Thread: TX: Rename Dallas N. Tollway after Caesar Chavez??

Thought you'd want to know the update to this. So far no news article, but I do have the video from the news story from this morning.

There was an update on the noon news that they LOST the battle to re-name Ross Avenue for Caesar Chavez!! Yay!

The clip I saw showed the pure ARROGANCE of these "activists," pretty much saying that "you can't ignore an entire city wanting this." WHATEVER!! Dream on!!

Most native Texas and Dallasites WANT Ross Avenue to remain the same, as it's a piece of Dallas history. No one I know wants any well known downtown streets to be renamed for Caesar Chavez. They said they won't give up, and they will continue the fight to rename ANY downtown street for their "hero." (They don't want anywhere else except for downtown Dallas to have this renamed for Caesar Chavez, I guess for their visibility).

It was sickening to see busloads of Hispanic activists (legal or illegal? who knows in this town) being brought in for this council meeting. I guess LULAC or La Raza paid for this once again, I'm sure!

Hope they keep getting shot down!

Here's the video:

http://www.wfaa.com/video/index.html?nvid=284014

TexasGal

That's great news TG!

Here's an interesting commentary from the Dallas Morning News (in our favor, surprise, surprise!).

(And read some of the interesting comments, too.)

TexasGal


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 7fb23.html

Mark Davis: Chávez name doesn't meet Dallas' bar

05:24 PM CDT on Friday, August 22, 2008

In 1966, César Chávez led a march to Austin in support of farm workers from Starr County, along the Rio Grande. As such, from Viboras to San Isidro, from Santa Elena to the county seat of Rio Grande City, if the locals wanted to name a stretch of road after the labor leader, it would make sense.

Even more accommodatingly, since the march was to Austin, if the City Council there wanted to establish a César Chávez Street or Boulevard or whatever, history would seem to provide a basis. And that's exactly what happened to part of First Street.

But as Latino activists scramble to find something else – anything – to rename in his memory, they are running headlong into an unavoidable obstacle. The fact is that César Chávez in no way meets the standard for earning a major existing Dallas street name.

This is not a slap at Mr. Chávez, who spent his life fighting for farm workers' rights while stressing the importance of education and voting. But street and highway names are a precious commodity – and must be awarded with a sense of history and relevance.

When the idea arose for renaming gritty-sounding Industrial Boulevard to more aptly fit the coming wonders of the Trinity River development, Dallas city leaders stupidly went along with the idea of soliciting suggestions from the general public.

I'm a big fan of the general public. It would have been nice to come up with a few plausible suggestions and then open the floodgates for all that phone and Internet input. A pleasant, topographic reference like Riverfront Boulevard probably would have won anyway.

As it happened, the city put itself in the sticky position of snubbing the activist thousands who barraged the process with their pet passion of the moment: César Chávez Boulevard.

There was no way one of the city's main thoroughfares ever would be changed to reflect someone with no specific importance to Dallas. Now, those poll results are being wielded as a political weapon to pressure the city to slap Mr. Chávez's name on another perfectly good thoroughfare, Ross Avenue.

Enough. It is time for some unpleasant truths.

To begin with, cities all over America have streets named after Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Incidentally, the streets bearing those names in Dallas are the only ones in America that intersect, just southwest of Fair Park.

Neither Dr. King nor Malcolm X had a great deal of Dallas-specific significance, but naming new streets for them – or renaming existing ones – is an instantly worthy topic because of their massive, nationally recognized significance at a key moment in the history of every black American.

Those clamoring for a César Chávez Anything in Dallas wish for all the world that their hero belonged in that league of civil rights significance. He does not, and through no fault of his own.

Surely Hispanics have faced slings and arrows of discrimination through the years. Today, they face the stigma of misplaced aggression as some whites – and blacks – cast aspersions on their proliferation because of the millions of their brethren who flout our immigration laws.

But the definitive drama in America's minority history is not Hispanic, Asian or even American Indian. It is African-American. There is no Latino Martin Luther King Jr., no Asian or Indian Malcolm X.

The Hispanic desire to find something to name after Mr. Chávez is understandable, even supportable. He was a significant figure in improving the plight of workers from south of the border.

A new street of somewhat more modest prominence. A park, a square, even some new city building. Any of these would be fitting for the name of one of the many figures who, for many reasons, has earned wide favor with one or more of Dallas' diverse communities.

But a signature boulevard that will be the showplace of downtown? A perfectly good existing street like Ross Avenue? Or, the most recent absurdity courtesy of City Plan Commissioner Neil Emmons, the Dallas North Tollway?

Those answers are no. The César Chávez name brigade needs to lower its bar to a more sensible level so area Hispanics can focus on real problems.

Mark Davis is heard weekdays from 8:30 to 11 a.m. on WBAP-AM, News/Talk 820. His e-mail address is mdavis @wbap.com.


And look at this comment on the article that just shows the arrogance of some of the pro-illegal Latino community in Dallas:

Laura Granja | 2 weeks ago

Hello Mr. Davis
My name is Laura and of course im a proud Latina from Dallas Texas. I read your comment about Cesar Chavez and that hes not "worthy" to be named as a street, and that there's a bar to be held.
Are you drunk right now? I am disgusted by your views and believe that you should be worried about your job. I dont believe that a person like you cares for the people and "knows" the people. Who are you?!? Cesar Chavez did many things not just for the latin community but for everyone in differrent races and backgrounds. He is a hero and he should be awknowledged in American History. He is in the same level as Martin Luther King, but sorry that you dont feel that way. Latinos, Asians, Blacks and any other race I left out is important and all should be represented in American History for doing a big part for our country. America is the country of different values,races,backgrounds,sex's etc, and if you didnt know that, well I guess you should go back to school and learn a little something about unity,equality and history! Latinos have been here for a very long time but now our voices are going to be heard so watch out, changes are going to happen even if it takes days,months or years. I personally promise to that.
Thank you for your time
Brown & Proud!"

And another comment from the article:

However, myself, and many more of Dallas ' citizens simply take issue with your organization's insistence to remove, throw out, demean and literally diminish the rich pioneer history belonging to the Ross brothers here in Dallas as your group attempts to force this renaming effort down the throat of Dallas ’ citizens. Myself and many more Dallas' citizens I suspect would fully support renaming a generic named significant street in or near downtown Dallas in honor of Cesar Chavez or whoever your group and the city council decides to break bread with. But I repeat, Dallas' Hispanics will not get respect on this issue by disrespecting the contributions of another ethnic group that has had a long history helping to develop the City of Dallas .

TexasGal

Latinos have been here for a very long time but now our voices are going to be heard so watch out, changes are going to happen even if it takes days,months or years. I personally promise to that.

Notice how these ethno-centrists always resort to threats of a take over and what not, when they do not get their way! Do we need any more evidence these people are engaged in a reconquista movement in this country!

Real endearing...

And one more comment, with some interesting history on this renaming movement.

Sorry Dave, There are many from within Dallas' Hispanic community who said HELL NO in 1993 to Domingo Garcia's attempt to discard Dallas' pioneer history when we fought successfully to retain the name of Pike Park in honor of Edgar Pike when Pike Park was attempted to be renamed Santos Rodriguez Park. Once again, in 2008, we say HELL NO to councilwoman Elba Garcia as we stand firm to protect Dallas' pioneer history to retain Ross on Ross Avenue. Dallas' Hispanic community and the Cesar Chavez Task Force will not get respect from Dallas' citizens by trying to rewrite Dallas' pioneer history.

(Someone want to educate me on who Santos Rodriguez is? I have no idea.)

TexasGal

Dallas officials clash over a street's name

Monday, October 20, 2008 | 7:13 AM

DALLAS, TX -- Industrial Boulevard is a dull strip lined with liquor stores and bail bonds offices in the Trinity River Bottoms just west of downtown Dallas.
City officials refuse to rename the boulevard Cesar Chavez, so Hispanic leaders want another street where half a million marched in 2006 for immigration reform.
But they might get neither, and that troubles some Latinos in the nation's ninth-largest city. They're suspicious of why efforts for a "Cesar Chavez Avenue" in Dallas have stumbled -- particularly on one faded downtown street that has become a key piece of a planned $2 billion urban makeover.
In a city survey over what to rename Industrial Boulevard, Chavez turned up the overwhelming favorite. It won handily over names such as "Riverfront" and "Trinity Lakes," but Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said the survey wasn't binding.
Leppert said he wants to find another street to honor Chavez. Latino leaders say they won't compromise. Cesar Chavez Task Force leader Alberto Ruiz believes the city would have accepted the choice had it been someone other than the late labor leader and civil rights activist.
Ruiz said the resistance to Chavez for Industrial and another prominent Dallas street, Ross Avenue, has "a bit of a sentiment that it does have to do with race." Opponents say it's simply about finding the appropriate road.

http://abclocal.go.com