You remember Rod Dreher. He was with The Dallas Morning News editorial board. He was the spiritual heir to William Murchison. Both think the world has gone to hell in a hand basket. You could always recognize Dreher's work. He would wring his hands about the downfall of Western Civilization because of gays or Muslims or the disappearance of the Latin Mass.
After the jump, what Dreher is agitated about now.
"I had taken a course in Ethics. I read a thick textbook, heard the class discussions and came out of it saying I hadn't learned a thing I didn't know before about morals and what is right or wrong in human conduct."
-- Carl Sandburg
"Integrity has no need of rules."
-- Albert Camus
The Richardson City Council is on track to deliver on three big expectations dealing with good governance that arose during the 2009 election campaign. First, the council has already instituted cable telecasts and Internet streaming of council meetings. Second, the city is expected to have the city check register online by the end of the year. Third, the council could have a code of ethics in place as early as September 20. (Update: The public hearing has been scheduled for September 13.)
After the jump, the deliberation over ethics.
Hot enough for you? Partisan politicking too heated for you, too? Well, quit complaining. The summer of 1860 was just as hot and the politics were even hotter. The results were catastrophic.
After the jump, the tragic story of the "Texas Troubles."
Things I learned about Richardson, Texas, from reading Wikipedia:
OK, I admit that one of those facts does not (yet) appear on Richardson's Wikipedia page. After the jump, other things that do.
Yesterday, I blogged about the Richardson City Council's decision to approve a special permit to build an independent-living senior apartment complex in northwest Richardson, despite opposition from some neighbors. I complimented the city council on how the issue was handled. There is another LULU issue in Richardson that so far has not been a shining example of representative democracy in action.
After the jump, trash talking in Richardson.
Monday night, Richardson's city council meeting offered a rare example of controversy on the council. Richardson residents expressed opposition to a proposed independent-living senior apartment complex on the corner of Renner and North Star in Richardson's panhandle. Proponents argued that the property is unmarketable for retail. The opponents don't want more apartments, even if the residents will be nice, law-abiding seniors who will be tending their community gardens and enjoying their knitting and crochet socials. The part of the meeting devoted to public comments took 41 minutes to accommodate all who wanted to speak to the issue. The council itself was split. Maybe this wasn't exactly fireworks in the council chambers, but it's what passes for fireworks in "R Town".
After the jump, the outcome.
