Such is the current reality of Houston First, the quasi-governmental, taxpayer funded, organization whose job is ostensibly to 'promote Houston' but which is really just creating a slush-fund to be spent on friends and cronies.
Houston's approach to conventions raises eyebrows. L.M. Sixel, HoustonChronicle.com
Houston First Corp., the quasi-public group that oversees the millions of dollars collected in hotel/motel taxes, also invests in some of the locally produced events, said Waterman, who is also executive vice president of Houston First. He wouldn't say how much either the bureau or Houston First has invested.
Nice work if you can get it.
You really should go read the entire article if you can. It's a shame that this is hidden behind the Chronicle's increasingly expensive pay wall because it really is something that should receive wide distribution.
In addition to this, further down in the story is the sad tale of Space City Comic Convention, and how Houston First is allegedly refusing to promote them, and is even suing them because of the name "Space City" while having a stake in a competing convention, Comicpalooza.
For anyone who pays much attention to how the City of Houston operates however this is just more par for the course. It's the Houston Way after all. Control the levers of financing and power and ensure that everything gets funneled to the "right" people. By right we mean your political patrons and cronies.
It's a less sophisticated, less elegant, method of legal public corruption than Chicago, which has elevated machine politics into an art-form. Of course, Houston is a less-sophisticated, less elegant city than Chicago on the whole. Ironically, the bigger Houston gets, the more small-town the politicians we are electing to office (and the people they are appointing to the bureaucracy) become.
Then again, given the selfish, ugly behavior of many of the citizens are we really all that surprised that we have elected selfish, ugly people to govern? Or that they would select selfish, ugly people to positions of power?
Don't worry, I'm sure the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board is furiously working on a scathing call for "change" at the organization as I write.
Can't wait.
