In a city where politicians scored political points through caring...
It surprised me a little to learn a couple weeks ago that the city of Houston was trying to acquire the land currently occupied by The Center Serving Those With Mental Retardation (hereafter "The Center"). One would think in this time of political correctness and protected classes, a non-profit center serving an important cause would be able to go about its daily routine without bizarre government intervention, but I guess that's only if the center's not on a valuable piece of land.
Back in the 1960's, The Center signed a 99-year lease on its property for $1 a year, an agreement which previous mayoral administrations have abided by. However, it was apparently discovered that the city charter limits such deals to terms of 30 years. As a result, Mayor Bill White has declared the lease invalid. While he claims to be working to reach a solution that all parties can agree to, many of us view this as a heartless attempt at a money grab. If the Center weren't on a 25 million dollar plot of land would it be worth the political condemnation to evict the mentally challenged? The city is looking for a market value lease on the property which there's no way the Center could afford given the nature of its work and non-profit status.
The city of Houston has been struggling with finances and has faced challenges with other recently implemented revenue-generating programs. However, one must ask if there's a point where human decency and caring (the same qualities that led the same mayor to welcome half of New Orleans in their time of need) are allowed to overshadow short term financial gain?
In my book this is such a point.... but what do I know?
Back in the 1960's, The Center signed a 99-year lease on its property for $1 a year, an agreement which previous mayoral administrations have abided by. However, it was apparently discovered that the city charter limits such deals to terms of 30 years. As a result, Mayor Bill White has declared the lease invalid. While he claims to be working to reach a solution that all parties can agree to, many of us view this as a heartless attempt at a money grab. If the Center weren't on a 25 million dollar plot of land would it be worth the political condemnation to evict the mentally challenged? The city is looking for a market value lease on the property which there's no way the Center could afford given the nature of its work and non-profit status.
The city of Houston has been struggling with finances and has faced challenges with other recently implemented revenue-generating programs. However, one must ask if there's a point where human decency and caring (the same qualities that led the same mayor to welcome half of New Orleans in their time of need) are allowed to overshadow short term financial gain?
In my book this is such a point.... but what do I know?
posted by Aaron at 5:11 AM
1 Comments:
There's a big kerfuffle with mental health here in NC too - they're closing down mental health facilities and forcing a bunch of people with mental health problems onto the streets. My colleague Santiso tells me that the way we treat our mentally ill here in the States is disgraceful. (Of course, he's from Venezuela, where mental health patients are generally elected president.)
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