Making growth pay for itself!

Monthly Archives: November 2011

Holidays are the time to keep giving to Austin (and partying!)

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City Charter Revision Committee Meeting: Thurs. (tomorrow), Dec. 1, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Carver Library, 1161 Angelina.
Party #1: Tomorrow! Thurs., Dec. 1, 6-9 pm, Victory Grill. Stop by after the meeting at the Carver.  This is a funraiser for our friend, Richard Franklin, in his bid for Travis County Commission, Precinct 1.  Though we have not yet endorsed in this race, we love competitive elections and the incumbent voted for the Domain subsidies and the extending FM 812 to accommodate Formula 1.  Details here, includes link to send $.
Party #2:
TheAustinBullDog.org:  This Sat., Dec. 3, 5-9 pm, the hungry, feisty online publication by ace investigative reporter, Ken Martin, needs cash to stuff its stocking.  The best part (besides the Cajun cuisine to be served) is that your contribution is doubled!  Details here.
Reception:
League of Women Voters-Austin area,
invites you to a reception with area officials on Wed., Dec. 7, 5:30-7:30 pm, City Hall Atrium, 301 West Second Street, Free Parking in the City Hall Garage.  Refreshments are provided.

 

Party #3:  Mark Your Calendars!
Austinites for Geographic Representation  
Christmas Change Party! (bring petitions and/or your shopping change!)
Saturday, December 17th, 2:30 – 4:30 (date changed!)
Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto

 

Keep Mopac Local

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You may have heard that Hays County is asking Travis County to spend close to $20 million on a new road to connect South Mopac to FM 1626.  Long term plans are to connect MoPac to IH-35.  This will make MoPac gridlock even worse!

http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2011-11-04/point-austin-buckle-up/

What’s in it for Travis County? The proposed road dramatically increases daily traffic on Mopac, delivers pollution to Travis County neighborhoods, and takes scarce county funds away from higher-priority transportation and community needs.

So who benefits from the new road? Hays County developers and long-distance haulers–at the expense of each and every Travis County taxpayer and Mopac driver.

We need to say NO to Hays County’s giveaway road proposal and spend our limited transportation dollars on projects that improve traffic, not make it worse.  Take a minute to go here and send a message to the Travis County Commissioners Court and Austin City Council to Keep Mopac Local:

http://www.keepmopaclocal.org/take-action

PS  Our friend, Bill Oakey, just submitted this information on the rate hikes that Austin Energy has in store for Austin ratepayers.

Better get organized, y’all — and we need smaller geographically representative districts — to rein in the perpetual hogs at the public trought, aka the growth lobby!

Affordable Energy for Austin

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Austin Energy’s rate increase proposal begins with an outrageous $25 in fixed monthly charges for residential ratepayers.  That’s $25 before you even flip the first light switch!   Customers who use the smallest amount of electricity, 300 kWh, would see a whopping 60% rate increase.  This policy goes against Austin’s proud legacy of encouraging conservation and keeping energy affordable for those least able to pay.  We believe that Austin Energy’s proposal is upside down and backwards:

The following groups and individuals are working together to oppose the AE rate proposal:

Public Citizen Texas
Texas ROSE
Austin Tenants Council
Texas Legal Services Center
Sierra Club
Gray Panthers of Texas
Bill Oakey, Consumer Advocate
Paul Robbins, Energy Activist

The City Council will begin holding public hearings on electric rates after the first of the year.  Please ask your friends and neighbors to help, by subscribing to our blog, “Affordable Energy for Austin,” and visiting our “Affordable Energy for Austin” Facebook page. Or contact Bill Oakey at .

The high fixed charges are just the tip of the iceberg.  Here’s what we are asking the City Council to fix:

Austin Energy’s Proposal Affordable and Fair Proposal
$25 in fixed monthly charges Eliminate the new $15 “delivery charge.”Reduce the proposed $10 customer charge.
A new rate design that imposes the biggest financial burden on those who can least afford it and those who use the least electricity, which discourages energy conservation. Keep a rate design that follows Austin’s legacy that encourages energy conservation and conforms to the City’s own “Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan.”
Change existing “cost of service” model to the “AED” model, which severely over-charges residences and small businesses. Use the “BIP” model, which is fair and accurate and eliminates corporate welfare to large industrial customers.
An overstated revenue requirement totaling a $100 million a year or more. Reduce revenue requirement by at least 50%

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