Mesquite Lion
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Citizen's forum
November 21, 2010
Is this a true representation of the will of all the constituents of HD101? There are
140K residents of HD101. Only 25.5K voted. The Representative-Elect won by
approximately 925 votes. She only won by 51% that means 49% of those that voted...
did not vote for her. The election is now over the Representative-Elect cannot cater to
those individuals that supported her outside the borders of HD101. Her choice to
support the ultra-conservative, Rep. Paxton, does not reflect the will of the total
constituency of HD101. Is Representative-Elect Burkett going to follow her own
agenda and the agenda of the hyper-conservative minority of Texas? Representative-
Elect Burkett would have better represented the will of the citizens of HD101 if she
would have supported Speaker Straus. Will her actions in Austin reflect the will of the
highly diverse population of HD 101 that she now has the privilege to represent? Will
she understand there is a difference between politics and governing? Will she
broaden her vision and see the people she represents are not hyper-conservative but
hard working people that don’t want to see polarized partisan politics? Will she
understand what is best for everyone is closer to the middle? Will she ever vote
against the will of her party if it’s best for the citizens of HD 101? Representative-
Elect Burkett your first decision was not a good one. Will you be a leader in Austin or
will you be a follower? Are you going to see how the ultra-conservative minority votes
on legislation and vote with them or are you going to vote according to the will of the
diverse population of HD101?
RW
Is this a true representation of the will of all the constituents of HD101? There are
140K residents of HD101. Only 25.5K voted. The Representative-Elect won by
approximately 925 votes. She only won by 51% that means 49% of those that voted...
did not vote for her. The election is now over the Representative-Elect cannot cater to
those individuals that supported her outside the borders of HD101. Her choice to
support the ultra-conservative, Rep. Paxton, does not reflect the will of the total
constituency of HD101. Is Representative-Elect Burkett going to follow her own
agenda and the agenda of the hyper-conservative minority of Texas? Representative-
Elect Burkett would have better represented the will of the citizens of HD101 if she
would have supported Speaker Straus. Will her actions in Austin reflect the will of the
highly diverse population of HD 101 that she now has the privilege to represent? Will
she understand there is a difference between politics and governing? Will she
broaden her vision and see the people she represents are not hyper-conservative but
hard working people that don’t want to see polarized partisan politics? Will she
understand what is best for everyone is closer to the middle? Will she ever vote
against the will of her party if it’s best for the citizens of HD 101? Representative-
Elect Burkett your first decision was not a good one. Will you be a leader in Austin or
will you be a follower? Are you going to see how the ultra-conservative minority votes
on legislation and vote with them or are you going to vote according to the will of the
diverse population of HD101?
RW
November 30, 2010
Dear Friends –
While it has been rumored for several days, I received an email from the City
Secretary today that stated that her office had received an Application for Local
Option Election Petition for the legalized sale of beer and wine for off-premise
consumption in Mesquite .
On the surface we tend to think that this will solve, or at least aid, in our city’s budget
crunch if this referendum passes and beer and wine sales are permitted. However, I’
m not convinced. The extra sales tax $$$ would be a nice addition to the revenue side
of the budget, but what will it cost us on the expenditure and the “unknown” side?
This issue has been brought to Mesquite voters twice in my nearly eight years on the
council, and has twice been defeated. Now the Political Action Committee (PAC)
“Keep the Money in Mesquite ” has been formed and is being supported by Kroger
and probably other stores in the near future.
We as Councilmembers get put into a lose-lose position on these types of issues. We
anger our supporters on either side when we take a position that disagrees with
theirs. Even so, I am going to take a position on this issue. The position I am taking is
based on, among other things, my upbringing. Therefore, I will not be supporting this
issue. I’m not going to judge or hold it against those friends and supporters that do
support the issue (and I know that many of you that receive this email will support it),
but I cannot support it. I have wrestled with this issue many times, and I just cannot
conclude that alcohol sales will benefit Mesquite .
We can argue the moral and/or virtue issues of alcohol sales all day long and never
reach a conclusion that both sides can agree on.
Will it bring some businesses to Mesquite that we would like to have? Maybe.
Will it bring businesses that we don’t want? Definitely yes. Just take a drive down
Bruton Road on the Mesquite/Balch Springs border and see the stores on the Balch
Springs side of the street. Personally, I don’t want those types of stores in Mesquite .
Will it bring a Central Market to Mesquite ? I don’t think so. Like it or not, we’re just
not their type, with or without beer and wine.
So there you have it. If all goes as the PAC plans and they get the required 7,915
signatures on their petition, then the issue will be on the May 14, 2011 ballot. Tighten
your seatbelts. It may be a bumpy ride for the next few months.
- Dennis Tarpley
Dear Friends –
While it has been rumored for several days, I received an email from the City
Secretary today that stated that her office had received an Application for Local
Option Election Petition for the legalized sale of beer and wine for off-premise
consumption in Mesquite .
On the surface we tend to think that this will solve, or at least aid, in our city’s budget
crunch if this referendum passes and beer and wine sales are permitted. However, I’
m not convinced. The extra sales tax $$$ would be a nice addition to the revenue side
of the budget, but what will it cost us on the expenditure and the “unknown” side?
This issue has been brought to Mesquite voters twice in my nearly eight years on the
council, and has twice been defeated. Now the Political Action Committee (PAC)
“Keep the Money in Mesquite ” has been formed and is being supported by Kroger
and probably other stores in the near future.
We as Councilmembers get put into a lose-lose position on these types of issues. We
anger our supporters on either side when we take a position that disagrees with
theirs. Even so, I am going to take a position on this issue. The position I am taking is
based on, among other things, my upbringing. Therefore, I will not be supporting this
issue. I’m not going to judge or hold it against those friends and supporters that do
support the issue (and I know that many of you that receive this email will support it),
but I cannot support it. I have wrestled with this issue many times, and I just cannot
conclude that alcohol sales will benefit Mesquite .
We can argue the moral and/or virtue issues of alcohol sales all day long and never
reach a conclusion that both sides can agree on.
Will it bring some businesses to Mesquite that we would like to have? Maybe.
Will it bring businesses that we don’t want? Definitely yes. Just take a drive down
Bruton Road on the Mesquite/Balch Springs border and see the stores on the Balch
Springs side of the street. Personally, I don’t want those types of stores in Mesquite .
Will it bring a Central Market to Mesquite ? I don’t think so. Like it or not, we’re just
not their type, with or without beer and wine.
So there you have it. If all goes as the PAC plans and they get the required 7,915
signatures on their petition, then the issue will be on the May 14, 2011 ballot. Tighten
your seatbelts. It may be a bumpy ride for the next few months.
- Dennis Tarpley
December 3, 2010
I strongly support beer/wine sales in Mesquite, just for the record. Mr. Tarpley's
reference to Central Market is quite ingenuous. Central Market won't be coming to
Mesquite but with beer/wine sales, Costco and mid level grocery stores might. Even
one big box grocery brings in millions in city sales tax revenue - money that could be
used for parks & rec, police & fire, streets, sidwalks etc. Besides, I think if people
want to buy that stuff they should be able to. I do. I don't think you should allow it
anywhere near the kids and I'd question the sale of hard liquor but beer and wine is
different. The quality of retail can be controlled with zoning and code enforcement.
No need to let neighborhoods go to the dogs. Neighborhoods around Central Market
and the Whole Foods stores where it's sold haven't exactly pulled the neighborhoods
down. Nor have Walmarts etc where it's sold pulled the neighborhoods down.
ew
I strongly support beer/wine sales in Mesquite, just for the record. Mr. Tarpley's
reference to Central Market is quite ingenuous. Central Market won't be coming to
Mesquite but with beer/wine sales, Costco and mid level grocery stores might. Even
one big box grocery brings in millions in city sales tax revenue - money that could be
used for parks & rec, police & fire, streets, sidwalks etc. Besides, I think if people
want to buy that stuff they should be able to. I do. I don't think you should allow it
anywhere near the kids and I'd question the sale of hard liquor but beer and wine is
different. The quality of retail can be controlled with zoning and code enforcement.
No need to let neighborhoods go to the dogs. Neighborhoods around Central Market
and the Whole Foods stores where it's sold haven't exactly pulled the neighborhoods
down. Nor have Walmarts etc where it's sold pulled the neighborhoods down.
ew
December 6, 2010
Dear Friends:
You may be getting tired of hearing about this, but when I find, see, or hear something
profound, I think the public deserves to hear about it.
I have been going through my Council packets again this morning in preparation for
our meeting this afternoon and ran across a memo I received dated November 16,
2010, from Tom Palmer , Manager of Economic Development.
Tom was given direction by the City Manager to contract with two consulting firms on
the city’s behalf. These firms were charged with conducting “a preliminary
assessment of the impact of light rail passenger service to Mesquite ”. I won’t go into
the specifics of the guidelines used, but in general, the consultants were to estimate
the economic impact of development of three light rail stations in Mesquite . The
results of their evaluation sounded pretty impressive.
According to Tom’s memo the consultants reached essentially the same
conclusions. They estimated the potential exists for almost $930 million of new
taxable property value, or roughly $1 billion. Converted to city tax dollars, Tom
estimates a potential receipt of $5.6 million to over $6 million in NEW tax revenue as a
result.
This sounds great on the surface. I would love to generate an additional $5-6 million a
year in tax revenue. But when you consider that according to the Dallas Morning
News article on September 30, the cost of building light rail is estimated at $70
million per mile, and the Mesquite rail line would cover eight (8) miles (mostly in the
City of Dallas), that’s a $560 million investment. However, I spoke with a rail developer
from Houston last week, and he thinks that number is low. He said the number is
actually closer to $130 million per mile, making Mesquite ’s investment more like $1.4
billion.
Now let’s do a little math. I won’t try to confuse things with inflation or time value of
money, and let’s assume all this development is in place at the time the rail begins
operation. In just simple math terms, if you assume $6 million a year in new tax
dollars, that means the cost of the rail construction will be recouped in just 93 to 173
years (depending on which per mile cost estimate you use). This does not include
normal maintenance and operation costs.
That’s worth saying again. It will take between 93 and 173 years to recover the cost
of building the 8 miles of track.
The fellow from Houston who called me (and don’t forget, he builds these rails) told
me that the Houston metro system passenger rider costs are roughly $22 per
person, per ride, and they charge $1 for the ride. Who do you think picks up the
difference?
And I still haven’t been told who the private investors are that the Mayor is keeping to
himself.
- Dennis Tarpley
Dear Friends:
You may be getting tired of hearing about this, but when I find, see, or hear something
profound, I think the public deserves to hear about it.
I have been going through my Council packets again this morning in preparation for
our meeting this afternoon and ran across a memo I received dated November 16,
2010, from Tom Palmer , Manager of Economic Development.
Tom was given direction by the City Manager to contract with two consulting firms on
the city’s behalf. These firms were charged with conducting “a preliminary
assessment of the impact of light rail passenger service to Mesquite ”. I won’t go into
the specifics of the guidelines used, but in general, the consultants were to estimate
the economic impact of development of three light rail stations in Mesquite . The
results of their evaluation sounded pretty impressive.
According to Tom’s memo the consultants reached essentially the same
conclusions. They estimated the potential exists for almost $930 million of new
taxable property value, or roughly $1 billion. Converted to city tax dollars, Tom
estimates a potential receipt of $5.6 million to over $6 million in NEW tax revenue as a
result.
This sounds great on the surface. I would love to generate an additional $5-6 million a
year in tax revenue. But when you consider that according to the Dallas Morning
News article on September 30, the cost of building light rail is estimated at $70
million per mile, and the Mesquite rail line would cover eight (8) miles (mostly in the
City of Dallas), that’s a $560 million investment. However, I spoke with a rail developer
from Houston last week, and he thinks that number is low. He said the number is
actually closer to $130 million per mile, making Mesquite ’s investment more like $1.4
billion.
Now let’s do a little math. I won’t try to confuse things with inflation or time value of
money, and let’s assume all this development is in place at the time the rail begins
operation. In just simple math terms, if you assume $6 million a year in new tax
dollars, that means the cost of the rail construction will be recouped in just 93 to 173
years (depending on which per mile cost estimate you use). This does not include
normal maintenance and operation costs.
That’s worth saying again. It will take between 93 and 173 years to recover the cost
of building the 8 miles of track.
The fellow from Houston who called me (and don’t forget, he builds these rails) told
me that the Houston metro system passenger rider costs are roughly $22 per
person, per ride, and they charge $1 for the ride. Who do you think picks up the
difference?
And I still haven’t been told who the private investors are that the Mayor is keeping to
himself.
- Dennis Tarpley
December 6, 2010
Organizing for America is looking for good people to write letters to the editor of the
Dallas Morning News in support of the Dream Act, which is due for a vote in the
Senate in the next few days. We need a chorus of voices speaking up in support of
the bill to help persuade some of our
Senators to do the right thing. Letters to the editor are a very visible way to do this.
Here's a link to the form on the DMN website where you can post your letter.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/includes/ice3/dn/opinion/lettersform.
html
President Obama has been a strong advocate of the Dream Act since he was in the
Senate. I support it because it provides a path to citizenship for young immigrants
who have proved themselves to be potential good citizens by completing two years of
college or serving two years in the military, just the kind of people our country needs.
They are undocumented because they were brought here as children by their
undocumented parents but they have grown up American. It seems to me we ought
to be out recruiting these young people instead of trying to kick them out. It is
inhumane to deport them to a country that they probably don't remember and where
they usually no longer have family or friends. The Dream Act students will not be
taking college positions from US citizens because most go to community colleges
which have open enrollment and they are not eligible for federal aid. They will not be
leapfrogging ahead of people going through the normal citizenship process - meeting
the initial criteria will earn them permanent residency so they can then begin working
towards citizenship. There really is no down side to this Act - it is a pure good.
If you need more information, check out the Dallas Morning News editorial:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN_drea
mact06edi.29033aebc.html
I also have a fact sheet debunking myths and misinformation being spread by
opponents.
Also, if you haven't already, call Senator Hutchison to let her know you are a Texan
and a voter and you want her to support the act. Her phone is 214.361.3500. Her
mailbox is usually full so be persistent. You can try to go see her aide at her office at
10440 N. Central Expressway Suite 1160 (though lately people - constituents - who
want to register their opinion on the Dream Act are barred from entering the building
by uniformed guards, and told not to park at the building in visitor parking, but do it
anyway since you are a visitor). In the past Senator Hutchison has been an avid
Dream Act supporter but since the last Presidential election it's been different. She
is, however, considered persuadable.
I look forward to seeing your letters in the DMN!
Elizabeth Walley
Organizing for America is looking for good people to write letters to the editor of the
Dallas Morning News in support of the Dream Act, which is due for a vote in the
Senate in the next few days. We need a chorus of voices speaking up in support of
the bill to help persuade some of our
Senators to do the right thing. Letters to the editor are a very visible way to do this.
Here's a link to the form on the DMN website where you can post your letter.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/includes/ice3/dn/opinion/lettersform.
html
President Obama has been a strong advocate of the Dream Act since he was in the
Senate. I support it because it provides a path to citizenship for young immigrants
who have proved themselves to be potential good citizens by completing two years of
college or serving two years in the military, just the kind of people our country needs.
They are undocumented because they were brought here as children by their
undocumented parents but they have grown up American. It seems to me we ought
to be out recruiting these young people instead of trying to kick them out. It is
inhumane to deport them to a country that they probably don't remember and where
they usually no longer have family or friends. The Dream Act students will not be
taking college positions from US citizens because most go to community colleges
which have open enrollment and they are not eligible for federal aid. They will not be
leapfrogging ahead of people going through the normal citizenship process - meeting
the initial criteria will earn them permanent residency so they can then begin working
towards citizenship. There really is no down side to this Act - it is a pure good.
If you need more information, check out the Dallas Morning News editorial:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/DN_drea
mact06edi.29033aebc.html
I also have a fact sheet debunking myths and misinformation being spread by
opponents.
Also, if you haven't already, call Senator Hutchison to let her know you are a Texan
and a voter and you want her to support the act. Her phone is 214.361.3500. Her
mailbox is usually full so be persistent. You can try to go see her aide at her office at
10440 N. Central Expressway Suite 1160 (though lately people - constituents - who
want to register their opinion on the Dream Act are barred from entering the building
by uniformed guards, and told not to park at the building in visitor parking, but do it
anyway since you are a visitor). In the past Senator Hutchison has been an avid
Dream Act supporter but since the last Presidential election it's been different. She
is, however, considered persuadable.
I look forward to seeing your letters in the DMN!
Elizabeth Walley