Dallas City Council members aren't stupid, they're for sale

Yesterday I mistakenly accused certain members of the Dallas City Council of stupidity for voting to defer a GPS program for the Sanitation Department that would save the city, and thus us taxpayers, a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. I need to apologize for those comments. I realize now these council members are not stupid, they just play that way on television. The truth is that many of them -- Dr. Elba Garcia, Pauline Medrano, Steve Salazar, Tennell Atkins, even Mayor Tom Leppert -- are just typical political hacks for sale to the highest bidder.

In this case, the highest bidder is the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the fastest-growing union in the country. It is the largest union representing health care and property services workers, but only the second largest representing public employees. It desperately wants to unionize City of Dallas employees and the Sanitation Department's hourly employees have told union leaders they would entertain the union's overtures if it could defeat the GPS. Thus, SEIU has put a full-court press on the Dallas City Council and, so far, seems to be winning, at our expense.

Let me make this clear right now. There is nothing illegal going on here, as far as I can tell. The SEIU is simply telling these council members "Play ball with us and we'll make sure significant sums of moneys will be contributed to your re-election (or, in the case of Dr. Garcia, her initial election campaign for a County Commissioners seat) campaign. Atkins, who will face a stiff challenge from LeVar Thomas in May, Salazar who also has an opponent and Medrano have all bought in. Da Mayor is caught in the middle on this one -- he wants the system installed but he has agreed not to buck the union. As a result, during yesterday's debate, he relinquished the chair to pro-union Mayor Pro Tem Garcia and was absent when the vote to defer was taken (he later went on record posting a "no" vote because, by then it didn't matter anyway -- his vote made the final tally 8-5 to defer). Dwayne Carraway and Carolyn Davis seem to be in the same place as Da Mayor -- they also mysteriously disappeared during this discussion.

Which brings me to District 5 council member Vonciel Jones Hill who, acting in the best interests of her constituents and the rest of the city, told the SEIU where it could stuff it. She told union officials to their faces she would welcome their campaign contributions but that no amount of money could buy her vote.

I must also criticize the city's staff for not doing all it could have to defend our (ordinary taxpayers') interests. The proponents of this system should label this proposal what it is -- a money saver -- and force those council members bought and paid for by the SEIU to be on the record as voting against saving taxpayer money and then forcing them to defend that decision. The GPS systems is merely a means to reach that money-savings end. So when Mr. Atkins starts mumbling something about stormwater fees, as he did at yesterday's council meeting, City Manager Mary Suhm or Assistant City Manager Ramon Miguez must say "This has nothing to do with stormwater fees, Mr. Atkins, but it could go a long way to keeping our sanitation fees down." Don't let the agenda become stormwater fees, branches in alleyways (council member Angela Hunt's irrelevant digression) or wages paid to non-city employees.

The staff also needs to find why council member Mitchell Rasansky, the self-proclaimed champion of saving taxpayers money, is not on the side he normally takes on this issue. Rasansky is not running for re-election. I have yet to hear whether he's planning to run for any other office. And, even if he did, he has enough money in his campaign coffers that he wouldn't be tempted by the SEIU. My feeling is Mr. Rasansky has this petty beef going on with the city's Procurement Department (he considers them all jerks of the highest order) and he is letting this blind him. The staff also needs to meet with council member Linda Koop and get her onboard with the benefits of this program. Ms. Koop is knowledgeable about all things involving transportation, is familiar with the efficiencies of GPS and should be in favor of this. Council member Sheffie Kadane voted to defer this item as well. I am not sure whether his vote has been bought by the SEIU -- it could have been -- but someone on staff needs to drill him on the fact that voting against this is voting against the best interest of taxpayers.

One other thing I should make clear. This is not meant to be an anti-union rant. I am actually pro-union. As a reporter for United Press International I belonged to the Wire Service Guild and marched a picket line when that guild went on strike. I led an admittedly failed effort to unionize reporters at the Dallas Morning News that was successful only in that it led to higher salaries paid these individuals. I am just pointing out why certain Dallas City Council members are voting and acting against the best interest of Dallas taxpayers on this issue -- they have sold their vote to the SEIU.