100

If Dallas were 100 people. . .

• 24 would be below the poverty level
• 76 would be above
• 29 would be white
• 25 would be black
• 42 would be Hispanic
• 3 would be Asian
• 1 would be Other
• 9 travel less than 10 minutes to work
• 30 travel 10-19 minutes to work
• 23 travel 20-29 minutes to work
• 25 travel 30-44 minutes to work
• 13 travel 45 or more minutes to work
• 16 less than $15,000 in household income/benefits
• 26 $15,000 to $34,999 in household income/benefits
• 15 $35,000 to $49,999 in household income/benefits
• 17 $50,000 to $74,999 in household income/benefits
• 9 $75,000 to $99,999 in household income/benefits
• 9 $100,000 to $149,999 in household income/benefits
• 10 $150,000 or more in household income/benefits
• 39 with private health insurance
• 21 with public health insurance
• 31 no health insurance
• 9 other health insurance coverage
• 30 own home with mortgage
• 14 own home free and clear
• 56 rent
• DISD students:  70 Hispanic, 5 white, 23 black
• 85 DISD students economically disadvantaged
• 15 DISD students not economically disadvantaged
• 58 speak only English at home
• 38 speak only Spanish at home
• 2 speak other Indo-European languages at home
• 2 speak Asian and Pacific Island languages at home
• 1 speaks other language
• 14 less than 9th grade education
• 12 high school but didn't graduate
• 22 high school graduate
• 18 some college but no degree
• 9 associate's degree
• 18 bachelor's degree
• 11 graduate degree or higher
• 38 Evangelicals
• 14 Mainline Protestants
• 7 Historically black Protestant
• 15 Catholics
• 7 Other faiths
• 18 Unaffiliated
• 77 drive alone
• 11car pool
• 4 public transportation
• 2 walk
• 1 Bicycle
• taxi, motorcycle or other
• 4 work at home
• 83 work in Dallas County
• 17 work outside Dallas County

From a report in The Dallas Morning News (July 12, 2015)

Texas Connector is here!!!

See information below on one of the most amazing community assessment and development tools that I've ever seen. Plan to attend the Dallas area roll out next Tuesday, February 21 at 9:00 a.m. at the Richardson East Church of Christ (1504 E. Campbell Road, Richardson, Texas 75081).

Demographic shift: poverty and suburbs

Alan Ehrenhalt's essay in last Sunday's edition of The Dallas Morning News ( "Trading Places," August 17, 2008, 1P) should be required reading for leaders, city planners and anyone interested in effective responses to poverty in the U. S.

Ehrenhalt predicts that more affluent and younger residents of major metropolitan areas across the nation will continue their migration to the central cities. At the same time, the cost of housing and the associated forces accompanying the movement of the upper classes back downtown will force low-income people, including a growing number of immigrants, to move out of the inner city to the suburbs.

Read his essay and give me your feedback.

If Ehrenhalt is correct, the cities of America will begin to look more European, except for our ubiquitous downtown freeways.

Thinking about the future of our work, it seems clear that our approach will need to be dual dimensional. We'll need to turn our eyes to the suburbs and our partners there, while working hard to carve out spaces for the poor who desire to remain in the inner city.

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"Snooty" is never pretty

Here's one for the books.

If you live in the Stonebriar subdivision in Frisco, Texas, pay careful attention to the make and model when you buy a pickup.

Jim Greenwood is learning his lesson the hard way.

You see, Jim bought himself a brand new Ford F-150 pickup, brought it home to Stonebriar and parked it in front of his house. I bet he was proud of that new truck. I sure would be. You know, new car proud, the emotion that makes your eager to show your neighbors?

Bad mistake.

Jim started receiving notices from the Stonebriar Home Owners Association (HOA) notifying him that he was in violation of the rules of the community that prohibit parking pickup trucks in driveways out front of homes.

As it turns out, that's not quite true.

The HOA does allow residents to park "luxury" trucks on driveways, including the Cadillac Escalade, the Chevrolet Avalanche, the Lincoln Mark LT and a few others, like Chevy Suburbans and Hummers. . .just not the standard Ford F-150.

Bill Osborn, a member of the HOA board, explained, "The high-end vehicles that are allowed are plush with amenities and covers on the back. It doesn't look like a pickup. It's fancier."

When Greenwood appealed, noting that his truck is not a lot different from the Lincoln, the HOA responded, "It's our belief that Lincoln markets to a different class of people."

Can't believe they said that!

Snooty just isn't pretty, is it? Class is a bigger issue in this nation than we'd like to admit, but then, this is not a new development.

Tomorrow I'll post a note about an interesting development that is starting to play out in the nation's cities. It seems that wealthy folks are actually moving back to the central cities of America, while the poor are moving to the suburbs.

Watch out, Stonebriar! The pickups are headed your way.

[This post was inspired by reading Steve Stoler's report, "HOA: Pickup not in right class," in The Dallas Morning News, Sunday, August 17, 2008, 2B]

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