It’s your Thursday “tax-and-spend” edition of news and views:
- City Council votes to boost nearly 150 fees (Bradley Olson, Houston Chronicle)
Councilman C.O. Bradford said the fee increases, coupled with water rate hikes of more than 40 percent, come at the wrong time.
“It is simply not the time to just categorically say every fee the city can raise, it is going to raise it,” he said. “This doesn’t help citizens nor businesses. The city tends to overregulate. There are too many fees, taxes and regulations as it is. … This is what helps to drive the middle class in Houston out into the county.”
Strangely, that quote has been removed from the most recent edition of the Chron story, in that annoying (and somewhat dishonest) fashion that Chron.com practices, but it’s in my Diigo-cached version.
- Bradford: “City is hammering businesses, citizens” (Pattie Shieh, KRIV-26 News)
Clarence Bradford was one of three council members voting against the increases.
“The city tends to over-regulate and this is an example, today, of the city working as most administrations have done diligently on the revenue side of the equation: hammering businesses, hammering citizens,” Bradford said.
We all saw Clarence Bradford taking the lead as the Council’s most outspoken fiscal conservative, right?
- Of Fees and Flights (The Loop Scoop)
I wonder what the city has cut from the budget. The mayor has stated that there is a very real possibility of optional or even mandatory furloughs, yet I have seen little on what the city is actually cutting in terms of cost. Maybe, rather than raising rates on a number of items they could focus on providing essential services. I’m ok with them putting bike trails, parks, pretty art, etc. on hold if it means that less people have to pay higher fees. I would rather them fix water mains than install the UFO looking “art” outside of IAH.
Heck, they could even ask METRO to cough up those mobility funds. Of course, they’ll be sitting pretty when those new rain-tax revenues allow them to start moving current public works money to other budget items (instead of making cuts).
- Prop 1 opponents sue City of Houston, say voters were “misled” (Gabe Gutierrez, KHOU-11 News)
“We just learned of this lawsuit and are reviewing it,” [Mayor Annise] Parker said through a spokesperson Wednesday night. “Therefore, my only comment at this time is, the voters have spoken just like they have spoken on red-light cameras. I am committed to upholding the will of the electorate.”
That’s the most definitive statement the mayor has made on red-light-cameras to date, so that’s welcome (if overdue).
So far as the lawsuit — The Rain Tax was a dog that I hoped would lose in the election, but a majority didn’t see it that way. Much like Hopey/Changey, I do think some voters may eventually come to regret their decision, but I’m generally not a fan of trying to overturn elections in courts.
- Metro may bring back day passes (Chron Houston Politics)
Good METRO. - Metro rail line construction leaves residents without water (Gabe Gutierrez, KHOU-11 News)
Bad METRO. Leaving residents without water (and sometimes electricity) = VERY BAD.
