29th Street Ballroom
Better Than the Rest of Us
RECEIVED Mon., Dec. 20, 2004
Dear Editor,
Your anti-populist, anti-independent bias is showing again. In Michael King's "The DA Makes a Deal" ["Capitol Chronicle," News, Dec. 17] on the indictments of corporations related to their campaign contributions to DeLay's TRMPAC, he cites that "half of the population," presumably Democrats, were disenfranchised by the Republican's campaign contribution practices. In the same issue, Chronicle writer Kimberly Reeves shakes a finger at the "50 speakers" who neglected to "thank" CAMPO for holding a hearing on the possibility of removing one of the tolls from the seven, eventually 11, toll road plan ["CAMPO Gets Toll Road Weary," News, Dec. 10].
King seems to do his homework, so I figure he's probably heard about the CNN/Gallup Poll (Oct. 2002!), and many others since, showing that a plurality of voters, 35%, do not identify with any party. Nonaligned independent voters could provide the means by which real reform could take place – if elected officials of either party decided to build a sincere reform alliance with us.
The Chronicle continues to express contempt for ordinary people speaking out in their own interests. In the case of the toll roads, actually quite a few speakers thanked CAMPO, but stated that removing just one of the tolls was not enough. If these same folks had thanked CAMPO and not spoken out on behalf of the other communities affected by the tolls, I guarantee Reeves would have charged them with "NIMBYism" and as "typical" suburbanites who don't give a rat's butt for anyone else.
Your anti-populist, anti-independent bias is showing again. In Michael King's "The DA Makes a Deal" ["Capitol Chronicle," News, Dec. 17] on the indictments of corporations related to their campaign contributions to DeLay's TRMPAC, he cites that "half of the population," presumably Democrats, were disenfranchised by the Republican's campaign contribution practices. In the same issue, Chronicle writer Kimberly Reeves shakes a finger at the "50 speakers" who neglected to "thank" CAMPO for holding a hearing on the possibility of removing one of the tolls from the seven, eventually 11, toll road plan ["CAMPO Gets Toll Road Weary," News, Dec. 10].
King seems to do his homework, so I figure he's probably heard about the CNN/Gallup Poll (Oct. 2002!), and many others since, showing that a plurality of voters, 35%, do not identify with any party. Nonaligned independent voters could provide the means by which real reform could take place – if elected officials of either party decided to build a sincere reform alliance with us.
The Chronicle continues to express contempt for ordinary people speaking out in their own interests. In the case of the toll roads, actually quite a few speakers thanked CAMPO, but stated that removing just one of the tolls was not enough. If these same folks had thanked CAMPO and not spoken out on behalf of the other communities affected by the tolls, I guarantee Reeves would have charged them with "NIMBYism" and as "typical" suburbanites who don't give a rat's butt for anyone else.
Linda Curtis
Independent Texans
Independent Texans
P.S. p.s. I'm leading the recall petition drive for the Austin Toll Party. We have 180 days to file our petitions – sometime in February.