Better Austin Today Endorses Morrison and Meeker for Austin City Council

I don't know who, (0.00 / 0)

if anyone, I'll be supporting for City Council. There are at least two people in every race that I could happily support. Also, it is getting to the time of year when the AIDS Ride occupies most of my brain power. Must find more time to train. Must raise more money. Must find more time to train.

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 16:23:07 PM UTC

Government by and for the idle rich (0.00 / 0)

What the BATPAC guys basically want is a return to the days when most decisions were made not on merit, but by how the group of people who can spend all day at City Council would like.

That means, basically, people like Morrison and Jeff Jack (and the new kid - Meeker); either so wealthy they don't need a day job; or enough of a hippie to be able to get by on an irregular income.

Don't fall for the nonsense that this is somehow more democratic. We elect city council members - and at that time, people with day jobs are heard, democratically, at the ballot box. What these folks want isn't more democracy - which would entail making sure those day-job-holders were heard even more often; but instead an oligarchy of aging hippies. Which is pretty much what BATPAC is - with a few young sympathizers like Meeker.

I served on the UTC for five years - meetings were at night - and it was still hard to make it work with a job and a family. I never, not even once, spoke before city council - because, again, I have a real job. And I'm very typical in that regard.

So if you want your city run by people who inherited their wealth; married into wealth; have a really flexible 'job', or are just otherwise marginally-employed, go ahead and do what BATPAC wants. Otherwise, stay tuned.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 18:05:30 PM UTC

Here's a list of BATPAC board members (3.00 / 1)

Criticize them as aging hippies, if you will. But you better know which one's your talking about.

(And by the way, BATPAC has been meeting at 8:30 Saturday morning, b/c that's when they could actually get together. And if you're going to criticize people involved in politics as the idle rich or underemployed because they make the time to get involved in politics, I suggest you may be on the wrong blog.)

Hill Abell is president of the Bicycle Sport Shop, a specialty bicycle retailer with two locations in Austin celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.  Hill has worked on bicycle access issues for off-road and road riding here and across the country, and believes that the universal use of bicycles can contribute to the health and vitality of our citizens.

Mary Arnold is a long-time Austin community leader committed to sound planning and environmental protection. Mary currently serves as a board member of the West Austin Neighborhood Group and member at large on the Golf Advisory Board. Mary is a past member of Austin's Planning Commission, Parks Board, Water and Wastewater Commission, and Environmental Board.  Mary also previously served on the board of the Save Our Springs Alliance and the Hill Country Conservancy.

Johnny Barnett is the founder of local business advocacy and marketing company Austin Unique and is a long time Save Our Springs Alliance volunteer.

Bill Bunch has practiced environmental law in Austin for 20 years. He is Executive Director of the Save Our Springs Alliance and currently serves as the social chair for the the Zilker Neighborhood Association. Bill was a co-founder of the Save Our Springs Coalition and co-author of Austin's voter-initiated Save Our Springs ordinance.

Scooter Cheatham is an architect, planner, photographer and artist with a bachelors degrees in architecture and a masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a former planner with the Texas General Land Office and was co-director of the Matagorda Bay Estuarine Resource Management Project, an interdisciplinary project for development of land management policy for the Texas Gulf Coast. He produced the first environmental analysis of the Bull Creek Watershed, co-authored the original Hyde Park Neighborhood Plan of 1984, and authored other neighborhood plans. He is founder and president of Useful wild Plants, Inc., a groundbreaking regional economic botany study of the botanical resources of the southern United States and northern Mexico. He is currently the president of Responsible Growth for Windsor Park Neighborhood.

Harold Daniel is a customer support engineer for a local software developer. He has been active in Austin's environmental community since 2001, including serving as President of Save Barton Creek Association in 2005 and 2006. He is co-owner of AustinAction.org, which has helped to provide web resources to several community groups since 2003.

Lee Daniel is a cinematographer and co-founder of the Austin Film Society. Lee is best known for his work with Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater, from Slacker and Dazed and Confused to Fast Food Nation.  Lee is also known for his documentary work, including Margaret Brown's Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt, and Laura Dunn's The Unforseen.

Jim Duncan is president of a consulting firm that specializes in revising zoning codes for a national public clientele. He started his career as a city planner with the City of Austin in 1961 after graduating from UT and was the City's land development services director in the early 1980s. It was during his tenure with the City that the comprehensive watershed, neighborhood compatibility, Capitol view protection, parkland dedication and hill country roadway ordinances were all adopted. He is also a past president of the American Planning Association and co-author of "Growth Management Principles and Practices."  

Seth Fowler  

Richard Franklin is a married father of four who spent 11 years in the Air Force as a Military Training Instructor, an Avionics Technician and an Air Traffic Controller. He has owned nightclubs and restaurants and most recently has been a financial advisor for five years. Richard served as the president of the Black Austin Democrats for two years and was the Vice-Chair for Membership for the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats. Currently Richard serves on the steering committee for Austin's Center for Peace and Justice and is on the boards of the Downtown Lions Club and the Central Texas chapter of the ACLU-TX.

Jeff Jack is an Architect and neighborhood advocate who has served as President of the Austin Neighborhoods Council (ANC) and is currently President of the Zilker Neighborhood Association. Jeff has also served on an AISD Bond Oversight Committee, Capital Metro Strategic Advisory Committee and City of Austin Affordable Housing Taskforce, Annexation Transition Team, Community Court Advisory Committee, Town Lake Park stakeholder group. His community experience also includes working as Executive Assistant to City Council member Beverly Griffith for several years..He is presently on the Board of SaveTownLake.org, The Central Texas Clean Air Force and has represented the ANC with the Austin Area Human Services Association.

David Kobierowski has built a successful corporate career in technology consulting for over 14 years. Outside of his career, David is actively involved in the Austin Community as a community organizer and activist. He's a talk show host on KOOP Community Radio, producer of a Public Access Community TV show TruthAustin, board member of the ACLU of Central Texas, Co-Chair of 1st Unitarian Universalist Church Public Affairs Forum, Board member of True Blue 10, Democratic Precinct Chair #262, and Co-Founder of Texans for Obama.

Fred Lewis is the founder and President of Texans Together Education Fund, Inc. He has worked as a public interest attorney, campaign finance reform advocate, non-profit leader, and community organizer. He also has worked as a volunteer leader in numerous political campaigns.

Daniel Llanes is an Austin artist, dancer, composer and musician. Daniel is a longtime Austin neighborhood, environmental and civil rights activist

Hope Morrison is a co-founder and current president of Responsible Growth for Northcross. She serves on the boards of Texas Parent to Parent and Petite Ecole Internationale, leads two Girl Scout troops and is a member of the Wooten Neighborhood Association. Hope is a health care policy and programs consultant with a current focus on public sector business development for managed care companies. She has a masters degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Brian Rodgers is a local real estate investor leading the effort to repeal tax subsidies for the Domain Shopping Mall and retail subsidies in general. Past efforts involved campaign finance reform and open records.

Debbie Russell has engaged in many coalition-building efforts - from anti-war to media reform to water issues - and with a broad range of communities, including the Austin Democracy Coalition, Austin Against War & Texans United Against War, the Austin Center for Peace & Justice, the Austin Bill of Rights Defense Committee, Texas Fair Trade Coalition, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Free Press, Public Citizen-TX, the AustinSpokescouncil, Peace Action-TX and CodePink-Austin. She has worked on both issue and candidate campaigns.  Debbie currently serves as president of the board of the Central Texas chapter of the ACLU-TX, focusing on police accountability and open government. She also serves on the City of Austin's Public Safety Task Force.

Patricia Seeger is a local real estate broker and long-time children's rights advocate. For many years she worked at protecting at-risk youth as a community liaison with the local probation department and Children's Shelter. Since moving to Austin, Patricia has focused on responsible growth and property owner's rights. Currently she serves as secretary of the Jester Homeowners' Association and as vice president of the 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.

Clinton Smith has been a leader in the Gray Panthers since 2000. He spent 20 years in federal service with the US Civil Service Commission and the US Office of Management and Budget as well as for the State of North Caroline and the Texas Employment and Workforce Commission. Clinton has served on the boards of Family Eldercare; HousingWorks; Campaigns for People, Austin Area Human Services Association, Community Action Network, and the Central Texas Chapter of the ACLU. A former Marine, he holds a bachelors degree in Education from Lincoln University.  

Marcelo Tafoya is Co-chair of the LULAC National Civil Rights Committee and LULAC District 7 Co-chair. He co-founded the Austin Tejano Music Coalition and the Tejano Artist Music Museum. He currently serves as Treasurer, Fair Vote PAC of Austin. Marcelo is a Pecan Springs Neighborhood Association member, serving on the neighborhood Safety Taskforce.

Randall Terrell is an attorney, Political Director for Equality Texas, and former Chair of the Cherrywood Neighborhood Association.  

Roy Waley, a native of Central Texas, has been an Austin realtor for 15 years. He is a former president of the North Wood NA and an initial member of the Austin Metropolitan Trails Council. Currently Roy serves as Vice Chair of the Austin Regional Group of the Sierra Club.

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 18:24:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yep, exactly what I said (0.00 / 0)

A bunch of people without typical day jobs. I count precisely ONE with a job which would prevent them from being the type that would hang out all day at City Hall; two if you count Hill Abell.

But you don't have to take my word for it - just watch Channel 6 a bit and you'll get very acquainted with a certain small group of people who can make it their 'job' to go to City Hall several times a week. The idle rich; the retired; the not-quite-fully-employed; the architects/consultants - what qualifies these people to run the city more than the people who actually voted at the polls?

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 19:38:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well, m1ek (0.00 / 0)

You're analysis isn't just insulting and inaccurate, you portray yourself as ignorant in the affairs of Austin. So, these people are esrtwhile hippies and rich indolents that while away their time at city hall for the sheer fun of politics? Yet you, with your day job that is so demanding that you can't be bothered to participate in local politics, yet you blog and watch channel 6 all day?

You condem yourself with your own hypocrisy.

Further, according to your own statements, these people are more involved in trying to change the city, and dedicate themselves to public participation. Yet, in your own view this makes them unqualified to participate in city electoral politics.

The internal inconsistencies in your attacks are too obvious.

I trust no one will be swayed by your groundless attacks.

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:25:10 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Rich indolents (0.00 / 0)

You got it. Morrison hasn't held a real job in a long time. Jack doesn't take his practice as seriously as he does being a gadfly, as far as I can tell.

It takes me a minute or two to bang out a comment; and I can do it from work. To go down and do what BATPAC does, I'd have to take essentially the whole day off work.

They aren't, by the way, interested in changing the city for the good of all. Their positions are strictly ones which help THEM - their small group of aging hippies and rich pseudo-employed. As I just said to Kedron, the causes of affordable housing, public transportation, and environmental protection are best served by doing the exact opposite of what BATPAC wants in almost every possible instance.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:30:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

So, with your 1 minute activism (0.00 / 0)

What have YOU done for affordable housing lately?

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:53:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Fought McMansion and supported VMU (0.00 / 0)

And I worked on the Old West Austin neighborhood plan, although they didn't need my help on housing - because the other guys working on the plan were responsible adults. (I chaired the transportation committee).

I've written city council plenty of times in opposition to efforts by the ANC to reduce/restrict housing supply. Sometimes they even write back. But it's hard to have much more impact than that when you, you know, have a real job.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:54:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just exactly how did you FIGHT (0.00 / 0)

with no spare time?
And working on the old west austin neighborhood plan, did you appreciate the efforts of the ANC to make those plans more enforceable, or was that a bad position on their part, as well. How 'bout their demand to the city to begin comprehensive planning?

Writing city council? That's commendable. Really. We need more folks to do that. But if you're concerned enough to write, how can you seriously condemn people who take an economic hit to actually go speak to and lobby the council? Really, that astounds me.

And if you're into affordable housing, how does fighting the McMansion ordinance help that? Didn't the McMansion ordinance effectively cap the single family development that could take place on a lot? Thereby keeping down values and making innercity living more afforable?

You paint with too broad a brush, sir.

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:13:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

McMansion and others (0.00 / 0)

No, McMansion makes housing LESS affordable - it limits supply of housing units, especially those which are most affordable (secondary dwelling units like garage apartments, which it particularly penalizes).

And the OWANA NP was all done at night and on the weekends.

And, by the way, the ANC's efforts to push other neighborhoods to develop neighborhood plans which basically said "no thanks" to "where do you want your additional density" is why the city stopped listening to neighborhood plans. In other words, most of them weren't as responsible as ours.

Finally, there's no economic hit for people like Morrison to spend time down at City Hall. She doesn't have a job because she doesn't need a job - she's filthy stinking rich.  

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:46:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

TravisCAD, BATPAC, and noble sacrifice (0.00 / 0)

http://www.traviscad.org/travi...

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:51:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

VMU (1.00 / 1)

That's rich... did anyone even bother to ask someone in banking how this crap was going to get financed by the individual purchaser? Did anyone think about putting limits on the commercial utilization rates in line with what could be financed?

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by: McBlogger @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:46:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

c'mon Mike... (2.50 / 2)

think about it.  Who is able to go to city council meetings?  By and large it's not hippie activists and Jennifer Gale.  Meetings are dominated by developers, land speculators and others with business interests in city decisions.  If it wasn't for regular people (yes, most activists at least start out as "regular people") sacrificing for the causes they believe in, the only voice that would be heard would be the business community.  The entire Edwards aquifer would be paved and there would be no public transportation at all, let alone bike facilities.  Who do you think agitated for the SOS ordinance citizen's referendum?  The City Council certainly wasn't going to put that before the voters, and in fact actively worked against putting it on the ballot.  It took hippie activists to set the agenda for voters to have a chance to vote on the issue.  

Yes, special interests often go too far over the top.  But that's when our elected representatives have to use their judgement and decide when to bend and when to stay firm.  It's that judgement we vote on when we go to the polls in May.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:17:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Disagree completely (1.00 / 1)

The BATPAC board don't represent me or the little guy - they represent people like Laura Morrison and Karen McGraw - richer than you or I will ever be; in huge and expensive houses, trying to prevent any density from impinging on their Circle C In Central Austin lifestyle. Throw in a healthy mix of Jeff Jack Hippie and you've got your BATPAC.

BATPAC has no interest in affordable housing - every single position they take results in more expensive housing (less supply). They have no interest in protecting the environment - because the positions they take inevitably result in more sprawl. They have no interest in public transportation or bicycling - these folks drive; although they bleat about the bus from time to time in order to use it as a stalking horse against things like light rail.

BATPAC, in short, is the epitome of "I got mine; and I don't want anybody else to get theirs". THEY are the ones most likely to lead to the paving of the Edwards Aquifer; the lack of bike facilities (think Shoal Creek Blvd); and the continuing lack of effective transit for choice commuters.

Our city council is doing a fine enough job harnessing development for the public good as it stands today. Any temptation they have to get too cozy to developers is held back by the power of the polls -- like when Bruce Todd's council got defeated by the Slusher/Watson axis that figured that you'd make more hay by telling developers to go sky-high and dense to their heart's delight over HERE rather than just saying "don't build over there, and by the way, don't build over here either". Had more impact than a DOZEN SOS's, especially since the state didn't let it truly work.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:28:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

whoops (1.00 / 1)

I meant that the Slusher/Watson gang defeated the Todd/Reynolds gang at the ballot box (not by power of referendi or by hanging out at city council meetings) and then did good things by doing something more than just saying "no", which is basically what BATPAC will try to do. Left out some stuff in the middle there.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:35:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree (3.00 / 1)

but also don't discount the power of the activist at the ballot box.  Most voters don't spend as much time as your or me to educate themselves on the issues -- activists play a huge role in framing and winning elections.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:41:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I have no defense for BATPAC (3.00 / 1)

I'm talking about activism in general, of which BATPAC is merely one group.  I think your original comment is too general -- there are a lot of activists doing good work.  And I also think you're assigning them too much power.  I think Leffingwell will win handily, and Laura Morrison would win with or without their support.  

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:39:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I support activism in general (1.00 / 1)

I don't, however, lionize people who are activists because they inherited a ton of money (or are married to somebody rich) and then use their free time to make life harder rather than easier for those who don't have their advantages.

Like how Morrison and McGraw decided I shouldn't be able to put up an apartment over my garage because my lot's only 6000 square feet -- despite the fact that it's the historical development pattern here, most surrounding homes already have them, it provides affordable housing, it relieves some of the burden of property taxes on families like mine, and, of course, McGraw has one(!).

There's a difference between activism and naked self-interest masquerading as same, in other words.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:51:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Really? (3.00 / 1)

Name a single position BATPAC has taken!

You're attacking a group based upon positions they've never taken.

You're attacks remain inaccurate and hollow.  

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:51:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

BATPAC is effectively the ANC (1.00 / 1)

and the ANC has taken tons of positions. They were the force behind McMansion - which will lead to fewer housing units in the central city (and thus higher housing prices and less affordable housing); they've opposed density anywhere and everywhere - leading again to less housing supply meaning more expensive housing, and additional sprawl to boot. They've at times disingenuously pushed for increased bus service instead of rail transit as a stalking horse (because they know rail transit would bring density that bus service will not). Etc.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:53:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No, BATPAC is NOT the ANC (3.00 / 2)

The BATPAC is a new organization. Sure it's got ANC folks on it, but it goes beyond that. I'm assuming you actually don't know who most of the folks on the BATPAC board are, or you wouldn't be so insulting.

And even the ANC rarely speaks with a unified voice. When they do, it's usually by their joint goals like resolutions calling on the city to require more than one-to-one replacement (by unit, not by money) for of approval of any project that would take affordable housing.

VMU, of course, was not an ANC subject. It was an effort to increase the density of housing. So what's wrong with that?

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by: DyspepTex @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:07:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

BATPAC vs ANC (1.00 / 1)

Tax purposes have a lot to do with it - as does election law. But you're right - there's a handful of people outside the traditional ANC involved in BATPAC - mainly the idiots from Responsible Growth For Northcross, who still don't fundamentally get what the zoning code is and why the city has to defend it even when they don't like a particular tenant.

I LIKE VMU; ANC's member neighborhoods have been renegging on their part of the implicit VMU for McMansion bargain (and, thankfully, so far at least, not getting what they wanted at City Council when they show up with a bogus "opt everything out" plan like McGraw attempted).

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:48:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

VMU (3.00 / 1)

Mike, what do you think about OWANA's VMU application?  It seemed pretty reasonable to me, and the city accepted it.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 21:58:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

yes, OWANA's was OK (0.00 / 0)

Stemmed from the fact that Dave Sullivan and Mark Stine did such a good responsible job with the future land use in the neighborhood plan - we were effectively already asking for VMU on all the corridors in question. It was going to be nearly impossible for their current leadership to back away from that, thankfully.

Note that the OWANA neighorhood plan even asked for VMU (although not same as current definition; same basic idea) on West Lynn in the commercial district, with restrictions.

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by: m1ek @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 22:56:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's pretty shitty... (2.00 / 2)

...even for you. So, I guess everyone who doesn't agree with you is "so wealthy they don't need a day job; or enough of a hippie to be able to get by on an irregular income"

It takes one hell of a jackass to criticize people who care enough to start a PAC to help promote some positive change.

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by: McBlogger @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 02:39:35 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

No (0.00 / 0)

Plenty of people who disagree with me have real jobs (you, for instance). The point with BATPAC is that they profess to be trying to help regular folk stay in their homes, but they're really a bunch of rich people who are trying to keep people from moving in.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 13:11:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

m1ek (0.00 / 0)

I call bullshit on that last comment.

Exactly, how are Mr. Tafoya, Smith, Franklin and Barnett rich people trying to keep people out?

I've seen maybe two legitimate criticisms posted by you in this thread. And both those were of individuals. How do you justify insulting all the rest of the people on that Board? And, for full disclosure, I'll use the term "us?"  

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by: DyspepTex @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 13:48:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

MOST members of the board (0.00 / 0)

are the people who can spend all day down at city council - either because they're wealthy or otherwise underjobbed. I made it very clear that they weren't ALL wealthy, but a lot of them sure as hell are; and efforts like McMansion, although branded as the opposite, are really just attempts to keep the riff-raff out of central Austin.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 14:43:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Plain.Flat.Wrong. (1.00 / 1)

And wrongheaded.

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by: DyspepTex @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 14:52:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No surprise here (0.00 / 0)

It would have been newsworthy if they endorsed someone else.

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by: Jeb @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 19:19:08 PM UTC

yeah (0.00 / 0)

the only interesting part was the non-endorsement in Place 3 which most people figured would go to Kim.  So in that sense, it's a small victory for Shade.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 20:02:46 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Who has a real job anymore? (3.00 / 1)

Most people today change careers several times, and there are fewer "regular jobs" in an information based economy (if by that you mean working in someone else's office 9-5 for a paycheck). To criticize an architect for using a flexible schedule to engage in neighborhood activism, e.g., smacks of class envy more than legitimate argument.

FWIW, with only two brief stints - for two years working for the state in the '90s and for several years at ACLU - I've never had what M1ek would call a "real job." Thirteen years of that was self employment as a political oppo researcher, working on 68 candidate campaigns and numerous issue campaigns and freelance writing projects. At the point in time when Slusher/Watson, et. al. took over from Todd and Reynolds, I'd worked for all seven sitting council members' campaigns. So when M1ek hails that group as an example of real democracy, I can speak from personal experience when I say they were backed by the exact same types of folks you see here - the folks who had time and resources to participate in their campaigns. It's ever been thus.

To M1ek, though, that "irregular" work experience just makes me (and others similarly situated) another "aging hippie." Not only is it BS to say that an irregular job discounts someone's opinions, frequently contract work takes up more time than a "real" job, because as a contractor you have to make hay while the sun shines.

M1ek, it's fine to disagree with someone's positions, but simply to disdain their wealth or job status isn't an argument, it's spitefulness. And to claim you have no time to participate in politics then to spend this much time vehemently bashing your enemies in blog comments ... well, it all seems a little much.

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by: Gritsforbreakfast @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 14:35:12 PM UTC

"real job" (0.00 / 0)

What "real job" indicates is that you simply can't be physically present all day for council meetings and other such opportunities. The BATPAC crowd wants to return to the day when those who have the most time to spend harassing the council basically run the city, instead of letting the council members do their jobs (after being chosen by the voters at the ballot box).

Somehow, this got turned into an argument about "democracy", but what BATPAC wants is a lot LESS democratic - basically "rule by those with the most time on their hands" instead of letting the voters' choices run the city.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 14:43:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What BATPAC wants? (1.00 / 1)

You, evidently, have no clue what BATPAC wants.

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by: DyspepTex @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 14:55:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

No, I'm smart enough to see through their words (0.00 / 0)

and look at their actions.  

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by: m1ek @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 16:30:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Tell us (0.00 / 0)

So tell us, DyspepTex:  What does BATPAC want?  Give us something specific.  

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by: AC @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 17:44:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Huh? Which days were those, exactly? (0.00 / 0)

Are you serious when you say you fear a "return to the day when those who have the most time to spend harassing the council basically run the city"?

When was that, exactly? You've got quite a revisionist history you're working up on this thread, M1ek. Since my own involvement with city politics began in the late '80s, that has never, remotely been true. Electing Daryl Slusher was as close as anyone ever got to empowering that crowd, and as soon as he got into office he sold them all out so fast it'd make your head spin. (I say that having been a paid employee of his campaign and was even dragged into court for my role, b/c I wouldn't name a source.)

There has never, EVER been a moment in my adult lifetime when "council regulars," as they're typically referred to, controlled the Austin city council agenda. It's downright delusional to say so, and with a couple of exceptions, that's not how I'd describe that list of folks, anyway.

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by: Gritsforbreakfast @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 19:47:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jackie Goodman / Beverly Griffith era (0.00 / 0)

Those two basically let Jeff Jack's gang run roughshod. Shoal Creek Boulevard, for one, typifies that approach - let the neighborhoods run the city for you; ignoring the fact that "the neighborhoods" is largely a gang of people who have the most time to spend, not necessarily representative of the best interest of their neighborhood itself and definitely not of the city as a whole.

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by: m1ek @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 19:55:33 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pretty weak (0.00 / 0)

I actually tend to be disdainful of many neighborhood interests myself, since they're bastions of NIMBYism, but they NEVER had the kind of power you're talking about when Griffith and Goodman were on council. (In full-disclosure, both women are past campaign clients.)

There was a (very) brief period when Sally Shipman was on council when neighborhoods exercised real clout, but not for long, and they mostly imploded, turning on one another, rather than establish a long-term power base, as your revisionist history would have it. Jeff Jack and others have tried to pick up the pieces, but it's never really been the same.

I think you really misunderstand this dynamic, M1ek. Part of the reason the "regulars" are down there all the time is they're getting run over! In politics, real power is exercised quietly behind the scenes (the way the police unions do, or Lee Walker on CapMetro), and you don't make a ruckus until you're NOT getting your way.

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by: Gritsforbreakfast @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 22:41:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Shoal Creek Boulevard (0.00 / 0)

Neighborhood ran rampant over the best interest of the city on that one. Add that to the "automatic no vote" Griffith gave any valid petition, and yes, neighborhoods had an awful lot of NIMBY power in those days.

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by: m1ek @ Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 13:25:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Something to remember.... (0.00 / 0)

Endorsements don't vote!! If this primary season proved anything it was that.  Several of the candidates that received all or most of the endorsements in their races ended up losing and losing quite badly.(examples: Dan Grant, John Lipscomb) Or races that should have been a slam dunk like the Scott Ozmun race, where closer than expected.  So I think that the as long as the candidates keep campaigning and gaining support the election won't be decided until May 10th.  

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by: Hangerman44 @ Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 23:16:23 PM UTC