Thursday, June 30, 2011

At 34, new Carrollton mayor is council’s veteran

By DIANNE SOLÍS, Staff Writer
dsolis@dallasnews.com
Published 28 June 2011 10:39 PM

CARROLLTON — Matthew Marchant took office as Carrollton mayor last month with two primary ambitions: develop the area around three new DART stops and combat apartment crime.
Selling the city is the part of the job Marchant, a real estate attorney, said he likes best. He said he wants to stay focused on that, even as residents raise complaints about breeding egrets and who says prayers at council meetings.

“I am focused on what I heard in my campaign as issues: redevelopment and crime in apartments,” Marchant said. “My goal is to focus the council on core city issues.”

Just this month, officials from a unit of Trammell Crow said the company had secured financing for a downtown retail and residential project, or transit-oriented development.

But with a ragged economy, the bank required contract amendments with the city to deal with potential cost overruns on the $40 million, two-phase project. The council agreed to changes involving $13 million in city funds for such items as a parking garage.

Groundbreaking has been rescheduled for Aug. 1 on the project, dubbed The Broadway. That’s nearly a year later than originally planned. It was the third amendment to the contract. Council members have cited the poor economy as their impetus for renegotiating with Trammell Crow, a firm first selected in 2008 for the city’s three DART stops.

“We need a project to kick-start new development there,” Marchant said. “We have a great core with a century-old downtown that is very vibrant. New construction in that area is what needs to be happening.”

The budget remains the biggest challenge, and the council must devise ways to raise revenue with new or stronger businesses, Marchant said. That’s why there’s a development target along the DART Green Line, which expanded north from Dallas to Carrollton in early December. And with the start this month of the A-train, rail service from Carrollton now extends north to Denton.

Anti-crime program
Marchant may be the council’s youngest member at 34, but he’s also its veteran with nearly a decade on the council who beat the incumbent, Ron Branson, with about two-thirds of the vote. Five of seven council members have served two years or less. They include newly elected Anthony Wilder and Bob Garza, who came on board Monday.

“The budgetary environment is different than it was in my earlier years on the council,” Marchant said. “We have focused more on code enforcement and development as we’ve come to realize we are an inner-ring suburb.”

To that point, Marchant quarterbacked a new ordinance that cracks down on apartment crime.
The ordinance contains a crime reduction program for complexes with excessive crime rates. Among the measures those complexes must take are performing criminal background checks on prospective tenants and establishing fencing and lighting. Low-crime and high-crime complexes will receive certificates to be posted in public areas for prospective tenants to see.

Apartments make up about 30 percent of the city’s housing stock, but 22 percent of crimes occur there, Marc Guy, an assistant city manager, said in a recent presentation. So there isn’t a disproportionate amount of crime there, he said.

Religion and egrets

While Marchant wants the council to concentrate on the issues of development and crime, some residents want attention on other issues.

About an hour before Marchant was installed as mayor on May 23, Mike Ghouse, a Carrollton-based organizer of religious tolerance events, gave an ecumenical invocation. The prayer gave gratitude to Yahweh, Allah, Buddha, mother earth and Jesus Christ, among others. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mc9D9guPMY&feature=youtu.be )

Carrollton is a diverse suburb, with about a quarter of its 130,000 population foreign-born, and with large numbers of residents of Asian and Middle Eastern descent. Wilder, then a candidate, objected to the prayer, saying his beliefs were Judeo-Christian.

Last week during a public comment period before the council, two more residents raised religion again. Marchant thanked the men for their comments. Later, he didn’t want to address it further.
As for the egrets and their nests in trees in one north Carrolton neighborhood and pools of droppings, Marchant called it a “tough situation.”

In 1998, Carrollton drew publicity for killing several hundred egrets in an infestation in another part of the city. The city was fined by the federal government because the birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918.

“I try to put myself in their shoes and so does the rest of the city council and the staff,” Marchant said. “We are trying to be as diligent as we can in following the law.”

Residents with the problem want the city to do weekly cleanings of the street. They also want Marchant and the council to ask U.S. Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Carrollton, the mayor’s father and a former Carrollton mayor, to sponsor legislation to amend the bird treaty.

Jeff Foster, a resident who’s led the clean-up fight, has written both men and hopes the new mayor pushes hard with his father.

“This isn’t just like Johnny Joe Citizen contacting the congressman,” Foster said.
Matthew Marchant said City Manager Leonard Martin has talked of approaching “our entire congressional delegation to allow municipalities to take reasonable cleaning measures.”

Saturday, June 25, 2011

SHARIA, NOT IN AMERICA

The intent of the Sharia laws was to construct a complete justice system with fairness to all members of society. Peace and a sense of security are the products of justice in a given society. The violations of justice and the rule of law are found in every faith, culture and political system, to varying degrees. In this respect no community is free of blame and no one can cast the first stone against another community.
American Muslims have placed their trust in the American justice system and will continue to oppose Sharia laws as they are currently applied in many places across the globe. I will be one of the first ones, if not the first one, to stand up against it. The Muslim majority in America is happy with the American system and does not want to have Sharia law here in America.


Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a frequent guest on Hannity show and nationally syndicated Radio shows and Dallas TV, Radio and Print Media. Over 1000 articles have been published on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, India and cohesive societies. Two of his books are poised to be released this fall on Pluralism and Islam. He is available to speak at your place of worship, work, school, college, seminars or conferences.  His work is encapsulated in 27 blogs, four websites and several forums indexed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/.

Carrollton Conversation is in the Video

The Candidates forum was held in June,
all candidates were given the same questions on the same email
and in the forum, each of the candidate was given about 2 minutes each to respond
no one had more time, or no one was aske a question that sligthed any.

We are glad we had a full recording of the event
and no matter what any one said or not said, it is all here:


Mike Ghouse
 

Friday, June 24, 2011

Bigotry of Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain and Right wing Republicans

I am starting a series to take on the the Right wing Republicans... There are many things in this article that will become talking points to moderate Americans who want to fight back the right wingers attacking Muslims, Hindus, Jews and others, there is short poem written as an example tomake Texans, New Yorkers and Californians angry, it is to make the point about false accusations against Muslims.

There are four clear points communicated in this article and God willing more to come through 2012 Elections. I am going on a Drive America Tour this fall talking about building a cohesive America. If you can arrange with your local Democrats and Republicans party to speak, I will be happy to do that.

As a disclosure, I am a moderate Republican and there are plenty of us, but most of them are gutless like most Muslims are and are afraid to speak up. I will fight with them to bring moderates to the front, you are right, I may not succeed but will make  the points is crucial to activate the sleeping Moderate Americans to counter the right wing propaganda.   


I am writing a series and will be talking on American Politics, if you wish to add your comment to my articles to be published in Huffington Post, Washington Post, OpEd News, New York Times and other papers. I will be happy to include, please let me know if you wish to contribute a sentence or a paragraph to it, you must be willing to stand up for the attacks from right wing Muslims and right wing Christians. It is time now. Let’s us be the catalysts for a safe, secure America.

Let us act now as participants, rather than known protestors.

Please feel free to write your comment at the article to create momentum and not allow me to stand alone.

TAKING ON BIGOTRY OF NEWT GIINGRICH, HERMAN CAIN AND REPUBLICANS http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/Bigotry-of-Newt-Gingrich--by-Mike-Ghouse-110622-717.html

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Carrollton City Council candidates asked about race, civil unions, immigration changes

By DIANNE SOLÍS
Staff Writer
dsolis@dallasnews.com
Published 13 June 2011 10:36 PM


CARROLLTON - The runoffs for two City Council seats feature both the expected and the unexpected. There's debate on the budget and the effects of the recession, but in this diverse city of 130,000, there are also questions rising on civil unions and immigration.

In Place 2, former council member and attorney Bonnie Kaplan faces software developer Anthony Wilder. Kaplan won 37 percent of the vote and Wilder 32 percent in the May 14 election.

In Place 4, Bob Garza, a retired telecommunications manager, faces Cathy Henesey, a hospital human resources manager. Garza had 37 percent of the vote and Henesey 30 percent last month.

Early voting for Saturday's runoffs ends Tuesday.

At a candidates' forum last week organized by resident Mike Ghouse, questions were asked about social issues. Ghouse is Muslim, an immigrant from India and an organizer of events centered on religious tolerance and cultural understanding.

Wilder missed the forum, citing scheduling conflicts.

Ghouse asked what the candidates thought of civil unions of gay or lesbian couples. Six years ago, the mayor at the time, Becky Miller, was criticized for participating in a gay pride parade. Gay groups moved quickly to defend her.

The city doesn't offer domestic partner benefits. Kaplan said couples "have the right to be in the kind of relationship they want." The day will come when civil unions are recognized more broadly, she said.

Garza noted that the issue is unresolved at the federal level. "One of my top goals is that I will represent everyone fairly and equally," he said.

Henesey noted that many companies offer domestic partner benefits. After the forum, she said she supports domestic partner benefits for city employees and added that civil unions can involve any two people who are committed but not married.

Issues of racial profiling and opposition to Islam merged into questions on immigration laws.

In 2010, the city was sued by a black businessman beaten by a Carrollton police officer as he prepared to sell a used vehicle to a customer and took off the license plate. The businessman had a concealed weapon, and a police video of the beating included his statement that he had a concealed weapons permit.

"Racial profiling is something that may be happening. . It certainly is something I won't tolerate," Garza said.

Kaplan said her home was painted with a swastika years ago when she moved to Carrollton.

"I am really Irish Catholic," Kaplan said. "My husband is Jewish."

But the incident deepened her sensitivity to discrimination, she said.

Asked if immigration law is a federal or state issue, the three candidates said it is a federal issue.

Henesey, though, said the city should adopt the federal government's volunteer program called E-Verify for its contractors to make sure only legal residents are hired.

Under the E-Verify program, Social Security numbers are checked to see if they are valid. In 2007, the state of Arizona  passed an immigration law that included mandatory use of E-Verify, and that 2007 law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court three weeks ago. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce fought against E-Verify in the Supreme Court case.
# # #

Friday, June 10, 2011

PLEASE VOTE – EARLY VOTINGIN CARROLLTON


I just voted as an early voter in Carrollton; no lines not need to rush through. Just do it.  For Carrolltonians, please read about the candidates who participated in the forum of building a cohesive Carrollton, and I will also post the video., listen to them and vote.   Details of the meeting are at www.Carrolltondiary.com .  Ask your friends to do their civic responsibility to vote. I asked several at the line in McDonalds, one of them thanked me for reminding… you can do it. You are welcome to write your comments at the left panel on the top.
500 votes are in thus far at about 4:30 PM
Mike Ghouse
Committed to a cohesive Carrollton
www.MikeGhouse.net

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Shaping Carrollton Politics

Shaping Carrollton Politics tonight in Candidates Forum
Sponsored by: Barbeque Tonite, Carrollton
Video & Photo: Bombay Photography

PROGRAM OUTLINE
 
The program was videotaped and will be on YouTube with a title “Shaping Carrollton Politics”  and other sites including www.CarroltonDiary.com


It is not a run of the mill candidate forum and it is not about the typical budget issue. It is about building a cohesive Carrollton where no resident has to live in apprehension of the other and more importantly, they need to feel welcome.  We hope you will find this meeting meaningful in building our future.

1.      NATIONAL ANTHEM – Played out Audio

2.     PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Led by former Mayor Ron Branson

3.     PLURALISM GREETINGS – Greetings from A-Z Religions

4.     PURPOSE:  Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity and as residents of this city, we want that to continue. 

It’s my dream to make our city an exemplary city in social cohesion, where we learn to respect and appreciate the uniqueness of each one of us.  Peace is a product of opening our hearts and minds and learning about each other instead of believing in dished out versions of the other. If I need to feel safe, secure and peaceful, I need to work to make sure everyone around me is safe.  If I live in fears, it is likely the others do the same.

The program will be taped and sent as a model event in series of events to take place throughout the United States of America to build cohesive societies
5.     ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
a.     Salim Odhwani, Barbeque Tonite Restaurant
b.     Dignitaries, Former Mayors Becky Miller and Ron Branson

6.     CANDIDATES INTRODUCTION

As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it.  America together, Americans Together is an educational and pragmatic initiative to wean out myths from reality that is hurting the social cohesiveness of America. The myths are vigorously pumped in by a few insecure souls to disrupt delicate balance in the society by pitching one American against the other for their perceived gains.

The purpose of this “America Together” is to remove such myths in an open discussion forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America.
CANDIDATES INTRODUCTION

            Cathy Henesey, place 4
            Bob Garza, place 4|
                        Bonnie Kaplan, place 2
                        Anthony Wilder, Place 2 – declined to attend



7.     ONE MINUTE RESPONSE

Since our independence in 1776, we have been tested time and again by various political, economic and religious forces to divide us, however, at the end we have come out strong as one nation. The Civil War, the Great Depression, the World War, Pearl Harbor, Women’s rights, Abortion, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Budget Deficits, Unemployment, 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan War have all been difficult, but we will make it through and sanity will prevail.


To the naysayers, we say, if we don’t do a thing about it, nothing good can be expected to happen.

Please pass the microphones… after response.

a.     Civil Unions,
b.     Racial profiling,
c.      Islamophobia,
d.     Anti-Semitism
e.      Immigration reforms in Farmers Branch
f.       Anti-Circumcision issues in San Francisco http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/circumcision-satire_b_872270.html  


8.     What plans do they have to keep the social cohesion in Carrollton? We have come a long way to embrace and accept the otherness of other and we have a whole lot more to go; in the coming months we will be holding meetings to understand the complexity of issues such as Gay & Lesbian acceptance, Anti-Semitism, Stereotyping, Racial profiling and hope to find answers that will lead to accepting the otherness of other to co-exists in harmony despite our differences.

9.     Q & A

Please ask the question without commentary, we need to get a few questions answered and I request you to just ask the question… take a minute. Thank you.


10. PLURALISM PRAYERS 

Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity.    

The following is an inclusive prayer called the prayer of Pluralism. We pray for the well being of every resident of Carrollton. 

Let’s reflect, wish and pray:

Dear Creator of the universe,
Please accept our gratitude in every name we call upon you; Manito,  Yahweh, Elahi, Ishwar, Allah, Mahavira, Buddha, Wahe Guru, Ahura Mazda, mother earth and Jesus Christ.  

Dear Causer of the universes,
In your name we want to create a cohesive and peaceful Carrollton with care kindness and dignity to every one of the 130,000 residents of this beautiful City. 

Dear God,
Help us appreciate the prosperity and progress brought to us by our former Mayors, Gravely, Stokes, Miller, Branson and guide our current Mayor Matthew to build a cohesive Carrolton.

Guide us in selecting two candidates from the four, who can serve our city and work on strengthening our unity. 

Guide our council members to treat,
Respect and honor every resident with their heart and soul.
Let goodwill prevail towards fellow Americans.
Guide our Mayor and the council to serve us with integrity and honesty;
Guide us to serve our communities with the spirit of volunteerism;
Guide us to do the right thing every moment of our life;
Guide us to open our hearts and minds toward our fellow beings;
Guide us to shed the arrogance in us, and enrich us with humility

Guide us to become conflict mitigaters and goodwill nurturers.

Dear God, Protect our men and women in uniforms committed to our safety and well being.

Help us learn to respect the uniqueness you have blessed to each one of the 130,000 of us in Carrollton,

And help us learn to respect everywhich way one adores you and worships you.

May God drench and soak us with peaceful thoughts and goodwill.

In your name, we bow to you.

Amen.

More about the Candidates at www.CarrolltonDiary.com
REFRESHEMENT COURTESY OF SALIM ODHWANI

Candidates Forum - Reshaping Carrollton politics tonight

CANDIDATES FORUM:
Re-shaping Carrollton tonight

It is not a run of the mill candidate forum and it is not about the typical budget issue. It is about building a cohesive Carrollton where no resident has to live in apprehension of the other and more importantly, they need to feel welcome.

Program: Candidate’s forum
Date: 6: 30 PM, Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Place: Barbeque Tonite Restaurant,
Address: 2540 Old Denton Road, Suite 173, Carrollton, TX 75006
Intersection: S.E Corner of Old Denton and 190/Trinity.
We thank Salim Odhwani, owner of Barbeque Tonite for facilitating the event.

The Candidates will be asked how they would handle issue regarding Civil Unions, Racial profiling, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and immigration reforms. What plans do they have to keep the social cohesion in Carrollton?

The Candidates:

Place 2: Bonnie Kaplan and Anthony Wilder
Approximately, they received 37% and 32% respectively.

Place 4:  Bob Garza and Cathy Henesey
approximately, they received 37% and 30% respectively.

Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity.  The program will be taped and sent as a model event in series of events to take place throughout the United States of America to build cohesive societies.

It’s my dream to make our city an exemplary city in social cohesion, where we learn to respect and appreciate the uniqueness of each one of us.  Peace is a product of opening our hearts and minds and learning about each other instead of believing in dished out versions of the other. If I need to feel safe, secure and peaceful, I need to work to make sure everyone around me is safe.  If I live in fears, it is likely the others do the same.

CONTACT: MIKE GHOUSE
Text Messages & Phone: (214) 325-1916
America Together Foundation
2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206, Dallas, TX 75234

=================================================

ANTHONY WILDER, PLACE 2
The candidate declined.

BONNIE KAPLAN, PLACE 2
http://www.bonniekaplan.org/

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Bonnie Kaplan and I am running for Carrollton City Council, Place 2. Thank you for coming here this evening.

I know about budgets and economic development from having served before on the Carrollton City Council. This time, if I am fortunate enough to be elected, my emphasis will be on community.

Let me tell you two stories to illustrate. Back in the year 2000, I was serving on city council and was running for mayor. In the middle of the campaign, on Easter Sunday which was also Passover, my very large double white front doors were spray painted with a huge black swastika. My husband is a Jew, and in a Jewish household there is not a symbol that is more disgusting. We were shocked and horrified, as were many in our community. This cruel event hurt us for a very long time, for it caused us to wonder who would do something so terrible to us. Through this event, I learned what it felt like to be an outsider, ostrasized for no reason except religion and heritage.

I always had a heart and a soul for community and diversity. This event only strengthened it.

In 2009, the A.W. Perry Museum Society decided to make a quilt to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the rebuilt A.W. Perry home. I was named project leader for a fundraising event. We decided to sell squares and strips that people would purchase and sign. The signed squares and strips would be incorporated into the design of the quilt. I realized that Carrollton today looked very different than the Carrollton of 1909. One of the most obvious differences was in the demographics. Today Carrollton is a very diverse city, ethnically, religiously and socially.

I decided to seek out those who would represent the many kinds of diversity. Therefore, we reached out to everyone. No one was excluded. People who participated in the project ranged from in ages from eight to ninety-one. Many different races were included in the quilt. Some people signed because of their occupations, such as firefighters and boy scouts, others signed because of their countries of origin, such as Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Mexico, China, Vietnam and Egypt. There were patches for various churches, including Christians, Baptists, Hindu, Orthodox Armenians, Jewish and Muslims. Descendants of the original settlers of Carrollton also signed the quilt.

The signed squares and strips were sent to a quilter with no instructions on how to place them. She did not know the participants and so randomly placed the patches throughout the design. The finished quilt became of tapestry of Carrollton’s diversity and community. It represents an ideal to which we can all aspire, with all the differences stitched into one beautiful whole!




The four issues identified in your request are a variety of diverse topics that have been argued at the national level for many years and all still remain virtually unresolved in the minds of most Americans. 

In my campaign literature and in several public forums, I have documented one of my 5 top goals as "fair and equitable representation for all Carrollton residents".  Race, color, religion, sexual orientation or financial status will not be criteria used by me to determine how I will treat my constituents.

If elected, my plan is to partner with council members and together explore establishing the Diversity Round Table that existed a few years ago.  The objective would be to seek individuals that represent the vast diverse population that resides in our great city.

In my many years of life experience and all that has been brought in my  direction I have learned that fear of the unknown is perhaps what keeps us from truly understanding  our differences. We need to pursue that unknown to know who we are.

With that in mind I would recommend a three step approach.

Step 1 Education: Once the Round Table group is established an education phase would begin.  The objective is to get to know all cultures represented on an overview perhaps high level basis.

Step 2 Explore: The next phase is to explore the commonalities and perhaps the differences between each culture and analyze what and why those differences exist. 

Step 3 Celebrate: Once better prepared and educated on our commonalities and our differences we should then formulate a plan to share, display and celebrate our cultures.

These are three simple steps that should be used to build on.  We should explore what other municipalities have in place and learn from their successes.

Carrollton is a great place to work, live and raise a family that is fast growing in minority representation.  That should not be looked at as a negative but should be celebrated.




CATHY HENESY, PLACE 4

Social Cohesion by Cathy Henesey
Word Count: 249, as requested

Wikipedia defines social cohesion as a term that   “describe the bonds or ‘glue’ that bring people together in society, particularly in the context of cultural diversity.”

 I believe that Carrollton exudes social equality as seen by all representations of individuals that live in our neighborhoods and our culturally diverse business owners. 
I think our legal citizens enjoy fair and equal conditions when it comes to housing, jobs, education, and overall social conditions. Our opportunities as a leader are to encourage our community to participate in our community beyond their comfort zone. Our city’s boards/commissions lack participants to fill seats, our HOAs are lacking citizens who want to step up as leaders and our civil and charity organizations lack board members to sustain their organizations. The opportunity is there for all citizens to make a difference.

As an elected official, it would be my responsibility to reach out to all residents of Carrollton and make them aware of the vast opportunities to get involved and how vitally important it is to keep our city thriving.

Volunteering plays a key role in economic regeneration and we need our community to stay active; it is empathy that can lead to segregation and separation. I find great inspiration from Seth Godin’s book, The Tribe, who speaks differently about getting people involved and feeling a part of something bigger. 

I live this methodology and I have an innate ability to lead and get others involved in a bigger vision than they can think individually.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: Reshaping Carrollton Tonight

It is not a run of the mill candidate forum and it is not about the typical budget issue. It is about building a cohesive Carrollton where no resident has to live in apprehension of the other and more importantly, they need to feel welcome.

Program: Candidate’s forum
Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Time: 6:30 PM
Place: Barbeque Tonite Restaurant,
Address: 2540 Old Denton Road, Suite 173, Carrollton, TX 75006
Intersection: S.E Corner of Old Denton and 190/Trinity.

We thank Salim Odhwani, owner of Barbeque Tonite for facilitating the event.

The Candidates will be asked how they would handle issue regarding Civil Unions, Racial profiling, Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and immigration reforms. What plans do they have to keep the social cohesion in Carrollton?

The Candidates:

Place 2: Bonnie Kaplan and Anthony Wilder
Approximately, they received 37% and 32% respectively.

Place 4:  Bob Garza and Cathy Henesey
approximately, they received 37% and 30% respectively.

Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity.  The program will be taped and sent as a model event in series of events to take place throughout the United States of America to build cohesive societies.

CONTACT: MIKE GHOUSE
Text Messages & Phone: (214) 325-1916
America Together Foundation
2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206
Dallas, TX 75234