Socialism coming to Dallas

Local Forums Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex
1

I just found out that the city of Dallas is planning to build and own a $400 million hotel. There is a campaign against this socialist enterprise:

http://notaxpayerhotel.com/

There is a petition being collected this weekend to put this plan to a vote:

Daily

Volunteers will be collecting signatures at the West End DART Station (the intersection of Pacific Ave. and N. Lamar St) all day, everyday until we’ve reached our goal

UPCOMING PETITION SIGNING LOCATIONS

  1. Dallas Market Hall at 2200 Stemmons Fwy (the intersection of Stemmons Fwy and Market Center Blvd)—Volunteers will be present all day Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21 during the Dallas Gun and Knife Show.

  2. Robert E. Lee Park at 3301 Turtle Creek Blvd—Volunteers will be present all day Sunday, September 21.

  3. White Rock Lake at 8617 Garland Rd (by the Dallas Arboretum)—Volunteers will be present on the morning of Saturday, September 20.

2

I just found out that the city of Dallas is planning to build and own a $400 million hotel. There is a campaign against this socialist enterprise:

The debate about this on the Dallas City Council has been going on for many months. I first heard about it via the local Classical Music Station, WRR, which broadcasts the Dallas City Council meetings, I think, every third or fourth Wednesday of the month. They were talking about the city of Dallas building a hotel, at taxpayer expense, claiming that a hotel and a convention center down town would revitalize the local economy and that the taxpayers would benefit because there would be new businesses springing up and those businesses would gain profits from new customers. Of course, if this were actually economically feasible, then it would already be done or at least planned by businessmen.

I actually think a private venture wanted to build something like that, but the city council basically forbade it, even though it would be at private expense, because if it failed they would be left with an empty building downtown, but the builder could not guarantee that it would be occupied for most of the year. So, effectively, socialism already stopped the project, and I think the original backers backed out because of it, so now the city council wants to build one of their own.

That may not be the full story, because the council meetings took place while I was at work and I couldn’t stop and listen to every word. But I think this is yet another case where some city council forbade something, only to try to own part of it later on by funding it. As far as I know, the original backers were all set to go, but said to hell with it when Dallas gave them such a hard time. At least that was my understanding after listening to the city council meetings several months in a row.

3

I first heard about it via the local Classical Music Station, WRR, which broadcasts the Dallas City Council meetings, I think, every third or fourth Wednesday of the month.

I looked up more information as to when the Dallas City Council meetings are broadcast via the local radio and therefore WRR’s Internet site:

“The “agenda meetings”, held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, are broadcast live on WRR Classical Radio (101.1 FM) and telecast on Time Warner Cable channel 6B, 16, 66 or 76 (Digital Channel 66/76) in Dallas.”

Take a listen to these some day, and you will be amazed at how closely they resemble the Anthem community meetings. If you are a resident of the city of Dallas, the city council has almost draconian power over everything you do that might effect the city in any way – from painting your house to building a skyscraper.

I don’t want to single out Dallas, just focusing on them because their meetings are broadcast and available to those who attend this website forum. Other city councils and inspectors have the same powers. Opening a new gallery in Arlington was a nightmare that was delayed more than six months because of something the city inspector had to decide, nearly driving my boss out of business. Even after permissions were granted, the inspector insisted on breaking open a few free-standing walls after they were built! At our old location in Euless, we had to control energy usage to the point of regulating how many lights we could have and how quickly our A/C and heater worked in controlling the temperature of the gallery, and we had to install flow control valves!

My brother in California damned near had to take apart his entire house just to get permissions to install double pained windows and insulation, since the inspector kept finding things that did not pass the code even though he had been living in that house for more than ten years. Any new construction required permissions and opened up a nightmare of California environmental regulations upon him.

So, these types of governmental interference in private property are not just confined to the city of Dallas; though I agree that the taxpayers ought not to be strapped with a $400 million government project.

We have a long ways to go in bringing back capitalism.