Voters Send a Message - Proposition 1 is not a mandate for massive runaway spending programs

By less than a 2% margin, voters passed the controversial Proposition 1 "Rain Tax" bill. Now perhaps, we will get to see what's in it. The narrow margin by which this passed should send a message to the Mayor and City Council. This is not a mandate. You do not have a blank check.

We must now watch this program like a hawk. We have actually given the Mayor a blank check, but that is not dangerous IF we watch them and demand accountability and transparency in the implementation of the plan. Of course, now the wrangling begins. Mayor Parker said no one will be exempted from the program. We will see. Very powerful organizations will now try to be removed from the rolls. If they succeed, you lose because YOU will have to make up the difference.

It is now time for public hearings on this issue. Actually, it would have been nice to have public hearings BEFORE a vote, but what do I know?

Last night I heard it said that Prop 3 (Red light cameras) failed partially because many voters were already paying that "fee". Soon Houstonians will begin to pay the new "Rain Tax" fee. Maybe the city will be kind enough to tell them how much before they come after it!

Council Member Stephen Costello seems to have suddenly re-found his voice after going silent during the final weeks of the campaign. "We're very excited," said Costello, one of a number of influential engineers who organized and financed the campaign for the drainage initiative... I bet he is! I would be to if someone just opened a checkbook with billions of dollars in it for me. Will he be as excited NEXT November when he is on the ballot instead?

This proposition brought together an interesting coalition of diverse community leaders to fight Prop 1. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, people of all colors, races and cultures came together to try and stop this program. It nearly worked. Thank you to all who came together to help this program. DO NO LET UP! Especially to the members of City Council who came out against this. We still need you!

Since we didn't StopPROP1, let's make sure we ControlPROP1...