For those who don't know Dallas, it is a 5800 acre area south of the Trinity River - the dividing line between more affluent area in northern section. It's communities tend to be mostly minority, they tend to be areas of concentrated poverty and declining schools. It is the area which surrounds the State Fair Park. The eastern most neighborhood has been judged poorer than the lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, pre-Katrina.

And it contains a 13 square mile area saturated with more than 300 liquor related businesses! And Dallas' City Council unanimously granted a liquor license for another business that serves alcohol.

The area where the the establishment is located is called by its owner, a 'sports bar'. It is, he says, akin to a 'Dave and Busters'. But it is in an area that is littered with clubs that sell liquor, dives, liquor stores (in fact there is one right next door to the 'sports bar'). There are not only liquor stores, but three scrap metal yards - all across the street - literally, from scrap metal yards.

As I mentioned in my Dallas Morning News column, residents in this area have met for more than a year, acquiring the services of technical advisers, a city planner and have worked with city staff to develop a proposal for the redevelopment of the area.

Homeowners, community leaders and clergy in South Dallas are working with technical advisers, an urban planner and city staff to develop a model for revitalizing the South Lamar Street corridor. The goal is a big one: To dramatically reverse the persistent economic decline and social distress in this neighborhood.... A rebirth for South Dallas is possible if the city will work with them.... This is why even the prospect of continuing to grant special use permits for more alcohol-related businesses is so disturbing. These are not quality-of-life-enhancing commercial institutions such as a grocery store, a pharmacy, a bank or a credit union – all of which are in critically short supply. - (Gerald Britt, Dallas Morning News)

What's worse is the decision to disregard and disrespect of the desires of citizens. Citizens who believe that their lifelong investments, and indeed their lives, are only deserving of economic development surrounding their neighborhood which in the aggregate attracts that which degrades and devalues the place they call home.

They deserve better representation

Their hard work deserve more respect

The deserve to be regarded in with dignity and self worth

Those are all pretty naive notions in politics these days. There's a place for the market, but that place should never trump the best interests of families and neighborhoods and their dreams for their future.

This just makes me want to work with them more...