LETTERS

Notes From Underground



Skip Hollandsworth’s article, “Wild Things,” [March] intrigued me. “Are they part of a new counterculture? Or are they rebels without a cause?” Unfortunately, the answer, in my opinion, wasn’t concluded, or for thai fact, introduced in any manner. Throughout the article I kept trying to figure out this writer’s point. I consistently kept reading about the physical aspect, including behavior, of these punkers’ appearances.

I agree it was interesting but I wanted to know-me, considering myself an open-minded, intellectual, peace-loving, “punk-er’-why are they violent, why the ritual Nazism, why the hatred, narrow-mindedness, and this way of life? Such questions, not answered.

I felt angry, hurt, and embarrassed, not only for these particular people the writer introduced but for me and for fellow punkers who believe in truth, goodness, self-real-ness, and simplistic, true love.

I questioned thoroughly the stereotypical characterization of “punker” in my personal life. I now add a quote around this label because you made it out to be, as others obviously do, negative, depressing, and very hopeless. I disagree. There are wonderful punkers (quoted and unquoted). The importance of the physical aspect of a person’s appearance has really got to die.

Margaret Sherwin

Winter Park, Colorado



I am twenty-one years young and have been familiar with downtown for about five years. Your article spoke of Deep Ellum as a drug-related, violent, all-around bad place to be. I’m not denying that these things are present in the downtown area. Downtown is very similar to any high school and its problems. The difference is there is music, art, and freedom of choice to make your own decisions.

Skip Hollandsworth wrote an excellent article, but I feel he singled out downtown because of its different classes of people (boy, what a cover it made, though) and pointed out its minuses and not enough of its pluses. The truth is that Deep Ellum is known by its patrons and by the people that have only heard about it as an experience, an out to the left of field place to see and enjoy. Ninety percent of the people who venture downtown have no incidents involving violence. You should consider having more research done on what Deep Ellum and downtown is all about and interview more people who have been there and seen its growth, its culture, its art.

Stephen B. Day

Dallas



A House Divided



This letter is in regard to the article “Not In My Back Yard,” by Richard West, in your February issue. As a member of the Hollywood/Santa Monica neighborhood, I feel obliged to comment not only on the article’s implication that our neighborhood is inhabited exclusively by bigots, but also on the incomplete research by your magazine of court records pertaining to the settlement between our neighborhood and the Dallas Housing Authority.

The unfounded charges of racism by the “supporters” of the DHA notwithstanding, two major factors created almost total opposition to the presence of the DHA in our neighborhood. The first factor to mobilize the neighborhood was the appalling record of DHA as the major slumlord in the city of Dallas. Witness the unbelievable conditions in their West Dallas and other properties. I doubt that any neighborhood, including yours, would welcome a landlord, public or private, with the DHA’s track record. The second factor, and perhaps the key one, was the steamroller tactics of the DHA with the attitude, “the neighborhood be damned; it’s a done deal,” accompanied by a chorus of DHA “supporters” making blanket charges of racism and bigotry against any who dared to oppose the DHA’s onslaught. When will the DHA and its “supporters” learn that these tactics will always result in angering a whole neighborhood, including its moderate elements? At present, the only way a neighborhood can protect itself from the DHA is through litigation that is costly to the neighborhood, the DHA, and the taxpayer.

As to your claim that our neighborhood “dropped” its lawsuit when me DHA offered to allow third-party management, that claim is factually incomplete. In fact, our attorney and the DHA’s attorneys were working for a settlement throughout the time of the lawsuit, which is standard procedure in actions of this type. They were successful, and that settlement is a matter of record in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. In addition to the DHA’s agreement to a third-party management arrangement, they agreed to seventeen other points, one of which gives our neighborhood the right to inspect the material condition of the property twice a year. The neighborhood has recourse to the court if the DHA fails to abide by any of the terms of the agreement.

Thomas R. Clark

Dallas

I was written about in your February 1987 issue (“Lords of the Flies,” by Chris Thomas]. Much of the information was just plain false, or at best, was misleading.

(1) She discussed the tact that I had a build- ing at 4526 Munger (San Juan) that was red- tagged and unfit for living. She insisted that I let this properly get this way. That is false. Three others and myself purchased the com plex in June 1979 and sold it in March 1983, carrying the financing. In March 1983 it was 100 percent occupied and had over $20,000 put into it in regard to rehabilitation. In Oc tober 1985, we foreclosed on the apartments after several months of trying to get the prop erty back. We received a boarded-up and va cant building. In thirty days, we spent $60,000 to get the property in shape and fully leased.

During this time we heard nothing from the City of Dallas, but they made about eight inspections about sixty days later-which made no sense to me.

Since January 1986,I have not heard from any inspectors, and I feel that the property has been kept up-if not improved. I have no knowledge about any pressure from the city or the neighbors.

(2) Considering that I have over one hun dred properties {mostly all older properties); and according to your records (which do not agree with mine), I have received twenty-two citations-which 1 do not feel is as awful as she implied. Many of these are a result of no communication from the city.

This article is not just very misleading, but very false. The reporter said nothing about all of the millions of dollars that I or my investors have spent on rehabilitating these older properties for low-income people. Nor the fect that I have built, with great financial liability, some eighteen new inner-city apartment complexes for low-income people.

I resent being called a “land hyena’1 or a “Lord of the Flies” and feel that this article is slanderous.

Scott Belsley

Dallas



Election Coverage



D’s article on the mayor and city council races [March] presented the major issues and positions in an informative, interesting, and unbiased manner-I feel certain that your article motivated many more citizens to get out and vote on Election Day.

Brenda Chamberlain

Dallas