Fiddling While Big D Burns

Gee, I guess it takes a lot to get tossed off the Dallas Plan Commission. Yesterday, City of Dallas Mayor Laura Miller asked the council to remove commission member D'Angelo Lee. Among the mayor's reasons for asking Lee to either resign or be removed from the commission were that Lee:

• Voted on zoning cases in which he was being paid as a consultant
• Failed to report a vehicle that was given to him as a "gift"
• Owed the government nearly $20,000 in personal income taxes

A rational person might think that any one of those cases would be sufficient grounds for removal of someone from a postion of public trust. Apparently rational people are in short supply on the right-hand side of the metroplex. The subject became embroiled in allegations of racism and conspiracies.

The day after it was learned that UT & OU may move their lucrative Red River Shootout from the city, councilmember James Fantroy promised violence if the embattled Lee was removed. "They're going to make the Los Angeles riots look like a picnic," said Fantroy. Gee, that's sure to lure more tourist to visit Big D. I wonder when we'll see that slogan on DART buses? Fantroy went on to say, "I will not sit back and allow what's going on today." Just exactly what level of impropriety, if any, it would take before Fantroy would consider removing a public official is not clear.

The tense city council meeting brings back fond memories of the glory days of the Dallas I.S.D. when district security officers routinely attended board meeting, to keep the board members from assaulting each other. It may not be great government, but its cheaper than watching wrasslin' on pay-per-view.