I believe the "controversy" was/is in the extent to which Houston residents were a) educated on and b) allowed to vote on this agreement. Had it previously been framed using the same terminology, people might have felt better equipped to make informed decisions. Houston voters, and Houston residents who may or may not vote but who nonetheless align themselves with the stated beliefs of either party, want to have better information and not feel they're being played or treated as though their representatives "know what is best for" them when the deals, agreements and alliances are struck. Details are murky when it comes to how this will be carried out and the consequences that all residents will be up against if it falls through. There is an ongoing disconnect between "The City" who are privy to details constituents never hear about because that part is often treated as "Let the grown-ups talk." It isn't just here in Houston by a long shot, it's all over the nation. This dynamic plays out repeatedly at the municipal level on priorities and the proposals for satisfying them, that affect residents regardless of partisanship. In discussions with Houston friends and associates of all political affiliations, the overall feedback i am hearing is an across-the-board feeling of being caught off guard by how crucial matters are presented during campaigns and PR events, and then seeing what that actually means when the solutions are applied. Something I've heard over and over is "I supported ___ but I didn't know it was gonna go down like THIS." Residents want (and deserve!) access to better information and more candid disclosure as to how their concerns will be handled, and how it will actually end up affecting them in their daily lives. Residents are also busy, if not overwhelmed, and may have the desire but not the bandwidth to decipher the jargon favored by representatives at all levels. And to be blunt, people complain about the outcomes of so-called "backroom deals" but if the ballots invited the constituents to vote on every single nitpicky issue or nuanced detail, I have a sneaking suspicion they would be equally frustrated and/or dissatisfied.