Rent-a-Dallas-cop: For a while, I used to think the Dallas Observer sided with the little people in their daily struggle against local leviathans like City Hall, Laura Miller and The Dallas Morning News. Then we watch as Jim Schutze, like Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode III, vaults over to the dark side with his unabashed support of Her Honor in a Kerry-class flip-flop. Now Matt Pulle ("Truly Alarming," January 26) attacks the city's new burglar alarm law.
Look, under the old system, the rest of us subsidized the Dallas rich and powerful by providing most of the cost of protective services (paying for mostly unnecessary police response) while getting none of the services. At the same time, security companies received full payment for providing less than full service and users received full service for less than full cost. Non-alarm users--the majority of Dallas--paid dearly for nothing.
Pulle quoted someone as telling City Hall, "I want this city service, I am willing to pay for this city service." So, pay. Pay your security service for patrol response. Or pay for more insurance. But quit freeloading off the rest of us. We don't want to pay anymore for your extra protection as we go unprotected while the police respond to your silly-assed false alarms.
I, for one, applaud the Commission on Productivity and Innovation for their support in helping to spread police protection among all city residents. Now, if we can only keep those chuckleheads in City Hall from thinking, "If the police aren't responding to all these false alarms, maybe we can let a few of them go."
Darrell Cook
Dallas
It Ain't Dallas
A reason to love Plano: Fantastic article! ("Don't Bet on It," by Jim Schutze, February 9). And what timing, too, with The Dallas Morning News publishing an article about the "dead" deal on the heels of your article.
Plano may be a lot of things, but it isn't Dallas, and for that I'm grateful. I love Dallas! It's always been good to me, but I just can't see this city thrive with the bunch we have sitting around that oval table who call themselves council members.
Good stuff and keep it up, please!
Brooks Buice
Plano
Fest Wishes
Oooh, ahhh: Fantastic article! (Is This On?, by Sam Machkovech, February 2.) We unwittingly applied to play the Dallas Music Fest and promptly canceled once we got the gist of this thing. Here's an explanation that I wrote on our blog:
"Well, the only other thing we have lined up right now is a show in Deep Ellum February 19 at the Dark Side Lounge--our first show in Dallas. It would've been the 'Dallas Music Fest' this past weekend, but we quickly put the kibosh on that one once it became clear what an unorganized farce that thing was. I'm going to explain this (and rant just a bit) in case anyone was wanting to hear us play at it or was wondering why we canceled...
"We really didn't know anything about it until we went up there for the 'briefing' one night and found out we had to sell tickets in order to play a decent time slot and venue. Fuck that. For a worthy cause? Yes. For a company in Cleveland, Ohio, to make a profit for putting hardly any effort into organization and promotion? No. Did they model this thing off a high-school battle of the bands or talent show? The little carrot they dangled in front of you was that there would be record executives and other 'people who are in the biz' there. Oooh, ahhh. I think I speak for all of us when I say that it ain't worth paying $10 to park, run the risk of catching a beat-down from some maladjusted racist ass calling himself a skinhead and/or Dallas cop, etc. All for a glimmer of hope that former MTV VJ Matt Pinfield or whoever's responsible for bringing Good Charlotte to the masses can hear your band and tell you you'll never be on MTV2's latest bullshit reality show, ya know, 'cause seeing a good music video on there is like Halley's Comet these days...I honestly think they should change the name of this event to 'Dallas Idol' next year, except the rude Brit would be replaced by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller...check, please!"
Anyhow, great writing, keep it up, look forward to more.
Mark McPherson
Bedford
Slammed
Dastardly: First, I would like to thank you for taking the time to share your comments about slam poetry ("Ooh, Slam!" by Andrea Grimes, February 2). Obviously you have a dislike for the art form, and I, too, agree that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Second, in reading your comments on slam I noticed you made little to no effort toward being objective. This leads me to believe that your attempt to promote slam poetry was dastardly. Your comments were like spitting in the face of those in this community who find slam poetry delightful. I would have you to know that the slam community is worldwide. Third, I challenge you to the task of maturity as a writer. Do a genuine article that offers a fair amount of objectivity with your words that involves the community and research as it relates to slam poetry. I also would like to point out the fact that Club Clearview, the same building in which the Art Bar is located and the same place the slam poetry event is held, is a weekly patron of the Dallas Observer. And finally, with all the recent media hype about Deep Ellum and its diminishing eclectic environment, you probably don't know that for more than 11 years slam poetry is part of what has made Deep Ellum so cool.
Roderick "Rock Baby" Goudy
Host and Slammaster of the Dallas Poetry Slam