I published my Voters Guide yesterday covering the City Council election. I've also been publishing accounts of the ongoing work of the Charter Review Commission. The two topics have kept themselves separate. Today, they collide.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Monday, April 21, 2025
The Wheel's Voter's Guide (May, 2025)
Source: ImgFlip.
Early voting for the 2025 local elections in Texas starts Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Election Day is Saturday, May 3, 2025. On the ballot will be two contested places on the City of Richardson City Council and two contested districts of the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees. Find more election information at the League of Women Voters of Richardson. Find your personalized ballot and the candidates' answers to the LWV-Richardson questionnaire at Vote411.org.
Here's the executive summary of The Wheel's recommendations:
For City of Richardson Mayor, I recommend Amir Omar.
For City of Richardson Place 6, I recommend Lisa Marie Kupfer.
City of Richardson Places 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are uncontested.
For RISD District 2, I recommend Vanessa Pacheco.
For RISD District 5, I recommend Rachel McGowan.
RISD District 4 is uncontested.
The other RISD Districts and Places are not up for election this
year. To vote in either of these districts that are on the ballot, you
must live within the district.
Read on for the reasons I make these recommendations.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
LWV Forum for Richardson City Council
On April 16, 2025, the League of Women Voters of Richardson hosted a forum of Richardson mayoral candidates at the Eisemann Center, moderated by Lanet Greenhaw. Mayoral candidates Mayor Bob Dubey and former Councilmember Amir Omar participated. Alan C. North was unable to participate because of a scheduling conflict. Mayor Pro-tem Arefin Shamsul and Lisa Marie Kupfer, candidates for Place 6, also participated. About 150 persons were in the audience. The forum was live-streamed by the City and video on demand is available on the LWV website.
I was pleased with the forum, with the questions asked by the LWV and members of the public, by the earnestness shown by the candidates, by the decorum on stage and in the audience. I recap the highlights here, excerpts that I feel best show the distinctions between the candidates. I will be stripping out a lot of words, maybe at the risk of losing important context, but that's what the video is for. If a snippet of an answer here makes you want to hear more, then watch the video on the LWV website.
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Einen Veritablen Shitstorm, Exhumed
Today I exhume a post buried deep in the archives. Why? Because someone is trying to rewrite this disgraceful history from Scott Dunn's time on the Richardson City Council. Why? To invent a false narrative that paints Amir Omar as the bad guy in this episode. Who is doing that? I won't name them here. I will say it's not Scott Dunn. I hope I won't have to name names. I hope that they will see that bringing this back up hurts their own candidate, Bob Dubey. The truth actually helps Amir Omar. What's the disgraceful episode this person wants to relitigate?
Friday, April 18, 2025
The Dubey Way: Breaking the Street Grid
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
February 10, 2025: Despite a City plan to redevelop downtown Richardson in a way that not only preserves the compact street grid, but extends it, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve a 580-foot-long apartment building in the heart of downtown that will create a superblock that cuts the downtown street grid, disconnecting business development on Polk Street from that on Kaufman Street.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
The Dubey Way: More Drive-Thrus
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
December 9, 2024: Despite a new City plan to do a reinvestment study for the area around Plano Rd and Belt Line Rd, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve a drive-thru only coffee shop there. Luckily for the Richardson residents who have repeatedly said that area has more drive-thru restaurants than they need, especially chicken restaurants, the rest of the Council said no. They denied the request 5-2, with only one other Councilmember joining Mayor Dubey in thinking another drive-thru is a good idea there.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
The Dubey Way: Salvage Car Lot
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
October 14, 2024: Despite a City plan to redevelop the area it has rebranded as Richardson IQ and claims is "Texas' premier tech hub" (not just North Texas, mind you, but Texas as a whole) and "our living laboratory for big ideas and groundbreaking technology," Mayor Bob Dubey's own big idea is to put a salvage car dealership there. Salvage cars are cars that have been totalled and repaired. With Dubey's approval, that's what will be the first thing companies see when they come to Richardson to explore whether the IQ is a good place to relocate their business.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
The Dubey Way: More Car Repair Shops
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
September 23, 2024: Despite a City plan to redevelop the Interurban District as an "edgy, mixed-use district", Mayor Bob Dubey voted to give a special permit to a car repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot in the heart of the district. The Council vote was split 4-3. The Mayor's vote was decisive.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Monday, April 14, 2025
The Dubey Way: More Signs. Taller Signs
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
August 8, 2024: Despite a City sign control ordinance limiting pole signs to a height of 20 feet, which is the most common limit in neighboring cities as well, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to grant a variance to a car dealer to erect his own 40 foot sign. Of course, other businesses soon followed.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Sunday, April 13, 2025
POTD: World's Tallest Wooden Buildings
"Steel still rules the sky,
But the smell of pine reaches
Up where clouds drift by."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer |
Who says wooden buildings can't be more than four or five stories tall? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Brumunddal, Norway. It shows Mjøstårnet, "an 18-storey mixed-use building completed in March 2019. At the time of completion, it was officially the world's tallest wooden building, at 85.4 m (280 ft) tall, before being surpassed by Ascent MKE in August 2022." Who knew there was even a competition?
Saturday, April 12, 2025
POTD: Norway's Odd Roadside Attractions
"Shining against clouds,
A strange shape stands by the road.
Life begins with laughs."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Norway at a highway rest stop. The artwork is "Sædspira" by Linda Bakke, and in case you're wondering, yes, the sculpture is exactly what it looks like.
Friday, April 11, 2025
The Dubey Way: Even More "Heads in Beds"
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
July 8, 2024: Despite a City plan for mixed-use development in CityLine, including entertainment uses, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve construction of 1,175 more apartments, overriding the City Plan Commission, who rejected the application, saying they wanted to see "more creative retail or entertainment uses," as called for in the plan.
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Thursday, April 10, 2025
The Dubey Way: Outdoor Lumber Storage
Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.
January 21, 2024: Despite a City plan to redevelop the Interurban District as an "edgy, mixed-use district", Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve a new outdoor storage lot, described as, "It could be lumber, it could be steel, it could be aluminum, it could be, he does a lot of concrete."
The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.
The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
The Money Race for City Council
Candidates file campaign finance reports 30 days before elections. For the City of Richardson, there are only two contested races: the Mayor's race (Dubey vs Omar vs North) and Place 6 (Arefin vs Kupfer). Five incumbents have drawn no challengers. What will it take to get more Richardson citizens to run for political office? Good question, but not one we'll get into today. Today, it's all about the money. We also won't get into the question of just how close money and candidates can get before the Code of Ethics gets invoked. Apparently, a lot closer than you'd think.
Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Charter Review: Articles 11,15,16
Artist: John Trumbull.
On April 3, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 11 (Budget and Financial Procedures), 15 (Collection of Taxes), and 16 (Issuance and Sale of Bonds).
Still no video by the City to link you to. To paraphrase City policy: "Move along. There's nothing to see here."
Monday, April 7, 2025
Mayor Dubey: "If anybody asks, that is legal."
Source: City of Richardson.
Richardson Mayor Bob Dubey: "If anybody asks, that is legal." The Mayor said those words during remarks at an election forum at the Chinese Community Center on March 22, 2025. Any time a politician emphasizes that what he's doing is legal, my ears perk up. What the heck was the Mayor talking about? Why would he be doing stuff that people might even question the legality behind it? Many voters care less and less about legality (our current President is a convicted felon, after all). But...since the Mayor himself raised the issue, let's go down this rabbit hole anyway. It all has to do with those "POP Sheets" in the photo.
Sunday, April 6, 2025
POTD: Oslo Opera House
"Sunlight takes the stage,
Dancing on the angled roof
Of smooth white marble."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Oslo Opera House. "The roof of the building angles to ground level, creating a large plaza that invites pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo."
Saturday, April 5, 2025
The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown.
POTD: Vigelandsparken
"Naked forms embrace,
Unashamed beneath the sky—
Flesh reborn in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway in Frogner Park, site of the Vigeland installation of 212 granite and bronze sculptures, all designed by Gustav Vigeland.
Friday, April 4, 2025
UT-Dallas Students Host Forum for Mayoral Candidates
On April 2, 2025, the UT-Dallas Student Government hosted a debate of Richardson mayoral candidates, moderated by Dr. John Gooch. Mayor Bob Dubey and former Councilmember Amir Omar participated. It was announced that Alan North "did not get back to us in terms of attending this debate." That's something that Alan North has denied. "I RSVP'd yes to their April 2 debate, sent Aidan Boyd three emails, with 2 different e-mail addresses, called, left voicemails—silence."
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Twisters (2024)
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Charter Review: Articles 12,13,19
Artist: John Trumbull.
On March 27, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 12 (Franchises), 13 (Ordinances), and 19 (Effective Date).
(Still no video by the City to link you to. By now, you know the story. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants," but the Richardson City Council is fine with darkness; not only no live video feed, but no official video record of the Charter Review Commission at all. Politicians seem to have an inherent fear of sunlight.)
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Random Thoughts: I Liked Anora, Too
2025-03-03: Anora won the Oscar for Best Picture. I think Brutalist is a timeless film that will age better, but I liked Anora, too.
2025-03-08: "During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," SpaceX said in a post on X.
"Rapid unscheduled disassembly." Kind of like the impact of President Musk's DOGE on the federal government.
2025-03-29: My Bluesky chat address is @marksteger.bsky.social. It's where I discuss all of my war plans. Just out in the open, readable by all. You can join in.
More random thoughts can be found on Mastodon.
Monday, March 31, 2025
Mayoral Candidates Talk to Democrats
On March 25, 2025, the Richardson Area Democrats (RAD) hosted an online forum for Richardson mayoral candidates. The forum also included Place 6 candidates and RISD District 2 trustee candidates, but here I focus only on the mayoral candidates. You can watch it on YouTube yourself (the mayoral portion is short) or you can read my takeaways here. I recommend you do both.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
POTD: Nobel Peace Center
"Close to Oslo's heart,
A tribute to those who strive
For a world at peace."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Nobel Peace Center, "a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution."
Saturday, March 29, 2025
POTD: Royal Palace of Norway
"Statue guards the door.
Grandeur at Oslo's center.
Crown and tradition."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the Royal Palace of Norway in Oslo. The Palace "was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born Charles XIV John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch...King Charles John never had the pleasure of residing in his palace before he died in 1844, and its first occupants were his son Oscar I and his queen Josephine."
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
![]() |
Max
Sunday, March 23, 2025
POTD: Old Fredrikstad
"Glimpse the fortified
old town preserved in the past.
Fredrikstad stands still."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 05 Fredrikstad |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Fredrikstad, Norway, founded in 1567 by King Fredrick II. "The city centre is on the west bank of the Glomma, while the old town on the east bank is Northern Europe's best preserved fortified town." Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Old Fredrikstad.
Saturday, March 22, 2025
POTD: Walkable Gothenburg
"Flags, pendants above.
Cobblestones beneath your feet.
Gothenburg alive."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the city center of Gothenburg, Sweden. Walkable, vibrant, busy. What's not to love?
A bonus photo is after the jump.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Caddo Lake (2024)
![]() |
Max
Monday, March 17, 2025
Juror #2 (2024)
Sunday, March 16, 2025
POTD: Rosenlundsverket
"On water's edge, where
Smoke once darkened sky and stone,
Now blue buildings smile."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Who says a power plant has to be ugly? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Rosenlundsverket, a century-old heat and power plant. Originally fired with coal, it was replaced by an oil-fired plant in the early 1950s. Natural gas firing was put into operation in 1988. Today, Sweden generates only about 2% of its electricity from fossil-based fuel. The vast majority comes from hydropower (around 40%), nuclear power (about 30%), and wind power (about 20%).
Saturday, March 15, 2025
POTD: Fish Church
"Once a bustling trade,
Fishmongers' voices now gone.
Diners take their place."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Feskekörka (Fish Church), "a building that formerly housed an indoor fish market. Its name is based on the building's resemblance to a neo-Gothic church. It opened on 1 November 1874...Feskekörka underwent a renovation for several years, beginning in 2021. There is now a single occupant of the building operating a restaurant business."
Thursday, March 13, 2025
A Look Back at the Mayoral Candidates
For just the seventh time in Richardson's history, voters get to vote for mayor. Three of those races were uncontested. Three offered a choice between two candidates. In 2025, for the first time in Richardson's history, voters will get to choose among three candidates. It's still early in the campaign. We've had no forums. We've had no campaign mailers, robocalls or text messages. Social media campaigns have barely begun.
I thought now would be a good time to research the archives for what I said about these candidates when they ran for City Council before. For Alan North, I chose 2011, the one and only time he filed to run for office. For Amir Omar, I also chose 2011, the first time he ran for re-election. For Bob Dubey, I chose 2019, the first time he ran for re-election. I found it interesting what I wrote in those more innocent times.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Zero Day (TV 2025)
![]() |
Netflix
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Disclaimer (TV 2024)
Monday, March 10, 2025
Charter Review: Articles 6-8
Artist: John Trumbull.
On March 6, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 6 (City Manager), 7 (City Attorney), and 8 (Administrative Department).
(Still no video by the City to link you to. One commissioner said, "I know I wasn't here last week, but I watched it on the video, so I'm completely caught up with the discussion." He didn't credit Justin Neth, but I'm guessing it was Neth's personal video he was referring to. It's ironic that the City Council voted 4-3 against video recording of Charter Review Commission meetings, citing an unwillingness of commission members from having their discussions video recorded, only to have the value of a video record demonstrated so quickly and clearly by the commission itself.)
Sunday, March 9, 2025
POTD: Poseidon in Götaplatsen
"Proud, worn, ever strong,
gazing over Gothenburg,
Prompting our judgment."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Götaplatsen, a public square and the cultural hub of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is "enclosed by the Gothenburg Concert Hall, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Gothenburg City Theatre and the City Library."
In its center is a statue of the sea god Poseidon by Carl Milles. The statue was inaugurated in September, 1931. Opinion on it is divided, some saying Poseidon's face is ugly (a subjective judgment), some saying Milles himself was a Nazi sympathizer (fact). Art is never just art.
Saturday, March 8, 2025
POTD: Swedish Meatballs and Lingonberries
"One day in Sweden,
but Gothenburg's tastes remain,
meatballs, berries, joy."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden, the only city we visited in Sweden. When you have only one day in Sweden, you just have to eat Swedish meatballs, right? And so we did. They were served with lingonberries. Sweden on our tongues.
Friday, March 7, 2025
Should the Coach Get a New Contract?
Source: AP Photo.
The season is coming to an end for the team. The coach's contract is expiring. The coach was gifted good enough game plans, but he couldn't deliver on the reason he was hired, which was to bring a championship to the city. When it came time to decide if the team should extend him a new contract for another season, the team decided to go in a different direction. Most fans thought it was the right decision.
That might sound like I'm talking about the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy, but if you guessed I was really talking about the mayor of Richardson, Bob "Coach" Dubey, I can't say you're wrong. The City of Richardson's "Coach" is in the same boat that McCarthy was. Having a long career on the sidelines can result in enough friendships to win you the job in the first place, but that won't save your job if you don't win championships. Too often, Coach Dubey went with his gut, throwing out good game plans on the fly, and ending up with a string of losses. Sooner or later, a coach trading on his longevity needs to be thanked for his service and replaced. Let's look at the results on the field this term to decide if that time is now.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
The Gorge (2025)
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Book Review: Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love
From Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love", by Julie Sedivy:
![]() |
"At that time, Italian was to me a bewitching confusion, boiling and streaming in all directions. Its connection to the actual world was tenuous and constantly shifting. It was only now and then that I caught a word with my mind; words were like fish, solid things making sudden, unexpected appearances, flashes of substance and meaning in the liquidity of language flowing all around me. You had to be quick to snatch them before they were lost in the fast-moving stream."
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Say Nothing (TV 2024)
![]() |
Hulu
Monday, March 3, 2025
Mayor Dubey Explains Taxes
On November 19, 2024, Mayor Bob Dubey was interviewed by Poonam Sandhu, CPA, on her podcast "Tax Bites with Poonam." In the introduction, Mayor Dubey said, "I really don't consider myself a politician. I'd like to say I'm a statesman." A politician calling himself a statesman is like a used car salesman calling himself a "Transportation Solutions Consultant." But Poonam politely let Mayor Dubey's self-aggrandizement slide. Luckily for him, she wasn't in a fact-checking mood. I guess she left that to the listeners. I listened.
Sunday, March 2, 2025
POTD: The Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle
"Vaulted ceiling rises
Above stained glass saints and kings.
Crown and cross entwined."
— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Denmark's Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, Denmark. "It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century...Frederiksborg Castle was the first Danish castle to be built inland. All previous castles had been on the coast or close to ports as the sea had traditionally been the principal means of travel. It was also the first to be built for purely recreational purposes rather than for defence."
The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown.
Saturday, March 1, 2025
POTD: Kronborg Castle
"There are more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of
in your philosophy."
— Hamlet
From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Helsingør, Denmark. It shows Kronborg Castle, much better known as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Rendered as 'Elsinore,' it's actually the anglicised name of the surrounding town of Helsingør."
"The castle's story dates back to a stronghold, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. The castle is situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between present Denmark and the provinces of present Sweden." The narrowness of the sound leads to "the strategic importance of maintaining a coastal fortification at this location commanding one of the few outlets of the Baltic Sea."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
Random Thoughts: Luka Doncic Trade
2025-02-02: Musing on the Luka Doncic trade...maybe Miriam Adelson, Las Vegas real estate player and new owner of the Mavs, is trying to replicate Jerry Jones's results with the Cowboys. Don't win championships, win real estate deals and increase the value of the franchise. Maybe Adelson wants to take the money that would have gone to Luka and invest it in a casino, once Texas leg opens the door to that possibility.
2025-02-05: I am not a conspiracy theorist but if there were something that might just make me one, it could be the Luca Doncic trade.
2025-02-07: There's a major free-speech battle being fought right here in Richardson, Texas. Student editorial control of student journalism is at stake.
Inside UT-Dallas’ fight over the student press
dallasnews.com/news/education/...