A Sensible Idea. The New Mrs. White, Chron.com
Additional paid parking is no reason to trash taxpayers' multi-million dollar investment in a one-of-a-kind building. While it has seen better days, this historic landmark can still serve its first purpose: a massive indoor park for outdoor sports. As he announced Tuesday afternoon, Emmett wants to return the Dome to that original vision.
First off, in no sensible definition of the word could the Astrodome be considered a "park". This is silly season on the English language to promote doing anything to the old girl other than demolition. Also, the "original vision" thing that's being bandied around is quite simply untrue.
The "original vision" for the Astrodome was as a professional sports stadium. Period, end of story. Any attempts to say otherwise requires ignoring fact and making words mean what you want them to mean instead of what they actually mean.
The Astrodome was designed to be a "park" in the same sense as Fenway Park was. It was a ballpark, for professional teams. Never was it intended to be an indoor fitness facility, a 24 Hr Fitness on steroids.
If what we're going to get out of the Astrodome is a trinket designed to give Houston an air of world classiness then so be it. But sell it to the voters for what it is, not what you would have it to be in the fantasyland of your imagination.
Local debt climbs as Texas cities deal with growth. Aman Batheja, Texas Tribune
Over the last decade, local government debt has grown around the country, but Texas, with an economic performance in recent years that has outpaced the rest of the country, is a special case. Of the 10 largest states, Texas has the second-highest local debt per capita as cities and school districts have gone on a borrowing spree to maintain or expand amenities while not raising taxes.
In a vacuum, this paragraph makes sense. When the context of other spending is considered then it falls flat on its face. When you also consider that this article is a part of the Tribune's "Passed by the Miracle" series it makes no sense at all.
Local public debt, whether good or bad, is not symbolic of how communities are missing out on good economic times but are reflective of political choices made by municipalities and counties in order to get projects through without having to perform the messy business of selling them.
Local debt is rising not because cities are missing the boom but because feckless leaders are trying to sell the gormless voter on the concept of public expenditures being free. Of course, nothing is truly free, not even things that are free. There is always a cost at some level and, in many cases, elected officials find it much better to assure voters that those costs will be paid either through tourism usage fees or by those making just a little bit more. The former theory is favored by moderates who want trinkets to define their legacy, the latter is favored by progressive politicians who want to consolidate power.
Neither plan is either desirable or sustainable in the long term.
At some point, Texas governments at all levels need to have a serious conversation about budgets and priorities. While a city like Houston is doing a Chicken Little in regards to its financial future the current administration is spending money hand over fist on projects that cater only to a relatively small portion of the population to the exclusion of everyone else.
It's OK that the Parker administration wants to prioritize bike-lanes at the expense of road repair. The problem is they are not being honest about doing so. Such is the case with cities and counties throughout the state.
Things really started to fall apart when (perennial candidate) Chris Bell forwarded the idea that budgets are moral documents. This is probably the most toxic legacy that he will leave. This idea severed the budgeting process from the practical (public works) to the benefit of the ideological (green programs). What this meant is that, for the first time, trinket governance designed to make people feel good was placed above the nuts-and-bolts workings that make communities run.
It also change the language and the definition of what budgeting was and has come to be. For the worse.
As a quick aside there are rumors Chris Bell is planning a return to politics by running for Houston Mayor. Given his ideology and lack of understanding of basic financial principles this would be a disaster for the City. A City that's already doing it's level best to squander away the largesse created by the oil and gas boom.
Therein lies the rub. The Texas Tribune is doing it's level best to convince Texans that those missing out on the economic boom are doing so because the Government is not spending enough money. In truth, the governments are spending more money than needed. However, it's very clear when you look deeply that they are intentionally spending it on the wrong things.
This should be the focus of the Texas Lockstep Political media. It won't be however because they like the trinkets that are being built. Supporting said trinkets requires changing some basic definitions however.
They seem to have no qualms in doing that.
