We Luv Video
Hold Your Trojan Horses
RECEIVED Sat., May 11, 2024
Dear Editor,
The citizen protest gathering at City Hall on Tuesday, May 16, is all about the city's deregulation of the land use code. Fewer regulations for developers means easier profits for them and greater tax revenues for the city. But deregulation also drives out much-needed lower-income citizens, as well as causing irreparable damage to the environment and community values. Our mayor and majority of the City Council are in agreement with this deregulation. In fact, they encourage it, even if it brings down on them negative court decisions condemning the illegality of their behaviors.
In addition to these ongoing court reversals is the damage being done to the community as a whole. The gap between those who govern and those who are governed continues to grow. The necessary balance between legitimate economic development and community stability is being systematically destroyed, HOME being the latest in an increasing line of Trojan horses brought out for citizens to put colorful Post-It notes onto satisfy the city's need for the appearance of democratic process. But the assumptions inside this parade of Trojan horses are never questioned by the mayor and Council, because the city has never involved the citizens of Austin most affected by proposed changes to participate in the initial planning of such proposals. Meanwhile, the pro-development assumptions inside the horse open the city gates to increasing exploitation by removing all the protections for citizens that it can.
So here is a positive proposal for the mayor and Council to consider, and that is to involve in the actual design process of the code the people most affected by the proposed changes, such as citizen homeowners, apartment-dwellers, threatened economic and racial groups, and organizations with a proven record of involvement in the protection of long-term community values, such as: NAACP, PODER, GAVA, ANC, SOS and others committed to the whole community, not just to immediate profits and increased tax revenues. Is the mayor and the Council willing to consider such a change in their governing approach to land use reform? It would be a huge step forward.
The citizen protest gathering at City Hall on Tuesday, May 16, is all about the city's deregulation of the land use code. Fewer regulations for developers means easier profits for them and greater tax revenues for the city. But deregulation also drives out much-needed lower-income citizens, as well as causing irreparable damage to the environment and community values. Our mayor and majority of the City Council are in agreement with this deregulation. In fact, they encourage it, even if it brings down on them negative court decisions condemning the illegality of their behaviors.
In addition to these ongoing court reversals is the damage being done to the community as a whole. The gap between those who govern and those who are governed continues to grow. The necessary balance between legitimate economic development and community stability is being systematically destroyed, HOME being the latest in an increasing line of Trojan horses brought out for citizens to put colorful Post-It notes onto satisfy the city's need for the appearance of democratic process. But the assumptions inside this parade of Trojan horses are never questioned by the mayor and Council, because the city has never involved the citizens of Austin most affected by proposed changes to participate in the initial planning of such proposals. Meanwhile, the pro-development assumptions inside the horse open the city gates to increasing exploitation by removing all the protections for citizens that it can.
So here is a positive proposal for the mayor and Council to consider, and that is to involve in the actual design process of the code the people most affected by the proposed changes, such as citizen homeowners, apartment-dwellers, threatened economic and racial groups, and organizations with a proven record of involvement in the protection of long-term community values, such as: NAACP, PODER, GAVA, ANC, SOS and others committed to the whole community, not just to immediate profits and increased tax revenues. Is the mayor and the Council willing to consider such a change in their governing approach to land use reform? It would be a huge step forward.
Respectfully yours,
Albert Meisenbach
Albert Meisenbach