Street People Don’t Just Beg for Money, Cities do too!

I can hear them whining now.  City leaders across North Texas crying the blues.  All of them insisting their city faces a budget shortfall.  My guess is, most of those leaders ran on a promise of “NO NEW TAXES!”  But now taxes are on the rise.  Here is a partial list of cities considering a tax hike:

1. Dallas
2. Corinth
3. Grand Prairie
4. Forney
5. Lake Dallas
6. Pilot Point
7. Garland
8. Benbrook
9. Royce City
10. Crandall  (proposed 37 percent tax hike)
11. Little Elm
12. Corsicana

One city stands tall and stands alone.  The posh Dallas suburb on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard has not raised taxes in 17 years.  The last time Heath raised taxes I was a junior in college, 1990!  The big question, how do city leaders do it?  The funniest part is the philosophy is so simple.  Here are just a few quotes from Mayor John Ratcliffe:

1. “It’s simple, we live with in our means.”
2. “If Revenues are X than expenditures should not exceed X.”
3. “We don’t take on debt, we don’t live on credit, we don’t borrow.”
4. “We never dip into reserves, instead we cut our costs.”

Sounds like the way I try to run my household.  What a novel idea for a city!

When Republicans Jump Ship

The political tide has changed in Dallas.  Make no mistake the county is now a Democratic one.  The proof… 7 Republican judges are switching parties, jumping ship, defecting!

They are becoming Democrats because they believe it’s the only way they can hold onto their seats.  You may remember two years ago in Dallas the Democrats gave the republicans and old fashioned Texas Beat Down!

I asked the Dallas Republican Party Chairman if it is troubling that candidates are defecting because the don’t feel they can win as a Republican.  John Neerman answered, “No, not really.”  But Republicans in Dallas should be troubled.  The county was once a Republican strong hold.  Now you have to get outside the 635 loop to find a strong Republican base.

As Dallas County demographics change, Republicans need to change with it.  Traditionally Hispanics have leaned to the right, yet more and more Hispanic voters are going Democrat.  Even Republicans acknowledge, if they don’t find a way to include the middle and working class the party will die a slow death and not just in Dallas.

Evacuee’s In an Unimaginable Position

What struck me about the thousands of evacuees who have come to Dallas from Southern Louisiana is just how bad they must have it.  Imagine being put in a position where you have no relatives to impose on and no money to stay a week in a modest hotel.

Leaving your home on a bus, filled with strangers, has to be the last resort.  Now these people are forced to stay in a shelter, on cots, eating what amounts to be a lesser version of cafeteria food, all because the have no money.  If things are so bad that the only place you can stay is a shelter 500 miles away, life, is no doubt, rough.

My hearts are with the evacuees as they once again find themselves far from home relying on the kindness of strangers.  I can not fathom what it must be like to be in their position…  No money, no savings account, no credit card and no family to bail you out during hard times.

Sadly, I did meet a few evacuees who seemed to have no concept about what goes into housing the thousands who came here.  One woman told me, “She doesn’t like shelters and she would rather the Red Cross put her up in a hotel.”  She went on to say, she plans on demanding money for a hotel room because that’s what she got during Katrina.

Another group of evacuees at the Dallas Convention Center were complaining “the food was cold and the sandwiches are bland.”  I told her I met dozens of volunteers who came in on thier holiday weekend to make those sandwiches.

We even ran into one family who drove to Dallas in the family car.  They now say they have no money for a return trip and were angered the Red Cross is not giving out gas cards for evacuees who drove here.

I was forced to move out of my house two years ago for three nights after a storm knocked our power out.  I didn’t like shelling out hundreds of dollars for a hotel, but after talking with the evacuees, I realized how thankful I am that I could afford it.

With Crypto Creeping, Pools Need to be Clean

It amazes me that 80 percent of public and semi public pools in Dallas failed their inspections.  Yes, 80 percent!  Some, like Kidd Springs Park, didn’t even have Chlorine in the pool.  Say What!!!???

Here is the kicker, and it’s typical government non-sense.  Inspectors inspect the public pools before the season opens.  That is a good idea.  But they don’t require the pools to be up to speed before they inspect.  So what happens is, most pools fail because they simply didn’t try to pass because the pool was closed.

The inspector then tells them to clean up and fix all the things the operator most likely already knows he has to fix.

Here is my proposal, how about you mandate pools are in compliance, then send out the inspector.  It will give the city, the public and the inspectors a better picture of just how well pool operators really take care of their pool.

Why send an inspector to inspect a pool that everyone knows will fail?  It’s another example of backward bureaucracy.

D Magazine wrote a great article on this with a site where you can check the inspection reports of local pools.

American Gladiators are Newlyweds Too

At first glance Ally and Jeff Davidson don’t look like American Gladiators, they look more like a couple of surfers from California. I’d be surprised if their combined weight equalled that of Gladiator Titan! But make no mistake these newlyweds are tough and they proved it Monday night.

Ally and Jeff were so tough, they’ll be moving on to the semi-finals of American Gladiators airing next July 21st and 28th NBC5. (NBC Promotion is a must on Grant’s Rant)

I am actually surprised how successful the show is. It really isn’t any different then the original American Gladiators that aired when I was in college. This time around the arena is a little more high tech, the games haven’t changed much and neither have the Gladiators.

They appear just as juiced up as they did 20 years ago. I wonder if Congress will be asking for urine samples from any of the Gladiators.

Best of luck of to Ally and Jeff, though I don’t think they need any luck, they need a doctor. Jeff cracked a rib and needed 15 stitches.

Read the story or See the Video Here

What’s Wrong With Cesar Chavez?

It’s very curious to me that the city conducts a web survey to re-name industrial blvd., then discounts the survey when the name that wins isn’t the name city leaders want.  I have a feeling, the administrators who conducted the survey never thought Cesar Chavez would win!  But it did.  The only problem is, it doesn’t fit the image the city wants the new trinity river project to portray.  City leaders won’t admit that, but common sense tells you that’s exactly the problem.

I voted for Riverfront Blvd.  But i still accept defeat. 

Here is the inside scoop.  The marketing gurus hired by Dallas City Hall are saying Riverfront Boulevard should be the name of choice.  The reason:  Convention and tourist business made up mostly of upper middle class “white” America.  I have been quietly told by city hall insiders that marketing executives want Dallas to “play down” it’s large Hispanic population and culture that goes with it.  They want the Trinity River project to serve as a sign that Dallas is a chic and trendy growing metropolis… Not little Mexico.  After all Cesar Chavez organized farm workers, not artists and actors in New York City.

But the fact is, whether the Anglo population wants to believe it or not, Dallas has a rich Hispanic heritage and the numbers of Hispanics flocking to Dallas grow by the day.  Apparently most of them voted in that web survey too.  Instead of changing the rules, next time the losers need to get more people to vote. 

The city said the whole process was just a “Survey.”  Sadly, by throwing the survey results in the trash the city actually is saying, “we don’t care what you think!” 

There is NO Place to Park!

Parking spaces for “compact cars only” do not belong in Texas.  A compact car in Dallas means a Jeep Cherokee.  North Texans live for our trucks and massive SUVs.  Which brings me to the question, why do shopping centers and parking garages insist on marking tiny spaces for “compact cars only?”

These are spots at the Lincoln Park shopping plaza across from North Park on Central (above).  I don’t even think my buddy Joe Redmond’s Smart Car could fit into these spaces.  Definitely not next to that Caddy (which is not a compact car, by the way.)  The only thing the developer does by making spaces this small is insure that we all get door dings on our own cars and make a few on the cars next to us.

Make no mistake, non-compact car drivers feel like they (we) own the road anyway, you know they (I) will have no problem parking here, WE will just take up three spaces in doing it.  I have a plea to future developers, please just make parking spaces big enough to handle an average Texas vehicle.  (That means a Hummer H2)

Restaurants Should Give Patrons What They Want

There is nothing that angers me more than seeing a note on the bottom of a menu that reads, “NO SUBSTITUTIONS.”  The Executive Chef usually even has the gall to add a “Please.”  I can only ask, what culinary institution teaches a Chef to tell his customers, “My way or the highway!”  If the customer is always right, why not just give them what they want.  My guess is the Chef either has a giant ego or is just plain lazy.

If Chef’s are going to put notes at the bottom of menus telling people how to eat their food, than every steak house in America ought to have a note that says, “Steaks served medium rare only.”  When someone orders a $45 dollar steak “well done” I’m sure the chef cringes, but he still cooks it that way.

My wife Amy and I ate at Terrelli’s in Dallas yesterday for brunch.  We love this little Greenville Ave. gem for it’s great food and live Jazz.  But I couldn’t believe it when I saw the dreaded note at the bottom of the page, “because our meals are fresh to order, please, no substitutions, thank you.”  Call me crazy, but if I can’t ask for what I like, the meals are NOT made “to order.”  And a restaurant of Terilli’s caliber should not have to tell people meals are served “Fresh.”  That should be a given at any fine restaurant.

I had an Italian Sausage Omelet, my wife had the Frittata with Salami.  She didn’t want the salami, but apparently, God forbid, we ask the chef to leave it out.  You can’t tell me it would slow the entire kitchen down to leave the salami out of the frittata or even substitute it with some tomatoes, which is what Amy really wanted.

Every executive Chef I have spoken with tells me, if he has the ingredients, he will gladly make it for the customer.  Our all time favorite Dallas Restaurant is Three Forks Steak House.  This is a place that can serve 500-1000 people on any given night.  The executive chef there prides himself on giving his customers what THEY want and cooking it they way THEY like it, even though it may be a hassle or not the “right” way.

“NO SUBSTITUTIONS” give me a break!  To be fair, the food at Terilli’s was good, Amy just wanted some tomatoes.

NBC5 News Angers Viewer

It’s not the first time we made a viewer mad, it most certainly won’t be the last.  Sarah Saxon owns a restaurant in Dallas called Sali’s and she emailed us, outraged over our constant coverage of a shrinking economy.  She says all we are doing is making things worse, scaring people into staying home and hoarding what little money they do have.

The fact is, we all know NBC5 and every other news station has a flare for the dramatics.  No matter what you believe, studies have shown, you the viewer won’t watch us unless the story is dramatic.  I heard someone say, “TV news is like pornography, no one admits they watch it and certainly no will admit they LIKE to watch it.” 

Maybe we could tone things down, and yes sometimes I laugh at our own “Teases”.  But I want you to know, the facts are not made up, the numbers are what they are.  With that said, the viewers need to be engaged and smart enough to decipher, yes I said decipher, what we are getting at.  Try to look through the hype and the real story is always there.

As for the economy it’s a strange beast, its huge and multi faceted.  One person could think things are great, another might see things as bad as the great depression.  Even the housing market changes from one zip code to another.  As I said at ten last night, we only have 30 minutes to a newscast, not every angle can be told.  We try to report what WE think is most important to YOU.  Sometimes we make a bad decision, email us when we do.  We really do read those emails and maybe if your lucky, I may even come out and do a story on your anger with me.   As long as it’s dramatic enough

Stars Need to Win, Or Else

I’m not a hockey fan, I really don’t even like the sport.  But when it’s all that left in the Big D what is a sports fan to do?  The  Rangers are already out of it, the Mavs are in my dog house, and NFL draft day is over.  That leaves me forced to watch a bunch of white guys with broken noses skate around a rink doing something most people have never done in their lives.

With that said, the Stars need to know, all of Dallas’s sports hopes and dreams rest on their shoulders.  Please, please, please, do not blow this 3-0 lead against San Jose.  We have had to endure the Mavs blow it all three times including their loss to Miami in the finials two years ago.  Don’t even start me on the Cowboys, the fumble, the Giants!

I never expected the Stars to go to the Stanley Cup much less win it.  But once they went up 3-0 in this seriers, why not the Stanley Cup?  I will say this now, if the Stars do blow this seriers, maybe Dallas sports teams really are jinxed.  I’m not saying that yet, but the possibility exists.