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CITIZINE VOTER
GUIDE: PART II Citizens of Austin: Austin City Council elections are right around the corner on Saturday, May 10. If you checked out CITIZINE #1, you may have seen the extensive profiles on ten of the candidates offering themselves up for three years of work at City Hall. In this edition, Part II of the CITIZINE VOTER GUIDE, we’ve done one better, and gotten the candidates to tell voters in their own words why they deserve your vote. Each candidate responded to the same five questions, but the contrasting responses help shed light on what each potential council member thinks is important for Austinites, and what they plan to do to improve the city. This info should help the reader decide who will best represent you on the council. Be informed before you vote. Check out Part I of the CITIZINE VOTER GUIDE with profiles on the major candidates.
Lee
Leffingwell 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? I believe that the very best thing the City can do to help local businesses and homeowners is also the most basic: keep taxes, fees and utility rates as low as possible, while maintaining effective, reliable basic services and a stable regulatory environment. Although few people know it, the City of Austin actually has one of the lowest property tax rates of any major city in Texas. But, because TCAD appraisals are comparatively high, and because other taxing jurisdictions in Austin have higher rates (Travis County has one of the highest tax rates of any metropolitan county in Texas), the overall burden on Austin taxpayers is, in my view, extraordinarily burdensome. As such, I have approached each City budget cycle over the past three years with a strong predisposition toward lowering taxes, and I am proud to be able to say that I have voted to do so each and every year that I’ve been on the City Council. If re-elected in May, I’ll continue to work to find operational and administrative efficiencies at City Hall that can help bring the cost of local government down and put more money back in the pockets of our citizens, business-owners and homeowners alike. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? I’m very proud to have the endorsement of -- and financial support from -- over 1,000 Austin community leaders. I’m also honored to have received the support of every organization that has formally endorsed in my race, with the exception of the Better Austin Today PAC. Endorsing groups include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSME), Austin Apartment Association, Austin Firefighters Association, Austin Lesbian Gay Political Caucus, Austin Police Association, Austin Progressive Coalition, Austin Tejano Democrats, Austin Travis County EMS Employees Association, Austin Women’s Political Caucus, Capital Area Asian American Democrats, Capital Area Progressive Democrats, Capital City Young Democrats, Central Austin Democrats, Central Labor Council, Mexican American Democrats, North by Northwest Democrats, South Austin Democrats, Southwest Austin Democrats, Texas Environmental Democrats, University Democrats, and West Austin Democrats. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I’m against converting any lane that has previously been paid for with gas tax funds into a tolled lane. I’m not against using tolls to pay to construct and operate new roads and lanes when it is clear that there is no other viable funding mechanism, but I have never and will never support “conversions” of the type you seem to be describing here. The bigger question is, of course, about solving our community’s traffic crisis, and to do that I think we are obligated to pursue a multi-modal strategy. In a nutshell, we should build new and better roads where we know we need them (with sensitivity toward environmental and other quality-of-life issues), increase the availability of effective mass transit options (especially regional and urban passenger rail), promote carpooling and other commuter programs in cooperation with major employers as best we can, improve signalization wherever possible, and extend and improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities in every part of the city. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? One of the biggest issues that deserves more attention than it generally receives in Austin is mental health care. I currently serve as Chair of the City Council’s Public Health and Human Services Subcommittee, and I sit on the Travis County Hospital District’s mental health task force. I am acutely aware of our needs in this area, and I have already been working aggressively to address those needs, including leading an initiative for the City to secure a County facility to operate as a psychiatric hospital. If re-elected, I will be committed to accomplishing
a complete restoration of health and human services funding as soon
as possible, with a particular focus on mental health services.
In my view, health and human services should be considered a top
community priority alongside public safety functions. Of particular
importance is our need to more fully leverage our limited health
and human services dollars through our ongoing partnerships with
local non-profit agencies; in a second term on the City Council,
I will focus on exactly that. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? I believe my long history of community service in Austin, which includes five years of volunteer service on the City’s Environmental Board before being elected in 2005 to serve on the City Council, is the one thing that distinguishes me most from my opponents in this race. I also believe that I offer a proven track record of leadership and accomplishment on the City Council. On the issues that matter most to Austinites -- issues like environmental protection, public safety, social services, transportation, affordable housing, and open government -- I have worked diligently over the last three years to make a positive difference. Some of the accomplishments of which I’m most proud include implementing an aggressive new citywide water conservation plan; leading the effort to consolidate and improve Austin’s police operations; creating a zoning initiative that will allow older developments to upgrade while protecting the environment and preserving open space; reforming the city’s economic development policies to end retail-based incentives and create new levels of transparency for measuring the performance of incentive agreements; and launching a community initiative to reduce by 50% the number of plastic bags entering our landfills. Based on this record of accomplishment, my history of service, and my goals for a second term, I hope to earn the vote of Austinites for re-election. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions. I ask for your vote.
* * * Allen
Demling 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? Supporting small and minority owned businesses is imperative to our city’s economy, since money spent at a local business is then reinvested in our local economy. Small business is the backbone of the economy and they are more affected by spikes in energy and rising real estate prices. So, we need to target our tax incentives and subsidies to these local businesses, and not to national retail chains. Also, building walkable, bikeable neighborhoods will create localized and loyal customer base for near by small business. This helps keep real estate costs down and workforce local to the business. In regards to homeowners, the affordability question needs to be attacked from multiple angles. First we need property tax relief and affordable housing for the most needy of our population, the elderly, disabled and poor. One way to do this is to use the increased money from rising property taxes on new homes to provide tax relief to those residents that cannot afford the taxes in the neighborhoods they grew up in. Additionally, Austin should use municipally owned land to provide affordable housing around the city. Affordability also includes the cost of getting to and from work, shopping, and entertainment locations. To reduce these costs, we need to vastly improve our mass transportation and alternative transportation infrastructure. By making it easier for Austinites to travel by bike or rail, we can reduce the amount of money people have to spend on gas and upkeep for automobiles. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? My major supporters are all regular citizens of Austin who believe that we need a change on City Council. I realize that I cannot compete from a funding perspective with my opponents, so my grassroots campaign has focused on the issues at hand. Recently, I was endorsed by the League of Bicycle Voters for backing of the cycling community. I promise, as I have at every forum I have attended, to use my time on the city council to be the foremost advocate for cycling in Austin. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I am against converting existing freeways into toll lanes. The people of Austin already paid for these roads; they should not have to pay again to drive on them. We need to shift the paradigm from building new roads that carry cars to building new infrastructure to move people, such as mass transportation and bicycle lanes. By focusing on those areas we can not only reduce traffic on our roads, we can also improve our air and water quality. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? The biggest issue that gets the least attention
in Austin is the noise ordinance. There is a strong push to tighten
the noise ordinance from 85 dB to 75 dB, which effectively cuts
allowable noise in half. This is a huge issue for any local business
that wants to have live music. 75 dB is quieter than traffic on
urban streets. Complying with the ordinance would require sound-proofing
and other updates, which would be extremely expensive to local businesses.
This threatens the local music scene and the culture of the city.
I would make it my focus to make sure we do not pass this ordinance
and preserve our local culture. There are other, alternative measures
that can be taken to avoid unwanted noise pollution. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? Besides my huge beard, I think the thing that most distinguishes me from my opponents is the fact that I am an active participant in the music, art and cycling communities. Because of this, I am intimately aware of the problems these groups face, such as noise ordinance issues, and lack of affordable housing and cycling infrastructure. I hear directly from the people that are affected by these issues, not through some commission or task force.
* * * Jason
Meeker 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? It’s vital to ensure that we continue to have a vibrant economy so we don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg by over taxing ourselves. So one of my top priorities will be to place Austin on a sound economic roadmap. Let’s look beyond the next fiscal year or two. What kind of economy do we need to build now in order to have the kind of city we want in 5, 10 or 20 years? What can we do now to stabilize property taxes and ensure we aren’t overtaxed in the future? I don’t think these questions are being asked or addressed at an acceptable level. As a council member, I will work to create and implement Austin’s much needed economic policy. This is vital to managing growth and affordability for small businesses and homeowners. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? Unlike Lee Leffingwell, my top supporters are NOT
lawyers from the law firms representing Lincoln Property Company,
Wal-Mart and even the City of Austin. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? This is an interesting subject. Managed lanes will
become a more popular option as people begin to rideshare. Ross
Perot warned about the coming proliferation of toll roads way back
in 1992, and here we are. We have a society that expects all to
be given their sacred right to drive a car anywhere they please,
but this same society is resistant to the financial obligations
that come with that right to drive anywhere. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? The city of Atlanta faced a drought this past summer
that was nearly catastrophic. It could happen here. Some are under
the mistaken impression that Lee Leffingwell is the “green”
candidate in this race, since he worked to reduce Austin’s
water usage. Take a closer look at Leffingwell’s environmental
record, and you’ll see it doesn’t hold much water. Literally.
Austin now uses about 180 gallons of water per person per day. But San Antonio and El Paso are at 140 gallons of water per person, per day. And even Governor Rick Perry’s conservative administration wants Texas cities to use 140 gallons per person per day! So do you think Leffingwell’s 1% percent reduction goal is good enough? I don’t. It gets worse. City staff thinks 1% is too aggressive. They are only planning a half-percent per year reduction. And they are only looking at PEAK USAGE. So they only want to reduce by 1% the amount of water we use on our peak usage days. So when it comes to being green and conserving water, we’re getting beaten by San Antonio and El Paso, and we’re setting ourselves up for a catastrophe. Let’s get serious about our environment and
our water usage. Let’s make meaningful and cost-effective investments
in conservation. Let’s get to work and save water, and save
ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars. If we do, we can postpone
the need to build a $500 million water treatment plant for many
years, which we’ve already spent nearly $100 million on. If
you look closely, you’ll see that Leffingwell and his backers
want to build Water Treatment Plant 4. Hmmm, now that 1% adds up. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? For too long now, Austin’s city government has chosen to concentrate on development over preserving our neighborhoods -- especially downtown development. And that’s no choice at all. My experience with RG4N got me into this fight. But I am not running because of what Wal-Mart wants to do to my neighborhood. I’m running because these kinds of things will keep happening to neighborhoods all over Austin unless we make a change. Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Power Broker, Robert Caro recently told The Statesman, “It’s very important when cities are in their shaping, when they’re becoming big, that what they do in shaping that growth is never lose sight of the fact that what makes a city great is whether or not it’s a home to its people, whether neighborhood values are safeguarded and treasured no matter what development is done.” When it comes to City Hall, we all deserve a guy on the inside to help us out. But before neighborhoods and downtown can achieve a real balance, we need new leadership on City Council. I’m running because when something happens to your neighborhood or to your small business, you’ll need a friend in City Hall who will listen and help you.
--- PLACE 3 Jennifer
Kim
* * * Randi
Shade 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? I want to keep Austin special, and the success of small businesses is critical to that notion. We must do everything we can to feed the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven Dell, National Instruments, Whole Foods and others to become international giants; that has helped Chuy’s, Whole Earth Provisions, Alamo Drafthouse and others to become regional successes; and that has fueled local businesses like The Hoffbrau, Benold’s and Waterloo Records through good times and bad. Having run small businesses in Austin, and having had the experience of selling a company I founded to a San Diego-based public company, I will bring a unique perspective to the City Council. For many local business owners, sometimes the biggest challenges aren’t solved by new programs, but rather with increased focus and attention on the basics, such as ensuring the City has reliable and affordable utilities, quick and predictable permitting processes, fair and stable regulatory functions, and overall economic strength. I think it also make sense to strengthen the relationship the City has with organizations like the Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA) and organizations like BiG and PeopleFund, which support local entrepreneurs with special technical assistance, marketing and financing needs. If elected, I would also support the efforts of Opportunity Austin and all our local chambers of commerce to help small local businesses succeed. In terms of helping homeowners, I think the City should explore targeted exemptions and tax relief for original residents, and also seek ways to influence the state legislature with respect to its over-reliance on property taxes, which is contributing directly to the heavy financial burden that Austin homeowners carry. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? I am honored to be supported by a diverse list of community leaders representing every part of Austin and a broad range of issues. I am particularly proud that more than half of my donors are people who have never previously contributed to any Austin City Council candidate. My organizational endorsements include the Austin Board of Realtors, the Austin Firefighters Association (AFA), the Austin Lesbian and Gay Political Caucus (ALGPC), the Austin Police Association (APA), the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Employees Association (ATCEMSEA), the Austin Women’s Political Caucus (AWPC), The Victory Fund, North by Northwest Democrats, South Austin Democrats, Stonewall Democrats of Austin, University Democrats, and West Austin Democrats. I am very pleased to have been able to compete successfully with the incumbent Council member I am challenging in this race to earn the support of these community organizations. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I’m not for tolling any lane that has already been paid for with gas tax revenue in any way, shape or form, period. But, I don’t categorically oppose using tolls as a way to finance the construction of needed roads when there is no other viable financing method, and when tolling policy is transparent and accountable, and revenue distribution is equitable. Nevertheless, tolls would always be my very last choice to relieve traffic congestion, after all other options are exhausted. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? I think the biggest issue that only a few people
are talking about is the significant impact that poverty is having
on our community’s overall safety and well-being. We need to
do more to focus attention on the problem of poverty in Austin and
Central Texas, and to address the root causes. It is wonderful that
Austin is consistently recognized for its economic vitality. But
until, at a bare minimum, everyone’s basic human needs are
met, we have very few bragging rights as far as I am concerned. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? I specifically decided to challenge the incumbent in Place 3, because of her reputation for inaccessibility. By contrast, I have a long history of being approachable, accessible and accountable. Indeed, I see accessibility as being the single most important aspect of a Council member’s job. If elected, I will make my calendar public, so that the citizens can see who I am meeting with and how I am spending my time when I am on their dime. I will work to see that online resources are more readily available so that anyone interested in following City action can do so. Austinites should vote for me because I am concerned about the direction Austin is going, and I have the skills and experience to do better than we are doing now to address our biggest challenges. My background is different from most City officials in that I offer a diverse history of leadership in the public, private and non-profit sectors. I may be a newcomer to politics, but I am not a newcomer to the issues. Whether co-founding the Austin Clean Energy Initiative or serving on the board of PeopleFund, I’ve been working on issues like affordable housing, environmental protection, and economic development for years. I have thrived on student politics at the University of Texas, worked for two Texas governors launching AmeriCorps statewide, worked as a corporate peon, earned a Harvard MBA, founded an Internet startup which I sold to a public company in 2005, run a local community foundation working with Austin’s high tech sector, and been a tireless supporter of all kinds of nonprofit organizations in town, sometimes as a grassroots volunteer and other times as a donor or board member. I bring to this election a unique combination of passion and hands-on experience, and a strong desire to get things done right. As my longtime friends, colleagues, and clients will tell you, I build strong positive relationships that last a lifetime; I am approachable, accessible, and accountable; I know when to listen and learn, and when to speak up; and I bring diverse people together to get results. You have to get along with people to get things done, and I know how to do both. I will do a great job for Austin, and I ask for your vote.
* * * Ken
Weiss 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? Austin may indeed benefit from hosting small business forums where owners can bring potential problems to the city’s attention, such as ordinance or traffic concerns. I propose the city sponsor once a year or every six months, small business forums, seminars, and workshops. Let’s bring together the Small Business Administration, SCORE, ACE, the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, and the Small Business Development Centers from the City of Austin and the local Universities, and we can give small business a chance in Austin. I will also propose Austin do a study on providing small businesses that want to expand or grow, possible rebates for 6 months on utility bills and city sales taxes. These rebates could help to some extent with advertising expansion, hiring a new employee, or whatever the business may need. I will also see to it that no more big businesses ever get another dime in taxpayers’ money as subsidies of any kind. City Council can’t claim to be “pro-small businesses” when they give a huge corporation such as Office Depot a $10.5 million office supplies contract. There are many small family and minority businesses, and while they may not be able to take on a whole $10.5 million dollar contract, they may be able to supply printer cartridges while another can supply copier paper. I will work hard for small businesses to be competitive in obtaining city contracts. I vote no against The Point of Sale Ordinance for home sellers. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? Unfortunately, I don’t live on the west side of Austin, I don’t know any Big Businesses, Lobbyists, Toll Road Supporters, and I’m not in good with any special interest groups. So, I don’t have tens of thousands of dollars in my campaign fund like my two opponents. The people that are supporting me are small business owners and middle to lower class, hardworking Americans who are not rich! These people pay their taxes every year and frankly are having hard times as costs continue to skyrocket out of control. I have several predominate Democratic friends who recently ran countywide campaigns that have personally endorsed me and are asking their supporters to support me. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I have said this from day one in my campaign “No, to converting our taxpayer roadways to tolls or managed lanes!” Austin cannot afford to convert what little highways we have to tolls. The toll project slated for Oak Hill, if it goes through, will kill Oak Hill as we know it today. I support and will work extremely hard to push the Fix290.org proposed parkway. Something needed to be done in Oak Hill twenty to thirty years ago. Something needs to be done today, and not five or ten years from now. The same applies for RR 2222 at 620 and 360. More and more people work in Austin but live in the surrounding communities. Light rail could be a very viable solution to our traffic problems. We need to get every surrounding community on with light rail as soon as possible, not 20 or 30 years from now, but in five years. Yes, there would be a cost to those communities to provide this service as Austin could not afford to pay for this entire system. However, with the added light rail and the fixed Cap Metro bus system (see commentary p.1), travel to and around Austin would boost ridership significantly. I will also support the use of more bikeways like that of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. We need to work on public awareness that bicyclists use the road, and have the right to use the road, and to promote a safer bicycling environment. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? There may be a couple and these are the immigration
of undocumented citizens and the rising cost of living (i.e. the
higher cost of fuels, housing, food, utilities). I’m not sure
we can really do much about either of these issues, so we’ll
just leave it at that. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? I have lived in Austin for over 38 years! That’s more than both of my opponents combined. I have operated two small family businesses here in Austin for over 20 years. Neither of my opponents can say they have operated their businesses locally in Austin. I have also served proudly as a soldier and officer in the Texas Army National Guard. Again, something my opponents can’t say that they have done. I would like to say that I bring something to City Hall that my opponents are not bringing, and that is neutrality. I do not have Big Businesses, Toll Roads, Developers, or special interest groups in my pocket. I will not be afraid to make those tough decisions, as I have no one to fear but the Public. My opponents have made so many promises to these special interest groups that you won’t know what you’re getting. If you really want change, then your vote for me on May 10th will go a long way in bringing City Hall back to the people.
--- PLACE 4 Cid
Galindo 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? Good jobs and paying customers make happy homeowners and healthy small businesses. We need to continue to pursue a diversified economy and focus on attracting industries such as renewable energy, biomedical science, and tourism that are consistent with our values of protecting the environment. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? Before I entered the race, I sought out and received 100 personal endorsements from leaders in every major group in the city. I have been endorsed by the Police, Fire, and EMS Associations, the Austin Board of Realtors, and three former Mayors. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? Toll lanes and managed lanes are necessary tools to deal with our traffic congestion issues and our ability to deal with them in the future. However, we must be able to integrate them into our long range plan without converting existing freeways already paid for by gasoline sales tax revenues. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? Traffic congestion is the biggest issue everyone
is talking about, what we are not talking about is the only real
way to fix it in the long run, and that is to move away from sprawl
patterns of development to more compact town center forms of development.
I am the only candidate in this race with a plan to reduce sprawl
and the traffic congestion it causes. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? I am the only candidate in this race that has a plan that will address the three major challenges we face as a city: traffic congestion, housing affordability, and environmental degradation. My plan has been published by the Congress for the New Urbanism and has the unanimous support of the City of Austin Planning Commission. You can read it on my website at www.cidgalindo.com.
* * * Laura
Morrison 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? Small businesses, collectively, constitute one of Austin’s major employers and are a main contributor to the vibrancy and uniqueness that defines this city that we love. One way we can support small businesses is by leveling the economic playing field by stopping financial incentives to national retailers competing with local businesses. I support creating new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship by strongly supporting research, development and manufacturing of renewable energy technology. I also support the new regional effort to create affordable health coverage for small businesses as well as a requirement for an impact study on any proposed ordinance to assess how it would affect small business. Homeowner property tax bills are placing a burden on many. We must look very carefully at the cost drivers of our City budget and invest wisely in programs that will ease those drivers in the long run. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? I am honored to have the support of Austinites from all walks of life and all parts of the city, and I am proud to have each and every one of them behind my candidacy. For a full list of supporters, please see www.LauraForAustin.com. The list includes: Bill Aleshire, Mary Arnold, Karin Ascot, Lorraine Atherton, Emma Barrientos, Steve Bercu, Cathy Bonner, Susan Bright, Bill Bunch, David Butts, Liz Carpenter, Danette Chimenti, Tom Cooke, Jim Cousar, Tommy Cowan, John Donisi, The Honorable Sarah Eckhardt, The Honorable David Escamilla, Lulu Flores, Charlotte Flynn, Scott Hendler, Ora Houston, Celia Israel, Kat Jones, Willie Mae Kirk, Saundra Kirk, Ann Kitchen, Joe Lamy, Rose Lancaster, Claudette Lowe, Bertha Means, Hope Morrison, Bettie Naylor, Joe & Janis Pinnelli, Don Pitts, Robin Rather, Mark Rogers, Mary Sanger, Eugene Sepulveda, Brigid Shea, Jan Soifer, Evan Taniguchi, Julie Thornton, Donna Tiemann, Walter Timberlake, Lisa Tipps, Wendy Todd, Blake Tollett, Kathie Tovo, Jan F. Triplett, Heather Way, Bruce Willenzik, Chad Williams, Evan Williams, and Mark Yznaga. With a $300 contribution limit in Austin, every contribution is critical to this campaign and I consider every contributor a “top” contributor. I am honored to have received the support of almost every community organization endorsing. This includes: Austin Sierra Club, Austin Neighborhoods Council, West Austin Democrats, Austin Women’s Political Caucus, Central Labor Council AFL-CIO which includes Austin’s teachers, the Austin Lesbian Gay Political Caucus, Stonewall Democrats, Better Austin Today PAC, North by Northwest Democrats, South Austin Democrats, Capital Area Progressive Democrats, Capital Area Asian American Democrats, University Democrats, Central Austin Democrats, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Austin Tejano Democrats, Mexican American Democrats and Austin Progressive Coalition. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I am against converting existing freeways into toll
lanes. I believe failed toll road planning has led to terrible congestion,
higher transportation costs, and lower quality of life. Despite
approving almost $3 billion dollars for toll roads since 2005, congestion
and related financial and environmental problems have grown. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? An important issue is the potential to improve our city by leveraging partnerships and working toward common goals with AISD, State Legislators, UT, the County and ACC. With AISD we can support education and joint land use planning to support our schools. With our Legislators and Travis County, we can work for improved county land use management. We can partner with the University of Texas in the planning and development of the Brackenridge Tract and making the Field Lab a world class Climate Change Learning Center. And with Austin Community College we can encourage educational programs that fit our goals for area job need. My priorities for “Making Austin A City That Works For All Of Us” include protecting what we value about our city, building a better future by focusing on congestion relief and affordable housing, investing in local business and better serving existing residents. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? My community, professional, and educational background sets me apart from the other candidates and has prepared me to work to make Austin a city that works for all of us. I served as President of the Austin Neighborhoods Council and presently serve on the Policy Committee of HousingWorks, an Austin affordable housing organization, and the Community Action Network Community Council. While ANC President, I participated in city task forces where I developed a reputation for coalition and consensus building as well as advocating for more openness in city government. I will bring a strong professional background to the Council. As an engineer and project manager for Lockheed Martin, I supervised teams of engineers developing air force planning systems to maximize the effective use of resources. I hold a Masters Degree in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego. More recently I earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Health with a focus on Community Preparedness and Disaster Management from the University of North Carolina. I am poised to foster an open, inclusive government at City Hall that truly focuses on public benefit, with productive collaboration across the political spectrum, disciplined analyses of our options, and a demonstrated commitment to the values of our community.
* * * Robin
Cravey 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? The city of Austin should help and support small businesses. I would work to reduce subsidies to large employers. I disapprove of tax rebates to large corporations in general. Austin is a very desirable place to live and work, and we should not have to pay people to come here. Moreover, these types of subsidies violate the principle of fair and equal taxation. As the city develops and redevelops, we should work to ensure that we have an ample supply of affordable retail, office, and light industrial space for small business. We also should always break our contracts for goods and services into the smallest practical dollar amounts to allow small businesses to bid on them. We should also provide programs to level the playing field for local businesses, and to help them navigate the city approval process. For homeowners, we should do much more to encourage garage apartments -- they add density into our neighborhoods without disturbing the neighborhood fabric. They also provide affordable rental units, and they provide income for homeowners that can assist them in paying their property taxes. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? I have been endorsed by the League of Bicycling Voters, Southwest Austin Democrats, and the Capital City Young Democrats. Some of the major supporters of my campaign include environmentalists such as Jon Beall, Glee Ingram, Tim Jones, Chris Lehman, Jim Marston, Luke Metzger, Mary Ann Neely, Paul Robbins, Hon. Craig Smith, Scott Johnson; neighborhood activists like Clare Barry, Margaret Bruch, Richard Gravois, Gary Hyatt, John Luther; local business owners such as Hill Abell (Bicycle Sport Shop), Rick Engel (Uncle Billy’s Brew and Q, Austin Java), Donna Taylor (Little City), Eddie Wilson (Threadgill’s), Chris Marsh (Mean Eyed Cat), Joe Ables (Saxon Pub), and former planning commissioners Art Navarro and Lydia Ortiz, and current commission Dave Sullivan. Also supporting me are Hon. Beverly Griffith, Former Mayor of Austin Frank Cooksey, Nadine Eckhardt, John Etchieson, Bob Kinney, Malcolm Greenstein, Ken Martin, Hon. Glen Maxey, Hon. Max Nofziger, Alan Pogue, Hon. Babe Schwartz, Hon. Stacy Suits, Hon. Pat Whiteside, and Robin Stallings (Texas Bicycle Coalition). 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? I am against unnecessary roads. I believe that the current toll road projects are unnecessary and do not improve our traffic conditions. We must improve our transportation system and make the city more walkable and bikeable by finishing our bike routes and maintaining our sidewalks, among other things. Rail transit is long overdue in our city, and our bus service needs improvement. Rather than create unnecessary roads for people to commute into Austin, we should focus on building the economy in local areas so that people that live outside of town can have jobs where they live. I am not necessarily against tolls as a method for paying for roadway construction, but I would most likely not pursue that option for future road expansion. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? If elected, I would concentrate on “Affordability” and a “Walkable, Bikeable City.” I believe we must write a new chapter in our comprehensive plan for affordable housing, and we should start with downtown. Let’s say to the teacher at Pease Elementary, and the receptionist at the front desk of the law office, and the cook at the restaurant, and the musician on 6th Street: come home. Come home to downtown Austin. We appreciate everything you do for us. We respect what you do, and we’re making room for you. We should also focus the economy on helping small local businesses. In my vision for Austin, big business pays its fair share and small business gets its fair share. Also we will shape a city where people can live within walking distance of where they work. We will provide a comprehensive transportation system centered around shoeleather, bicycles, motorbikes, and effective public transit. There will be more traffic on the sidewalks and less on the streets. We must make walking safe and enjoyable by providing wide, clear sidewalks (get the utility poles out!), shade trees and a comfortable buffer against car traffic. We can make Austin a genuine bicycle town by completing our network of bike lanes, building connecting bridges, and expanding bicycle parking facilities and requirements. It will transform the city, reducing traffic congestion, air pollution, noise, pavement, oil imports and our part in climate change. It will give us air sweet enough for a baby to breathe. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? I am the only environmentalist in the Place 4 race. Before I was 25, I had explored most of the ground the other candidates are now learning. In the 1970s I wrote about environmental issues in-depth in Ecology in Texas, my environmental news magazine, and in the Texas Observer and other local periodicals. I also helped start recycling in Austin as an early member of Ecology Action. I have the broadest and deepest experience. No other candidate can match my record of commitment. Like one of my opponents, I have served on the Planning Commission, and like another opponent, I served as neighborhood president. But I’m also the only lawyer in the race. I’m the only candidate with city hall experience. I didn’t just decide five years ago to get involved in community service. I’ve been active here for almost 40 years. I have the vision and the common sense the city needs. I’m a poet. My deep understanding of Austin comes from a lifetime of looking at the city with searching eyes. I look without blinking at the city as it is, and envision a course to the best future possible from where we are. I’ve spent a lifetime committed to bringing a new reality into being. I am an optimist who would rather create positive new models than obstruct change. Marcus Aurelius advises us to look with charity on the works of our contemporaries, and I do. I have seen people become burned out and cynical in the factional battles. My way is to build the future now through example and creativity.
* * * Samuel
Osemene 1) What are some of your ideas to improve the economics here for small businesses and homeowners in Austin? I’m a strong supporter of small businesses. I will not support subsidies to big corporations that put local businesses out of business. Many of the City Council contracts should be awarded to local businesses. Currently, Office Depot supplies the City of Austin with all its office supplies. This is wrong. Local businesses should be given the opportunity to bid for the contract. Homeowners are also paying way too much in taxes on their properties. I will not vote for any tax increase as a council member. I will propose a freeze on property taxes. I do not support the eminent domain power that has been used and abused to confiscate private properties in the name of the common good. 2) Who are the major supporters and top donors to your City Council campaign? What private and public organizations have endorsed or contributed to your candidacy? My major supporters are citizens that are tired of the irresponsible policies of the City Council. Many people have shown their support by donating, volunteering and committing to vote for me. I have not accepted money from the big lobbyists in town, unlike my opponents in this race. They are the Establishment candidates; I’m the people’s candidate. I have support from Democrats, Republicans, independents, libertarians, and students. There is a high desire for change, but the City Council thinks we are invisible. This is our time to send a message to them and to the lobbyists that we cannot take this anymore. We need to take our city back. 3) What is your position on converting freeways into toll lanes / managed lanes? Is this a revenue strategy that you would pursue for future road expansion in Austin? We need a comprehensive transportation plan for the city. I do support the Light Rail because it will help alleviate some of the transportation problems we have. I think if a private company wants to build a toll road at its own expense, free enterprise dictates the right to do so. I do not support tolls on roads we the taxpayers have already paid for. This is a money grab and corporate greed. We also have to be mindful of the fact that toll roads may be used by the Government to control its citizens. Has anyone considered what happens if one day the Government instructs owners of these toll roads not to let anybody out of the city? We are indirectly fencing ourselves within a well defined area. I wonder what the Founding Fathers would think about toll roads. This goes to the core of what John Quincy Adams said: “You will never know what it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” We need to wake up. 4) What are the biggest issues in Austin that no one seems to be talking about? What issues would you concentrate on if elected? There are many issues that many Austinites may not be aware of. The City Council is considering passing a “Point of Sale” ordinance stating that before you sell your house, the city has to send an inspector to your house. And if the “inspector” says your house meets the environmental standards, the city will then issue you a permit to sell. The city is also considering passing an ordinance that will make it illegal to use your cell phone in your car. And remember the “Forgivable Loan” debacle? Enough of big government. These are my issues: cut taxes (especially property taxes), balance the budget, fiscal responsibility, restore rule of law, individual liberty, support local businesses, reform Capital Metro by partly privatizing it, promote economic growth by cutting taxes and deregulation, and single member districts. 5) What distinguishes you from your opponents? Why should Austinites vote for you? My opponents in this race are outstanding individuals.
They mean well and are highly committed in their ideologies, but
these ideologies have not worked for us and will never work. Their
ideologies are rooted in the belief that government is the answer
to every issue that faces us as a city. They believe government
is the answer, but I know government is the problem. My candidacy is about the next generation. My opponents believe in incurring debts in the name of Bonds for the future generation. I believe we should live within our means. A British general once said, “England expects us to do her duty. I, myself have done my duty.” This election is about doing our duty for the future generation. This is the time to do your duty. I need your vote. Thanks. Check out Part I of the CITIZINE VOTER GUIDE with profiles on the major candidates.
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VOTER'S SCORECARD PLACE 1 Incumbent:
Lee
Leffingwell PLACE 3 Incumbent:
Jennifer Kim
PLACE 4 (No
Incumbent)
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