RIP Ross

Ross Perot, colorful Dallas billionaire, dies at age 89

H. Ross Perot.

Photo courtesy of Daughters of World War II

One of Dallas' brightest lights has extinguished: H. Ross Perot, one of Texas' most brash billionaires, died early Tuesday, July 9, according to a spokesman for the Perot family. He was 89.

Nationally, Perot was known for running for president twice: Once in 1992, as an independent, challenging Republican candidate and President George H.W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton, when he drew nearly 19 percent of the vote; and a second time in 1996, less successfully, when organizers shut him out of the presidential debates.

Henry Ross Perot was born in Texarkana on June 27, 1930. He joined the Navy, then went to work as a salesman for IBM.

In 1962, he founded his own computer company, Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS), which he sold to General Motors for $2.5 billion in 1984, then founded Perot Systems Corp., another computer-services company, in 1988. Dell bought Perot Systems in 2009.

In 1969, Perot also led a campaign to improve treatment of POWs held in North Vietnam. Perot tried to fly supplies and family members into Southeast Asia, a trip that attracted media attention and was said to improve conditions for the POWs.

In 1979, he coordinated a raid to rescue two EDS executives jailed in Iran. The episode was the subject of a best-selling book, On Wings of Eagles, and became a TV miniseries.

In September 2011, Perot's fortune was estimated by Forbes magazine at $3.5 billion.

Perot is survived by his wife, Margot, plus a sister, five children, and 19 grandchildren.

deaths

Weed News

Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Dallas over decriminalization of marijuana

Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife

undefined

The City of Dallas has been sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its efforts to decriminalize marijuana.

According to a release, Paxton has sued the city for adopting a city charter amendment that would decriminalize marijuana-related offenses and prohibit police from enforcing Texas law.

That amendment was Proposition R, or Dallas Freedom Act, which decriminalizes possession of four ounces of marijuana or less. Voters passed the amendment in the November 5 election, with 67 percent voting in favor.

The lawsuit, filed against the Dallas City Council, alleges that Proposition R is unconstitutional and violates Texas drug laws criminalizing any amount of marijuana.

Paxton says that cities can't "pick and choose which state laws to follow." He's proposing a permanent injunction to stop Proposition R from going into effect.

"The City of Dallas has no authority to override Texas drug laws or prohibit the police from enforcing them," says Paxton in a statement. "This is a backdoor attempt to violate the Texas Constitution, and any city that tries to constrain police in this fashion will be met swiftly with a lawsuit by my office.”

Before the recent election, possession of two to four ounces of marijuana could result in a punishment of 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Ground Game Texas, the activist nonprofit that has also helped get marijuana decriminalization on the ballot in elections across Texas, first got the issue on the ballot in July with the necessary 50,000 signatures.

Dallas is not the only city to be sued; Paxton also filed lawsuits against five other cities in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos in January for their ballots and policies decriminalizing marijuana.

Both Austin and San Marcos had a judge overturn their cases, according to a FOX 4 report.

marijuana