, but at the end, he’s channeling Ron Burgundy: agree to disagree.

So Duck Soup had me thinking about how a little film from 1933 says so much about today’s political leaders. For those who haven’t seen it (shame on you), here’s a quick recap.

Several local and state leaders remind me of Rufus T. Firefly — from the former president who invaded Iraq with the blessing of big oil and bigger business interests to the current governor who declares war on Washington, only to prove himself a sucker for Beltway bucks and always in need of federal disaster aid.

But perhaps the best example is our mayor, Tom “Big Hands” Leppert. Chosen from anonymity by the moneyed elite of the Dallas Citizens Council, Mayor Tom has taken a “my way or the highway” approach to any and all endeavors, from “signature bridges” (I still don’t understand how they will be able to sign their names), to the Trinity Parkway to the Convention Center hotel.

Much like the people of Freedonia, who ask their leader for a better way of life, us Dallasites dream of more police to patrol our streets, which are in need of repair, better representation in City Hall, and development projects that will benefit the general public, not just a few backers of the political regime.

Mayor Tom even has his own uprising of sorts, RIP Dallas, fighting for “No” votes in all sorts of potentially libelous ways.

Just as Rufus T. Firefly and his mad band of freedom fighters were ultimately victorious over the takeover-happy nation of Sylvania, some of us common folks hope turn back the hotel army.

But with a Mrs. Teasdale of his own, a corporation that’s not so eager show its hand when it comes to nearby property holdings, this battle may go to Mayor Tom.