Over the last so many years in League City, we have all heard the typical campaign slogans during campaign season. " I am for Business" "I am for Economic development" "I am going to fix traffic" "I am for smaller government" "I am for fiscal responsibility". These campaign promises are in Juxtaposition to the statement "I am for smaller Government. History has shown us that no matter how truly sincere the politicians are at the time they make these campaign promises, something happens once they are elected that stymies their ability to deliver on their words and pursue their office with their original credo intact. I say the cause of their inability to fulfil their campaign ideals and be effective community leaders is they are conflicted by the promise of delivering smaller government. The elected officials are beholden to a vocal and involved minority of citizens who want smaller and less government interference in their lives. This same group is a majority of the voters. Only 4-5% of the citizenry votes in municipal elections. If we ever hope to solve our issues, we will need to come to terms with the fact that to solve the communities real problems it will take money and more govenrnment. Let's look at some of the issues and promises.
"I am for business and economic development" of course a candidate should be for economic development. Most candidates do not win if they say "I don't want economic development" However, the application of economic development is not like fixing a road. You can not just throw money at it and yield results. We learned this painful 24 million dollar lesson at Big League Dreams. While in its own right BLD dreams is a successfully business, without the city footing the bill for its fixed assets, it could not make it. As citizens we still are waiting for the economic development that was hoped to surround that development that has not quite come at the levels that a citizen would hope $24,000,000.00 would yield them. Economic Development has to be wisely planned. To build an economic engine for a community, it requires that each piece of the economic machine has to mot only provide economic growth for the intended recipients, but it has to build value for the community as a whole as well. For economic development to be successful, in most cases, there is the need for more government offices and employees to oversee how the government can "assist" with economic development. Here lies confliction #1, how do I meet the challenge as a leader of a small town like League City to provide economic development without promoting larger government and spending more tax dollars? Answer, You Can't
9 comments:
Marc,
First, I agree with your statement "You can not just throw money at [economic development] and yield results." I applaud your criticism of Big League Dreams draining huge amounts of taxpayer dollars. Liberals and conservatives (except one) alike voted for it. I've done the math, and it's costing League City government directly about $800,000 per year. The "economic impacts" are voodoo economics. I live near it. I see nothing but brown grass all around it. Clearly, we don't need any more government funded businesses.
You're getting at something, but not saying it. All right, out with it! What specific policy prescriptions are you advocating? Depending on the nuts and bolts, more government can be good or bad. If you don't get down to details, you will be guilty of the feel-good generalities you derided in the beginning of your post.
Well said Marc. There are the chosen few who did not get the “respect” they thought they were “entitled” to in the past administration so they decided if they can’t control it they will destroy it. There are others who have ulterior motives that create “outside” influences that some may have to heed due to their friendships. I have always said “League City politics is a full contact sport” Because our town is the voting power of the county the problems of outside influence will only get worse. It is up to the leadership to do what is best for our city. It is up to our citizens to participate in the process. If we cannot get more voters involved League City will continue this way.
The answer to that question is simple. You don't. If it takes growing government and/or raising taxes to do it, then you simply don't do it. Let expansion and development pay its own way. Don't come to me for a hand-out.
Last time I looked, League City was well beyond the moniker "small town". It will be a wonderful day indeed when the commonweal and body politic lift their collective heads from the suburban utopian sand and realize it.
I'm with Chuck... I fail to grasp what's really being said here.
Ah... things never change.
Ugh. Him again.
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