If the Growth Lobby has its way, our metro population will double in just 16 years — and ordinary citizens will be paying the costs.  4 out of 7 City Council members want to forge ahead with Water Treatment Plant #4, an $850  million project planned during one of the worst droughts and economic downturns this century!

How can we beat the formidable Growth Lobby?  Remember Ali’s ‘Rope a Dope’ tactic used to beat George Forman?  We just wear ‘em down till the last knock out punch.

Read what the Mayor cut off last Thursday on WTP4 here from CostofGrowth.com.

Save the Date:  Good Ol’ Tax Protest, Thursday, Aug. 27, 6 pm outside City Hall — at the last City Budget Hearing as the Council deliberates on raising the property tax rate and fee hikes for water, waste water, trash and more!

Download the flier on our front page and share it!

Note:  Would your organization like to endorse this event?  Contact us right away!

Contact us to volunteer and/or donate to our efforts & check our calendar for meetings.

PS For as little as $5/month you can help sustain our organizing.  Thank you Austin!

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Thank you Carole for running.  Had you not, Lee and Brewster would not have been forced to explain their votes on the outrageous no bid $2.3 billion biomass deal, show serious support for local businesses or acknowledge the need for a more open City Hall.

Thank you to all our friends who worked on this campaign.  A very special thanks are due to Chuck Young (who came to us from the Ron Paul movement), longtime Libertarian Wes Benedict, Democratic activist Kathleen Green, Republican activist Dan McDonald, our data base guru Chris Hauboltd and the many Carole supporters from across Austin’s political spectrum.

We all knew that Leffingwell was likely to win this race.  We wish him and the new Council well.  His increasing commitment to locally owned business in the final weeks of the campaign was encouraging, and we know there remains much to be done.  

Thank you to Perla Cavazos & Sam Osemene for taking forward our cause.  Congrats to the winners we supported - Martinez and Spellman.  Congrats to Chris Riley & Sheryl Cole.  We look forward to working with you all.

We will be watching and participating!  (The Statesman piece yesterday made clear that Brewster will have to drop out or lose the runoff, but we’ll leave that decision to him and his supporters.)

We would be remiss if we didn’t thank the Austin Chronicle who has taken to repeatedly attacking us in their pages and not printing our responses.  Below is a letter to the editor that they failed to print last week from our own Brian Rodgers.  

PS Contrary to what you’re reading in the Chronicle, three of the founders of ChangeAustin.org (Brian Rodgers, Linda Curtis and Albert Marino) are not Libertarians.  We are all longtime independent minded progressives.  Brian and Linda supported President Obama, much to the consternation of our libertarian friends.

LOSERS and WINNERS UNITE! It’s better to be attacked than to be ignored.

Dear Editor:

Wells Dunbar’s May 1st Hustle wrongly claims Carole Strayhorn as the mayor who “bought Austin into that mother of all boondoggles, the South Texas Nuclear Project”. But it was Austin voters who approved the STNP in 1973 during Mayor Roy Butler’s term and Austin voters who approved the issuance of additional nuke bonds in 1979 during Carole’s term. 

Dunbar belittles ChangeAustin’s struggle against RECA and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce at the Texas legislature to keep petition signature requirements accessible, not just for Austinites, but for all 346 Home Rule Texas cities who enjoy that same right to petition their government that Dunbar dismisses. Dunbar’s fictional account of a Capitol rally and his no-nothing accounting that “the bill has already died an ignominious death in committee” lays bare reckless reporting and lazy sourcing reminiscent of the fictional Baltimore Sun character Scott Templeton on HBO’s ‘The Wire’ who concocted news stories and faked phones messages because he was too lazy and dim to do the serious work of investigation. 

Perhaps most pathetically, Dunbar characterizes Texans for Accountable Government (TAG) as a “faux” organization despite TAG’s raucous and righteous fight against Police Chief Acevedo’s Orwellian plan to collect and compile DNA from anyone arrested for a Class B misdemeanor or higher - such crimes as obstructing a sidewalk or stealing $1 worth of cable TV. TAG sponsored the overflow public forum on forced blood withdrawal by Austin police held on March 30th at City Hall and attended by over 200 civil rights advocates.

At ChangeAustin, we’re tackling serious issues affecting all citizens, and our members believe Carole is the best pick for mayor to address them. Calling our group ‘increasingly loony-libertarian’ is a feeble hustle exposed by Dunbar’s faux and flimsy reporting.
  

Brian Rodgers, ChangeAustin.org

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Check out our radio spot-Show These Dudes the Door!
Two generous donors have pledged a total of $2500 to get this ad on KLBJ, 
but only if you help us raise the additional $2500.  
In other words, they will match whatever you give dollar for dollar.

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Featuring Hip Hop Master:  MC Overlord
Rock Up & Comer:  Kittinger

This event is 2 days before early voting starts and is to help the ChangeAustin.org candidate slate — Carole for Mayor, Perla - Pl. 2, Mike - Pl. 2, Bill - Pl. 5 and Sam - Pl. 6.

Volunteers are needed!

Why Fight City Hall? (just a few many reasons)
*  The Council passed a NO BID $2.3 billion (yes, billion) deal to purchase biomass electricity from East Texas, by-passing renewable companies right here in Austin.
*  Current Councilmembers running for Mayor have made no promises for a more open City Hall, and have stuck their heads in the sand to the problem.
*  The Austin police have begun forced blood withdrawals on DWI suspects, when the public does not support such expanded powers by the police. 

What Can You Do?
1.  Volunteer some time to this event.
2.  Contribute some money to help us reach more voters.
3.  Watch our videos and pass ‘em on.

Volunteers Are Most Wanted to Make This Event a Huge Success!

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ChangeAustin.org, formerly Stop Domain Subsidies (Prop 2) in last November’s election, proudly endorses:

Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Mayor
Perla Cavazos, Place 1
Mike Martinez, Place 2
Bill Spelman, Place 5
Sam Osemene, Place 6

Watch the Videos on our front page:
Brian Rodgers video on why Carole.
Carole Acceptance video.
Brian on Places 1, 2, 5 & 6.

ChangeAustin.org is working to reach 30,000 voters before the election in May, just a portion of the 123,209 voters who supported Prop 2, to get them to the polls. 

Help us get the word out – contribute whatever you like!  Since CA.org is a registered PAC, we can accept as little or as much as you like — just no corporate or labor money.

To Pander = To cater to the lower tastes and desires of others or exploit their weaknesses.

We’ve been told that some opposing candidate camps are explaining our endorsements as for those “willing to pander” to us.  Is that because they see open government, fiscal prudence, and putting an end to the gravy train for special interests as “lower tastes and desires” of the people of this City?

Mark your calendars!  Pre-early voting day Party!!!  
Saturday, April 25, 6 to 10 pm, Victory Grill - E. 11th St.
Live music but of course!

Volunteer from home or our office!  Call us or email us right away!

Pass this email on and get involved y’all.

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VOTE VOTE VOTE!  Get your ballot here Contact@ChangeAustin.org (members only) … to vote on our endorsements.
 
View videos of the candidates here!

Deadline is NEXT Tues., March 31st, midnight!

Rules:  IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF CHANGEAUSTIN.ORG and, for some reason, did not receive a ballot, please send a message to us at Contact@ChangeAustin.org or call us right away!

Watch the Candidates on video here before you vote. 

Got questions?  Just ask.

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ChangeAustin.org, formerly Stop Domain Subsidies (Prop 2) in last November’s election, just began a week long voting process for endorsements in the City Council and Mayoral election in May.  The process is being done online after members view videos of the candidates answering ChangeAustin.org questions crucial to the City moving forward during the economic downturn.  Those questions include transparency and open government concerns and the bill introduced by Senator Jeff Wentworth (SB 690) to help local developers to snuff out the citizen’s charter amendment process used to get Prop 2 on the ballot.

Watch the Candidates on video here and get ready for our endorsement on Thursday, April 2.

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Below is the questionnaire we used at our recent Mayoral and City Council candidate forum on March 14 and with virtually all the candidates running for Austin Mayor (Buttross, Ingalls, Leffingwell, McCracken, and Strayhorn) and City Council Candidates (Cavazos, Code, Martinez, Osemene, Quintero, Riley and Spelman).  Thanks to all the candidates who subjected themselves to our questions!  Be sure to watch the videos here, then come back and post a comment about any of the candidates.  Be nice and direct please.

ChangeAustin.org Candidate Questionnaire

1.  RECA, the Real Estate Council of Austin - who fought against Proposition 2 last fall with $56,000 in contributions to Keep Austin’s Word - is now at the State Capitol pushing a bill with Senator Wentworth to double the signature requirement from 5% to 10% of the registered voters to put a proposition on the ballot to amend the city charter.   If SB 690 passes, the new figure of raw signatures needed for Austin would be over 56,000.  Because petitioning is not allowed at grocery stores, malls, shopping centers, post offices, or anywhere else people gather - except dog parks - this RECA effort will effectively kill citizen sponsored initiatives in Austin and in ALL 346 Texas Home Rule cities - a right that has been in place for decades. Only big money and corporations will then be able to afford the greater hurdle. 

a. Will you go on record opposing Senate Bill 690?

b. Will you also commit to lowering the Ordinance petition requirements for initiatives from 10% to 5% by placing a council sponsored charter amendment on the next permissible municipal election? 

2.  Citizens feel that major financial decisions are finalized in the back rooms of city hall and trotted out to the public only as a formality with little transparency and no meaningful public input.  Particularly disturbing was Council’s hurried unanimous decision last August to pass a no bid, 20 year, $2.3 billion contract to purchase electricity from a bio mass generating plant in Nacogdoches.  City staff said we must hurry and sign because the equipment prices were good only through August. BUY NOW BEFORE PRICES GO UP!  (…of course, a week later prices plummeted as the economy began to collapse…)

a. Will you commit to STOP doing NO-Bid deals?

b. Will you commit to giving the public all of the information at least 60 days before making a decision, and give us two public hearings prior to a vote?

3.  Developers build their developments and new subdivisions, take their profits, and leave Austin taxpayers the bill to pay for new roads, schools, utilities, and municipal facilities. New growth and development in Austin should pay its own way instead of shifting that burden to Austin’s taxpayers. Texas law allows cities to collect road impact fees from developers.  Ft. Worth collects a $2,000 road impact fee per new home while Austin collects nothing, leaving those costs to the rest of us.

Will you support the adoption of a road impact fees that represent the “full and fair” cost?

4. Dollar for dollar, locally owned business provide far more jobs, far more tax revenue, far more income and wealth effects, far more entrepreneurship and charitable contributions, a better boost for tourism and smart growth - and a whole mess of benefits that outside companies cannot begin to give.

Will you support an ordinance to require all bidders for city goods and services to quantify the locally owned or locally sourced material and labor components of their bids so that city staff can compare each bid’s true economic value to the community? 

5.  Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo signed on to the Major Cities Legislative Agenda which allows forced blood withdrawal for DWI suspects who refuse a breathalyzer,  and for DNA collection from ALL suspects arrested for Class B misdemeanor or higher - including possession of one joint.  Do you agree with Chief Acevedo’s plans for Austin or will you put a stop to this invasion of our bodies by government?

Additional Question

What is your point of view towards single member districts?

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Today’s hearing on Senate Bill 690, Senator Jeff Wentworth’s “Anti-Petition Bill”, was an interesting display of the Real Estate Council of Austin’s unbelievable temerity in stepping out in front of the train that’s been long overdue–that’s the citizen participation train.  This is not a time to be trying to circumvent or stifle voter participation.  This is what SB 690 is really about, though RECA’s new President, Craig Douglas, said today that RECA was all for the process of citizen initiatives.  They were just so very concerned that there were “too many” citizen charter amendments coming up for a vote in Austin, this was “costing the City” too much money, and besides, they argued, these pesky petitions don’t really have much support anyway.

The only problem is that since 1997, there’s only been five citizens charter amendments on the ballot in Austin, and only two initiatives since 1992 (Save Our Springs and the recent anti-smoking ordinance).  Since 1997 petitioning access at local stores has been severely curtailed.  The recent Prop 2 charter amendment (Stop Domain Subsidies) had widespread support, came in at 48% and even after it failed it led to some changes at City Hall (though much more is certainly needed).

Senator Wentworth was seemingly caught off guard when Brian Rodgers blew through RECA’s claim that charter amendments are costing the city money.  Amendments are placed on the ballot only during regular elections and if there’s no city election happening, the City simply shares the cost with the County — so there’s no additional costs to the taxpayers!

Did RECA write the bill and the bill analysis for Wentworth?  This was real tacky.

You democracy junkies might get some entertainment watching the actual testimony here (go to Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Part II, 56 minutes 12 seconds in to the tape).  You’ll see Republican Roger Borgelt, Green parttime lobbyist Bill Stout, and a gal who came in from Bryan, Texas, to beg Wentworth not to make this more difficult for citizen activists there and in 345 other Home Rule cities.

Special thanks to attorney Michael Miller who spent a full day of volunteering to research the legislative history of charter amendment petitioning.  It was great to know that the legislature UNANIMOUSLY passed the 5%/20,000 signature cap requirement in 1973 because the 10% requirement was too difficult.

My personal favorite was the testimony of Mike Ford of InitiativeforTexas.org, who urged for a reality check on RECA who was simply trying to make sure they have access to hundreds of millions of dollars in special interest subsidies!  At 77, Mike not only looks great, he is great — a great defender of the people’s constitutional right to petition government for redress of grievances.

We will keep you informed as to what happens with SB 690, since it is now in the “pending” file.  Is it dead?  We have no idea.  But we know some in the Senate are listening to us, but not yet Senator Wentworth.  You might give him a call at 512-463-0125.

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Hearing before the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, chaired by Senator Royce West

Wednesday, March 18, 9:30 a.m., Rm. E 1.028 

          State Senator Jeff Wentworth, who represents most of South Austin, Hays County and NW San Antonio, is pushing his anti-petition bill, Senate Bill 690 which will affect 346 cities in Texas.  SB 690 would more than double petition signatures required of citizens in Austin, and more than quintuple them in Houston, to place a municipal charter amendment on the ballot.  Currently the law requires 5% of qualified voters up to 20,000, to call for an election to amend the city charter.  SB 690 would eliminate the 20,000 signature cap and raise the percentage to 10% of registered voters.  The reason for this?  The Real Estate Council of Austin was upset that Austin voters almost passed Proposition 2 last November.  Proposition 2 would have banned retail subsidies, including the $65 million voluntary giveaway to the developer of the Domain luxury shopping mall, Simon Properties, the country’s largest mall developer.  

          Brian Rodgers of ChangeAustin.org and formerly the Austin Proposition 2 campaign, said, “The measure barely failed at 48%, but that hasn’t stopped RECA and Wentworth from trying to rig the rules for all 346 Home Rule Texas cities, falsely claiming that the current signature requirements, ‘results in costly elections on issues that are questionable and carry little public support.’”   

          Come to the hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., held by the Intergovernmental Relations Committee, in the underground extension of the Capitol, E 1.028.  

          Go here to read SB 690.

          For more information call Linda Curtis at 512-657-2089.

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