As I teased earlier, some big news did break this morning about a group that has put together a PAC to fund Dallas City Council candidates who favor tearing down and boulevarding I-345. From Brandon Formby’s story in the DMN.
Dallas civic leaders and urban planners on Tuesday announced the formation of the Coalition for a New Dallas. Its leaders include former state Sen. John Carona, religious outreach director George Battle III, development analyst J. Brandon Hancock and D Magazine co-founder Wick Allison.
It is the second organization in recent months created to influence the elected leaders who will help decide the fate of a controversial transportation project. …
Group leaders said they so far have raised $255,000. A list of donors doesn’t have to be publicly filed until April. The PAC hasn’t yet endorsed any candidates. City Council hopefuls have until Feb. 27 to file for a place in the May 9 elections.
It has taken me this long to put up a post about the Coalition for a New Dallas because Wick Allison did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Texted him — no response. Had him paged on company PA system — nothing. Thought I saw him headed into the bathroom — turned out to be Zac.
In all seriousness, it’s fair to ask how our owner and publisher’s involvement with this PAC might color what you read on this blog and in the pages of D Magazine. I think it’s pretty clear that the magazine supports a teardown and rebuild of I-345. We’ll continue to cover the issue just as we have since Patrick Kennedy first floated the teardown idea in our pages, in February 2013.
What about candidates, then? Can you trust what we write about them if our boss is giving them money? Fair questions. It seems reasonable that if we write about a candidate to whom the Coalition for a New Dallas has given money, we should disclose that. As soon as I get a moment with Wick, I’ll ask him whether that’s possible.
Meantime, just take everything we write as gospel. Easier that way for all of us.
