Ridiculous Rick

Rick Perry chronicles curious trip to Iowa with bizarre Bachelorette photo opp

The rest of the country may be in the midst of the dog days of summer, but outgoing Texas Gov. Rick Perry is keeping busy. Fresh off announcing his very own political action committee, RickPAC, Perry is touring the state of Iowa.

As if going out of his way to prove he's interested in the farming hub for reasons other than the state's all-important presidential caucus, Perry is painstakingly chronicling his activities on Twitter.

Highlights include hobnobbing with everyone from state senators on the campaign trail to The Bachelorette contestant Chris Soules at the State Fair. Lowlights include blurry photos with thumbs in them.

What could ol' Rick have up his sleeve?

Ever since Perry announced he wouldn't be running for reelection as governor, the idea that he'd set his sights on Washington yet again seemed more than likely. And not just because he spends a lot of time longingly gazing at a miniature U.S. flag. Posing with a "Perry For President" T-shirt, his latest tweet leaves little to the imagination.

Could this middle-aged woman and her child be the beginning of Perry's rag-tag presidential campaign? The White House might not be clearing a space for Perry's portrait just yet, but it certainly seems like the bespectacled cowboy is about to take all of us on a wild ride.

Ran just into some great supporters @IowaStateFair pic.twitter.com/UUyXgx1PrA

— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) August 12, 2014

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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