Billy MacLeod

Dallas Stonewall Democrat Candidate Questionnaire

1.     What is your opinion of occasionally scheduling Council meetings in the evenings and/or on weekends in consideration of constituents who have 9-5 jobs on weekdays?

I am the very person you refer to in the question. I work from 8-5 and it is difficult enough getting off work when you are ill much more so when you admit you were simply participating in democracy. I have experienced the difficulty in explaining to superiors why I had to take time off. I have personally spoken at City Council meeting dozens of times.  I believe speaking at a City Council meeting is a right of all residents.  I am 100% in favor of having evening meetings, but I would not want them to be merely ceremonial watered down.

2.     What level of support would you lend to monthly or quarterly town hall meetings in the evenings and/or on weekends?

Again, I am 100% in favor of town hall meetings being scheduled monthly. Simply put, I will make it happen. I would even go one step farther suggest having impromptu meetings whenever necessary to gather, mobilize, and discuss pressing issues. This is the hallmark of local government and it is sorely lacking at Dallas City Hall. I pledge to be the most accessible candidate that district 2 has seen in a decade. Furthermore, believe in communicating with my district daily through social media. In this digital world we live in people deserve to have access to their elected officials. My opponent has no web-site, no Face book page, No Linkedin profile, and she does not use Twitter. I have no idea how this is even possible in but I will say that District 2 deserves more from an elected official than zero social media presence. She may have an open door policy but online she is closed.

3.     What is the single most important action Dallas has yet to do or do well enough to improve the quality of the air we breathe and how would you propose such action be properly funded and supported?

Our primary focus should be on the reduction of air emissions. We must increase public awareness of specific opportunities for residents and business owners to reduce emissions. The Dallas City Council needs a Dynamic Leader who can work directly with The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). We need a leader on the council who has the communications skills to convince Dallas residents that we need to make clean air choices. We must promote clean air programs and grants and when I am elected I will focus on this issue very closely and pledge to work with groups such as Air North Texas, Sustainable Skylines- Dallas and Take Care Texas to lobby for change.

As a growing area, Dallas faces many environment-related challenges. As a way to address these challenges the City of Dallas must have a vocal and dynamic leader who can clearly communicate these challenges to Dallas residents and business owners but who also has the diplomatic ability to build partnerships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). We can improve air quality in Dallas but there is no quick fix. We need to a number of things to happen simultaneously if we are going to make any progress.

I look at the primary goal in improving air quality as implementing sustainable best practices across the board to help improve Dallas’ air quality. This cannot only be done through voluntary projects. We must seek to achieve measurable environmental benefits not simply recite political platitudes. In these situations any true leader must trust but verify while always being mindful that any effort to help should add to the vitality of the Dallas economy and the quality of life of Dallas’s citizens not subtract.

In the long term, there are some other examples of programs which I believe will yield measurable results such are the Green Taxi program, the Green Building project, the greenhouse gas strategy, focusing on renewable energy/energy efficiency outreach, the Site Assessment Visits Plus (SAV+) program, and the small off-road equipment replacement and retrofits. These programs were supposed to yield quantifiable benefits within three years but 4 years later these programs have not yet proven successful.

4.     Please provide clear examples and explanations of both appropriate as well as inappropriate applications of eminent domain by a municipality.

Appropriate application of eminent domain by a municipality is when it benefits the community as a whole.  For example, the dart rail system had the city use some of its eminent domain rights to use land to build Dart Rail.  This has helped increase the property values of homes close to a rail station and give residents a cleaner inexpensive way of traveling in the city.

Inappropriate use of eminent domain is when the city takes a portion of a homeowner’s land that has no true benefit to the community as a whole and puts undue strain on the homeowner.  For example, the city wanting to cut down 100 year old oak trees to put in a sidewalk would not benefit the community or the homeowner as much as rerouting the sidewalk or integrating the tree into the street plans.

5.     What priority should it be to the City to identify and contact the owners of stray dogs and cats to avoid the inadvertent euthanasia of a beloved pet?

As a proud parent of an SPCA adopted Chihuahua mix, Rocky, I can think of few events more devastating than finding out he had been inadvertently euthanized.  Yes, a top priority should be made to not only ensure that pets are not euthanized but also develop task committee to assist animal shelters in leveraging resources so stray cats and dogs don’t have to be euthanized in the first place.  There are several non profits which exist to rescue strays and I would work towards uniting them in efforts by creating social networking site where they can meet together and exchange information and build support.  This is just one of many ideas I have to use my city council seat as a platform to launch education, information, resource sharing, and fundraising to unite efforts on a local political, social, and business front to make our city a better place to live, work, and play.

6.     What recourse should City employees have against workplace harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression?

City employees should have immediate assistance and justice for any workplace harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.  There needs to be a zero tolerance policy.  I will be a strong supporter and advocate for prompt action when these complaints are put forth.

7.     What reasonable recipient criteria and procedural safeguards should be applied to the awarding of the Key to the City?

Keys to the city should not be given out like Mardi Gras beads.  However, my opponent and incumbent Pauline Medrano was one of the first to begin treating this award like  Halloween candy.  In 2006, she awarded the captains of club America and Chivas de Guadalajara keys to the city.  Actually, one of her staffers awarded the keys on her behalf.  There were not any reasons given for the award and the informal manner that the awarding took place encouraged other council members to start handing out keys like candy as well.  This kind of disregard for standards, criteria, or protocol is just what frustrates residents.  I want to bring back more structure and specialness to the award.  This is supposed to be one of the biggest commendations that can be bestowed on a person.  However, it has turned into one of the biggest jokes on the city.

I propose setting forth the following criteria when awarding the Key to the City: A significant economical, intellectual, or artistic contribution by a citizen or visiting guest that improves the city of Dallas in a measurable way.  The measurement could be based on financial or reputation improvement as determined by a committee designated to review and evaluate proposals for the award.  The procedural safeguards should be enforced by the committee.

8.     What specific City of Dallas LGBT Task Force’s accomplishments would influence your opinion for or against turning into a Commission?

The Anti Bullying task committee was a great success but we now need to enforce the policies they created at DISD.   Once a policy is created, there needs to be follow up in order to make it effective and I pledge to offer the dynamic leadership necessary to make better enforcement a reality.  Turning the task force into a commission is the next logical step to making sure the findings of the force are put into place and can be enforced and I will support doing so completely.  My website is perfectly clear on my stance on anti-bullying policy while my opponent has remained silent, this will continue whether I am elected or not. I will be a leader and vocal advocate for making sure the commission is not only formed but that it will also be given the resources and attention it needs to be successful.

9.     Please explain how/if the benefits of the current City of Dallas Police Department Diversity Training Program are sufficient to expand the program to include the Fire Department.

The City of Dallas Police Department Diversity Training Program is a good beginning point for diversity training and education that all city employees, including the fire department can find benefits from.  Being a public employee has special responsibilities and duties to make sure no one is discriminated against or harassed.  Public officials like city council persons have extra responsibility to act when charges of harassment or discrimination are put forward.  Unfortunately the current city council person for district 2 has little drive or action to show her commitment for seeking justice when legitimate claims are presented.  I promise to lead by example and continue to devote my time and efforts to bring light to LGBT issues and concerns.  Because the issues that concern LGBT community are issues everyone in the community should be concerned about.  If there are children being bullied, or same sex couples being discriminated against, it goes against everything previous generations have fought for in civil rights reform and just common courtesy.  I find it appalling that the cases brought to the attention of the city have gone unprosecuted.  Ignoring, delaying, or putting off addressing the incidents will only cause more incidents to occur.  I walked in the parade for Human Rights equality, supported Taste of Life, Life Walk, and other events where I made it a point to reach out and listen as well as speak with people in the community to find out what was important to them.  This issue of anti discrimination was at the top of their lists.  Diversity Training is just the first step.  Help me take the additional steps needed to improve the action of the city of Dallas and consider endorsing me for Dallas City council District 2.

10. What would the minimum regulatory restrictions need to be in order for you to vote in favor of allowing natural gas drilling within city limits?

I am torn on this issue because of our $100,000,000 budget shortfall and the potential huge revenue gain to the City of Dallas. I have closely studied the City of Pittsburg Pennsylvania who outlawed all gas drilling after years of allowing it. I am greatly troubled by what I have read about the problems with water contamination near gas wells. Admittedly I do not have all of the answers I need but my research showed that most cities will not allow natural gas drilling within their limits and it seems like they have done so for very good reasons.

The possible devastation and danger to the community is not worth the short term gain of revenue.  The air, soil, water, environment, and health of residents would have to be shown free of any possible threat in order to allow natural gas drilling within city limits. If natural gas drilling could be proved to be 100% safe, I would support a measure to allow it.  Once this happened, I would pay special attention to the fine print in the contract to ensure that the city was getting the most financially beneficial arrangement.  At this time there are safer, cleaner ways to raise revenue and maintain a positive quality of life without allowing oil and gas corporations to benefit from a community resource. When I am elected I will look forward to being in the center of the discussion listening to the experts and talking to my district, but today I have to say that I am not comfortable with allowing gas drilling within Dallas City limits.

Billy MacLeod for Dallas City Council     One of Us – Working for You