Pulse of the CITY

Can Texas Vote For Cheney?

One word in the Constitution could decide a close election.

There’s not a doubt in anyone’s mind that on Nov. 7 Texans will vote overwhelmingly for the Bush/ Cheney ticket. But whether their votes ever get officially counted for Dick Cheney may depend on one word in the Constitution.

Amendment XII requires a state’s electors to vote for president and vice president separately, “one of whom, at least, shall not he an inhabitant of the same stale with themselves.” That’s why three days before his name surfaced as Bush’s choice, Cheney switched his residence from Texas to Wyoming by registering to vote there. By Wyoming law, that made him a resident. But the Constitution doesn’t say “resident.” It says “inhabitant.” While all states have, their own residency requirements, according to legal scholars, there is no case law defining inhabitant. “It doesn’t have a legal definition,” says UT law professor Sanford Levinson, who has written extensively on the 12th Amendment. “It means ’where you live.’”

Since 1995. that’s been Euclid Avenue in Highland Park for the Cheneys. They applied for and received a home-stead exemption on the house, swearing it is “where they live, their main residence.” according to a spokesperson for the Dallas Central Appraisal District. Cheney has voted twice at the HP fire station and holds a Texas driver’s license.

Does this matter? If the Republican ticket wins by les: than 32 electoral votes (the number of voles Texas casts) il may matter a lot. When the electoral votes are counted before a joint session of Congress, as required by the Constitution, and the roll call for vice president gels to Texas, a Democrat it sure to object. What happens then?

“Nobody knows,” says Levinson. Whatever happens, it probably won’t be good for the Republicans. Electoral vote counting is supervised by the president of the Senate, who happens to be Al Gore.

QUOTABLES

“The point of a healthy functioning economy is to destroy jobs.”

-Dallas Federal Reserve’s Michael Cox, pointing out that innovation creates better jobs to replace old ones.

for the record

EROSION AT WFAA: CALL IT THE “TRACY FACTOR.”



This fall, Channel 8 News’ two-decade dominance of the all-important 10 p.m. slot could fall to Channel 5’s relentless attack. After losing longtime anchor Tracy Rowlett to Channel 11, 8 managed to hold its lead by only seven-tenths of a ratings point last spring. Why? The only TV critic in town can’t tell you. Now that the News and Channel 8 are officially “partners”-sharing sources, cross-pollinating promotions-the paper’s Ed Bark has been told not to write about TV news.



NOW IN PRINT



Dallas-based is now a bimonthly magazine,



FREE PAPER CHASE; OBSERVER’S PARENT BUYS COMPETITOR.



Phoenix-based New Times, owner of the Dallas Observer and a dozen other free alternative weeklies, has purchased FW Weekly. The paper had bright writing but struggled financially. (Who would run a GWM seeks GWM ad in Fort Worth?)Though NewTimes insists the paper won’t be closed, that’s its MO.The company has never bought a paper in an existing market without shutting it down.

How To Drive City Hall Crazy

(Or, Why They Cheered Robert Melton’s Sudden Move to Florida)

WE DON’T WANT TO SUGGEST THE MAN HAS A screw loose. But when Robert Melton. erstwhile city auditor, used his vacation time to start work at a new job in Florida (neglecting to notify, much less give notice to, the City of Dallas) we wondered why normally reserved city bureaucrats were so openly gleeful. This memo seems to be just one of the reasons:



Memorandum CITY OF DALLAS

DATE: May 3, 2000

TO: Eric M. Kaalund, City Controller

SUBJECT: Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline Call #20834



We have recently received a Hotline call alleging the following:

The complainant, alleges that 25 percent of the paper clips used by him or her are defective (samples provided) and City monies are being wasted. Also, that duty time is wasted searching for useable paper clips.

Because of the nature of these allegations, I am asking you to follow up on this. I would appreciate your letting me know within 30 days of any action taken.

Robert W. Helton, CPA, CIA, CFE, City Auditor Memorandum CITY OF DALLAS

DATE: May 25, 2000

TO: Robert W. Melton, City Auditor

SUBJECT: Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline Call #20834 Researching this allegation presented several problems:

More than 3,000 boxes of regular sized paperclips have been purchased through Office Depot since June 1999, totaling some $888 plus dollars.

Paperclips supplied by other office supply vendors are still in use and stored in department inventories.

The paperclips we sampled from the Office Depot contained six different prod uct numbers suggesting various manufactur ers (the same scenario could exist for suppliers prior to Office Depot.)

The complainant did not provide a manu facturer’s name, date of purchase or the supplier of the defective paperclips.

During the course of our investigation we sampled more than 40% of the paperclip inventory in Purchasing and Office Services, and contacted several departments to determine if they were experiencing a similar problem. No defective paperclips were found. Additionally, no problems have been reported to the City’s Purchasing or Office Services staff, or Office Depot.

Eric M. Kaalund, City Controller

GOTCHA!

Whizzing in public might get your photo posted on a new Greenville Avenue web site.



AVI Adelman, ringleader of the Barking Dogs of Lower Greenville, an organization of homeowners in and around the M Streets, has been prowling. On his web site, www.barkingdogs.com, Adelman crusades for community support to force the city to enforce zoning ordinances and code violations. Every weekend crowds spill Into the neighborhood surrounding the bar-lined avenue, and incidences of lewd and crude behavior such as public drunkenness and public urination have Adelman and his neighbors up in arms. While the already omnipresent police force on Greenville has been beefed up recently, and drivers with carloads of tipsy revelers are regularly pulled over and tested for sobriety, Adelman has found his own effective way of discouraging public indecency. He regularly sneaks up on unsuspecting patrons relieving themselves outdoors and snaps a photo, which he then posts on his group’s web site.

COOL IDEA

OF THE MONTH

Deep Ellum is hot for high tech. Why not encourage the start-ups with a new address?

WEB SITE

OF THE MONTH



Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are both buried in Dallas-a lit-

tle tidbit you can learn at www.findagrave.corn. The site lists more than 2.5 million graves.

STATS



$.50

Price of a State Fair coupon.



6

Coupons needed to buy one Fletcher’s Original State Fair Corny Dog.



61,800

Coupons it would take to buy a 2001 Ford Explorer XLT.



10,300

Number of Fletcher’s corny dogs you could buy instead.



4,184

Approximate weight, in pounds, of 10,300 Fletcher’s Corny Dogs without mustard.

4,082

Approximate weight, in pounds, of a Ford Explorer without mustard.



500,000

Approximate number of Fletcher’s corny dogs sold at the State Fair each year.



1,736

Average number of corny dogs consumed per hour of operation during the 24day State Fair run.



SOURCES- Slat? ft* of Texas Public Relations Dent.; Leadership Fora, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs.

Model Turns Dallas Detective

Rachel Hunter set to sizzle in psychological thriller.

SUPERMODEL-TURNED-ACTRESS Rachel Hunter is hanging around Dallas during the shooting of her latest film. Pendulum. Hunter stars as Amanda Reeve, a detective who becomes an unwitting pawn in a murder investigation. The psychological thriller, which is set in Dallas, was penned by UTA alum Jason Kabolati and is being produced by Pendulum Productions this fall, Hunier, who rose to fame as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model, has already wrapped three films this year, and she plans to expand lier acting repertoire in the future. Pendulum is scheduled for release in Spring 2001.

Ms. Miller Builds Her Dream House



Populist politician spends big in aristocratic neighborhood.



In early April. Dallas council-woman Laura Miller and hubby Stale Rep. Steve Wolens (D-Oak Cliff) bought a house on Cochran Chapel Road in Bluffview and promptly lore it down. Built in 1973. the home had been valued at about $800,000 on Dallas County tax rolls, and one source says it went for $1.6 million in the private sale. Wolens says that’s too high. But it’s probably not far off; there are 10 other properties on the street valued at more than $1 million, and Wolens does confirm the ink was still wet on the deed when they got offers to sell for more than they paid.

While the Bluffview property is still in Wolens’ legislative district, the city council district presently belongs to Veletta Lill. But they’re not moving any lime soon. Miller has told friends thai she plans to run next year for re-election in Oak Cliff because it will take at least three years to build their mini-mansion.

Warming Trends

Warming Trends

EXCLUSIVE ELEGANCE:

Regency has made the ultimate elegant coat- cream wool with fox fur trim, $1,100/Nciman Marcus, downtown. Dolce & Gabbana tan and black sling-back pumps, $448/Gregory’s.

FINAL TOUCH:

Vestimenta’s black-and-white check coat makes any outfit dramatic, S69fVSaks Fifth Ave. Vertigo red suede trouser, $164/Gregory’s. Rene Caovilla red mink sandals, $698/Grcgory’s.

MAD ABOUT TWEED:

DKNY’s olive tweed coal with faux-fur collar is a perfect way to update any wardrobe, $828/Saks Fifth Ave. Rene Caovilla pumps, $598/Gregory’s.

ANIMAL LOVE:

Oscar by Oscar de la Renta gray giraffe-print coat, $598/Saks Fifth Ave. Jewels lavender leather trouser by Julie Knapp, S388/Gregory’s,



GREEN DREAM:

Alberta Ferretti’s avocado quilted coat with brown suede trim and fur cuffs is a work of art, $1,180/Nordstrom.



DAYTIME BLUES:

Betsey Johnson’s dark denim trench coat is a day-lime classic, $298/Betsey Johnson Boutique. Dolce & Gabbana purple sling-backs with red flowers, $589/ Gregory’s, Rhinestone necklace, $225, with matching rhinestone bracelet, $168/Gregory’s.

STATE FAIR

WINNERS READ



SUE RAINEY has won

the best chocolate cake award twice. (One of those times Julia Child was the final judge,) Last year she won the blue rib-bon for her pralines. Sue’s reading Patricia Cornwell’s Postmortem. “It’s very suspenseful and keeps your interest.”



Last year DONNA MATTHEWS won a blue ribbon for her quilling. “Winning would have tickled my daddy. He dragged me to the fair every year when I was a kid.” Matthews is reading Sarah Paratsky’s Hard Time. “I read everything Paratsky writes.”



MICHAEL DAVIS, 11, grudgingly built a tile birdhouse after being signed up for a ceramics class he didn’t want to attend. The result: A blue ribbon in the State Fair. Older brother Gary is still fuming. He’s entered five times in everything from Legos to model cars and has won ribbons but no firsts. Michael is reading Honus & Me, by Dan Gutman.

“Definitely a blue ribbon in sports.” Gary is so mad he’s stopped reading altogether.



In 1999 MARY JOANNA GRADY won five blue ribbons for pottery. Friends call her “The State Fair Queen.” Grady just finished The Indwelling by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. “I read It in three days.”