Archive for the ‘colleenmccainnelson’ Category

​Colleen McCain Nelson debuts a new political column today on the op-ed page of The Dallas Morning News in which she holds up my former hometown, Detroit, as the arch example of what Dallas needs not to be. She's writing about Mayor Dave Bing's initiative to withdraw scarce city services from some abandoned neighborhoods in order to concentrate the city's efforts in parts of town that still have a chance at survival. Nelson, who has been the main author of The News's Pulitzer prize-winning editorials on beleaguered southern Dallas neighborhoods, writes: "Dallas still has a chance to revive its teetering neighborhoods. The objectives are two-fold: Improve the quality of life for residents still there, and attract new people to these parts of town. "To accomplish that, our city leaders should study the Detroit model -- and do the opposite." You expect me to disagree violently with her on this, right? And then go stand outside The News and shout names at her? Eh. I don't know. I might get around to that later in the day, depending on the heat. But for now, let me borrow a line from an editorial also in today's News (about how people ought to be nicer, of course) and say, "I hear what you're saying, but here's where we differ."