to a new year. San Antonio rode through its fair share of ups and downs in the second half of 2014:
- Our former Mayor and former District 1 City Councilman showed their true colors as self-interested political opportunists - one appointed as a federal secretary in Washington D.C., the other landing a seat in the Texas House of Representatives - taking the wind out of the sails of those supportive of urban policy development.
- In partisan politics, Battleground Texas and the Democratic party failed to galvanize support to take the November elections, the Republican party ultimately making a clean sweep in Texas. Citizens continue to express their disdain for both parties and remain disillusioned with the entire political apparatus.
- VIA's Streetcar was shot down. The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts got off to a running start. Uber and Lyft received a cease-and-desist letter from the San Antonio Police Department. Alamo Beer got their brewery. Henry Cisneros still chases the lost cause of landing a professional footbal team.
- And all the while the Center City Development Office continued to cut breaks (water/energy waivers and property tax reimbursements) and give incentives (in the millions) to developers rolling out housing in the inner city at market rate of around $2 per sq ft for rent and lofts/condos for purchase starting at $250,000+, still only one out of the twenty-two developments (past and present) has accomodated Section 8 residents.
With these murky events of the past year behind us, we've arrived at a clean slate. Along with the school semester you can find me pursuing writing for various community outlets. Already in the works is an article for "The City Journal" - a print publication organized by Michael Cirlos of Humans of San Antonio. Spread the word and stay tuned.
It's a new day. And a better day is coming. The semester begins January 20th. We'll see you then.
P.S.
"There are only two ways in which a writer can become important - to write a great deal, and have [their] writings appear everywhere, or to write very little...The only thing that matters is that these should be perfect in their kind, so that each should be an event."
- T. S. Eliot
"There are only two ways in which a writer can become important - to write a great deal, and have [their] writings appear everywhere, or to write very little...The only thing that matters is that these should be perfect in their kind, so that each should be an event."
- T. S. Eliot
