Subject: Tom Leppert

• Mo Money Mo Problems: Leppert's Got Some "Good News" for the Council About Trinity

  Sam Merten In February, Mayor Tom Leppert and Kevin Craig of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- and tomorrow, they're holding a repeat performance Earlier tonight, a few of us local media members found in our respective in-boxes a draft of remarks Mayor Tom Leppert is expected to deliver Monday during a 10 a.m. press conference in the Flag Room at Dallas City Hall. He's expected to announce that the city will "invest approximately 29 million dollars to determine the items that need to b

  May 31, 2009

• This Morning at City Hall, Mayor Tom Leppert Put Lipstick to Levee and Said It'll Be Fine

  Sam MertenEddie Bernice Johnson and Kay Bailey Hutchison were the levees to Mayor Tom Leppert's Trinity River at City Hall this morning.It almost isn't possible to describe what Mayor Tom Leppert and a line-up of loyal politicos were trying to accomplish this morning in the Flag Room of Dallas City Hall. Talk about lipstick on a pig.For weeks everybody has been wondering whether Leppert and the Dallas Citizens Council would be able to move enough heaven and earth, politically speaking, to force

  June 1, 2009

• Angela Hunt, City Hall Beat Reporter

  On her Web site, the District 14 council member offers her thoughts on yesterday's Dallas City Council meeting, where, among other things, the council voted for the "high crime apartment ordinance," voted against the creation of a Little Forest Hills Conservation District and put on hold a vote concerning the installation of GPS devices on sanitation trucks (seems like the city could find a better way to spend $700,000, after all).Hunt also offers some kind words concerning Mayor Tom Leppert and

  January 15, 2009

• At Downtown Library, the City Council Is Learning How to Build a More Civilized Dallas

  From the big seminar at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library today: City council is hearing experts from Canada and Virginia tell them how to do civilized development. The big question, of course: Why would we want to be civilized?One irony: The Canadian guy told them Vancouver has no freeways at all leading into the central city and enforces a permanent ban on any new highways or street widenings in the city. Today's event is being co-sponsored by the Trinity Trust, a private group whose big acc

  January 21, 2009

• Mayor Tom, Talk Show Host?

  Dunno when this was done, but as evidenced by this just-posted clip it's clear Tom Leppert has a future as an early-Sunday morning community-affairs talk-show host when he's done being mayor. His interview with special guest Tennell Atkins is a little, oh, Chris Farley for my tastes, but it's promising nonetheless. Watch the high-quality version -- and do note the mayor's Colbert-like hand gestures. Right -- it'd be impossible not to.

  January 30, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert to Young Democrats: Imagine the Convention Center Hotel is the Stimulus Package and I'm President Obama

  Patrick MichelsMayor Tom Leppert cheerleads the convention center hotel last night at Zubar.Mayor Tom Leppert paid a visit last night to Zubar on Lower Greenville to meet with the Dallas County Young Democrats to talk about crime, the Trinity River Project and the convention center hotel, but it didn't take long before the audience found themselves smack in the middle of a hotel sales pitch. "The most amazing thing being said by the opponents on this thing is that we can't be successful -- th

  February 11, 2009

• Giraffes, Monkeys and Lepperts ... Oh, Yeah, and a Strip Club VP

  What do we have in common with Mayor Leppert? Ties to the Dallas Gentlemens Club, of course.Sure, we haven't always been on the same page as Mayor Tom Leppert, but one thing we apparently agree upon is there's no shame in accepting cash from people or businesses otherwise shunned by the masses. When we found a strip club's vice president among the sponsors of Leppert's fund-raiser and 55th birthday bash tomorrow night at the Dallas Zoo, our differences melted away, if only for a moment. Yup, it

  June 4, 2009

• Mary Suhm Tells Council: "The Corps Has Rated the Dallas Floodway as 'Unacceptable'"

  Merten just got back from City Hall, where the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just got through telling reporters that 34 of the 170 areas of the Trinity River levees are "unacceptable." Sam will have more to come shortly -- including a surprise cameo appearance by Mitchell Rasansky, who had his own questions for the Corps and Mayor Tom Leppert -- but, till them, let me explain why this is big news.See, the levees protect downtown Dallas from catastrophic flooding. According to the Corps, the l

  February 24, 2009

• Somewhere, Jim Schutze is Off Doing a Happy Dance

  Sam MertenMayor Tom Leppert and Kevin Craig of the U.S. Army Corps of EngineersMayor Tom Leppert reluctantly addressed local media this afternoon regarding City Manager Mary Suhm's earlier announcement that the Trinity River levees will be rated "unacceptable" in 34 of 170 areas by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in advance of a March 31 deadline. He stressed that safety remains the city's No. 1 priority, and the Trinity River Corridor Project remains on track. Following the flooding in New O

  February 24, 2009

• Till Tom Leppert Talks About DISD Takeover "Plan," Hey, You Can Say Anything You Want

  Alexander FloresBeen talking to people on deep background about Mayor Tom Leppert and his proposed, alleged takeover of the Dallas Independent School District. Some of this is from people who know Leppert, and some is from people who know DISD. Here is the thrust:1) Leppert's idea about taking over the school district is not a whim or a fluke. He's serious about it. He has been talking to people close to him about it for a couple months.2) The Dallas Morning News had a legitimate scoop on the st

  February 25, 2009

• Mayor Tom Will Do "Everything" He Can To Ensure DISD's Success. OK. Like What, Then?

  Patrick MichelsTom Leppert meets and greets the kids at last night's town hall meeting. Because, after all, someone has to think about the children.You know, maybe instead of a lot of wood-chopping by yours truly, I should just put this log out there and let you whup on it yourself for a while. I'm tired, man.Last Sunday The Dallas Morning News broke the story that Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has been in talks with state Sen. Royce West about a mayoral take-over of the Dallas public school system.

  February 27, 2009

• DFW Airport Board Member Ousted Because of Opposition to Trinity River Toll Road

  Brian HarkinMayor Pro Tem Dr. Elba Garcia admits she helped remove John Loza from the DFW Airport board based on his position on the Trinity River toll road referendum.When the Dallas City Council last week replaced former council member John Loza on the DFW Airport board with Brenda Reyes, we were reminded of the memorable 1997 battle between the two for the District 2 council seat. Reyes struggled with controversy early in her campaign, and she later spent time in the slammer after a nasty ey

  March 5, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert Seeks Amen on Convention Center Hotel from South Dallas Churches

  Patrick MichelsWhen Mayor Leppert needs help in South Dallas, Willis Johnson's got his back. Literally.Despite Mayor Tom Leppert and the city council's plans to begin construction on the convention center hotel April 1 and rush to sell bonds on the project to quash the May 9 referendum, it's still a vote Leppert and his fellow Build the Hotel'ers (soon to be Vote No! Keep Dallas Open for Business) can't afford to lose. The mayor has already given his sales pitch throughout the city, and his spe

  March 6, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert's Campaign Strategy for the Convention Center Hotel? Blame It On Harlan Crow. Then Rinse and Repeat.

  Sam MertenThere's this "one individual" Leppert tossed under the bus. Then he threw it in reverse and ran him over a few times for good measure. Mayor Tom Leppert and Anne Raymond of Crow Holdings and Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel made another campaign stop at the Bachman Recreation Center in front of approximately 40 people eager to hear the pros and cons of building a convention center hotel. Although Leppert is always an active speaker who uses hand gestures to illustrate his po

  March 11, 2009

• As Spring Break Comes to an End, Mods and Rockers Ride Into the Sunset

  Danny HurleyFriend of the show Danny Hurley spent last weekend snapping the dress-ups at the science-fiction convention, as you may recall. This weekend, he's been hanging out with the Rockers vs Mods. Here's a sneak peek in advance of a full-on slide show coming tomorrow. Also due tomorrow: a slide show from the America's Next Top Model tryouts at Fair Park, a preview of Mayor Tom Leppert's to-do list this week, a look at how the city's considering regulating the booting of cars in private lot

  March 22, 2009

• Anti-Hotel Group: Leppert Told "Outright Lies" to Push Toll Road, Now Using "Selective Information and Lies" to Sell Hotel

  Sam MertenAnne Raymond, if you see a liar in the room, could you kindly give us a heads up?Citing Wednesday's editorial in The Dallas Morning News, Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel in a press release blasted Mayor Tom Leppert for misleading Dallas voters during the Trinity River toll road campaign by withholding information regarding the cost of the project and risk to the levees. The anti-hotel group also claims "dishonesty and distortion" have been the centerpieces of Leppert's pro-h

  March 27, 2009

• Leppert Potentially Jeopardizes Tax-Exempt Status of Two South Dallas Churches By Telling Audience Members to Vote No on Props 1 and 2

  Sam MertenMayor Tom Leppert did not mince words Sunday: "Vote no on Proposition 1. Vote no on Proposition 2."Mayor Tom Leppert and wife Laura spent yesterday worshiping at churches in South Dallas, where services were interrupted so the mayor could give his convention center hotel sales pitch and instruct audience members how to vote May 9. "We need you to go to the polls and vote no on Proposition 1 and no on Proposition 2," Leppert said at the 10 a.m. service at Highland Hills United Methodi

  March 30, 2009

• At What Point Will Both Sides in Hotel Fight Make It About, You Know, the Hotel?

  The ad above began airing on local television stations this morning and represents the third installment from the anti-hotel group in what has become an extremely pricey effort funded largely by Harlan Crow to thwart the city's plans to build a publicly owned convention center hotel. It features the recent editorial in The Dallas Morning News criticizing Mayor Tom Leppert for having "undermined the public trust" during the Trinity River toll road campaign. "Can we trust Mayor Tom Leppert to

  April 1, 2009

• Roll dem bones:

  April 2, 2009

• Will the Issuance of Bonds for the Convention Center Hotel Affect the City's Credit? We're Going With Maybe.

  Patrick MichelsMayor Leppert is this close to landing the interest rate he wants for the hotel.When Mayor Tom Leppert testified last week on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, he conveniently failed to mention his own agenda while lobbying the U.S. House Financial Services Committee to loosen the municipal bond market. Instead of arguing the merits of the convention center hotel, he mentioned "building and repairing schools, firehouses, highways and water systems" as examples of projects

  May 29, 2009

• At Some Point, Pro- and Anti-Hotel Factions Will Cut Some "New" TV Spots

  Till then, though, today we get this ad from the Citizens Against the Taxpayer-Owned Hotel -- the group's fourth, for those keeping score at home. But if it looks familiar, well, it is. Because, see, first there was this CATOH ad that debuted a month ago starring some dude in a blue shirt calling Mayor Tom Leppert "arrogant." Then, last week, came the pro-hotel side's first advertisement, which featured Leppert literally pushing aside the first ad. Which brings us to today's CATOH ad, which uses

  April 15, 2009

• The Convention Center Hotel Vote is Not Just About a Building. It’s About a Mayor.

  April 30, 2009

• Jerry Allen Suggests Demolishing Convention Center If Hotel Isn't Built, Compares Trinity Toll Road Project to Landing on the Moon

  Sam MertenNow we know why Jerry Allen hasn't been allowed to debate about the convention center hotel.While researching our upcoming cover story on Mayor Tom Leppert, which will appear in the paper version of Unfair Park Wednesday, we sat down with Lake Highlands city council member Jerry Allen, who announced in a recent council meeting that he believes anything that comes out of the mayor's mouth. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway quickly overshadowed Allen's comment when he said he'd "take

  April 27, 2009

• Enough is Enough Chairman Steinhart Says "Both Sides Are Doing a Little Bait and Switch"

  Patrick MichelsRon Steinhart is firmly on the side of Mayor Tom Leppert and the pro-hotel crowd, but a month ago he wasn't positive how he'd vote and said there were good arguments on both sides of the issue.Ron Steinhart, chairman of Enough is Enough, at the group's press conference not only talked about the negative personal attacks aimed at Mayor Tom Leppert, but he also referred to "inaccurate and misleading statements" from the anti-hotel campaign. Yet when he spoke with the Observer in lat

  April 29, 2009

• The Mayor and His Pro-Hotel Friends Want You to Vote No Early Because "The Future of Dallas is in Our Hands Right Now"

  In my inbox this morning, I received an e-mail from the Vote No! group, who are packaging Proposition 1 and 2 together. For those needing clarification, Proposition 1 will approve a charter amendment prohibiting the city from "owning, financing, constructing, or operating a hotel or other lodging facility," and Proposition 2 will allow the public to vote on economic incentives of more than $1 million that the city gives to private developers, but only if 500 citizens sign a petition requesting

  May 1, 2009

• Mayor's New Pro-Hotel Pal Can't Defend Leppert's Promises During Trinity Campaign and Advocacy of Inland Port Delay

  Sam MertenEd Oakley ran a below-the-belt ad attacking Tom Leppert in his attempt to beat him in the mayoral runoff. Now he's joined a group formed to defend Leppert against the negative attacks from the anti-hotel group. Got it?As mentioned in this week's cover story, one of the reasons former council member Ed Oakley says he lost to Tom Leppert in the '07 mayoral runoff was his decision to run a negative campaign in the final weeks. Oakley's negativity climaxed with taking a cheap shot at Lepp

  May 5, 2009

• Convention Center Hotel Promoters are a Bunch of Get-Along Business Guys Who May Not Even Realize Their Own Deception

  May 7, 2009

• Almost Done Here: Five Issues To Consider Before Casting Your Vote On Proposition 1

  Sam MertenMayor Leppert has spent a lot of time holding up his finger to represent the opposition to the hotel, but in doing so, he's glossed over the one issue at stake tomorrow: public ownership of the hotel.As he's done throughout the convention center hotel campaign, Mayor Tom Leppert's op-ed in The Dallas Morning News Thursday focused more on kicking Harlan Crow in the crotch than providing tangible reasons why voters should approve public ownership of a $500 million hotel. He wasted valu

  May 9, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert: "Perhaps One of Our Greatest United States Leaders." Who Knew?

  eBay member: chicbizOnly $19.99 plus shipping, and, as the ad says, "They will not last long."Since becoming mayor less than two years ago, few have enjoyed the success of Tom Leppert. First a key victory in the Trinity River toll road campaign, then two more big wins last week after defeating two charter amendments, and now his very own commemorative ceramic tile. Even though we're always on the lookout for a way to pay homage to Mayor Tom, imagine our surprise when we stumbled on this item p

  May 16, 2009

• Tile Maker Lavishes More Praise on Mayor Tom Leppert Before Admitting: "I Honestly Don't Know Much About the Man."

  When we brought to your attention an item on eBay selling ceramic tiles of Mayor Tom Leppert, who's described in the ad as "perhaps one of our greatest United States leaders," our hope was to hear back from the seller so we could find out how Leppert caught the eye of someone living in Fort Myers, Florida. And, of course, we wanted to know how many of these have been sold since, as I said Saturday, I'm planning to tile Schutze's bathroom with these suckers, and there are (or were) only 1,000 av

  May 20, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert Goes to D.C. This Morning to Talk About Bonds. Municipal Bonds.

  I see Schutze is finally cleaning out his closet ... Mayor Tom Leppert's in D.C. this morning at the invite of Barney Frank, whose House Financial Services Committee is set to discuss why it's become so danged difficult and cost-prohibitive for cities to issue bonds -- and how Washington can fix it, despite the Fed's "important misgivings" about guaranteeing municipal bonds. The hearing, which kicks off at 8:30 C.S.T. and deals with four pieces of legislation aimed at making it easier for cities

  May 21, 2009

• Leppert at Council Inauguration: Dallas Won't Succeed "By Cowering When the Storms Hit"

  Patrick MichelsUpdate: Check out more photos in this slide show.Not far from a downtown courtroom filled with memories of a time when cash allegedly flowed more freely through City Hall, Mayor Tom Leppert officially welcomed aboard two new City Council members with a promise to work together to do more with less.This morning's inauguration ceremony at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center included a recognition of outgoing council members Mitchell Rasansky and Elba Garcia -- sent packing with a

  June 22, 2009

• When You Go Down to City Hall Today, Just Make Sure You Pay the Parking Lot Box

  Should be an interesting Dallas City Council meeting today -- if, that is, the Deep Ellum Association knows it needs to send its people to City Hall before 1 p.m., as the council will vote on the parking-boot ordinance well before lunch break, according to city officials to whom we spoke last night. The City Code change probably would have sailed through all but unnoticed, had Carol and Laura Reed not gone to work for the parking-lot owners and convinced the council to give up the electronic mon

  June 24, 2009

• Leppert Leads Trade Mission to Canada in Search of Sustainability, Whatever That Is

  Patrick MichelsWe suggest Leppert make it a short trip -- arrive wearing these shades and demand all of Canada's sustainability secrets "or else."A group of city officials and business leaders will join Mayor Tom Leppert today for a four-day trip to Toronto, Canada, where they're set to tackle the issue of "sustainability." Numbed by the vagueness of such a term, we contacted Leppert's deputy chief of staff, Paula Blackmon, to give us a better idea of what exactly the mayor and everyone else ha

  July 15, 2009

• It's Back to Paradise for City Council

  ​No, literally. It would appear the Trinity River Audubon Center wasn't good enough for Mayor Tom Leppert. That's where the Dallas city council met last year for its annual retreat, a much closer-to-home and, at around $2,700, slightly less expensive alternative to '07's choice: the Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center out in Paradise, which ran closer to eight thou. But the staycation's over: According to this memo from the mayor, the council picks up this week and heads back out to Wise Cou

  July 27, 2009

• Mayor Tom Leppert May Run for Senate? What, and Miss All The Fun?

  July 30, 2009

• Must-See TV: Watch the Budget Briefing

  ​At this very moment, the Dallas City Council is being briefed by Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm, chief financial officer Dave Cook and others on the proposed FY2009-1010 budget, which the council will approve on September 23. But before Suhm and Cook took control of the meeting, Mayor Tom Leppert suggested some cuts not yet made -- among them, Jerry Allen's effort to cut council expenditures, to which Angela Hunt added some ideas on July 29. (Suhm did not touch the council's budget -- not even

  August 10, 2009

• And If City Council Members Stay for the Whole Meeting, They Get a Gold Star

  ​Two weeks ago, at the last minute Mayor Tom Leppert -- or was it City Secretary Deborah Watkins ... or Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway? -- added to the Dallas City Council's agenda several controversial rules changes that were tabled the night before they were to be discussed. One of those proposed amendments to the City Council Rules of Procedure resurfaces this morning as Addendum Iten No. 4 -- the rather uncontroversial item that requires city council members show up for at least half of a co

  August 26, 2009

• Up the Sleazy River At the Dallas City Hall Corruption Trial

  August 27, 2009

• Up the Sleazy River At the Dallas City Hall Corruption Trial

  August 27, 2009

• Lesson learned from federal corruption trial: How to gain access to the portals of power at City Hall

  September 3, 2009

• Far as Mayor and DART Prez Are Concerned, the Green Line's All About Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

  Kimberly Thorpe​Mayor Tom Leppert and other city officials got their first ride on the much-anticipated Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line this morning. The first four stops on the $1.8 billion, 20-station, 28-mile line will officially open Monday -- following tomorrow's Super Saturday spectacular at the MLK Jr., Fair Park, Baylor University Medical Center and Deep Ellum stations. The politicos and accompanying media boarded at Victory Station for the quick ride to Fair Park, where U.S. Sena

  September 11, 2009

• Out Of Thin Air: "Making Ground" On the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park

  Photos by Patrick MichelsMayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson with Linda Owen (second from left) and Sheila Grant of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation board.​As much fun as Mayor Tom Leppert and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson could have had shoveling dirt down onto rush hour traffic, this morning's "ground-making" for the Woodall Rodgers Freeway Deck Park took a more conceptual direction.Inside the future home of the Parkside Condominiums, with an expansive view of the wet concrete t

  September 14, 2009

• While Breaking Ground for Convention Center Hotel, Mayor Tom Leppert Unveils Updated Design and Becomes Bellhop for a Day

  Sam MertenCaption contest!It took Mayor Tom Leppert approximately two years to accomplish what no one else in Dallas could: begin building a convention center hotel. And hundreds of assorted politicos, city officials, business leaders and supporters were on hand Tuesday afternoon at the site of the Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel to celebrate the man whose vision made it all possible. For his part, Leppert acknowledged everyone else's involvement, thanking them for their effort. "It's been

  September 16, 2009

• Mayor Tom and His Tiny Scissors

  While fast forwarding through a TiVo'ed version of Friday night's 6:30 p.m. rerun of The Office on KDFI channel 27 (the one where Ryan burns his cheese pita in the toaster oven), none other than Mayor Tom Leppert appeared in a commercial break for yet another ribbon cutting -- this time for the fake opening of Dunder Mifflin North Texas. I've got a few questions for Leppert's chief of staff, Chris Heinbaugh, on Monday, but until then, enjoy the mayor finally serving as the pitchman for the somet

  October 4, 2009

• Ladies and Gentlemen, Dallas's AT&T Performing Arts Center is Open for Business

  Photos by Patrick MichelsMayor Tom Leppert and council member Angela Hunt closed out Monday morning's ceremony with some thespian assistance. ​ The AT&T Performing Arts Center kicked off its grand opening week with a dedication ceremony this morning that was long on speeches about just what it will mean for Dallas.AT&TPAC President and C.E.O. Mark Nerenhausen focused on the vibrant new setting for staging shows (finally, a venue fit for Billy Crystal), Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway said

  October 12, 2009

• Before She's Required to Disclose Her Lobbying Efforts, We Take a Look-See at What Carol Reed's Banked From Mayor Leppert

  Mark GrahamSure, Woodlief's Allyn Media has brought in about seven times the amount Reed has from Tom Leppert-related campaigns, but Reed remains the queen of consulting.As the city council continues to discuss ethics reform in the aftermath of 23 guilty verdicts in the Dallas City Hall corruption trial, we thought it would be worthwhile to take a gander at the money that consultants and lobbyists are already required to report. Because Carol Reed's name came up in the trial (to the tune of $100

  October 20, 2009

• The Waters Are Murky as Dallas City Council Seeks Clarity Before Ethics Reform Vote

  Sam MertenCouncil member Carolyn Davis talks to zoning lawyer Kirk Williams as Willie Cothrum (right) listens.If nothing else, the city council's hastily planned ethics reform briefing early this morning showed that this group is capable of a spirited debate. For the most part, Mayor Tom Leppert has been able to keep everyone, with the exception of Angela Hunt and former council member Mitchell Rasansky, on the same page, sharing their toys with no complaints. But today, Dave Neumann, a Leppert

  October 26, 2009

• After Spending All Day Talking Ethics Reform, City Council Punts the Whole Shebang and Wraps It Up With a Freakin' Straw Vote

  ​As the Dallas City Council reached the end of its painfully long discussion about the proposed ethics reform, Dave Neumann said, "It was productive for the council to go through this briefing, but that's OK." Yup, the council began its agenda meeting this morning chatting about fine points of the amendments and stopped around 4:30 p.m. That, dear Friends, is the very definition of a briefing, especially when the result is a half-assed straw vote. It wasn't that there weren't attempts t

  October 28, 2009

• If You Think Ethics Reform at City Hall Was All Mayor Tom's Idea, Pass That Pipe, Willya?

  Patrick Michels​In an editorial today The Dallas Morning News gives all the credit for better ethics at City Hall to Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert because, "In the end, Tom Leppert didn't blink." They must have sent a greenhorn over to cover the city council's straw vote on ethics reform last week. An experienced reporter would have known that Mr. Leppert never blinks --- a trait that usually gives people the willies. In this case The News's editorial page is on a mission. It wants people to know t

  November 2, 2009