Rawlings: ‘Something Amazing' Happened After July 7; Dallas Should Use It to Meet Challenges

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, at his sixth annual state of the city speech Thursday, painted the picture of a metropolis on the rise that can overcome its apparent contradictions.He outlined a public safety pension crisis pushing the city to the brink of financial ruin, then described how droves of new corporate citizens are powering the region’s economic heyday.He said Dallas is a “wealthy, healthy” city, with an increasingly vibrant downtown, but laid out alarming child poverty and teen pregnancy statistics.The mayor, speaking at an event hosted by the Dallas Regional Chamber, said 2016 has been his most challenging year yet, in large part because of the July 7 ambush that left five officers dead and shook the city to its core.The attack “had the capability to tear our city apart,” to divide residents along racial lines, to spark tension over gun rights.Instead, Rawlings said, the city unified.  Continue reading...