Dick, Will You Dance with Me?
I wasn’t sayin’ a word. But I’ve received about a dozen e-mails from readers questioning my silence.
So, without getting too sappy about how University Park is growing up so fast, I do have a few thoughts about the passing of props 1 and 2.
- Max Fuqua is indeed Ren McCormack. Max, I’m proud of you.
- I’m pretty sure this is what Buddy Cramer, owner of Bandito’s in Snider Plaza, was doing last night at about midnight.
- And we need to make sure the foriegn exchange students know the minimum age. Because, you know what can happen.
- And finally. It’s that time. Everyone grab a partner. Dick, will you dance with me?
It’s about time!
Max, you are my hero. You ran a great grass roots campaign without using any pros. This community owes you a debt of gratitude. People are going to see that all of the scary things the other side was saying, won’t come to pass. In a year, the only change will be that the businesses in places like Snider Plaza will be a little healthier and the residents of our little town will be better served as customers.
It was a bitter campaign and I am still mad about some things that the other side did and how they characterized our side, but all of that will fade fast. I know that Max will extend the olive branch to the opponents as friends and work together with everybody. I just hope they will go along with this spirit and not bite your hand off.
Max, you certainly lived up to your “Citizen of the Year” award. Thank you for supporting this in such a reasonable and truthful way.
I am thrilled that our tax dollars will stay in our city instead of going to Dallas or HP…even if it’s “just” $10,000 a year in tax revenue.
3.And we need to make sure the foriegn exchange students know the minimum age. Because, you know what can happen.
You not nice lady!!!!
Common sense prevails.
Laueie,
I think it’s going to be more than $ 10,000, hope someone checks that at the end of 2011 to see how much it is.
U.P. gets only 1% of liquor sales. $10,000 amounts to $1,000,000 (One Million) in sales.
The costs of additional police officer, equipment, time, and court costs are many times that amount.
We all hope those additional costs are not necessary. But, it is very possible the income from additional alcohol sales will not offset the additional costs.
The newly and unfortunately reelected Barney Frank – of all people – reinforces an important point all of us on the “for” side discovered in this debate (emphasis mine):
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/109147/
“BARNEY FRANK SURVIVED SEAN BIELAT’S CHALLENGE, but as this ‘train-wreck’ victory speech demonstrates, it really got under his skin and he’s lashing out in what looks more like an angry concession speech. I think Barney Frank is actually hurt that he had to take it, not just dish it out this time around. But the Tea Party movement has not yet begun to dish . . . .
But Frank’s childish behavior provides a good lesson in how to deal with the political class. Mock them, and don’t treat them with the respect they — wrongly — feel is their due. They’re not used to being challenged. Keep it up, and odds are they’ll either quit, or embarrass themselves fatally.”
And that’s pretty much what happened, isn’t it?
Max is a patriot, and he runs a darn good store.
Neal, I don’t know where or how you drew the parallel, but I think it’s not at all applicable.
Barney Frank is a fruitcake, a career paid elected official, and a criminal. He lives off the taxpayers, has operated a call guy service out of his home, and is the special friend of the moron who runs Fannie Mae.
Elected officials in Highland Park and University Park serve without pay, have limited terms, and pretty much “give back” to the community. They are chosen by community leagues comprised of people involved in the community.
They are certainly not a “political class”.
You may have no respect for the former mayors, and that’s your business. But, University Park is what it is today because of their decades of leadership and involvement, and that of the city councils and appointed boards and commissions that operate on behalf of the City.
I’d say our former mayors and most of our former council members have earned the respect of the community. The proof of their leadership and wisdom is all around us in University Park, one of the best places in the country in which to live.
THERE YOU GO AGAIN N.F.
Read my lips “Life will remain exactly the same around here, only more convenient and less governmentally intrusive.”
N.F.
Do you really beleive the city will have to hire more police because the Tom Thumb & 7-11 sells beer and wine?? This is no big deal, just done away with some outdated laws. You could & still can go to a alot of places on Snider Plaza & Preston Center and drink all the beer, wine, vodka, gin & whiskey you want. Nothing will change, just some extra money to the city and maybe they can use it toward parking enforcement on Snider Plaza.
This reminds me of when Texas VOTERS passed the concealed handgun law. The people that were against it were saying how the streets will be filled with blood from this. But as we know Texas is alot safer now. This really not a big deal.
We also will get the taxes from the purchase of non-food items that people buy along with their alcohol purchases. So every time someone buys things like flowers, greeting cards, paper products, etc. at the Snider Plaza Tom Thumb, or snacks at the 7-11 on Hillcrest, UP will keep the sales tax. There is no way to calculate that amount, but it surely is significant. Win Win!
BM, I was for concealed carry, and remain so today. There is no parallel I know of to this liquor election. We already had the right to buy alcohol. It just wasn’t convenient. So, this was a “convenience election” to voters, and all about the money and profits to those pushing it. (Nothing wrong with money and profits!)
No; I don’t believe U.P. will immediately need more police officers because Tom Thumb sells beer and wine. We WILL more store space, and more parking.
Where more officers would be needed is in the event that new businesses selling mixed drinks begin to proliferate the availability of alcohol – especially to young people.
I’m told that won’t happen. We’ll see.
I was told that if this passed Hillcrest will be a combination of Lubbock/Memphis/Bourbon St. We’ll see.
At first, NF calls them “elected officials”, but later in the post, gets a little more accurate, saying that they are “chosen by community leagues”. And that is indeed true. This election was a big step in the city residents not rolling over and just doing what the Community League tries to force us into, despite how much money and false information they spread in the effort.
Maybe next time we have a couple people with enough guts to run for council outside of the League’s slate, the voters will remember and put them in office.
UPDad, I’ll bet you money you’re right that other people will run for Council jobs next time around, but having nothing to do with this election. It’s been tried before; it failed.
I’ll also bet you money that they couldn’t beat Dick Davis if they tried. (I believe the Mayor and then the whole Council run separately in the same election.)
There’s a huge difference between getting rid of the Unicards and wet/dry lines, and electing people with no experience in city government and “history” with the community in service or leadership roles.
Let the good times roll.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110510dnbusbeerwine.1f8af84a1.html
Ah, finally NF and I agree. I’d never take that bet, because the Community League is the real power in this town. They might have underestimated things on this one, but they will NEVER let someone outside of their slate win a council seat. That might threaten your (I mean their) power, which you (I mean they) hold onto with dear life, at any expense.
My earlier post said “maybe”, but I agree with you–it’s a tiny chance. (Still, I thought props would fail for the same reason…)
Pardon my naivete, but what is this Community League?
Is this like the Justice League? Are there costumes and secret handshakes? Do they have super powers?
Is it a “my great great great grandfather built a company and was rich so I’m entitled too” club? The kind of League that you can’t get into if YOU built a company and you’re rich because you’re first generation rich?
Nouveau riche trash?
Someone ‘splain me, por favor…
Grump, As I understand it, the group has been around quite a while and does a lot of civic stuff. But, they also endorse candidates for Mayor and City Council, and fund their campaigns. Membership is open to anyone, basically, and it’s a mix of mostly males – some with, some without, pedigrees. More and more, women are involved. (University Park has actually had a woman mayor!)
There are quite a few third generation people in University Park. But, can you blame them? There’s not a better place to live in this part of Texas.
But, more and more, there are first generation folks who have moved into the community. Some inherited their money; most made it the old fashioned way by working.
To be successful at running for office in U.P., you need the Community League’s blessing. Otherwise be prepared for rough, expensive, and likely unsuccessful campaign that would make the liquor election look like election a Prom Queen.
Grump, Here is the url of the U.P. Community League:
http://www.upcommunityleague.org/
What is a “pedigree”?
jb, This may be more than you want to know, but “pedigree” comes from arcane French “pied de grue meaning “the foot of a crane”. The symbol of a crane’s foot, / | \ was used in designating royal lines and family ancestors in old genealogical charts.
These days, it can indicate “pure bred” or refer to a list of ancestors. Someone with a pedigree in the Park Cities would be likely be someone on the social register, someone well-known in business, or someone whose relatives have live in Dallas or the Park Cities for generations.
For people with dogs, it is the “lines” from which your dog was sired, that generally certify a pure bred dog with fewer bad traits and more good traits of the breed.
I’ve always preferred mutts to pure breds. Too much inbreeding.