$AFEclear inspires more memorable quotes
The Chronicle has a wrap-up story on city council's decision to delay voting on Mayor White's proposed $AFEclear changes. Just like yesterday's Chronicle story that had some off-the-wall councilmember quotes, today's story has a couple of doozy quotes, too. The first is from Mayor White:
"Our choice is whether we decide we're going to do some things to impact the safety and traffic on our freeways, or whether we do not," White said shortly after stressing that improving transportation is the No. 1 concern among Houstonians.
"I need you to respect me and do this," White said. "I don't think that if we have 10 different plans, or 14 different plans, we will get it approved. I will work to get consensus, but we won't have it with a moving target."
This has nothing to do with respecting Mayor White. As the $AFEclear plan shows, he has little respect for Houston citizens who are not blessed with lots of disposable income, never mind a citizen's right to determine how to handle a mechanical problem with his or her own car. If the mayor came up with a plan to ban cars from freeways, that would certainly solve Houston's freeway traffic problem, but I think we can confidently state that Council and Houston citizens would not respect the mayor and agree to the plan.
This is not about Mayor White, although he is intent on making it about himself, it seems. It's about a plan that is WRONG on so many levels. However, we do agree with Mayor White that councilmembers need to get off their duffs and make a decision -- preferably shelve the program -- because the longer a decision is delayed, the longer the punitive old plan is in place.
Today's second dopey quote comes from Councilwoman Toni Lawrence, who had this stellar profundity from yesterday:
"If you don't think you can come up with the extra money, your responsibility is to not get on the freeway."
Sounds familiar. According to the Chronicle, Sen. Whitmire read that quote in yesterday's paper:
He said the next time he reads about a Houston official saying indigent motorists should stay off the freeways, he will file a bill to end the city's Safe Clear program or "place it under the review of the Texas Department of Transportation."
Lawrence responded:
Lawrence was unmoved by the threat, saying, "John's gotta do what he's gotta do, and I've gotta do what I've gotta do."
Which must translate into, "I've gotta be an out-of-touch, uncompassionate elite politician, who's gotta fine people for flat tires and impound their cars if they can't pay the fine."
City council needs to shelve this program at the next meeting. As someone said yesterday during the public comments portion of the city council meeting, "The citizens of Houston cannot afford to be victimized by a work in progress." (The person who said that also commented in our forum yesterday.) The mayor and city council can work the bugs and kinks out if they must, but not while Houston-area citizens are guinea pigs.
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: It's amazing to me that these councilmembers who CONCEDE there are problems with the original program still voted to tag the Mayor's proposed changes, which are at least an improvement over the current $AFEclear mess.
I just listened to Toni Lawrence on the Chris Baker program contend her statement was taken out of context. No it wasn't. The context is, she said what she said, as reproduced above. I don't think that sort of elitism is going to play very well, and some of these councilmembers seem to be confused about who was elected mayor (they seem to be looking in the mirror and letting their imagination get the best of them).
My preference would be for this program to go away altogether, but that doesn't seem likely. For a handful of elitist councilmembers to stall Mayor White's proposed changes hurts motorists, and also hurts the elitist councilmembers politically. I just don't get it.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/20/05 11:26 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Sphere | Comments (3)
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