Republican Schism
I just got an email from the Harris County Republican Party praising Dermatologist-Councilwoman's editorial in the Chronicle, and urging recipients to call City Hall about SAFEclear.
If Michael Berry were mayor instead of Bill White, I wonder if the HCRP would be endorsing dermatologist-councilwoman's recently adopted view on "socialized towing?"
We've posted and posted and posted on this program over at blogHOUSTON.
I don't have the ultimate answers. I think Michael Berry and Bill White both believe they are achieving a public safety end with this program, even if it initially looked like a money grab (and will still make the city money, even with the Mayor's proposed revisions). I won't have as big a problem with the program if Council enacts the Mayor's proposed changes, although I would have preferred an expanded MAP. Still, at the end of the day, White and Berry crafted a revised plan in which towing companies are effectively funding a service for motorists on the freeways. Again, expanding MAP would have been my preference, but they chose not to go that way.
The fun tomorrow is likely to be when all the different councilmembers decide to play mayor, and offer THEIR own new SAFEclear plans. Whether Mayor White can herd all of those cats will be the first real test he's faced with council. And whether the old "conservative" bloc (sans Michael Berry on this issue) chooses to oppose Mayor White on this issue will be interesting to watch also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 23:06 | Houston | Technorati
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Comments
Kevin, I think you're wrong about this program. Going with the mayor's amendment is CRAZY. It does ONE thing good and that's keeping people from losing their autos if they don't have enough for a tow. Getting rid of the program does that too. I support C/W Sekula-Gibbs (Wiseman, Galloway and Edwards too) in their attempts to get rid of this program. It's not only unsafe since criminals are STILL allowed to drive the wreckers. And it doesn't do much of anything to make the freeways clear. We need to be RID of SAFEclear now.
Posted by Joe Marquez @ 08:56 on 01/28/05
I've been a pretty big critic of the program (mostly on blogHOUSTON).
But I see no evidence that the votes are there to overturn it. If they are, then let's overturn it and be done with it. Expand MAP if this is the public safety issue Mayor White says it is.
If not, we've got to do something about the confiscatory aspects of the existing program. Nobody will be able to call me a supporter of the revised SAFEclear if these changes go through, but I think they make a bad program better (which is different than saying they make a bad program good).
Posted by Kevin @ 09:06 on 01/28/05
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