By Mason Brand and Chris Schuchardt

Texas history is full of legend and lore, but no such lesson should be needed here in the Alamo City.  

Some of the Texans who fought for Texas Independence are lesser known, like Captain James Eberly in General Sam Houston’s Army.  He was one of the leaders during the Runaway Scrape.  His first wife passed and he eventually married Angelina Eberly, famous for later firing the cannon in Austin during the “Battle of the Archives.”

One of the daughters from his first marriage, Julia Ann Eberly, married Dr. James Fisher Martin.  Dr. Martin tended to the wounded after the Battle of San Jacinto.  He later became a rancher and Sheriff of Matagorda County, whereupon he shot and killed a man for rustling cattle on his own property. 

Both Captain Eberly and Dr. Martin knew what it meant to trudge forward in life, to pull themselves up by the bootstraps, protect what is theirs, and preserve their own communities.  ‘True grit’ kind of stuff!

Six generations of bloodline later, one of Captain Eberly and Dr. Martin’s heirs, yours truly, would settle in one of the 281 North communities after a career in the Marines and write this account.  The political aggressor in this story, in an ironic twist of fate, is the City of San Antonio (COSA) and its Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP), which attempts to tread on our communities with its Section 8 aka “Affordable Housing” projects.

It Ain’t Texan

Note the word “should” in the first sentence.  It seems nowadays that such lessons are overdue to remind elected Alamo City leaders and their bureaucratic staffs of the tenacity of the Spirit of Texas and the Texans who embody the mantra.

Our school districts are already pillaged by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) under Chapter 49 of the Texas Education Code.  This deems a school district “too unfairly wealthy” in property taxpayer revenue.  Nevermind that such wealth is the result of the hard work and success of the property owners. 

In an August 29^th 2024 email from Comal ISD Chief Financial Officer Glenn Graham, he informs that, under Chapter 49, TEA has vanquished nearly $30 million dollars from Comal ISD since 2018 and sent it to other school districts.

And yet, Comal ISD property taxpayers are to sit idly by while more taxpayer-funded high density “Affordable Housing” projects encroach into our communities and bring more students into our local schools?  These students will in all likelihood get “wraparound” (as CoSA likes to refer to it) financial assistance, for items such as musical instruments, sports equipment, technology equipment, transportation, or other extracurricular expenditures.

There goes that PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) budget!  The occupants of these projects obviously won’t pay school district property taxes, while the “Affordable Housing” developer receives tens of millions of dollars in tax credits. 

Creating government programs, under the false pretenses of compassion, that maraud into other Texans’ communities, impact the educational welfare of their respective children in local schools, increase traffic and crime in that community, and aim to hand what that Texan has earned to someone else?

‘Well them’s fighting words!  Politically anyways!’ And, unequivocally, ‘It just ain’t Texan!’

And yes, as politically incorrect as it may be, government housing projects result in increases in crime in communities and is at least correlated to, if not causation of, “arrests for violent crimes” of men in those projects, according to a study by the Texas A&M Department of Economics.  

In 2022, a Dallas suburb codified it into their HOA bylaws that, because of the stark increase in crime that resulted in their community, properties for rent in their community could not include recipients of Section 8 housing vouchers. 

Nonetheless, you can create a feigned “Affordable Housing” program, even “strategically” as COSA says.  You can get away with it with for a while, but communities wise-up, peel back the layers of this “Texas onion,” and dissect what’s really happening.

In the near-term, we will enact no “Runaway Scrape” from COSA’s “Affordable Housing” projects, and plans that are essentially a ‘slow and silent coup’ of our 281 North communities.  We’re digging in, and we’re fighting! ‘Politically, anyways!’

Among other actions we’re taking, our communities need to press our State Representatives and our State Senators to enforce legislative concepts (outlined below) proposed by former candidate for San Antonio mayor and Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner, 281 North and Timberwood Park’s own Chris Schuchardt.

As our communities have wised-up, we’re learning these “Affordable Housing” projects and plans aren’t just Democrat and liberal bleeding-heart political objectives to tread on your communities. They have Republican friends, and those handshakes go all the way up to Governor Abbott’s office!

Either way, if you don’t stand together, hold your line, and fight for your communities, these politicians and developers will continue to impose upon you.  “Affordable Housing” at Political Gunpoint!

Stay tuned for Part 3, to find out more about that “Texas Onion,” and just exactly what our communities have peeled back!

Semper Fidelis

—

Chris Schuchardt’s Legislative Concepts:

Chapter 49, known as “Recapture,” of the Texas Education Code should be repealed.  If not, the following needs to be passed in the next legislative session:

1. The current public notification radius for Affordable Housing projects, and zoning changes to allow multifamily projects, is 200 feet from the subject property line.  This needs to be extended to 1 mile.  This also applies to voluntary annexation requests.

2. Areas covered by an ISD that is remitting funds back to the TEA under Chapter 49 are exempt from any taxpayer-funded housing projects.

3. Public bonds issued to pay for Affordable Housing projects must be paid back with inflation-adjusted dollars.

4. If a developer is looking to build an Affordable Housing project with local housing trust bonds and Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) tax breaks/funding, they’re not to be allowed to undertake any entitlements or engage with elected officials on zoning changes prior to fully acquiring the subject property.

5. Developer fees paid to Affordable Housing developers are not to be paid by taxpayer funds, bond funds, or tax credits. These developers need to have skin in the game, same as a private developer, and need to raise the capital required to make the project profitable for them. That way, the project is being held liable by the market.

6. There needs to be a mechanism put in place where funds under Chapter 49 are drawn in a way that’s similar to a revolving line of credit and paid back with interest. We deserve to know where our money is going. If our money is being redistributed to a school district with falling enrollment and failing grades, we need to have the option to claw that money back and cover what our school districts went without while that money was outside the district.

7. Affordable Housing developers may not have immediate family members employed or contracted by the TDHCA or the Texas Bond Review Board.

The views and opinions expressed in the is guest editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InfuseSA.  InfuseSA shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies represented in guest editorials.

The post Protesting the Politics Behind CoSA’s ‘Affordable Housing’, Part 2: It Ain’t Texan first appeared on Infuse SA.

By Mason Brand, Major USMCR (ret.)

In a draft 2015 City of San Antonio (CoSA) annexation planning document for the 281 North areas is the following:

“Many residents choose to locate to the US 281 area for its scenic quality, with rolling hills and a rich tree canopy. As development continues, the extension of San Antonio’s city limits will allow the City to shape the character of future development, while offering residents the opportunity to engage in a public development process.”

Little did 281 North residents know, CoSA’s shaping of the “character of the future development” of our communities was to be wrought with Section 8 apartment projects, politically corrected as “Affordable Housing.”

281 North communities are often alarmed to find the ‘surprise’ plans have already been approved and permitted by the San Antonio City Council.  These projects and plans are often hidden, buried on CoSA and/or San Antonio Housing Trust (SAHT) websites, or those of other organizations such as CoSA’s “Opportunity Home,” formerly known as the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA).

So there is little to no “opportunity to engage in a public development process.”

Furthermore, SA District 9 Councilman John Courage will admonish the 281 North communities for choosing to live where we do, remarking about “unbridled growth.”  Yet, he is the biggest proponent of CoSA’s Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP) to saturate our communities with “affordable housing,” which will exacerbate our communities’ increased enrollment numbers in our schools. 

It will also increase the drain on critical infrastructure and traffic on our thoroughfares.

These are carry-over, politically-driven goals and objectives from former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who later became President Obama’s Secretary of HUD.  

281 North residents come from all sorts of backgrounds.  We understand what it means to persevere, work hard, and pull yourselves up by the bootstraps in order to be able to live in the communities that we choose to, each within our own personal economic capabilities.

This includes many veterans who have earned their entitlement to home loan mortgages with lower interest rates, that give them a better opportunity to live in attractive places like the 281 North communities.  These veterans, many of whom served in combat over the last two decades, know all too well selfless service and sacrifice for their fellow countrymen.

No one has a right to live in a specific community.  You earn the ability to do so.  Additionally, the political premise of achieving upward economic mobility in society through osmosis absorption from others rarely yields results.

Our 281 North communities are pushing back and taking a stand through our own political will, including a petition to stop one of CoSA and the SAHT’s Affordable Housing projects known as “Creek Bend,” which is slated to be built at 281 and Borgfeld Drive. Our petition is just shy of 5,000 signatures.

Our communities have also engaged with our elected officials, including Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody, State District 122 Representative Mark Dorazio, and State Senate District 25 Senator Donna Campbell.  

In a show of solidarity after hearing our voices, Rep. Dorazio declared at a July 29^th meeting that he aims to pass legislation that requires these projects, and CoSA officials who approve them, to engage with impacted communities well beyond 200 feet before any approval or permitting.

Rep. Dorazio’s legislative concepts will also force CoSA, SAHT and/or similar organizations to foot the bill for the financial impact on local schools.  It also includes other measures to preserve the best interests of our schools and our communities.

These are our 281 North community political goals and objectives, and they don’t include “affordable housing” projects.

CoSA has gentrified the downtown and near-downtown areas with increased luxury living, such as the Pearl Brewery complex and the condos off of Broadway.  Evidence of the fallout was the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) closing 15 campuses due to low enrollment numbers after the 2023-2024 school year.  

CoSA leaders expect the 281 North communities and our already-overcrowded school districts to pick up the social and financial burden.  This includes Comal Independent School District (CISD) schools in the 281 North areas in the form of CoSA and SAHT’s Section 8 “Canyon Pass” apartments off Overlook Parkway.

This burden is substantiated by an email from November 30^th of last year from CISD Chief Communications Officer Steve Stanford. 

At the moment, this may seem like a “Stone Oak problem, a Timberwood Park problem, or a CISD problem.”  But make no mistake, CoSA and the SAHT will have their sights set on the I-10 West corridor, where some of these communities and undeveloped green space acreage look ripe for “affordable housing.”

This is zoned for Boerne ISD. That community should pay close attention to CoSA and SAHT plans and intentions regarding “affordable housing,” as Boerne ISD just set a new district record this school year for enrollment.

Don’t believe me, and the 281 North communities?  Just ask the Alamo Ranch communities.  

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Semper Fidelis.

The views and opinions expressed in the is guest editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InfuseSA.  InfuseSA shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies represented in guest editorials.

The post Protesting the Politics Behind CoSA’s ‘Affordable Housing’, Part 1 – Belief in Osmosis first appeared on Infuse SA.

At the last special session of the Texas Legislature, responding to years of taxpayer
complaints about the ways of State created Appraisal Districts, an amendment was passed adding
three new elected officials to the Board of Directors. This took effect in counties with a
population of more than 75,000, which totals 50 in Texas, creating 150 new, elected Board
members.

With the additional 3 new “elected” board members, we the taxpayers now have a direct
voice in how the appraisal district is run, and now it treats you. In the upcoming Board of
Directors’ Meeting on Aug. 20th we have asked that concerns voiced in our campaigns and cures
that have already been attempted at Tarrant County be put on the agenda.

At their first meeting last month Tarrant County Appraisal Board adopted a once every two year
appraisal process, giving the taxpayer a rest next year. This rises from the common complaint “I
protested this last year, why did you raise it again this year?” Dealing with this item is on the
table. For me, I’ll push for no re-appraisal in the year after a settlement agreement. Pushback
from the lawyers is that the State requires determination of market value every year. In the same
tax code it also says it must be conducted a minimum of once every 3 years. So which is it?
We’ll be addressing that with vigor, but you see it takes us back to the legislature, which is where
most of the enduring cures will come.

Tarrant County also pressed for a 5% limit on any increase in residential property. The
State currently has it set at 10%. But the law also demands “clear and convincing evidence”
before any increase in value. Now it comes back to the Board and appraisers and how that job is
being done. This too is on the table for the upcoming new year appraisal plan.
These changes are meant to give you relief!! Can we get your support? We would
welcome every citizen that was concerned about this problem to come down to show your
support for these changes by signing up to speak at our next Board of Director’s Meeting which
will be:
Tuesday, Aug. 20 th @ 2pm. Where: 411 Frio St. (Bexar County Appraisal District Bldg.
To sign up to speak, send an email indicating this to: bod@bcad.org.
Then on day of meeting, sign in when you arrive.
 If you have any questions, do email InfuseSA Now at: info@infusesa.org
Hope to see you there.

The post A More Responsive Appraisal District? first appeared on Infuse SA.

By Justice Lori Massey Brissette, Fourth Court of Appeals

Recently, I posted on Facebook a simple question: “Where are our leaders?”  

I asked that question because, in the face of the death of three tourists in downtown San Antonio, our leaders have been silent.  I asked that question because, as a mother whose son was also killed downtown in 2023, I want to know we have leaders who care.

The post was shared by many and ultimately got the attention of the news media.  Turns out the issue is much deeper than I thought.

This isn’t about politicians who don’t care about violence in our streets.  It’s about a faction of our population that has made public safety a political stance.

What is political about wanting our neighborhoods to be free of gangs and random acts of violence?  What is controversial about wanting to protect downtown as a tourist destination and, therefore, our city’s economy?  

It is absolutely reasonable to expect a city or county leader, in the aftermath of the kinds of incidents we’ve seen recently, the kinds of incidents we see all around San Antonio, to pound their fist on the table and say, “Not in my city!”

So why haven’t they?  This is what I’ve come to learn: supporting law enforcement has become politically risky.  

It is so because a negative social narrative has evolved around our police officers.  So it’s not surprising that political leaders want to stay away from a subject that draws criticism, especially when those offering the criticism are louder and more active than those offering support.

I agree that there are hotly contested political issues at play once you get into how we address crime. And, I’m not taking a stance on any of those issues, but whether we address crime?  That should be a non-negotiable for each and every one of us.

As a judge on the Fourth Court of Appeals – a court with civil, criminal and family law jurisdiction across 32 counties – I have to stay objective and impartial as matters come before me.  And, I am absolutely committed to doing so.  

But, on issues we should all agree on, I choose to be loud and proud.  I do so because someone needs to start driving a counter-narrative that calls on our legal system to work as it should to address crime.

So here it goes.  I’ll be the leader who pounds her fist on the table and says, “Not in my city!”

I shout these things from this proverbial rooftop:

– I believe public safety should be our number one concern;
– I believe law enforcement should be supported and encouraged to do their job;
– I believe the district attorney and law enforcement should work together to prosecute cases to the full extent of the law; and,
– I believe judges should work hard to provide a fair and impartial proceeding that protects the innocent and holds the guilty accountable.

Did the second point make you pause?  That’s the point.  That’s what we have to address.  That’s a pretty innocuous statement – at least it used to be.

By saying that am I failing to recognize the need for providing more advantages to underserved populations where crime is higher?  Of course not.  Am I saying that police activity should go unchecked?  Of course not.

These are the questions that divide us.  Let’s get back to what we agree on.

Failing to support our law enforcement leaves them ineffective, and ineffective policing leaves crime unchecked and justice unserved.

We will see on November 5^th (when judges and other political leaders are up for election) which group is louder – those who let politics get in the way of public safety or those who refuse to do so.

You know which side I’m on.

The views and opinions expressed in the is guest editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of InfuseSA.  InfuseSA shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies represented in guest editorials.

The post Be the Leader You Want to See first appeared on Infuse SA.

We sat down recently for a chat with Precinct 3 Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody to talk about the county budget.  He was particularly interested in talking about the debt and fiscal trajectory of the county. 

“I prodded County Manager David Smith and county staff to have a proposal on the debt.” 

The county budget process roughly mirrors that of the City of San Antonio.  Discussions kick off in late spring, staff works on it from there, and a draft is produced in August.  Townhalls are the held in each precinct, and a vote occurs in mid-September. 

“I was surprised last year that there’s no big, formal process,” he told us.  “We learned to speak up early and directly.  We met with David to reiterate our priorities.  If we don’t offer input directly to county staff, it may or may not be happening.”

When we asked what his priorities were, he cited “public safety, law enforcement and the courts.  We have to prioritize … essential services.  We just had our first export of inmates because we could not house them all.  Should we expect to have contracts with surrounding counties, or expand our jails?”

We found common ground on programs like “workforce development, which I don’t really consider a primary function of county government.”  As we point out all the time, CoSA’s Ready to Work is the poster child for the inevitably lacking results of such a government effort. 

Unfortunately, “there’s nothing really that stops the county from getting involved in that,” even though it represents just one example of an “overlap of services, redundancy.”  There’s a “lot of confusion over what’s city and what’s county.”

We asked a question no one else seems to ask: what if a majority of the court simply voted the budget down?  “That’s an interesting question.  I’m not sure.”  The goal is to “find out points of leverage with other commissioners for points of compromise.  That’s harder to do once the draft is released.” 

When we expressed frustration at the county (or city, for that matter) using a taxpayer-funded credit card, he said “I think it’s about communication.  This is never going to be the budget I would write.  I’ve tried to find the items where there is support” to cut.

In the event of such a rejection, “I assume we’d have to go back to the negotiating table to see what three members of the court could agree on.”  There are more than a few citizens who feel that kind of reckoning is due, and are waiting for more representatives to force the issue.

To his credit, he supports a zero-based budgeting approach that District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte has proposed, and that the editorial board of the San Antonio Express-News supports.

In the end, he circled back around to the trajectory of the county fisc, which he elaborated on in a recent commentary in the EN.  We have the greatest per capita debt of all counties in Texas and that has been greatest trigger of asking that the county rethink its approach to the budget. 

He wants to “go back and scrub the capital plan approved before some of us were in office.  Are there items in here that we no longer want as a court, or that could be delayed?”  This is reminiscent of the supposed ‘social contract’ we allegedly agreed to at birth that binds us to policies of the past.   

If public officials, bureaucrats and the like are going to demand higher pay (like the city wants to put in front of voters November), a most productive exercise would be the repeal outdated ordinances, stalled programs/projects, etc.

He concluded with the fact that “there is an ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) cliff that is rapidly approaching.” 

The American Rescue Plan is the federal spending bill that enable states and localities to keep businesses shut, people out of work, etc. during the waning days of the pandemic. 

“It has to be spent by 2026,” he added.  “How are we going to then support county programs dependent on that?  By asking taxpayers?”  It’s a reasonable question to ask.

He ended the interview with a collaborative invitation of sorts, saying “if there are specific things you think we should cut from the budget, I’d love to hear from you directly.”

Take him up on that.  In fact, send that suggestion to every other member of the court as well.  Our fiscal future depends on it.

The post A Chat with Precinct 3 Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody first appeared on Infuse SA.

As our city officials continue to push their narrative about removing our horse carriage industry on paid posts, the comments from “bless their hearts” uninformed opponents are astonishing.

They say ”poor horses shouldn’t work in heat conditions,” “it’s so unsafe for drivers,” “the exhaust/emissions is bad for them,” “they are outdated and should be put to pasture.”

Please. 

The city has heat, health, schedule and care regulations for the industry.  Horses have massive lung capacity.  They breathe through their mouth, filtering out debris.

The state has car emissions regulations, and should perhaps focus on getting those cars fixed or off the roads to help human air quality.

The City has proposed and begun their Green Energy 2030 plan to remove cars from downtown.  No worries there, you won’t be able to drive there anyway.

We are seeing here a level of interference by our city officials in a legitimate small business that is frankly frightening and appalling. 

Can they really ban, with a stroke of the pen, a lawful business that has operated safely for decades without city subsidy or drain on city services?  A business with a clean record of observing all applicable city regulations? 

Will they cavalierly just wipe out the livelihood of over 100 hard working citizens?

To their credit, these carriages and horses provide community outreach for children at local hospitals, like Make a Wish Foundation.  They help create memories for young and old as our city four legged ambassadors.

Know the whole story.  Learn the facts about Equine health.  Know that your concerns should be with the loose dog roaming your neighborhood, cats that continue to have litters, vicious dogs that kill other pets even humans, etc.

These horses are more loved than most domestic pets.  That’s the truth that Dr. Ben Espy DVM shared with officials.

Please stand with these horses and their owners.

The post The Case for Shuttering Horse-Drawn Carriages Needs to be Put Down first appeared on Infuse SA.

We applaud and stand with Denise here (12:25 mark) in forcing into the spotlight the inconsistent and questionable (to put it nicely) treatment of Dr. Ben Espy.

The implication by District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda at Tuesday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing that Dr. Espy sees no negative health impacts to horses from pulling carriages downtown just because he’d lost the pittance the City pays him for veterinary services. Not everyone is so enamored with government work, and he certainly doesn’t need it.

While we’re at it … they sure seem hellbent on ditching horse-drawn carriages, to the point they seem somewhat hysterical that it’s inception coincides with emancipation in 1865. How else to explain the hair-splitting about Dr. Espy’s official role? The councilwoman didn’t even seem to be on exactly the same page with District 2 Councilman Jalen Mckee-Rodriguez here.

No serious accidents according to Rick Riley, assistant director for SAPD. No traffic violation that wouldn’t otherwise occur with automobiles. It’s almost as if there’s an ulterior motive (*cough*cough* global warming *cough*cough*).

Anyway, it’s cold comfort to emphasize a need to help operators “transition” in the event of a ban. It’s hard enough to get the City to do a good job when they actually care. Imagine the lack of incentive when they’ve succeeded in needlessly killing off more small businesses.

Not even Dr. Espy could detect a heartbeat within such base instincts.

The post Defending Dr. Espy and Other Regular Citizens first appeared on Infuse SA.

We look forward to binge watching this season! 

“A bipolar CIA operative who graduated from Ron Nirenberg’s San Antonio Ready to Work program convinces a disgraced City of San Antonio Animal Care Services Director that social media operatives are planning to carry out an open records blitz.”

Co-starring Mandy Patinkin as CoSA Attorney Andy Segovia and F. Murray Abraham as City Manager Erik Walsh.

With Special Guest Appearance by Woody Harrelson as Assistant City Manager Jeff Coyle and Eriq La Salle as Assistant City Manager David McCary. 

The post Homeland: The Open Records Request Season first appeared on Infuse SA.

We attended a neighborhood association (NA) meeting recently on the inner west side.  The concerns were probably not unlike those of residents in other U.S. urban centers: crime, public intoxication, vagrancy, etc.

One that drew a notable response from District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo was the cost of housing.  This issue provides a good example of how actions of the federal government trickle down and leave collateral damage in our neighborhoods.

Housing is a basic good, susceptible to normal market fluctuations just like any other.  When government intervenes though, things get a little more volatile. 

Out in California, regulations are stifling the addition of more.  Rent controls do the same.  The overarching problem in every state for the last several years however, has been unstable monetary policy coming out of Washington D.C.

Since the dollar has been devalued, it has simply taken more to buy stuff.  Plus, it has compelled more investors to enter the housing market.  It’s a safer, less risky investment than an untested invention, or new product line. 

This arguably explains the widening discrepancy between price growth and that of population. 

This appreciation leaves homeowners with the illusion of greater wealth.  When they look to ‘cash in’, they find that the market around them as moved up as well.  Further burdened by rising interest rates, they hunker down, and the market for new homebuyers tightens. 

This creates an opportunity for local officials to try to fix things.   

When some of the residents complained about homes being turned into “quadplexes” (essentially makeshift apartments), Councilwoman Castillo was quick to point out the city’s “voter-approved investment in affordable housing” that can be found going up all over town.

One of these developments is going up on the far west side.  Another is raising a stink on the far north side.  Residents there complain of inevitable overcrowding in schools, increased traffic, etc.

There is also a perception that more criminal activity is likely to follow. 

Even people who live in the more impoverished parts of town know they aren’t very safe areas.  Many are anxious to get out.  But they felt trapped, just like everyone else.  Or almost everyone.

Those with the means can and do leave the city’s tax jurisdiction.  Despite the county’s previously mentioned population growth, San Antonio’s population grew by only 26%.  This is important because property taxes finance these bond “investments”.   

That necessarily means the burden on the remaining homeowners intensifies.  The city begins to entertain the possibility of raising rates.  That in turn nudges the holdouts to join the exodus out of city limits, or to get on the long and growing waitlist for this “affordable housing.”

It’s a vicious cycle, and it looks like it might get worse before it gets better.

The Biden Administration has made it clear that Americans should expect the value of their dollar to drop further.  Advisers to former President Trump are discussing their own ways to devalue the currency should they retake the White House in November. 

Meanwhile, despite all this, their cohorts here at the grass roots are likely eligible for political promotion.

Councilwoman Castillo, endorsed by Bernie Sanders, who himself called on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates earlier this year, could follow the path of former Austin city councilman Greg Casar into Congress.

While Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who spearheaded the drive for these “investments,” appears lately to have been groomed for a possible role in a second Biden Administration.  Residents and community leaders we talk to are already not pleased about being left with his plodding workforce program. 

For their part, local conservative officials haven’t been much help.

Falling in line with a growing number of their brethren in D.C., too frequently they have voted for higher property taxes.  Nevertheless, they are blessed for re-election by lawmakers stationed thousands of miles away.

In some areas of town, homes are renting for twice as much as they did barely a decade ago.  If landlords go too long without being able to find a tenant, investors will no doubt swoop in to buy. 

If they struggle, something like a quadplex doesn’t fly with the neighbors, and the market collapses under the weight of a growing glut of apartments, it’s not a stretch to guess what comes next.

Bankruptcy and/or government bailouts.  We all remember the fallout the last time that happened. 

The post Connecting the Dots: How National Policy Leaves Damage at the Local Level first appeared on Infuse SA.

San Antonio District 2 City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez was recently on the Express-News’ “Puro Politics” podcast when the subject turned to the city charter commission.  Regarding their consideration of changing the city manager pay structure, he said “there is a fix inherently baked-in.”

He was referring to the fact that the salary is tied to 10X that of the lowest-paid city employee.  Raise that, and the CM’s pay automatically increases.  Many citizens echoed that sentiment to the commission in recent weeks.  They call it pay equity. 

While that sounds ideal, it would likely have a negative impact on small businesses and taxpayers.

Business owners have to compete for labor.  Part of that is being a place where people want to work, as the councilman alluded to.  But it’s not a stretch to say that a driving factor for many people when they go to work in the morning is what they’re being paid. 

When the City bumps the pay of the lowest-paid worker, it puts pressure on mom & pops to keep up.  They can’t simply wave a magic wand and decree a higher wage.  They must be doing well to justify it.  They must be satisfying customers and earning their business, and repeat business.

The city does not.  It can rely on taxing citizens’ savings to hand out raises. 

Faced with this, small businesses have a choice: raise prices or absorb the costs, or both.  Either way, they are that much closer to closing their doors.  One group that wouldn’t mind that is their larger competitors.

For a political class that likes to extol the virtues of small businesses, giving big business a leg up is a strange way to translate that into action.  But even the bigger boys may not be immune here.

The councilman mentioned payroll “compression” as a concern while lifting up the bottom rung.  “You would want to make way for” mid-level city employees “to receive better compensation” as well. 

Those are your finance professionals, engineers, HR folks, software developers, etc.  In its quest to be an “employer of choice,” the City lures these folks away from the private sector, where they help create much more value. 

Unfortunately, the City doesn’t exist in a bubble.  Its actions radiate outward into the community.  The possibility of unintended consequences is rarely factored into decision-making.  Slower growth, more government dependency, more crime, etc. 

Is it any wonder we’re the ‘poorest big city’ in the country?

Corporate executives who can afford political influence with max campaign donations don’t have to sweat this.  Special interests who benefit from government largesse are happy to go along.  At the end of the day, it’s always the same person who gets stuck with the tab: the regular taxpayer.     

Get ready, because with budget season upon us, that bill is coming due soon.

The post If There is a Right Way to Raise City Manager Pay, This Isn’t It first appeared on Infuse SA.