City Hall neglect a disgrace
Re: “Save it or tear it down? Debate over the future of City Hall begins as repair costs could hit $100 million,” Sunday news story.
It is an absolute disgrace that such a modern, beautiful building like Dallas City Hall, designed by one of the world’s greatest architects, should be in such a state of disrepair that it is cheaper to tear it down than to fix its structural problems.
There are cathedrals in Europe, still standing, that are over 1,000 years old that were built without the advanced technology and materials that the builders of our municipal headquarters had just 47 years ago.
I do not know of any other conclusion to be drawn from this except that, rather than spend money on routine maintenance over the years, our city leaders have chosen to wait until massive repairs are needed, and then scamper around trying to raise the money.
Opinion
Anyone who has owned any property, whether it is a car, a house or a lawnmower, knows that it is cheaper to maintain something than to repair it. Unfortunately, at this point, the building needs to be torn down before it collapses on people.
Alan Kazdoy, Far North Dallas
Dallas’ latest boondoggles
Re: “This city building is for sale. Interested? Granted, the would-be permitting building is uninhabitable. But what a deal!” by Robert Wilonsky, Monday Opinion.
Another excellent column by Wilonsky regarding one of the city of Dallas’ latest boondoggles — the city-owned building at 7800 N. Stemmons Freeway. This is just the latest of many pieces you have published which highlight the incompetence and lack of accountability that the city is becoming notorious for.
Wilonsky concludes by stating, “And if they won’t take care of their own [insert endless expletives here], why should I trust them to take care of anything else in this city?” I couldn’t agree more.
Is it any wonder the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System fights to minimize the amount of control the city has over their pensions?
John D. Hancock, Denison
Texans are suffering
Re: “Texas on path to set U.S. mental health policy standard — State has invested in promising initiatives — from supporting first responders to studying dementia,” by Andy Keller, Friday Opinion.
The state is to be commended for increasing access to mental health services, including funding for research. However, I find this behavior the least it can do. The state is fine with decreasing access to Medicaid for eligible Texans. The state has no problem with having the highest percentage of uninsured residents. And what about unacceptable maternal mortality rates?
Also, our national elected officials support slashing medical research funding. These policies are in direct conflict with each other. Only this is real — that Texans are suffering and dying needlessly.
It amazes me in a state that claims to be religious how little it actually does for those in need.
Jerry Frankel, Plano
Govern ‘decently and in order’
In my little booklet of daily Bible verses, I came across this one last Friday: “All things should be done decently and in order,” 1 Corinthians 14-40. Well, there it is, I would like to forward this to the Republican and Democratic leadership in the U.S. Congress as well as to the president. Perhaps they should sit down and work things out “decently and in order.”
Gerald Bunger, Sunnyvale
Keep Stars and ride rail
Re: “Time to change scenery? Club has engaged with multiple North Texas cities on possible move,” Saturday SportsDay story.
Say it ain’t so, Stars! Now the Stars, like the Mavs, are considering moving out of the American Airlines Center and are looking for non-downtown sites. Both teams, when discussing possible sites, talk about highways, traffic and parking.
I never hear DART in those conversations. The AAC is a short walk from the Victory DART station. The Stars demographic may “skew up the Dallas North Tollway,” but DART provides access up Interstate 35 (the Green line), Highway 114 (the Orange line), U.S. 75 (the Red and Orange lines) and Interstate 30 to Fort Worth on the Trinity Railway Express.
It doesn’t take much to see how many public transit passengers take trains to the games — just watch the crowds.
I’ve been a ticket holder for about 10 years now, and I have driven to exactly one game (I was invited to a suite and got the parking pass). Other than the two seasons when I worked in the West End (when I commuted by train and walked to the games), I’ve been a loyal “DART to the game” customer.
The AAC feels like a modern arena. The Victory Park area has a nice urban texture. Please don’t relocate to an area with the charm of the parking lot at Nebraska Furniture Mart.
Brian McKay, Coppell
Been on a train lately?
We recently have had two murders on DART trains in central Dallas. The DART issues remain unabated and unaddressed and are hardly the “isolated incidents” as DART characterizes them.
Have your editors or staff been on a DART train recently? The lack of security and the fear-factor are palpable. Homeless, vagrants, people seemingly just looking for trouble, proliferate.
And yet The Dallas Morning News promotes families taking DART to the State Fair (another issue).
No wonder the suburbs want out and Dallas residents avoid it at all costs. Unless and until DART evidences a commitment to a safe and secure environment and the erasure of the fear-factor, it is properly doomed.
Rhetorically, is DART really worth it?
Dan Stewart, Dallas/Knox-Henderson