Houston, TX – The ReNew Houston Campaign is pleased to announce it has gathered approximately 35,000 petition signatures from registered Houston voters which call for a city-wide charter amendment election to establish a dedicated pay-as-you-go funding source to renew Houston’s streets and drainage.It's a tax
This new funding source is a new tax on developers and citizens of Houston, a tax proposed by City Councilman Stephen Costello, a staunch Republican, and his conservative engineers who will eventually profit from the contracts to repair the failing infrastructure. Let's just call this what it is, a tax increase. An increase proposed by conservatives. (Who would have thunk it?)
It's a good idea
Make no mistake about this proposal, it is a great idea. Candidates for City Council have run on solving the flooding issues of the city for decades without ever solving the flooding issues of the city or the funding problems associated with it. (Ask Councilman Mike Sullivan) Unfortunately solving serious problems such as flooding in Houston requires significant money, raised from taxes, and that is exactly what Renew Houston's amendment will do. For those of us who believe in effective government this is the right thing to do.
“Getting on the ballot is only the first step,” said Council Member Stephen Costello, Chair of the Flooding and Drainage Committee. “Houstonians must now vote yes to this responsible solution to pay for fixing our crumbling streets and drainage system.It's the end
The other conservatives in Houstons and those who depend on government handouts will attack this for what it is, a tax increase, because it is easy to say "Tax and Spend" liberal and then benefit from the results. Unfortunately this tax increase was not proposed by liberals. Costello is about as conservative as you can get. The engineers of the firms who will profit from these contracts are too.
Through sex scandals and fiscal mismanagement the republican party in Houston have lost their right to yell "Family Values", and "Fiscal Responsibility". And now with their new tax proposal, they lost the right to yell Tax and Spend".
Or else they will look like a bunch of hypocrites.
p.s. As I have said in the past, this is a great idea. It is the responsible thing to do. Good for Renew Houston.
7 comments:
thanks to my personal spell checker for catching the stanch vs staunch
So the republicans are now the party of Tax and Spend!!!!
good point.
Oh. Hey spell checker, you missed "Stephen" vs Steven.
Either do your job right or move to another blog!
So let's get this straight -- when Republicans propose taxes and spending for essential government programs, they lose the right to oppose unnecessary taxes on non-essential programs? That's an absurd proposition, John.
But I'll give you this -- a special tax for a dedicated fund for ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES and the performance of CORE FUNCTIONS of government is absurd on its face. That stuff should come out of general revenue, as should police and fire service. It is the frills and extras that should have special taxes approved by the voters.
If a Democrat does it, it is "Tax and spend liberal" but when a repub does it, it is responsible.
Yea. right. As I have said, you cant run on family values, fiscal responsibility, and now you can't call names.
Hypocrite.
John, since when were you made the "What Republicans Can Run On Czar"?
I worked for Costello a few years back. Albeit he is more right that left, he is really quite moderate in his views and not overtly political. I would not characterize him as a "staunch conservative".
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