(Brooks is a stated McCracken supporter (as you can tell from the tone of his post). Given the high level of discussion that this post has generated in the "user posts" section, I decided to promote it to the front page so more of our community could comment -- in case they hadn't seen it in the user section. - promoted by Phillip Martin)
I like and admire Lee Leffingwell. He has done some excellent work during his time on the City Council. He's a good man and he probably would not be a bad mayor. That being said, I will be casting my vote for Brewster McCracken on election day.
One major reason is their respective approaches to alternative energy, which will undoubtedly emerge as one of the great job creation engines in the coming years. Brewster routinely talks our ears off with specific and detailed proposals for how to create jobs in the alternative energy sector, and he is spearheading the Pecan Street Project to make Austin into one of the great alternative energy hubs of America.
Lee, on the other hand, merely talks softly about forming a "Green Collar Jobs Council", that exact function of which is unclear. Frankly, it seems to be little more than an invitation to local leaders to sit down and chat about creating green jobs, which is what we are already doing anyway. While Lee has been excellent on many environmental issues during his time on the Council, he has never taken a lead on embracing the alternative energy economy as a means of strengthening the local economy and contributing to solving our energy problems.
This can be seen in recent actions on the dais, when Brewster pushed for the final approval of what would be one of the country's largest solar power plants, while Lee called for yet more delays. The stated rationale for the delay, as articulated by Lee and Mike Martinez, was to explore the possibility of having individual consumers subscribe to solar power. Brewster, on the other hand, thinks that solar power must be a central element in the overall Austin energy matrix. For myself, I agree wholeheartedly with Brewster. Solar power shouldn't be the parsley on the dinner plate; it should be part of the main course.
And consider the creative sector, another sphere in which Austin is well-positioned to create thousands of new jobs in the coming years. Brewster has been the most proactive member of the Council in pushing for policies to assist the development of filmmaking and digital media ventures in our city. Chief among them is Austin Studios, which has, according to the Austin Film Society, pumped $1 billion into the Austin economy over the last decade.
About the economic opportunities presented by creative industries, however, Lee says virtually nothing. As with alternative energy, Lee has simply not lead to the same extent as Brewster.
A quick glance through Facebook stresses this point. There are two individual groups of creative professionals supporting Brewster: "Film and Digital Media Professional for Brewster McCracken" and "Artists and Musicians for McCracken." No similar groups have emerged for Lee. The creative economy is simply not something Lee has taken an interest in, despite its enormous potential to be a driving force for job creation in our community.
Put another way, if the candidates were pieces of technology, Brewster McCracken would be a Blu-ray player, while Lee Leffingwell would be a VCR.
The current mayoral election is essentially a debate between the 20th Century vision of the Leffingwell camp and the 21st Century vision of the McCracken camp. While I think Lee's heart is in the right place, I simply don't see think his proposals are the ones to move our city forward. Brewster's agenda, on the other hand, is one for the 21st Century, and I think Austin should be a 21st Century city. That's why Brewster will have my vote on May 9. |
