Saturday, April 12, 2025

POTD: Norway's Odd Roadside Attractions

"Shining against clouds,
A strange shape stands by the road.
Life begins with laughs."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Norway at a highway rest stop. The artwork is "Sædspira" by Linda Bakke, and in case you're wondering, yes, the sculpture is exactly what it looks like.

Friday, April 11, 2025

The Dubey Way: Even More "Heads in Beds"

Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.

July 8, 2024: Despite a City plan for mixed-use development in CityLine, including entertainment uses, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve construction of 1,175 more apartments, overriding the City Plan Commission, who rejected the application, saying they wanted to see "more creative retail or entertainment uses," as called for in the plan.

The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.

The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.

Thursday, April 10, 2025

The Dubey Way: Outdoor Lumber Storage

Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.

January 21, 2024: Despite a City plan to redevelop the Interurban District as an "edgy, mixed-use district", Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve a new outdoor storage lot, described as, "It could be lumber, it could be steel, it could be aluminum, it could be, he does a lot of concrete."

The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.

The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

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.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025

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."