Dallas commissioner sues, alleging open meetings violations

[Judi Lynn]

Story last updated at 4:10 a.m. Saturday, March 19, 2005
Dallas commissioner sues, alleging open meetings violations
Associated Press


DALLAS (AP) - A county commissioner on Friday sued three of his colleagues, alleging that they violated the state open meetings law by privately discussing the makeup of a new panel on health care problems at the Dallas County jail.

The lawsuit by Democratic commissioner John Wiley Price accuses the Republican commissioners of a "scheme to surreptitiously evade the watchful eyes of Commissioner Price," and exclude the Republican county judge while they discussed who should be named to the influential panel.

Two of the commissioners accused of participating in the secret discussions were recommended in a draft proposal to sit on the committee.

Price said back room meetings probably happen all the time, but that the flagrance of this episode compelled him to sue.

"It's basically because of the arrogance that my colleagues have shown, the total disregard for being able to discuss this matter in public," Price said. "They've created the kind of subterfuge which is not allowed by law and, for me, is not acceptable."
(snip/...)

http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/031905/sta_0319050105.shtml

[struggle4progress]

1. kick for the dallas soft machine

[anarchy1999]

3. Where in heaven's name did you ever get "soft" from. This is hardball

politics, always has been, always will be. Welcome home to Dallas!

How many hundreds of thousands of dollars do you have?

[struggle4progress]

4. Old Grateful Dead song, Truckin: "... Dallas -- got a soft machine ..."

It always struck me as an excellent description of how the Metroplex did its business, in back rooms, on golf courses, at parties, out of public view, a wink and a nod between partners in crime, a pat on the back, a few sanctimonious prayers.

Of course, it could be called "hardball," but it was actually much less sporting than hardball, because whoever was winning made the rules. It was the proverbial iron fist in velvet glove: real intimidation -- with the curious twist that nobody would ever say they had seen the fist: all wanted instead to coo over the velvet.

And Dallas had a neurotic dislike of noise -- the elite machine didn't click or rattle -- it oozed ...

[anarchy1999]

5. Sweet, and thank you.

Dallas does have a rich history, no one knows it.

[anarchy1999]

2. I love John Wiley Price! Thank you sir, for always standing up.

Google Jackson Thoreau for the real history of Dallas.

And let's see, this is appearing first in the Lubbock News? WTF!