NOTE: A one-minute version of this song
was presented to Bob Lanier and Houston
City Council during a Kingwood hearing

Intro:	You think I'm a powerless poet
	For you hold a public office
	And I don't like to vote

	Because I'd rather see
	People treated equally
	As in a more direct democracy

	And on that note . . .

	Flute:	I've come to sing a song
		A song for Bob Lanier
		Although it's not too long
		I hope the words are clear:


You annex any land you get your hands on
If people there don't like it, they can sue
Now the eyes of Kingwood, Texas are upon you
And God is watching everything you do

You treat the folks at Allen Parkway Village
Like rats and squatters - yes, there were a few -
But if you take a look at H.A.C.H.*s budget,
You'll find out they're living off the public, too!

		Is it ethical to run a city government
		By stepping on the rights of citizens?
		You cannot act without consent of all the governed
		And expect to be respected in the end 

		(No, not even by your greedy corporate friends!)

			[Like Hurwitz who controls a redwood forest
			And makes a hundred thousand off each tree
			To pay the public back a billion dollars**
			Spent on junk bonds, interest rates, and usury.

		Why not invest in poets and musicians
		From California, Texas, and D.C.?
		I'd rather work with them than politicians
		Changing public policy through M.T.V.!

	How much is real estate worth
	That you'd sacrifice a little peace on earth? ***

Can we agree to help the people and the government
To reconcile diverse communities?
We need to learn and teach respect for all the governed
Instead of overriding small minorities!

		You are not my government
		If you don't have my consent
		For you can't defy the native cry for peace
		No, you can't deny the right to live in peace

Flute:	So that's my little song
	My song for Bob Lanier
	And anyone who has an ear to hear. . .

-- Emily T. Nghiem

* H.A.C.H. = "Houston Authority of the City of Houston"
(for more information on their colorful history, contact
Lenwood Johnson: (713)228-2109 or apv1@smart1.net

** (A spokesperson for Maxxam contested the notion
that profits from logging were going towards the
debt incurred to taxpayers estimated at $1.6 billion)

*** (Alternative: How much is real estate worth
That you'd sacrifice the tallest trees on earth?)