Kevin Whited reports that downtown Houston’s night life continues to dissipate from lack of demand. This despite the fact that various local governmental entities have invested at least $1 billion in the downtown area by building a baseball stadium, a basketball arena, a convention center hotel, a light rail system and assorted other goodies.
Sort of makes you wonder what would happen if even a portion of that $1 billion were invested in something that Houston really needs, such as improvements to flood control and traffic hotspots? My sense is that such an investment would dramatically lessen the risk that citizens would lose their lives or suffer property loss in the event of heavy rains (which occur with some regularity around here) or a traffic accident. Thus, we aren’t as safe as we could be, but our local governmental officials have seen to it that we are as comfortable as reasonably possible while being entertained. Gotta love those priorities.
Houston's Clear Thinkers
Longtime Houston attorney Tom Kirkendall's observations on developments in law, business, medicine, culture, sports, and other matters of general interest to the Houston business, professional, and academic communities.
A city center has had no purpose outside business hours, and damned little during business hours since the invention of the automobile.
Is there any reason for the medical Center to be downtown? No, and it isn’t.
Is there any reason for the oil industry to be downtown? None but history and inertia.
Is there any reason for shopping to be downtown? No, and it left.
Is there any reason for entertainment to be downtown? No, and it left.
In fact, excepting lawyers wanting to be near the courts, there is no need for a downtown.
Houston ought to accept that and simply start calling it the legal district to help urge others to move out.
Well stated.
Additionally, after four months of relentless pursuit, prevailing in a TXOAG open records opinion, I was able to secure most of the General Mobility numbers from METREAUX.
My complaint was ignored by the METREAUX board and the guy running the transit agency as if it were a MONOPOLY game.
METREAUX promised to share 25% of the “Windfall” sales tax revenue, for ten years with the member entities, for General Mobility Projects.
METREAUX has only scheduled about $400 million in projects, and only paid a portion so far. They changed the payment policy a couple of years back, so as to play the float until the projectys are completed.
The COH has fronted over $100 million for METREAUX in recent projects, and seems in no hurry to send METREAUX final invoices.
The COH is eligible for 73.7% of the 25% METRO promised to distribute.
Published in METREAUX’s CAFR, the TX Comptroller has allocted about $2.815 Billion in “Windfall” sales tax revenue from FY2001 through FY2007.
A simple calculation determines that 25% would equal about $704 million. Thus, over $300 million has not been scheduled for distribution. The COH share would calculate to over $250 million!
The Mayor stated we would sit down with METREAUX for a new reconcilliation, based on my recently obtained METREAUX documents.