Brad Messer Commentary
8:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002
Some people are so mad at City Hall that they think ALL votes ought to be postponed until after the trials. That would freeze local government for a year or two or three.
Even moderates are wondering about the ramifications of council voting this afternoon on the huge PGA Village agreement. Us decent people will be trying not to wonder if a vote or two might have been bought. But it's hard not to wonder, isn't it.
Even when this whole batch of councilmen is gone, and new people take over, we will still be wondering. Disgust with City Hall will last a long time.
To maybe shorten that time, our town has got to come clean. We must make campaign donations and city contracts easy to look at. We must have enough information about the people who donate to politicians, to know who they really are and who they represent.
Until city business conducted on behalf of the public, is made public, there will be no rebuilding of trust. When citizens don't like City Hall, they'll vote against bond issues and necessary projects, just to show how mad they are.
City Hall has got to move in the direction of letting some light shine in. Forget ethics commissions and study groups and council committees. Those are the meaningless political BS and everybody knows it.
Put contracts and money records where citizens can examine them. If so-and-so wants a zoning change which his neighborhood opposes, I want to know who he donated to, and how much, before the vote.
I'm Brad Messer with the 8:15 commentary on KTSA.
Campaigns For People study of San Antonio political contributions
Carlos Guerra:
Indictments challenge us to make true campaign reforms "Seven individuals directly connected to the PGA Village Project gave at least $87,911 to council members between January 2001 and July 2002," the researchers say. "And $43,650, about half, was given within 2 months of the April 5 (council) vote for the PGA Village."