Jennifer Gale Found Dead in Austin

Service? (0.00 / 0)

That is really sad... I can't imagine Austin politics without Jennifer Gale.  Do you know if there will be a service of any kind?

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by: Sukanya Misra @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 11:27:08 AM CST

I don't have any word on it yet (0.00 / 0)

As soon as I hear, I'll update the post.

Has anyone heard?

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by: David Mauro @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 11:32:37 AM CST

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Thanks David (3.00 / 1)

Jennifer was Austin.  I know I will go to the services if I am in town.

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by: Matt Glazer @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 11:35:21 AM CST

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There ought to be. (3.00 / 1)

She was a U.S. Marine and thus deserves one - like all members of the service.  

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by: Grubejs @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 11:55:43 AM CST

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She'll indeed be missed... (0.00 / 0)

I first met Jennifer in 2002 in the Tony Sanchez campaign. She showed up nearly every night at the east Austin field office and showed impressive phone banking skills; if you weren't facing that formidable physical presence, her phone skills were quite good.

She also came up with one of the better lines of the last mayoral campaign. At one of the candidate forums, she just piped in with, "If Will 'wins,' Austin loses."

A true singular presence in our city.

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by: davew @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 11:32:54 AM CST

wow, this is so sad (3.00 / 1)

I first met Jennifer when I worked in Jackie Goodman's office in 2002.  That was in the old city hall, when anyone could just walk into the council offices.  Of course I saw a little more of her this last spring when she ran in the Place 4 race with my dad.  I think her crowning achievement from that campaign was leading the entire room at the RECA luncheon/candidate forum in a rousing verse of "you've lost that loving feeling"...

she may not have had realistic policy proposals (cap building heights at 2 stories and bring a football franchise to Austin!) but her heart was certainly in the right place, and the mayor's race this spring won't be the same without her.  in honor of Jennifer, "let's keep Austin Austin, the way Austin used to be!"

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by: emmacravey @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:46:02 PM CST

Always the optimist (0.00 / 0)

I got to know Jennifer when I worked at city hall in the 90s.  She was always upbeat and optimistic.  Over the years I got to know her on buses and street benches and at public hearings.

It was a real kick to run in the same race with her last spring.  Though she sometimes indulged in fantasies, she also sometimes had the most cogent analysis of an issue.

Jennifer called me yesterday to talk about her upcoming run for mayor, and she said again, as she had so often before, that she really had a good chance to win this time.

I often wondered why Jennifer never put her efforts into her own health and welfare.  This tragic end leaves me still wondering why.

Robin Cravey

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by: Robin Cravey @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 18:49:43 PM CST

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Sad to hear (0.00 / 0)

I met Jennifer when she ran for Mayor of Dallas in 2007, as I was running for City Council. She will be missed.

www.stonewalldemocratsofdentoncounty.org

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by: John McClelland @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 12:59:27 PM CST

Keep Austin Austin! (0.00 / 0)

Jennifer Gale was a ubiquitous presence for anyone who lived, worked, or even just rode the bus in the Downtown-UT corridor.  Her concerned advocacy on behalf of the people was always sincere and never contrived. Our city, not to mention our candidate forums, just got a little less interesting today.

Apparently, the angels were appropriate all along.  Rest in peace, Jennifer.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 13:27:12 PM CST

Thank you (3.00 / 2)

Great comments, all...thanks for the reminders of some her best lines -- that she was a Marine (and so a homeless vet).

I'm experiencing a good deal of anger right now--at how we've failed as a community to care for the most vulnerable, while instead spending gobs of money on making their lives harder through police enforcement of "quality of life" issues.  I really need to feel like her memory will live on her good work and in my City's response--a PROPER one, not just a plaque at the firehouse.

I'm proposing finding some modest money for emergency shelter beds as a small gesture that Austin really does want to find solutions other than criminalization.  If we can find $150,000 for police overtime to throw them in jail for Class C misdemeanors (which APD SAYS they are committed to the citation option--NOT to do that), we can find $50,000 for 10 emergency shelter beds.  

Jennifer--you have made a mark...on many people. Thank you for your life and for speaking truth to power.

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by: Deb @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 14:26:57 PM CST

Services (3.00 / 1)

Thank you, David, for posting the news of Jennifer Gale.  

Since Jennifer was so well known, and appreciated by many in our city, I'm sure a service of some sort is being organized as I type.  However, if help is needed in doing so there are several churches and groups associated with the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless that offer that very service.

As of November 15th, 135 homeless brothers and sisters died on the streets of Austin in 2008.  That is a 30% increase over 2007.

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by: Susan M. @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 14:41:52 PM CST

I just saw her yesterday . . . (0.00 / 0)

She stopped by the AFL-CIO building to ask what was going on (a holiday party).

A fitting tribute, I think, would be that we all write her in for any race in which Rick Cofer is running. ;)

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by: Triangulation of Death @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 15:19:55 PM CST

May she rest in peace (0.00 / 0)

Jennifer was certainly a core part of what makes Austin unique.  No one can accuse Jennifer of not caring.  She was very involved in our community.

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by: sonia @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 15:46:04 PM CST

Rest in Peace (3.00 / 1)

I saw her Sunday or Monday around 10:30 PM in the Wendy's near MLK and Guadalupe.

I still remember my freshmen year I was holding a copy of the chronicle waiting for a crosswalk at 26th and Guadalupe, and she was there and talked to me about how the Chronicle didn't represent all the candidates.

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."- James A. Baldwin

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by: Timothy @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 21:40:54 PM CST

My favorite protest candidate (0.00 / 0)

If I did like any of the choices provided by our local power elites, I always voted for her. RIP crazy and compassionate friend. May write-in vote for her for Mayor this spring for first go around and then figure out the lesser of two evils in the runoff election.

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by: ssuits @ Wed Dec 17, 2008 at 23:42:33 PM CST