Austin City Council Place 2 Endorsement: Mike Martinez

this is by far the easiest race (5.00 / 1)

I haven't agreed 100% with everything Mike has done, and some of my friends are quite upset about the changes for disabled riders on Capitol Metro. But Mike is a good Democrat & disagreeing on 1 thing is certainly not enough for not supporting someone who is great on so many other issues. (thanks so much for such strong support of the animal shelter) Also, I always feel like Mike listens, really listens, before making up his mind. And like the endorsement says, it is really good to have someone talking about the needs of the poor from the City Council dias.

With this particular opponent, I really appreciate Mike's strong pro-choice stance. I don't know Dr. Pressley's personal feelings on choice, but the presidential candidate she strongly supports is the most anti-choice legislator this side of Henry Hyde himself. Anyone who believes in freedom for women would have to ask Dr. Paul some tough questions about legislation he has authored. I was so proud to see Mike at the Planned Parenthood rally -- I wholeheartedly support Mike Martinez for re-election.

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Mon Apr 23, 2012 at 19:59:28 PM UTC

True Colors (0.00 / 0)

You all show your true colors as hacks and endorse the two anti-reformers, Martinez and Leffingwell, and don't endorse for Place 5 & 6?

About Place 2, and Martinez:

On the "working and poor":  Martinez enjoys trying to take away benefits and bust up unions as with the Capital Metro drivers.  Notice too, the labor unions did not endorse Martinez.  About the poor, Martinez didn't speak up when Metro rates went up, water rates went up, electric rates are going up 13 to 20% if Mike gets his way after the election, and property taxes are going up 2% if Mike gets his way after the election.  On the homeless, they continue to be unnecessarily assaulted by the APD, and Martinez never speaks up about excessive use of force, nor improper escalation of force, except once when it was a dog, mind you still not saying the escalation of force was improper.

On the environment:  Martinez voted for the wasteful, unnecessary, and expensive $500 Million Waste Water Treatment Plant 4, when conservation is what's called for, he voted for the $2.3 Billion expensive word burning plant which is not carbon neutral and is extremely dirty to the environment and unhealthy to those who will be living around it, and as a Council Committee Chair he continues to allow multiple toxic additives to be unnecessarily added to Austin's water.

On "development" and Neighborhoods:  Martinez continues to support mindless building to no end to the detriment of Austin's established neighborhoods, why he did not get the Austin Neighborhoods Council endorsement (representing most of Austin's Neighborhoods).  They were tired of his lies over the past 3 years on "development" votes.

On fiscal policy:  Martinez is a rubber stamp for a free spending City Manager and his staff.  Martinez has shown with his votes that he could care less what the effect of his votes are on the cost of living in Austin.  Already in his statements on Austin Energy, Martinez has made it clear that he thinks AE "needs" a rate increase of at least 13%, maybe as much as 20%, he and Lee are just putting it off until after the election, thinking they have the election in the bag.  Fool us once, shame on you!  Now the City Manager is asking for a 2% across the board property tax increase, and other fee increases of as much as 25%, and once again Mike and Lee are putting it off until after the election.  Fool us twice shame on us!

With all of these examples, Mike Martinez is not a true Democrat, nor a Republican; simply he's in it for himself, representing the Developers, the average Austinite be damned.  It's time for a change, Mike does NOT deserve re-election.

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by: ATXBrad @ Tue Apr 24, 2012 at 00:48:10 AM UTC

Please disclose: you work for Pressley. (0.00 / 0)

Brad, you are on Dr. Laura Pressley's 30-day report as a paid consultant. You need to disclose that.

Readers should be aware that this commenter is employed by Pressley's campaign. Consider that in evaluating the comment.  

I'm not a player, I just Tweet a lot: @KathTX

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by: Katherine Haenschen @ Tue Apr 24, 2012 at 03:41:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I am a volunteer (3.00 / 1)

That small figure is just to cover some of the materials being handed out in canvassing.  Her campaign is covering the rest of the cost of the materials.  There is nothing to disclose except that I am putting in 60 hours a week volunteer canvassing and have been for many weeks now.

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by: ATXBrad @ Wed Apr 25, 2012 at 03:04:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The more important points are on the above issues... (0.00 / 0)

...listed, on the working and poor, the environment, development and neighborhoods, and fiscal votes negatively affecting the high cost of living in Austin that Mike has voted for.  

A volunteer's acute interest, effort, and time given is not the issue, the candidate's terrible voting record is the issue, inconsistent with what BOR espouses.

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by: ATXBrad @ Wed Apr 25, 2012 at 03:11:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks for the clarification (0.00 / 0)

I appreciate your clarification on your role with the Pressley campaign.

Obviously, though, our opinions simply differ on Council Member Martinez's voting record.  

"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."  -  John Adams

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by: Michael Hurta @ Wed Apr 25, 2012 at 16:47:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Mike won me over. (0.00 / 0)

Honestly, I was not a Mike Martinez fan at first, but when I began fighting the parking meter extensions, he was the first council member to offer to actually come to the table with solutions. He listened and worked with AAMPED and I to limit the impact on the businesses and workers the parking meters would effect. He continued to listen when I had a concern on other issues. When we do not agree, he does listen and will explain why he is voting a certain way with his own reasons, which I respect.

I had a totally different experience with Dr. Laura Pressley. I can't get a straight answer from her. When asking her about an actual plan on closing down the coal plant (which is an issue she is running on while bashing current city council for the rising utility rates), she referred me to her website. There is not a plan. She has never given a plan (although a few have come out including the Sierra Club's). How are you going to accomplish this without raising utility rates? Where does the energy come from that we lose? She could not answer these questions. Those are important questions to avoid problems like we had with WTP4 which she bashes Mike about.   It seems that it's an easy campaign slogan to appear like an environmentalist. Then when I pressed her about how she would have voted on the bag ban (I am not a supporter because I wanted a recycling program at home and still do!), she removed me as a friend on her Facebook profile. Nice.

As for the ANC endorsement, Laura got that because she was willing to say she would ban short term rentals. After the endorsement, there was a huge debate on whether or not neighborhoods were duped into believing she was a Democrat and even some calling for a repeal of the endorsement.

Laura questioned my integrity for supporting Mike, yet she poses as a Democrat environmentalist while driving around with a Ron Paul bumper sticker in order to obtain votes and donations. Now, that is true political integrity. Also, she is stating that she can better represent the low income Hispanics while waving her doctorate and million dollar semi-conductor job condescendingly over Mike, the lowly fireman. I have no plans on giving up my Hispanic council seat to a non-Hispanic from Allendale.

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by: austindivebars @ Tue Apr 24, 2012 at 15:46:54 PM UTC