Artful dodger

"It's just a shame that politics have entered into this," Rasansky says today. "When Hector appointed this task force, I said, 'Hector, I know this is not your idea; this is coming from somewhere else,' and he just smiled. This is not in the best interest of these Dallas homeowners. If Nasher prevails, the homeowners are the victims, and if this persists--that just a few people get their way--it could turn out like this in any other commissioner's district. It's got to stop."

Nasher, of course, has the city right where he wants it. After all, how incredibly flattering for our new mayor that a man of Ray Nasher's stature would even think of turning over a life's work to a city that couldn't even keep our one Henry Moore sculpture free of urine and graffiti. Never mind that it was sitting right there on City Hall Plaza--right under the windows of the last city manager and mayor. (It's still there, and after much howling from the public, the city finally cleaned it up.)

It's possible, of course, that the plan commission will do the right thing and reject Lincoln's application. After all, wouldn't it be reasonable to wait to see how Nasher's recently revealed plans to double the size of NorthPark affects an already overburdened neighborhood before approving even more development?

If the plan commission doesn't knuckle under, Lincoln promises to appeal the vote to the city council this time--something Nasher didn't do five years ago. And that's where the promise of that art collection will really do its magic. If you don't believe me, just ask Mary Poss--a good, hardworking councilwoman who is extremely responsive to her constituents and would think long and hard about the wishes of 3,000 united North Dallas homeowners.

Could she press that "no" button, knowing she would jeopardize the city's chances of getting the Nasher Collection--no matter how slim a chance the city might have to get it? "These are two completely separate projects with very separate timetables," Poss told me carefully, "and I would like to think that I could look at the facts of each and make two, totally separate decisions. I'd like to believe I could do that."

We'll see.