The Money Race for City Council

Candidates file campaign finance reports 30 days before elections. For the City of Richardson, there are only two contested races: the Mayor's race (Dubey vs Omar vs North) and Place 6 (Arefin vs Kupfer). Five incumbents have drawn no challengers. What will it take to get more Richardson citizens to run for political office? Good question, but not one we'll get into today. Today, it's all about the money. We also won't get into the question of just how close money and candidates can get before the Code of Ethics gets invoked. Apparently, a lot closer than you'd think.

Charter Review: Articles 11,15,16

Artist: John Trumbull.

On April 3, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 11 (Budget and Financial Procedures), 15 (Collection of Taxes), and 16 (Issuance and Sale of Bonds).

Still no video by the City to link you to. To paraphrase City policy: "Move along. There's nothing to see here."

Mayor Dubey: "If anybody asks, that is legal."

Source: City of Richardson.

Richardson Mayor Bob Dubey: "If anybody asks, that is legal." The Mayor said those words during remarks at an election forum at the Chinese Community Center on March 22, 2025. Any time a politician emphasizes that what he's doing is legal, my ears perk up. What the heck was the Mayor talking about? Why would he be doing stuff that people might even question the legality behind it? Many voters care less and less about legality (our current President is a convicted felon, after all). But...since the Mayor himself raised the issue, let's go down this rabbit hole anyway. It all has to do with those "POP Sheets" in the photo.

POTD: Oslo Opera House

"Sunlight takes the stage,
Dancing on the angled roof
Of smooth white marble."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 06 Oslo

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Oslo Opera House. "The roof of the building angles to ground level, creating a large plaza that invites pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo."

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown.

POTD: Vigelandsparken

"Naked forms embrace,
Unashamed beneath the sky—
Flesh reborn in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 06 Oslo

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway in Frogner Park, site of the Vigeland installation of 212 granite and bronze sculptures, all designed by Gustav Vigeland.

UT-Dallas Students Host Forum for Mayoral Candidates

On April 2, 2025, the UT-Dallas Student Government hosted a debate of Richardson mayoral candidates, moderated by Dr. John Gooch. Mayor Bob Dubey and former Councilmember Amir Omar participated. It was announced that Alan North "did not get back to us in terms of attending this debate." That's something that Alan North has denied. "I RSVP'd yes to their April 2 debate, sent Aidan Boyd three emails, with 2 different e-mail addresses, called, left voicemails—silence."

Twisters (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Twisters (2024): Earnest young woman who studies tornados in order to learn how to calm them has to contend with storm-chasers who do it for the social media likes. Expect people to change. romance to blossom, and you start wondering who the good guys are. B-

Peacock

Charter Review: Articles 12,13,19

Artist: John Trumbull.

On March 27, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 12 (Franchises), 13 (Ordinances), and 19 (Effective Date).

(Still no video by the City to link you to. By now, you know the story. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants," but the Richardson City Council is fine with darkness; not only no live video feed, but no official video record of the Charter Review Commission at all. Politicians seem to have an inherent fear of sunlight.)

Random Thoughts: I Liked Anora, Too

2025-03-03: Anora won the Oscar for Best Picture. I think Brutalist is a timeless film that will age better, but I liked Anora, too.

2025-03-08: "During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," SpaceX said in a post on X.
"Rapid unscheduled disassembly." Kind of like the impact of President Musk's DOGE on the federal government.

2025-03-29: My Bluesky chat address is @marksteger.bsky.social. It's where I discuss all of my war plans. Just out in the open, readable by all. You can join in.

More random thoughts can be found on Mastodon.