Dallas, TX
Letters to the Editor — Dallas Charter Plan, bail, immigrants, ERCOT, Texas Medical Board
Good take
Re: “Dallas Charter Plan Is a Progressive Mess — Proposed amendments have money for the council and division for the rest of us,” Wednesday editorial.
Bravo. What a refreshing change to read your outstanding opinion on amending the Dallas City Charter. I think I will keep my subscription.
Edward Walker, Dallas
Look at bail bond companies
Re: “Bail Charities Need Closer Scrutiny — State should confirm groups properly assess risks,” Monday editorial.
We agree with your recent editorial advocating for better pretrial data to inform policymaking. Transparency is essential for a fair and effective justice system. And we are pleased to see the Office of Court Administration taking steps toward this goal.
However, when it comes to charitable bail fund reporting in particular, there is a troubling double standard in the level of scrutiny applied compared to bail bond companies, which profit from struggling families without similar oversight.
To make a real difference, robust data collection must cover the entire pretrial landscape, including the bail bond industry’s practices as well as the effects of pretrial detention on those who cannot afford bail or bondsman’s fees.
Without quality data, policymakers rely on anecdotes, hindering effective, fair and informed decisions. Meaningful pretrial reform can enhance public safety while protecting the presumption of innocence and addressing racial and economic disparities in our justice system.
Systemwide data collection is indispensable for achieving this delicate balance. Only with consistent standards and transparency can we ensure that our pretrial practices are fair and effective.
Erin George, Philadelphia
national director of policy, The Bail Project
Undocumented values
Re: “Walking a thin line on border,” by Gromer Jeffers Jr., Monday Metro column.
I want to believe Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez’s statement that “Most Americans support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants that have worked and lived in our communities for years.” Over two decades, I have been a friend to such a family whose children (all American citizens) have grown up. Everyone worked and supported Texas the same way I did — through sales and property taxes. One child serves in the military.
While undocumented, the parents have not tried to vote, although I hope their children, who have been educated in Dallas ISD, will vote at the right age.
Also, it’s an insult to associate their status with the transport of fentanyl, which has been reported to be smuggled largely by U.S. citizens.
Paul Halebian, Dallas
State electric planning lacks
Re: “Lines aren’t ERCOT’s,” by Charles E. Jackson, Tuesday Letters.
I think that most of the Texas public really doesn’t care about the details of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the Public Utility Commission, the free market of generation or the Legislature’s action or nonaction. What they want is reliable electric power no matter what the source or how it gets to their home.
Unfortunately, the state of Texas does not have an overall integrated plan to accomplish that. Investors in supplying electricity I think are hesitant to invest hundreds of millions of dollars with the uncertainty of return on their money.
Recently, we have had an excess in wind turbine generation off the coast of South Texas without adequate lines to get the power where the demand is. The state of Texas continues to attract data centers and crypto mining firms, which use a lot of power, without an overall plan on power supply.
Some states, to avoid shorting home power demands, have made it mandatory for new high-power-demand firms to show a supply. Before homeowners can feel comfortable about reliable power in summer and winter, there is a lot more work to be done and it is not evident the state is leading the way in planning.
Robert A. Munroe, Dallas
Rethink abortion issue
Re: “Medical board tweaks rules — Abortion guidance clarifies practices for doctors, but Legislature holds power,” June 22 news story.
The “action” or lack thereof by the Texas Medical Board to clarify the existing abortion laws in Texas, while disappointing in its results, is not surprising. The board simply lacks the authority to rewrite, add to or eliminate the laws. Those laws were not only poorly thought out, but the long-term impacts on Texas women and doctors were simply not considered at all. The only consideration was saving fetuses.
These laws put women at risk of losing their lives or future fertility, and doctors at risk of extreme civil and criminal liabilities. In addition, many people of faith do not believe that life begins at inception.
Why is a woman’s right to life and religious freedom put below that of a fetus? Since the board was not able to provide meaningful guidance, it is now up to the state Legislature to modify the laws.
The legislators who support the ban do so because they say they want to protect life. Why is the life of a woman less important than any fetus she is carrying? I challenge the Texas Legislature to rethink this issue and make it safe for women in Texas to be pregnant again.
Marilee Hayden, Frisco
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com
At four times the size of Highland Park Village, there’s nothing small about the idea of turning around and tuning up Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.
As of Friday morning, Ray Washburne, president of HP Village Management, planned to have power washers cleaning the grounds of the shopping and office center built more than 100 years ago.
An affiliate of HP Village Management officially closed on the Kansas City property with 970,000 square feet of commercial space spread across 15 blocks on June 28.
Country Club Plaza’s notoriety in the real estate community is that it was one of the first planned suburban shopping centers to accommodate shoppers arriving by car.
In the Midwest, it has served as a destination for out-of-town and out-of-state shoppers, much like Highland Park Village has, through the years, according to Washburne.
The opportunity to purchase the aging property was first brought to Washburne when he was speaking at an Urban Land Institute conference last May. Someone from investment manager Nuveen, coincidentally the lender on Highland Park Village, asked him if he’d be interested in another big project.
More than $100 million was spent on the updates to Highland Park Village. Washburne said that much more than $100 million will be spent on the Missouri complex, with Nuveen remaining involved.
Given Country Club Plaza’s size, it’s been envisaged into separate districts with a contemporary fashion district, a food and beverage district, and a luxury and designer district.
It’s similar to the retail balance that’s been struck between Dallas’ Knox Street, with which an affiliate of HP Village Management has also been involved, and Highland Park Village, Washburne said.
Currently, there are Tiffany & Co. and Coach stores at Country Club Plaza, but Washburne said there have been conversations with a lot of luxury retailers.
“They’ve seen what we’ve done [with Highland Park Village], and that’s very important,” he said. “There’s a trust factor with the tenants as there is a trust factor that they come in and they’re going to be in with someone who’s taking a long-term approach. We’re not going to put lipstick on it, paint a few storefronts, put a couple tenants in and sell it.”
Washburne said the first priority is security.
“We spend four times as much on security in the Village than they do, and they’re four times the size we are,” said Washburne.
Kansas City, like the Dallas area, has been tapped as a site for FIFA World Cup games in 2026, including a quarterfinal.
It’s a milestone that makes improvements at Country Club Plaza all-the-more critical without forgoing a sense of place.
“The pixie dust on this stuff is really creating an authenticity and uniqueness to the center. What we did at the Village is lead with a food and beverage scene that’s local. Second, you also have to have a number of local retailers,” said Washburne.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Multiple Kansas City architects have been engaged to help with an updated master plan for the Edward Delk-design buildings. Baroque revival and Moorish revival styles were utilized to mimic the architecture of one of Kansas City’s sister cities, Seville, Spain.
Leasing efforts are being led by Stephen Summers, whose family co-owns HP Village Management.
The Dallas Mavericks have made their first move of free agency and it’s not the name some expected. While the Mavs have discussions with Klay Thompson and Derrick Jones Jr., they’ve decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on a 3&D wing.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks are signing New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Naji Marshall to a 3-year, $27 million deal. It was reported that Marshall could become a target for Dallas if they couldn’t come to agreements with Jones Jr., who remains a free agent. Marshall will fit into part of Dallas’ mid-level exception.
READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks Free Agent Target Plans To Sign With Orlando Magic
Marshall, a 26-year-old from Xavier, has spent all four years of his career with New Orleans. He averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG as part of a deep Pelicans team and shot a career-high 38.7% from 3-point range. He has good size at 6’7″ and 220 pounds and offers defensive versatility.
Depending on the structure of his deal, Dallas will still have around $4 million left in their midlevel exception. It’s not certain if Derrick Jones Jr., who Nico Harrison called their priority 1A and 1B this offseason, would be willing to take a 1+1 deal worth the remaining of the exception to return. They’re also still working out a possible sign-and-trade to acquire Klay Thompson. If that falls through, they could work out a sign-and-trade for Marshall if they needed to.
Welcome to Dallas Naji Marshall. He should have an easier opportunity than ever to get his shot off getting open looks from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Signings cannot become official until July 6th.
READ MORE: Warriors’ Klay Thompson To Meet With Dallas Mavericks Among Other Teams In Free Agency
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