RISD and Open Records Requests

The Dallas Morning News did a year-long study on how responsive local governments were to open records requests. Anecdotally, the RISD didn't come out looking too good:

When asked for a list of employee reimbursements in 2013, some agencies held that the information was only available in hard copy. The News’ most expensive estimate was a $4,050 fee from Richardson ISD for that information. The district maintained that data showing the amount of money paid to reimburse employees wasn’t available electronically.

Source: The Dallas Morning News.

Now, maybe there's nothing nefarious going on here. Maybe the cost estimate is accurate. But if this kind of external request costs $4,000 to meet, then the costs of internal requests are probably also prohibitive. So, if someone in the RISD with a need to know wants to examine employee reimbursement requests to look for abuse or even just for opportunities to reduce costs, it could be cost prohibitive. Wouldn't you think that would be reason enough to change procedures?

The Wizard of Oz at LHHS

The Wizard of Oz at LHHS: Classic movie musical comes to life. Lots of kids, young and old, all having fun. Sound glitches didn't stop fun.

Fiddler on the Roof at RHS

Fiddler on the Roof at RHS: 50 year old musical made fresh by enthusiastic and talented young voices. Dancing, sets, lighting all excellent.

Tax Revenue: Residents vs. Business

Source: Richardson Coalition PAC.

Richardson Tax Revenue: Residents vs. Business

"Our city's success in economic development has resulted in a tax transformation for our city." That's how the Richardson Coalition PAC explained the graph above.

After the jump, unpacking their explanation.

Rivalry Game: Lake Highlands 46, Berkner 73

From 2015 01 20 Lake Highlands vs Berkner

In District 10-6A action Tuesday night, the Berkner Rams men's basketball team defeated the Lake Highlands Wildcats 73-46 at the Berkner gym. Berkner's Justin Price led all scorers with 20 points.

More after the jump.

Review: Tenth of December

Amazon

From Tenth of December, by George Saunders:

So goodnight to all future generations. Please know I was a person like you, I too breathed air and tensed legs while trying to sleep and, when writing with pencil, sometimes brought pencil to nose to smell. Although who knows, maybe you future people write with laser pens? But probably even those have a certain smell?"

After the jump, my review.

Punching Through PGBT

An interesting experiment is being run by Trinsic Residential Group. Steve Brown has the story in The Dallas Morning News:

Construction has started on a large new rental community just across the street from State Farm Insurance's huge campus in Richardson.

Trinsic Residential Group is building the 11.7-acre apartment project on the north side of Bush Turnpike at the DART commuter rail line in Plano

The 386-unit Aura One90 project is just a short walk under the turnpike to DART's rail station and State Farm's office buildings in the $1.5 billion CityLine project.

Source: The Dallas Morning News.

Note how Steve Brown calls it "just across the street" from State Farm. That "street" happens to be the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT). The "short walk" involves going "under the turnpike."

Tied for First: Berkner 64, Pearce 46

From 2015 01 16 Pearce vs Berkner

In District 10-6A basketball action Friday night, the Berkner Rams men's basketball team defeated the Pearce Mustangs 64-46 at the Berkner gym. Berkner's Torey Everett led all scorers with 27 points.

More after the jump.

We Are the Best! (2013)

IMDB

We Are the Best! (2013): 13-yr-old Swedish girls form a punk band, despite not knowing music. Alienation, friendship, adolescent energy. B-

CityLine, Palisades and Strip Shopping Centers

I pledged to myself that I wasn't going to respond to the straw man argument by Rodger Jones of The Dallas Morning News dismissing criticism of the proposed Trinity tollroad. If I weren't already familiar with Jones's work, I would have guessed that he was merely trolling. "Don't feed the trolls" is advice I usually try to live by. To my benefit, D Magazine's Peter Simek rebuts Jones so I don't have to.

Jones' point, in short, is that the anti-highway and anti-Trinity Toll Road folks argue that highways don't lead to development. Then he points to a handful of developments to show that, yes, highways spur development.

I know, I know. I heard you groan. See, I've been trying to ignore it. But stay with me.

First, let's dismiss the straw men. No one claims that highways don't spur development. Rather, the argument is that highways spur the wrong kind of development in urban settings, development that generally promotes inefficient land use and contribute to broader urban decay. Yes, highways create development. They also incentivize development around cheap, undeveloped land.

Source: Frontburner.

So, enough with Jones and his straw men. That's the easy, obvious part of Simek's article. It's the rest of what Simek says that requires more thought.