The New York Times today contains what apparently is going to be a regular feature on how cool Wendy Davis is. Today's installment is called "Democrats see value in Texas in candidacy for governor." The one two weeks ago was, "Democrats see hope in Texas star."The one three days before that was "Dem ... More >>
Patrick MichelsFormer Mayor Laura Miller praises then-Police Chief David Kunkle in November 2009 after he announced he was calling it quitsShe spoke at former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle's retirement press conference. She appointed Mike Rawlings to be the city's homeless czar. She was ma ... More >>
You have asked, and Frank Librio, the public information officer at Dallas City Hall, has answered by providing a recent sampling of the famous, infamous and who's-that?'s who have received keys to the city of Dallas. At last, a list I can get behind. Because, as I've been reminded more than once ... More >>
The Cowboys could've been in Dallas. For years we've blamed former mayor Laura Miller and a group of narrow-minded county commissioners like Margaret Keliher. And for years we've been right. Speaking at SMU Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Miller basically told him "don't le ... More >>
Sam MertenAl Lipscomb, who was told during a trial break by Laura Miller that he was looking "dapper as always," stands outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building yesterday afternoon.Once again, we found former council member Al Lipscomb in the courtroom at the City Hall corruption trial yesterday, ... More >>
Sam Merten Miller crosses Commerce Street this morning, along with husband Steve Wolens and daughter Alex.Moments ago, folks standing outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse got a sneak peek at the prosecution's next witness in the City Hall corruption trial: former ... More >>
Former Dallas Mayor Laura MillerLaura Miller has begun testifying in the federal City Hall corruption trial, giving the jury her history in politics. She's poised, of course. Prosecutor Sarah Saldana began by addressing her as "Ms. Miller," then caught herself and asked, "Is that how you address ... More >>
Well, looks like the frequent mentions of former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller in the federal Dallas City Hall corruption trial ain't just Dixie. The defense clearly plans to argue that the FBI should have gone after Miller, because she took a ton of money from developer Brian Potashnik, who's agreed t ... More >>
Years later, a fight between the city and The News over Laura Miller's BlackBerry continues in court.Three years ago, The Dallas Morning News took the city of Dallas to court over e-mails reporters Dave Levinthal and Reese Dunklin had wanted from then-Mayor Laura Miller's BlackBerry. The city conten ... More >>
Well, look, perhaps that headline's a little misleading -- I have no idea whether she'll actually show up on February 6, when the council chambers hosts the Texas Big City Mayors Meeting. (I did call; got voice mail.) But according to the schedule posted yesterday by the City Secretary's Office, fro ... More >>
Under the headline "Refined Refuge," Traditional Home has come up what we news types here in Dallas might consider a pretty decent scoop. They have a story that answers the question: Where the hell has Laura Miller been the last year? Feathering her nest, looks like.The story is all about Miller's N ... More >>
Looks like former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller's battle with Big Coal didn't go unnoticed by some folks in D.C. Because yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency included her among some 15 recipients of the 2008 Climate Protection Award. Also receiving the honor -- which is bestowed upon folks who ... More >>
The thing about newspaper journalism is, we have to have labels for people. It’s just how it’s done. Laura Miller’s label used to be “Dallas Observer columnist.” Then it was “former journalist and city council member.” For a long time it was “Dallas mayor.” Up until recently she wa ... More >>
Hadn't heard from former Dallas mayor Laura Miller in a while -- then, twice yesterday. And she shows up again today, this time in a Detroit Free Press column about Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's ever-expanding security detail. At first it looked like Miller was just recounting an anecdote about K ... More >>
For someone not doing PR, as she claims in a missive Unfair Park and FrontBurner received this a.m., former Dallas mayor Laura Miller is doing a pretty good job of, ya know, PR. But, no, insists the anti-coal Miller -- she ain't handling public relations for Washington State-based Summit Energy, as ... More >>
Former Dallas mayor Laura Miller don't waste no time. After her initial e-mail blast early this a.m., I asked her precisely what she means when she writes that she's "negotiating" to get an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle, carbon-capture power plant built in Texas, courtesy a Washington State ... More >>
We need a pit bull. They give us a poodle.
Here I am, cooling my heels and other body parts in the city council chamber, waiting for Herroner, Laura Miller, to show up so that the council can debate Leo Chaney's Park of Heroes. For some reason, the council says they can't discuss the Park of Heroes until Miller gets here from Austin, where s ... More >>
Since December, the city's been contemplating an ordinance that would "ban distribution boxes not conforming to rigid standards for size, color and material." Looks like it's about to happen -- thank God too, because newspaper boxes are all that stands between a shithole and a class act. But you kno ... More >>
I came to praise Laura Miller, not to...screw it, toss me a shovel
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's reporting that Rep. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas, was just on the floor of the state House bad-mouthing Mayor Laura Miller for failing to bring the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium -- and, of course, Super Bowl XLV -- to her hometown. “Did you know the original place the stadium ... More >>
Some of her "blockers" barely rose to the task
And wouldn't you just know it. If you want a glimmer of the actual truth about our fair city, all you have to do is read an actual newspaper: today's New York Times. In the National Report, correspondent Ralph Blumenthal has a very nicely put together story about Laura Miller as she leaves office. I ... More >>
Angela Hunt just sent to Mayor Laura Miller, Harlan Crow, Ron Kirk and other "blocker"-backers a missive in which she demands they get their mercenaries to back the eff up come Saturday, when Hunt's Trinity Vote volunteers will be out gathering signatures for her anti-Trinity toll road petitions tha ... More >>
Who's telling the truth about the Trinity toll road? You decide.
What was it the mayor said last week? Oh, yes: The truth shall set you free. Read to the end of Jim's column, where you will find nothing but the truth. On February 25, 2007, at the Fourth Annual Trinity Commons Foundation Membership Luncheon at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel, Mayor Laura Miller tells a ... More >>
In March, Angela Hunt began her campaign to allow voters to decide the fate of the mayor's new, improved Trinity Parkway. Mayor Miller and referendum opponents hold up the Balanced Vision Plan as proof that all is well with the toll road project. They argue that the toll road will not be the massive ... More >>
Harvard's Alex Krieger insists Jim Schutze and Angela Hunt have distorted the meaning of his original e-mail to Mayor Laura Miller. From: Laura Miller To: Bill Eager, Alex Krieger CC: David Webb, Robert Wilonsky, Dave Levinthal, Colleen Nelson, Keven Ann Willey, Trey Garrison, Craig Holcomb, Gail ... More >>
Angela Hunt has just blown the center right out of Laura Miller's defense of the Trinity River toll road, and she has done it with a bit of investigative reporting that should have our tree-climbing ex-reporter mayor tied in little green Boy Scout knots. Miller has been defending her plan for a big ... More >>
You know, of course, that they don't let you talk about the really good questions from listeners when you're on a talk show. I was on Think on KERA-FM (90.1) at noon today with Krys Boyd. She's real smart. Dave Levinthal of The Dallas Morning News and I were talking about the mayor's race. So while ... More >>
I just got back from the big annual luncheon put on by Trinity Commons Foundation, the private lobby group pushing for the toll road along the river, where the featured speaker was our mayor, Laura Miller. And...wow! She's upset. Miller devoted her whole speech to a finger-wagging attack on city cou ... More >>
So, those coal-plant permit hearings didn't begin today after all -- and won't, for another four months, as per the State Office of Administrative Hearings' decision to postpone the proceedings till June 27 per State District Judge Stephen Yelenosky's ruling yesterday that Governor Rick Perry "lacks ... More >>
Well, it looks like Mayor Laura Miller's schedule has cleared up for tomorrow. She was supposed to land in Austin at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday for the first day of hearings before the State Office of Administrative Hearings concerning TXU's attempt to get permits for 11 coal-fired plants throughout the st ... More >>
The new Green Laura Miller has the old greenies around town kind of scratching their heads. Our mayor, who's taking the kids on a field trip to Waco tonight, is becoming a national Joan of Arc for her fight against coal-fired power plants in Texas. And the greenies are happy about that. "I'll take h ... More >>
On the Trinity, Laura Miller sounds a lot like any other old-time Dallas pol: bad
Talk about mixed emotions. Here I am a Democrat. We just swept the county. Why don't I feel better? I'll tell you why: Laura Miller. Last week I drove out of the basement of City Hall with my heart in my shoes. I'd just finished an hour and 45 minutes with Herroner, the mayor. I know the mayor's of ... More >>
It's so interesting to see Dallas Mayor Laura Miller pop up on TV now. She was on twice in the last 24 hours--while in Washington lobbying for the Wright Amendment and then touring power plants with Sarah Dodd of Channel 11. I thought, "Oh, yeah! Laura Miller! I was wondering whatever happened to he ... More >>
Now, the mayor's trying to tell us that the Calatrava bridges will stop flooding. Oh, that is such bullshit. Mayor Laura Miller, speaking from Hobby Airport on her way back to Dallas, was on KRLD-AM (1080) just a bit ago talking about the Calatrava bridge. KRLD must be getting calls on my story in t ... More >>
Mayor Miller embraces the felicity of unbridled domesticity
Everybody knows why Laura Miller's not running for mayor. And everyone knows who'll take her place. Yeah. Right. Fine. Whatever. It's not surprising to read this morning so many takes on Mayor Laura's announcement yesterday, first to KTVT-Channel 11's Sarah Dodd and then later to The Dallas Morning ... More >>
A million here, a million there--shoot, it's not the council's money
So Mayor Laura Miller was able to muster a majority on the council to rescind the city's longstanding policy on giving away federal "block grant" funds to political cronies. For as long as anybody can remember, community development block grants from Washington have been City Hall's main source of s ... More >>
At the risk of feeling dirty--and not in a good way--I'm going to part company from Jim Schutze and Morning News columnist Sherry Jacobson and, ick, take the mayor's side in the whole Dave Levinthal/AMR stock tempest. Jacobson this morning picked up on a point made by Schutze on Unfair Park yesterd ... More >>
While the politicians were milling around waiting for the big immigration march to start last Sunday, one of the things they were all gossiping about, of course, was politicians: who was going to show up and who wasn't. In particular, I thought I picked up some anxiety on the part of a few who were ... More >>
The mayor oughta play Deep Ellum more often. At 10:30 a.m. yesterday, there was quite the line snaking out of the front door of the Gypsy Tea Room, as some 200 folks waited for Mayor Laura Miller and her backup band--Dallas police Chief David Kunkle and council members Pauline Medrano and Angela Hun ... More >>