the Controversial Committee Report
“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”
A CCR ‘Editorial’ or Venting?
(Warning: Not designed to be humorous or satirical)
Without a doubt, some of the missives which have hit your e-mail boxes from the CCR lately should have been accompanied by a decoder ring. For this, staff of the CCR apologizes. The assumption has always been that readers were fully versed in all the happenings of ‘beautiful downtown Irving.’
We realize this may not have been a valid assumption on our part. (Yes, we’ve heard the old joke about assuming.)
Adding a bit of ‘cat kicking’ to the verbal melee you received and the satirical twisting of significant detail in the reports probably caused some to think…what the hell is he talking about. (Mea Culpa!)
With all of this in mind and the upcoming city election about to hit high gear, the CCR believes this will be the most critical election in ten years. Dear readers, this is not an exaggeration! The proof has already been inserted into the pudding.
The reason this is true and this report necessary is to hone the words with precision to ensure there are no misunderstandings as to the gravity of the upcoming election.
What has truly been lacking for at least the past six years is: leadership one could trust; leaders who mean what they say; and leadership honest with the citizenry.
Without taking each of those items and identifying the specific issues behind them, the following will summarize why Irving voters should forego the personalities of candidates and the fluffy campaign brochures littering your mailboxes to understand why their vote is so critical this year.
What has recently transpired in Irving governance, led by the mayor, is what has created the political abyss currently shining a very dark spotlight on the city. There hasn’t been a time in Irving’s modern history where the ebony spectacle of bias, bigotry and political stupidity has reared its ugly head to the level seen the past few weeks.
The mayor, Beth Van Duyne, has created a serious division among the citizenry and council. She managed to achieve this milestone of divisiveness via her self-aggrandizing agenda to promote an issue that had no relevance to Irving — the State HB 562 resolution.
For her to state (on FaceBook since she seldom communicates with legitimate media outlets…including the DMN), she claimed her actions, regarding State HB 562, were to "protect" the US Constitution, liberties and women’s rights. (Ludicrous doesn’t even come close to describing how shallow and empty her rhetoric is in defense of her deceptive actions.)
The attention the mayor has drawn to Irving has been anything but flattering. In fact, the city has been severely tarnished by her actions state-wide. Her pursuit of approving the State HB 562 resolution has probably caused many potential visitors and businesses to reconsider their plans which might have included Irving as a destination point.
Is all this really the type of attention our city deserves? What does it say about the community when the mayor leads a charge, with some council assistance, detrimental to the city? (What the mayor and her four council members have achieved should irritate the marrow in citizens’ bones!)
Consider the items noted in the following from legitimate media publications which are not out to grind an ax with the city. These organizations report facts and concise information, when dissecting issues, for a more complete and better understanding by their readership. Their efforts are void of ‘spin’ and ‘talking points.’
To wit:
DMN, 04-09-15, Avi Selk
"Irving has become a national magnet for anti-Muslim rhetoric this year, especially since Mayor Beth Van Duyne attacked a local Muslim mediation service, calling it “a separate court” with “separate law” that threatened equal protection rights.
DMN, 04-02-15, Avi Selk
"…Asked who was attacking her, Van Duyne pointed to the media — including a Dallas Morning News report that labeled her ‘a hero among a fringe movement that believes Muslims ... are plotting to take over American culture and courts.’”
"When a resident read anti-Muslim comments Thursday that had been posted to Van Duyne’s Facebook page, the mayor interrupted him to make sure the audience knew they weren’t her words."
(Note: However, this was the mayor’s FaceBook account which she has control over.)
DMN, Editorial, 03-20-15
"It was an ugly moment. It revealed how fear is at the heart of the support for these bills, and that’s a Texas-sized shame." (HB 562)
DMN, 04-10-15, Steve Blow column
"And there ought to be some shame around the spectacle that has played out in Irving in recent weeks.
No matter how innocently they try to spin it, backers of an anti-Shariah resolution are engaging in the same sort of broad-brush prejudice that we now consider historical embarrassments."
FW Star-Telegram, Op/Ed, April 3, 2015
"A purely unnecessary bill introduced in the Texas Legislature, as well as the contrived, hysterical reaction by the Irving mayor and City Council to one faith’s handling of disputes, has caused undue stress and division in a community that deserves better.
Irving’s mayor should work to unify her city.
She can start by rejecting the ridiculous idea that our courts will be overtaken by Islamic law and by dropping her criticism of a non-binding mediation process that some Muslim residents voluntarily accept."
D Magazine, Eric Celeste, March 20, 2015
"Third: Van Duyne’s confusion is one of willful ignorance."
Sadly, this type of media coverage, for the mayor’s actions, do not bode well for the city.
Additionally, the one question the mayor and the four city council members, who also voted to approve the State resolution, have failed to answer is: If this issue (HB 562) is so germane, dire and critical to the survival of the US Constitution, then where are all the other cities, states and the US Congress standing behind the mayor and all of Irving to address the problem? (Yep, we haven’t seen them either! That in itself should tell a casual reader something.)
No, the real issue appears to be a "straw dog" the mayor has created and chosen to promote for her personal agenda…which is not publicly know at this time.
Of course, all of the detrimental media coverage Irving has received would not have been possible without the mayor having the initial support to approve the State HB 562 resolution. And for this, Irving voters can thank: Brad LaMorgese, Tom Spink, Gerald Farris and Oscar Ward.
Those four council members should also carry the brunt of the negative postings, as identified by the press, the mayor has created and fostered in the city.
Without the vote of those council members, all of the public relations damage the city has received would not have been possible. Certainly, when a council member is ‘part and parcel’ of creating an issue this divisive, which causes this much damaging to the city, they are not fulfilling the responsibilities voters elected them to perform.
And it is at this point, citizens need to enter the equation of doing something to assist in having Irving’s ship of state righted and her sails set for a brighter horizon.
Two of the council members responsible for the travesty of dragging the city through all the controversy, bad press and collapsing of community goodwill are running for re-election. They are: Brad LaMorgese and Tom Spink. Voters would be wise to remember those two names.
Be assured, none of the materials voters will receive during this election cycle from LaMorgese or Spink will identify or discuss their activity and participation in causing the public relations nightmare their vote helped create. Their efforts helped diminish what many previous mayors and council members worked tirelessly, over the years, to do by creating a positive image for the city.
And if all this wasn’t bad enough, LaMorgese and Spink will conveniently omit their participation in this city calamity due to the fact the mayor will be working and campaigning (openly and via surrogates) to promote and push their re-election efforts.
Without these two individuals returning to the city council, the mayor will have to defend her ineptitude without anyone covering her backside.
(Follow the Money: One of the mayor’s "super" donors and supporters is soliciting contributions to a pool which will be split between LaMorgese and Spink. Donating $100 to $5,000 makes the individuals "hand-selected and part of a distinguished group." Contributors to this campaign slush fund pool will also be provide a $50 gift certificate to purchase great quantities of tacos and burritos at a local eatery. Oh, and the donors will also be "by invitation-only" invited to a cocktail party where the mayor and her two ‘less than independent thinking’ drones (LaMorgese and Spink) will regale the crowd with fluffy rhetoric that would place a diabetic in a coma. Is there anything better than having the best politicians money can buy? Note to LaMorgese and Spink: Remember to include the $50 gift certificates as an In-kind contribution on your campaign finance reports! You’re welcome.)
Even though the mayor is not on the ballot, her actions and activities are stamped all over the upcoming election.
Irving deserves better than what has been fostered by the mayor, LaMorgese and Spink. And the only way to cure this travesty of opportunism is to elect competent and capable council members who will change the current course of governance.
A change all clear thinking voters should want. A change to restore what has been torn down. A change to have Irving viewed as a thriving city governed by competent and understanding representatives free of bias and prejudice.
The following is a non-paid, non-In-kind political commercial, but one that is necessary and required. (If one identifies a problem, shouldn’t a rationale solution also be provided?)
Attention Irving Voters: The CCR recommends voters work, campaign and select David Palmer (District 8: At-Large, which means citizens city-wide can vote for him.) and Bill Mahoney (District 6: must live in this district to vote for him.) when going to the polls. Voters can be assured these two individuals will bring new and positive change to the city council.
Early voting is April 27 to May 5. Election day is May 9.
In this election cycle, vote as if your city depended on you…which it truly does! Vote for David Palmer and Bill Mahoney.
Sharing this report with a friend, neighbor or associate will, perhaps, provide them with a better understanding as to why Irving has legitimate concerns which should be addressed this election.
The city’s image concerns cannot be corrected if the two council members (LaMorgese and Spink) are re-elected.
And if your friends, associates and neighbors still don’t understand the dire need for change, or require a de-coding ring when reading this report, have them contact the CCR.
………………………………..…..Mark Holbrook
