Parish
Leffingwell Has Failed To Lead on Water
RECEIVED Tue., April 17, 2012
Dear Editor,
Michael King’s profile on the Lee Leffingwell vs. Brigid Shea campaign leads with the incumbent’s claims that he supported water conservation and the “expansion” of the Save Our Springs Ordinance to redevelopment projects in the Barton Springs Watershed [“It's Your City Council! Brigid Shea and Clay Dafoe vs. Lee Leffingwell,” News, April 13].
As to the former, Leffingwell is correct to the extent that “support” can mean “did not completely abandon.” Under Leffingwell, the city has consistently underspent its meager conservation budget while blowing vast sums of our money on projects that are either not needed or should be paid for by new development. Besides the lawn-watering restrictions, the city’s water conservation programs remain dysfunctional and amateurish compared to those in other cities. (See “Leak No More: Paul Robbins on Austin Water” in the May 11 Chronicle.)
Water saving gains belong to Austin citizens and businesses, not the incumbent. Lee’s “support” for conservation comes primarily in backing steep water rate hikes every single year in office – hikes that disproportionally land on residential rate-payers.
Leffingwell’s failure to lead on water planning should be the top reason for voting against him. No matter where you stand on Water Treatment Plant No. 4 or city water rate hikes, Leffingwell has done nothing to bridge the 4-3 council split and similarly deep community divide on water issues. The mayor has done nothing to plan for our water's future for a simple reason: he actually thinks (and has argued) that the city’s water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority will take care of us – regardless of prolonged drought and a changing, hotter, drier climate.
As to Leffingwell’s SOS ordinance “fix,” it was opposed by the entire Austin environmental community because it allows for redevelopment of the worst kind – on top of caves, sinkholes, and steep slopes and within stream buffer zones. Only fierce lobbying kept it from being even worse.
Michael King’s profile on the Lee Leffingwell vs. Brigid Shea campaign leads with the incumbent’s claims that he supported water conservation and the “expansion” of the Save Our Springs Ordinance to redevelopment projects in the Barton Springs Watershed [“It's Your City Council! Brigid Shea and Clay Dafoe vs. Lee Leffingwell,” News, April 13].
As to the former, Leffingwell is correct to the extent that “support” can mean “did not completely abandon.” Under Leffingwell, the city has consistently underspent its meager conservation budget while blowing vast sums of our money on projects that are either not needed or should be paid for by new development. Besides the lawn-watering restrictions, the city’s water conservation programs remain dysfunctional and amateurish compared to those in other cities. (See “Leak No More: Paul Robbins on Austin Water” in the May 11 Chronicle.)
Water saving gains belong to Austin citizens and businesses, not the incumbent. Lee’s “support” for conservation comes primarily in backing steep water rate hikes every single year in office – hikes that disproportionally land on residential rate-payers.
Leffingwell’s failure to lead on water planning should be the top reason for voting against him. No matter where you stand on Water Treatment Plant No. 4 or city water rate hikes, Leffingwell has done nothing to bridge the 4-3 council split and similarly deep community divide on water issues. The mayor has done nothing to plan for our water's future for a simple reason: he actually thinks (and has argued) that the city’s water contract with the Lower Colorado River Authority will take care of us – regardless of prolonged drought and a changing, hotter, drier climate.
As to Leffingwell’s SOS ordinance “fix,” it was opposed by the entire Austin environmental community because it allows for redevelopment of the worst kind – on top of caves, sinkholes, and steep slopes and within stream buffer zones. Only fierce lobbying kept it from being even worse.
Sincerely,
Bill Bunch
Bill Bunch
