Misplaced Priorities
Councilman Mark Goldberg weighs in on Mayor White's support of former Mayor Brown's plan to provide $2 million in funding for an African-American museum:
Twenty years ago, city of Houston officials tried to fund a cultural museum showcasing the diversity of people who make up our local community. It was to be a celebration of the different races, cultures and classes of people responsible for making this city great.
City Council is now being asked to vote on a project that will do just the opposite. Instead of being inclusive, it will, by its very name and purpose, serve to exclude all races and cultures except one. The proposed museum will send a message to all Houstonians that the history of every other race and culture is not significant enough to warrant inclusion in this obviously exclusive exhibit building.
The original proposal by former Mayor Lee P. Brown was a poorly conceived last-minute plan to hand over $2 million cash to an undisclosed group to create an African-American Museum. The proposal had no business plan and so many legal problems and such lack of support that his own administration advised Brown not to proceed with the project. Now, the administration of Mayor Bill White has embraced the project and decided to continue with this project, despite admitting that there is still no business plan and still questionable financial support.
This sets one of the worst precedents ever set by any administration.
The precedent is even worse given the facts that Mayor White has presided over several efforts to increase city revenues (including a boost in water/sewer rates, a boost in downtown parking meter collection times and coverage, and cameras mounted on traffic lights all over town to catch -- and bill -- red-light runners), and has squeezed the pension plans of municipal employees, all in the name of fiscal responsibility. If it's fiscally responsible to do those things, then it's fiscally irresponsible to turn around and drop $2 million on this project.
Mayor White needs to reverse course on this one.
(09-15-2004 Update) Instead, Mayor White is digging in. He responds to Goldberg with an op-ed that argues what a good thing this museum would be. That's not really a response at all. Most Houstonians would surely agree that such a museum is a good thing. It just doesn't need $2 million of municipal funds at a time when the city is strapped for cash.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/14/04 19:10 | Houston | Technorati
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