Onward, City Council - Awarded "Best Column of 2012-2013" "Mesquite Citizen Journal"

Onward, City Council           

By: Terry Donnelly

Reprint from the "Mesquite Citizen Journal"

March 18, 2013

In a February 2011 column I offered a snappy new title for the mayor to use replacing the stodgy “State of the City” address. I offered up the title “Mesquite Matters”. I thought the alliteration was nifty and the double meaning just right for a city moving forward. Mayor Mark Wier didn’t take me up on the offer and I can see why.

His latest State of the City message was stodgy. And, I guess it has to stay that way because right now Mesquite is stodgy too.

His Honor proclaims our little city “fiscally sound”. Don’t get me wrong, that is a big deal, especially with all the money woes going on all around us. He assures us that the city council remembers from whence the money is drawn and that he and his band are doing all they can to protect our cash.

Thank-you.

I even appreciate the shout out our subdivision got due to our bit of citizen activism last spring to put the kibosh on an ill-advised, 10 foot wide, tree killing shared use path that would replace the perfectly good 6 to 8 foot wide path that currently exists while other areas were still dirt.

Thanks again, but that is all in the past.

We heard from the mayor that business requirements have been streamlined and what once took weeks can now be done in three or four days. Great, but there is no proof that either the system or the desire to have new business in Mesquite has improved. There seems to be very little to show for the work. And indeed, some evidence that indicates a desire to keep the status quo.

There was talk of the new Mesquite Regional Business group doing a good job of using our money while seemingly in competition with the Chamber of Commerce–but again, no real evidence to support the claim. Their biggest coup so far seems to be hiring a director and reeling in one small business. We need much more.

The nearly blighted Mesquite Boulevard has looked exactly the same for years. The last new building was the Stadium 6 Movie Theatre built several years ago.

I don’t need a rap on the back of my head with the accompanying “Duh! There’s been a Great Recession going on.” I know there have been tons of problems, but the time has come to see some action.

The mayor’s speech was mostly looking back. We need to look forward and actually get some results from all of this posturing we have done in the name of progress the last two years.

Mesquite needs an anchor area–a downtown that draws tourists as well as local shoppers. The area of Mesquite Boulevard from the big bend at Sandhill, maybe as far as Grapevine is ripe to fill that quaint downtown need. There is a good start with the Art Gallery, the Museum, The General Store, several restaurants, a couple of Southwest gift shops, plenty of open space on which to build, and abandoned buildings to renovate.

I see the historic Harley’s Garage sign as a landmark. I can hear a future citizen explaining that the cool bookstore or best club sandwich in town is “right across from the Harley’s sign.”

I like this council. I agree with Barbara Ellestad the publisher of this news site that both incumbent councilmen, Allan Litman and Geno Withelder deserve to be reelected. Unless there is some big blow-up in the near future, I’ll likely vote for Mr. Mayor, George Rapson and Kraig Hafen again if they decide to run. Through their actions, they too deserve another term.

But, we need more than transparency, a listening ear, and an open mind. We need some action. There seems to be more tabling, moving to a later date, looking for more data, calling a friend, and asking the audience in council meetings than real progressive action.

As I stated above, I like this city council. I like it better than any other in my 10 years living in Mesquite. I am glad to have the opportunity to prod them because all of my city council related writings in the past have been rants to oust one member or another for not sufficiently doing his or her job. Being able to offer constructive criticism is a step in the right direction.

I am, however, going to rescind my offer of the jazzy, progressive “Mesquite Matters” as a new moniker for the yearly mayoral address until I see some progress to go along with all the planning and good stewardship.  

"Mesquite Citizen Journal" reprint. Column asking to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

In Defense of (Any) Marriage Posting Date: 08/20/2012 Terry Donnelly Let me get this straight: Marriage is supposed to be between two people who get along, have similar interests, enjoy similar activities, and generally live life in a compatible way. If this is true, why does anyone rail against same sex marriage? Don’t get me wrong–Mrs. Writers’-Corner and I live in the greatest of harmony. The problem is that her harmonies come from the likes of George Jones and Faith Hill and my harmonies come from Steppenwolf and Janis Joplin. We each have nearly 3,000 songs on our respective I-Pods, but the Venn diagram overlap is about seven titles. She has one Beatles song and one Stones tune–two total! My number hovers around 400. If I were married to another man the beer would have a prominent place in the refrigerator, not exiled to the tiny, lukewarm device in the garage. I’m a fairly tidy person. I’m good at picking up after myself, except for shoes–they tend to be left wherever my feet become unshod. Hers? Always in the closet keeping company with the other 75 pairs–strength in sheer numbers. She changed her hairstyle not long ago. It didn’t work out too well–for me. She looks great but I mistakenly thought she said she was growing it into a “hedge” when she actually said “wedge.” My mistake. I should have asked. I should have known no woman wants a hedge for a hairdo, but, well–if you looked sideways, just right, with the light behind her after she came in out of the afternoon wind–just maybe a tad like a hedge… I’ve had the same haircut for 45 years. Longer or shorter at times and it is a different color than it was in 1967 but not because I’ve dyed it. I mentioned that she looks great and that isn’t just her hair. This woman eats chocolate doughnuts for breakfast and looks like she is 26 years old. I eat gruel laced with blueberries for breakfast and celery for lunch and my weight is equal to a small car. If that fact isn’t enough to drive a wedge (wooden divider, not a hairstyle) between a couple trying to cohabitate, I don’t know what will. There are no décor restrictions on my recliner other than it needs to be in the middle of the room in front of the television. If it gets a bit dingy, or the color no longer coordinates with the other pieces in the room (read “falling apart”)–not to worry. But, she does. We get along fine, but wouldn’t she be happier living with a woman who wants her favorite chair to go well with and not clutter the ambiance? But, you may ask, what about that other (nudge, nudge–wink, wink) part of marriage? You know, the part about sharing sleeping quarters. Doesn’t that trump all else? Yes it does. I’ve had fun with the front end of this column, but marriage isn’t all about seeing eye-to-eye on everything. It is about love and that is the only deciding factor. We gave up arranged marriages long ago, so the only people who have any business in making the decision to marry are the two wrestling with all the variables and uncertainties of embarking on a life union. No outside suggestions are necessary. It is hard enough finding someone to truly love without outside restrictions on who that may be. Many have false starts and try again–many don’t ever manage to find their soul mate. So, when this wonderful, often serendipitous, sometimes hard won event happens, go for it. It is none of our business if that couple is made up of the same or different anything. Gender, race, religion, nationality, political bent, or hat size–none of it makes a whit of difference. Any couple who have braved the first date, had the talk about being exclusive, taken the relationship to the next (nudge-wink) level, and finally signed on the dotted line, deserve not only a medal, each deserve all the rights and benefits held by any other couple–every single one. Let’s demand this last bastion of civil rights discrimination be sent packing. Because, to quote the lyrics from one of the songs on my I-Pod but not on Mrs. Writers’-Corner’s, “All you need is love.”   Commentary Posted Date: 08/20/2012 I would say your wife is a very lucky woman! By: Susan Lang   Posted Date: 08/20/2012 This is one smart guy who has his stuff together. Life is short. By: zack   Posted Date: 08/20/2012 This is priceless. Thank you Terry By: Tom