KLRU
Council Issues Complex, Exhilarating
RECEIVED Tue., Nov. 23, 2004
Dear Editor,
Members of the small-business community have met with all of the City Council candidates and hosted a candidate forum on Nov. 16 at which eight candidates participated.
We agree with Mike Clark-Madison that the central issue could and should be "quality of life" ["Austin@Large," News, Nov. 19] rather than environment versus business. All of our conversations with the candidates have been about how Austin can nurture its economic vitality so we can afford the quality of life we all want for ourselves and our neighbors.
A thriving economy, particularly for small businesses, allows us to afford to protect more land from sprawl, allows us to provide more comprehensive services for our homeless, allows us to reopen libraries and community centers, allows us to preserve the funky businesses that define Austin's laid-back culture, allows us to expand public arts projects, allows us to invest in a more friendly parking situation downtown, allows us to expand transportation choices, and allows us to resist pandering to inappropriate businesses that might take more from the community than they give back.
The candidates we will support are those who demonstrate the most depth of understanding of the obstacles to our greatness, and the broadest imagination of possible remedies, and the best skills of persuasion to build consensus with their colleagues on the council.
Only the most simplistic thinking sees the City Council race as left versus right or pro-environment versus pro-business. We have evolved past this. It is now an exhilarating discussion of information and imagination.
Members of the small-business community have met with all of the City Council candidates and hosted a candidate forum on Nov. 16 at which eight candidates participated.
We agree with Mike Clark-Madison that the central issue could and should be "quality of life" ["Austin@Large," News, Nov. 19] rather than environment versus business. All of our conversations with the candidates have been about how Austin can nurture its economic vitality so we can afford the quality of life we all want for ourselves and our neighbors.
A thriving economy, particularly for small businesses, allows us to afford to protect more land from sprawl, allows us to provide more comprehensive services for our homeless, allows us to reopen libraries and community centers, allows us to preserve the funky businesses that define Austin's laid-back culture, allows us to expand public arts projects, allows us to invest in a more friendly parking situation downtown, allows us to expand transportation choices, and allows us to resist pandering to inappropriate businesses that might take more from the community than they give back.
The candidates we will support are those who demonstrate the most depth of understanding of the obstacles to our greatness, and the broadest imagination of possible remedies, and the best skills of persuasion to build consensus with their colleagues on the council.
Only the most simplistic thinking sees the City Council race as left versus right or pro-environment versus pro-business. We have evolved past this. It is now an exhilarating discussion of information and imagination.
Paul Silver
