This is a follow-up to the PatCarrGate story published on May 19 - link

As reported last month, several BelmontNA members applied for membership in the Lower Greenville NA and attempted to participate in an LGNA meeting in our area. LGNA President Patricia Carr told us that our applications were taken under advisement due to changes in their (secret) bylaws. Then Carr and the restaurant owner evicted us from the meeting. Then Carr lied to the Dallas Observer about evicting us from the meeting. Then BD posted the audiotape of them evicting us from the meeting.

On Friday, LGNA sent letters by Certified Mail to BD and another applicant (who was not home to accept it). BD's letter included a single sentence -

After careful consideration, the board of the Lower Greenville Neighborhood Association has voted not to accept your application for membership.

UPDATE - June 21: The second Certified Letter from LGNA was picked up by BelmontNA president Diana Souza on Monday. And no surprise, LGNA rejected her application for membership and returned her checks.

Before you say to yourself, Oh, this is just a little whizzing match between a few neighbors, stop and consider this:

What would be the consequences of a neighborhood association in the middle of Dallas (not to be confused with Homeowners Associations that manage private communities) giving itself the authority to determine that potential members should or should not be allowed to join without first taking a loyalty oath or promising to play nice in the sandbox?

Would that kind of dictatorship allow a neighborhood association board to evict members who support a zoning change the board opposed?? How soon before you have an association of yes-people only?

Oh wait, we have that now. It's called LGNA!

By no means is this an original tactic. In 2006, the Dallas Homeowners League would not let BelmontNA officers participate in their annual Boot Camp, held every August at Dallas City Hall - a few well-aimed emails opened those doors with engraved invitations. In 2003, LGNA and other groups put yellow crimescene tape around their National Night Out event at Tietze Park, declaring it a private party where BelmontNA members could not enter. And finally, the Lowest Greenville West NA, in 2002, trashed their then-President Bill Dickerson because he had the audacity to support the CityVille Lowest Greenville development as a mixed-use project; Mad Maxine finally made sure Bill could never participate in any discussion by holding them in her office (then on McKinney Avenue) and not allowing him access to the building after-hours.

Important decisions about the future of Lowest Greenville – property rezoning, special events, crime and the City budget deficit – need and deserve your attention. Which neighborhood association is YOUR voice at City Hall? Are they speaking for YOU?

It's obvious that the LGNA board only speaks for the LGNA board, since very few members ever find out what they are doing until after the zoning protest is filed, the St. Patrick's Day Taliban shuts down your private party, or you don't find out about a serial rapist because it's bad for business.

That LGNA will not be rebuked for this discriminatory act (and bylaws change) by the Dallas Homeowners League, other neighborhood associations or by City Council Member Angela Hunt is even more disgusting. Hunt recognizes BelmontNA as an association, loves to whisper sweet nothings in our ears, and has no problems using BD's videos and research about Lowest Greenville, but she won't recognize their boundaries for fear of losing potential voters or support from LGNA. Is it any coincidence her campaign treasurer is also a member of LGNA's Board of Directors???

If you live in the Lowest Greenville area represented by BelmontNA and are offended by this blatant effort to stifle free speech and criticism, there is something you can do right now:  Read the post A Perfect Storm is Coming to Lowest Greenville on the BelmontNA website. After you read it, download the story and membership application (same file), fill out the membership application and mail it in with your dues (or pay them online with PayPal). Then print another copy and give it to a another neighbor who cares about this community. I promise you that neighbor will join BelmontNA.

If you are currently a member of LGNA, you need to ask yourself - Is this the kind of neighborhood association I signed up for?? One that believes in censorship and leadership by fear and ignorance? Do I have a copy of those secret bylaws??

The next time your alley isn't being repaired, or code compliance officers are at your house so many times you invite them to dinner, will it be due to budget cuts or because you pissed off an LGNA board member? If you call 311 to complain about a noisy restaurant north of Belmont Avenue or motorcycle noise at 3am, will they call Angela Hunt or 311 to complain about you?

It's not like LGNA really cares about the area south of Belmont Avenue. They did not care back in 2001 when they scuttled the Lower Greenville Land Use Study, which might have avoided all the problems we have ten years later. They did not care when BelmontNA was created in 2003, and in fact offered to have them come back to the mothership so their complaints would be heard (nothing was said about those nasty sex experiments aliens like to perform).

But as soon as BelmontNA brought Resident Parking Only to a dozen streets in their boundaries, and helped RPO more streets around the neighborhood, pushing the human garbage out of this neighborhood and into their quiet little streets, then they realized they had a problem. And since they could not repeal RPO on any street (unless Hunt changes the law for them), they have to push BelmontNA to the sidelines every single time they are in the same room together.

Call the members of the LGNA Board (hey, you elected them, remember??) and ask why they are so determined to minimize BelmontNA's accomplishments (like Resident Parking Only on 12 streets). If they hate us enough to not let us join their association (even though they claim our neighborhood as their territory), and they don't recognize BelmontNA, why not give BelmontNA the benefit of self-determination the DHL gives other neighborhood associations in Dallas? How power-hungry are they? Just be careful: You may be having dinner with a Code Compliance officer after you make that phone call.

BD was told a great story about LGNA's Pat Carr, and it's been confirmed by two witnesses: During the 2010 St. Patrick's Day event, Carr went up to a local television reporter and, offering her card, said (not sic) -The next time you need to talk to someone about Lower Greenville, please call me. The reporter politely handed the card back to her and said - The next time I need to talk to someone about Lower Greenville, I am calling BD.

Sorry, Pat, it's time to turn out the lights and shut off the music. Your phone is not going to be ringing anymore.