Have not had much chance to follow this debate, what with being out of town and otherwise occupied over the last several weeks. So here’s a sample from around the cyber-ether, as the Dallas City Council tries to find a way to convince its members not to take bribes:

· The Observer’s Jim Schutze notes the lobbyists were on hand for the debate, and weren’t happy: "They’re all over there looking like pregnant high school girls at an abstinence assembly."

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· Rudy Bush at Dallas’ Only Daily Newspaper quotes the mayor: "We have to have checks and balances and unfortunately at times our checks and balances weren’t what they needed to be."

· The Dallas is My Home blog notes: "In sweeping changes today, the Dallas City Council passed ethics reforms to help shed themselves of the black cloud hanging over them since the corruption trial of former councilman Don Hill."

· And from KERA: "Council member Vonceil Jones Hill saw it as an attack on 14-1 single-member districts and the authority of each council member. ‘It is my belief that this is the first step towards a reversal of the progress that we have made.’ "