A television commentator babbles before a camera about the apparent political miracle that propelled Ms. Wong into the mayoralty in a city in which Hispanics now make up 62 percent of the population. A fanciful reality But stop. Assume that Ms. Wong's first big crisis and meeting, which she will face as soon as President Powell's motorcade draws away, will be a meeting with mayors and business leaders from across the region to deal with a roaring energy emergency. Nine months after the latest outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, all major oil fields there are either on fire or behind enemy lines. The United States has been drawing down its oil reserves at an alarming rate.
Rumors fly of gas and oil hoarding.
A few Texas companies cash in. But the blow to Dallas commuters and businesses, in a region built on inexpensive energy and the open road, is severe. No one can say, with certainty, what the answers will be to these questions in 2010. But we're convinced that those answers are being born in the 1990s. Starting on Page 3R, we present alternative visions for the Dallas region in 2010.