Strategy on PGA Welfare Bill

This from Smart Growth San Antonio

The Senate Intergovernmental Committee unanimously voted on SB 1879 last Friday Apr 29th to send it to Local and Uncontested Calendars which is set by the Committee on Administration. Immediate action is needed to stop or slow it down. Jim Marston of Environmental Defense has volunteered to help. We need to get word out early Monday to keep this bill from getting out of Local and Uncontested Calendars.

There are several options. First try to convince Madla or Wentworth to withdraw or not file their written request for placement on the Local and Uncontested Calendar with the Committee on Administration. Second, try to convince the Committee on Local and Uncontested Calendars SB 1879 is not eligible for expedited consideration. Finally, find at least two Senators to object.

Once again, Madla is key here because he is Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee from which SB 1879 was reported. Wentworth as sponsor and as a member of the Administration Committee can also decide to take this off the expedited Calendar. The members of the the Senate Administration Committee are listed below. I think we should target Madla and Van de Putte. But you all do what you think will work.

All in all, SB1879 simply goes around the city and lets Austin dictate or access to water. While Texas Golf is not a site I normally visit, Kuff had a great blurb about this. If Austin creates this tax break for PGA, we will be paying them for an increase in water cost and a decrease in the amount of water we have.

According to the West Texas Springs Alliance this (among other things) have been in the works for a while because the Edwards Aquifer Authority has started to forcibly take over Uvalde's water rights in order to build a pipeline to San Antonio to increase the amount of water we have.

Update 5/2/2005- 6:18 PM The San Antonio Express News had this to say about the impacts this may have on the mayoral contest.