Fair Representation Archives - ChangeAustin.org

A watershed moment today and tomorrow

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Linda Curtis • 1 Comment

Pardon the pun, but today and tomorrow’s Texas House votes present a watershed moment for all Texans.   In an hour or two, House Bill 3298 (Gridzilla) will maraud the floor. Watch it online here. (We wrote you this about the bill).

Tomorrow (Friday), House Bill 2595, hits the House floor. HB 2595 will destroy the 110-year old rights of citizens to petition their city government for a vote of the people. (We wrote you this about it.)

Find your rep here.
(If you want to email them use their first name dot last name @house.state.tx.us)

If the business lobbies, hiding behind “conservatism” take our water and our very rights to have a check and balance on municipal government — the right to petition — there is no way out without some new tools for organizing we do not yet have.

So, dear friends, it really is up to you to put a stop to the monkey business.

Can you see Linda Curtis in the Texas House?

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Linda Curtis • 0 Comments

Do you know that early voting started today in a special election taking place to our east in House

District 17 (Lee, Bastrop, Caldwell, Gonzales and Karnes counties)? Election day is Tuesday, January 6th.

Neither do the voters in HD 17. This is why our own Linda Curtis jumped into this race to run as an independent for the Texas House of Representatives. Linda says,

“This stunt was pulled to replace House Speaker Joe Straus’ water boy — Tim Kleinschmidt — with the Republican Party establishment’s choice to front for the real estate lobby. You all know by now that the intent of Republican insiders (and some key Democrats who are looking the other way) is to grab HD 17’s groundwater to fuel unfettered growth that is driving unaffordability in central Texas.”

Thanks to the antics of our outgoing Governor, who called an election with 3 weeks notice in the middle of the Christmas holidays, the door is open in a 5-way race (two Ds, two Rs and one independent) for Linda Curtis to make history being elected as an independent to the Texas House.

Can you envision Linda walking into the Capitol to take on the big corporate lobbies that are running roughshod over Texans of all persuasions?

You can help Linda by reaching folks who live in HD 17 and donating to her campaign.

Check out this wild election at Linda’s site and share it with your HD 17 voting friends.

Happy Holidays y’all. Don’t let them get away with it!

Brian Rodgers

ChangeAustin.org

PS So few people know that there is an election happening, Linda could win this with a few thousand votes. If that happens, maybe the next Governor won’t even consider pulling an election stunt like this.

ChangeAustin.org Proudly Endorses Jason Meeker, District 10!

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Linda Curtis • 0 Comments

ChangeAustin.org just decided to endorse Jason Meeker in the District 10 Austin City Council race!

We figured out that if District 10 voters do not target their votes, we’ll wind up with the same kind of failed leadership of the past representing District 10. Here’s our scorecard — see what we mean with Dealey or Thomas? Come see us tonight, October 20th, at Big Daddy’s (9070 Research) at 6 pm to volunteer and celebrate the start of early voting under 10-1. And please share this!

Austinites for Geo Rep Petition Kickoff Success!

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Linda Curtis • 0 Comments

We had a great kickoff rally and party at Mexitas. The Austinites for Geographic Representation (AGR) Petition Drive is on!

Special thanks to Daniel Llanes, who performed at this event and made two very nice banners, and Steve Speir, who helped with lots of organizing to get folks out. Thanks to Frances McIntyre (not pictured) and Mary Krenek who worked the entire event on very short notice.

We are parking petition materials here, but in a few days, you can go directly to AustinGeoRep.org for these materials and more:

Click here for our Kickoff Press Release.

Click here for the AGR Flier & Supporters.

Click here for Talking Points for Petitioners.

Click here for Petition Instructions — read them carefully!

Click here for the AGR Petition! Make sure you have the petition language attached to the petition grid pages — print as many grid pages as you wish and attach them.

Occupying Austin Permanently! Austinites for Geographic Representation

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Linda Curtis • 0 Comments

We’ve been working quietly to help forge a new broad-based electoral coalition of neighborhood, political and civic organizations from across the spectrum from the NAACP and LULAC, to leading Republicans. (see flier below)

Our goal? To file 20,000 signatures in January for a public vote for geographic representation on the Austin City Council.

Austinites for Geographic Representationsupports a simple 10-1 (10 single-member districts with the Mayor elected at-large, by the whole city), combined with a non-partisan independent citizen’s redistricting commission, as the way to go.

Let the people draw the maps and let our citizens, not the campaign contributors, run the show!

(for details visit AGR on Facebook here)

PS Will geographic representation solve all our problems? It won’t solve any, if we don’t use it in our ongoing effort to take back Austin of, by and for its residents. This is but a tool!

You’re Invited!

Press conference @ City Hall

Austinites for Geographic Representation Kicks off Petition Drive!

Wednesday, October 19th
High Noon! Don’t miss the showdown at City Hall!

Don’t Miss the Kickoff Party & Rally! (flier below)
Saturday, October 22, 3 to 5 pm
Mexitas Restaurant, 12th and E. IH-35
(Food is provided with a Cash Bar)

Pull the Shade – Elect Tovo – Stop F1 Subsidies

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Linda Curtis • 0 Comments

Help us Pull the Shade, elect Kathie Tovo, and defeat yet another shameful tax dollar giveaway, this time to the billionaires at Formula 1.

There’s a BIG uptick in early voting in this runoff! It IS a meaningful race with clear differences. Here’s our take:

We’re getting into the race to Stop F1 Subsidies, Elect Kathie Tovo for Austin City Council & Help Pull the Shade!

Kathie Tovo

ChangeAustin.org proudly endorses Kathie Tovo against current Austin City Council incumbent Randi Shade in the runoff election for City Council, Place 3. Our endorsement is based on Shade’s refusal to oppose a taxpayer subsidy to Formula 1 racing and her opposition to fair geographic representation for Austin voters. Read more here.

Wanna help us pull the Shade, tell F1 to pay its own way and to elect Tovo?

1. Click here, print out the flier and take it to your neighbors.

2. We’ve got tons of phone calls you can do from home — call us to help! (Need to make some extra money — call us!)

3. Early voting locations — pass to all your friends.

Or just forward this message to help rattle the bones of Austin voterswho haven’t been voting, who were looking for a reason to!

Breaking news: This article, by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, David Cay Johnston, just hit the news about the F1’s plan to “skim” off our tax dollars.

Here’s Bill Aleshire at the West Austin Democrats last week on F1. (Thanks to Todd Wroblewski for the filming.)

PS Go here for information on polling sites. Shade’s big money supporters in Austin’s growth machine are running negative and misleading ads — tell your neighbors to pull the Shade!