Today an article in the Express-News disclosed that Mayor Julian Castro, in response to a request for open meetings by the Express-News, postponed the upcoming executive session with CPS to allow them to determine what items could be discussed in open session and what required executive session. “There cannot be even the perception that any portion of this process isn’t as open as it should be,” Castro said. One word sums up that move in my mind – COOL! Castro has demonstrated a strong desire to hear the public during his first year in office. He’s learned a lot in the four years since leaving city council and those lessons can help lead to great movements in our city. The question is if the public can learn to discuss the issues in a civil manner.
In an article in the Express-News about Castro’s first 100 days he was noted for his attitude of listening to people and asking questions to clarify a point. “Julián is very much more measured and he takes a more practical approach,” Councilman John Clamp said in the article. “Hardberger just did things.” Personally I’ve noticed this also during several of the public forums I’ve attended where Mayor Castro was present. Whether it be in City Council’s Citizens to be Heard or a public forum on the STNP he is always listening respectfully and rarely is distracted by staff or others. I’ve never talked with him about it but it’s pretty obvious he wants to hear what people have on their minds.
This seems to be in contrast to former Mayor Phil Hardberger who had a Nike sort of “just do it” attitude. In an article in the San Antonio Current Gilbert Garcia talked about Hardberger’s drive to move things forward, sometimes with little public input. “The downside of Hardberger’s activist stance, however, has been an impulsiveness, an impatience with the governing process, and an indifference to the issue of transparency,” said Garcia. Many of us enjoyed the progress made during Hardberger’s administration. But I have to wonder what this STNP debate would look like had it been under Hardberger’s watch.
On Wednesday, October 7th, at 11 a.m. in McAllister Auditorium at SAC Mayor Castro will continue the public dialogue about San Antonio’s energy future. At that forum Castro will present his vision for the future and possibly offer time for public comment. For everyone engaged in the energy discussions this will be a great time for dialogue about the issues and to hear what’s on the mayor’s mind about this important focus area of San Antonio’s economic growth.
Now for the challenge to the public. When you have a mayor who wants to talk to you about the issues that means you should talk in a civil manner and not yell or threaten or degrade the discussions. Throughout these discussions on energy I have seen uncivil comments made by many of those who stepped up to the microphone, mostly from the anti-nuclear group. I know there is frustration by them when they feel their voices are not being heard. However, I have to say those voices have been heard by the fact we have a compromise position of less investment.
Yet, even with that fact on the table, people still feel compelled to yell and degrade others, even to the point of threatening to “vote the bums out” because they didn’t get their way in the debate. I sometimes wonder if they are listening as well to others who feel that STNP investment is critical to San Antonio’s growth. There are two sides to this discussion. In fact, as I pointed out Sunday, there are many sides to this discussion.
So hopefully next Wednesday we’ll all get the chance to talk and listen to each on this matter as Mayor Castro pulls us together. Knowing what I know about him, you can rest assured he’ll be listening.
