Joe Jaworski

Galveston’s great opportunity

Mayor, City of Galveston, Dec 06, 11.

Tagged with community, housing, affordability, recover

Galveston is experiencing historic change following Hurricane Ike, with over $650 million in public works and housing reconstruction projects underway. That public investment is a “game changer” for the Island. Our community has an opportunity like never before to grow population, cure blighted neighborhoods and reduce poverty. I ask Galvestonians to join me in remaining focused on our great opportunity. Specifically, let’s look at the long list of public improvements our Island has in store, and let’s examine the one distraction that could derail our progress and cost us everything.

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So, I stand for a different way. First, I make a clear distinction between the poor condition of the pre-Ike housing projects and the excellent way public housing – in scattered site and mixed income development – can be now. Second, I applaud the choice made in the days following Ike to raze the housing projects. And, in fact, it was a choice: those projects could have been mopped up and occupied just as they were before the storm, but the choice was made at GHA to demolish them – a wise choice since the old projects had long exceeded their beneficial use. But before the bulldozers could roll, Lone Star legal aid filed a Fair Housing Complaint to ensure in writing that the number of units of housing being destroyed would be rebuilt in a modern, de-concentrated configuration. Critics argue whether there should have been some reduction in the number negotiated to be rebuilt, but the fact is there was not; and now HUD, the state of Texas, and the fair housing advocate community will withhold the federal money from Galveston if these units are not rebuilt. That’s right – those that advocate against public housing are also, whether they admit it or not, advocates for forfeiting $650 million in federal funds to improve Galveston: if they have their way, you can thank them for no wastewater treatment plant, no fire station, no water tanks, no reconstructed streets, no 2,000 rehabilitated private homes. If we stay focused on our opportunity, however, it doesn’t have to end that way.

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So, rather than blaming public housing for all of Galveston’s problems, the enlightened citizens I know are really rather excited about our future. Here’s the bottom line: If we can capitalize on our great opportunity, Galveston will benefit immensely with over $650 million to rebuild 2,000 private homes. That money will also let us radically improve our water works and street infrastructure and, with that money, the City, GHA, GRACE, and other public and private partners will rebuild a number of our once-blighted neighborhoods. Combine that historical public works effort with new Management at City Hall, the Park Board and the Housing Authority; booming campus development and student population at UTMB and Texas A&M at Galveston; Seawall enhancements such as the Pleasure Pier and Ft. Crockett Park; best in fleet Cruise ships home porting in Galveston; new retail and commercial businesses succeeding year round; improved public, private and charter schools; and, finally, a sharp focus at City Hall on thoroughly cleaning and greening the Island, along with better delivery of city services; and you get a very real, very positive picture of Galveston’s present, great opportunity to graduate - finally - from maddening mediocrity to excellence.

Ultimately, it comes down to vision and execution. If I’ve learned one thing in my first term as Mayor, it is that vision is easy, execution is hard and it takes everything you have to get things done in Galveston. But it is worth it when you make peoples’ lives better. Join me in doing my job. Join me in demanding that we as a City succeed in grasping our present opportunity. Join the good people who consider our great opportunity to be an effort worth doing and doing well.

Full Story: Galveston’s Great Opportunity
Source: Guidry News, Dec 2, 2011

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