Rail projects, water projects, taxpayer funded schemes...all these could be killed if you think outside your bubble. These aren't partisan issues and could be stopped if we could stop being distracted by left, right issues.
Think it can't be done? Think again. Another Texas city is leading the way.
A Tea Party group, a Firefighter's Union and LULAC just knocked it out of the park.
It irritated City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and the "news"paper. We know that's too good of a deal for some of you to pass up, so - we dare you. Do the same.
Can’t fight city hall? Don’t tell that to a San Antonio coalition of tea partiers, union firefighters and progressive Hispanic activists.
With little money and no media support, a handful of volunteers blocked a $290 million streetcar project pushed by city officials and the powerful Chamber of Commerce.
A loose confederation of individuals and groups – representing right, left and center interests – soon closed ranks.
“The only thing politicians care about is their electability,” Brockhouse told Watchdog.org. “We quantified that. We could go to a councilman and show him 800 signed [anti-streetcar] petitions in his district and tell him we’re not done yet.”
Jeff Judson, a councilman in neighboring Olmos Park, published an op-ed article noting declining rail ridership in Houston and Dallas, and the corresponding cannibalization of bus service in those cities.
“San Antonio did not do comparisons – they just wanted to know how much it would cost,” Slife recalls.
The city’s newspaper appeared incurious.
“We provided a cost analysis to the editorial board of the Express News. “This caused [Editorial Page Editor] Bruce Davidson to almost come across the table at me he was so upset,” Slife said.
http://watchdog.org/260390/city-rail-fight/
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