Two City Reps Flip-Flop On Budget

In some of the most blatant acts of political tomfuckery, two city council reps tried to vote against a tax increase after they voted for it. 

City Reps Isabel Salcido and Claudia Rodriguez surrendered whatever spine they may have had in a purely political move designed to try to make them look good shortly after they announced their candidacy for reelection. 

If their opponents are worth a damn - which they aren't - they'd be getting the flip-flop political opportunism mailer to the printer right around first thing in the morning. 

Let me break down why its such political cowardice on their part. Actually, lets start with an important question - who was the dumbass that thought this was a good idea? The reality is they knew they were the only two members of council that were going to do this. They knew no one else was going to vote to support the current budget the entire way and then at the last minute flip on the budget. 

So it wasn't a genuine effort to change the budgetary dialogue. The only reason it was done was purely political - so they can say they voted to lower taxes. 

But now they opened themselves up to having their honesty and integrity challenged by their opponents. A very stupid self-inflicted wound. 

The real sign that this wasn't a genuine effort to go in a different direction in terms of the budget is the fact that this was last minute. The ridiculously comical line about tying the change to public comment applies two things that are simply untrue - one, that anyone really listens to public comment. They take turns going in the back and refilling their coffee mugs. Secondly - what exact incisive comment was made in three minutes by someone that moved them to do a 180 degree change in their policy position?

This is what happens when its an emailed statement from the elected official instead of an on-camera interview. Its a statement that was 100% drafted by some consultant or political advisor. The media should stop taking emailed statements and make the electeds stand in front of a camera if they want their side of the story told. 

I put if you put a camera in either of their faces and asked them specific budgetary questions, asked them exactly what services or line items they want to cut in order to get to their tax cut, and then asked them to explain it in detail, they would both sound like that Ms America pageant contestant that was asked about the War in Iraq several years ago. 

And there is a reason its important to ask challenging questions like that. Because there are plenty of elected officials that give blanket statements that are feel good, do nothing statements like, "I wanna cut taxes" or "I wanna hold the line on taxes" or "I'm a fiscal conservative". Those are easy statements to make. 

Its politically expedient. 

And therefore hallow and fake. 

And quite frankly, completely unnecessary political theater. Salcido is in no danger of losing now that Pickett is out of the race. She doesn't have viable opponents and neither have a snowball's chance in hell of beating her. In fact it was highly likely that neither of them would break double digits. 

And for what? To impress Mike Armstrong? You gotta be kidding me.

Claudia Rodriguez is even more perplexing. She can basically rely on her first name being Claudia for the rest of what is left of her short-lived political career. She's facing Art Fierro who just lost to another Latina candidate named Claudia in the very precincts he just lost to Claudia Ordaz a few months ago. 

Everyone says that they want lower taxes. Because they do. 

Until you ask them what to cut. Until someone is faced with the tough choice of what exactly needs to be cut. So you wanna cut taxes? Cool, what do you wanna cut? Do you think we have too many cops? Do you think we have too many parks? Maybe we have too many libraries? Too many street lights? Oh, maybe you think our streets are too smooth and pothole free? Maybe traffic runs too smoothly? Wait, I know - we don't have enough stray animals on the streets! Our trash is being collected too often? That has to be it, right?

The point is - cutting taxes is super easy and popular to say. Its like saying you like cute, cuddly little puppies. 

But being the person that actually cuts services or expenditures - thats a harder task to undertake and requires political courage. 

Saying the popular easy thing for the sake of getting reelected isn't innovative. Its indicative of what kind of leader they are. 

Voters respect honesty from their leaders. 

They'd rather have a hard truth than an easy lie.