This Politician is a Little Batty

A 14-year old North Dallas Boy Scout did something unusual for his Eagle project, but a Dallas city councilman is having a rather bizarre reaction to that project.

The Scout (whose father did not release his name to the media) built three bat houses at Glen Cove Park. The parks board approved the houses over a year ago, and the Scout will receive his badge. But Mitchell Rasansky, whose district includes the park, is no fan of the project, and he's having a field day making fun of it as well:

"He's not from North Dallas," Mr. Rasansky said of the 14-year-old boy who built the bat sanctuaries as part of an Eagle Scout project. "He's actually from Transylvania."

Last Wednesday, Mr. Rasansky, who wants the bat houses removed, showed up at City Hall wearing a plastic bat on his lapel and sporting plastic vampire fangs.

Needless to say, the Scout's dad isn't too happy with remarks like that:

Ira Richardson said the controversy created by Mr. Rasansky's remarks has embarrassed and ridiculed his son, who was only trying to meet qualifications for his Eagle Scout badge.

"He's a minor child who has learned a tough civic lesson about the political leadership in this city," said Mr. Richardson, who declined to name his son. "I don't know Mr. Rasansky, and I don't want to know him. He's used my kid as the butt of his jokes. He's used his phobia to politicize what would otherwise be a good public works project."

But the councilman goes on:

When told about the teenager's trauma, Mr. Rasansky, a former Boy Scout, had little sympathy.

"I have enough people to take care of in my district. I don't need a colony of bats," he said. "We want people in our parks, not flying mice."

Mr. Rasanky concedes that much of his dislike of bats come from being spooked by Dracula movies as a child. He acknowledges that his jokes and his anti-bat stance have attracted critics.

"One woman wrote me and said she wanted to drive a stake through my heart," Mr. Rasansky said. (source)

Do you believe this guy? OK, so he's afraid of bats, but that's no excuse to ridicule a teenager for doing a worthwhile project. And they wonder why young people have such a cynical attitude towards politicians...

Besides, he should remember what a great tourist attraction has been built up around the bats who roost under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin. Oh, and bats also eat lots of mosquitoes, which sure beats sending around those nasty fogging trucks through the neighborhoods.

You might want to rethink this one, Councilman.

She got fingered again: In case you missed it, the lady who found the finger in her Wendy's chili has now been arrested on charges of making the whole thing up. Why am I not surprised?