State Rep. Paul Workman, Hard at Work

I am a life-long Austinite. I remember as a kid playing along Barton Creek. I also remember when I was 19, a girl was murdered along Barton Creek and that was a turning point for me. My utopia was now descrated. Still, I enjoy the area. I lifeguarded at Barton Springs for more than half a decade. As construction began along the creek, we started noticing more and more algae blooms in the pool. All the morning polar bears would convene with coffee at water's edge and discuss the SOS ordinances and their fight to save Barton Springs. I can only imagine how much of a sludge pond the pool would be today if these folks hadn't been fighting the good fight.

State Representative Paul Workman has now filed bills into the legislature weakening environmental protection. Environmental protection has long been a hallmark of Austin politics. Former Mayor Gus Garcia once called Austin "a city within a park". Workman's bills will create a statewide, state-backed deregulation that should really be left to cities and their governances.

The Austin-American Statesman article discussing Workman's legislation includes increasing the area allowed on land tracts over the Edwards Aquifer (where we get our drinking water from) from 15-25% developed footprint to 45-50% - a potential 300% increase. The basic issue behind this development, albeit necessary to a degree, creates polluntants into our drinking source. Oil from cars, fertilizers from the artificial facades created from the wake of bull-dozing the natural habitats, and trash from us contaminate the aquifer. Other regulations would remove the city of Austin process for tree-removal, which currently mandates a city arborist for any tree greater than 19 inches. Lastly, Workman intends to limit the Save Our Springs Ordinance.

So, city tree ordinances began in the 1980's. The SOS alliance was formed in the early 90's and city of Austin voters approved the SOS ordinance. City of Austin voters created and have supported what they wanted for greater than 20 years. Let us examine Mr. Workman's background.

Mr. Workman has a long history in construction, as evidenced on his webpage. He is also a highly touted civic leader, being involved in Rotary. Aligned with his primary income, he has been a Board member for the Real Estate Council of Austin and National Director for the Association of General Contractors. Mr. Workman has a clear tutalege and loyalty to the industries that said legislation would benefit.

One question I have after reading Mr. Workman's bio is this: he took over his father's construction business in 1980. He moved to Austin in 1983 and began his construction business in 1991 "with no work and little money". My question is, what happened to his father's business? Did he ruin it? Did his brother run it into the ground? I'm curious to know...

It seems to me that Mr. Workman is clearly introducing self-serving legislation to benefit his peers and his own business at the expense of the environment. I am truly disappointed that Mr. Workman would use state-backed deregulation to usurp tens of thousands of city voters, but this is what I have come to expect of politicians.

I have but one thing to say to Mr. Workman: Please, don't Dallas my Austin.