Breaking and Branding Richardson

Source: City of Richardson.

Central Heights. Trailside. McKamy Spring. Rustic Circle. Civic District. Chinatown. Recognize these areas of Richardson? They're all supposedly neighborhoods in the planning study for the Main Street/Central Expressway redevelopment project that the City of Richardson has launched. The city's latest thinking on the subject is full of new names and pretty pictures.

After the jump, my thoughts.

The Curious Interview in Des Moines

On October 23, President Obama gave an interview to the Des Moines Register. The story goes that the president asked that the interview be off the record, the newspaper questioned why that should be, and the Obama campaign relented and released the transcript.

This background is but a footnote to the presidential election campaign, but the President said something in the interview that struck me at the time as curious. After the jump, the president on immigration reform.

S2L77: Malacca

From 1977 02 02 Malaysia

150 miles from Singapore up the Malaysian peninsula lies Malacca. It's about a three hour car ride on a two lane coastal highway through occasional villages. It's how I got my introduction to driving in Asia (as a passenger, not a driver myself). You don't wait for a break in oncoming traffic to pass slow moving vehicles (and when you're in a car, everything else is slow moving). You pass by pulling out into the passing lane, bluffing as much of the oncoming traffic off onto their own shoulder as you can, and just keep going until you're forced back into your lane by a better bluffer than you. Cheaper than a Six Flags ticket, more exciting than any thrill ride.

After the jump, a geographical history lesson.

Electing a Mayor

[Life] is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Source: William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

One election down. Next up: a mayoral election in May, 2013, because voters in Richardson chose overwhelmingly to amend the City Charter to have a direct election of the mayor. No surprise there. Now the handicapping of the May mayoral race begins. After the jump, my early, wild speculation, unsupported by any evidence, just because I'm addicted to the horses.

Did Sandy Tip Election to Obama?

Did Hurricane Sandy, the October surprise, tip the election to President Obama? Perhaps. The disaster did give the president the opportunity to display leadership, a trait that Mitt Romney claimed the president lacked. If Sandy gets the blame for Romney's loss, it is in part due to it exposing a dubious claim at the heart of the Romney campaign. Call it nature's way of fact-checking a politician.

In any case, Hurricane Sandy was just the last of a long string of reasons, most of them self-inflicted wounds, that contributed to Romney's loss. After the jump, the rundown.

OTBR: A Rainbow in Utah

Latitude: N 39° 20.946
Longitude: W 111° 55.656
A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

The Wheel's Voters Guide

Local: Vote for doing the right things. Vote against doing things the wrong way.

State: Vote for public schools, for health care, for water supplies, for women, for voting rights, for paying for government, for science and fact-based government.

Federal: Vote for jobs, for Medicare and Medicaid, for health care reform, for Social Security, for paying for government, for a carbon tax, for financial regulation, for civil rights, for the environment, for immigration reform, for Keynesian economics, for science and fact-based government.

Most importantly, vote, while they'll still let you. ;-)

Playoff Bound: Richardson 47, Berkner 35

From 2012 11 02 Richardson vs Berkner

In a game with playoff implications, the Richardson Eagles defeated the Berkner Rams 47-35 Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium. With the win, Richardson secured the fourth and final playoff spot in District 9-5A, while the Rams will finish in fifth place.

The Mighty Ram Band put on their UIL competition show at halftime as a final warmup before heading to San Antonio for the state marching competition in the Alamodome on November 6. Good luck, band.

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: "Caught Smuggling"

Singapore is commonly described as a "fine city" -- you are fined for dozens of small offenses: jaywalking, chewing gum, carrying durian on public transport (that fine is well deserved), driving in forbidden zones without a permit.

Singapore is where I first encountered the idea of relieving traffic congestion by requiring drivers to purchase permits to drive in the central business district. What struck me in 1977 as novel and a little draconian, I now view as a sensible way to keep automobiles from clogging our cities. Maybe it's not surprising that it was the people of the "fine city" of Singapore who gave such a practical policy a chance to demonstrate its effectiveness.

From 1977 01 29 Singapore

"The Good-For-Nothing Rich Man's Son Caught Smuggling"

After the jump, a place that reveals the puritanism behind the "fine city."

Repeat Tweets: Election Edition

Repeat tweets from October, 2012:

• 1 Oct 2012: Libertarian candidate upset by treatment by WFAA. Complains to government for help. Can you say irony? http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2012/10/libertarian_senate_candidate_j_1.php
  
• 1 Oct 2012: Bring Up the Bodies, by Hilary Mantel: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. Intrigue. Treachery. Smart dialog. Rich characters. A-
  
• 2 Oct 2012: Romney sounded like a moderate Dem. I wonder how his answers would have gone over at GOP primary debate.
  
• 3 Oct 2012: Romney's for good things in Obamacare, and good things in Wall St regulations, and against tax cuts. He's a closet Democrat!
  
• 3 Oct 2012: Romney promised tax rate cuts, no education cuts, bigger military, more Medicare spending, reduced deficits. But no plan how.
  
• 3 Oct 2012: My previous tweets focused on substance. But let's get real. Many people care only about style. Stylistically, Romney won.
  
• 3 Oct 2012: "I'm not going to say I've done a poor job." -- Jim Lehrer. Sadly, not the biggest lie told on that stage in debate full of them.
  
• 3 Oct 2012: "Richard Nixon is a no good, lying bastard. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time." -- Harry Truman. Listen up, Obama.
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Review: The Sense of an Ending

Amazon

From The Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes:

Bristol was a large enough city for us only occasionally to half-run into one another. The times we did, I would be hit by a sense of what I can only call pre-guilt: the expectation that she was going to say or do something that would make me feel properly guilty."

After the jump, my review.

Is the Mayor a Council Member?

Simple question, right? Nevertheless, a lot of money has been spent on court cases over sillier questions than this. If Richardson voters aren't careful, a lot of money could be spent having to get a legal answer to this one.

Currently, the Richardson City Charter says the city council is "composed of seven (7) members," one of whom also serves as mayor. Pretty clear, right? The mayor is a council member.

After November 6, if the proposed charter amendment passes (as it's likely to do), the charter will say the city council is "composed of six (6) members and a Mayor." The Mayor is clearly on the council. Using the common, everyday meaning of the English word "member", I'd agree that makes the Mayor a member of the council.

So, let's assume for the moment that the answer to our question is yes, the Mayor is a council member. What implications does that have elsewhere in the amended charter? After the jump, a look at Section 3.07.

Huffhines Art Trails

From 2012 10 Huffhines

More photos after the jump.

Mighty Ram Band Wins Area Marching Contest

From 2012 10 12 Sunset vs Berkner

The Berkner High School Mighty Ram Band won the UIL Area C 5A Marching Band Contest at Mesquite Memorial Stadium Saturday. The Mighty Ram Band's top place finish among 22 outstanding marching bands from around the area earned it the right to march in the state marching contest in San Antonio on November 6.

Good luck, Berkner. Blow my face off!

Autumn in the Steger Garden (2012)

From Flowers

More photos after the jump.

Chemical Imbalance at Berkner HS

Chemical Imbalance at Berkner High School: Spoof of Jekyll and Hyde, a comedy of horror. Great cast, sets, sound, lighting. Great fun. "I'm the good one."

Another Bad Reason to Vote YES

Yesterday, I deconstructed one bad reason to vote YES on direct election of Richardson's mayor. In fact, Richardson is not Tammany Hall, but even if you think it is, direct election of the mayor is not the solution.

Today, I look at another bad reason. If you're inclined to vote YES because you think the Richardson City Council favors direct election of the mayor, you just might have been deliberately misled by a political action committee (PAC). After the jump, deconstructing the lie.

A Bad Reason to Vote YES

Regarding Richardson's charter amendment election for direct election of the mayor, there are arguments to be made both for and against. Some are good and some are ... not so good. The following is a particularly bad reason to vote YES:

Tammany Hall was the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in controlling New York City and New York State politics for decades. Sound familiar Their infamous leader was "Boss" Tweed---perfect name. Interesting that those who want the City Council to select the Mayor from their inner circle are so desperate to confine the decision making and bypass the voters. What harm could possibly come from the citizens having a voice in selecting the chief executive of their city?

Source: Allan Garonzik.

The first sentence describing Tammany Hall is historically accurate. But in trying to connect this to direct election of the mayor in Richardson, Allan Garonzik gets the facts wrong and stands history on its head. After the jump, correcting bad history.

Review: The Information

Amazon

From The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood, by James Gleick:

Where, then, is any particular gene -- say, the gene for long legs in humans? This is a little like asking where is Beethoven's Piano Sonata in E minor. Is it in the original handwritten score? The printed sheet music? Any one performance -- or perhaps the sum of all performances, historical and potential, real and imagined?"

After the jump, my review.

S2L77: Jurong Bird Park

When you think of the tropics, you think of tropical birds, right? If so, then Singapore's Jurong Bird Park is just the place to start a visit to southeast Asia. I can't say how many bird parks there are in the world, but this park bills itself as the world's largest, in number of birds. Even if you aren't into birds, the park makes for a relaxing break from the crowded, bustling city of Singapore.

From 1977 01 29 Singapore

After the jump, more photos.

Floyd Branch, RIP

What do you call it when a creek is buried? A loss? A shame? A crime against nature? None of those, at least from the City of Richardson's viewpoint. How about a drainage improvement? A possibility of future development? That's what the City of Richardson is calling it as they bury the Floyd Branch Creek in exchange for a new right turn lane.

Construction is set to begin in November on drainage improvements within the Floyd Branch Watershed, which collects drainage from 2.6 square miles in south central Richardson and eventually flows to White Rock Lake.

The improvements include the installation of a new right turn lane along westbound Main Street from Interurban Street to the US-75 northbound frontage road and construction of a new bridge over Floyd Branch Creek at West Phillips Street. The bulk of the work will be to install an underground concrete drainage system through portions of downtown Richardson north and south of Main Street between US 75 and the DART rail line.
...
In addition to improving the decades-old drainage system, improving drainage system deficiencies will also allow for the possibility of future development since current conditions have been a costly deterrent to redevelopment along the City's Main Street and Central Expressway corridors.

Source: City of Richardson.

After the jump, why this is all so damned depressing.

Berkner 50, Pearce 37

From

Richardson Berkner High School celebrated Junior High Band Night with a big win over J J Pearce, 50-37, Friday night at Ram-Wildcat Stadium. It was a wild game, with over 1,000 total yards of offense by the two teams combined. Berkner's multiple threat Calvin Jones (pictured) had 331 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. Pearce's Geoffrey Nwarie (pictured after the jump) had 209 yards rushing.

More photos after the jump.

Mayoral Referendum: VIPs Speak Out

With my recent blog article collecting all my previous thoughts on the Richardson city charter amendment election calling for direct election of the mayor, I thought I was done with blogging on the subject until after the election.

After the jump, two events that draw me back to the keyboard.

Meet Tincy Miller and Lois Parrott

There was another debate Tuesday night: the League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored a forum for the candidates for the District 12 seat on the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE), Geraldine "Tincy" Miller and Lois Parrott.

What's the SBOE? Knowing you'd ask, the LWV selected as the very first topic the audience question, "What is the mission of the SBOE?" Miller answered first: to manage and protect the Permanent School Fund (PSF), to define curriculum, and to review and select textbooks. Parrott agreed.

After the jump, what the candidates promised to do to achieve that mission.

Mayoral Referendum: Are We There Yet?

All of the quadrennial voters out there, the ones who see the inside of a voting booth only once every four years when the presidency is at stake, they will find their November ballot this year contains a question about Richardson city government, perhaps for the first time in their voting experience.

On the other hand, those voters who faithfully perform their civic duty for city council elections, school board elections, and bond elections may know they'll be asked to decide whether or not to change Richardson's city charter to call for direct election of the mayor. Still, even the voters who tend to follow local politics closely may still be confused about which way to vote.

No matter which group you fall in, this blog article is for you. I've probably blogged about direct election of the mayor more than any other single issue. I was against it before I was for it. Even after I said I was for it, I continued to list all the reasons you should be against it. Even though I said that I grudgingly accept it, I still have a hard time envisioning actually casting a "yes" vote in the voting booth.

So, if you came here looking for someone to tell you how to vote, you won't find that here. After the jump, a collection of all my thoughts on the subject that may or may not help you make up your own mind.

Review: Skios

Amazon

From Skios, by Michael Frayn

Please God it wasn't going to be too awful this year, prayed Nikki. All lectures, however unique and special, were of course awful, but some were more awful than others. There had to be a lecture. Why? Because there always had been one. There had been a Fred Toppler Lecture every year since the foundation had existed. They had had lectures on the Crisis in this and the Challenge of that. They had had an Enigma of, a Whither? and a Why?, three Prospects and two Reconsiderations of."

After the jump, my review.

OTBR: A Victorian House in San Francisco

Latitude: N 37° 45.924
Longitude: W 122° 28.206
A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Homecoming: Berkner 50, Sunset 0

From 2012 10 12 Sunset vs Berkner

Richardson Berkner High School celebrated a big homecoming win as the Rams shut out Dallas Sunset 50-0 Friday night at Ram-Wildcat Stadium.

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: Singapore, My Landfall in Asia

Singapore
January 28 - February 1, 1977

We attended a Chinese celebration for a baby boy, eating a feast of roast duck, quail eggs and seaweed.

We visited Toa Payoh and Dr Lee's home. We had fresh coconuts from a tree in the yard.

At midnight we went to Bugis Street -- amazing!

We ate Indian food. The cost for seven people was $US5. Later we attended the outdoor Chinese opera.

We ate seafood at a beach restaurant on Sentosa - cockle shells, crab, prawns, squid, cuttle fish.

Source: Personal travel notes.

From 1977 01 29 Singapore

Whereas many things in Australia reminded me of America, my trip home was going to take me to places as unlike America as I could imagine. I was able to ease myself into all that by starting my journey in Singapore, exotic but more like America than any other country ahead of me on my journey to London.

After the jump, Singapore, a fine city.

Telecom Corridor, Meet Tulsa

Matthew Yglesias of Slate had reason to spend a few days in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and came away with a few compliments and a few cautions for Tulsa and cities like it all across the country.

Tulsa was a boom city of the 1930s oil industry. Lately, Tulsa is trying to reinvent itself as a high tech startup haven. Yglesias finds it "lamentable" that Tulsa is trying to lure high tech startups through public investment in a supercomputer. Yglesias argues that cities make a mistake by focusing on high tech. That's just one sector of the economy and it's far from being where all the growth is.

You really should read Yglesias' whole article. It's short. But if you don't have the time, or interest, at least read his conclusion. After the jump.

Karaoke Right Here in River City

Well, either you're closing your eyes
To a situation you do not wish to acknowledge
Or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated
By the presence of [karaoke] in your community.
Ya got trouble, my friend, right here,
I say, trouble right here in River City.

Source: With apologies to Meredith Willson.

In China, karaoke bars, known as KTV, offer a place where small groups can gather in private rooms with state-of-the-art video and sound systems for karaoke. KTV is ubiquitous in China. Apartments are small in China and standalone houses are uncommon. If you want to host a party, KTV fills a real market need.

Last year I had the good fortune to visit China. One night in Jiaxing, a city about 60 miles from Shanghai, we were treated to our first experience at a KTV establishment. A mixed group of locals and foreigners, all friends or acquaintances of our host, enjoyed a private party, not unlike parties I've experienced in private homes in America. There was food, there was alcohol, there was smoking (more common in China than I care for), there was singing (mostly by the Chinese, but still). All in all, a good time was had by all.

After the jump, is KTV coming to Richardson, Texas?

Texas State Fair Day (2012)

From 2012 10 State Fair

More photos after the jump.

CashAmerica and Pete Sessions - Update

Last January, I blogged that Congressman Pete Sessions' biggest campaign contributor was CashAmerica, "a big payday lender, a practice sometimes accused of offering short-term loans with exorbitant fees and usurious interest rates to people who can least afford it."

After the jump, look who else is noticing.

Skyline 42, Lake Highlands 6

From 2012 10 05 Skyline vs LHHS

The Dallas Skyline Raiders defeated the Lake Highlands Wildcats 42-6 Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium. Skyline is now 2-0 in district 9-5A and Lake Highlands drops to 1-1.

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: Leaving Australia Behind

Time it was and what a time it was, it was
A time of innocence, a time of confidences
Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph
Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you

Source: Paul Simon, Bookends.

I have a photograph. Lots of photographs.

After the jump, a last look at Australia.

After Direct Election of Mayor, What Next?

The November ballot in Richardson will let voters decide whether to change Richardson's city charter to institute direct election of the mayor. Barring an unforeseen big bucks "Vote No" campaign, I expect the amendment to pass.

After the jump, what to expect next.

First Presidential Debate

My quick impressions.

President Obama was hesitant, thinking on his feet instead of rattling off rehearsed lines. He didn't do a good job of defending his signature domestic achievements: guiding the economy through the worse recession since the Great Depression, financial reform to insure against a repeat, and health care reform to extend coverage to tens of millions of Americans and improve coverage for all. Obama missed many opportunities to point out that Romney's promises sound good, but there is nothing behind his "plans."

After the jump, my impressions of Romney and my overall winner.

Repeat Tweets: Are You Better Off?

Repeat tweets from September, 2012:

• 2012 09 01 - All aboard: "A private consortium has expressed interest in financing the entire 62-mile Cotton Belt Corridor project." http://t.co/C3sqJnFl
  
• 2012 09 01 - Headline: "Texas High School Claims Title in Football's Megascreen Wars." Thank you, RISD for not playing this game. http://t.co/nwkh8IJo
  
• 2012 09 01 - My Week with Marilyn (2011): Captures MM's loneliness but not her magnetism. Makes Laurence Olivier look like a hack. Still, touching. B-
  
• 2012 09 01 - Headline: "Cardinal Carlo Martini says Church '200 years behind'" I think he's being generous to the Church. http://t.co/LLqtFtRT
  
• 2012 09 03 - Tort reform supporter Texas Comptroller Susan Combs: "Sue, baby, sue. I want to say let’s just keep suing those guys." http://t.co/JX4aHWh3
  
• 2012 09 03 - RT Eric Cantor: "Today [Labor Day], we celebrate those who have taken a risk, worked hard, built a business and earned their own success." WTF?
  
• 2012 09 03 - ...Marigold Hotel (2011): Retirees seek new start in India. All-star ensemble cast. Exotic location. Everything is all right in the end. A-
  
• 2012 09 04 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? "Absolutely. Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive." -- VP Joe Biden
  
• 2012 09 04 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? "We’re better off. Obama pursued an all-of-the-above [energy] strategy." -- Duke Energy CEO
  
• 2012 09 04 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? Yes, "government guarantees health care for virtually all its citizens." -- Timothy Noah
  
• 2012 09 04 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? Yes, we put out the fire, we're rebuilding, & we won't let the arsonists back -- Dean Baker
  
• 2012 09 05 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? "Our country was on the verge of a financial meltdown of global proportion." - Nancy Pelosi
  
• 2012 09 05 - Are you better off than you were four years ago? "Did the Mavs have a title 4 years ago? No. Do they now? Yes. Next question." -- Mark Cuban
  
• 2012 09 06 - Are you better off now than four years ago? "Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off now than he was four years ago." -- Wayne Slater
  
• 2012 09 06 - "Are we better off than when he took office, with an economy in free fall, losing 750,000 jobs a month? The answer is yes!" -- Bill Clinton
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Review: Bring Up the Bodies

Amazon

From The Bring Up The Bodies, by Hilary Mantel

'Jane,' he says, 'if the time comes when you wish to disburden your conscience, do not go to a priest, come to me. The priest will give you a penance, but I will give you a reward.'"

After the jump, my review.

Yes, Budget Cuts Hurt Schools

In June, this was the attitude of Rodger Jones (editorial writer for The Dallas Morning News and Richardson resident) towards the state budget cuts for public schools:

Like lots of people who care about education, I surely thought the sky was falling last year, when the Legislature was getting ready to cut education just like any other area of spending.

But what about the kids? I gasped. They're not sacrosanct? Austin would treat schools just like another program -- belt-tightening and everything?

I had visions of massive layoffs, classes doubled up, kids sharing desks, teachers teaching in the dark.

Source: Rodger Jones, The Dallas Morning News.

Those horror stories didn't come true, right? All's cool in school, right? After the jump, clearing up cloudy vision.

QE3

Dallas Federal Reserve President Richard Fisher gave a speech in Richardson on Friday at the University of Texas at Dallas about the Federal Reserve's latest attempt to boost the economy by buying bonds, called "QE3":

Fisher also said he was worried about "what it will look like" if the bond-buying program does boost the economy and rates start to rise, forcing the Fed to incur losses on its multitrillion-dollar portfolio of bonds.

Source: The Economic Times.

After the jump, I'll translate for you.

S2L77: Around the World in 800 Days

I always knew that you would
take yourself far from home
as soon as, as far as, you could go.

Source: Natalie Merchant, "Gun Shy".

The lyrics are sung by an older sister describing her coming-of-age brother, but they could have described me. I grew up in Wisconsin. I love the state. Nevertheless, within a month or two of graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1974, I had in hand a plane ticket for a flight across the Pacific Ocean to Melbourne, Australia, about as far away from home as it's possible to go without leaving the planet. It's a big world out there and I wanted to experience some of it. My stay in Australia lasted two years.

After the jump, my slow way home.

Review: Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

Amazon

From The Rise Of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris

Roosevelt’s exhilaration at finding himself a hero (already there was talk of a Medal of Honor) and, by virtue of his two charges, senior officer in command of the highest crest and the extreme front of the American line, was so great that he could not sit, let alone lie down, even in the midst of a surprise bombardment at 3:00 A.M. A shell landed right next to him, besmirching his skin with powder, and killing several nearby soldiers; but he continued to strut up and down, 'snuffing the fragrant air of combat,' silhouetted against the flares like a black lion rampant."

After the jump, my review.

Monday Night Travesty

I'm still not over the travesty I witnessed on television Monday night. No, I'm not talking about the NFL replacement refs and the touchdown that one player (not even involved in the game) called "the worst call in NFL history."

I'm talking about the public hearing before the Richardson City Council over a proposed apartment complex just north of the DART's Arapaho station. The following quote by the developer is perhaps the most irritating.

We've heard a lot of discussions about the look of the proposed community, whether we're going to have structured parking there or not. I think it's something we're willing to consider, take a look at. I think it'll address some of your concerns and some of the other concerns of the council members. Again we'd be willing to take a look at that and what options might be available.

Source: City of Richardson.

After the jump, what's wrong with that and more.

Squeezing Out Transit-Oriented Development

Source: City of Richardson.

With four DART stations on the Red Line, Richardson is well-situated to take advantage of the benefits of transit-oriented development (TOD). Richardson has talked a good story on this front, but recent actions by the city council raise doubts about the city's commitment to carrying it through.

First, it was the gas station that was approved at the entrance to the Brick Row development at the Spring Valley DART station. Now, the city council was faced with another threat to TOD. It's a proposal for a new apartment complex on vacant land just north of the Arapaho DART station. The City Plan Commission approved it 4-3.

Those DART stations, instead of serving as catalysts for TOD spreading outward from the stations, are instead being slowly strangled by traditional, suburban-style development encroaching inwards.

After the jump, how the city council responded.

School Spending and Academic Results

Last week, I commented on a study that concluded that Texas school funding favors wealthy school districts. Today, I want to focus on what the disparity in spending buys the wealthy school districts. In short, academic achievement.

After the jump, plenty of dodging and weaving, then the facts.

One of the Largest Spending Gaps

This is not the kind of distinction that Texans ought to be proud of:

The public policy research and advocacy organization said Texas has "one of the largest spending gaps" in the country -- a difference of more than $1,100 per pupil, after factoring in differences in costs. "In fact, in 2012, the wealthiest districts received almost $1,500 more per pupil than the lowest-wealth districts," the report said, attributing the disparities to a "regressive" formula for distributing state and local funds.

Source: Dallas Morning News.

This won't change until either the voters or the courts force the legislature to do something.

After the jump, the prospects for each.

Some Body Work for a Gas Station

Source: City of Richardson.

In this week's meeting, the Richardson City Planning Commission (CPC) considered a request for zoning changes for reconstruction of a Texaco gas station on the northeast corner of Belt Line Rd and Plano Rd. I'm getting weary of whining about the voracious appetite of developers for ever more acreage to devote to cars. Sometimes, it seems as if our city's 28 square miles will soon all be paved.

After the jump, my thoughts on this Texaco station's plans.

28 Square Miles. How Many Will Be Paved?

Wired magazine's Adam Rogers gets it:

Tear it all down! Well, OK, not all of it. Let’s start with the freeways. They look permanent, sure, but most highways, especially the ones cutting through city centers, aren’t that old -- only a few decades. And in some towns, they do more harm than good.

Source: Wired.

The movement against freeways appears to be picking up followers slowly. It's not enough to reverse the growth of freeways, at least not yet, but maybe it soon will be enough to bend the curve.

After the jump, what this has to do with Richardson.

Remember the Alamo ... Drafthouse

The alarm was sounded. There was an urgent need for immediate action in last May's announcement that the Alamo Drafthouse was coming to the Richardson Heights Shopping Center:

"It is urgent -- the reason is that old theater on Spring Valley," [Bill DiGaetano of Alamo Drafthouse] said. "It's an existing theater, and if a theater group comes in there before we announce, [then] we're not coming into Richardson nor will any theater come back into Richardson. Because in order to show first-run Hollywood movies, you have to be three miles from an existing theater. So once you plant your flag, nobody can come within three miles of you simply because they won't get the same films as you. Delaying this causes us to delay announcing it, and delaying announcing it could be detrimental to the whole process. We have contingencies in our lease that if something like that happens, we’re out."

Source: Pegasus News.

Message received. Alamo Drafthouse got the Richardson city approvals it wanted. The rest of us could conclude that the "old theater on Spring Valley" would just have to find some other re-purposing use. Another option for your Sunday morning church services, maybe?

That was last May. After the jump, more good news for moviegoers. Or is it?