Chris Riley for Austin City Council - Place 1

meant Tx Supreme Court (0.00 / 0)

Tx Supreme Court, not US.

sorry

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by: EugeneS @ Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 21:09:23 PM UTC

Funny (0.00 / 0)

EugeneS and I both agree Chris Riley is the best choice for Place 1. Perla is a very good candidate, reminds me of my friend, the late former State Rep. Lena Guerrero when she was young.

Unlike McCracken and Cole, Perla has the potential of becoming a very good council member in the future. She's smart, she's young, and has very good political positions.
Perla has time on her time side, and if she work's on it, can be a winning candidate for either a city council seat or something else locally.

I think that Hispanics should have more than one member on the city council. Both Cavazos and Riley support changing the At-Large election system. But, Riley's experience and knowledge tip my support to him. It was a close call.

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by: ssuits @ Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 05:36:39 AM UTC

Thanks, Eugene! (3.00 / 1)

Chris really values your support. I read your post to our field director, Mike, from the coordinated campaign, and he said "This may be the best endorsement I've heard yet!"


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

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by: Katherine Haenschen @ Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 15:47:35 PM UTC

So the Riley campaign (0.00 / 0)

Stands behind Eugene's sexist endorsement?

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by: MeanRachel @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 15:47:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't know Katherine (0.00 / 0)

so I don't know what kind of opinions she has for endorsements like this, but I would have expected more from you, Mike.

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by: Lhernandez @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 23:50:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Katherine is Chris Riley's Campaign Manager. NT (0.00 / 0)

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by: MeanRachel @ Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 02:34:36 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

i'm also supporting chris riley, but (0.00 / 0)

i have a quibble with your post EugeneS.  I notice that you did not tell us your opinion on Chris's looks, probably because that has nothing to do with his qualifications for city council.  But for some reason you felt compelled to comment on Perla's.

I'm sure this was unintended, but that's why we humorless feminists have to point these things out...

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by: emmacravey @ Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 18:43:53 PM UTC

hmm (0.00 / 0)

I read beautiful as a modifier describing "her life story" but read a different way, I can see what you mean.  

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 22:03:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Well (0.00 / 0)

I think Perla's much prettier than Chris, and hence she has my support.

Kidding aside, I don't think it's necessary to give Perla condescending, pat-on-the-head praise. Chris may know an awful lot about the "issues" (i.e., the pesky details of what Central Austin will look like), but I think Perla is actually speaking to the concerns of a broader constituency. Perhaps she believes there are other - and more pressing - matters than those that raise the hair of the largely childless, well-off urban bourgeoisie. In fact, the further you get from 6th and Lamar, the greater her value differentiation from Riley. Remains to be seen if East Stassney, NW Hills, Braker, or Govalle show up in enough numbers to confirm that value.  

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by: Robert Ryland @ Thu Apr 16, 2009 at 22:26:04 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Chris has about as broad community support as you can get... (3.00 / 4)

He's won the endorsement of the NOKOA and the Villager, Austin's traditional African-American mouthpieces, as well as the Capital Area Asian American Democrats.  Add the Stonewall Democrats and ALGPC as well.

He's won the support of the Circle C Democrats, the NxNW Democrats, the Northeast Travis County Democrats, the West Austin Democrats, the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, and the Central Austin Democrats.  

He's won the support of environmentalists (TED, Sierra Club), business (AAA, Small Business Group of Central Texas, ABOR), and unions (Police, EMS).

He's won the support of the UDems, this site, and CCYD.  I bet if the Saturday Sages endorsed, he'd probably get them, too.

Chris has wide appeal in this city, as expressed in his endorsements that span geography, identity, ideology, age, occupation, and income.  The reason, quite simply, is that he's the most qualified City Council candidate this city has seen in a long time.  I look forward to him serving us for many years on the dais.

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by: Kedron Touvell @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 02:04:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

With all due respect (3.00 / 2)

White I respect your support for Perla (whom I've met and whom I also agree is a very good candidate), Chris's supporters consist of more than simply the "childless, well-off urban bourgeoisie." If you look at his web site and his list of endorsements, you will see that Chris also has the support of the Austin Police Association, the Austin/Travis Co. EMS Employee Association, Capital Area Asian American Democrats, the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus, the North by Northwest Democrats and the Northeast Travis County Democrats. In addition, he also recently won the endorsement of The Villager, Austin's predominant African-American newspaper and NOKOA, East Austin's progressive newspaper.

I agree with the above posters about Perla's qualifications (and I also feel that it was unnecessary to bring her appearance into this, although she is very pretty and hey, I think Chris is a handsome guy too :). However, I hardly think that you are helping either Perla or yourself by unnecessarily denigrating Chris's supporters.  

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by: Eugenia Beh @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 02:19:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm getting pretty tired of this meme (0.00 / 0)

from Perla's supporters. Instead of making a positive argument for your candidate, attack the people who support the other candidate. Sigh.

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 03:23:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think the comments are well-deserved (0.00 / 0)

Respectfully, Becky, when a candidate's supporter describes the other candidate in terms of looks, then says "there is NO comparison between the intellectual fire power between the two," that sounds to me like the 2009 version of "aw, little lady, sit down and we'll take care of things - don't worry your pretty little head."

I don't think for a second that it was written with that intention, but I also cannot blame those who take issue with the characterization, since I'm among them.

I haven't seen any attacks here. I've seen people honestly point out their feelings regarding his particular choice of words. And while I'm not, as  emmacravey characterized herself, a "humorless feminist,"  Eugene's choice of words struck me exactly the same way.

So what about it Eugene? Is Riley Hot or Not? I really need to know that before making a final decision on how to vote. Actually, the last sentence is a lie - I don't need to know that. Which begs the question - why would such a characterization be included for the other candidate?

Becky, it was Eugene who failed to merely make a case for his candidate - he also, probably unwittingly, introduced the vague notion that Perla was gorgeous but not-as-smart. The former is not relevant, and the latter is questionable, and borders on insulting. And most of all, one cannot then be surprised when it reminds some readers of the exact way women have been dismissed for a very long time, regardless of their relative qualifications for the task at hand.

Perla is a rock-solid candidate, and I'm voting for her. Chris is a rock-solid candidate too, so I'm sure many others will vote for him. But honestly, the post would have struck me the same way, regardless of who I'm supporting. Why nobody is coming down on Chris in the comments section is simple - none of this was Chris' characterization.

LettersFromTexas.com

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by: Harold Cook @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 12:13:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I was replying to this in Robert's post (0.00 / 0)

Perhaps she believes there are other - and more pressing - matters than those that raise the hair of the largely childless, well-off urban bourgeoisie. In fact, the further you get from 6th and Lamar, the greater her value differentiation from Riley.

This is at least the third time that I have seen Perla's supporters try to frame this as a "working people vs elites" thing, and I'm getting pretty tired of it. That is what I meant by my comment about choiosing to put down the other side's supporters instead of talking up your candidate. Lover to talk about this more, but I've got to get back to my bourgeoisie life of lounging on the couch & eating bonbons work.  

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 13:39:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Blue Collar - Oak Hill (3.00 / 1)

The first Riley bumper stickers I saw this year were on a  heating and air conditioning truck in Oak Hill (a one man operation). The owner was actually wearing his blue work shirt when I asked him why he was supporting "that bicycle guy" from downtown. This grandfather of one of my young son's playmates had nothing but good things to say about Chris Riley the person. He had done heating & air conditioning work for Chris in the past. His support of Chris was based on the thought that a good person he knew would do a great job as a thoughtful council member.

When this race first started, I was inclined to support Perla, but Harvey's opinions made me take a much closer look at Chris. Also, Riley has shown up to every civic and neighbor group meeting that Constable McCain has suggested he should attend in Southwest Austin. Chris asked the Constable for a list of meetings he needed to attend in his area.

The bottom line is Riley is more that just smart, his has demonstrated good character and integrity over the years both publicly and in his personal business. He, Leffingwell, and Spelman are the candidates that members of non political groups in South Austin have been interacting with the most this spring, to my knowledge. So I know that by his actions, Chris Riley has at least some clue about was is or is not going on in South Austin. So a lot of us in traffic congested South Austin have a comfort level with that bicycle guy from downtown that is running for city council.

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by: ssuits @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 14:56:45 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Oh drama. (0.00 / 0)

I'm a bourgeois liberal activist, too, Becky.

But I understand the limits of my experiences as well. All the things Chris is so knowledgeable about may have very little resonance with someone who lives out off of E. Stassney, Sweetbriar, or even NW Hills. A guy who lives at 13th & San Antonio and rides his bike wherever he needs to go is gonna have a hard time identifying with or even speaking to the concerns of those folks. Doesn't mean he wouldn't be a great council member. Just means that his message matrix has a different audience than Perla's - and some - myself included - feel that perhaps Riley's core issues already get plenty of attention at City Hall.
Now, whether Perla's natural constituency will show up is another matter altogether. Recent history says the central city will dominate the turnout.  

As for endorsements, neighborhood orgs and various directional Democratic clubs aren't always an accurate measurement of voter sentiment (see Dan Grant '08), but i'll concede that they probably carry more weight in an odd-year city election than in a presidential primary season.

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by: Robert Ryland @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 23:05:48 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

turnout (0.00 / 0)

Central City doesn't actually dominate the turnout. The western edge of the city is where the highest turnout is in city elections for the last half a decade. In either case the turnout declines as you go from west to east across the city.

See: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/dem...

Certainly the center of the city's population has been shifting north and west but in the classic way we define "center city voters" I can only assumer we are generally talking about people between I-35 and Lamar (or maybe Mopac) and Ben White and Koenig?

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 23:36:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

My thoughts on core Central City Definition (0.00 / 0)

East-West, I-35 to Lake Austin. North-South, Anderson Lane to Lady Bird Lake. Some  could also argue that zip codes 78704 and 78722 vote more with Central Austin than their brothers and sisters in the rest of South and East Austin. The 2010 census coupled, with recent election voting patterns, is going to tell us a lot for re-districting purposes for governmental entities with districts.  

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by: ssuits @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 00:23:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

that too (0.00 / 0)

I was thinking back to more of say, the Brewster-Margo election in which places she was considered to do well in, from Hyde Park down to 78704.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 00:33:03 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

The western edge of the city, howevever, (0.00 / 0)

is where Chris Riley is from. I am pretty sure he grew up in Tarrytown, which is Precinct 256, the pct that routinely has the some of the highest turnout in city elections.

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by: David Mauro @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 06:54:30 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

God forbid Riley lives his principles (3.00 / 2)

So Riley is out of touch because he restored a historic home in Central Austin and rides a bike and the bus? Do you realize how many people there are in this City who either can't afford a car or simply can't drive because they're blind, in a wheelchair, or have some other challenge? You really think they're adequately represented at City Hall? Cavasos herself talks about her sister who can't afford a car and depends on the bus To me that's just one more argument for electing Chris Riley.

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by: BeatrixKiddo @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 00:18:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

are you being deliberately obtuse? (0.00 / 0)

Because otherwise, it just isn't possible to misunderstand what I said any more than you did. Liberal yes, bourgeios hardly. I think it is pretty darn amusing to be called an "elite" when my income is too low for me to qualify for the "low income" units that the  City requires those downtown condo developers to set aside. I would have liked to live where I didn't nee the expense of a car. Cars have ongoing expenses - gas, maintenance, insurance etc. Not everyone's income allows for such expenses. Bikes, on the other hand, have the initial outlay then nothing - ok, occasionally some tubes, and for those of us less mechanically-inclined, a professional tune up once a year or so. And yet you're trying to make the argument that it is the people who either can't or choose not to, use cars that are the elitists?

Hill Country Ride for AIDSmy HCRA Page

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by: BeckyH @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 20:51:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Becky's Point on "Low Income" units is dead right (3.00 / 1)

I am trying to represent the middle class, the elderly, and folks in Becky's situation when I go off into my tirades about lack of affordable housing and gentrification in Central and East Austin. Saying a $150,000 to $250,000 housing unit is affordable housing to a low income person is like saying a new Buick is more affordable than a new Cadillac when the person can barely afford to buy a ten year old used Chevy, if at all.

Some folks cannot afford a car and some have physical disabilities that prevent them from driving a car.  Affordable housing set asides for developing new mass transit corridors or for granting variances to existing building heights regulations is the right thing to do for a lot of good reasons.

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by: ssuits @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 22:42:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm supporting Riley anyway (0.00 / 0)

I don't think Eugene's comments were appropriate. "Intellectual firepower?" Come on. I guess I know what he means, in that Riley is the more knowledgeable and experienced candidate but I don't necessarily chalk that up to intellect as much as hard work. Her looks are irrelevant to the debate.

Eugene's nearly one-man crusade for McCracken on this blog and his comment on the radio the other day that Leffingwell "is not the leader" also irk me. It certainly doesn't make me more for Riley to have Eugene post his support, but I'm voting for him anyway.

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by: BeatrixKiddo @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 14:04:49 PM UTC

Perla IS READY to lead...maybe it's just you. (0.00 / 0)

This post is just flat out offensive to women and Perla.

How good does Perla have to be before you would call her a 'qualified' and 'experienced' candidate, Eugene?

Why is that women always have to work twice as hard to prove their intellect?

Can we please stick to the issues and bypass the misrepresenations of Perla's character?

**

CR is a great candidate, but I prefer Perla's ideas to Chris'. This race should be about issues, period.

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by: meredith @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 14:19:36 PM UTC

Frankly (4.00 / 2)

I'm glad we get to vote for the candidates and not the supporters.

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by: George @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 14:32:51 PM UTC

This isn't The Bachelor, Eugene. (3.00 / 3)

It's a City Council race.  Please give both candidates the respect they deserve.  I don't know what your post was other than a description of Riley's "commitment" and "compelling life story," while faulting Perla for the very same things!  It is an outright insult to Perla and strong women everywhere.  I think we can all agree that both candidates are talented and I wish Chris Riley the best in his race.  I also think both Perla and Chris will do great things for Austin, whether they serve on the Council or not, and am looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

And while you may find that Perla's beauty distracts you from the real issues at hand, I can assure you that she's not losing focus of what's important for Austin.  So the next time you belly up to the bar to discuss the candidates' "intellectual firepower" with your esteemed mutual friends, you might want to factor in something other than Perla's looks.

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by: MeanRachel @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 15:31:10 PM UTC

Interesting comments (0.00 / 0)

Commenters are absolutely right that the reference to Perla's looks is sexist. But I feel pretty sure Eugene didn't intend to denigrate her. And that's an important thing about sexism (and, similarly, IMO, racism). People many not say or do things with malicious intent, and in fact may believe very strongly in equality. But the culture shapes us in ways that are not immediately apparent to our conscious minds. So we say or do things that create an environment in which women and minorities (racial and other) feel less valued, or belittled, or are put at a disadvantage in some way. Of course, it is difficult to see and admit in yourself something that runs counter to your values - so while there is merit in the argument that the burden is on the 'oppressor groups' to take responsibility for themselves rather than expect 'oppressed groups' to politely forgive unintended mistreatment, human nature is such that attacks tend to make us dig in. I don't disagree that the reference to looks was sexist, but I think pointing it out gently, acknowledging that it was very likely unintentional, might be a more effective way to make the point than just attacking.

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by: hopemorrison @ Fri Apr 17, 2009 at 23:47:16 PM UTC

as I said in my comment (0.00 / 0)

I do think it was unintentional (though completely clueless), and I did point it out as gently as I could.  However, maybe you weren't talking about me :)

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by: Mateo @ Sat Apr 18, 2009 at 14:10:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

oops! (0.00 / 0)

that was me! i was posting from a different computer and forgot to re-log in...

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by: emmacravey @ Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 16:02:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Justification of sexism & racism (0.00 / 0)

is just that.

There is no excuse, regardless the intent.  

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by: MeanRachel @ Tue Apr 21, 2009 at 02:37:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

condescending (0.00 / 0)

"Perla - beautiful, committed and a compelling life story.  Obviously, would represent an addition to the council's diversity (woman and Hispanic)."

That's a pretty offensive way to write about a candidate for office.

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by: victor @ Sun Apr 19, 2009 at 00:58:25 AM UTC