I like many of the things that are going on in the City of Houston.
I’m referring in large part to the governmental side of things, where there are people making decisions I see as not only sensible, but just plain right.
For example, the Houston City Council will soon be live-streaming its meetings. Yep, the council itself will stream its meetings. I think that portrays a high level of transparency that can do nothing but good.
That kind of willingness to work “out in the open” should be a no-brainer at any level of government, but is strangely not all that common. But I submit that taking such an approach can only create an atmosphere that develops and expands public support.
As a friend of mine recently said, when a government entity operates without transparency, people tend to become suspicious and find it much harder to be supportive. Conversely, the opposite happens in the presence of transparency and people tend to be much more supportive when they “know what’s going on.”
Sure, there will always be people who are against any form of new tax whatsoever, and some who think all government is corrupt and wasteful. But there are also those (like me) who are more prone to support when frequent and open communication are the norm.
I also like the way “we” in Houston aren’t shying away from dreaming big about projects designed to improve the community. I mean, why not dream big?
Like the same friend said, if you dream big you can always reel things in a bit to hit the mark dictated by reality. And then again, under the right circumstances (like with the necessary support), your big dreams might just come to pass in their entirety.
Obviously, it all comes down to the people involved, and I believe there are some good ones making stuff happen in Houston – namely City Administrator Tona Bowen and the council members who whole-heartedly want to incorporate the public into their daily chores. That’s pretty cool, if you ask me. I want to feel like I’m a piece in the puzzle, and right now, I do.
Anyway, the direction in which Houston seems headed is progressively causing my outlook regarding the town’s future to become more positive. I even feel like in the not too distant future we’ll see some new businesses in town (ones with substantial economic impact), and maybe even things like a civic center, athletic complex and new library.
Big dreams? Maybe, but I feel as though reality probably won’t be too far removed.
The bottom line is, I love Houston and I’m sincerely glad there are people in positions of leadership encouraging reason, logic and kindness to abound. I honestly can’t wait to see how things stand in a few years.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald.
Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
