Fresh Eyes on the Dallas Delegation
My former City Hall colleague Dave Levinthal and I went on a safari of sorts last night.
The exotic locale? The breathtaking 20th floor condo of State Rep. Tony Goolsby (R-Dallas), in Austin's Westgate Tower, which, with its endless supply of taxidermied zoo animals and meat-on-a-stick appetizers, was an herbivore's nightmare. (Mr. Goolsby kept with the theme, wearing an elephant and palm tree-printed tie).
The prey? A crowd of small-talking lawmakers, city council members, lobbyists and Dallas-area movers and shakers, who gave wide, welcoming smiles of recognition -- until they realized we were with the media, and not the children of someone important (Sorry, Dad).
Here's how we fared:
What we caught:
1) Rep. Brian McCall being referred to, more than once, as the "coulda-been speaker."
2) Rep. Terri Hodge awkwardly attacking Dallas Council Member Maxine Thornton-Reese over the city's effort to increase penalties for burglary of a motor vehicle to a state jail felony.
3) Rep. Allen Vaught pulling a ziplock bag of baby pictures (his son is a giant 7-month-old) out of his briefcase.
4) Sen. Royce West asking City Manager Mary Suhm how to get rid of a sexually oriented business located near his Dallas district office.
5) Rep. Goolsby pointing out the sharp teeth ("real!") of an enormous stuffed lion, shot and killed by his wife's father on a safari in "Botswanaland." ("They also got an elephant -- they made a coffee table out of one of its ears, and stools out of its feet. You know it's illegal now.")
For the record, Mr. Goolsby's condo -- which I quietly perused "in search of the coat room" -- is home to a number of other formerly-breathing, formerly African animals, most of which appear to be gazelles. But I could've sworn one of them was a giraffe.
Also Spotted: Rep. Rafael Anchia, Rep. Helen Giddings, Sen. Chris Harris, Sen. Craig Estes, Sen. Kip Averitt, Sen. Florence Shapiro, Council Member Ron Natinsky, mayoral candidate and Council Member Gary Griffith, Glenn White with the Dallas Police Association, former County Judge Margaret Keliher, Dallas' chief lobbyist Larry Casto.
Comments
Answer to # 4. Enforce HB 2696 that was passed last session.
Posted by: Isaac | January 31, 2007 2:05 PM
I wonder how long it will take for elected officials to steer clear of you. Are you a journalist or a gossip columnist?
Posted by: Shades | January 31, 2007 4:23 PM
OUCH! In newsprint? Journalist. On the blog? A little of both -- but only if the gossip's substantiated. ;)
Posted by: Emily | January 31, 2007 5:09 PM
Huh? Because Hodge doesn't want anyone to know that she's against increasing the penalty for car burglarly? Because Goolsby doesn't want anyone to know he's into big game? Or because Vaught's trying to hide the fact that he's a daddy?
Besides. These reporters were invited to this party, not crashing it.
Posted by: Brooks | January 31, 2007 5:16 PM
Brooks and Emily- several times lately, this blog has descended into gossip. Changing roles, particularly when the invitees have NO CLUE you're getting ready to report their conversations, seems unprofessional. I'll bet that though you were invited to the Goolsby soiree, no one expected you to report the conversations you heard. Nor did Dewhurst expect anyone to report his comments about ex-wives. Dumb on his part to say it, but doubtful he would've if he'd known it would make "print."
I truly don't have a dog in this race. In fact, I am a regular reader who enjoys the more casual slant to content. I just think it's hard to see you as serious reporters when you're switching back and forth, and at the least, it would seem confusing for your subjects.
I hope you will accept this sort of feedback in the vein it is intended- because I hope you're successful in maintaining the blog. In its ability to provide more up to date information, I consider it very valuable as a reader.
Posted by: Shades | January 31, 2007 11:50 PM
It's not a party unless Brooks is there.
Posted by: Marie | February 1, 2007 8:06 AM
Grrl, you know it.
Posted by: Brooks | February 1, 2007 12:51 PM
And she's not Brooks unless there's a party.
Posted by: Emily | February 1, 2007 12:53 PM