It’s
deja vu all over
again. When the Save Our Springs Ordinance was being debated, pro-growth
forces said the ordinance would stop growth, ruin the city, and might even
cause bad breath.
Last week, after years of legal battles, a state appeals court ruled that
Austinites were justified in creating and voting for a law that they wanted.
Nevertheless, the doomsayers are back again, this time trying to trivialize the
court victory and marginalize the effort that led to the creation of the
ordinance.
On August 2, the editorial writers at the local daily said the decision was
“hollow,” “no real victory,” and that it was “largely symbolic.” Councilmember
Ronney Reynolds said the only winners in the ruling were “the lawyers.” Mayor
Bruce Todd, who, contrary to what has been reported in the local daily, has
never supported SOS, said the ruling was “subject to legislative control.”
Before you believe the gloom and doom prognosticators, take a moment to recall
a bit of history. Remember 1991, when the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce
paid Ray Perryman, the best economist money can buy, $10,000 for a study which
claimed that strict water quality measures in Austin would cost the city $9
billion? Remember the politicians who said it would ruin our tax base? Remember
the overpaid CEO who predicted that no Fortune 500 company would move to Austin
because of its land-use policies?
Then look at reality. Austin is booming. People are moving here in droves.
Unemployment rates are among the lowest in the state. Chipmakers are putting up
billion-dollar factories at breakneck speed. SOS hasn’t stopped growth. It
hasn’t even slowed growth, although Austin would probably be better off if it
grew at a slower pace.
The editorial writers at the daily are right about one thing: SOS is a symbol.
And perhaps the victory in court is only symbolic. We will see. But politics is
all about symbols. And what better symbol for voters to have than one which
affirms their right to create and pass legislation without relying upon
politicians? The voter-driven petition and referendum that created the SOS
ordinance were truly democratic. The SOS ordinance is the antithesis of
politics as usual, where spin doctors, lawyers, and lobbyists decide what will
be said, what bills will be passed, and which contracts will be awarded.
Last week’s court decision is the biggest affirmation Austin voters have had
in a long time. And the city’s voters need to know that their votes count. Why
is that important? Look at the low voter turnout rates. According to figures
from the City Clerk, just 46,364 people — 12% of registered voters — voted in
the June city council runoff. In the SOS election four years ago, 73,308 people
— about 27% of registered voters — voted. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Or maybe
voters are tired of their government not listening to their concerns, so they
just stopped showing up.
The Save Our Springs ordinance was the result of one of the biggest
mobilizations of voters in Austin history. By a margin of 2 to 1, voters said
they wanted to protect Barton Springs. But ever since that vote, their will has
been thwarted. And now, even though a court of appeals has ruled that the
ordinance is indeed valid, the city has not begun enforcing the will of the
voters.
Rather than follow the will of the people, the local daily’s answer is to
create a “regional system of water quality and land use regulations.” That’s a
great idea. But who is pushing for it? Where is the political will to create
such an entity? Land speculators like Gary Bradley and Jim Bob Moffett have
convinced the state Legislature to pass laws that allow them to ignore Austin’s
regulations. Do the editorial writers at the daily honestly believe that
Bradley and Moffett will allow such a deal to happen?
The battles over the SOS ordinance are not over. Roy Minton, the attorney who
represents New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan, is saying they will appeal the
decision to the Texas Supreme Court. Yes, the fight over the Barton Springs
watershed will continue, but SOS is worth fighting for. It is worth fighting
for because it is an example of people taking power away from politicians and
making an honest effort to protect a natural treasure. SOS was and is an
example of citizens doing what their political representatives wouldn’t do. It
is an example of democracy in action. And if that isn’t worth fighting for,
then nothing is worth fighting for.
Death of a Naturalist
The death last week of Roger Tory Peterson marks the end of an era. Petersonrevolutionized birdwatching by combining his skills of observation with a deft
hand at painting and writing. The end results were field guides which allowed
the uninitiated to quickly identify birds. He was the modern equivalent of John
James Audubon. He brought passion and skill to natural history, and inspired
others to do the same. And although Peterson was revered in birdwatching
circles, he was a humble man who chatted easily with his admirers, signed their
books and listened patiently to their birdwatching tales. He was a mentor for
prominent birdwatchers around the world, including Austinites Victor Emanuel
and Greg Lasley.
In an interview for the Chronicle in 1991, Peterson called birds “a
very vivid expression of life. And I find now that I am getting older, I am
more and more concerned about life. Every day is terribly important. Every
moment is important.”
Peterson also expressed concern for the future. He called human beings the
“ultimate predator, but we are [also] the ultimate threat because of the
changes in the environment. We are at the point where millions of people are
facing starvation. And their survival is going to gain priority over wildlife,
no matter how much we fight to save things. The real problem is
overpopulation.”
Peterson was 87.
Global Warming in Austin
There will be a Town Hall meeting on global warming next Tuesday, August 13 atthe Bass Lecture Hall in the LBJ School at UT. The meeting (8:30am-12:30pm) is
free, and will focus on the impacts global warming will have on Texas and the
local economy. Scheduled attendees include Tim Wirth, U.S. Undersecretary of
State for Global Affairs, Texas Land Commission Garry Mauro, and Austin City
Councilmember Gus Garcia.
This article appears in August 9 • 1996 and August 9 • 1996 (Cover).