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Elections

Elections in Central Texas

The Fight for Geographic Representation: Mark Your Calendars!

Published August 4, 2011

TheAustinBulldog.org constructed maps that pinpoint the residential location of every mayor and council member elected over the last four decades. It will tell you all you need to know about why citizen organizations, from across the spectrum, are coming together to push for a public vote on geographic representation. Read it here, share it, and consider a matching fund donation to the feisty (and hungry!) Bulldog to help counter the Statesman’s on-going efforts to stop us.

Meanwhile…please plan to join us at our next meeting of ChangeAustin.org.

What Citizens Must Do As the City Budget Hearings Begin Soon!

Come Find out!
Monday, August 15th, 6:30 to 8 pm
Manchaca Library, 5500 Manchaca (@Stassney)

Guest Speaker: Bill Oakey

Bill is one of the most effective citizen activists in Texas who got the Texas legislature to enact two bills into law. One was the over-65 freeze on school property taxes. The other was a “truth in taxation” law, which reformed the guidelines for public hearing notices on property taxes published by all statewide taxing entities. Currently, Bill is working on plans to address out-of-control property tax and utility rate increases in the Austin area.

For more information call us at 535-0989 or email us at Contact@ChangeAustin.org

Posted in Elections | Tagged city budget, fee hikes, Property taxes | Leave a comment

Sign the Petition/Voter Pledge – No Abusive Formula 1 Subsidies!

Published June 23, 2011

Sign the Petition/Voter Pledge to Abusive F1 Subsidies!

The Austin City Council vote on the F1 subsidy was postponed to next Wednesday! Even if the Austin City Council manages to keep city money out of the deal (we doubt it), their vote will still trigger STATE tax dollars — at least $250 million. Please call the Council at 974-2000 on Monday or Tuesday and simply ask them to vote NO on F1. Or you can email them all here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/groupemail.htm. And, don’t forget to ask friends and family to do the same. Thank you Austin!

PS You might watch this video to learn how the Comptroller cooked the books on F1.

Posted in Elections, Formula1 | Tagged cutbacks, formula 1 | 20 Comments

No time to rest on Tovo victory, Contact the council NOW – postpone the F1 vote!

Published June 20, 2011

Congratulations to Kathie Tovo and Austin voters. We don’t have time to rest on this victory folks! The Austin City Council is rushing the Formula 1 vote without allowing the public to see the documents.“It’s done in a week’s time to avoid public scrutiny, and that’s exactly the opposite of what would be in the public’s interest.” Bill Spelman criticizing the 2003 rushed Domain Mall subsidy voteCity staff is playing hide-and-seek with the Formula 1 contract and economic projections.ChangeAustin.org has called Austin City Council members to postpone a vote on Formula 1 this Thursday. The vote is only 72 hours away. We can’t honestly tell you what and how much City money is still involved in this deal. There’s no reason to rush a decision that would — regardless — trigger a $25MM per year for 10 years taxpayer subsidy by the state of Texas that the Comptroller continues to push.

Read our press release below. Then please either call the Council at 974-2000 (ask for each by name, Mayor Leffingwell and Council members Martinez, Cole, Shade, Morrison, Spelman and Riley OR email them all here.

Watch the news tomorrow on Formula 1 for additional news!

Message to City Council

Postpone the Vote, Let Tovo deliberate, Respect the Voters!

Richard Viktorin, of Audits in the Public Interest in Austin, Texas, is a CPA and a former director at Texas Department of Commerce who worked in economic development. Vitktorin offered critical and well documented testimony to the Austin City Council on June 9. Viktorin’s points were that State Comptroller Susan Combs “gamed” the numbers to justify the plan for the state to subsidize Formula 1 racing and did it in violation of the spirit of transparency in government. Viktorin is now joiningChangeaustin.org‘s call upon the Austin City Council to delay Thursday’s vote on Formula 1 until newly elected member, Kathie Tovo, takes her seat on the Council in late July.

Viktorin’s point is, “The public has not yet seen the F1 contract nor F1′s economic impact study which was promised no later than last week. Council may vote this Thursday to allow the City Manager to both negotiate and execute the contract with F1. Once the city signs a deal, this will trigger $25MM per year for 10 years from the state of Texas, with the possibility of amounts much higher than $25MM going to F1 annually. City Council is ducking the issue and passing the buck to the City Manager. They are dodging their obligation to the citizens of Austin. Delay the vote. This will also respect Saturday night’s election results and allow Kathie Tovo to deliberate on this important issue.”

ChaChangeAustin.org founder, Brian Rodgers, broke the story last Spring on the City Council’s open meetings violations, one reason for Randi Shade’s defeat last Saturday. Rodgers said, “If Formula 1 is such a good deal, surely it can withstand a thorough review by its critics. Let’s allow Kathie Tovo a chance to deliberate on this, out of respect to the voters of Austin.”

Posted in Elections, Formula1 | 8 Comments

City Hall’s Rigged

Published January 25, 2011

You thought the political game at City Hall was rigged, right?

Respected investigative journalist, Ken Martin, at the Austin Bulldog, has exposed the Austin City Council’s behind-closed-door meetings that have taken place (and possible violations of the Open Meetings Act) since Kirk Watson took the helm in 1997. The Statesman has just confirmed that the County Attorney is now investigating. Read it and don’t just weep – read the rest of this message and take action!

Thanks to all the folks who packed it to the Alamo Drafthouse January 24th to see the film, Gerrymandering, including our somewhat “strange bedfellows” (Democrats, Republicans and those pesky independents) below who are on a shared quest for open government and fair representation.

Action Request!

1. Contact your state legislators (Texas House & Senate) now! Ask them to pass Sen. Wentworth’s bill, SB 380 that would simply require a November 2011 vote of Austinites on a fair representation plan. (see bill below). Go here to find your legislators.

2. Contact Mayor Lee Leffingwell to tell him you want to vote on a fair representation plan this year — no foot dragging for a 2012 ballot. (If he wants to put some other real reforms on the ballot he has ample time to do that for November 2011.)

3. Come to our next meeting – Thursday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 pm. The location is TBA. Please reply to this message and let us know you’re coming – we’ll make sure to have a room large enough.

Share this message with your Austin voting friends here. Stay tuned for more punches at and from City Hall!

Posted in Elections | Tagged Austin City Hall, Open Meetings, political reform | Leave a comment

Austin Preservationist, Rick Harden, reluctantly blows whistle

Published July 6, 2010

Austin Preservationist, Rick Harden, reluctantly blows whistle on historic property program.

Posted in Elections | Tagged giveaway, historic property tax, mansions | 1 Comment

Our Radio Ad-Show These Dudes the Door!

Published April 30, 2009

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.

Help us run this on KLBJ.
Donate!

Can’t contribute money, but wanna help?
We need help now through May 9th answering our busy phones.
Call us or email us right away!

Early Voting is now through next Tuesday, May 5th! (polls here)
Volunteers Needed Now thru election day, May 9th! (polls here)
* get some fliers and give ‘em out (see below or we’ll get you copies)
* come to our office and help answer the phones
* and please and invite folks to our Facebook page!

Watch the videos & Vote the Entire ChangeAustin.org Slate!
Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Mayor
Perla Cavazos, Place 1
Mike Martinez, Place 2
Bill Spelman, Place 5
Sam Osemene, Place 6