Well my apologies, itβs 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. Iβm telling you itβs not a matter of my preference, within the coalitional world of Austin politics that particular use of affordability above means βlet the market build more housing.β Thatβs in contrast to how Kathy Tovo used it, when it was primarily code for βincrease the homestead exemption.β
Literally no council candidate that I am familiar with in 30+ years of paying close attention has ever used affordability to sell a βtax the richβ and give βfree shit to the poorβ message. Thatβs just nonsense.
And by the way youβre 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 arenβt cynical, youβre 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 Councilβs many own-goals, I assure you I am the furthest thing from naive.