The battle over the size of Texas’ budget shortfall has ended. The shortfall ain’t $27 billion, as the progressives would have it. And it’s not $15 billion, as conservatives have insisted. Nope, it really totals … drumroll, please … just $13.4 billion. Good Morning America told us that, this morning.
Katie Minchew is looking ahead on construction at The Park.
It’s official. The Park being built over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway is not going to remain a mess of concrete box beams and conduit wires forever. There’s a plan in place.
On Wednesday I spoke with Jim Burnett, president of the Office of James Burnett, design lead for The Park. Although it is a little quiet at the landscaping office right now, starting in about three or four months “things will start to get geared up,” Burnett says. They will begin examining materials and products, signing off on them to be used, approving or disapproving samples, exciting stuff. “Landscape construction will start in a big way toward the end of this year.”
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Choice 1: You are best friends with John Wiley Price, but you’re not allowed to correct or confront him on ANYTHING. This is tough since you have an extremely noticeable physical deformity that he often pokes fun at, mainly in public meetings, which you are forced to attend. Making it even tougher: you are on the staff, in a prominent role, of JWP’s chief political opponent. If you DO correct/confront him, your 10 closest family members will either get cancer or go to prison for two years. If you make it five years without doing this, you will receive $2 million, tax-free, in a lump sum. But you are not allowed to tell anyone this.
Choice 2: You get $1 million, but it is distributed to you in $10,000 per month increments. To get your monthly installment, you have to go on every local newscast and say something either shockingly racist, sexist, or treasonous in nature, but you can’t pick the same kind of offensive speech twice in a row, and you must use all three. (In other words: you will be seen as shockingly racist, sexist, AND treasonous.) If you do this every month, you get an additional $1 million at the end — about eight years — but you can never tell anyone why you did any of it.
The Mavericks, after beating the Phoenix Suns last night, went into the All-Star break strong, as one of just four teams with 40 or more wins. Here is how they got there.
Let’s start this weekend with a genuine question. Does anyone know how to dance anymore? I don’t mean get squished up against some sweaty stranger in a club or do the awkward butt-wiggle/don’t-spill-the-beer-sway at indie rock concerts. I’m talking about the real thing.
Friday
Now, I’m no Ginger Rogers. But I think the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert at the Wyly is just the inspiration I need to take a swing dance lesson or two. Finding my Fred Astaire is next.
In celebration of what’s shaping up to be a fantastic weekend, weather-wise, head over to the West Village Buy Buy Winter sidewalk sale. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to ditch my winter coat (at least temporarily). The sale starts today and ends Sunday.
Facebook Privacy Settings Are Your Friend. Dallas Police Senior Cpl. Cat Lafitte apparently has a history of questionable Facebook status updates, but the one that got her in hot water was one that bragged about an off-duty altercation with a Plano hospital worker. Note to Ms. Lafitte: It’s probably not wise to brag about bloodying someone, not having a current inspection sticker, or anything with racist overtones if you’re planning on leaving your Facebook page completely visible to anyone.
Rob Ryan Makes Reporters Sports Pants Tight. I gotta admit – when I saw Rob Ryan for the first time, I thought some guy from Ice Road Truckers somehow wandered onto the sidelines of a football game. But now he’s with the Cowboys, and apparently you can make the media love you if you drop an F-bomb.
Valdez Is Not a Fan of Immigration Bill. A bill before the Texas legislature would require law enforcement officials to ask for immigration status. Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, and El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles are not fans, saying their departments are already strapped for cash, and can’t afford the additional training and manpower the bill would take.
If You Have City Business, It’ll Have To Wait. Want a library book? Need to go pay a ticket? Have grand plans of visiting a nearby rec center? You’ll have to wait. Way back when, the city decided on days workers would take mandatory leave, because of budgetary reasons. Today’s one of them. But don’t get too excited about Monday, either – that’s President’s Day, and almost everything will be closed then, too.
Friday, and a Beautiful Weekend To Boot. Remember how just last week we thought it would never get warm again? And then there’s this weekend, when I expect much of Dallas will be found enjoying a patio and a beverage somewhere? Yeah, that was crazy.