Breakfast Of Champions: The Return of the Power Brokers

Until the mid-Seventies, most of the major political decisions in Dallas were either made or agreed upon, behind closed doors, by the Citizens Charter Association, the political arm of the powerful Dallas Citizens Council. That was before single-member districts came along and made it tough for the traditional powerhouses to select and elect the members of the Dallas City Council and school board.

For the past few months, a handful of once and future CCA types, concerned over what they say is a decline in quality of leadership on these bodies and a general disrespect for political office, have been discussing over breakfast the idea of handpick-ing and encouraging future political candidates who are sympathetic to business interests. The seeds of their discontent have finally blossomed into a formal organization called The Dallas Breakfast Group-a nonprofit corporation consisting of eighty or so powerful businessmen (and a few women) who would love to return the city to those thrilling days of yesteryear. With names like Dave Fox, W.O. Bankston, John Johnson, Jess Hay, Bob Fotsom, Ray Nastier, Starke Taylor. Ross Perot, and Bill Solomon on the tentative list of breakfasters, the new group has the financial muscle to eat nearly anybody’s breakfast-er, lunch.

When the big boys eat, they’ll be looking for political candidates with a “business, as well as responsible growth orientation,” says Harry Tanner, DBG’s executive director. Tanner, who was executive director of the Community Council of Greater Dallas for ten years, admits thai the group, with only a few minorities on board, will be open to criticism by the minority community. But he says DBG will also be scouting minority candidates to run for political office and serve on city commissions and boards. “We’re not trying to operate a secret society,” Tanner says. “We’re intending to work in all areas of the city. We’ll let the deeds speak for themselves.”

Tanner, forty-seven, says the group will not endorse candidates nor will it donate money to campaigns. According to DBG’s statement of purpose, the group seeks only “to ensure that the voting public will have as many qualified candidates as possible to choose from on any given election day.” However, DBG will educate potential candidates to make them savvier about the political process and steer them to financial backers-a short trip, obviously, since the group itself is stacked with numerous deep-pocketed political sugar daddies. Tanner says he’ll be doing most of the candidate recruiting. The entire group probably will meet only quarterly, but the board of directors will work closely with Tanner First year operating costs will run about $200,000.