Last night I attended a community meeting regarding the proposed closing and consolidation of D.A. Hulcy Middle School.  I’m not going to get too deep into the specifics with this post, but there were about 75 parents, teachers, staff and students at Atwell who heard about the proposed DISD school closings.

Below I posted a map that shows how students in affected neighborhoods would be dispersed to other middle schools.  The map also shows the new Zan Holmes Middle School set to open next year.

• Umphrey Lee and Martin Weiss Elementary Schools would feed into W.H. Atwell Middle School.
• Ronald McNair and Birdie Alexander Middle Schools would feed into T.W. Browne Middle School
• Students sent to Browne would eventually attend Kimball High School.
• Carter High School is not physically located in the zone with the communities slated to attend there.

Parents were left with more questions than answers. The main rationale for closing Hulcy was that enrollment currently stands at 45% capacity. The $11.5 million in district wide savings was again touted at the meeting.

But how approximately $9 million in salary dollars ($1.5 million total from Hulcy) will be saved was not well articulated.  What happens to kids who used to walk home from after school programs?  What about the campuses with students who were exceeding expectations being sent to campuses that aren’t?

More later.

Last year, very important legislation was passed which impacted the operation of payday and auto title lenders in Dallas and throughout our state. If you or anyone you know is in financial difficulty and considering a short term loan, these laws protect your rights as a consumer.

During last year’s state legislative session, the Anti-Poverty Coalition of Greater Dallas (including, CitySquare, Friendship West Baptist Church, the United Way of Greater Dallas, the Jewish Community Relations Council, Catholic Charities, along with a number of other non-profit agencies and service providers) joined the Christian Life Commission, Texas Appleseed, Texas Catholic Charities and 500% Interest is Wrong, urging Texas lawmakers to address the exploitative practices of short term lenders.

Payday and auto title loan outfits create a cycle of debt by charging high fees which mask interest rates which can be upwards of 500% APR. With short terms and no partial payments, borrowers often must borrow again at 500% APR in attempts to pay off the loan. The average payday borrower in Texas pays $840 for a $300 loan.

This state-wide collaboration was successful in getting two bills passed which place new restrictions on Credit Service Organizations (most payday and auto title lenders in Texas are registered as CSOs and will be impacted by this legislation). CSOs are now required to:

•       Register with the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, and the licensing fee will fund the Texas Financial Education Endowment
•       Report on consumer and transaction data
•       Clearly disclose fees, typical repayment patterns, and fees of comparable loans
•       Post an OCCC helpline number for consumers
•       Provide restitution to customers injured by a violation of CSO regulation or Finance Code

Locally, the Anti-Poverty Coalition prevailed in their efforts to get Dallas’ City Council to take action against predatory lenders. On May 25, 2011, the Dallas City Council unanimously passed a zoning ordinance requiring alternative financial institutions to:

•       Operate at a minimum distance of 1,500 feet from another location
•       Operate at a minimum distance of 300 feet from a lot in a residential district
•       Operate at a minimum distance of 500 feet from an expressway
•       Only operate in a freestanding building
•       Possess a Specific Use Permit (SUP) in all permitted districts

On June 22, 2011, the Dallas City Council unanimously passed a regulatory ordinance requiring:

•       The loan principal for a payday loan to be capped at 20 percent of the borrower’s gross monthly income, and auto-title loans are capped at 3 percent of the borrower’s gross annual income
•       Limits payments to four installment loans with no renewals, or a single payment loan with three renewals or rollovers
•       Each installment or renewal payment pay down 25% of the loan principal

These ordinances took effect January 1.

Predatory short term lending drains wealth out of our communities and hamper economic development. More and more, cities are increasingly concerned that payday and auto title loan outfits depress property values, become magnets for crime and give our communities a look of economic decline.

The economic health of our families and our community is dependent upon being smart about the nature of the businesses that court our patronage. The exploitation of those in financially desperate circumstances is best combated with financial education and the public engagement necessary to make certain these businesses operate with integrity.

The Rev. Gerald Britt Jr. is vice president of public policy at CitySquare.org. Rev. Britt blogs at changethewind.org.  and writes a monthly column for the Dallas Morning News. His e-mail address is gbritt@citysquare.

Eric July, Bab Adetiba and Dave Newhouse have launched an effort they’re calling Minorities Seeking Solutions.  The Dallas area twentysomethings look to convene a group of individuals that are interested in addressing and solving some of the problems that plague the African-American community.

The group kicked off with a scheduled debate that ended up as a discussion at Jokae’s Bookstore a few weeks ago.  I referenced the meeting in my Dallas Morning News column last week about Generation X and Generation Y.

When I sat down with Bab, Eric, Dave and the rest at Jokae’s, I was inspired by their desire to move past statements of the dismal reality and move towards create stronger communities.  They were frustrated by the high rates of teen pregnancy, HIV and crime in Black communities in Dallas.  This is a group that bares watching.

Misha Sturns

Misha Sturns has been named executive director of the Heart of a Warrior Charitable Foundation. Founded by Gail Warrior, chief executive officer of Warrior Group, HOAW provides summer educational opportunities for children who would not otherwise have access to quality summer programs.

Sturns will be responsible for running the foundation’s programs, elevating the level of interest and awareness of the foundation in North Texas, and managing foundation fundraising efforts including the annual HOAW Celebrity Golf Tournament.

“Misha’s experience working with non-profit organizations and her passion for community service and the education of our youth will make her a valuable asset to the foundation.” said Warrior. “In addition, Misha’s background managing and promoting athletes and celebrity events will serve the foundation well as we strive to enhance HOAW’s visibility in the community and increase donations so that we can expand our program to reach more young people.”

Sturns’ background includes building trusted partnerships and new business opportunities. She has worked in sports marketing, celebrity event planning and healthcare account management. She has received several regional and national awards for her exceptional skills in exceeding company goals and objectives.

Sturns served as a two-term President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Alumni Association for Clark Atlanta University and has served on the board of directors of other local non-profit organizations. She earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in Mass Media Arts with an emphasis on Public Relations from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

Last summer, nearly 400 underserved youth from the Dallas area received hands-on enrichment to help them stay on par with their peers in school, thanks to the fourth annual Young Warriors Summer Learning Program.

The signature project of the Heart of a Warrior Charitable Foundation, the Young Warriors Summer Learning Program is designed to reduce the learning gap often seen in lower-income students when they return to school in the fall.

The eight-week summer academic enrichment program provides instruction in mathematics, science, Spanish, nutrition, leadership and volunteerism as well as providing culturally educational field trips that add to the students’ quality-of-life experiences.

“Our goal is to provide a curriculum that keeps students engaged, on par with their peers and academically inspired during the summer months,” said Warrior. “I am pleased that Misha has joined our organization and will help us carry out our mission to ensure not only the academic success of these children, but the self-awareness and pride that comes from true accomplishment.”

After hearing nearly two hours of testimony – mostly opposing the issuance of a license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag logo, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, (DMV) with no debate, voted unanimously to deny the application submitted by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Dallas State Sen. Royce West was on hand to testify at the DMV regular board meeting this morning that was moved to the John H. Reagan Building on the capitol grounds to accommodate larger than normal crowds.

On Thursday morning a group of concerned citizens will lead a tour of the Red Bird/Camp Wisdom Corridor.  Community advocate Edna Pemberton has helped organize an “Economic Development, Follow Up Bus Tour,” along with Danielle Ayers, Minister of Justice at Friendship-West Baptist Church.  The goals are highlight positive signs within the corridor, address current concerns and identify opportunities for future development.

View Larger Map

The tour will take place on Thursday, September 29th from 8:00 AM to 11:30AM.  They are seeking 20 members the community to join them Thursday morning and asking for each person to pay $20 to participate.

The bus is scheduled to provide a look at Dallas Executive Airport, UNT –Dallas, Paul Quinn College, Southwest Center Mall (including the Theater and Fiesta Mundo) and other areas of interest.  A discussion will also take place around Redbird/Camp Wisdom Vision 2015 and the positive steps that have been taken to stabilize Southwest Center Mall.

I’m facilitating the tour along with Gordon Jackson, Managing Editor of the Dallas Weekly.  For more information e-mail Ms. Pemberton at ednapemberton@yahoo.com  The bus will depart from Friendship-West Church, 2020 West Wheatland Road promptly at 8am.

I spoke with Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins yesterday who said a plan has been crafted to save three jobs in the Family Violence Division.  The three positions had been partly funded by a federal grant from the Office on Violence Against Women.

The Office on Violence Against Women is part of the U.S. Department of Justice and used to carry out the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.  Since the grant will not be renewed, an alternative means for funding was needed to maintain staffing levels.

Watkins says he has been working with Dallas County commissioners for over a month to save the three jobs.  Two of the positions (an attorney and investigator) are currently open.

According to Watkins, the individuals who were in those positions were moved to another part of the DA’s office in anticipation of the loss of grant funding. The secretary position is filled.

The total salary for the three positions is just over $218,000.  The federal grant covered roughly 2/3 of that amount while Dallas County paid the rest.  So basically there’s a $140,000 gap that must be covered to keep the to two positions.

Enter the forfeiture funds, this is where it gets a little complicated.  Forfeiture funds are described by the U.S. Marshals Service as “the proceeds from the sale of forfeited assets such as real property, vehicles, businesses, financial instruments, vessels, aircraft and jewelry.”  The Dallas County District Attorney’s office currently has almost $2 million in forfeiture funds on hand.

According to Lincoln Monroe, Administrative Attorney in the DA’s office, forfeiture funds have limitations on how they may be spent.  Monroe said the money cannot be used on salaries, so the office could not make up the $140,000 needed for the Family Violence Division with forfeiture funds.  The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 59.06(d) puts it like this:

• A commissioners court or governing body of a municipality may not use the existence of an award (i.e. forfeited funds awarded to a municipality) to offset or decrease total salaries, expenses, and allowances that the agency or the attorney receives from the commissioners court or governing body at or after the time the proceeds are awarded.

The Texas District and County Attorneys Association describes a recent innovation if you will, in how county and state officials are handling the funds:

A new way to distribute property, created during the last legislative session, is for law enforcement agencies to loan or transfer forfeited property to another municipal or county agency or to a school district for that agency or district’s use.

Texas District & County Attorneys Association Website

So the District Attorney’s office gifted $140,000 to the Sheriff’s Department.  Watkins said the county commissioners will in turn reduce the Sheriff’s Department budget by $140,000 and those funds will be transferred to the DA’s office and put towards the Family Violence Division.  He said the commissioners agreed to fund the $78,000 needed for the three positions.

Watkins said that even though the grant funding was going away, he always wanted to maintain the employees.  ”If you are doing a great job for the citizens of Dallas County,” Watkins said, “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you keep your job.”

A similar transaction was made to create two contract positions in Watkins’ office.  The District Attorney’s Office transferred $48,000 to the Sheriff’s Department to buy video visitation equipment.  Their budget was reduced by $48,000 and the funds were transferred to that DA to pay for two separate one-year contract positions that will pay a maximum of $24,000 each.

The two positions will assist the DA’s Public Information Officer Jamille Bradfield.  One position will focus on community relations while the other position maintains the office’s website and social media initiatives.

Watkins says that 38 employees in the District Attorney’s office are funded by more than $3 million in grants.  State and federal funding is beginning to dry up and municipalities will have to find alternative funding sources if they want to maintain staffing levels.

Crowley Building photo by Dallas Civic Architecture via Picasa. Watkins photo by Jacob Villanueva via Pegasus News.

The American media scene is in utter chaos.  There’s no way to quantify the uncertainty that is taking place in newsrooms across the country.  People are scared and that includes folks right here in our own back yard.

This week, the Dallas Morning News implemented more layoffs.  The DMNcuts blog posts positions and of individuals that were terminated, though they don’t go so far as to name names.  They also link to a Scibd document that lists the ages of those let go.

In 2009 I had the opportunity to attend the Sensemaking Program at the Poynter Institute of Media studies.  There were about 30 folks who gathered from traditional media, online media and no media to discuss the future of journalism.

Before then I’d never give much thought to the profession of journalism or the values of the profession.   Back then I still read the newspaper everyday and was a subscriber. But I was ready for the old media walls to come tumbling down and welcome the new era of citizen journalists and new media.

While I’m still and advocate for the open web and all the wonderful things that have resulted from the internet’s contribution to media, none of that dismisses the fact that the role played by working journalists is vitally important.  It’s important to a healthy democracy and important to healthy communities.  Newspaper reporters still provide the bulk of the content that radio folks comment on throughout the day.

I understand those who find delight in the pain of our local daily though I disagree with their sentiment. And honestly, I’ve run across my fair share of journos who needed to be taken down a few pegs.  But the work that goes on at places like the Dallas Observer, the Dallas Weekly, D Magazine and the like make our city better. Too often we mix up personalities with the mission.

By no means am I discounting the contributions of organizations like ours.  Whether it’s West Seattle Blog, Voice of San Diego or Q City Metro; hyperlocal sites, blogs,  aggregators and content curators have exponentially increased the information options for citizens.  The appetite for news has never been stronger and it’s almost insatiable.  It the physical piece of paper that has lost it’s place in American society, not the content itself.

However the business model on which most newspapers are built is broken.  It’s a model that is similar to most American business which are all top heavy.  What makes it more difficult is the role newspapers play (or should play) in local communities is in the interest of the public, just like water works, the police department or the sanitation department.

Those businesses would have a tough time making a return to investors too.  Something will eventually have to give on the top end, that’s just a fact.

I think the DMN deserves credit for efforts to reinvent their organization.  The business/news integration strategy implemented a couple of years ago make some folks uncomfortable, but it’s a reality.  I know because I live it everyday.

Their focus on investigations is logical, though I don’t always agree with their execution.  Local politicians have been turned off by local coverage and rightly so. And I still don’t get the whole Parkland thing.

By and large DMN gets it right on the news side more than they get it wrong because of writers like Gromer Jeffers, Scott Goldstein and Tawnell Hobbs as well as editors like Sharon Grigsby.  I hope The News can tinker with their model until they reach something sustainable for the long term, but we’re not there yet.

As the industry works towards a solution it will be important that diversity is valued and the interests of underserved populations are fairly represented.  It will continue to be painful for all of us, but our communities are better for the effort.

The first thing I have to say is this is all written from an Aggie’s perspective. Still, do you know who’s the biggest loser in all the conference hoping going on in College Football?

Tradition.

It’s not new.  When the Big 12 came together in a shotgun wedding back in 1994, one of the first casualties was the annual Nebraska/Oklahoma game.

With OU in the Big 12 South and the Black Shirts in the North Division, the two teams started playing a two years on and two years off schedule. College students of today wouldn’t even remember when the teams fought to the death on a yearly basis.

To go back a little further, the breakup of the good old Southwest Conference is still hard for some local folks to talk about.  Remember Southwest Conference football?  When Houston, SMU, TCU, Rice, Baylor and yes Texas Tech looked up at A&M and Texas year after year (after Arkansas left of course).

I was a freshman at A&M in 1992.  When we headed to Kyle Field on any given Saturday from 1992-1994 it was virtually assured we were going to see an Aggie win, especially against our conference rivals.  Yes there were plenty of victory parties back in those days.

But after the first couple of years, the thought of a last second win against SMU or a blowout of Baylor was no longer appealing.  In a strange way, losing to Colorado was better than beating Rice.

We are at that point again, which is part of why the Aggies are jumping ship. Well that and Longhorn envy. There’s no fun in playing Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State in football.  You could probably add Baylor to that list too.  They all play in tiny stadiums, and except for a few good years at K-State, they haven’t been a factor on the national scene.

The day of the Super Conference in the NCAA is upon us,  I have no doubt about that.  He who waits will lose, and once a football conference gets to 16 I think it’s gonna be a wrap.  The rumors of Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State heading west to join the Pac 12 make a whole lot of sense.

So what will all this mean to the annual Texas/OU matchup at the Cotton Bowl?  It probably means we can kiss the game goodbye.

The Red River Rivalry is contracted to be played in Fair Park through 2015. Keeping the game one day past that will be a serious challenge.  And let me say this, if the Texas/OU game at the Cotton Bowl does come to an end four years from now, the stadium renovations were still worth it.

When Texas and OU leave the Big 9…er…..Big 12 and if they both go to the Pac 12 the there’s a slight chance they stay in Dallas, but I doubt it. When Texas/OU decided to re-up with a revamped Cotton Bowl, I believe tradition was a big part of their decision to stay.

The Midway, corn dogs and fried butter make for a memorable game day experience. But with the moves being made in NCAA Football these days: A&M to SEC, Nebraska to Big 10 etc., tradition is no longer a factor.

Selling the history of the Cotton Bowl against say Cowboys Stadium would be hard enough.  But the allure of OU and TU (give an Aggie a pass on that one) playing in a new conference with a home and home series seems like a match made in financial heaven.  And we all know it comes down to the dollar dollar bill ya’ll.

If for some reason they don’t go to the same conference then the annual games is probably over.  Most college teams are in a non-conference routine of playing one cupcake game (sometimes against an FCS school), one game against a so-so Division 1 opponent, and maybe one challenge game.

Even Texas has started to schedule a few tough non-conference opponents in the last few years.  To ask Texas or OU to devote that tough game to one another every year isn’t very realistic.  That makes it less likely to matchup with programs like Ohio State, UCLA or Notre Dame.  This same logic is why there will probably be no annual Texas A&M/Texas game after this year.  Sad but true.  Let’s get over it and move on.

So then the question becomes what do you do with a 92,000 seat stadium with no Cotton Bowl game and no UT/OU game.  There’s only one answer to that question.  See Orange Bowl Stadium.

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announces that the U.S.  Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with NeighborWorks America has launched the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) to help homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure in Texas.

The Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) can provide eligible homeowners with a 0% interest, forgivable loan that pays past-due mortgage payments (principal, interest, taxes, insurance, attorney fees), as well as a portion of the homeowner’s mortgage payment for up to 24 consecutive months, or up to $50,000, whichever comes first, and provided that certain eligibility requirements are maintained.

“Curtailing the number of foreclosures nationally is essential to getting our economy back on track. The Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program will help homeowners, who have fallen on hard economic times, stay in their homes,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “This assistance is not only economically beneficial, but morally important.  We cannot simply sit back and watch millions of American families lose their homes.  I commend our former Democratic-leadership for authorizing this program last year, and thank President Obama for his continued support of economically struggling families.”

The EHLP program will pay a portion of an approved applicant’s monthly mortgage including missed mortgage payments or past due charges including principal, interest, taxes, insurances, and attorney fees. Nationally, EHLP is expected to aid up to 30,000 distressed borrowers, with an average loan of approximately $35,000.

Congresswoman Johnson voted in favor of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to implement the Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP). The program will assist homeowners who have experienced a reduction in income and are at risk of foreclosure due to involuntary unemployment and underemployment due to economic conditions or a medical condition. HUD has allocated $135,418,959 to fund this emergency loan program in Texas.

Contact information for participating agencies, the Pre-Applicant Screening Worksheet and more information on the EHLP program and its eligibility requirements can be found at www.FindEHLP.org or by calling toll free at 855-FIND-EHLP (346-3345)