Well my apologies, it’s just that when I hear things as factually incorrect and disconnected from the reality of politics in Austin as that, I assume it came from Mark, Melinda, Todd Jeffries, and whoever else is operating the bilge pump at 590.
No. I’m telling you it’s not a matter of my preference, within the coalitional world of Austin politics that particular use of affordability above means “let the market build more housing.” That’s in contrast to how Kathy Tovo used it, when it was primarily code for “increase the homestead exemption.”
Literally no council candidate that I am familiar with in 30+ years of paying close attention has ever used affordability to sell a “tax the rich” and give “free shit to the poor” message. That’s just nonsense.
And by the way you’re also specifically wrong in another way, and I cannot emphasize this strongly enough. As used above by that particular candidate, it is VERY MUCH about how to improve housing affordability, particularly among middle class public sector workers. It is 100% about that.
You aren’t cynical, you’re just uninformed. And since I spent the better part of two decades in the various weeds of appointed semi-officialdom in this town dealing with the Council’s many own-goals, I assure you I am the furthest thing from naive.