Mesquite mayor John Monaco can't defend his city's epic waste of money--now coming to light--in which council members and staff enjoyed glitzy restaurants, luxury hotels and Broadway shows in New York City--all at taxpayer expense. But did he need to take a cheap shot at the Dallas Morning News, which, led by its television media partner, WFAA-Channel 8, exposed the city's 2004 and 2005 fun-filled Gotham vacations?

The Dallas Morning News' Steve Blow reported earlier this week that at a recent candidate forum in which someone brought up the recent layoffs at the daily paper, the mayor raised his hands "in a silent cheer."

No one is arguing that Mesquite's council members and staff blew through thousands of taxpayer dollars to tour Manhattan. Mesquite's own city manager didn't dispute that, admitting to the Morning News, "we dropped the ball."

And yet the mayor later called Blow and defended his silly gesture:

"They have really been knocking my city. And while I don't take it personally, I do take it very seriously when you knock my city," he said.

Of course, no one is knocking the people of Mesquite. Just the people they have elected. And the Dallas Morning News and WFAA wouldn't have much to write about if the city council and staff (including the finance director!) didn't act like the ruling cabal of a tinpot dictatorship. Surely, someone might have gotten a bit queasy as they were rolling through $75,000 of constituents' money on pricey restaurants like Tavern on the Green...or attending the opera...or being ferried about by a private car service. These are all examples of things politicians should do on their own dime...not ours.

(Although I don't recommend Tavern on the Green even if you're paying. A total tourist trap. You'll find far better restaurants in nearby Dallas.)