#atxcouncil: How Typically Texan....

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

So it's done:

Austin appears to have landed a Major League Soccer team after the Austin City Council approved the McKalla Place deal Wednesday for a soccer stadium in North Austin.

The stadium deal paves the way for Columbus Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt to begin financing an estimated $200 million stadium at the 24-acre tract of city-owned land near The Domain. Precourt aims to have the team playing in the Austin area next year.

The vote was 7-4 with council members Leslie Pool, Alison Alter, Ora Houston and Ellen Troxclair against.

This isn't surprising.  The stadium proposal remains far from a done deal.  It's also worth pointing out that the dias math matched our prediction perfectly.

But as this fight moves to a different arena, one thought stands out: How typical this is for politics in the state of Texas.

And never, EVER, forget that one of the primary political activities in the state of Texas is for Good Ol' Boys to put together shady real estate deals.

Last Sunday, after Church, this author went to check out the proposed site.  It was an interesting experience because it alleviated some concerns while highlighting others.  What really struck us was the full magnitude of the giveaway.

This site is kitty-corner across the street from the Domain:

This is a seriously good location, on a significant parcel of land, and the public is getting a small fraction of what it deserves.

But, again, what do you really expect?!?

This is Texas.

The Austin City Council loves to theatrically huff and puff about their alleged opposition to the State of Texas on any number of issues [Note: The Legislature does the same thing in the other direction, but this particular blog post is about Council].  But then they go around and do the most Texas thing ever.  The irony would be amusing if we weren't paying for it.

Think about it:

• Anthony Precort?!? Good ol' boy....
• Steve Adler?!?  Good ol' boy....
• Richard Suttle?!?  Good ol' boy....
• David Butts?!?  The Goodest, and the ol'est, boy of 'em all....

And, while we're on this particular soapbox, we should also point out that Mayor Adler calling this act of larceny "the best deal of its kind in the country" is preposterous.  That's like patting yourself on the back for 'only' jumping off a 200 foot bridge when someone else jumped off of a 500 foot bride.  Not jumping off of a bridge in the first place remains an option....

Finally, kudos to Leslie Pool.  We certainly don't agree with her philosophy or general approach to land use.  But, to be fair, it came in handy on this particular occasion.

Bottom Line: Never, ever, ever forget that one of the primary political activities in the state of Texas is nothing more than good ol' boys putting together shady real estate deals....

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