Park Cities People

Rich SOB's shop here - Pic courtesy of Wikipedia

by Trebor Snillor

Today is a bright, beautiful, bitterly cold day. It’s what I call a Colorado Day where the near freezing tempefrature belies the welcoming blueness of the sky. Still, we are all loving it. Sun and cold is way better than rain and cold. Today I might be seen as Mr. Grouch as I hit on a couple of negative topics. I’m basically positive overall but I have to grouse at the excesses of rich people.

Dodd Frank Debacle

Scott Burns is a center-conservative, financial columnist whose pragmatic viewpoints I’ve come to highly respect. In today’s paper, he points out that Citibanc lobbyists have succeeded in having Congress repeal the Dodd Frank derivatives legislation. The DF Act was the single, fairly tepid reaction to the 2008 Recession.. it sought to eliminate the reckless trading that caused the 2008 real estate melt-down. I have to caution anyone who’s currently banking on house-value appreciation – watch your step. It’s amazing, even outrageous that Congress and Citibanc can put us at such risk when we’re still fixing what happened 7 years ago. The “Too Big to Fail” banks can return to the casino with our money. If they win, they pocket the gains. If they lose, we bail them out again.

Park Cities Being Pissy

In this week’s “Dallas Observer”, author Eric Nicholson points out the many ways in which the residents of University and Highland Park make arrogant *sses out of themselves. Without replaying his story I’ll hit the highlights. Park Cities (PC) tried to block a high-rise on Cole Avenue from being built. The high-rise is Dallas property -- actually only a mid-rise. It would help our tax base and improve the whole area. Fortunately a judge threw out Park Cities’ worthless lawsuit. PC has tried to reroute Love Field flight paths – this effort is currently stalled. (Also thank goodness). PC celebrated “Banned Books” by trying to ban additional books – this effort was stymied too. Free speech advocates can breathe with relief. Unfortunately Park Cities has gotten their way a couple of times. All the broad Dallas Avenues get strangled down to one lane as they stretch thru the elite neighborhoods. Mockingbird goes from 4 lanes to nearly a hike ‘n bike trail. They soon intend to reduce the default speed limit to 25 mph. In yet another area of contention they’ve banished redevelopment of Preston Town Center – they fear that riff-raff will want to sneak their way into PC schools without paying the property tax dues.

The Rich They Are Different

I drive down HP’s Beverly Drive every day to work. Mockingbird would be a more direct route, but see above reference to choked off streets. I’ve been ticketed for going 3 miles over a school zone limit. A coworker said I could challenge that in court if I wanted – it’s in the margin of radar detection error. They later cited me for rolling thru a stop sign also. Both happened in my beat up older car. Can’t help but think if I were in a new Lexus with an Armstrong address it would be a warning or nothing at all. As it stands I’ve paid for $400 of their beautiful median posies.

Fort Worth and Austin have rich people who actually engage with the “little people”.. it has helped both cities to prosper and have vibrant downtowns. The rich people of Dallas have walled themselves off in exclusionary luxury. “Suck it Dallas – we don’t need your scuzzy parks and schools when we have country clubs and academies”. Arrogant bastards. I sometimes window shop at the Highland Park Knox Street stores since Apple is nearby. The Knox Street Restoration Hardware store had a book on display – “The Rich – They Are Different”. They certainly are; they truly think money puts them above common decency or common sense.

OK you guys in Park Cities. I see by your many Christmas lights and “He is Risen” signs that you’re Christian. You know that He said, “It’s easier for a camel to step through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven”. Enjoy the elitist Heaven you have here because you’re snarky attitude won’t gain you very easy admission to anywhere else.

© 2015 Snillor Productions