Dallas City Councilman Chris Luna "sounds" like a very, very cheap prostitute selling not his body but his integrity ["Luna landing," Laura Miller, April 18]. He gives Cinemark secret and confidential city-council information that enables Cinemark to initiate a lawsuit against the city Luna is supposedly serving, and his actions result in a pretrial settlement by the city of $5 million. That could fill a lot of potholes!
Cinemark then gives him $5,000--one-tenth of one percent! For services rendered?
Cinemark, in its gratitude, could hire Luna somewhere within its infrastructure, but his "resume" isn't so hot: if he could "sell out" his own city, could Cinemark trust him not to do the same to it at some future time?
He seems to have destroyed his own political future. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.
Dr. Sydney Kay
Dallas
Dead wrong
I'm writing in about the article Philip Chrissopoulos wrote about the Dead Thing [1996 Dallas Observer Music Awards, April 11]. He said that "the Dead Thing is that perfect vehicle for Deadheads with jobs who couldn't follow the Dead around on their live (acid) trip." Not everyone who followed the Dead were taking acid or any other drug.
I was very insulted by this article, as were many other people. I would think a writer for a paper wouldn't be so narrow-minded. He was stereotyping all the kids that followed the Grateful Dead. To be perfectly honest, that band changed my life for the best, and it really makes me mad when people who don't know what they're talking about open their mouths about the Dead the way Chrissopoulos did.
Name withheld
Dallas
We ASKA-ed for it
You suck for printing the article about my favorite band, ASKA [1996 Dallas Observer Music Awards, April 11]. First of all, evidently ya'll don't know this band, or you wouldn't have printed the article that you did about this band. Second of all, how come ya'll gave the Toadies awards and gave an award to a band that throws live road-kill on stage [Brutal Juice]?
Yes, you might think this is the next '90s band, but do they totally, 100 percent support their fans? I think not. ASKA and Solinger support their fans and want to know what the fans are doing and what the fans are like.
Also, about what you said about how ASKA dresses, they have more style and class than ya'll have in ya'll's little pinkie! Evidently, ya'll are jealous because ya'll couldn't get in a band at some time or another, and all ya'll have to do is put down bands that are great--like ASKA and Solinger. So why don't ya'll shut up and get a life and stop ragging on them?
Dyona Gaylord
Dallas
Protecting the parents
The story "Juvenile injustice" [April 18] was extremely sad. Ron Carpenter sounds like a decent, hard-working, loving father. It would be nice if the Child Protection Services would be able to turn deadbeat dads like my father into productive, loving fathers like Ron Carpenter. Instead, rather than protecting children, the CPS has punished an innocent little girl and her dad for the actions of a drug-using baby-sitter. Taxpayers should be appalled! It's no wonder CPS has such a bad reputation.
Name withheld
Dallas
Cheap shots
The Observer provides a valuable service to the Dallas area via its continual monitoring of The Dallas Morning News. However, your coverage of Dallas' Only Daily sometimes seems like little more than puerile ranting.
Case in point: the blurb "Allah H. Christ" in the Buzz section of your April 18 issue. In that column, the Observer criticizes the Morning News for comparing Passover to Thanksgiving. Admittedly, it is not a very good comparison--to say the least. Nonetheless, should the same cultural sophisticates who ran the movie review under the headline "Intolerance" in the same issue, in which a caption proclaims the movie "La Haine (Hate) is the French Boyz N the 'Hood," really be leveling this particular criticism?
By all means, inform us when the Morning News is really screwing up, but spare us your sanctimonious liberal snobbery. It simply makes the Observer look like a jealous gnat taking shots at a larger, more successful competitor.
Christian Southwick
Dallas
No regrets
After reading the article about Paul "Mouse" Millender by Robert Wilonsky ["Mouse," April 4], I feel no remorse for him. I had no urge to read about a skinhead turned good until I saw that he was stabbed 24 times. After running with his "old running buddies," he finally got what was coming to him. Most everyone should be honored with a second chance, but not a Nazi terrorist of blacks, Jews, gays, and others. Why the pity for someone without regret?
Casey White
Dallas
