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A Look Inside Dallas’s Proposed $1.25 Billion Bond Has the City Wondering, ‘Where is the Money, LaShondra?’

DALLAS WEEKLY MAGAZINE — The city Dallas and the Department of Works would allocate funds to upgrade the city’s streets, and would go on to spend almost $289 million with two contractors for road improvements, which according to a 2022 audit, may not have been up to par. The audit, conducted by City Auditor Mark Swann, found that projects were “not consistently monitored and inspected for quality and timely performance” and that project information was “not centralized or reliable.” Swann also noted in his report that project expenditures had not been consistently verified as cost overages would occur without documented explanation.
The post A Look Inside Dallas’s Proposed $1.25 Billion Bond Has the City Wondering, ‘Where is the Money, LaShondra?’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

8 months ago

March 26, 2024

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By Marlissa Collier | Dallas Weekly Magazine

These Dallas streets have become notorious. But not for the summer day parties, life-threatening Deep Ellum nights or the random sighting of a front-facing scooter bike “gang” (because can it really be a gang if everyone’s knees are in front of them?). Instead, Dallas streets have become notorious for their condition, namely the countless gaping holes developed from sitting water, wear and tear and what we can only hope is the occasional trail ride function that has gone all the right ways. The kind of holes that are so disruptive and destructive that they make trying to record the next viral TikTok video en route to that job you’re hoping to quit once the content takes off, all but impossible, and unplanned tire, suspension and axle repairs all but inevitable. In fact, the streets are so bad in Dallas that they were at the center of a lawsuit against the city back in 2017, when a driver by the name of John Everhart sued the city for auto damages caused by these notorious potholes.

Needless to say, the city was able to have the lawsuit dismissed, denying it could be held liable for damages caused by its mean streets. Then, in 2019, the City Council was briefed on the state of Dallas’s 11,775 miles of streets, where they would learn that as a whole, the average “grade” of Dallas roads sat at a pathetic 65.4, or a D. During this 2019 presentation, city staffers briefed the council on what it would take to tutor the city’s byways up to a C grade or 75 average score. The team maintained that the city would need a budget of almost $100 million more than what was to be allocated to street maintenance in 2021 and an additional $230 million for projects in 2023. These ballooned budget needs, according to the city staff, would need to continue through 2028.

Soon, the city Dallas and the Department of Works would allocate funds to upgrade the city’s streets, and would go on to spend almost $289 million with two contractors for road improvements, which according to a 2022 audit, may not have been up to par. The audit, conducted by City Auditor Mark Swann, found that projects were “not consistently monitored and inspected for quality and timely performance” and that project information was “not centralized or reliable.” Swann also noted in his report that project expenditures had not been consistently verified as cost overages would occur without documented explanation.

The two contractors in the crosshairs of Swann’s audit, Heritage Materials, LLC and Texas Materials, LLC, both of whose almost non-existent digital footprint is troubling, especially since they are doing millions in business with the city of Dallas, were awarded in excess of $235 million and $53 million respectively. Swann’s audit exposed an estimated $15.5 million in cost overages, bringing the total spend between these two contractors in excess of the estimated cost to 12%. What’s worse though is that back in Fiscal Year 2015, the Office of the City Auditor conducted a similar audit, looking into street paving and maintenance, only to find a similar issue with the city’s oversight of these barrels of money, wherein auditors observed, “unmet inspection requirements,” “lack of documentation to demonstrate work was performed,” and “inconsistent or unreliable use of project management systems.” Now, because of Dallas’s history of financial mismanagement, specifically when it comes to road maintenance, a look inside Dallas’s $1.25 billion proposed bond should have the city wondering, “Where is the Money, LaShondra?”

Now, over at Dallas Weekly, we’re excellent at telling the stories that people need most. We don’t claim to be mathematicians by any stretch. But proof of basic knowledge of basic arithmetic is something that we do require upon joining the newsroom, and well, something just isn’t adding up. Not only have things not added up in the past, there’s something interestingly suspect about the potential $1.25 billion bond from whence the city Council is seemingly willing to allocate $500 million for the same notorious Dallas streets that were supposed to get a massive upgrade between 2019 and 2021. And if we can’t keep up with $289 million, ensuring that the work that is to be done with said funds is actually completed, on time and within budget, what makes us so sure that the city can keep up with a budget of $500 million?

The proposed bond, which, if agreed upon, would go to vote on May 4, has, as expected, been a major point of discussion for the council, with council members making cases for their causes of choice before their colleagues and the community. In a council meeting on Wednesday, January 31, the council voted 9-6 to approve a non-binding agreement, pitched by Mayor Pro Tem, Tennell Atkins, who represents District 8. That proposal included $310 million for parks, or $50.5 million more than the council average. The council also agreed to slash the average public safety budget by $5 million, allocating $90 million to the protection of the city and its citizens. Libraries booked a win (you see what we did there?), with the potential to grab $29 million more than the average council budget for $43.5 million of the bond and cultural arts facilities also won big, locking in a potential $75.2 million, $10 million more than the average.

While there doesn’t seem to be much push back on proposed allocations for any of the aforementioned factions of Dallas city life, one major line item received and is still receiving immense criticism: Housing. Housing was allocated just $61 million, a figure that means no more or less is proposed to be set aside than average, after housing advocates asked for $200 million to pour into the development of affordable units. Community members and some council members alike see this as a sign of trouble, especially given Dallas’s rising cost of living and shortage of affordable housing units. Though one councilwoman, Cara Mendelsohn, saw things differently, arguing just days before the council approved the aforementioned proposal that Dallas’ tax-paying citizens should not be required to pay for city-issued debt in order to get the affordable housing that other already established programs can help provide. Advocates pushed back on Mendelsohn, saying that the current city programs are insufficient to meet the need, pointing out that the city is currently 33,600 units short for low-income households. Again though, if the city already has established programs to combat the lack of affordable housing, where is the oversight? How have these programs maintained subpar performance and remained funded?

For some context, these bonds, also called “municipal bonds,” are a type of debt security issued by local, county or state governments to pay for “capital expenditures” or things like roads, dams, schools, etc. Because this bond is debt, it must be paid back, and the way that’s usually done is through a combination of taxes collected and revenue generated by the projects bond funds were invested in. In Dallas’s case, the Dallas Zoo is seeking to have $30 million of bond funds allocated to them (probably from the Parks & Recreations budget), because according to Former Dallas Park Chairman Bobby Abtahi, the “project is your best shot at making transformational change.” While the Dallas Zoo is certainly cool, because who wouldn’t want to hang out with the two emperor tamarin monkeys (Bella and Finn are their names) who were monkey napped at banana point and held hostage amongst a collection of cats and pigeons for two days, it may be a bit of an oversale to call the new leopard enclosure “transformation” — especially when Dallas’s people cannot (legally) live at the Dallas Zoo.

We now know that the bond will go to a vote. The council met on Wednesday, February 14 to finalize the bond proposal and approved calling it to a vote in a May election. So, the money will be borrowed, and the money will be spent. But the real question should be, who is watching the money? Who is ensuring that it’s actually going where it’s supposed to go and being used in a way that’s efficient and effective for all citizens of the city of Dallas? Because to Ms. Cara’s point, this is debt. Debt that, if approved, will mean that the people are on the hook on behalf of the city, in one way or another. It’s worth keeping a watchful eye on where the people’s funds flow, and it wouldn’t hurt to make sure this time around, the city keeps its promise of filling in a few more of those potholes that are costing residents new tires, shocks and the perfect take on their next TikTok video. Just saying.

The post A Look Inside Dallas’s Proposed $1.25 Billion Bond Has the City Wondering, ‘Where is the Money, LaShondra?’ first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn, Pressley, Scanlon, Colleagues Urge Biden to Use Clemency Power to Address Mass Incarceration Before Leaving Office

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country.

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

Oakland Post

Read the letter here.

Watch the press conference here.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06), Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) led 60 of their colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden urging him to use his executive clemency power in the final months of his presidency to reunite families, address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.

The lawmakers hosted a press conference earlier today to discuss the letter. A full video of their press conference is available here and photos are available here.

“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “The grant of pardons and commutations and the restoration of rights will undoubtedly send a powerful message across the country in support of fundamental fairness and furthering meaningful criminal justice reform.”

Mass incarceration remains a persistent, systemic injustice that erodes the soul of America. Our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with nearly two million people locked in jails and prisons throughout the country. The extreme use of incarceration has resulted in one in two adults having had an incarcerated family member. People of color are disproportionately put behind bars, along with individuals from low-income communities, LGBTQIA+ folks, and those with disabilities. The bloated prison system reflects and emboldens biases that undermine the ideals of our nation and diminish trust in the rule of law. Mass incarceration attacks the most vulnerable Americans, thereby destabilizing families and inflicting intergenerational trauma.

In their letter to President Biden, the lawmakers praised the President’s efforts to create a fair and just criminal legal system by pardoning people convicted of simple marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers and urged the President to use his clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers. The lawmakers also outlined the fiscal toll of the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“You have the support of millions of people across the country who have felt the harms of mass incarceration: young children longing to hug their grandparents, people who have taken responsibility for their mistakes, and those who simply were never given a fair chance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These are the people seeking help that only you can provide through the use of your presidential clemency power.”

Joining Representatives Clyburn, Pressley, and Scanlon in sending the letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Sanford Bishop, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, André Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Valerie Foushee, Al Green, Jahana Hayes, Steven Horsford, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, Gregory Meeks, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Robert Scott, Terri Sewell, Marilyn Strickland, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The lawmakers’ letter is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union; Center for Popular Democracy; Last Prisoner Project; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Death Penalty Action; The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; The Faith Leaders of Color Coalition; Second Chance Justice of MCAN; JustLeadershipUSA; FAMM; The Episcopal Church; The Bambi Fund; Free Billie Allen Campaign; People’s Coalition for Safety and Freedom; Prophetic Resistance Boston; and Families Against Mandatory Minimums.

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Tennessee State University Set to Debut the First Division I Hockey Team at An HBCU

THE AFRO — “I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Duanté Abercrombie, the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team, in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

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By Mekhi Abbott
Special to the AFRO
mabbott@afro.com

Tennessee State University (TSU) continues to break ground on a historic journey to become the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to field a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey team. Alongside some assistance from the National Hockey League (NHL), the NHL Players’ Association and the Nashville Predators, the TSU Tigers have already named their official head coach, unveiled their jersey and received their first official commitment from a student-athlete.

TSU held an official press conference to announce the plan in June 2023. Their first official season as a sanctioned Division I program is planned to commence in 2025-26. On April 18, TSU named Duanté Abercrombie as the head coach of the Tennessee State Tigers ice hockey team.

“I am incredibly excited to embark on building this program, supported by God, my family, TSU students, alumni, and all those eagerly awaiting this moment,” said Abercrombie in a press release courtesy of TSU Athletics. “I firmly believe that one day, TSU will be recognized not only as a powerhouse on the ice but also as a program whose student-athletes leave a profound legacy on the world, enriched by the lessons learned at TSU.”

Abercrombie was raised in Washington, D.C., and was mentored by hockey legend Neal Henderson, the first Black man to be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Abercrombie attended Gonzaga College High School and graduated from Hampton University, where he was a track and field athlete prior to retiring due to an injury. After college, Abercrombie briefly played professional hockey in both the New Zealand Ice Hockey League as well as the Federal Hockey League.

After his career as a professional hockey player, Abercrombie moved onto coaching, including stints with his alma mater Gonzaga and Georgetown Preparatory School. In 2022-23, Abercrombie was a member of the coaching staff for NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

“We are no longer doing club play in 2024-25. We are going right into D1 play for 2025-26,” Nick Guerriero told the AFRO. Guerriero is the assistant athletic director of communications and creative content at Tennessee State.

On Jan. 19, TSU got their first official commitment from an ice hockey recruit, Xavier Abel. Abel played at Drury University and scored 12 goals in 34 games, including three game-winning goals. Abel was recruited by Guerriero.

In July, the Tigers got their second commitment from forward Trey Fechko. In October, Trey’s brother Marcus Fechko also committed to Tennessee State. Since, the Tigers have also signed forward Greye Rampton, goaltender Johnny Hicks, Grady Hoffman and four-star forward Bowden Singleton. Singleton flipped his commitment from North Dakota to Tennessee State. Guerriero said that TSU has a “few” other recruits that they are waiting to announce during their November signing period.

“I think it’s important to invest in these unorthodox sports for Black athletes because it allows Black children to have more opportunities to play sports in general,” said Zion Williams, a 2024 Gettysburg College graduate and former collegiate athlete. “The more opportunities that children have, the better. They won’t feel like they are boxed into one thing or sport.”

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HBCU Champions Advance to Postseason Play

WASHINGTON INFORMER — From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2024

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By Ed Hill | The Washington Informer

As the semester quickly winds down, several teams at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are hoping to find success in the postseason.

From HBCU football teams, to the University of the District of Columbia’s soccer program, and Howard University’s volleyball players, athletes are still working to capture titles and garner bragging rights in their various conferences.

South Carolina State proved all the prognosticators wrong by winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season title after being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll.

As a result of their success, defeating the Morgan State Bears 54-7 on Nov. 16, the South Carolina Bulldogs now qualify for the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta, kicking off at noon and streaming on ABC.

However, another game between Jackson State and Southern University must happen a week before the big matchup in Atlanta, before the Bulldogs (8-2, 4-0 MEAC) know who they’ll be going against.

The Bulldogs, who have one game remaining on the schedule against Delaware State on Saturday, Nov. 23, will square off against the winner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title game between Jackson State and Southern University on Dec. 7.

The Southern Jaguars (7-4, 6-1 SWAC) won the West Division, while the Jackson State Tigers (9-2, 7-0 SWAC) captured the East Division and the two will now meet up on Jackson, Mississippi at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, kicking off at 1 p.m. and streaming on ESPN2.

In the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship game, it was Virginia Union University that defeated rival Virginia State 21-17 for the title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16.

Virginia Union University celebrates after defeating Virginia State University, and winning the regular season CIAA title in Salem, Virginia, on Nov. 16. (Courtesy photo)

It was the Virginia Union University Panthers’ second straight CIAA title, avenging a 35-28 loss to the Virginia State University Trojans on Nov. 9. The Panthers (8-3 overall, 6-1 in the CIAA) got an effort of 178 yards rushing on 32 carries and a touchdown from Jodo Byers.

Virginia Union will open the playoffs with a road game at Wingate in Wingate, North Carolina on Nov. 23, with kickoff at 1 p.m.

In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC) championship, it was Miles College (9-2) overwhelming Clark Atlanta (7-3), 53-25 in the title game. The Miles College Golden Bears piled up over 430 yards of total offense, giving them a NCAA Division 2 bid as they host Carson-Newman on Nov. 23 at 11 a.m.

Miles boasts one of the top defenses in the country in Division 2, having forced 33 turnovers.

University of the District of Columbia Soccer Team Defeats Molloy

In men’s soccer, the University of the District of Columbia defeated Molloy University in the East Coast Conference (ECC) championships final on Nov. 17.

The University of the District of Columbia men’s soccer team celebrates after winning the East Coast Conference championship game on Nov. 17 (Courtesy photo)

Mustafa Tahir scored the game-winning goal in the 100th minute. It was Tahir’s third game winner of the season.

The Firebirds (8-7-4, 3-4-1 in the ECC) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division 2 tournament against the No. 7 seed Post University. on Friday, Nov. 22. UDC enters the game on a four-game win streak.

Howard University Volleyball Dominating in the MEAC

Howard University is one of the hottest women’s college volleyball teams.

Howard University’s volleyball team has been on fire at 21-5 overall and undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. (Courtesy photo)

The Bison (21-5 overall, 14-0 MEAC) went undefeated in league play and are on a current 15-game game win streak headed into Friday’s tournament in Dover, Delaware.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at 8:30 pm on ESPNU.

Howard is the top seed, and they will be looking to capture their sixth tournament title and NCAA bid in the past nine years.

The Bison boast one of the top players in the country in junior outside hitter Rya McKinnon, who is headed for an unprecedented third straight Player of the Year honor.