Wow -- has anyone ever nailed it better than this???: "People will hate me for saying this, but Dallas just suffers from a permanent inferiority complex," said Donna Blumer, who voted against the project as a member of the Dallas City Council in the late 1990s. "It is as if Dallas needs to have something to make it stand out, and they will reach for anything flashy to accomplish this. The bridges are a completely frivolous project." http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4081511.html
What's wrong with a city wanting to take on ambitious projects that make it unique. Just because one slug thinks its "flashy" or "frivolous" doesn't make it so. Heaven forbid anyone build such flashy projects as the Empire State Building, World Trade Center, or Sears Tower. Let alone the completly "frivolous" projects like the Gateway Arch or the Eiffel Tower.
If the OP concerned any other city, that would make sense. But this is Dallas. And I have a hatred for Dallas. Blind or justified, Dallas will always be a crappy city filled with rude people. Just my experience.
City versus private developer is a little different. Adding a little class to a city is one thing or creating a destination in the city...spending excessive amounts on a bridge is different..
Wow, I could feel the hatred in this thread before I even clicked. How can the six letters D-A-L-L-A-S evoke so much pain and anger? That said, Duck Fallas.
I live in dallas after attending hs in htown. I have love for all texans, i dont think dallasites are rude, or horrid people, BUT i dislike dallas, not on the level that i hate san antonio, i think san antonio has to be the worst big city in texas, but dallas comes second. Htown will always be #1 too me but no matter how long i live here in dallas, i will never like/love the place. it just doesnt compare to houston, i don't know exactly what it is.
To be fair, Ms. Blumer had similar comments about the American Airlines Center and DART, and would certainly have said the same about the Toyota Center, Reliant Stadium, Minute Maid Park, Metro Rail and a host of other Houston projects had she been down there instead of in North Dallas. I personally think the Calatrava bridges are a huge waste of money, even if they're being paid for largely through private donations and the like. There are so many other critical areas that need funding where the city is simly throwing up its hands and saying "We ain't got it", so using city (and state money, time and other resources to create an expensive signature project of any kind should be carefully considered. I don't think they did that in regard to the bridges. Not that they'll get built anyway. They can't raise enough money to do it. They severely underestimated how much it would cost to build such things. The Dallas City Council has always been a mess, and I would dare say that Dallas is one of the poorest-managed major cities in the nation.
ahhh...you're right. houston has its own brand of inferiority complex...it just doesn't "look/feel" like dallas'. the statement by the city councilwoman resonated with me, big time, about dallas.
i think every town not named los angeles, new york, and maybe san francisco has an inferiority complex
I don't think Vegas or Miami are having many problems. Basically, if you're a clear-cut #1 in your respective region (California gets broken up into Nocal and Socal), you shouldn't have an inferiority complex. But, when it comes to Texas, there is no city that clearly stands out. It still doesn't excuse Dallas for trying to portray themselves as the "LA or NY type city"... which we all know they're not. I don't think Houston has those dreams (or those aspirations)... they'll settle for being the most urban city in Texas.
