(by Linda Coleman) When James and I started this on-again-off-again blog, it was our intention to highlight the "real" parts of Dallas, like the funky art galleries, cool independently owned shops, and diverse neighborhoods that you didn't see on a certain TV show of the same name. Now, we finally have a mayoral candidate who embodies the sprit of "real" Dallas. When David Kunkle first announced he was running, James and I decided to vote for him, even before we'd heard a single campaign speech because he's one of us--an advocate for neighborhoods, homegrown businesses, good schools and pothole-free streets.Ours is not an impetuous sight-unseen endorsement. We first met David Kunkle in 2004 when he became Police Chief and actually made the rounds to all the neighborhood crime watch groups. He was patient with even the most long-winded and pushy crime watch activists, taking time to hear from everybody without making up excuses for a hasty exit. David even managed to navigate the turbulent, toxic political waters of our city and come out of it unscathed, a remarkable achievement highlighted in this article by Tanya Eiserer at Dallas Morning News: Outgoing Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle reflects on a long ride.
Tonight, we attended a dinner in David Kunkle's home for the Democratic Party Precinct Chairs (a similar function was held for Republican Precinct Chairs last week). His East Dallas home, just off Lower Greenville Avenue, reflects the kind of person he is. It's a new home, but not one of those horrid "McMansions," rather a Tudor-style house that looks amazingly like the original houses in the neighborhood; from the outside, it's hard to tell the difference between his house and the original 1920s era home next door. This care for neighborhood aesthetics is a quality we look for in city leadership.
David was introduced by former State Representative and Swiss Avenue resident Harryette Ehrhardt, who--without naming names--compared David with his opponents in the mayoral race. One of them, she said, has promised to spend his time as Mayor contacting CEOs, asking for their input in running our city. David, she said, will spend time contacting us--which, of course, he spent six years doing as police chief, going to neighborhood meetings, listening to the concerns of real people who live in Dallas.
David began by enumerating a few reasons he decided to run for mayor: the way the Trinity River toll road was misrepresented to the public, how the Convention Center hotel threatened to put taxpayers at risk, and tax abatements for corporations for which there are few benefits to the citizens of Dallas.
Then, there's the issue of former mayor Leppert's hyper-partisanship. As we've already seen from David Kunkle's demeanor as Police Chief, partisanship is not his thing. "I believe the mayor should be non-partisan and reach out to every voter's group," he said, citing his enjoyment as Police Chief representing every kind of group from Stonewall Democrats to the Republican Women's Club.
David Kunkle likes to poke fun at himself for his reputation as being "socially awkward," but enjoys talking about being featured in the documentary "Good to Great," which cited his non-charismatic personality as the mark of leader who genuinely cares about people.
"I've never been motivated by money as a primary driver," said Kunkle, distinguishing himself from his opponents who are definitely driven by profit at the expense of everything else. Which brings up another point--money. The other candidates have it, and David Kunkle doesn't. So what he needs is word of mouth advertising. The other candidates will be stuffing your mailbox with oversized glossy postcards, David Kunkle will be relying upon all of us to put up yard signs, talk to neighbors, and help turn out the vote for Early Voting and Election Day. For more information on helping David Kunkle's campaign, visit his website, Kunkle for Mayor; for information about Early Voting and Election Day polling times and locations, visit Dallas County Elections.
