Making growth pay for itself!

Category Archives: subsidies

Let’s say your city council decides to…

Do you think Mark Twain writing about the Texas Legislature?
Do you think Mark Twain was talking about the Texas Legislature?

Let’s say your city council unwisely decides to subsidize a shopping mall and you try to overturn it by petition.  The mall developer can sue to stop your petition drive under House Bill 2595, now pending in the legislature, because it hurts the mall developers private property rights if you strip away the subsidies!

In fact, House Bill 2595 kills all petition drives if someone’s private property gain is affected. This foolish bill cuts both ways. It stops citizens from enacting their own legislation if their city government is unresponsive – as long as the city can trot out someone who claims “waaaah, I’m hurt!”

The problem is that every damned thing has that potential. This is just bad policy yet it was just unanimously passed the House Urban Affairs Committee. The bill is now in the House Calendars Committee and could go to the floor of the Texas House at any moment.

ACTION REQUEST: Click here and please call Calendars Committee NOW.

  • Tell them that you oppose HB 2595. If you live in Austin, please make sure to call Rep. Eddie Rodriguez. Let Eddie know that Austin City Attorney, John Steiner, spoke against this bill.
  • Then click on each member’s name and you’ll be taken to their website where you can see their district. See if you know folks who live in those districts. Reach them and ask them to call in their opposition to HB 2595.

We can also use your hard earned dollars to run a campaign
to stop this attack on citizens petition rights.
See the donate button on the right? ===>

MORE GORY DETAILS, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW:  The only reason we can figure that HB 2595 was introduced is that it is — purely — a retribution bill by the oil and gas lobby. They are out to do great harm to the over 100 year legacy of citizens petition rights because they’re still upset about the Denton “frack ban” passed by Denton voters –who are, by the way, largely Republicans. Even despite the passage of HB 40 last week that may well undo Denton’s frack ban.

HB 2595 is a tricky little bill that says that no city can accept, certify or otherwise approve of any petition that, “would restrict the right of any person to use or access the person’s private property for economic gain.”

City of Austin Attorney, John Steiner (with whom we’ve been on opposite sides for years), to his credit, pointed out that because HB 2595 requires the city to stop petitions before a public vote, virtually guarantees that the city will be sued by someone — either the proponents or the opponents. Historically, and properly so, it is the courts that have dealt with these disputes if and when they happen after passage.

Two more examples of why HB 2595 is really bad for ALL citizens:

Example 1:

Your city council decides to use $100 million in tax dollars to support a sports stadium. Once you’ve spent enumerable hours and money getting your signatures, and then submit it to your city clerk’s office, your city council can keep it off the ballot if they believe that the property owner’s “right” to use his or her property for “economic gain” would be impeded. And, if they don’t keep it off the ballot, the property owner who feels harmed could sue the city!

Example 2: (the cake-taker)

Let’s say you want to reform eminent domain in your city to stop private entities (like a privatitized toll road vendor) from taking your property for their own economic gain. It’s a coin toss as to whose property rights trumps in this situation, eh?

Don’t let them get away with taking away our rights, as citizens, to petition and reign in our city government.

We never would have passed 10-1 without it!

Make your calls today

Victory, now on to more victory!

We won the first round against the Decker Lake high-end golf courses on city parkland. The developer didn’t have the votes and so they will try their luck with the new Council in February. Stay tuned.
Now, we have an election to win — the WE — is YOU, Austin.
Watch this and share it with your Austin voting friends, especially those who live in SW Austin.

ChangeAustin.org proudly endorses the following candidates for Council:
District 1:  Ora Houston
District 3:  Susana Almanza
District 4:  You have two great choices — Casar or Pressley
District 7:  Leslie Pool
District 8:  Ed Scruggs
 

Steal this election Austin

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The first election under the new Austin City Council 10-1 Voting System is a test, Austin. Will you grab the power you are entitled to, to cast an informed vote to take our city back from those who continue to offload the costs of growth on to backs of current residents? Or will you say to all of the newcomers, “Welcome to Austin, but pay your own way?”

Click right here to get your power, Austin!

Read it, share it and steal this election for yourself!
City elections are non-partisan! Be a small “i” independent voter — vote for Meeker!

Meet Jason, Sam and Stephanie.
Meet Jason, Sam and Stephanie.

Vote Jason Meeker – City Council District 10, the mighty Northwest Austin!

We’ve known Jason Meeker for 8 years.
He was there when we founded ChangeAustin.org.
We know he has what it takes to stand up to the Austin real estate growth lobby.
Check his answers and pass it on to your NW friends!

Check Jason’s answers and 40 other candidates running for Austin City Council!
RIGHT HERE
Find your district and READ what the candidates actually SAY — IT’S REVEALING!

Want to help our online social networking (and cheap!) ad campaign?
Make a donation today or contact us to help!

Celebrate First Day of Early Voting Under 10-1 this Monday night!

To celebrate the start of early voting for the first time under the new 10-1 system, join us this coming Monday the 20th, from 6 to 7:30 pm, at Big Daddy’s Burgers and Bar, 9070 Research map here.

Between beers and burgers, we will entertain discussion about the candidates and how you can help ChangeAustin.org inform more voters using Facebook. Sam Davis will show us how.

We have $100 to spend on ice-tea and beer, so come early before we run outta cash.

How do you like the Reject Riley ad we’ll be running in the Chronicle this week? If you can spare a dime to help pay for it, please do!
Riley Chronicle Final

ChangeAustin.org scorecard for this City Council Election!

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We sparked and helped lead the battle for “10-1”.

We did it for one reason — to give Austin voters a chance to take back our city from the real estate lobby “growth machine” that is driving up the cost of living and continues to offload hundreds of millions of dollars in public infrastructure costs onto the backs of current residents to pay for all the new developments.

They can’t get people to move here fast enough, while we try to figure out how we can afford to stay here.

This ain’t about the bag ban, it’s about sacking those who have made our town just one big real estate play — at our expense!

Here’s how we scored Candidates for Austin Mayor and City Council

If you think it’s worthy, please share it!

Let’s take our city back, once and for all of Austin, y’all!

The Case of the Missing Schwab Claw Back

Though the vote on Tuesday by the Travis County Commissioners Court was no surprise (4 to 1 for the Schwab deal), what did take us by surprScreen Shot 2014-08-06 at 8.41.54 PMise was the sleight of hand by the Court majority on the Schwab “claw back” clause. Austin media missed it too!

A claw back clause is supposed to protect the taxpayers by requiring companies who take public dollars and promise x, y and z, actually meet those promises. If they don’t, they have to give the money back.

Thanks to the due diligence of local developer, Ed Wendler, Jr., a longtime proponent of tax incentive reform, we got to see these magicians at the County in full action and they’re on tape!

Here’s how it went down.

At the beginning of the meeting, County Judge Sam Biscoe, who saw Wendler coming, asked the County Attorney, “Is the claw back clause there?” The County Attorney, dutifully answered in the affirmative. No questions asked.

In his testimony, Wendler raises the issue of the claw back stating that it’s there but it’s gutted because it’s only good for years 6 through 10. What about the first five years of the contract? It ain’t there, folks!

Then Commissioner Gerald Daugherty steps in and asks Schwab (not the County Attorney mind you), what their opinion is! What do you think they’re going to tell you, Gerald? Schwab’s response, “it’s ridiculous”.

Former Mayor Bruce Todd, who was appointed by Biscoe to temporarily fill the vacancy in Precinct 2 when Sarah Eckhardt decided to run for County Judge, completed the trick stating that the County needed to keep its word. Hmmm…where have we heard that one before?

Wendler’s most important testimony: giving these incentives in the midst of unparalleled growth is inflationary.

You warned them, Ed.

Now our only question is whether YOU, Austin voters, are ready to claw back our city!

Here’s what some of the candidates for City Council said when we asked them what they would do if the Schwab incentive came to the Austin City Council.