28/10/2023
CITY MANAGER CALLS OPPONENTS OF PROP A “NARROW MINDED” AND “SELF-SERVING” FOLLOWING "HISTORIC" VOTE BY POLITICAL PARTIES TO OPPOSE THE ISSUE
CORPUS CHRISTI -- Opponents of a city proposition in the upcoming November 7th election, have called on Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni, Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo and Visit Corpus Christi board chairman Steve Canavati to apologize over remarks the three made on radio and television recently calling Corpus Christi voters “narrow-minded,” and “self-serving” and people who did not believe “in Corpus” (sic)
The attacks came as the campaign to pass Prop A reached a fervor pitch after it was revealed that the city had not followed the law on some of the process, had hidden information about what the proposition would really do and failed to get public input.
It only deepened after numerous hotel owners said they had not been contacted about the proposed $200 million subsidy for a taxpayer funded hotel and opposed the proposition even though city officials had claimed it had the support of the hotel industry.
Opposition to Prop A grew after what was seen as a "first time in history" event, leaders of the Nueces County Republican Party, Nueces County Democratic Party and the Nueces County Libertarians all voted to oppose the ill conceived proposition that would hurt the Seawall, pay for tickets on planes coming to Corpus Christi without passengers and build a hotel with over $200 million of taxpayer money.
Canavati, a local businessman, and chair of the board at Visit Corpus Christi, the taxpayer funded tourism agency told KCEN-TV ““If you do not understand how important it is to pass Prop A, then you are not from Corpus, you do not believe in Corpus.”
Canavati’s comments were met with mild disgust tempered with amusement that a longtime resident of Corpus Christi speaking on such an important question would refer to the city as “Corpus” instead of the city’s actual name.
”I don’t know Sam Canavati,” said one former city official who opposes the Proposition, ”but if he’s going to be the Chairman of the Board of Visit Corpus Christi, he might want to pronounce our city name correctly.”
The name of the city is Corpus Christi not Corpus.
But there was no amusement when Guajardo and Zanoni took to the air on the Bob Jones Show and called voters opposed to the proposition “narrow minded” and “self-serving.”
While Zanoni is the one who made the actual remarks, Guajardo could be heard in the background agreeing with his comments.
The attacks come as a well-financed opposition began to develop under a strong campaign under a recently formed PAC known as Voters For Good Government. The opposition, led by that group, makes a point of reminding voters that none of the convention hotels in Texas are making a profit and the results of a failed project will fall at the feet of the taxpayers.
Additionally, the proposal would take money currently allocated for the Seawall and move it into other projects, pay for empty airplane seats to try and bring more air service to Corpus Christi and change the use of the two taxes the city is attempting to continue. Most importantly to some opponents is that the city did not include a date when the taxes would be no longer in effect, meaning that they would be in effect from here on out.
The city, which is legally prevented from supporting various propositions, except for providing information has been accused by opponents of using taxpayer funds and resources on trying to get voters to vote yes on the city proposition.
In fact, the mayor and the majority of the city council recently signed a pledge to support the proposition. The only two council members who refused to sign the pledge were City Councilman At Large Michael Hunter and District 5 Councilman Gil Hernandez.
Members of Voters For Good Government said both Zanoni and Guajardo owed the people of Corpus Christi an apology for their name calling.
They said they were "saddened and shocked" to see city bureaucrats and officials campaigning for the proposition, which is illegal, but were even more disgusted by the depiction of people who love Corpus Christi but opposed the city's efforts.
Additionally citizens have filed ethics complaints at both the city and the state against the city's vocal support of the Proposition which is illegal under Texas law.
Both proponents and opponents of the Proposition have spent tens of thousands of dollars on direct mail, texts, radio and television ads pushing their side of the issue.
Early voting continues through November 3 and election day is Nov. 7.
