The Ten Most Powerful People in Dallas, 2013 Edition

My third annual ranking of the ten most powerful people in Dallas is now up at Yahoo News (you can read it by clicking right here) and I wanted to give a big thanks to those who provided their input.

Of course, some take issue with who is on the list, and that's to be expected. It's hardly a scientific process, and I'm sure there are those who give deference to a particular CEO or billionaire over an elected official or pop culture icon. I can't truly argue with different lines of thought on the issue, as each has valid points. In my view, however, I felt it necessary to give proper credit to the social, political, and business elite of the area, which means someone is getting left out and others may seem unjustifiably elevated over others.

D Magazine seemed annoyed by my list. Tim Rogers in particular was upset over my pick of H. Ross Perot. I'll give him partial credit for that. In my first draft, I gave equal listing to his wife and children, who actually do the lion's share of the charity work I was acknowledging, including the Perot Museum. However, I changed it to just Ross Sr., as figurehead of the family, in my final draft. Truly, I should have made it "The Perot Family" to be more precise and reflect the opinions of those I consulted for the list.

I still contend Larry Hagman (and the Dallas cast) deserves to be on the list. We here in town seem to loathe the idea of the J.R. stereotype, but ask any out-of-towner to define Dallas, and we all know what they'll say.

Perhaps I should have consulted D Magazine readers for their thoughts. However, since I don't spend any time in the waiting rooms of local plastic surgery centers, I never had the chance.

Who do you think should be among Dallas' most powerful?

Each year, I have the opportunity to name the ten most powerful people in Dallas for Yahoo News. To compile the list, I consult a group of folks-in-the-know and some of Dallas' power elite for their opinions, which remain confidential. However, I'm always open to other's opinions. If you have a thought of who should be in the top ten and why, email me at vic@victormedina.com and let me know. Don't post it here - email me personally!

Is the Dallas Mega March all about money and publicity?

My latest article for Yahoo News details the rift among local immigration rights leaders over the Mega March scheduled for May 5 in downtown Dallas. Ralph Isenberg says the organizers shouldn't profit off the people the march aims to help, namely Domingo Garcia, who has political aspirations and is opening law offices to process immigrant paperwork. To read more about what Isenberg and Mega March organizer Hector Flores told me, click right here to read my full article.

My Tony Romo article for Yahoo News

Dallas Cowboys quaterback Tony Romo was just named one of America's most disliked athletes, and Yahoo News asked me to write a story giving the perspective of local fans. It was featured on Yahoo's front page and was read by tens of thousands of people. Although I consider myslef a Romo supporter, I'm apparently in the minority, as I came to find out. To read the story yourself, click right here to visit Yahoo News.

Sure, Dallas Morning News, you can steal my scoop

Around 1:30 pm on Thursday, July 21, The Dallas Morning News ran the Oswald t-shirt story on their website's main page, on their "Scoop Blog." Initially, they credited me with breaking the story and linked to my original story on Yahoo. An hour later, using quotes gleaned by their reporter, they changed the story, dropping any mention of me and re-writing the story as if they dug it up themselves. I guess they define "scoop" as taking someone's work without the courtesy of an acknowledgment.

A basic rule of thumb in journalism requires that you cite your original source if you did not break the story. That does not always apply on national stories, but in this case, they should have at least acknowledged that I broke the story. On Friday, they wrote a feature story about it for their online and print editions and still did not even give me a shout out. Or a mention, Or a link. Or even the finger. I guess when you are the big dog, you can blow off independent journalists like myself and use our work as your own.  

A big thanks to NBC-DFW, Pegasus News, and the other sites who linked to my story and gave me credit. As a freelance writer for Yahoo, a portion of my pay is based on readership. When The Dallas Morning News doesn't have the courtesy to acknowledge my story, which they used to write a story on their own on a page full of ads, it costs me in actual dollars. Stay classy, Morning News.

7-11's Free Slurpee Day celebrates an American tradition

Mark your calendars, America: Monday, July 11, is Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven. To commemorate its 84th birthday, the convenience store chain plans to give away 5 million free Slurpees to hot, thirsty people at over 8,600 locations in North America in an event officially known as 7-Eleven Day.

One might think that giving away so many free Slurpees would put a dent in 7-Eleven's bottom line, but according to the company, they sell enough Slurpees each year to fill 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It sounds like they can afford it.

The free Slurpee tradition began in 2002 with 7-Eleven's 75th birthday , but for most of us, the personal tradition of shopping there goes back much further. Indeed, 7-Eleven is part of our social fabric, a concept uniquely American yet shared with the rest of the world at over 41,000 global locations.

Not everyone's a Pepper, apparently....

I had the chance to cover the lawsuit Dr. Pepper is bringing against Dublin Dr. Pepper for apparently being too successful and offering a great product. Seriously.


To read all about it, and see how fans are reacting, click right here. There's even a "I Support Dublin Dr. Pepper" page on Facebook.

The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League's Preservation List

I failed to post a link to my article about the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League's efforts to save significant structures around the area. It was posted to Yahoo News two weeks ago, but you can read it for yourself right here. You can find out more about the League right here.

The Most Powerful People in Dallas

My latest column for Yahoo counts down the ten most powerful people in Dallas (you can read it right here). While I expected disagreement, I didn't expect it to blow up the way it did. It seems most folks are upset at my inclusion of John Wiley Price at #2 on the list. The reasoning by some readers, as best I can tell, goes something like this: JWP is a racist, I don't like him, so he shouldn't be on the list.

Should I make excuses for who I put on the list? Normally I wouldn't, but I think it is important to realize that not liking someone does not diminish the realities of county politics. Anyone who knows me and has read my past work knows I am not a personal fan of Price, but I cannot deny that the senior member of the county commissioner's court has a lot of sway in this community. My original column went into more detail on Price, specifically his shortcomings, and how that negatively affects us all. It was edited for length, but even so, I think my point was clear.

If folks want to have a problem with my choice of Price at #2, I say complain all you want. I also suggest you sit in on a few county commissioner meetings (held at the School Book Depository in Dealey Plaza). You will soon see why I have him on the list, and you'll probably agree with me. Either way, I think we can all agree that being one of the most powerful people in Dallas doesn't make you a good person. It is one of the reasons why Dallas has the problems it does. Our leaders define our community, good or bad.