What Hammurabi Says About Texas Open Meetings

What do you know of the Code of Hammurabi? You know, the set of ancient Babylonian laws dating to the second millennium B.C.? How many can you recite from memory? I'll spot you a few. Here, from Wikipedia, are some examples of the 281 laws that make up the famous code.

• If a man puts out the eye of an equal, his eye shall be put out.
• If a man knocks the teeth out of another man, his own teeth will be knocked out.
• If anyone strikes the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public.
• If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off.
• If anyone steals the minor son of another, he shall be put to death.
• If anyone commits a robbery and is caught, he shall be put to death.
• If during an unsuccessful operation a patient dies, the arm of the surgeon must be cut off.
• If a government official actually answers a constituent's question, he shall be smitten.

OK, I made up that last one, but you get the point. Not only does Hammurabi tell us what's forbidden, he gives us a kind of ancient equivalent to the US government's federal sentencing guidelines.

Quiz: Does Hammurabi's Code remind you of any other ancient set of laws? After the jump, the answer.

Does Two of Something Make it Common?

The proposed code of ethics for the City of Richardson has a six month statute of limitations. In Monday's council work session, a city staffer explained to the council why this was included. In a PowerPoint presentation, the number one reason given was:

"The inclusion of a time limitation is a common [emphasis added] feature of other area cities' policies."

After the jump, an analysis of whether the math is compatible with the language.

Trash Talk

The last time we visited the project to rebuild and enlarge the Lookout Trash Transfer Station, it was to say little progress is evident in the talks between the city, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) and neighborhood groups opposed to the plans. In April, the city claimed that a deal was near. In June, a group called the Neighborhood Protection Alliance of Richardson last updated its website with a pessimistic outlook that any such deal was imminent. The NTMWD itself has not updated its website concerning the issue since September of 2009.

After the jump, what's new.

Late Summer in the Steger Garden (2010)

From Flowers

Thriller at Eagle-Mustang Stadium

From 2010 Football

The Richardson Eagles escaped with a thrilling 44-42 victory Friday night over their arch-rivals, the JJ Pearce Mustangs, at the stadium they both call home. The win wasn't assured until Pearce's 42 yard field goal attempt into the wind for the win fell short in the end zone as time expired.

For a look at all the action, including the game, cheerleaders, drill teams and bands, look here. Remember, without the band, it's just a game.

Report Card For Richardson City Council

The Richardson Coalition, a political action committee whose support helped all seven city council members win election to the 2009-2011 term, emailed an editorial about the PAC's view of how the council is doing. (Sorry, but I can't link to it, as the editorial does not appear on the neglected Richardson Coalition website.)

After the jump, my report card on the PAC's report card. (I know, it's kind of meta, but if that bothers you, don't click through.)

Row Over Brick Row - Round 2

Recently, I blogged about the request by the developers of Brick Row to make some changes in the planned mix of apartments and condos in this mixed-use, transit-oriented development under construction near the Spring Valley DART light rail station. I said that although I didn't have strong feeling on the issue, I was inclined to support the change in plans. I even wondered (partly tongue-in-cheek) whether I was turning libertarian, in that I couldn't convince myself that the rest of Richardson should be telling a landowner how many apartments and how many condos he should be building on his own land.

My blog post elicited a long and thoughtful email from a reader. After the jump, with her permission, the view from a neighbor in Highland Terrace.