In addition to Destiny's video, a few people called to let me know what they thought of the debate. They all said pretty much the same things. After the jump, what they had to say.
#1 - Laura played the part of the dumb blond very well when it came to "the establishment" question.
#2 - Laura was well prepared for the debate and continues show that she is a very intelligent person.
#3 - There were some attack questions that were irrelevant. But, what else would you expect from that group?
#4 - Chuckie was there and looked angry and unhappy at many moments in the debate.
CDH shot video of the event and will probably be publishing it before too long. When she does, I will post a link.
The next happening for the election will be Thursday, March 28th, 5:00 PM - Richardson Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Meet & Greet @ Tavern on Main in Richardson
The HTNA is having a forum for the candidate for mayor. It will be held on April 2, 2013 from 7PM to 9PM. If you would like to email questions in advance, then you may do so by email Dom Simmons at dona7112@sbcglobal.net.
After that, Tuesday, April 16th, 11:30 AM (registration required) - Richardson Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Candidate Forum @ Holiday Inn on 75
Also on Wednesday, April 24th, 7:00 PM - League of Women Voters Forum @ Richardson City Hall
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ReplyDeleteApparently the younger crowd was not interested enough to get out and come to the forum. It's usually the "older" people who are the voters - that's why they were there.
ReplyDeleteOne of the interesting point of the forum last night, who is supporting who. Amir said the firefighter's and the police associations back him. The only group that appears to be supporting Laura right now is the Richardson Coalition.
ReplyDeleteWhich backer are more honorable and honest? It is not Chuck Eisemann's Richardson Coalition.
That says much about who should be the next mayor of Richardson.
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ReplyDeleteGod bless the older crowd. Feels like they're the only ones watching out for this city sometimes....just wish fewer of them were with the RC.
ReplyDeleteSorry for not being there but I predicted it would be a farce and according to reports IT WAS. In Lieu of attending I was busy making mud pies for the next fight. I think my business in mud pies will become very profitable by the date of the election.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Destiny and I were at the same forum. I thought, on substance, Amir was very strong. I thought he beat on her, nicely, on all the salient points.
ReplyDeleteHe was the only one offering ideas and showing that he's actually done things in the community since he's been on the council, and making the point that she didn't support direct election.
I think Laura did OK, but anyone who was truly on the fence would have to say that Amir had the more dynamic, leaderly approach. Her comment that she's comfortable "leading from the back" was a real gaffe, in my opinion.
Anyway, that's the way this "old" man saw it. Especially on hostile turf, I thought he did really well.
Did she really say that about leading from the back?
ReplyDeleteI partly agree with Destiny. Amir's voice didn't carry as well as Laura's. Laura was better prepared (or trained).
ReplyDeleteI agree that Amir was not able to change the minds of those who aren't supporting him. I'm not sure if it was possible.
Having said that, what Laura said had no substance (she still sounds like a PTA chair). It was pleasing to the ears of her audience/supporters--I've been here for decades and Richardson is great! They don't want to hear Richardson has problems or needs to change.
Does "leading from the back" mean leading from behind the Coalition's curtain?
WTH is a "historical perspective" as it relates to running the city of Richardson?! Is it just another way of saying that she's been here for 30+ years? How does this perspective quality her for mayor TODAY in 2013?!
Her speech was full of this kind of empty rhetoric.
I am a 40's something guy, not a blue hair. The problem with having an elected mayor system going forward is that worthy candidates will be scared off because of the emphasis of fundraising that we are seeing first hand with this race. Amir I think was less than honest about the dollars he Is taking in and the ratio of money donated from within the city in the forum last night. think the next donor report will flush that out for everyone so it would be great if you just let my comment stand and not delete this post to honor Amir. Tree the town- nice PR move but the taxpayers are going to get pummeled with water and maintenance costs with that program. It does not come without consequences and I was surprised that wasn't noted. This mayoral position pays $50 per week I think. My question is how do you support a family on that?!? Most everybody on counsel has a primary career before public service to pay the bills and they collaborate well to get things done within the city. The only way you can be a full time politician and be a full time student at the same time without tenured employment is if you're efforts are underwritten by outside money. I think Amir is a guy in an island that doesn't play well with others- at least thats the perception i got last night. Just sayin...
ReplyDeleteLeading from the back was a strange comment, that is sure.
ReplyDeleteThe one I did not understand was when she commented on what the hardest part was having to make decisions quickly. She thinks of her family and parents and God parents when making decisions. I think about my family when making family decisions too. But this is city business. How did that correlate with quick decisions?
Frankly, I wish Mitchell, or Dunn or Hartley or Solomon or Townsend were leaving over Laura or Amir.
Anybody know much about the new guy Voelker? He was not there last night.
I was there and watching Eisemann. He appeared to be very angry. I nominate him for the Head Jerk. He has earned that honor.
ReplyDeleteGod Parents means God Fathers!
ReplyDeleteWell, our country has been divided into groups to win an election so I see it is now apparently time to carve up Richardson. I'm a middle aged white person so I would like to know when it became fashionable or necessary to mock old white people? Is Richardson stronger from this? Is Destiny equally willing to mock or discount old black people? Old brown people? How about young black people? Is Destiny or Amir willing to make the case why 'old white people' have any less right to a vote? I doubt it. The divisive smugness and hypocrisy from many of Amir's supporters is ultimately what will drive many people away from him.
ReplyDeleteMarch 28, 2013 at 11:32 PM - I have to ask how long you have been around the the city hall political circles because all kinds of mud slinging has been going on for 7-8 years. Some very curious topics started coming out and several people have taken some big hits trying to get to the truth. But the mud of personal nature comes out every time to deflect form the truth. If you want to know what Amir does in his personal life, go ask him. There are all kinds of ways he can support himself. Maybe he is a good manager of his own money and saved enough to not work while going to UTD full time. I don't know what you mean by he doesn't play well. Just because he does not always agree with the city staff does not mean he does not play well. If you had been around to see Slagel yell and scream and be an ass, you would say he didn't play well either. Then there is a picture where the current Mayor shot the finger at a citizen who asked questions. I would say he didn't play well either. All in the perception.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Amir ever mention old white people? Stop your smear campaigns!
ReplyDeleteAnon @ March 28, 2013 at 11:32 PM and those who aren't familiar with MBA programs:
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of any EMBA program that is full time. EMBA programs are for those working full time.
This is the UTD EMBA program class schedule. Classes are offered on the weekends, just like other EMBA programs.
http://jindal.utdallas.edu/files/EMBA2015_Calendar.pdf
I went to business school myself. It wasn't an EMBA program, but a part-time program (we took evening classes during the week), and all my classmates had full-time jobs and family responsibilities, many with younger kids than Amir's.
Let's get the facts straight before you speak up.
I meant "many with kids younger than Amir's"
ReplyDeleteA product of an MBA program xD
I would be very worried if the only organization that supported me was one with very questionable ethics and a less than stellar popularity rating!
ReplyDeleteBottom line, Amir is a respectable guy with high moral standards.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite the opposite of the reputation the Coalitionist Party has carved out for itself.
To have been raised in a back stabbing community and survived is nothing in which to take pride.
The Coalitionists have turned Richardson into a snake pit with all their dirty dealings.
We are overdue for a change! We can do better with Amir watching over the operation.
Anon @ March 29, 2013 at 9:17 AM
ReplyDelete>Is Destiny or Amir willing to make the case why 'old white people' have any less right to a vote?
It was Destiny who made reference to "old white people." And she never said they have less right to vote. She just stated the obvious that the room was full of mostly old white people. It was obvious to everyone, including me!
>The divisive smugness
Who is playing the divisive card?
Laura and her campaign keep pushing her "insular", "I've been here for 30 years" and "She's one of us" message. That sets a very divisive tone to those who haven't been here for as long; "You don't belong here" and "You don't know what's good for Richardson. I know because I've been here for 30 years." Being a newcomer, I feel I'm not fully admitted.
Division already exists--age, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic class. It's not that Amir supporters are divisive, but they merely reflect the reality.
Once you get out of the affluent Canyon Creek and some affluent areas of Richardson Heights, it's obvious.
Less affluent neighborhoods have more Amir signs.
I went door to door in a less affluent neighborhood. I met very few Laura supporters. As soon as I saw a non-white face, I could tell the person supported Amir and I was right.
That's the reality of 2013. Richardson has changed and will change more.
I'm a 50-something while guy. That was the oldest, whitest crowd I've ever been in!
ReplyDeleteGood job DC and Destiny for drumming up some good debate here. The Forum was enlightening and informative and I am looking forward to seeing more of them. I am a bit confused about the 'old' bashing specifically around the Coalition though. From what I understand it's a group of informed citizens looking to make Richardson a better place. Charles in particular has put many years in the community and has invested significantly in the Arts and Operations of the City, primarily around subsidizing the Eisemann Center through the naming rights constribution. The Coalition's endorsement was one that Amir not only accepted graciously the past two terms running for Council, it is one he touts in his marketing material today. Which is it Amir supporters? A good or bad thing?
ReplyDeleteMerry Monica,
ReplyDeleteThe Cat-fishing Coalitionist Party has used every trick in the book to shape public opinion suggesting they're the good guys. Before they formalized their Coalitionist identity, they were no more than a group of elitist, old, white folk intent on controlling activities at city hall.
Their decades of unilateral control began to erode as a result of increasing pressure from a few curious citizens who were lied to after asking honest questions. It took a lot of digging to uncover many, many instances of what honest people would consider municipal malfeasance. (Willy objects here)
As the pressure intensified, the curmudgeons, who happen to be all white, started using sophomoric attacks to quell a growing public outrage. We are witnessing the latest round of their tried and true formula in this Mayoral race, which they tried desperately to stop.
Many of their curmudgeon friends and their offspring have been akin to lemmings, blindly following their edicts.
To say they are "informed" is one thing. "Indoctrinated" would be more accurate. Intellectual honesty is a completely different matter here.
The "better place" is merely a suitably warm and fuzzy marketing buzz phrase that invokes affection. This, to fool the fool hearted into ignoring the fact that their words do not match their deeds or thoughts.
As for the Charles contribution bit, that was one of the public information requests that yielded no answer. There is no evidence in the public record that he honored the promise to pay a substantial sum toward the Center. It's likely that his name is there because he was the strong-arm who pressured the project forward, nothing else. Since the request, the majority of public records have been hidden or destroyed. Go figure.
There are many good, level-headed people who now know they were duped by the Coalitionist Party. To the extent there are associates who desire to truly make Richardson the "best it can be", endorsement is not a bad thing.
Merry Monica or should I say Monica Weinman, daughter of coalitionist candidate Bob Macy.
ReplyDeleteThe coalition doesn't know anything outside of canyon Creek or the country club. They certainly are not informed about my corner of Richardson.
The coalition being made up of old men mostly should be seen for what it is. People being frustrated that many things in the city represent the views of people who will not be around long enough to deal with the consequences.
Richardson leadership exists mostly to serve an employment office market. Lip service and bread crumbs are given to the rest.
>they were no more than a group of elitist, old, white folk
ReplyDeleteAnd male, right?
Newcomer just enrolled in Richardson Politics 201 (There's so much more to learn!)
Anon 4:22PM
ReplyDeleteNope, Martha Ritter and her red Cadillac was in the mix, along with a few in the Women's Club.
4:22
ReplyDeleteIf you really want to learn about Richardson history in the past 15 years, visit cornews.net and dig into the archives.
I wasn’t there but I will make one of these friendly get togethers some day. I’ll be one of the oldest white guys there. Focus people. I didn’t notice what ethnicity, color, or back ground Amir had when I met him. Mr. Omar is probably one of most intelligent and personable people I’ve ever met. We don’t agree on everything. I’ll tell you one thing, we agree there is something wrong with this city. Watering trees is not going to be the issue. Watering the unbelievable city pension and salary budget will be the problem that affects our children.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I can’t point out enough. Laura Maczka voted against allowing the citizens the chance to vote for our Mayor. How can you be on record against the people voting for mayor and then asked them to vote for you??
Funny how everyone in the Coalition wraps their arms around an idea they never supported from the beginning. They did everything they could to disparage the idea that Richardson citizens should be able to vote for their mayor. This made up coalition represents who??
>Laura Maczka voted against allowing the citizens the chance to vote for our Mayor.
ReplyDeleteLuke, have you been to any of these forums? She gets asked that question at every forum and every time she denies "leading the charge" against it.
Also, if you were at the Canyon Creek forum, you would have been one of the younger white guys!