Conserve and Protect

How could we NOT have elected Jimmy Schnurr?!?!

2011-08-15T12:36:00.000-05:00

Especially when he comes up with hilarious stuff like this?

Super sad news...

2011-06-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. Diane Wardrup

My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

Does anyone know....

2011-06-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

Who I contact to contest one of these dumb red light photo enforcement tickets?

It's on a car that hasn't run in over a year (which I finally sold a few month ago....to a red light runner, evidently). I contacted city information and was told to call 'Neighborhood Integrity.' Does that sound right to anyone? Seems kinda weird to me.

Anyway, the photo enforcement place is located out of Arizona, and I assume contacting them would be a waste, not to mention there's no number anywhere on there.

Long story short, if I can't get this removed, I'm starting a PAC.

Our new manager...er, I mean mayor.

2011-05-23T22:14:00.004-05:00

He had the most seniority, so he got the job.

Did not see that coming....

2011-05-23T21:28:00.002-05:00

My Predictions-

2011-05-23T15:22:00.009-05:00

Mayor: Bobby T.

Mayor Pro Tem: Mark Solomon

Let me begin by saying, I correctly predicted all 7 of the council seats. I didn't vote for all of the winners, but I knew who all of the winners were before they won. If I've learned anything over these past two years, it's how this city's politics work.

Unfortunately, the RCA did not stand a chance, even from the get go. However, running a very poorly executed campaign made that bitter pill a little easier to swallow this time around. The same could not be said for two years ago. While there was not an official 'RCA' there was certainly an organized effort from the Anti-RC-er's. And after the 2009 results came in, I was absolutely floored that neither Jimmy Schnurr nor Chris Davis had won- or even come close for that matter. That's when I started really examining the campaigning blueprint set forth by the Richardson Coalition.

See, the RC is not unstoppable by any means, they just have a proven method for winning. And rather than duplicating that, the RCA decided to do their own thing. Big mistake.

For beginners the RC doesn't just wait around until the last minute to pick their candidates. No, I think they wait and watch to see who's interested in the seat and then they begin to subtly groom the ones who are open to their help (getting them plugged in to LR, volunteer opportunities and the like). Also, it seems to me that they only choose candidates who already have a large network of their own, like Bob Macy for example. That's why you will never see them backing a Karl V. He has nothing to offer their slate. Every candidate they back brings a certain number of voters to the polls, and subsequently those who support Kendal ("who's face is right here on this flyer!") will also vote for the rest of their endorsements whether they know any of them or not ("Cause if they like Kendal, then I trust their judgement!").

However, I do not believe that every candidate the RC endorses necessarily endorses them back. I think they pick the "winners" and then put their stamp of approval on them with or without their consent so that they can take the glory when said winner wins, thus building their reputation (brilliant). The RCA on the other hand, picks their candidates first and then hopes that their financial backing will be enough to make up for the lack of a personal network held by said candidate. And because the RCA is just now starting to build its base, they don't have enough pull in the community yet to support these candidates all on their own.

Also among the RCA's numerous blunders, was their need to fill every seat on the council which ultimately led to them supporting sub-par candidates and therefore weaken the credibility of their entire slate. They should have just stuck to the one or two slam dunks they thought they had. Or even done as the Coalition did, and endorse the "best of" each race in which they didn't have a candidate (yes, I'm still naive enough to believe Laura has not yet signed a blood oath with Chuck) therefore strengthening their credibility. Because they did not, now their name is equated to negative, sloppy campaigning and losing.

I absolutely adore Mac (founder of the RCA) and I do believe most of his intension are pure. He loves Richardson and wants to see a better city. I admire that. I think we all do. However, I hope the RCA is a thing of the past as I surmise their name has been permanently tainted.

I could discuss the inevitable demise of the RCA all blog post long obviously (sorry I didn't get to this sooner btw...busy w/ family stuff), but alas, it is a new day. And with it, a new mayor for Richardson.

It's no surprise that I think Amir would be the best choice for the job. He's young, energetic and has proven that he will take any role he's given and maximize its capabilities. I think he is the perfect face for Richardson, and would help counter the reputation we have of being a bunch of old and crusty white people.

But I am no dummy. This race is as easily predicted as the council seats were. People are going to play politics over doing what's best for the city. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is. Bobby T. is a safe bet for all of the new council people to go with. He is not polarizing and no pun intended, but is basically being (great, great, great) grandfathered in, if elected. He was next in line after all.

Many of you know that I actually like Bobby T. quite a bit, but I have to say if my prediction comes true and he is our next mayor, Richardson has missed out. We will not be any worse off for it, but he's also not going to do much to help the city's rep....with his old, white, crusty crustiness.

As for Mark, he's a follower, plain and simple. I like him as a person but I have said that about him from day one. When he finally starts a sentence without the phrase "well, I'm gonna have to agree with..." I will consider reevaluating my opinion of him. However, I doubt I will have to do that anytime soon.

Also, rumor has it, Mark S. is who Gary's pushing for which only reiterates my above point. He is a puppet. By electing him to any position of authority over the council you are allowing the old guard to continue pulling the strings.

I would strongly encourage those with a vote to keep him as a council member (a position which he's already unworthy of).

Like I said, nice guy but no leader- and certainly not a leader of leaders.

Richardson has a chance to really make stuff happen here, but not if these two guys are elected to higher office. The status quo will be kept and your trash will still get picked up twice a week. Which is all the residents really care about anyway, right?

It'll be interesting to see what happens tonight. Interesting but not shocking. I would looooooove to be a fly on the wall in that executive session.....

What about....

2011-05-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

vs.

Who would you pick for mayor?

Who would you choose as mayor?

2011-05-22T22:26:00.002-05:00

VS.

Early Voting Results

2011-05-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry things have been so quiet around here lately...

2011-05-13T12:56:00.003-05:00

The great and mighty cottonwood has been wreaking havoc on my life, and Richardson politics are pretty much the last thing I care about when I feel like this...

Btw, Happy Friday the 13th!

Alan North is obviously a pimp.

2011-05-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

Or a daddy or a boss or whatever it is you call a greasy, nasty guy who runs strip clubs...out of Kondos & Kondos offices. obviously.

Or maybe not, but this rare find was just too funny not to post...

Furthermore, I think Ch.5 should hire me to do their investigative reports from now on. I can be just as sensational as Grant Stinchfield (proof above), and now that he's no longer with them --since days after doing his T3 investigative report he left NBC 5 and moved on to helping the RCA with their commercials-- I think I'd make a great replacement. :)

Hear ye, hear ye! The Great Tex Keffler is speaking....

2011-05-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

via cor.net

{as always, click image to enlarge}

This has nothing to do with anything....

2011-05-04T13:54:00.001-05:00

So I'm going to file it under 'comic relief.'

Things have gotten pretty heavy as of late. We all deserve a good laugh.

BBQ(ueer) for Amir...

2011-05-01T22:19:00.004-05:00

Out at Glenville Park today, Amir held his fourth and final "BBQ in the Park." Considering the ridiculous weather, it was nice to see that so many people could make it.

And by "nice" I obviously mean it sucked, seeing as I was hoping to get a whole smoker of meat to myself, but whattayagonnado...

Pork was ever there, er, I mean Herc was even there.

Just in case they ran out of beef I guess???

All in all, it was a great way to spend a ridiculously freezing "well that's just Texas in May for ya" kind of day with the family!

Btw, who all's heading to the polls tomorrow???

I, personally, like to wait until the very last minute to vote, just so that all of my candidates have every chance possible to disappoint me.

Since I'm an equal opportunity ball buster...

2011-04-30T13:11:00.004-05:00

The RCA's full page ad in this weeks NeighborsGo has a few inaccuracies of its own.

As someone who's been to almost all of the forums and heard Amir harp on and on about this issue both publicly and privately, I have to say the RCA took some liberties with this one...

First of all, attributing one quote to four different people is already a stretch, especially when said quote was NEVER directly made by even one of them, but then to add the name of a candidate (perhaps even "candidates") who said precisely the opposite- now that's just sloppy.

I know for a fact AO believes the citizens should elect their own mayor. And I also thought Kendal Hartley was in favor of a direct election as well. That's when I decided to follow the asterisk...

Awesome. So I'll just go to their site, watch the video and see what they're referring to.

Only one problem...no such video has been uploaded.

yet.

Just when you thought it was safe to open your mailbox again...

2011-04-29T12:05:00.003-05:00

The frowny faces are back.
{click to enlarge}

For real, RC? Did we not mock you enough last time?

And wtf, I support a few of your candidates but half this stuff is lies. again. why am I not surprised.

Contrary to popular belief...

2011-04-27T18:02:00.003-05:00

Alan North was actually at the forum last night.

He's just a wee little man though, and the LWV has a rule against "props" i.e. phone books/booster seats.

What a shame...

He's no Tom Bache-Wiig, but...

2011-04-26T15:52:00.001-05:00

Mark Twain Forum

2011-04-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

{Sorry this is so late, I chose cleaning diarrhea and vomit off my walls/floor/bedding over blogging this week. Don't worry, it' wasn't mine.}

Let's go ahead and just boil it down to the highlights...

I won not 5 but 6 straight games of Solitaire, without using the hint button once.

Mark Solomon made mention of his insurance two separate times...really mastering the technique of segueing.

Dennis Stewart coined the term "Forum Groupies."

Kendal Hartley said he likes to listen more than talk. smooth.

John DeMattia and Amir Omar had an interesting exchange regarding bringing small business/retail to Richardson. Worth hunting down the video to see IMO.

Karl V. talked about how he retired a while back to become a public servant, which I thought was kinda awkward as it only highlighted his losing streak.

Bobby T. fumbled over his words saying "There's still a lot of good in the pipework...er, pipeline," which made me smile.

Diana Claussen's phone rang not once but twice. The second time she answered, and proceeded to have a brief conversation.

However, John DeMattia still topped that to become the king of the Mark Twain forum awkward moment, when he went on a tangent about how Richardson could never have it's own "state park" because we just didn't have the space for it....when asked about the possibility of a "sKate park" in Richardson. Mishearing the question was not what made it awkward, it was more the fact that he went on and on answering it with a straight face....and on a more personal note, as someone who makes a habit out of asking a lot of stupid questions, I really like the fact that John D. won't make fun of me, but rather take them (if anything too) seriously.

Anyway that was about it. Within 24 hours half my house had contracted the ebola virus. So if you see me at the LWV forum tonight, just stand back and let me play Solitaire in peace, as I'm obviously a carrier. for real. like that monkey in Outbreak.

Classy move, Mr.Gordon....

2011-04-19T08:43:00.001-05:00

{click to enlarge}

Happy National "Queer For Amir Day" Everyone!

2011-04-18T22:29:00.008-05:00

Yeah, I didn't have it on my calendar either, but it just kinda happened.

So, Nation QFA day began this morning at 5:30am when channel 5 (yes, the same channel 5 that ran the anti-T3 piece just a few weeks ago) did a number of little live shots of AO...and trees...I'm assuming...since I was totally asleep at that hour. I did however hear about it later on KLTY, of all places, as I was taking my son to school.

QFA celebrations continued this afternoon at the Eisemann center where many of the metroplex mayors and community leaders gathered to kick off Tree North Texas...and obviously talk about how gay they are for Amir...and trees too, of course.

My daughter Eiffel, took this celebrated occasion to make up a gang sign for Tree North Texas.

It's a leaf. pretty rad.

Crypts, bloods, photosynthesizers? I dunno. I'll keep working on it...

And finally the day ended with the whole council telling Amir just how gay they are for him. So I heard...via Facebook.

Actually, so I heard via Abrahm, via Facebook. To which Abrahm added, "I wonder what Steve said?"

I do too. I. do. too. Guess I'll have to watch the rerun tomorrow.

Until then though, I'm gonna go celebrate QFA Day in my own special way- by taking a chance on a guy with a funny name. A different guy. A guy who just so happens to (ironically) be Steve Mitchell's absolute doppelgänger... Mr. Deangelo Vickers.

Place 1...

2011-04-16T11:07:00.002-05:00

It's pretty pointless for me to even go to these forums anymore, seeing as my mind is already made up in 6 of the 7 races. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't playing (read as 'dominating') Solitaire for a majority of Thursday night's event at the Turquoise Center. Seriously, I'm getting so good I could probably compete locally...if something like that actually existed. which would be awesome.

However, I do pause my play whenever Mr.Gordon or Mr.Townsend speak. There's this ever fleeting hope that one of them will convince me to like them more than the other. See, I like them both, I've just yet to be really impressed by either. I'm always hearing about how brilliant William Gordon is, and I'm always wanting to throw back a few margaritas with Bob and Lynn. So this has led to me devising my own system of pros & cons on which to base my vote. My system is constantly adding new absurd components, but this is what I have so far...

Speaking voice:
Everyone already knows how I feel about Bobby T.'s wooden teeth and stellar oral acoustics = +1
William Gordon on the other hands tends to screech at the audience near the end of the forums. I think this is a strategy to convey intensity and passion, but it grates on my ears = -1

Style:
William G. has some super sweet kicks = +5
Bobby T. dresses like he's prepared to drop dead at any given moment and doesn't want his family to have to go through the trouble of changing his clothes before he's placed in his pine box = +2 (since you have to admit, it's very considerate)

Rants:
{Both candidates bitch equally about the city so this is a tough one.}
Bobby T. works 50 hours for 50 dollars a week. He basically compares serving the city to working in a Taiwanese sweatshop = -10
William Gordon, while his arguments may be valid, still screeches. like a lot. It makes it hard for me to focus on said points. My husband has the same problem. He's quiet and doesn't have a good screaming voice so when he tries, it sounds painful = - 7

Sense of humor:
William G: Excruciatingly lawyerish = 0
Bobby T.: Very funny, but never during council meetings (man, I'm gonna miss the Murph) = +2

So now let me tally this up....carry the 1....y = 23 squared.....aaaaaaaaand, it's a tie.

I'm still totally, completely, thoroughly unbowled over by the both of you. So way to out unimpress me fellas, and give me a reason to continue attending the forums....I mean, a reason aside from becoming a level 10 Solitaire Jedi that is.

Blog about last night's forum < Take a nap

2011-04-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's an easy one.

I'll post about the forum (and W. Gordon's shoes) in a little while. Until then, please feel free to check back compulsively every half hour.

Sure do have a lot of Joni Mitchell fans here in Richardson...

2011-04-14T08:55:00.001-05:00

How much cheddar did a Chuck E. spend, if a Chuck E. did spend cheddar?

2011-04-14T08:41:00.001-05:00

Today's the day all the candidates turn in their finance reports. Should be interesting to see who has raised what and who's contributed to whom. I'm also curious to see whether Mr.North will participate or not.....seeing as he does have a campaign "website" and all.

Anyone expect any surprises?

My 3 Dirty Little Secrets...

2011-04-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'll admit that title is a bit dramatic, seeing as how none of these are actually "secrets" as much as they've just never been broadcast on my blog before. So here goes...

#1. I'm a dirty, filthy, lowlife renter-

That's right, we rent our cute little house over in Cottonwood Heights, because as a growing family of 5 there's no way we could ever afford to live in this part of Richardson otherwise. Since I'm "naive and immature," the concept of building equity vs. throwing away money every month on something I don't really own doesn't bother me at all. However, it should be noted, we're not housing 27 of our closest relatives either. So while we're "renters," we're not like scary renters. I don't think.

#2. Darrell Day is my father-

Or stepfather to be exact (he and my mom got married when I was 9 months old and divorced when I was around 4 1/2), but I refer to him as 'my dad' and so do most of the people who know me. It's not at all something I keep secret.

#3. I don't hate Gary Slagel and I will miss him when he's gone-

His glasses alone make up a good portion of the material on this blog and without him, the city will be much less like a junior high girl's slumber party. Because see, right now we're divided into the Pro-Slagel's and Anti-Slagel's, and since I'm an eh-Slagel, all day long I have people from both sides calling me to gossip. I get to be like the Perez Hilton of Richardson and I'm not gonna lie, it's a lot of fun.

Why am I telling you all this you ask? Because evidently "secrets" #2 & #3 got me a shout out in the JJ Pearce newsletter this month. Btw, do I have like NO JJP readers? Why didn't anyone give me a heads up? I digress...

So basically, I wrote a column for my dad's local paper/newsletter last month about Gary (if you read C&P regularly you'd think it was one of the most glowing things I'd ever said about him, however, if you don't, than evidently it was offensive at best) and it really ticked off one Belinda Vrielink, so she wrote a letter to the JJP newsletter "outing" secret #2.

And so to keep that from happening again, I figured I might as well officially go on the record about all of the things that might cause my readership to plummet from a lofty 12 down to 3.

Here's my column from The Richardson Times...

{click to enlarge}

Mrs. Vrielink's rebuttal...

{click to enlarge}

So there you have it. All of my secrets have now been told. To unsubscribe from this blog, simply hit the power button on your computer.

2011-04-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

This made me smile. :)

Forum Questions....

2011-04-11T15:06:00.003-05:00

Got any good ones?

Diversity

2011-04-07T18:56:00.002-05:00

RISD Survey

2011-04-06T18:28:00.000-05:00

So I got an automated call from my son's school today letting me know that they had sent me a survey to fill out. I hoped on the computer thinking it would be easy...when suddenly I realized what a bleeding heart conservative I am. I mean, don't get me wrong, some were easy (field trips) while others only appeared easy (lawn care..i.e. someone's mom or dad). I hate the fact that I'm willing to cut fine arts before administrative expenses, but I just feel like I can supplement my child's exposer to art, but I can't supplement a small family's income. This is tough, RISD....

Anyway, thought those of you who don't have children in Richardson schools right now and aren't having to play Sophie's Choice might find it interesting...

The first three questions were just asking for information about my son, and as always {click to enlarge}.

Forum notes from a reader...

2011-04-06T18:25:00.002-05:00

Thoughts and notes from part of last nights Forum:

The format was confusing. Written questions were asked first, drawn from a hat by each candidate. If the question drawn had a specific person's name on it, the person it was addressed to was asked the question and another question was drawn. Unless the original candidate wanted to answer the question. In which case, the candidate who the question was addressed to could also answer the question, or not.

Maybe.

(as I refer to my notes):

Place 1

Bob Townsend
Did you support the bond package? Yes.
Do you support employee pay raises? Yes, we will look at this again. We were able to give step increases, thankfully.
Most pressing environmental issue? Only 25% of homes recycle.
How to get more retail? I chair the Retail Committee and have been on it for 2 years. There is not much we can do. (???)
BT gave upbeat answers, for the most part. Regarding possible future bond packages, he complimented the citizens, saying that we know that it's an investment in the city.
Grade = C (points off for most pressing environmental issue and 'not much we can do' re: new Retail, with him as the chair of that committee. Don't look to him for new ideas in that area.)

William Gordon
No show
Grade = Incomplete

Place 2

Mark Solomon
Have you read the Charter and Budget? Yes, I study them and devote Sat and Sunday to reading, also (probably reading for the next Council meeting, in that case, also).
What do you think about the NPAR? I think HOAs and HOA pres meetings are great ways to communicate. If some other group is needed, then we'll give them the same attention and respect as the other groups.
Why are you running? Place 2 is where the action is. East Side, new Transfer Station, Bush Renner development. We're excited by all of the good things happening.
How to balance the budget? We're doing a very good job. All debt is covered by taxes. We have AAA ratings so we're good.
Grade = C (I think the balanced budget question was incomplete. Bond ratings are not a full indicator of financial health. Also, Turn Down The Volume just a bit, please.)

John DeMattia
Do you support Term Limits? Yes, and he elaborated. Someone (audience? panel?) said 'that's what we already have' but John corrected them by saying 'the current council grandfathered themselves in. That should be changed. (If I'm understanding the charter correctly, John nailed that one.)
Should the NTMWD(?) increase the amount of trash at the Lookout station? The agreement is already in place so it's not open for discussion. However, I do not agree with the placement of the new station. As Steve Mitchell has said, Richardson is a different place than it was years ago .. and the transfer station should have been relocated to vacant land near Fujitsu, for example.
What question would you like to answer that you have not been asked tonight? Government and Citizen misunderstanding needs to be lessened. For example, the Bush Renner development with 7,000 apartments. The citizens could only give last-minute input. Compare that to Plano and a similar project, where the city gave the citizens 18 months lead time with frequent meetings and updates of the project. We need to do that sort of communication in Richardson.
PACS - Have they influenced your campaign? They fill a void for some people who have not been heard.
Grade = A (seems to know his stuff, no stumbles, and if his facts are accurate, a very solid forum for him)

Place 3

Scott Dunn
Talked about 'us' vs. 'them' that had been brought up earlier. His response: 'The RCA slate - They want to run the city and get rid of all the good things in the city.'
Do you agree with policy to buy back sick days? Yes. It's what people are told when they are hired. And since government jobs tend to pay less but have better benefits, it fits that.
The Spring Valley projects will need 180 million additional to be implemented. Are you OK with that? I've attended those sessions. The money will be coming back as businesses move in after the redevelopment.
Do you support once a week garbage pickup? I'm glad I got this question since there was misunderstanding from a prior meeting. No. I do not support once a week garbage pickup. But, if worse comes to worse, we could put it on the table.
Zero based budget - why doesn't the city have it? Because you have to rewrite the budget each year, the cost and effort to do that is too much. It's out of the question. (I don't know if his answer is correct or not. Anyone?)
Scott Dunn got a question that I wish would have gone to one of the incumbents: 'At the first meeting of the new Council, they go into private discussion, then come back to vote for the Mayor. What is said in that private meeting, and do you think the discussion should be public?' -- Well, Mr Dunn said "I don't know what is said in that meeting and I think it should be open..." (or something like that). I did notice Amir and Steve grinning as the question was asked. Wonder why?
Grade = F (loss of 1 letter grade for inability to concisely express himself in front of a group. I've talked with him, one-on-one, and he presents a smart, friendly personality. loss of the rest of the letter grades for the 'they ... want to get rid of all the good things in the city' answer. Wow)

Place 4

Laura Maczka
Do you have an environmental vision? As a member of Parks and Rec, yes .. (and a solid answer followed)
How long can apartment requests keep coming in to be approved? Answered with general 'keep an eye on the number of apts but support them in areas of high transit.'
What to cut to pay for infrastructure needs? Rather than cut, increase tax revenue with businesses coming into the city.
Were you hand picked by Gary Slagel? No, she says she considered several Council places. Is independent, has her own opinion on things, was not picked by Slagel.
What are your first two priorities if elected? Ensure that the new developments get off on the right foot. (I didn't catch priority #2)
Grade = A Two solid candidates, no incumbent. At this forum, I call a 'tie'.

Karl Voigtsberger
Question about 'us' vs. 'them'. I am not 'against' anything. I am running 'for' Place 4.
Do you support Agenda 21? Yes, recycle but I do not support Agenda 21. We should not give up soverignty to the United Nations. (Google this on your own, folks. First I've heard of it, but Karl V seemed familiar with it)
How can we balance the budget/ pay for infrastructure? Concentrate on infrastructure. For example, there was an overpass built for 6.5 million that served only one neighborhood. That could have been used for street repair throughout the city.
How does the city plan to pay for debt w/o raising taxes? They told us the 2010 bonds would raise taxes. I want to operate the city on a cash basis. Today, the balance sheet debt plus off balance sheet debt is greater than a half billion dollars. That must be addressed.
Why are you running? In Richardson 22 years, its a great city with citizen involvement. I'm suitably organized, a budget hawk, a financial data analyst.
Grade = A Two solid candidates, no incumbent. At this forum, I call a 'tie'.

Place 5

Kendal Hartley
Long, long winding question about Rec Center fees and if they will be increased. I mean, it was a long question. It brought some chuckles from some in the audience and some of the candidates. His answer was ok - He was (is?) on the Parks Board and is familiar with the fee structure. And the paid membership and use of the new Rec Center is far beyond planned levels. (I couldn't figure out if that meant increased fees would or would not be coming).
What should we do about the divisiveness in the city? My notes say "vague answer".
How can we get the culturally diverse groups together and into the process? Another long, long question. During his answer, Kendal chuckled about getting long, winding questions. A woman in the audience yelled out "Just answer it!" which brought a quick glance and raised eyebrow from Kendal. He then answered a good, general: We need to get groups together to participate. We welcome them.
What other groups are you involved in? He listed a number of boards and other volunteer groups over the last 15 years. A good track record of community involvement.
How can we get a Kohls in Richardson? I'd like to see a Kohls, too! Then he gave an answer that my notes show as "give up" (see below)
Grade = B- (Good presence, long time volunteer. His retail answer was similar to what we heard from some others. "The demographics of some areas in Richardson just don't support new retail. Until the demographics change, there's not much we can do". Well.. it seems that adding all the transit oriented apartment space isn't likely to increase the median income in Richardson, but what do I know...)

Dennis Stewart
If I conserve water, why does the city have to pay more for it? (the confusing deal that many North Texas cities have for water). Dennis explained it, with a good grasp of the concepts. Yes the water cost wouldn't go down, but our cost for the chemicals would go down, so there could be some decrease in fees. Plus, we want to conserve so allow up to 400 gallons of rainwater to be captured w/o a permit. Good factual content delivered in a slightly humorous manner.
How would you unite the city? There is no North South East West Richardson. Just Richardson. (Good answer)
What can we do to keep the (something) nature reserve near Bush Renner? Reduce the numbers of apartments to protect the area.
Pensions for city workers. How can we pay for them? Dennis is a retired RPD officer which he said up front, then gave the reasons for the pension short-fall which he says is state-wide. There is a funding plan in place, across the state, and cities are adding dollars for funding. The city is catching up.
What specific budget line would you increase? Dennis worked through two budgets, said it's not as simple as "one line" because all of the figures are closely calculated by city staff. Each budget is looked at closely. Good big-picture answer.
Grade = A (experience and seems to have respect from various groups in the city)

Place 6

Steve Mitchell
First question - in my notes I wrote "Joking twice"
Next question - Why do you want to serve? my notes: "Joking around" then he gave a heartfelt answer about family, roots, strength of Richardson
Next question - Should the Mayor election be city-wide? "Joking again" then gave a decent, yet evasive, answer. Richardson has changed from original charter. I support appointing a charter commission to look at all areas.
Next question - Did you support the bond package? No joking this time. Look at cities that seldom have bond packages. We don't want to be like those cities. We wanted to make an investment in the city and the electorate agreed.
Next question - Do you support the RISD bond proposal. "Another joke". Yes, he does support it, and gave a good, solid answer.
Grade = C (when he got around to answering, those were "A". The jokes took it down 2 letter grades. suggestion: don't make is so obvious that you are running unopposed. We know that. We get it. But for the folks who go to these forums, this is serious business. Mix in one joke per forum, that's great. But one joke per answer and I'm concerned. I know you take this seriously. But it'd be great if you acted the part... particularly since you're the leader in the vote for Mayor)

Place 7

Diana Clawson
How can we get more retail? Consider many things, help with rent, emphasize at transit oriented developments.
How do we decrease the total retail vacancies? As HOA president, did surveys of neighborhood, met with developers and the city, citizens need to be involved.
Lookout Transfer Station - how to be certain to protect the neighborhood? Diana knew a MOA is a Memorandum of Agreement and had signed it as HOA president. Generally, know the rules and do all we can to protect the neighborhoods.
City Mgr salary and benefits 350K, President of C of Commerce 400K - Do you agree with these salaries? As a taxpayer, I'm concerned that the City Mgr makes more than the President or Governor. Everything on the budget needs to be examined.
A question about neighborhood vitality projects - Attract "young professionals", keep neighborhoods maintained, neighborhood vitality is important.
A question from the audience Why did you change your mind about running in place 1 and move to place 7? Diana gave a rambling answer and moved to describing her qualifications and service to the city. (and I wonder what the heck difference does it make? She changed her mind. Why she decided to run against Amir rather than Bob is a mystery, but why ask?)
Grade = B (retail questions had vague answers. Transfer station, salary and neighborhood vitality questions were answered ok)

Amir Omar
How many multiple family units are needed in Richardson? If you don't know, will you keep voting "for" them and why? General answer emphasizing "young upcoming professionals"
How do we attract more businesses? Need new ideas and concentrate on "young and upcoming" residents.
How do we increase tax revenue? East Side and Brick Row are places that will generate more tax revenue.
Renner Road Development will increase the population of the city 25%. How will we pay for the services? So, that number of 25% is not correct .. but there are fire and police stations nearby now.
A question about neighborhood vitality funding, should it be budgeted. We do include vitality funding in the budget. Also, there is 800k to maintain trees in the current budget. (good answer to the 'where is the $$' question from Channel 5)
Grade = B (annoying overuse of "young upcoming professionals" and starting sentences with "So, ..." I'd look around the room, see that the majority of the audience are not young, upcoming types, and rephrase that particular bullet point)

Alan North No show - and since he hasn't been to any forums yet, well, he'd better have a strong strategy to make up lost ground. Grade = F

Then I left. Did I miss anything?

{Editor's Note: Yes.}

Thanks Will for sharing your thoughts!

Soundtrack to the Highland Terrace Forum...

2011-04-06T08:06:00.000-05:00

Interesting...

2011-04-05T15:07:00.001-05:00

Click to Enlarge

Let my bias rant begin....

2011-04-01T22:31:00.008-05:00

Wow, Diana. Had that one in your back pocket for a while now, huh?

Well, thanks on behalf of Richardson for making us look bad in front of the whole metroplex rather than just bringing up your concerns at the forums.

I know 'Trashing The Town' is certainly something I look for in an elected official.

You're a real class act.

Watch Channel 5 @ 10

2011-04-01T18:56:00.001-05:00

For an investigative report about Tree the Town....feature a local HOA President.

Hmmmmmmm, wonder which one it could be...

CHNA Meeting

2011-03-31T21:16:00.016-05:00

First of all let me just say, if Barry Hand and Diana Clawson went on the road together they could give Charlie Sheen a run for his money. Between her eating "iron nails for breakfast" and his imploring the neighbors to "drink from the water hose of knowledge" they'd have a pretty awesome act. Do they teach these bizarre colloquialism at an annual HOA prez get together or something? If they do, I want in on it.

Ok, so tonight I learned a bunch about my neighborhood, namely that it's not "smart" for me to leave my garage door "open" when I'm not "there." However, after returning home twice today to my back door wide open, I had kinda figured as much, but I digress.

After a presentation by Chief Spivey, the candidates had 60 seconds each to address the audience, at which point I started really focusing on their flaws (as I do with all people when I'm bored and forced to stare at them for prolonged amounts of time) and this is what I came up with...

William Gordon - Don't smile so much. Great smile, but you look way too excited (borderline 'giggly') to be standing in front of a room of octogenarians.

Bobby T. - Don't look so "octogenarianish."

Mark Solomon - Stop screaming. Just because you start with your loud voice, that doesn't mean you have to commit to said decibel. Say two words, reevaluate, take pity on my ear drums, then continue at a more appropriate volume.

John DeMattia - Don't ask me if I am Maggie May ever again or I will cut you. (*Side note: HECK. NO. I am not Maggie May)

Scott Dunn - Get a stump speech. Practice it. Oooooow, better yet, steal Amir's. Next time it's your turn, mention how we're all taking a chance on a guy with a funny name and interesting/basic/simple haircut. It'll be awesome.

Laura - Don't wear dangly earrings. Email me later and I'll explain why.

Karl - Try jokes maybe?

Kendal - You're doing better....or at least tonight was better. Keep on keepin' on.

Denny - Got nothing for you. You're doing pretty awesome.

Steve - I would also like to see you steal Amir's stump speech. It's about time trade in the 4 "R's."

Diana - I, myself, am a former 'baby mama,' so I totally get the whole "custody" thing, but it's probably not the best idea to bring that up in front of a fairly conservative group of people. (I say this out of admiration -what you're doing for your grandbabies is awesome)

Amir - Get a new speech. Maybe talk about having a pig or being a bad driver or something. There's a lot of material just right there.

All that aside, I heard some good feedback as I was leaving. A number of residents expressed a genuine interest in the candidates and really seemed to appreciate how considerate they were of our time. In other words, way to keep it short and sweet you guys!

Being an a-hole on this blog is a privilege, not a right.

2011-03-31T17:52:00.003-05:00

And in order to earn that privilege, I require that you sign your name to all the snide, little bull$#*! comments you leave on C&P.

Why? Because honestly, I'm sick of you amateur a-holes dumping all of your loser rage in my comment section and then running away like the sissy cowards you are.

Your life sucks, we get it. And you've probably already tainted your given name in every other (non-virtual) forum available, so now your left with nowhere to build up your dwindling self-esteem but on the webbernets. Well, sorry to be the one to break it to you, but that makes you an even bigger loser, you pathetic turd.

....You know why I get to say that? Because I'm the head a-hole in charge on here and I use my name. That's how you'll know who I am when you sit next to me at a forum or bump into me at a council meeting. You know, all the places you won't have the balls to be an a-hole to my face?

From now on, you leave a douchey comment and don't sign your name, it's getting deleted.

I don't get it....

2011-03-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

Is Alan North like bringing a chain of Tommy Bahamas to Richardson or something?

Owens Park Forum

2011-03-29T21:51:00.000-05:00

Heard it was an awkward, awkward train wreck. Cannot wait to read Steger's rundown.

Anybody have a pic...

2011-03-29T18:58:00.002-05:00

of Diana Clawson's yard sign? I heard they're up but I haven't seen them yet.

{UPDATE} Here it is! Very pretty....

TXU Urban Tree Planting Day!

2011-03-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

Click here to see more pictures from today's event (the sunny ones) and some from last year's too (the cloudy ones). Or should I say, click here to see a ridiculously number of pictures of my kids. Like seriously. Click through fast enough and it'll become stop motion animation.

Celebrity Doppelgängers...

2011-03-24T14:23:00.004-05:00

Karl Voigtsberger

Scott Dunn

You see it?

And, IMO...

Mr.Belvedere as Denny

JJP/Reservation Forum

2011-03-24T00:12:00.007-05:00

First of all let me just say....the Reservation/JJP forum was hot. And I don't mean that in an urban, Spring Valley corridor type of way. I mean that in a "dear God, why did I decide to wear my spanx tonight" type of way.

Aside from that though, this forum was a lot of fun...for me at least....because I got a bunch of new material out of it.

So let's begin...

As I walked up the path to Mohawk Elementary I noticed the Richardson SWAT team (not really, but kind of) detaining Cheri Duncan-Hubert at the door because she wanted to videotape the forum. *gasp!* Videotape! How dare she!?! Then people wouldn't have to put on their Spanx to come out and watch as they stacked up all twelve candidates like sardines in something reminiscent of an execution line all the while upping the thermometer to a pleasant 87 degrees!

But I digress, last year I remember taking quite a few pictures and even recording a few tidbits here and there at this very forum. Evidently though, this is a League of Women Voter's rule...but not a law, by any means, so it'll be fun to see what CDH does with this one.

As for the actual forum, and speaking, and fumbling over words -it was brilliant.

After the first question regarding the reenergizing of strip shopping centers, I was able to make some pretty solid (read as: awesome) premature judgements of each candidate.

They are as follows:

Bobby T: Speaks about 'the way it is and the way it was.'

William G: Speaks about 'the way he wishes it would be.'

Solomon: Same thing as Bobby T. Kinda negative, but honest at the same time. However, he spoke much more aggressively and louder than I have ever heard him speak in a council meeting. I'm used to the leaning back in his seat, seersucker Solomon.

DeMattia: Speaks from experience, as a business owner (yet, did not try to sell me any of his insurance, er, I mean, pizza).

Laura: Speaks from the perspective of a resident, mother, and involved citizen.

Karl: I just wrote down "train wreck"...not sure exactly what I meant by that. I'll look for more notes later...because I do remember him saying something profound about the city's debt at one point...

Kendal: Let me preface this by saying, I want to like him. I have no reason not to like him. He seems likable. However, after the first question, I wrote down "told a weird story...Bob Macy of the race."

(Bob Macy got elected though, so there's always hope)

Denny: Oh, I looooooove Denny! Can I just tell you how glad I am to see his pointy little ears again! Denny is funny, and has awesome comedic timing. A good councilperson that does not necessarily make....but as a blogger who's about to lose her Murphy-zingers, I will take any zingers I can get. Welcome back, Denny!

Amir: The thing that makes me the gayest for this fool* is that he doesn't waste his words. He speaks with substance and as a citizen I really appreciate that.

Diana: Speaks from the perspective of a city leader. I appreciate that too.

All in all, we have a good bunch competing to serve our city. Like I said, there were some that I really wanted to like and didn't so much, and then there were also a few that I didn't like *cough* DeMattia *cough* because maybe, perhaps they cornered me once at an anti-bond meeting, made fun of my name tag, and then aggressively interrogated me about the need for a new fire station, I dunno....yet, I ended up liking those people a lot.

Also, Diana Clawson evidently eats iron nails for breakfast. Couldn't go without mentioning that.

And, another point made tonight- we the citizens need to vote for our own mayor. period.

I agree with Solomon (who ironically disagrees with me on this issue), that it is only a "ceremonial position." And that is precisely why I don't think it should have the power in this city that it does. The "who are you going to vote for as mayor" question is ridic, and causes so much unnecessary descension. Time to do away with that.

As for other highlights, Denny made a joke about putting up a wall at Spring Valley, but I saw quite a few people (including myself) visualizing the instant improvement that would offer. Good joke idea, Denny. However, I also wrote down "Denny loves Mexicans" but I can't for the life of me remember what that was referring to. I wish we had a video. Oh, oh, wait, that just reminded me or what it was. Denny mentioned closed captioning of the council meetings and suggested we might translated them into Spanish to gain more citizen involvement. Gracias.

And, I have a feeling "diversity" is going to becoming the "transparency" of this election. Crazy thing is I called that 'trend' 2 months ago while on the phone with Amir talking about a totally different initiative, so obviously that's something this city is interested in incorporating. However, Diana toting herself as the 'diversity' we need is a bit of a stretch. A caucasian Christian woman vs. A whatever-Amir-is Muslim... I dunno. Vaginas are weird don't get me wrong, but Muslims are still weirder. So stick to your strengths Diana, you're an HOA prez...and that's not chop suey.

I think that about wraps up all the major highlights. We've got some awesome candidates this election season...What do y'all think?

Anything else stand out that I missed because my Spanx were asphyxiating me?

*meant in an urban, Spring Valley corridor way.

First Forum Tonight @ 7pm

2011-03-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

At Mohawk Elementary.

See you there!

Firefighter Endorsements-

2011-03-23T09:10:00.006-05:00

Bob Townsend

Mark Solomon

Scott Dunn

Laura Maczka

Dennis Stewart

Steve Mitchell

Amir Omar

From Darrell Day...

2011-03-22T14:06:00.001-05:00

"I had originally planned to NOT run for Place 3 because of my father-in-law's bone marrow cancer. My wife and I had a temporary bit of good news when his chemotherapy started well, and that gave us a false sense of hope... that's when Ginger gave me the "green light" to run. That's why I filed at the last minute.

But that has changed dramatically in the past week. Her father suffered a broken arm last week just changing a furnace filter, and it's become apparent that he has shrunk in height by 3 inches in the past two months. That has shown the rapidly degenerating state of his bones and his health.

Unfortunately, his disease is progressing much faster than we thought, and therefore Ginger asked last night that I bow out.

I've been encouraged and heartened by the outpouring of support that I've received in the past 10 days. The phone has been ringing off the wall from well-wishers who have been offering support and financial donations. There are no easy campaigns, but beating an unknown first-time candidate in a race for an open seat is as easy as they come. So, it pains me to drop out.

But Ginger has asked that I be there for her, and I will respect her wishes.

Signed,
Darrell Day"

Darrell Day's Out

2011-03-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

So, Congrats to Councilman Dunn!?!

Btw Dunn, I heard you advocated for 1 day a week trash pick-up during the FF interviews. Please reverse your stance on this before you become too Bobby T. on your newfound power.

The stink lines coming off of my residents would seriously reach all the way down Waterview to strangle you.

SOMEONE'S DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE

2011-03-22T10:36:00.003-05:00

I'll tell you who at noon!

What a day.....

2011-03-20T22:46:00.007-05:00

Laura Maczka had her open house today and it seemed like EVERYONE was in attendance- and that was just within this first hour. More people were pouring in as I was leaving.

Some might speculate that it's because she's amazing, and while I'm inclined to agree, I also think it's because these were amazing...

Good thing I left my kids at home so I that didn't have to share my fudge-dipped-oreo-diabetes.

Yum!!

And while this picture doesn't do the crowd justice...it does do my potential next arch-nemisis in waiting Dave Peter's height justice.

He's scary tall.

As for the un-fudge-dipped-oreo related highlights, I have to say getting pinned by Bobby T. as I walked through the door, made the list. I think this was some kind of tradition back during the turn of the century when he was in high-school, so I was honored.

Although later on when someone asked if I was with the Bobby T. campaign and I joked that "No, he just put this on me because he knows I'm not going to vote for him" ...ummmm, crickets.

Turns out there were either a lot of Bobby T. fans there or just fewer Destiny's dumb sarcastic sense of humor fans.

or both.

Anyway, after Laura's open house, the whole fam was invited up to fire station #2 to check out the trucks and slides!

We had a ton of fun and Abrahm and I even got a date night out of it!

Kidding!

We didn't really Baby Moses our kids...yet. :)

From Noel...

2011-03-20T11:07:00.000-05:00

So, I'm kinda Bobby T. right now...

2011-03-19T01:33:00.012-05:00

...yes, I did just change a noun into an adjective, so catch up.

Furthermore, I think this should be a thing from here on out. Also, I will probably delete this post early in the morning (assuming I wake up then), so consider yourself lucky to have viewed it.

Anyway, I just crashed the end of the firefighter's thing. It was....smokey...and bar-ish, and I heard from a lot of the candidates that it was good....and that they loved it...and that it was awesome, and that they love Americaandstuff...aaaaaand that the candidates are officially boring now because all they are going to say is really PC junk from here on out and....so I dunno, richardsonrocksandwhatever.

Anyway, fire fighters on the other hand, are awesome. Noel should be the president of infinity. He saves people's lives everyday and it's way cooler than anything anyone's ever done ever, and also wine. So there.

In conclusion, firefighters. And America.

Upcoming Events....

2011-03-18T10:43:00.003-05:00

FOR CANDIDATES- Tonight's the firefighter's mixer!

Am I the only one who hopes a few of these candidates will really tie one on so Noel can get pics for me to blog about tomorrow? Oh, I am? Ok, fine, whatever, but don't act like you wouldn't LOOOOOOVE to see that happen.

Nothing's impossible...

I mean, Bobby T.'s going, right?

AND FOR RESIDENTS- Laura Maczka's Open House

If you don't already know Laura, you can stop by and meet her Sunday afternoon from 4-7 @ 301 Overcreek. And if you do already know her, come by for a yard sign and find out how you can help with her campaign, if you're so inclined.

*Bobby T. will also be drunk at this event.

Am I not doing enough drugs....

2011-03-17T13:26:00.003-05:00

to have a clue what any of this is about?!?

This is only the 4th or 5th time I've been to Maggie May's blog, but I've become increasingly convinced this person is schizophrenic....and that I want to have my groceries delivered as not to accidentally run into them at Krogers and end up cubed in their freezer.

If they are not, and I've just gotten very unlucky all 5 times, please send me an example of the "normal" stuff.

Or just send me drugs so that I can play along.

Citizen of the Year....

2011-03-15T14:21:00.001-05:00

*drumroll*

HOLD UP----WHAT?!?!?

2011-03-14T22:10:00.007-05:00

MOUNGER ONLY HAD 23 SIGNATURES

-SO STEVE HAS NO OPPONENT???

Someone please confirm whether or not this is true! Looks like it is!

Richardson Citizens Alliance

2011-03-14T20:56:00.002-05:00

So it looks as though three of the RCA's founding members will be running for city council seats.

Interesting.

Thoughts?

*pardon the rough sketch of Mr.DeMattia....btw, does anyone have a photo of that guy?

I KNOW A....

2011-03-14T13:55:00.004-05:00

HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE

SECRET! --------------------->

....guess the secret's out now.

Abrahm DeLaRosa Exposes Himself to Laura Maczka!

2011-03-14T10:34:00.000-05:00

Or should I say *accidentally tries to* and *luckily fails.*

See, 6 days a week we are just like the rest of you classy Richardson folk, but on the seventh day we evidently rest back into our trailer park roots....

I had just gotten up from a nap, which for me looks something like horrific pink bed head, mascara smudged eyes and unbuttoned jeans (basic white trash style, right?). And as I walked into the living room I hear my son say "Hey mom, who is that?" as he points out our front window. I lean over to see Laura Maczka heading up our walkway and as I announce this fact I suddenly notice my husband is sitting IN OUR LIVING ROOM reading the newspaper in his underwear! (cherry on the WT cake)

His initial instinct is to fan out the paper in an attempt to cover his bareness, but he quickly realizes this looks even more questionable, so he jumps up an partially streaks across our living room to safe cover....or to get covered, whatever.

Anyway, I was still in a nap daze and could not control my laughter. Poor Mrs.Maczka. She said she saw nothing, but I'm pretty sure it would take an experience counselor to get the real story out of her.

So if you hear any wild tales about my husbands tail, just know that's only true on Sundays (for the most part).

*Sorry, that's the most menacing picture I could find of naked Abe. Surprisingly, I have none of him in his chonies. You'll just have to use your imagination.

My article in today's DMN...

2011-03-13T14:58:00.002-05:00

Disregard the title, it's for all pro-lifers, not just doctors (but for men especially).

Click here to read the article on DallasNews.com

So this thing happened....

2011-03-12T22:06:00.004-06:00

Ok, so this post seems stupid and scatterbrained and only makes sense to the handful of people who know what actually happened (of which I am not one) so I'm just gonna take it down.

Who is this Alan North guy?

2011-03-10T13:39:00.000-06:00

He's running for Place 7, but no one's ever heard of him. I searched Facebook but all I found was this guy (who I'm hoping is just a big 'Full Metal Jacket' fan, and not the Alan North who's running).

Scott "Git 'R" Dunn is having an open house this Saturday

2011-03-10T12:21:00.001-06:00

....and as it turns out, I'm afraid of commitment. Who knew!?

Mr.Dunn is a lovely fellow and I really enjoy getting lit with his wife, but I feel like it's just too early in the game to commit when it comes to place 3.

I mean, what if John Wiley Price escapes to Richardson and moves in down the street from me? I'd have to be crazy not to vote for that crazy! Or what if Amir finds another funny-namer to run in that spot so that Richardson will finally get to live under Sharia Law?...'cause let's be honest, how else are we gonna get rid of Zone d' Erotica, right???***

Either way, the season's still young, and how embarrassing would it be to have to return a sign? I'd rather wait until after filing to decorate my yard. Plus, if I pick up your sign and then later decide I don't like you, we all know what will happen...

***Take your heart pills, I'm joking! oy...

There's nothing funny about Sharia Law. However, Abrahm did make a hilarious joke about something called "Cherita Law" which he'd like to see instituted in honor of his girl Che-Che.

The Love Triangle

2011-03-07T13:58:00.001-06:00

We all know I'm gay for Amir, but now Amir's TOTALLY gay for Jimmy. Thanks a lot Schnurr.

You friendship wrecker.

Listen up RC & RCA....

2011-03-03T01:15:00.004-06:00

Not only are they better at removing morbidly obese people from their houses AND compiling tastefully awesome calendars but it looks like the Richardson Fire Fighters Association might also be trumping you when it comes to candidate endorsements.

First of all, they're hosting a mixer for the candidates and fire fighters on March 18th. And I dunno about you, but that's reason enough for me to pick up a packet. Secondly, they're inviting all candidates to sit down for a proper interview in front of their panel the following week.

That has credibility written all over it if you ask me. They're not just interviewing the people they want to or picking the individuals they "think" they should. No, they're listening to ALL of the candidates and making informed decisions.

Also, calendars. Y'all don't have that. Clarification: I don't WANT y'all to have that.

Could you even imagine what Chuck E would look like carrying a water hose....shirtless...and glistening?

You're welcome.

RETRACTION

2011-02-28T10:54:00.002-06:00

Earlier I said that Barry Hand pretends not to know me whenever he sees me at events. When in reality (a place I'm none too fond of), he actually really had no idea who I was.

I know, that was hard for me to believe too. *head shrinking*

He did however mention that he's out of the country a lot in order to justify this fact. *head re-inflating*

Either way, I'm a little disappointed that I no longer have an imaginary arch-nemesis. First Mark Solomon accepts me on twitter and now this. Who should I create a fictitious rivalry with now???

Perhaps Dave Peters? He's one scary looking mo-fo. I remember the first time I saw him thinking I'd obviously died and he was there to collect my soul.

So the bar has been set at Dave Peters. Please submit other suggestions below.

You know who I love?

2011-02-24T23:09:00.004-06:00

...and I know I'm gonna take a lot of heat for this....

But I totally love Bobby T.

If I were an old white man- I'd be him.

Hear me out...

I'm pretty sure he's a drinker, but like the awesome kind that's probably pretty funny. Not the assish kind that's a jerk and sucks.

Also, he wears his pants really low when he's not dressed up, and he kinda looks like a geriatric skateboarder.

Furthermore, he takes awesome pictures, like these and this one.

And lastly, he hits kids in the face with things (+5 points) DURING PARADES (+10 POINTS).

I heard he doesn't think this is nearly as funny as I do, but you know what, I don't care. Crap like that is what makes me like him so dang much.

...Also, the way he talks. As I've noted in many a tweet, he sounds like he has big, George Washington-esque, wooden teeth. If he read books on tape, I would buy them...and let his acoustically accommodating chompers lull me to sleep every night.

Steve Mitchell Got Kicked Off!

2011-02-24T22:04:00.007-06:00

...his campaign that is.

Everybody who was awesome was there, including the DeLaRo girls whose sitter fell through at the last minute.

...bringing kids to a campaign kick off is about as stupid as bringing a baby to a wedding.

I had to bribe them with brownies, so of course a sugar crash ensued. I was fleeing inside with them right as Commissioner Dickey began to speak, and I totally missed her rendition of
John Wiley Price's "All of you are white. Go to hell!"
bummer. It got a big laugh.

Speaking of the Commissioner, her favorite person and mine was there too, Mrs. Chris Davis.

You know, I never would've started Conserve & Protect if it weren't for her telling me about "this Ed Cog-something guy out there writing stuff." She's awesome. (*disregard the photos MySpace angle)

Also spotted were the Dunn twins, or, I guess the Murphy twins, I dunno. Either way, they could totally be related, yes?

Fun was had by all.

Barry Hand and I pretended we didn't know each other again.

There was wine.

And that about raps it up.

Oh, and Go Steve!

Looks like Denny's in!

2011-02-24T21:43:00.001-06:00

Good for a chuckle...

2011-02-17T13:13:00.000-06:00

I told Abrahm how all (read as: both) of C&P's readers hate Amir, to which he replied,

"All of you are white. Go to hell!"

My husband is funny.

Where do I recognize Stephen Springs from?

2011-02-15T20:46:00.000-06:00

Please, just start throwing out random things he's involved in so I don't have to make my brain work.

I have 3 kids. I need to save all my thinking juice for them. And writing this blog. And trying to figure out what was wrong with Lady Gaga's shoulders at the Grammys.

Today's Announcements....

2011-02-15T13:24:00.002-06:00

...Amir also filed yesterday I was just too lazy to post it.

If his slogan is not....

2011-02-14T11:36:00.003-06:00

"I will get the job Dunn!" then his packet should be revoked. just sayin'.

Anyway, it's official, Dunn's gonna run. And I'm gonna continue to abuse the crap outta his very rhyme-able last name.

Here apartment haters, a gift for you.

2011-02-14T11:24:00.000-06:00

Just look at this guys face. He had no choice but to be a sex offender.

Spotted

2011-02-13T13:17:00.002-06:00

Amir's giant gourd all over town.

And it begins....

Have any of y'all spotted other signs?

Racist...

2011-02-12T03:36:00.001-06:00

but kinda awesome.

Ghetto Sledding...

2011-02-09T13:01:00.000-06:00

I'm officially the coolest mom in the neighborhood,

'cause I have a garage full of ghetto sleds.

It'll be a cold day in Richardson.....

2011-02-01T11:36:00.003-06:00

when Gary Slagel decides not to run again.

or Macy, or John. wow.

David gets Amir'd by Laura!

2011-01-31T12:46:00.001-06:00

badass.

Now here is what their babies will look like...

adorbs.

State of the City {Updates}

2011-01-26T17:40:00.004-06:00

(coming via Will)

Small stage at the Eisemann, not the big room. Talked to Dennis on the way in. Good guy (Editor's note: agreed...for a mason :) )

5 minutes to showtime, under 100 people here, another 100 in the lobby.

Lights turned down as the meeting started, so 'real time' reporting stopped. Sorry 'bout that.

Dim lights, raised stage in front with two LARGE screens above the stage. And on the stage, was it the entire City Council, seated, each reporting on part of the City's 'state'? Was it Fire Chief, Parks and Rec Director, Bill Keffler, giving details?

Nooooooooooooooo ... the only person to speak, the only person on stage was the man who the citizens of Richardson voted in as Mayor, voted in as sole spokesman for the City.

What? Wait ... the voters don't pick the Mayor. Sorry. Forgot about that...

You've seen The Colbert Report show opening, right? Waving flags, eagles flying... Well, one of the big screens had that theme. No eagles, but waving red white and blue graphics behind the COR logo. On the other screen, similar background (moving, always moving) and on top of that, small windows with photos, movie clips, keyed to the topic the Mayor was talking about.

Mayor Slagel used two teleprompters (below the stage, to the right and left of center) and, other than a nervous pacing back and forth, his presentation was quite good. Some humor, some snark, positive slant, of course...

I won't get into the hour long details. The 'show' is on Richardson Cable and supposedly the city website. You can see for yourself. A few items though:

The Mayor did, of course, introduce the Council, a few city staffers, and honored guests (RISD, PISD, Methodist Hospital, UTD etc.) "Please wave as I introduce you" ha.

Other than the introductions, and at the end of the show, the only applause during was when he mentioned Tree the Town as a 'Council initiative'. He *did* mention Amir during that, though, and that is what triggered the applause.

The Apartment the Town initiative was presented as a done deal. He did mention public hearings to educate the populace, and only mentioned the apartments as "we're looking for the right number of multi-family units ... still working on that".

He compared it to Highland Park Village. Now THAT is funny. Let's see... Highland Park, University Park, old North Dallas, Preston Road. Yep, that compared quite well with freeway off-ramps and a garbage transfer station.

The Mayor's Major Announcement: (not certain of the exact title) The Mayor's Office of International Trade (something like that). He mentioned a list of CEOs who are on the board of that new office... He didn't mention how often he or others would be flying overseas, but I guess that will be showing up in the transparent checkbook soon.

{Thanks Will!!!}

FYI, I'm officially excepting bribes for my endorsement, staaaaaarting now.

2011-01-21T20:58:00.004-06:00

Don't judge me. I'm no different than the rest, I'm just admitting to it...and letting you know I prefer reds.

So let's see, the Dunn's have started off on a very good foot. I don't know much about Scott, but his wife, Lisa, is a delight! There are two ways to get to know a person- by arguing with them, and by drinking with them. Since my friend Mac already tried out the first one I chose the latter with Mrs.Dunn (me much more heavily than she) and we had a blast! Additionally, I have a feeling the more I imbibe on my bribe the more I'll like Scott too.

Also, heard today that Larry Z. picked up a packet. Moments later I vomited in my mouth. Related? You decide.

Let's just keep it real.

2011-01-17T16:50:00.001-06:00

So I have to admit, over the weekend I was kind of excited about the flurry of attention C&P was getting, and even thought about asking (again) if the "anonymous" posters could please pick an alias and stick with it, as trying to decipher the different commenters can get a bit tricky when they are all named "anonymous."

....I was, that is, until it was brought to my attention that the same insomniac (who shall remain "anonymous") posted 14 of the 17 comments.

Don't believe me? Check the log...

(click to enlarge)

Here's the deal, I'm not trying to call you out, but at the same time, you're giving all anonymous commenters a bad name...plus, you've got my phone blowing up with e-mail alerts at absurd hours of the night.

Anyway, just thought it was fair to remind everyone, I* can tell when you're being crazytown and arguing with yourself...on a blog...at 4 in the morning.

*by I, of course I mean my good friend who actually follows this stuff and knows how to read it.

Correct me if I'm wrong....

2011-01-13T16:08:00.002-06:00

...is this what everyone else has so far, too?

Place 1 - Bob Townsend, Bill Denton, Diana Clawson

Place 2 - Mark Solomon

Place 3 - Scott Dunn, Darrell Day

Place 4 - Gary Slagel

Place 5 - (Bob Macy?), Laura Maczka, Pris Hayes

Place 6 - Steve Mitchell

Place 7 - Amir Omar, (Dennis Stewart?)

I think some alzheimer's is rubbing off on me because I can't seem to keep all the rumors straight. Am I missing anyone?

Does fbook mean it in like the "biblical" sense?

2011-01-08T23:05:00.004-06:00

Because if so, than yes- Chuck E and I used to be looooooooovers. That's why he hates me with such a passion. Keep it on the DL y'all.

Am I the only one.....

2011-01-08T23:00:00.000-06:00

...who's waiting for one of the blog sites to make like the Taliban and claim responsibility for Murph's retirement?

On a personal and highly inapprop note, I'm gonna miss the eye candy.

Aw, memories.....

2010-12-22T13:21:00.000-06:00

I can confidently say I accomplished every one of these with the exception of #6.

Volume's not great...

2010-12-14T08:11:00.006-06:00

but still worth watching.
Also, check this out if you haven't seen it yet.

Richardson Christmas Parade '10

2010-12-04T11:42:00.000-06:00

Check out more pictures HERE.

If you weren't one of the lucky few...

2010-11-12T10:42:00.002-06:00

who received a copy of the new "Richardson Times" last week, check out the website!

www.RichardsonTimes.com

And look for my column in the "Talking Back" section!

You think you're so clever...

2010-11-09T11:17:00.002-06:00

So word on the street is that Amir's T3 project is now being called "Brown The Town." I would like to lodge a formal complaint, as this is what Abrahm and I call our baby making, and I find it extremely offensive that you all are using it in reference to dead trees. You people are insensitive monsters.

I've become and ambivalent voter.....

2010-11-02T13:58:00.000-05:00

A ballot cast out of obligation, not passion.

I think my kid's school might be on drugs....

2010-10-25T16:09:00.003-05:00

What's up with Tuesday? Am I reading it wrong?

Highlight of my day....

2010-10-13T10:45:00.003-05:00

Turd Blossom is now following me on Twitter.

"The Reservation"

2010-10-11T10:40:00.004-05:00

Have you guys heard about the latest ~~white guilt~~ controversy surrounding a neighborhood over here on the west side called The Reservation? Evidently, a whole lot of non-Indians are trying to stick up for their good friends, the Indians, by pushing for the city to rename this subdivision.

As a Native American octoroon, my Indian side is rolling its eyes at you pale skins.

But what do y'all think?

P.S. This is offensive------------->

...although it kinda explains a lot, too.

At least they're not Sexting, right? That should count for something...

2010-10-01T13:35:00.007-05:00

{Side note: just writing that title made me throw up in my mouth a little}

It's no secret that I love my iPhone. It's also no secret that I can be quite annoying when I'm on it, I've disclosed as much to the whole metroplex in the past. However, I am not a public official, nor am I someone who's been elected to pay attention during city council meetings (thank goodness), so I consider my inconsiderate ways a bit less concerning.

During council meetings I use my twitter feed- much like I used doodling on the front of my binder back in Algebra I- to help me focus. I am a multi-tasker by nature, as I think much of my generation is. We grew up so over stimulated that now it is difficult for us to sit and focus exclusively on just one thing. When I am tweeting, I am absorbing the information I'm micro-blogging about and in turn conversing with others about that information. It helps me understand the issues and ultimately understand others opinions on them as well.

I have sat in council meetings before completely stripped of all electronic devices and tried to take notes the old fashioned way, just pen and paper, but I have to be honest, my attention span got the best of me. I would jot down the surface level facts, yet without the input of others I was not forced to go much deeper than that. Once again though, I am merely a lay person, so turning to my twitter feed to further engage me was not a difficult decision. I'll also admit that when I am "tweeting" the meetings 90% of what I type is humorous fluff with little to no actually substance (just being honest). However it does help me to recall what all was covered from visitors to zoning restrictions the next day when I go back and read over them again. It's as if the act of electronically dictating particular highlights during the meetings helps me seal them into my memory bank for a short period of time....much like doodling during class helped me remember just enough to barely pass Algebra I. Sometimes the act of multi-tasking, while it may appear surface level and distracting to some, helps others become more mentally engaged.

*It should also be noted that I failed Algebra II with flying colors though...so sometimes even doodling is not enough.

However, like I said, I do believe this is a generational thing. (The cut off for said generation being between the people who dread figuring out their newfangled remote controls, and those of us who have been programmed to absorb updated version of everything every 6 months since we were old enough to LOL.)

So while I agree that the council members should refrain from texting during meetings, because as Gala Patrlow so elegantly put it, texting back and forth during meetings would "contradict a rule regarding addressing the council....requiring a person be present, and request 5 minutes to speak," I do understand why some members are so attached to their technology here in the corridor.

As they read text messages or twitter feeds perhaps they have particular points brought to their attention that they would have otherwise overlooked, and because of these insights they may even be swayed to vote in a different way that could ultimately benefits the city, but then again the opposite could be true as well. What if only members of the Richardson Coalition had access to the councilmen's cell numbers? Or those of us on the other side of most issues? Would that change the way we feel about this off-the-record access?

Knowledge is power, and additional information and opinions are also. But texting and tweeting is just a loop hole that has yet to be addressed up until now. And as hard as I try to defend this loop hole I keep coming back to Mrs.Partlow's comments,* and realize I'm only defending my own virtual dependency and the direct line of communication that it allows me to 3 of the seven council members, which is wrong. Plain and simple. Our elected officials should not be multi-texting.

We chose (and by "we" I obviously mean you, seeing as I only voted for one of them) these individuals to use their best judgement regarding city issues and while we may disagree with their choices, if we feel strongly enough about it than I guess we (this time the "we" is referring mostly to me) need to get over our fear of public speaking, fill out a visitors card and go on the record with our opinions...because after all no one hates anonymous commenters more than I do.

*Gala's brilliant insights can be found here (Sept. 27th, 2010 - Item 8 Part 1 of 2, minute 2:00)

BREAKING NEWS: John Murphy Doesn't Care About Spring Valley Redevelopment

2010-09-28T21:52:00.010-05:00

...or perhaps he just had other plans tonight, I don't know. Either way, I made it to the last 30 minutes of this evening's Richardson Heights Fall Forum. I maybe probably kinda missed mostly all of it, but I did discover this - Mark Solomon has ALSO spotted prostitutes over on the Dallas side of Spring Valley (next to his church) & a man got shot last night by Richardson police officers back behind Texas Land & Cattle! Walking distance from my house! Crazy! And according to my friend 'Sweet Chenny' (which btw David, someone *not me* coined you tonight, and I LOVED it!) the cops jumped in front of this dudes car after he backed up into them and then tried to drive off. That's when they shot him in the shoulder. I dunno about y'all but that doesn't strike me as the brightest move.

{Update: I recently found out that the Murph did indeed attend this event, he just didn't stay the whole time. At this point a real journalist would go back and change the awesome title to this post. Good thing I'm just a blogger.}

{Update on my update: I could always call it "Sweatin' like a whore in church," I just don't know if that would have the same shock value. I'll think about it....}

{Ultimate update to top all updates: According to the Murph, I don't care about the Citizens Fire Academy since I wasn't there. Also, George Bush doesn't care about black people.}

Saturday Speedo's @ Walgreen's

2010-09-21T14:22:00.001-05:00

I meant to post about this a week ago, but I've been kind of busy, so please forgive my tardiness. Anyway, last Saturday (the 11th, maybe?) the Richardson boy's Lacrosse team was having a car wash up at the corner of Coit & Beltline. I was driving Southbound on Coit when all the sudden I see like 15, gangly, white dudes standing on the corner where Walgreen's is in Speedos. They were holding up poster boards proclaiming their fundraiser and "dancing". I get that they were trying to be funny and certainly not sexy (at least I hope that's not what they were going for, or else they were failing miserably), but nonetheless it was pretty gnarly. Many of them were all squatting down, rears facing the street, waving their butts around in the air. I tried to get a pictures, not for my own viewing pleasure, but because I knew there would be those of y'all that wouldn't believe me, however, I decided not dying as I crossed the intersection was more important.

Anyway, just curious what others thoughts are of this...funny or crass?

I could see how it would be a slippery slope eventually, where the girls teams could be arguing for the same swimsuited car washing attire, but perhaps I am wrong.

What do y'all think?

Oh City Council Meetings, how I have missed thee.....

2010-09-16T15:27:00.012-05:00

I forgot how much I enjoyed attending council meetings and tweeting fun of people, and Monday was no exception.

Tweets & Highlights:

"Andrew Laska began by addressing to council on his concerns over brick houses. He ain't holding nothing back.#RichardsonCityCouncil"

...A lot of hay was {rightfully} made over who would be the "gatekeeper" of the Richardson Code of Ethics... The term was thrown around so frequently I started to feel like I was living in a J.K. Rowlings book.

Shelley McCall withdrew her membership to the A-Team. She scolded Amir for "tweeting & texting" during meetings. I thought this was awesome. Especially since my main goal during most council meetings is to tweet something so hilariously inapprop that Omar or Murph will visibly shake with laughter and embarrass themselves. That's a really stand up reason to be involved in local politics, right?

Let's see, after that, a discussion regarding a code of conduct vs. a code of ethics was brought up at which point Solomon (our most dapper councilman) flippantly brought up a dress code. Which of course I had to comment on...

"You heard it here first- Mark Solomon agrees we need a dress code! First rule of business: no seersucker! Second?#RichardsonCityCouncil"

Then we went back to the use of "cellular devices" during meetings, this time with Macy bringing it up. At which point I figured...

"No cell phones? Might as well just make hair a requirement. :)#RichardsonCityCouncil"

But then Macy goes on to request that all pagers and beepers (which I guess perhaps in his time were two different things, I was 4 when they quit making them so I'm not sure) also be banned during council meetings.

And you know what Richardson, I think he got his wish. Don't say the Mace never did anything for this city. After his reign in Place 5, I think it is safe to say all beeper, pagers, buzzers, and clickers were successfully eradicated from the council chambers. Good on you, Bob.

Ummm, what else? Oh yeah, I think I figured out who Maggie May is, based on wardrobe alone...

This is that Thatcher guy, right?

I miss blogging.

2010-08-27T11:04:00.006-05:00

Because since I'm not blogging, I'm not paying attention.*

So what's going on?

*by "not paying attention" I mean smoking lots of K2, btw.

What Spring Valley has to look forward to.....

2010-08-04T22:22:00.000-05:00

omygoshthebest

Aw, look, I made a funny.

2010-06-26T18:31:00.002-05:00

Poor Kat, regretting out friendship I'm sure...

Have I mentioned lately how much I don't like Petey Sessions?

Conserve and Protect

How could we NOT have elected Jimmy Schnurr?!?!

Super sad news...

Does anyone know....

Our new manager...er, I mean mayor.

Did not see that coming....

My Predictions-

What about....

Who would you choose as mayor?

Early Voting Results

Sorry things have been so quiet around here lately...

Alan North is obviously a pimp.

Hear ye, hear ye! The Great Tex Keffler is speaking....

This has nothing to do with anything....

BBQ(ueer) for Amir...

Since I'm an equal opportunity ball buster...

Just when you thought it was safe to open your mailbox again...

Contrary to popular belief...

He's no Tom Bache-Wiig, but...

Mark Twain Forum

Classy move, Mr.Gordon....

Happy National "Queer For Amir Day" Everyone!

Place 1...

Blog about last night's forum < Take a nap

Sure do have a lot of Joni Mitchell fans here in Richardson...

How much cheddar did a Chuck E. spend, if a Chuck E. did spend cheddar?

My 3 Dirty Little Secrets...

Forum Questions....

Diversity

RISD Survey

Forum notes from a reader...

Soundtrack to the Highland Terrace Forum...

Interesting...

Let my bias rant begin....

***Watch Channel 5 @ 10***

CHNA Meeting

Being an a-hole on this blog is a privilege, not a right.

I don't get it....

Owens Park Forum

Anybody have a pic...

TXU Urban Tree Planting Day!

Celebrity Doppelgängers...

JJP/Reservation Forum

*First* Forum Tonight @ 7pm

Firefighter Endorsements-

From Darrell Day...

Darrell Day's Out

SOMEONE'S DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE

What a day.....

From Noel...

So, I'm kinda Bobby T. right now...

Upcoming Events....

Am I not doing enough drugs....

Citizen of the Year....

HOLD UP----WHAT?!?!?

Richardson Citizens Alliance

I KNOW A....

Abrahm DeLaRosa Exposes Himself to Laura Maczka!

My article in today's DMN...

So this thing happened....

Who is this Alan North guy?

Scott "Git 'R" Dunn is having an open house this Saturday

The Love Triangle

Listen up RC & RCA....

*RETRACTION*

You know who I love?

Steve Mitchell Got Kicked Off!

Looks like Denny's in!

Good for a chuckle...

Where do I recognize Stephen Springs from?

Today's Announcements....

If his slogan is not....

Here apartment haters, a gift for you.

*Spotted*

Racist...

Ghetto Sledding...

It'll be a cold day in Richardson.....

David gets Amir'd by Laura!

State of the City {Updates}

FYI, I'm officially excepting bribes for my endorsement, staaaaaarting now.

Watch Channel 5 @ 10

First Forum Tonight @ 7pm

RETRACTION

Spotted

I think my kid's school might be on drugs....