At this late date we've heard mayoral wannabes David Kunkle and Mike Rawlings address myriad issues -- everything from DISD to LGBT. But, at last, a new wrinkle: Bike Friendly Oak Cliff has rounded up the runoff-ers for a question-and-answer session aimed at the hike-n-bike crowd wondering where they stand on Complete Streets, transpo issues and other getting-around quality-of-life concerns. Here's the Kunkle Q&A posted last night; here's Rawlings's.
Too many good Q's and A's from which to choose a brief excerpt. But...here's one. No, two. During their separate interviews, both men were asked: "What do you like and not like generally about streets in the City of Dallas overall?" Here's Kunkle's answer:
The streets in Dallas have been neglected for too long. Throughout the City of Dallas, our streets are crumbling. We must make improving our streets a priority. Potholes create dangerous driving conditions and damage to cars, but they also promote the image of a city that is neglected. For convenience, safety and property values, we must make it a goal to dramatically improve our streets and adopt the Complete Streets philosophy. This will help people become healthier and create safer and more livable neighborhoods.This is what Rawlings had to say:
Most of Dallas's streets are well maintained but there is always room for improvement.Clearly, the man's never driven down Lemmon Avenue. Now, then, to my favorite question...
The last one asked of both men is practical, to the point and gives both a chance to show off a little civic pride. Besides, we've all had to answer it at some point, and it's the one question sure to elicit something other than a canned, generic response: "If you had friends visiting Dallas for the first time where would you take them, what would you show them?" Great question. Let's start with Rawlings' answer:
I always take my friends to The Bridge, Dallas's Metro Homeless Shelter, because I am very proud of my work with the homeless. I also enjoy going to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens to showcase this beautiful area of Dallas to my friends. Then to Al Biernat's Steakhouse, a great place to finish the night and introduce visitors to Dallas's great food scene.Here's Kunkle's tour:
First stop on the tour is always Bishop Arts. I love neighborhoods and I enjoy sharing the stories of neighborhood successes. From a beat cop to my time as police chief, I spend a large portion of my time exploring neighborhoods in all parts of our city. I am also very proud of my own M Streets Conservation District, which includes he largest collection of Tudor homes in the United States.This is how I'll answer that when I run for mayor, incidentally: the Mecca, Fair Park, 508 Park Ave., the Trinity River Audubon Center, Baby Back Shak, Titan Comics (because my friends are nerds) and El Si Hay. That's a good, solid Saturday. Glad you asked. Rawlings and Kunkle, incidentally, are both scheduled to participate in BFOC's June 12 Hellhound on My Trail ride. In case you like to vote for mayor based upon which guy looks best drenched in sweat. I say make 'em race the whole 9.5 miles. Winner gets to be mayor.
