What I Learned from LWV about the City Charter

Wednesday night, the League of Women Voters of Richardson presented a program "Is the City's Current Charter Right for Richardson?" I had low expectations for this program. Maybe I was just in a bad mood because, long after the LWV set its date, the opening game of the World Series, featuring the Texas Rangers, ended up landing on the same night. I naively hoped that when the conflict became known, things would get rescheduled, but Major League Baseball wouldn't budge. It turns out to have been a blessing in disguise, as I was spared having to watch the Rangers lose to the Cardinals (I'm a poor sport when my team is losing.) And, the LWV's program taught me a thing or two about city charters.

After the jump, what I learned from the speakers, former Richardson mayor Ray Noah and Robert Lowry, professor of political science at UT-Dallas.

Dealing with "Fat Tail" Risks

In Tuesday's GOP debate in Las Vegas, Michele Bachmann said some crazy things that, if this were an episode of Survivor, would have gotten her voted off the island. Or did she?

After the jump, just how crazy is Michele Bachmann, really?

Is the City's Charter Right for Richardson?

The League of Women Voters of Richardson is sponsoring an educational program Wednesday night on this question. My thoughts on the topic can be found here:

• Does Richardson Need An Independent Auditor?
  
• Does Richardson Need Term Limits?
  
• Are Richardson's Voting Districts in Need of Change?
  
• Direct Election of Richardson's Mayor
  
• The Californiacation of Richardson
  

First Impressions of GOP Debate in Las Vegas

Seven GOP candidates went toe-to-toe in one of the most spirited debates yet. My quick scorecard:

• Romney took some heat on Romneycare, on illegal immigration, and on job creation, but had detailed, bulleted answers ready. He held his own. Because he's leading the polls, that's a win for him.
  
• Cain took the most heat for his "bold" 9-9-9 plan. Everyone attacked it. He suffered some wounds but didn't go down. Because he's already in the top tier, that's a limited success for him.
  
• Perry was his most energetic yet. Because expectations were so low, he helped himself, but his attacks on Romney were skillfully repelled. Because no one else imploded, there might not be much rebound in the polls for Perry.
  
• Santorum was a me-too candidate, trying to distinguish himself by adding something about family in every answer. No one seems to care.
  
• Bachmann was a me-too candidate, trying to distinguish herself by emphasizing her position as the farthest out on the right-wing. That's not likely to be the selling point she thinks.
  
• Gingrich played the wise old Republican, standing up for Reagan and warning against bickering. Too many other candidates have to implode for Gingrich to get a second look.
  
• Paul was his usual consistent self. He'd cut federal departments wholesale; he scolded his fellow candidates for not saying they'd cut defense spending; he said we ought to replace the income tax with "nothing;" he refused to pick between Wall Street and the White House for whom to blame for the financial crisis - he said blame them both and the Fed, too. His followers love him, but he's probably still considered the crazy old uncle in the attic by too many Republicans to have a chance at the nomination.
  

After the jump, random impressions.

A TreeKIT Grows in Brooklyn

Richardson's "Tree the Town" program has been pretty quiet so far this fall. In fact, it's been pretty quiet ever since its initial burst of tree-plantings last fall. You have to go back to last October to find anything on its official event calendar.

So, after the jump, a recap of other cities' efforts, including a new one (new to me, anyway) in New York City.