Thursday, March 28, 2024 Mar 28, 2024
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Local Government

Quick Recap of Yesterday’s Council Meeting

You're probably a very busy person doing very busy person things. You probably weren't able to devote the time and attention to yesterday's meeting regarding the Trinity parkway/toll road/albatross/never-ending story. Short version: the council is forming a committee to see if the city can maybe someday possibly at least a little bit incorporate at least some of what Scott Griggs has now named The Beasley Plan. That committee is stacked with toll road supporters and led by a toll road supporter. Short version of that:
Politics & Government

Michael Morris: Flood Protection Is ‘Most Critical Benefit’ Of Trinity Toll Road

Michael Morris, the transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, is the latest to write an opinion piece about the Trinity toll road for the Morning News. He has previously written or said most of what the piece contains. It mostly notable because he is hitting the "OH MY GOD WHAT ABOUT FLOODS??!1?" part much harder than before. First paragraph: "Three items about the Trinity Parkway project are critical to remember. First, it is part of the Balanced Vision Plan that has five parts -- not four. Second, we are planning for the next 25-plus years, and the region has added, and will continue to add, 1 million people per decade. And third, the most critical benefit of the Trinity Parkway is flood protection." Second paragraph: "Eliminating transportation from the corridor would ignore demographic change and eliminate flood protection benefits, and therefore it would be a mistake." Third paragraph: "The Trinity Parkway project is a component of the Balanced Vision Plan that includes improvements for flood protection, recreation, environmental restoration, economic development and mobility. The roadway also is an important element that complements and enhances all other components." In other words: "Hm, now that everyone is aware of the fact that this road is completely unnecessary -- and actually probably pretty harmful -- as far as reducing congestion goes, maybe we need it because of flood protection? How does that sound?" Kind of like they're making it up as they go along. The rest of Morris' piece is a master class in throwing out scary numbers with no sourcing and hoping those scary numbers scare you sufficiently. Anyway, while I'm here, I'd like to break down one other sentence.
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Entertainment

Why Marcos Ronquillo Will Never Be Mayor of Dallas

Watch Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings ham it up alongside DMA museum director Maxwell Anderson in an Art Ball remake of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk."
By Peter Simek
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Abnormal Psychology

Mayor Mike Rawlings’ Strange Case for the Trinity Toll Road

He's furiously juggling under the overpass.
By Wylie H. Dallas
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Crime

Ask John Neely Bryan: How to Have a Midlife Crisis, Dallas-Style

Three case studies of how it's properly done.
By John Neely Bryan
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Controversy

Yet Another Instance of Transportation Officials Misleading Elected Officials

Senator Royce West is under the impression that problems with congestion have worsened "drastically" during the 10 to 15 years.
By Peter Simek
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Business

Poll: If the Trinity Toll Road Is Built, Will You Leave Dallas?

Will the Trinity toll road push away precisely the kinds of people Dallas should be trying to attract?
By Peter Simek
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Civics

How TxDOT Justifies Demolishing 195 feet of the Historic Continental Viaduct

Here's a detailed account of just how the current design of the Trinity Toll Road will impact the Continental Street Viaduct, namely, by demolishing 195 feet of it.
By Peter Simek
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Competence

Who Is In Charge of the Trinity River Project?

The Trinity River is a civic project that has way too many agencies and organizations with their hands in the pie.
By Peter Simek
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All Clichés Are Bigger in Texas

Everything’s Bigger In SHUT UP

This headline, for a preview of the new Nebraska Furniture Mart, is not word-for-word the dreaded "everything's bigger in Texas" trope, no. But it is meant to evoke that phrase and for that is is close enough. Too close. It's hard enough when those jeans-kicking words are trotted out by carpetbagging Yankees, but much worse when the lazy cliche-spouting comes from inside the house. KNOCK IT OFF.
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