Thursday Roundup: Killing Red-Light Cameras, Douche Drivers, Poor Reporting & More
- Oh happy day. A state district judge refused to budge on his ruling that red-light cameras in Dallas violate the law.
- Meanwhile, some of you clock-punching commuters — thank the highfather for teh Internets and telecommuting — are acting like douchebags. Especially during the morning rush.
- Do I even need to say what would put an end to these kinds of home invasions?
- A good tell that a news agency has little understanding of the basics of business and economics is in how they cast business stories in single-perspective black-and-white, focusing on a single negative. For instance, “Low Oil Prices Spell Trouble for Economy.” Which, yes, it hurts some energy companies and economic activity in the Barnett Shale, but it also benefits as many others — everyone from American Airlines to ordinary people heating their homes and gassing their cars.
Wednesday Roundup: What Interest Rates Mean to You; What’s Not to Tax?; COP DWIs & More
- I’m working closely right now with an acclaimed mortgage broker on a project, and without boring you with the details — early 2009 will be the prime time to re-fi your mortgage. Mortgage brokers and lenders are gearing up behind the scenes to get ready for the influx of businesses. An early sign, you ask? Well, glad you did.
- “I’ll tax the street; I’ll tax your seat; (if you get too cold, cold) - I’ll tax the heat; (if you take a walk, walk) - I’ll tax your feet.” More here.
- This is not reassuring given the usual outcome of this much evidence in a DWI case. Not the least reason being a drunken on-the-road fight with a girlfriend so bad he was swerving.
- Dallas is all-guns to make a doomed convention center hotel work at the cost of $550 million to taxpayers who may not even want it, yet they’re doing all the can to sabotage what will be one of the biggest economic drivers South Dallas has ever seen in its future. Keep this in mind.
- A Fort Worth woman did what too many in the DFW need to do — lost 110 pounds — and won a prize to boot. Bonus insider knowledge: did you know The Biggest Loser is one on DPD Chief David Kunkle’s guilty pleasures?
Thursday Roundup: Fishy Searches in Addison, Fishy Hotel Claims, Fishy Bailouts & More
- When a cop from another city questions another police department’s search procedures, you know something is wrong.
- “Mr. Jones said that bookings at the center are up 20 percent to 25 percent over last year on word of progress on the hotel.” I’m sorry, I don’t believe there’s any evidence of causation at all, and Philip Jones has shown that he is not factually neutral when it comes to pushing the city into this $550 million (and growing) boondoggle.
- North Texas cities are lining up at the trough. Their list of items they want the rest of America to pay for is — frankly disgraceful: skate parks, tennis centers, unmanned drones (for God’s sake), and the biggest joke of all, hundreds of millions for the city-owned taxpayer hotel, which is such a great investment it already needs a bailout.
- “I’m a simple country boy from Nebraska, and all I want from politicians is to educate my grandchildren and give me highways I can drive on,” said Larry Ihfe, who smoked at the Dallasite bar in East Dallas while watching the council session on television. “I have to have a four-wheel-drive truck to drive the streets in Dallas, and the City Council is more concerned about me smoking in a bar.” I have nothing to add. Except a disgusted head shake.
Wednesday Roundup: Smoking Ban, He’s Got Crabs & More
Dallas takes another step down the yellow brick road of paternalism. I’ll have more on this nanny state mentality in the February issue of D Magazine.
“The man told officers that he accidentally drove over his uncle during a fight, police said.”
McKinney man’s crabs cost him $1,910. Seriously? A fine for transporting crabs?
So was this one-day kidnapping just another inept failed crime by some incompetent criminals, or a portent of things to come with Mexican kidnapping customs working their way north of the border?
Tuesday Roundup: Leppert Wants a Hotel Bailout, Russ Martin Off the Air & More
- Mayor Tom Leppert’s hat-in-hand visit to DC was more embarrassing than I thought. According to the folks at “Citizens Against The Taxpayer-Owner Hotel,” Leppert asked for pork to pay for the $550 million convention center hotel project. Anne Raymond, whose heading up the opposition to the hotel project, was at no loss for words. “Following in the footsteps of failed Wall Street banks and automakers, Leppert’s request for federal funds for a hotel bailout illustrates exactly what a money-losing venture this would be.” Saving grace? Leppert’s just one in a long line of city mayors lining up at the trough for a feeding.
- One of the movers behind the brilliant DISD grading policy — the one where you get to retake tests until you pass and homework can’t be counted against you if it would lower your grade — is leaving.
- I’m betting the firing of Russ Martin isn’t going to go over well in the short or long term. His fans are uncommonly committed, and I just don’t see yet another sports radio station making much of a dent in The DFW.
- Yeah, see, that’s pretty much going to have the opposite effect.
Monday Roundup: Busting Drug Cops, It’s Not News It’s AP, Death Penalty Conundrum, Dallas GOP & More
- This may be the coolest thing this week — a show that puts drug cops under the spotlight, and it’s done with at least as much fairness as all the breathless, mouth-breathing reality cop shows like “DEA” and “Cops.” It’s called “Kop Busters,” and they stage houses to be raided by cops that use phony information to get illegal search warrants. Here’s a rundown on what Kop Busters does, and here’s raw footage of the raid where they punked Odessa narcotics officers. (Via Robert Guest via the Agitator via nevergetbusted.com.)
- This is one of those stories that belong in the “people actually meet online and date” file. Why should this be surprising in the least? What are modern video games except interactive entertainment?
- Every time I think I’ve finally overcome my last vestiges of support of the death penalty– and it’s been a hard decision to settle on — along comes a guy who deserves it so much it throws a wrench into the works. Anyone else have this problem?
- That’s it. I’m converting my daughter to Amish. Amishism. Whatever. Before she’s 16. And I’m giving her male classmates walking tours of my home armory. And the swampland where I can dump bodies.
- And this is just downright embarrassing. Let’s hope Jeb’s outlook prevails.
- My colleague Sam Merten does a bangup job profiling Jonathan Neerman’s vision for the future of the Dallas County Republican Party. Neerman hits a bulls-eye with this: “We spend too much time worrying about shit that doesn’t matter.” (*cough* gay marriage, border fence, school prayer, online gambling, Internet porn, gay adoption, the War on Drugs *cough*)
Friday Roundup: “Rent” Oh My, Unequal Justice, NO More Cowbell
- Some Rowlett parents think that if the high school cancels its production of “Rent,” students will be shielded from ever having to hear about topics like drug abuse and homosexuality. Good luck with that. By the way, take a guess how many of the protesters have even seen the play.
- Scott Henson at Grits for Breakfast asks why there have been no charges filed against the crazy woman whose phony child abuse report triggered the state’s raid of the Yearning for Zion property and the separation of more than a hundred children from their parents.
- This is my worst nightmare.
- Correction. This is:
Thursday Roundup: Inland Port, Leppert Silences the Masses, Selling Fear & More
- Jim Schutze gets what I’ve been saying about this inland port “master plan” scam. Good stuff, especially on how the Perot’s interests are involved. Except as my friend Michael Davis points out — he goes overboard in making point about South Dallas. I’ve been guilty of that, too; Michael’s point being that South Dallas is no more a homogeneous block than any other part of Dallas.
- Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert seems to have forgotten that he works for the people of Dallas, and not the other way around.
- You’re the ex-FBI agent who helped fumble the OKC bombing investigation a decade ago, and now you’re in the security business for yourself. How do you drum up business? Why, spread a little fear around and watch the media lap it up.
- Want to see a prime example of just blatant propaganda?
- And speaking of — you know the recent judge’s ruling that red-light cameras in Texas are illegal? (Woo hoo!) Buried at the end of this story, you have the claim that, “Even if the judge is right, it doesn’t affect any of the past notices that have been issued. If you get [a citation] before the court takes any action, you need to pay it.” This is absolutely false. You do not need to pay a red-light camera fine. It does not affect your driving record, your driver’s license, and it cannot be used against your credit rating. There is absolutely no consequence for refusing to pay one of these illegally levied fines. Tear it up the ticket and throw it away. Show some backbone and assert your rights.
Wednesday Roundup: Gay Old Time, Mass Transit Hysteria & More
- My friend Jacob Sullum — honestly, I have no idea where this guy finds the time to write so much — explains so even the thickest brow social conservative can understand why the gays should be free to marry and adopt, and why it’s none of government’s business in the first place. Meanwhile, the lower primate wing of the GOP will likely take this poll on (most) black people’s attitudes about gays to mount another dead-end offensive. Meanwhile, a few Republicans are starting to get it.
- The best hope from this story? The “new plan is too ambitious and, perhaps worse, too complicated to pass the Legislature.” Which is nice. Because as hard as it may be for the backers of mass transit schemes to believe, we might need those hundreds of millions a year more than they do. If your idea is so great, you pay for it. Don’t force the rest of us to.
- The actual content of the story here contradicts the headline. And this one, too. The lazy headline writer trifecta is in play. Submit your find.
Free Mark Cuban, Part Troix
The appearance of bias is getting stronger — read the angry emails between Mark Cuban and the SEC’s Jeffrey Norris back when Cuban was considering distributing “Loose Change”.
Meanwhile, the case against Cuban appears to be getting weaker.