"Never let a serious crisis go to waste". - Rahm Emanuel
It's undoubted that Mr. Emanuel, one of the more odious people in the odious profession of politics, was not the originator of that statement, yet he's given credit for co-opting and popularizing it to a new generation. Much like failed Texas Democratic candidate for Attorney General Daivd Van Os stole "Fight 'em until Hell freezes over and then Fight 'em on the Ice a few years back.
That's important because it provides some historical context for the histrionics that are surrounding the current debate regarding relief funds for the Houston region related to Hurricane Harvey.
Career back-bench State Legislature, and current Houston Mayor, Sylvester Turner wants to use Harvey to undo the pillow-soft, voter imposed revenue cap without having to call an election that there's a very real chance he could lose. To add fuel to the fire, he's playing dutiful partisan Democrat by following the chain all the way up to the highest Republican, Greg Abbott.
Abbott, for his part, is aping the Gipper's "fiscal responsibility" play-book and is blaming Turner for Houston's tax and spend ways. It's all very predictable, very boring and very unlikely to actually HELP those in need.
MOST, not all most, of the clean-up and rebuilding activities that directly impact residents fall primarily under the fiscal eye of officials at the County, State and Federal levels. Yes, the City is involved in the gigantic task of picking up the waste that resulted from the storm, but even that task is going to be primarily funded by the feds.
Buying out homeowners? County
Rebuilding and strengthening flood infrastructure? County, State and Federal
In fact, most of the taxpayer money the city is trying to take under the threat of force is earmarked for making the city, not the taxpayers, whole. While the County, State and Federal governments are starting to pivot to prevention the City is still looking at replacing vehicles lost in the floods and repairing city buildings.
Should the State open the taps on the rainy day fund to assist with that? Your mileage may vary depending, in large part, on your party identification. I tend to think there are arguments for releasing some rainy day funds but not to the city, to the county and regional flood control work but that's me.
We've entered the "great game" phase of after-Harvey politics, the point in time where the small people that we've elected to rule over us try and score political points against one another and where the political momentum for actually getting things done falls away in a frenzy of partisanship, dim-wittedness and red-meat tossed to the political bases. After all, politicians HAVE to get re-elected you understand.
It would be great, for Houston, if there was a media organization in town who could cover all of this with a level-head and aplomb. Unfortunately, the leadership at the Houston Chronicle doesn't comprehend the difference between charity given out of service and taxes taken under the threat of force.
Remember all of this 5 years from now when we're still discussion the same issues and nothing has been done. It will be that way because you continue to vote for the same people who aren't all that interested in doing it in the first place.
The leadership vacuum continues to suck away.
