Some of you may have read my letter to the editor in the Austin American Stateman. It was a condensed version of this letter I posted on the statesman blog.
http://denadavis.statesmanblogs.com
Let me just be clear– the city council passed this thing quicker than a “Bear Sterns Bailout”. This was practically done under the cover of nightfall. The only difference was that the council meeting was unexpectantly changed to a daytime meeting– where the majority working residents could not take off work to protest.
At issue here is the complete lack of transparency by the Austin City Council. Austin is a progressive city. I applaud that. I also applaud the fact that the city council is attempting to do something progressive about the homeless in Austin.
What bothers me is that they are relocating them away from the newly minted wealthy downtown condo buyers and transfering them to the backyard of lower income working families that live close to Harold Court in East Austin. All with very little notice. Try doing that in Travis Heights. Or close to Circle C. Or Shady Hollow.
I am not against the homeless. I am not against Mobile Loaves and Fishes. The homeless is a community that needs to be served. Mobile Loves and Fishes is a fine organization who did what they needed to do serve the homeless. I take issue with the City Council and thier lack of regard for the input of a disadvantaged citizenry.
