Many of you moved to Dallas and live here because of the opportunities available to you.You moved here because Dallas is a growing city.
Dallas has been losing everything of value to the suburbs.We lost the Cowboys to Arlington.Nokia Theatre is in Grand Prairie. The Texas Motor Speedway is in Fort Worth instead of on I-20 in Oak Cliff. Don’t you want to do things in Dallas?
More than $2.5 billion dollars of economic impact and $800 million in direct spending is waiting for us if we VOTE NO!One group is trying to prevent that from getting to Dallas.
If Dallas becomes less business-friendly, we lose.The economic future and opportunities of our generation depends on whether or not we VOTE NO!
We didn’t like the last Mayor because she shot down every project and now we have a Mayor with great ideas for a great city. We need to have his back!
How it affects you
Dallas will be become a ghost town.
We won’t be able to bring back and build up South Dallas, Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, and West Dallas unless we VOTE NO!
No more places in Dallas like West Village, Mockingbird Station, and Uptown.
If Dallas can’t bring big events to downtown, finance economic development, and recruit companies, this city will dry up! The more we lose, the more jobs leave Dallas, and the less opportunity you have to succeed. That’s not why you came to Dallas!
Here’s what you need to do
They have more money but we have more people!
If you want Dallas to continue to grow, you need to come to our rally on Wednesday April 29th in front of City Hall.
Music starts at 4PM and the speakers start at 5:30–guest speakers include Veronica Torres of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Michael Davis of Dallas Progress blog, Ron King of PartyChaser.com/Trinary Media, and others.
Are you going to let one group stand in the way of YOUR future?
Come hang out with 1,000 of your friends and learn why we must fight for our city.
Hat Tip to Mike Davis of Dallas Progress for turning me on to this R.I.P Dallas produced video in the spirit of “Yes We Can.” I saw a few friends of Dallas South in the video, including Ms. Jan Gore and District 5 City Council Candidate Tiffinni Young.
The refrain is “This Is Our City,” and it is. This is our city, and now is our time. Let’s Vote No on Propositions 1 and 2.
When I ranted on WFAA 8 (which can be viewed here), a couple of weeks ago, I asserted that the Vote No crew was lacking in their efforts. Looks like someone was listening.
Since then, there was a Southern Dallas Press Conference, R.I.P. Dallas came out swinging, and Enough is Enough met up and created the commercial you see above. This morning on the way home from taking my son to school I heard Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson urging voters to “Vote No” on one of the R&B stations.
But Trey and the crew are still premature in calling this a “taxpayer hotel.” If zero people walked through the door (which even Vote Yes say won’t happen), then maybe it would be. But I haven’t heard anyone against the hotel explain why Dallas bookings have gone up since the council went ahead with their plans.
And though many cities have decided like Dallas to skip on building a big time stadium, why gave all of the Top 20 convention cities but Dallas built a Convention Center Hotel? Because it is a logical and necessary risk in trying to protect the millions of dollars in convention spending.
It was odd to see Magic Johnson on T.V. selling the virtues of Jackson Hewitt’s Tax Services. Not everyone feels comfortable doing there taxes, so seeking help from a big name company is understandable. But many of the African-Americans that Jackson Hewitt targets don’t realize that the person they are working with isn’t that much more qualified to do their taxes than they are, just in tune with the software.
They’re predatory loan scheme, called Tax Refund Anticipation Loan, is the real problem. This is where Jackson Hewitt takes part of their customers tax refund because they can’t wait to get the check in the mail. Jackson Hewitt -just like pay day loan sharks- are seizing on black folks struggle with delayed gratification.
When I then saw Magic fronting Rent-A-Center, I saw it as a disturbing trend. Mr. Johnson appears in 15-30 second TV and radio spots created by Dallas ad agency Launch. I just found out Rent-A-Center is one of my new neighbors, moving in to a retail spot vacated by Blockbuster some time ago.
“In teaming with Magic Johnson, we have found the ideal partner to help get the word out. He’s living proof of how, with hard work and determination, you can get the best things in life — which is exactly what Rent-A-Center is all about.”
Ann Davids, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
It’s that “best things in life” line that gets me. If you have to use RAC to get the “best things in life” then you don’t need it. And trust me, if it came from RAC, it’s probably not the best. Magic Johnson’s name means too much let these two companies trade off of it.
I didn’t question Magic and his support for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary. But his partnership with Jackson Hewitt and Rent-A-Center is troubling to say the least. Teaming the Magic brand that we’ve trusted for so long (Starbucks, Movie theaters, etc.) with those that take advantage of our community is a bad mix. Magic is better than that.
Here are some customer experiences from Rent-A-Center at ConsumerAffairs.com
Lashelle of Va Beach VA (04/02/09) This place is a joke. They promise one thing and then call you a lair when you ask them about it. I got an X-box from them that didn’t have the right pieces and when I went to return it and get my money back like I was told many times wouldn’t be a problem they just kept saying that I was wrong. They even came right out and said that I was lying. They are disrespectful and rude. I will never do business with them again and if you want to get what you pay for you wouldn’t either
They are stealing peoples money!
Michael of Los Angeles CA (03/31/09)
Well my wife went in to exchange a laptop to upgrade for a different one, she was told many times to come on in and that she could apply the balance she has paid towards a more expensive one, to which we agreed, shen she got there after 1 hour they tell her they could not we would have to start all over again and that they would not apply a penny towards the new laptop.
they have done this too us several times in the past. we originally purchased it thru AArons to whom they own and changed name to RAC- i know many many people who have been ripped off from RAC so my wife left the laptop there after having paid 80% of the exaggerated purchase price.
Lost $800.00
Shane of Costa Mesa CA (03/24/09)
I had the worst experience that I ever had with a company. They were not true to their word and shuffled me around. After signing the terms of agreement and took my money they went back on their word. They were mismanaged, had bad communication, and would not return my calls. They made me wait all day for nothing. They did not do their research and once it they arrived, they were confused and no idea of my adress. I was a monstrosity, and I would definitely tell people not to do buisness with them or give them money.
On Thursday, tenants at Southwest Center Mall were briefed about the Urban Land Institute Use Study commissioned by the Dallas City Council last week.The city will pay $120,000 to try to figure out what to do with the struggling retail outlet.
Edna Pemberton lead the meeting of current and future tenants.Some of those in attendance were getting nervous about rumors circulating that the mall was about to shut down.Many of them, like African-Imports and Mr. Pretzels, have been at the mall for years.
Pemberton did open up about some of the malls more tedious moments: pleading with an Oncor worker at the meter with his hand on the switch about to shut the mall’s power off.And a similar episode when the waters was about to be turned off.
But it’s been the City of Dallas and Councilman Tennell Atkins who’ve thrown lifelines out to the mall to help keep it afloat.Mr. Atkins recounted some of the history that landed the trouble mall in the hands of a bankruptcy court.
Councilman Tennell Atkins
Both Pemberton and Atkins were hopeful about the mall’s future, though the councilman curbed Ms. Pemberton’s enthusiasm on at least two occasion when she seemed to suggest that the mall will continue to exist in the same or similar capacity after the study.
Atkins also urged the group to start looking towards the 2010 Bond Package when the mall and community could request that funds for sorely needed infrastructure improvements are included.
As the meeting concluded, they announced a number of events planned for the near future:
Next Thursday April 23rd there will be a formal kickoff announcing the Urban Land Institute that will include Mayor Tom Leppert, Deion Sanders and others.
On May 6, a breakfast is scheduled to recognize National Small Business Appreciation Month. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis (who the members from SWC met with on a trip to Washington) has been invited to speak at the breakfast.
May 16, the mall plansto recognize the accomplishments of current U.S. Trade Representative and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk who is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at U.T. Arlington the day before.
Labor Day Festival September 5-7 produced by CWhatsPoppin.com that will include a Gospel and Soul Concerts, Bike/Car Exhibits, Comedy Shows, Purple Carpet Fashion Show, 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament and more.
Ms.Pemberton acknowledged the contributions of a number of members of the community who have supported the mall through its uncertainty, including Rev. Tommy Brown who she called “The Mall’s Pastor” and Danielle Ayers, Minister of Justice at Friendship-West Baptist Church. Dallas South will continue to update the progress of the mall.
It’s amazing what a group of friends can do with an email a Twitter account, and a few facebook messages.
Early this week I got an email from a friend that I trust. It read as follows:
Hello:
I would like to invite you as my special guest for theDallas Young Professionals for the Convention Center Hotel Luncheon, next Thursday April 16th from 12-115pm at Eddie Deans Ranch (Downtown Dallas off Lamar Blvd).
The benefits of attending this luncheon will be powerful networking with the top young business and political leaders in Dallas and information and planning session for supporting the Dallas Convention Center Hotel.
This will be the first event of its kind where we are expecting over 300 young corporate professionals/entrepreneurs to attend. If you are serious about building your network and growing your business or climbing the corporate ladder, then you must be there. If you received this email it is because I truly believe that you are a young professional leader who will continue to excel.
I’m not sure how many more invites I’ll get to events for “young professionals,” but I’ll ride that train until it runs out.
Anyway, I thought since Dallas South was one of the first entities in Dallas to offer an opinion on the Convention Center Hotel , and since people link the site to the project, it seemed like a good idea to at least show my face. Wasn’t sure how they’d pull off 300 people since I was just hearing about it…but I try not to judge.
A couple of days later I received another email from someone that I didn’t know, and a phone call on yesterday from someone else asking if I was planning to attend. I’m not a rocket scientist, but I’d say it seems like they were covering their bases. It felt like momentum to me.
So when exited off I-35 and headed toward Eddie Dean’s Ranch, I halfway expected the bumper to bumper traffic turning into the parking lot. And when I got inside the room; it was jumping. A lot of folks in attendance were shaking their heads at the beginning, and now that I know more of the story, I can see why.
As it was told, about a week ago 4 or 5 friends got together and asked themselves how could they impact the Prop 1 and Prop 2 elections. They decided to hold a meeting to get out the facts about the proposals and what they think it would mean to Dallas.
So supposedly they emailed their friends and asked their friends to email their friends, started as website called R.I.P.Dallas, and there we all were at Eddie Deans. 600 people showed up for the gathering. Even the organizers were visibly shocked.
Now let’s be clear, the 4 or 5 friends aren’t just anybody. The guys I met and that I was introduced to were the sons of some heavy hitting Dallas businessmen. But they have a (somewhat) diverse circle of friends that produced more African-Americans than I had expected to see.
There was a question and answer session with Dallas City Council member Ron Natinsky, a few people from the audience to speak, a slide presentation and some words from the mayor. All and all a really good meeting. Check the RIP Dallas site. We’ll be ramping up convention hotel talk next week.
A couple of hours after the meeting ended, I received an email from “Grim” the fictional leader of the group. Here’s what Grim had to say:
Will we soon be saying R.I.P. Dallas? If the two propositions on the May 9 ballot pass, very likely.
That’s why we are asking YOU to get on board the movement to Vote NO! on Propositions 1 and 2 on May 9 and to forward this message to 20 of your friends.
More than 600 souls have already joined our campaign but we need many more. Here’s how you can get involved:
1. Campaign headquarters is Loft 111 at South Side on Lamar. Drop by when you can to help with strategy, pick up signs and get on camera to speak your mind about billionaires and unions pushing their agenda on our Dallas.
2. We will be conducting an urban sign blitz Friday April 17 at 4:00 pm. E-mail me if you are willing to assist – we’ll convene at campaign headquarters (see above).
3. We are going to storm City Hall next Wednesday, April 22. E-mail me at grim@ripdallas.com to participate.
4. Forward this e-mail to 20 people you know and encourage them to join the campaign.
5. Go to the website where you can read blog posts by Grim (feel free to comment), view photos and videos of our upcoming stunts all over Dallas and read about projects in jeopardy if Propositions 1 and 2 prevail. If you are at work you may want to check your volume:
Gotta run. Lots to do. This election is going to be the death of me yet…
Grim.
This is how movements are created in the 21st Century. What started as an idea a week ago has become a coalition in short order. I’m looking forward to seeing what these guys (and ladies that are now working with them) have up their sleeve for city hall next week. It looks like it could be a doozie.
I just finished shooting (Wednesday) an interview with Brad Watson from WFAA 8 a few minutes ago. Brad wanted my thoughts regarding the “Vote No” (For the hotel) campaign and a press conference that was held by a group of Southern Dallas pastors who are against the hotel.
The interview is scheduled to run at either 5pm, 6pm, or both on Channel 8.
It looks like “Vote No Dallas” has come out of it’s shell and is going on the offensive against the attack ads launched by Vote Yes. Here’s their first television ad and content from a Question and Answer document that accompanied the letter from Mayor Leppert that was posted here yesterday.
A. On May 14, 2008, the Dallas City Council approved plans to build an attached convention center hotel on a portion of an 8.4-acre site at the southwest corner of Young
St. and Lamar Blvd. Plans are to build a four-star convention headquarters hotel with 1,000 guestrooms; food and beverage facilities including restaurants, lounges and coffee kiosks; 80,000 square feet of meeting space including grand and junior ballrooms; and 720 parking spaces.
Q.Why is the convention center hotel needed?
A. In today’s competitive market, a city must have an attached convention center hotel to compete nationally and draw the largest U.S. conventions, which attract 20,000 to 50,000 visitors at one time. Until the Council’s recent approval, Dallas was the only city of the top 22 U.S. convention markets without a convention center hotel announced, under construction or completed.
With a $2.6 billion annual economic impact, tourism is a big part of Dallas’ economic vitality. The Dallas Convention Center is a $1 billion asset for the City, an economic engine that generates millions of dollars in revenues used to help fund roads, police, public safety and other city services.
Without the Convention Center and hospitality-related revenues, Dallas taxpayers will be responsible for a much bigger portion of the tax burden. The Convention Center is
an important asset we must protect, and the hotel is a vitally important investment for our future.
Q. Do other Texas cities have convention center hotels?
A. Although Dallas/FortWorth is the No. 1 visitor destination in Texas for the fourth straight year, Dallas remains the only major Texas city that lacks a convention center hotel. Houston, San Antonio, Austin, FortWorth and several D/FW suburbs have either constructed or are in the process of building a convention center hotel. Houston’s hotel has been so successful they hope to sell it for a $70 million profit and are planning to build a second one!
Q. What happens if we don’t build the hotel?
A. Right now, because we lack a convention center hotel, the City of Dallas is losing out on approximately $800 million in direct spending and $2.6 billion in annual economic impact. Further, the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) reports that more than 80 groups have reported they WILL NOT bring future meetings to Dallas due to the lack of a convention center hotel.
Bottom line, if we don’t build the hotel, Dallas will remain a second-tier convention destination (or likely drop to a third-tier destination) losing business to cities of all sizes that have built hotels to capture more business.
Q. Will big conventions come to Dallas if we build the hotel?
A. In the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the Bureau booked more than 1 million definite room nights – a record for the Dallas CVB – representing more than $1 billion in economic impact. The remarkable growth is credited to the Dallas City Council vote approving the hotel. Because of the hotel, the Dallas CVB booked almost 177,000 more definite room nights – a 20% increase – over the previous year.
The first quarter for the 2008-2009 fiscal year is looking even better, at more than
225,000 room nights or 31% over the previous first quarter. Since the Council’s vote, the Dallas CVB has booked thirteen city-wide conventions and is in negotiations with another twenty-four, representing more than $500 million and $900 million respectively in economic impact.
However, all of these bookings are contingent on the construction of a convention center hotel. If the hotel isn’t built, we will lose bookings for 392,000 room nights, representing $500 million in economic impact.
Q.Will building the hotel create new jobs?
A. Yes! In addition to helping support the existing 50,000 hospitality jobs, the hotel will create 3,800 jobs – 3,000 full-time construction jobs and 800 full-time permanent hotel jobs. Also, the City has developed one of the nation’s most innovative MWBE programs for a public project, providing unprecedented levels of participation and support services to minority contractors.
Q.Will there be new development around the hotel?
A. Yes. Matthews Southwest, the North Texas-based developer chosen by the Dallas City Council, has plans to build new retail, restaurants and entertainment venues. Development around the site will connect the Convention Center and hotel to the rest of downtown Dallas.
Q. How much will the new hotel cost, and how will it be financed?
A. On December 5, 2008, the Dallas City Council’s Economic Development Committee received from the developer, Matthews Southwest, a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $356 million for the hotel. The project will be financed through tax-exempt revenue bonds, which are often used because cities can borrow money at a far cheaper rate than the private sector.
Tax-exempt revenue bonds are different from general obligation bonds, which were used for the 2006 City of Dallas bond campaign and other previous bond campaigns.
The tax-exempt revenue bonds will be repaid with revenues from guests staying at the hotel … not from Dallas taxpayers. The hotel is projected to have a positive cash flow from the day it opens.
However, as part of the hotel financing package, the City has provided for a $50 million reserve fund to protect against any unforeseen circumstances. Tax-exempt revenue bonds are how many competing convention cities – including Houston, Denver, Baltimore and Phoenix – have financed their convention center hotels.
In addition, a Texas state law allows the City to recapture the state’s portion of the sales tax from the hotel to pay off the bonds.
The following is a letter from Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert that is being sent out to Dallas municipal voters this week. Tomorrow I will post a Question and Answer document that will accompany Mayor Leppert’s letter.
April 3, 2009
Dear Friend,
As you have probably seen, there are a lot of rumors, mistruths and, most unfortunately, personal attacks being circulated, all around the convention center hotel. These radical changes to our City Charter won’t affect the California agency that made the attack ads -but they will impact you and me.
That’s why I wanted to write you and personally address these attacks, and give you myperspective on the hotel referendum.
This election is not about politics, personal attacks or your right to vote. It’s also not about your city services being threatened since the hotel would be funded using low-interest bonds that would be repaid by revenues from hotel guests.
The May 9 referendum is about our city’s financial future. It’s about jobs, new opportunities and the economic growth that we so desperately need right now. And it’s about competing for valuable new tax revenues, and lifting the ever-growing tax burden from the shoulders of our homeowners.
Here’s why I think building the hotel now, under the current plan, is the right decision for our taxpayers:
Let us compete for tourism. Nowadays, a city must have an attached convention center hotel to compete nationally and draw the largest U.S. conventions – those attracting 20,000 to 50,000 visitors. Until the Council’s recent approval, Dallas was the only city of the top 22 U.S. convention markets without a convention center hotel announced, under construction or completed. It’s simple. Convention tourism brings our city $2.6 billion in annual economic impact – if we are going to compete to keep these critical dollars, we must have the attached hotel.
Protect our $1 billion investment. The Dallas Convention Center is a $1 billion investment for the city that yields us billions in economic impact every year, but keeping this asset healthy and viable for the long term means adding the attached hotel. If we don’t add the hotel, our convention center will become obsolete, and not only will we lose the billions in economic impact, but our taxpayers will be left to carry the debt and maintenance on the convention center at an estimated cost of $14 million per year.
Keep property taxes low. Over the past few years, the percentage of our total budget that falls on Dallas homeowners is creeping up – in fact, in our current budget, property taxes account for nearly 45% of our City’s total revenues. The best hope for easing this burden is to grow sales tax receipts. One of our best opportunities to do that is through convention business – but we can only do that if we have a convention center hotel.
Our Convention & Visitors Bureau already has booked 13 city-wide conventions in the new hotel – but for us to realize the millions in revenue these conventions will bring, we must build the hotel now.
As a businessman and a mayor who cares deeply about our city and our future, I can tell you that the current hotel plan is the result of thousands of hours of study, hundreds of hours of public meetings, and it is a smart, fiscally-responsible investment that allows us to use tax revenue bonds to capitalize on a very favorable bond rate and pay the lowest amount of interest on a project that will yield a great return for our city.
The opponents of the hotel would like you to believe that this is a bad deal for taxpayers, or that the citizens of Dallas have not had a voice – but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the biggest risk for taxpayers is if we don’t build the hotel, because they will be left to carry our growing tax burden.
But at the end of the day, you must decide who has our city’s best interest at heart: your mayor and the overwhelming majority of our Dallas City Council, every major Chamber of Commerce and hundreds of business & community leaders – or a slick California ad agency who’s using a paid actor to deliver their message.
I ask you to look past the manipulation and mistruths, and to have faith in our city’s can-do reputation for fiscally-responsible, successful public-private partnerships that increase our tax base, boost sales tax receipts and create jobs.
Please join me in voting “No” against Proposition One. It’s the right decision for our taxpayers, and it’s the right decision for our future.
Guest Post by Community Supporter Higgins and Associates
Keeping your stuff is probably important to you. Faced with financial obligations that you are unable to pay, understanding the exemptions available in bankruptcy can help you take steps to preserve as many of your belongings as possible in a chapter 7 bankruptcy case.
In the State of Texas, both federal and state bankruptcy exemptions are available for those filing bankruptcy. There are some limits on certain exemptions such as equity that you have in a home or in a vehicle.
The law office of Robert A. Higgins and Associates, with convenient locations in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex has offered assistance to hundreds of clients looking for a way out of debt. Below is a brief summary of the exemptions available to those who file bankruptcy in Texas.
Homestead: Unlimited, although, property cannot exceed 10 acres in town, village, city, or 100 acres elsewhere (200 per family). Sale proceeds exempt for 6 months after sale.
Pensions: Tax-exempt retirement accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs to $1,095,000 per person, and virtually all pension and survivor’s benefits.
Insurance: Most life, health, accident or annuity benefits, monies, policy proceeds and cash value, due or paid to beneficiary or insured.
Miscellaneous: Property of business partnership; alimony and child support; higher education savings plan trust account; liquor licenses and permits
Personal Property: Includes items up to $60,000 in value for family, or $30,000 for single adult.
Public Benefits: Unemployment compensation; Workers’ compensation; Crime victims’ compensation; Medical assistance; and Public assistance
Tools of Trade: Tools, books, equipment and boat or motor vehicle used in trade, farming or ranching vehicles and implements
Wages: Earned but unpaid wages and unpaid commissions not to exceed 25% of total personal property exemptions
In a chapter 7 bankruptcy case the debtor is required to turn over to the trustee only the nonexempt money or property that he or she possessed at the time the case was filed. Since many nonexempt assets are liquid in nature and tend to vary in size or amount from day to day, it is wise for the debtor to engage in some negative estate planning. With the help of a qualified Texas bankruptcy lawyer, a debtor can legally minimize the value or amount of these liquid assets on the day and hour that the chapter 7 bankruptcy case is filed.
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