Stage Four: Critique an editorial or commentary from a Texas blog | My Critique: A Good Steward…When Caught

Blog Stage Four

Stage Four: Critique an editorial or commentary from a Texas blog

In Ross Kecseg’ “A Good Steward… When Caught” article, the author claims that those responsible of oversight are guilty of abuse by insisting that their lifestyle is in need of lavish corporate perks and prestige. He believes the guilty party should instead, “Find a job in the private sector and stop sticking North Texans with [their] bar tab.” I completely agree with Kecseg on this matter. Is it really required for city officials such as the mayor to purchase a $1,500 bottle of wine? That is just unacceptable. Let’s investigate this even further.

 Here is some background information. First and foremost, Mireya Villareal, did a thorough investigation of the utilization of funds by officials at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The CBS journalist discovered that multi-million dollar funds were spend on travel expenses to domestic and international destinations that include Las Vegas, Dubai, and South Korea. What were these expenditures? These expenditures were first class-airfare, chauffeured limousines, 5-star hotels and $7,000 dinner tabs along with shocking alcohol purchases. Now was all this necessary? Of course not! Think about the money abused here, add them all up, there is so much you can do with that $2.2 million. Like say perhaps donate it to a hospital?

The airport is paid for by traveler fees and airlines. However since it is a public subsidiary of joint owners, the city of Dallas and Fort Worth appoint eleven out of twelve members as trustees to oversee the airport. Trustees can be mayors, city council, and other staff members. One of whom was the Dallas Mayor, Mike Rawlings who is responsible for oversight and accountability. Accountable is not the right word for this mayor who ordered three bottles of wines worth $1,500 a piece along with a $7,300 dinner with Korean Air executive. That excessive abuse of money was only reimbursed after the mayor discovered that CBS had launched a thorough investigation of where and how the campaign funds were allocated to.

 Was this truly a legit business expense? Here’s his reasoning, “Because we need to be good stewards. We do not need to be spending $1,500 a bottle on wine… It was good for the city, but I didn’t want the citizens to pay for it.” Be good stewards, or be major league suck ups and appease international officials? No doubt, I would never pay so much for a bottle of wine in my entire life. How exactly is this good for the city? Why should we even have to pay for it in the first place, you made that call without the citizen’s knowledge, Mr. Mayor and Mrs. Mayor (yes, officials do take their spouses to enjoy a meal worth the equivalent price of seven Apple Macbook Pros.) 

 The truth is Kecseg is right about airlines being attracted to access to profitable routes. Lavish favors do not secure routes between international destinations and DFW. “If your lifestyle requires lavish corporate perks and prestige, find a job in the private sector and stop sticking North Texans with your bar tab,” says Kecseg. I agree with you my fellow Texan. Kecseg as of now runs the DFW office for Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. The way he titled his blog pretty much sums up how I feel: the mayor was only a "good steward" when he was caught by CBS doing a thorough investigation.