Sheryl Cole for Council Picks up Endorsements

Another POV: Small Business Endorsement (3.00 / 2)

The Small Business Group endorses Mike Martinez for Place 2 and Darrell Pierce for Place 6, and reaffirms their opposition to Open Government amendment.

Today, the Small Business Group (SBG) announced its first round of endorsements for the Austin City Council election in May.  After a candidate forum and personal interviews, the Small Business Group proudly endorsed Mike Martinez for Place 2 and Darrell Pierce for Place 6.

“We found all of the candidates personable, caring and relatively informed,” said Roger Chan, founding member of the Small Business Group. “However, our guiding principle for endorsement was basic--which candidate appreciates the simple fact that a robust tax base is critical in order to pay for the improvements important to all Austinites, such as libraries, parks, and other community infrastructure?  Mike Martinez and Darrell Pierce stood out among an impressive class of candidates when we applied this criteria.”

The SBG held the first major candidate forum earlier this month, and conducted personal interviews with various candidates in order to reach their final decision.  The SBG also considered the candidates’ stances on the proposed open government charter amendment, which the group has strongly condemned as an invasion of citizens’ privacy and at such a large cost that it is displace other important projects, as they made their decisions. 

The SBG judged candidates on their responses to a number of key issues such as:

The Use bond money primarily to optimize our  tax base.
Funding the maintenance of existing infrastructure before adding on new obligations.
More restraint by the city in imposing regulatory burdens on businesses.
Improving the tax base by addressing Homeless services, Waller Creek, Downtown Parking.
Consider alternatives to subsidies for promoting economic vitality.
Consolidate government services and eliminate redundancy.

“It is not easy choosing a candidate since most agree on the basic values that we cherish in this community, such as a world-class library system, parks for public enjoyment, and better infrastructure,” explained Mary Guerrero McDonald, an SBG Board Member.  “But as small business entrepreneurs, we have a unique appreciation of the finer point that there is a cost associated with those amenities.  Mike Martinez and Darrell Pierce articulated an imaginative vision for Austin that supports the expansion of small business and our tax base in order to fund the amenities Austinites have come to enjoy and deserve.”

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by: pjsilver @ Fri Feb 17, 2006 at 17:03:16 PM UTC

Important endorsement (0.00 / 0)

All the 2006 candidates in both city city council races are strong, and Austin is lucky to have such dedicated public servants. 

Because of low turnout, UT students could have a major impact in city council elections.  Typically, it only takes about 30,000 votes in the May election to win 50% of the votes.  Jennifer Kim won the 2005 June run-off with just 19,530 votes.  There are 46,545 UT students registered this Spring, and therefore increased campus turnout could swing the election. 

As a native Austinite, my biggest priority is preserving our unique quality of life.  I grew up playing in Barton Springs, and it hurts me every time a beloved small business has to shut its doors.  Since Austin is projected to double in population by 2025, we need city council candidates who understand Austin's unique character.  It's big news that Mike Martinez won the small biz endorsement, considering that his main opponent is a chamber of commerce candidate.  Small businesses are the key to growing our local economy while still preserving our quality of life. 

Please join Mike's campaign today if you want to preserve Austin's small businesses for future generations of Austinites.

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by: Ian @ Fri Feb 17, 2006 at 19:13:21 PM UTC

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