Romo's Riches|Legacy of Hate|There Goes the Neighborhood|Farmers Branch Again

Romo's riches

Awesome story! ("Tony Award," by Richie Whitt, November 8.) They need you over at The Dallas Morning News. They have a bunch of Yankee Cowboy haters over there that are ruining all the fun of a great Cowboys season and the continuing development of a great quarterback. But I digress...great story about Romo and right on, as usual. It won't be long before Tom Brady is looking over his shoulder for Romo and watching him pass by. Keep up the good work!

Legacy of Hate

Defense lawyer Greg Westfall said, "If it were a crime to want bad things to happen to Israel, we'd be dead in the water." ("Don't Tread on Me," by Sarah Junek, November 1.) This is a community that has made hating one entire race of people, the Jews, a cornerstone of their faith, passed on from generation to generation. They've been around a lot longer than the skinheads, the KKK and the Nazis. They blame the Jews for everything evil in the world today and preach the elimination of Israel as gospel. We've already heard "their side" of the story way too many times...and it is disgusting. But here you are, attempting to show their "soft, vulnerable" side. What's next? A touching story of Adolf Hitler's tender mercy? Unbelievable!

There Goes the Neighborhood

Seriously?! You're kidding with this story, right? ("Lots of Bother," by Matt Pulle, November 8.) A man applies for city permits under one scenario, clearly planning to do something else entirely; the neighbors report him for violating his approvals; and he admits in the end of your piece that he's selling cars illegally off his lot. Am I missing something here? How is it, given these facts, that the law-abiding citizens of Oak Cliff are the problem here?

No one in Oak Cliff will be surprised by this article. David Spence is renowned for bullying pretty much anyone and everyone who has a perspective different from his—and then batting his eyelashes while proclaiming, "Aw shucks, I'm really all for apple pie and everyone following the law" once the cameras start rolling. Probably worked for him as a kid. This poor guy is not the first who has attempted to enjoy the Oak Cliff scene only to bump up against the wrath and control issues of Herr Spence. There's a long list of people who've been down this road before. Good for you for shining a light on it. It would be nice if Spence would either summon up the fortitude to actually practice the law-abiding admonitions he preaches...or 'fess up to the fact he's really nowhere near the hip, urban progressive he likes to paint himself to be.

I think the point that is being missed is that the "laws" changed only when Mr. Spence started rattling cages. Seems more than a little hypocritical. Do all of the businesses in Bishop Arts follow every city law to the letter? I doubt it. Did all of the people in the neighborhoods surrounding Bishop Arts (overwhelmingly low-income Hispanic) want their La Familia Market replaced with a chain Italian restaurant? Did anybody even bother contacting them to see what their preference was? When "the neighbors" are white and affluent, like Spence, what the neighbors want matters. But if you're not considered hip and cool in the Bishop Arts District, God love ya and best of luck in your "diversity" being accepted.

Farmers Branch Again

Damn Farmers Branch is full of NAZIS!!! ("Unpleasantville," by Megan Feldman, November 1.) You can't change that Texas is full of immigrants—we are on the border—and if you want to blame someone, his name is Mr. President. And I don't mean just Bush; immigration policies could have been changed decades ago. If you don't like living in a culturally enriched environment, it's simple—move to Utah.

It saddens me that these councilmen have the authority to make such demands. They should just wear a blanket over their heads and call themselves what they really are—KKK. Why are they allowed to display such racism against Hispanics? Will the federal or state government ever react? Little do these imbeciles know that they are just uniting a community. So thank you! Thank you for your ignorance and your racist chants. By the way, are you aware of the great history behind our wonderful state? Mexicans owned the land; we just let you live in it rent-free. You took advantage of our generosity and stole it from beneath us. Just remember the Alamo. We are fighters, and we will prevail. See you in court.

I like what the city of Farmers Branch is doing with the code enforcement. I wished more cities would follow their lead. I would move to Farmers Branch in a heartbeat because the property value is well-maintained. Irving, Garland and Carrollton, just to name a few, are starting to look run down with the anything-goes look, from parking cars in the yard to home improvements that don't come anything close to meeting code. Not to mention violations of deed restrictions out the wazoo. Just because you can't afford to pay the fine is no excuse for not complying or claiming the poor are being picked on. There was no sympathy for me when I got my last speeding ticket that was well over $400, which I thought was overboard. But you know what I did, as all law-abiding citizens do...I paid it before they put out the warrant for my arrest. I didn't notice anybody coming to my aid to help pay the fine either. And they issue speeding tickets to whites, blacks, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Hispanics...etc.

Dennis Kral, via dallasobserver.com