Adam Bazaldua – Page 2 – The Other Side Dallas

January 21, 2021January 21, 2021

Dallas COVID19 Politics Gone Bad

Locally, Dallas COVID19 politics have gone bad during the Inauguration – a day which is supposed to signify national unity.

Earlier this week the Dallas County Commissioners Court voted 3-0 with two abstentions to allocate COVID19 vaccines by zip codes. The effort spearheaded by Commissioner JJ Koch was stated to prioritize vaccine distribution by race.

It was attacked by County Judge Clay Jenkins as potentially illegal and now Texas has agreed.

In a strongly worded email to Commissioners, Texas health officials said, “While we ask hub providers to ensure the vaccine reaches the hardest-hit areas and populations, solely vaccinating people who live in those areas is not in line with the agreement to be a hub provider,” wrote Imelda Garcia, an associate commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

She continues, “If Dallas County is unable to meet these expectations, we will be forced to reduce the weekly vaccine allocation … and no longer consider it a hub provider.”

In addition to the state action at least two attorneys were preparing motions to stop the new vaccine rollout.

COVID19 Politics At 1500 Marilla

Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Johnson sent a terse memo to City Manager TC Broadnax regarding city vaccination rollout and individual council members seeking vaccine registration hubs.

The Mayor’s memo was immediately attacked as another COVID19 politics power grab by Adam Bazaldua in both personal posts and posts to the Other Side Dallas Facebook group.

The two City Council colleagues have been described by another City Council member as “the two boys in the sandbox who can’t get along because neither gets enough attention” from their mother.

“They both just complain about the other and neither does his homework,” the source said.

January 13, 2021January 13, 2021

Dallas Economic Development Bait and Switch

Can the City of Dallas expect more Economic Development bait and switch from the department led by Dr. Eric Anthony Johnson? It appears so when it comes to offering grants and then making the checks impossible to obtain.

In November, the city launched the BUILD grants program offering $3000 microgrants to small businesses and nonprofits hit hard by COVID19. The notice said checks would be out by December 28, 2020. Until we inquired last week through a Public Information Request no one had received notice.

One education based nonprofit noted they received notification Friday and were then given one businesses day to agree to additional terms and conditions not originally outlined in the program. Their reaction to this bait and switch was outrage.

In an email to Carolyn King Arnold the group noted they are already doing the city and county’s job by providing for homeless students who are not receiving services through City of Dallas.

Bait and Switch – Again

The bait and switch grant issue is particularly hard because the City of Dallas provided $3M to a South Dallas grocer with almost no strings attached. It reeked of the economic devlopment problems of the old South Dallas/Fair Park Trust Fund.

The issue is particularly relevant as six different entities contacted Other Side Dallas to complain about process and response.

One person noted this is another example of the City of Dallas giving away dollars to politically connected friends of city council members. In October, city staff tried to sneak through a proposal to give the Lorenzo Hotel nearly $2M. It was only stopped when Council Member Cara Mendolsohn (D12) asked questions.

To date there has been no response to emails from several city council members including Tennell Atkins who spearheaded the $3M to the now closed Save U More grocer, and has been a major recipient of campaign cash from Save U More’s representatives.

Ditty Mayor Eric Johnson who also received sizeable contributions on the repeated failings of Economic Development.

Ditto Casey Thomas (D3) who also has been silent on the matter.

Ditto Adam Bazaldua (D7) who has ignored several requests to discuss this issue and the South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund Board from current and former board members.

The issue has not escaped notice though.

Calvin Johnson, a candidate for the D7 city council seat in May said,”When it comes to city programs that help small business we have to be better organized on announcing all the requirements upfront.”

“We must set achievable timetables and follow through effectively on the back end when the assistance is approved and granted,” he continued.

It is unclear why his opponent Bazaldua has not taken this opportunity given his progressive public profile for slashing the police budget in favor of social programs.

Ditto North Dallas. Council Member Lee Kleinman (D11) who has been arguing against the Dallas Police Department’s mounted unit for years – which costs the city roughly $125000 annually – had no comment about either the Save U More issue or bait and switch grant programs. Kleinman is term limited and

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021

Two Shot In Pleasant Grove Convenience Store Incident

Two people were shot Monday afternoon in a Pleasant Grove convenience store incident.

Dallas Police Department officials said it happened Monday afternoon at the Mini Mart on Scyene Road near North St. Augustine Drive.

The two victims are in stable condition at a local hospital and police are not commenting further on motive.

Pleasant Grove Convenience Store Incident – Just One More?

While the shooting was happening, D7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua was tweeting about race issues with COVID19 vaccination sites.

He was a leading voice on defunding Dallas Police Department in summer of 2020, but a campaign insider said he is terrified of Kevin Felder or Tiffinni Young jumping into the D7 council race.

“Adam is dismissing Not My Son’s Tramonica Brown,” said another source.

The final budget partially defunded police overtime, but removed some of the pork projects that had been substituted originally.