Leading Off
1. A Richardson ISD substitute teacher was arrested for being shnockered in class. We’ve said it before. But it bears mentioning again: people, put your kids in a Dallas ISD school, where the teachers can hold their liquor.
2. A priest in the Catholic Diocese of Dallas resigned his post in McKinney after a national blogosphere effort to publicize his past participation in a website for gay priests. [Insert your own joke because the last time I cracked wise about gay priests, Wick let me know he wasn't amused.]
3. Councilman Mitchell Rasansky has been forced out of the convention center hotel debate around the horseshoe because of a conflict of interest. But that’s not stopping him from writing an op-ed about the hotel. He prefaces his argument with: “[C]ouncil members beware: I am about to speak my mind and exercise my constitutional right to freedom of speech. You may want to stop reading now!” He’s adept at using irony!
18 Comments to “Leading Off”
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Two points:
1) I’m curious to know why Councilman Rasansky didn’t sign the memo that asked for a council briefing on valuations? Maybe there’s a valid reason of which I’m not aware.
So he feels that the land is overvalued based on appraisals, but let’s not have a council briefing to figure out why they’re so undervalued?
Some of the downtown properties’ values have recently been upped by DCAD but to me, as a citizen doesn’t that seem like that’s having it both ways?
AND
2) What the difference about having “a conflict of interest” but writing an op-ed and campaigning for a referendum for the project?
“He told the diocese he had contributed to the site – which included his photo – when its purpose was to support gay priests in a celibate lifestyle but stopped in 2001 after others began posting pornographic material, Ms. Taylor said.”
Wow - that’s like running a pub for recovering alcoholics.
Drunk Teacher.
Response: “Possible repercussions include removal from the eligible substitute list …”
Possible?
Unions are alive and well in our Schools.
Drunk teachers, priests on gay Web sites, and corrupt government officials. It’s nice to see we modeled our current society after ancient Rome.
Michael, I think the conflict of interest has been manufactured by the Mayor or City Staff. Rasansky owns stock in the institution that is going to underwrite the city’s bonds and he is speaking out AGAINST the hotel! Where is the conflict?
I noticed that Mr. Davis did not post Rasansky’s OP-ED piece this morning. I must say the tenor of Dallas Progress has changed quite a bit lately.
Nathan,
Feel free to read or not read me dude. I would guess that blogger.com would be open to your starting your own blog.
Although, unfortunately for you,
ihatedallas.blogspot.com is unavailable.
Uh oh . . . here it comes . . . something about how great societies fall after acceptance of homosexuals into mainstream culture. How predictible.
As to #2, what’s most unfortunate here is that it appears that this priest was actually trying to HELP those within the college deal with their vow of celibacy (even though he was focused only on those priests who are gay). Instead, a media field day ensues at the opportunity to print “Catholic priest” and “gay” in the same headline, instantly turning this man in the public eye into a gay child predator.
If a man’s gay, many evangelical Christians would espouse the belief that the man is called on by God not to act on his homosexual nature. That’s what this priest was helping his colleagues do who find themselves in that situation.
I’m afraid those same evangelical Christians will forget that very point when they see gay Catholic priest in the headlines.
Micahel… my guess is that he declined to sign the memo because it was initiated as a direct result of the council motion to buy the land (he can’t vote on). So, until it’s all sorted out, he may have erred on the side of caution. Additionally, if they already had the 5 signatures they needed, perhaps he wasn’t needed as a signatory at all.
IMO, and I’m no lawyer, I think he can speak publicly however he wishes, but when it comes to official city votes/meetings/biz on the issue, he has to recuse himself.
Yes Michael, I hate freedom and puppies too…and I NEVER where a flag lapel. I must be with the French and the terrorists.
Or “predictable” - oops!
Thanks, Left. There are plenty of gay priests who maintain their vows of celibacy just like there are plenty of straight priests who do the same.
I’m not saying there aren’t pedophile priests. One took me fishing when I was 16 and tried to get me drunk.
But the spiritual calling that one may feel toward the priesthood comes whether you’re straight or gay and straight or gay priests can do good work. It sounds like Mallinson was one of the good guys.
Bill: 11 people signed it…ijs
#1: According to the article, the district is “considering” taking him off of the substitute list…. ya think?
Re: #1…I have friends with kids at Parkhill. Total radio silence from the school about this matter.
Sean: The fact that you, of all people, having been the object of a pedophile priest, can see the issue so clearly is amazing to me. What a spiritual gift. More people should hear from you on the matter.
Michael… I think you may have missed my point. I know 11 signed it.
In order to get a public briefing, a council member needs more than 4 council members to sign. As soon as the 5th member was signed by Hunt, it was a moot point. So it doesn’t matter why Rasansky, or Kadane or Neumann, didn’t sign.
Thus, my original premise… IJS
FYI - I didn’t say our society was going to fail, I simply said it was nice to see we have modeled it after ancient Rome. With that said, I certainly didn’t say our society would fail because we accepted homosexuals.
I personally do not care if you drink, just don’t do it when teaching children.
I don’t give a d@mn what your sexual preference is, just keep it out of the church.
And, I don’t fault you for wanting to make money, just don’t mix that with the representation of people.
All of the above are the same as Pete Rose betting on baseball. Have a little more integrity when making a decision.
My point about my original comments was simple…….there sure are a lot of people in influential situations…….THAT CAN’T THINK BEFORE THEY DO SOMETHING STUPID. That’s all. Nothing more.
“I don’t give a d@mn what your sexual preference is, just keep it out of the church.”
Huh, Huh? ? I don’t follow. Under current Church rule, Catholic priests are required to remain celibate. So they are, in fact, the very ones called to leave their sexual preference at the door, as you suggest. He was trying to help others do just that. Instead, you reduce it to “priests on gay Web sites.”
And as to your last point, what exactly was it that the priest did that was stupid? Attempt to help others that the general public might perceive as something other than compassionate? Wow - I’m guessing anyone willing to follow that advice wouldn’t be a very good priest.
It is always fun to see Michael Davis asking people “not to read his blog” as if they do in the first place.