Bexar County Decide Peter Sakai appeared to develop a severe bout of amnesia throughout a Friday candidate discussion board, telling a packed room he was by no means in favor of Challenge Marvel, the expensive plan to develop a downtown sports-and-entertainment advanced.
“I didn’t assist Challenge Marvel, it can do nothing for the East Facet,” Sakai mentioned throughout the East Facet gathering. “Land Bridge? New resort downtown? Take away the [SAWS] chiller station? A $4-$5 billion undertaking? The place is the profit to the fairness of the East Facet?”
Sakai continued: “I perceive, the general public has made it very clear that they don’t like Challenge Marvel. I opposed the ideas of Challenge Marvel as a result of I see no neighborhood profit to the East Facet.”
Sakai’s about-face was so wild that his challenger within the Democratic main, Ron Nirenberg, appeared gobsmacked. For a second it regarded like the previous San Antonio mayor had seen a ghost.
“I feel we heard breaking information right here tonight,” Nirenberg mentioned in response, “as a result of that is the primary time I’ve heard Decide Sakai say he’s in opposition to Challenge Marvel. He put it on the poll.”
Not solely did Sakai vote in favor of placing each Props A and B on the poll — which allowed the general public to vote for Challenge Marvel and a creating year-round East Facet rodeo grounds — he actively campaigned in favor of each measures. The decide even appeared in a web-based video posted by the Spurs-aligned Win Collectively PAC telling Bexar County residents to “vote sure.”
“I get it. Critics will do what critics do,” Sakai says within the clip. “However, come on — title me one different undertaking that may herald $2 billion in non-public funding.”
Huh?
It’s additionally price mentioning that Sakai appeared onstage alongside Spurs Sports activities & Leisure’s CEO RC Buford and San Antonio Inventory Present & Rodeo CEO Cody Davenport for an Oct. 16 occasion that was much less of a State of the County deal with than a marketing campaign rally for Challenge Marvel.
“The county venue tax election is a chance for financial revitalization and for the East Facet and the downtown area,” Sakai proclaimed at the moment.
Double huh?
It’s one factor for the decide to alter his thoughts and understand that Challenge Marvel and the year-round-rodeo ideas voters permitted possible gained’t play out as promised. However, it’s a totally completely different factor to say he by no means supported Challenge Marvel to start with — particularly when there’s loads of proof to counsel in any other case.
With regards to throwing assist behind questionable growth, Nirenberg’s acquired baggage of his personal. In spite of everything, that is the man who voted to demolish the Cleaning soap Manufacturing unit Flats, a uncommon low-cost downtown housing advanced, to make means for a brand new minor-league baseball stadium.
However, at the very least Nirenberg’s constant.
In the meantime, Sakai’s pivot is so abrupt it left heads spinning throughout Friday night time’s discussion board.
So which one is it, Peter? Do you assist Challenge Marvel? Or, had been you all the time secretly in opposition to it, however didn’t have the cojones to face as much as Bexar County’s monied pursuits?
Sakai can have the possibility to make clear his remarks, or maybe change his thoughts as soon as once more, throughout a debate Tuesday at Secure Corridor.
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