ChangeAustin.org  likes to remember our friends who were there when we needed them. One of them is Richard Franklin. He was there when we asked for Eastside community leaders to step up to pass 10-1. He came to almost every meeting for two years!

Richard is running for the Travis County Commissioner’s seat being vacated by Ron Davis – that’s Precinct 1 (see map here in yellow).

You’re invited to this tomorrow. But, please take a few minutes to read the rest of this message.

Richard Franklin Fundraiser
Monday, Nov. 30, 6 to 8 pm
Midtown Live, 7408 Cameron Road
Click here for Richard’s website to give online

Richard was there when his neighbors in Del Valle were forced to pay through the nose for water because the city refused to serve them, throwing this low-income community to the dogs in private water business. When the city expanded and paid for a water line to the billionaires at Formula 1 and provided a trigger to the use of state funds for F1, Richard was there along with us, equally incredulous. And, when Travis County gave road improvements to Formula 1, guess who was there?

Austin has a lot of things to be ashamed of these days. We are rated the most economically segregated city in America. We are the only fast-growing city in the country losing African-Americans.

The Mayor recently spoke at an event in Bastrop, attended by at least one Travis County Commissioner – Richard was there too. The Mayor’s apparent message to Bastrop was to get ready for the people fleeing Austin’s affordability crisis. No questions were allowed from the floor.

The Austin regional real estate lobby, at this very moment, is actually fighting lobby reform at City Hall – practically the same rules that we already have at the state level.

What does all this tell you, hmm?

That both the City and County have some new leadership has given us some hope. But truthfully, the pedal-to-the-metal growth policy door has been open for a long time now. Austin has already changed – and not for the better.

Stepping up with Richard Franklin is but one thing that we can do. But we’re into this for something bigger. We are utilizing Richard to continue building a movement in Austin for citizens to take back their government. In other words, dear Austin, 10-1 was just the beginning.

Richard has put himself out there for years to be “used” in this way – to better this community, not pad his resume.

ChangeAustin will soon change our own strategy to support YOUR development of an on-the-ground populist movement of citizens. That is what is most needed now and Richard – we know – will be there too.