Concerned Citizens

It’s an odd numbered year and that can only mean one thing in San Antonio – city council elections. The season is just getting started and, as always, San Antonians get to enjoy having our parties crashed by the candidates. For anyone who has lived in San Antonio you know the festival and party march that eventually culiminates with the Texas Folklife Festival. Every one of these gatherings serves as a great venue for candidates to show their faces, press the flesh, and in some cases look downright funny.

San Antonio starts the new year with the downtown celebration that’s always a big party. With holdovers from the Alamobowl and people just coming to town to escape cold weather the crowd swells to over 100,000. Candidates usually skip that event since it’s just too crazy of a scene.  But then the fun begins starting with the MLK March which is billed as the largest in the country. This year over 100,000 people joined together to celebrate the dream of Dr. King. All three mayoral candidates were there and marched as well as lining the route with their signs. Let’s hope they followed up and picked up the litter.

Then you have the Cowboy Breakfast at The Rim with over 40,000 in attendance. Yes, we had another first as we break the record for largest single serving of coffee at an event in the world – over 10,000.  San Antonio Mayor spoke of Cibrian’s antics with the cow chip tossing contest. Apparently DeBerry-Mejia figured this wasn’t an event she needed to be at or it was just too downright cold to attend. After all, it was 31º that morning and I skipped it myself.

Next is the Stock Show and Rodeo which will probably have some candidates working there. It’s a huge event and a great place to get the message out. We’ll see who’s courting the cowboy/cowgirl vote in this election. After that we have the St. Patrick’s Day parade on the River so there’s another event to see the candidates. Let’s hope they skip Easter and let us worship in peace.

After that is the granddaddy flesh-pressing event of them all – Fiesta. As an Elected Commissioner I’ll be all over the events so I’m sure to see them in more places than I desire. Usually they are at the Oyster Bake, River Parade (Julian, remember to show up this time and not send Joaquin), NIOSA, Day and Night Parades, and finally King William Fair. I’m sure they will all be worn out after that week is over but it’s critical to get out there since the election is only a couple of weeks later.

We love to party in San Antonio and our candidates know that. It’s just something we endure every odd numbered year. Maybe that’s another reason to go to four year terms instead of two year terms. It gives us more reprive from the political lovefest.

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