Dwaine Caraway

Dwaine Caraway Says Dallas is the "Homeless Capital of the World" and Should Bus Them Out of Town

It's been a decade since the city of Dallas announced the development of a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness, a quest that, as a short stroll downtown will tell you, has fallen short of its goal. There are still plenty of people without homes. That's not to say the program, which has focused ... More >>

A Christmas Miracle, Dwaine Caraway-Style. Deion Sanders Also Makes a Surprise Cameo.

Photos by Anna MerlanShontell Johnson's first moments in her home given an extreme makeover just in time for the holidays​On Friday afternoon, 30-year-old Shontell Johnson lived in a rundown house in South Oak Cliff, where she took care of 13 children: six of her own, three from a neighbor wit ... More >>

So, How Was Caraway's Trip to Nigeria?

Via.President Goodluck Jonathan will miss you, Mayor Dwaine Caraway.​I hope Mayor-For-Now Dwaine Caraway brought back pictures from his trip to Nigeria, where he's been for the past eight days to attend the swearing-in of President Goodluck Jonathan and tend to some business. He's back this evenin ... More >>

Dwaine Caraway Says He's Quite Ready to Take Over as Mayor If Tom Leppert Resigns

Photo by Sam MertenTom Leppert, Ron Natinsky and Dwaine Caraway​The probability that Mayor Tom Leppert finishes his term before launching a U.S. Senate campaign is about the same as Jerry Jones relinquishing his role as general manager. In other words, it ain't happening. Clearly, Leppert want ... More >>

City Hall Gives Gene Simmons a Big KISS

Photos by Patrick Michels​Well, that was ... surreal.When I left Dallas City Hall at 4:50 this afternoon, Gene Simmons was still there -- in the mayor's fifth-floor conference room, surrounded by cameras and politicos and one or two fans who'd managed to work their way into the room. Laid out befo ... More >>

City Council to Vote on Ordinance Keeping Registered Sex Offenders From Living Together

​Shame there's no one at Dallas City Hall till Monday, because this just popped up on the year-ending December 8 council agenda: an ordinance that will "prohibit multiple registered sex offenders from residing in the same dwelling unit, with certain defenses." Says the agenda, the council first di ... More >>

The City's Going to Ban Fake Weed. But Is It Also Trying to Outlaw Pipes and Bongs?

Here. You may need this.​On July 29, Mayor Tom Leppert, Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and Dallas Police Chief David Brown issued the joint press release calling for the ban on synthetic marijuana and salvia divinorum. The mayor got the so-called K2 ban on the fast track: The council's scheduled to ... More >>

Mayor Tom, Caraway and DPD Chief Brown Want Dallas to Ban the Sale of Fake Dope

​Late this evening I was poking around the City Secretary's site to sneak-peek the council's doings upon its return to work Monday. At which point I noticed that when the Public Safety Committee reconvenes at noon, City Attorney Tom Perkins and Dallas Police Deputy Chief Patricia Paulhill will bri ... More >>

Caraway, EBJ, FTA Deputy and Friends Ride McKinney Ave. Trolley To, From Someplace

Photos by Evan ClintonLinda Koop, Dwaine Caraway, Eddie Bernice Johnson and John Crawford were among the bigwigs on hand today to announce, formally, the feds' MATA grant.​I don't know if Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway is a smart man. I don't know if he's an honest man. But I know Dwaine Caraway lov ... More >>

A Blunt Opening to Today's Public Safety Committee Meeting Liveblog

​Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway opened today's Public Safety Committee meeting with a gift to his fellow committee members -- what appear to be candy-scented, hold the phone, rolling papers. As the city council members bumbled with tearing open what looked like metallic Airhead wrappers, Caraway nam ... More >>

"Bullcorn!" Mayor Pro Tem Caraway Says He Most Definitely Didn't Meet With Mayor's Consultant About Airport Concessions.

Patrick Michels​So. Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway just called. Like, just.Said he just sat down to read Unfair Park and noticed that item wherein Mayor Tom Lepperts's consultant Willis Johnson says he met with Caraway a few weeks ago to discuss concessions at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport ... More >>

Carolyn Davis Does Her Best Angela Hunt Impression, But Not Before Doing Her Best Carolyn Davis Impression

Sam MertenRobert told me to get a pic of Dave Neumann, who had a conflict during today's floodplain ordinance presentation. So. Here. It. Is.​It was déjà vu at this morning's Trinity River Corridor Project Committee meeting as Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway preached about revitalizing the Ceda ... More >>

Liveblogging Today's Economic Developments

Something about this reminds us of the phrase "squeaky wheel gets the grease."​After an hour spent in exile while the city council's Economic Development Committee spent an hour talking about The Mall Formerly Known as Red Bird, we're finally down to business -- and, no mention of what they decide ... More >>

How Should Dallas "Stop the Violence"? By Moving the "Punks" to "Punksville."

Sam MertenCaraway pointed to a map showing all of the churches in his district. Davis twice felt it necessary to tell the audience: "I have the same map."​Citing the April 26 murder of longtime Dallas Morning News delivery driver Robert Lawrence in South Oak Cliff, Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway ... More >>

Mayor Pro Tem Caraway Wants to Make Sure Jim Gets His Quote Exactly Right

​Sometimes I feel that life is unfair. I have way too much fun. On occasion I think I should share some of it with others. In that spirit, I offer the following: In tomorrow's paper version of Unfair Park I will have a column dealing with efforts by Dallas city council member Dwaine Caraway to sh ... More >>

So Why Does the City Use Those False Trinity Drawings? It's All About the "Prime Real Estate," Duh.

Sam MertenCarolyn Davis to Jill Jordan: "Just tell it like it is."​Although the city council's Trinity River Corridor Project Committee didn't vote on a plan to transform Riverfront Boulevard into a not-really-a-"complete street," committee members voiced support of the $54.5 million project, ... More >>

Caraway Tells DPD, Maybe It's Time We "Camera-Up the City" to Prevent Crime

Daniel Rodrigue​So, yes, I did indeed head over to 1500 Marilla for today's Public Safety Committee meeting, where the highlights had very little to do with crime-stat bookkeeping. Instead, I filed my notepad with excerpts from one of Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway regularly scheduled sermons, this ... More >>

Three Years After Caraway Told You To "Pull 'Em Up," NY State Sen. Follows Suit

​A couple of news and notes before I head out to butter my unleavened bread ...A Friend of Unfair Park takes note of New York State Sen. Eric Adams's latest initiative: "Stop the Sag." Which only puts New York about three years behind Dallas and, more to the point, council member Dwaine Caraway, w ... More >>

Outside City Hall, Marching to the Respectful Beat of Dallas's Top Drumlines

Of council members Dwaine Caraway, Jerry Allen or Tennell Atkins, we're not sure who's a bigger fan of the high school drumline, but this morning in the plaza outside City Hall, the three city officials sure looked ready to wrestle for it.Speaking to a few rows of guests and flanked by four high sch ... More >>

A Beacon of Hope: Council Committee Not Terribly Fond of Those 120-Foot Towers

​So, back to those Trinity Beacons for a second. We went to this afternoon's meeting of the Trinity River Corridor Project committee convinced the council would bite on the 120-foot-tall light towers, which would cost $3 million in '98 bond money earmarked for the so-called Loop 12 Gateway. But we ... More >>

When Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway Speaks Slowly, Apparently Folks Listen

Patrick MichelsIs Caraway responsible for less noise on New Year's? Sure, why not.​Admit it. You laughed when the DPD and city officials held a press conference last week urging locals to stop firing guns while bringing in the new year. "No ... gunfire ... on ... New ... Year's ... Eve," May ... More >>

DPD, City Officials Would Really Like You to Keep That Firearm Holstered Tomorrow Night

Delia Jasso, Dwaine Caraway and Lt. Andy Harvey today at DPD HQ​In some parts of town, you can tell when the calendar needs flipping when the guns start firing; apparently, nothing says "Happy New Year!" like shooting a pistol in the air. And while there haven't been any serious injuries due to th ... More >>

HUD Money, or: If You Think You've Heard the Last of Southern Skates, Oh, Guess Again.

Maybe Dwaine Caraway's right -- keeping Southern Skates open seems a whole lot easier than trying to sell it.​Dwaine Caraway wants Southern Skates kept open; Vonciel Jones Hill, in whose district the skating rink on East Ledbetter Drive actually sits, is among those who'd prefer it closed -- or, b ... More >>

It's That Time o' the Year: Gun Buy-Back!

​Last time 'round, Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway's call to turn in your arms arms turned into quite the sideshow, complete with a French New Wave film of some kind starring Caraway and Trey Garrison. Which hasn't deterred Caraway one bit: This afternoon at Dallas City Hall, he'll provide further de ... More >>

Council Doesn't Want to Raise Taxes, Cut Key Services to Trim Budget. Good Luck With That.

Sam MertenThe city's budget is $190 million in the hole because of "revenue erosion," according to CFO Dave Cook.The Dallas City Council yesterday afternoon wrapped up a lengthy discussion on how best to tackle the city's $190-million budget deficit by agreeing that a tax increase and making cuts to ... More >>

Caraway: If You Vote Against the Hotel, Dallas Will Look the Same "50 Years From Now"

We missed the pro-convention center hotel wingding in front of Dallas City Hall last night. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway did not. Here's his pitch for the hotel, and it apparently has something to do with ... cell phones?

The Ready for Prime Time Players

This morning, Danielle McClelland in the Dallas City Hall Public Information Office posted to YouTube updates from District 4 and District 7, courtesy Dallas Delivers on Time Warner Cable Channel 16. Hosted by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and Carolyn Davis respectively, they're the very defin ... More >>

The Safety's Off: So, What Did a Non-Believer Learn at Saturday's Gun Buy Back?

Amanda WarrDeputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway and Trey Garrison at Reunion Arena SaturdayAs he promised last week, right after we first mentioned Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway's offer to swap guns for $50 Kroger gift cards, D contributing editor Trey Garrison went out to Reunion Arena to make ... More >>

Gun Crazy

City of Springfield, IllinoisDid not see that coming. Yesterday, first thing, I pointed out Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway's call to arms -- meaning, of course, his call for folks to part with their firearms in exchange for 50 bucks' worth of Kroger groceries Saturday morning at Reunion. Shortl ... More >>

Guns N' Groceries

City of Springfield, IllinoisThat's Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway's plan, anyway: Folks who bring an "operational, unloaded firearm" (oh, and an ID) to Reunion Arena on Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon will receive in exchange a $50 grocery card -- from Kroger, sounds like, courtesy such spons ... More >>

South Dallas Sheds Another Hot-Sheet Motel

View Larger MapThe Dallas City Council just voted on an agenda item in Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway's wheelhouse: permanently shuttering a South Dallas motel surrounded by "ladies of the evening at all times of the day and night," as Caraway put it before begging Carolyn Davis to continue goi ... More >>

Who'd Be Mayor If Leppert Left Early? And, Why Would Leppert Do It?

Brian Harkin Is Dwaine Caraway positioning himself as Leppert's replacement? While speaking with one of Mayor Tom Leppert's consultants last month, I asked if Leppert was considering running for Kay Bailey Hutchison's senate seat. At that point, I heard he was contemplating the political leap from ... More >>

Caraway Bluntly Addresses Pot-Smoking Problem By Targeting Single Cigar Sales

Hidden among the discussion surrounding Wednesday's vote on a strengthened smoking ban is addendum Item No. 13 on the council's final docket of the year, which includes a whopping 151 items. This item addresses the sale of individual cigars, long the bane of Dwaine Caraway's existence, along with s ... More >>

Caraway Gets a Little Carried Away Recalling His Role in Chavez Dispute

Caraway Cares About The Kids

Caraway Not Exactly Carried Away with Facts About Convention Center Hotel

Tom Leppert and Dwaine Caraway Try, Try Again to Fill DART Board Seat

The Dwaine Caraway Show

Starring that new breed of politician who wants to root out your crack houses, close down your whorehouses and pull up your pants

Dwaine Caraway Scared DISD Away From Skyline

The school district decides not to mess with Skyline's magnet program—or Caraway

Dooney da Priest's Fight Against Sagging Pants Won't Work

Saggy pants reveal much more than underwear

Philly Paper Pulls Down Pants on Dallas' "Pull 'Em Up" Campaign

A New Man Law: Pullin' Up Your Pants

And Your New (Update: Deputy) Mayor Pro Tem Is ...

Why Don Hill Might Not Make Up More Ground Tonight

Absentee Minded

Hey, Mr. Zillionaire Developer, got a big public project you want to sell? Black Dallas has the votes you need--dirt cheap.

Vote Early, Vote Often

The story behind the failed Caraway campaign is both farce and tragedy

The Race Race

In the battle for the District 6 council seat, the dark horse has a white face