Does Richardson Need An Independent Auditor?

Does the City of Richardson need an independent auditor? I'm sure some readers are already saying, "D'oh, yes." But bear with me as I think out loud. The answer is not self-evident to me.

After the jump, some pros and cons.

Father's Day in the Steger Garden (2011)

From Flowers

More photos after the jump.

Tort Reform and Cost Control

Given that rising health care costs is a big component of our federal budget, and given that Governor Rick Perry is dropping hints that he'll run for President, it isn't difficult to predict that Perry will cite tort reform as an example of how Perry knows how to keep rising health care costs from bankrupting the country.

After the jump, a single graph that Perry will have a hard time explaining.

How Investors See Richardson

In case you missed the news, Pillar Commercial bought Nortel's former campus in Richardson for $43.1 million. The property includes a 16-story office tower and a 3-story research and laboratory building with a total of 800,000 square feet. In other words, as our Vice President might say, it's a big, f*@#ing deal.

D Magazine's Real Points blog posted an article by the president of Pillar Commercial, Manny Ybarra, explaining his company's motivation for investing in Richardson. The whole article is worth a read.

After the jump, a choice paragraph ... and then a stop for barbecue.

Non-Profits No More

The IRS published the names of thousands of organizations throughout the US who have had their nonprofit tax exemption automatically revoked. There were 21,000 groups on the list from Texas alone. Most groups are defunct, but even active groups can make the list by failing to file an annual return for three consecutive years. The list of groups from Richardson ought to raise a few eyebrows, as I recognized some groups that are still active.

After the jump, the list of revoked groups from Richardson.

Sherrill Park Golf Courses Earn Honors

"A Jewish Grandmother loses her grandson at the beach when a tidal wave sweeps him away. The grandmother kneels in the sand and prays for the return of her grandson. Just as she finishes her prayer, a huge wave crashes back on the beach, returning the young boy to his grandmother's side. The grandmother is overcome with joy and gratitude. She begins to cry and hug her grandson, then looks up to the sky and yells, 'He had a hat!' "

What does this have to do with Sherrill Park, you ask? Bear with me. I'll get us back on the fairway and down to the green. After the jump.

HEAT DEFEAT MAVS

Sure it's disappointing to see the Dallas Mavericks lose to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. But, deep down, in your heart of hearts, you always knew it was going to end this way. Admit it. Here's what I tweeted a month ago, after the Mavs won the first two games in their series with the L.A. Lakers:

• 2011 05 06 - Congrats to the Mavs and all, but it's hard to get excited knowing, even if they beat the Lakers, there's still the Heat in the Finals.
• 2011 05 06 - By the way, I mentioned the Heat, not the Grizzlies or Thunder because, let's face it, those are made up team names, right?

Face it. We all knew the Miami Heat was going to win the championship this year as far back as last summer, when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami to form the most-favored lineup since, when, Murderers' Row of the 1920s New York Yankees? Now that the inevitable has happened, and the team favored to win it all actually has won it all, it's good to recall the advice of the most gifted sportswriter of the 1920s, Damon Runyan:

"The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet."

Congratulations to the Miami Heat for winning the 2011 NBA championship.

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Postgame update: Oops. I should have held up the presses until the series was over. Oh well, I'm not the first to prematurely declare a winner. My bad. ;-)