...Shade has been outed as a republican in this campaign, and these desperation tactics, which we can expect to see more of, come straight from the GOP/Rove playbook.
Normally this sort of statement would just slide by in the comments but the author took special note to call out the University Democrats and Central Austin Democrats for their endorsement of Shade, organizations of which I have been a member and served as an officer in since I moved to Austin in 2003. So unluckily for them, it made me do a little research, the results of which highlight how Democratic Randi Shade's roots are and help explain why she has won more Democratic club endorsements than Kathie Tovo.
There are many ways to measure someone "Democraticness" including volunteer hours and policy positions but one of the least subjective is one's personal donor history. The following table compiles the contribution history of Randi Shade and Kathie Tovo from available public sources for contributions large enough to trigger public reporting.
Money shouldn't be used as the sole consideration for determining an individual's politics, but for those who have the capacity to give, the frequency, amount, and recipient of those dollars serves as an instructive guide to measure one's "Democraticness". Kathie Tovo certainly has the capacity to contribute to candidates and organizations, after all, she's afforded giving herself over $53,000 in loans to her own campaign.
So if you exclude counting money that you give yourself as a political contribution, Randi Shade's Democratic giving is 60 times as great as Kathie Tovo's.
The only thing Randi Shade has been 'outed' as in this campaign is as an openly gay committed mother of two who's donated more to Democrats in one day than her opponent has in a decade.
Councilmember Randi Shade held a press conference at City Hall this afternoon to outline her rationale and issues on which she plans to campaign headed into the June 18th runoff election against challenger Kathie Tovo. Below and in the extended entry are her full remarks. Regardless of where one stands in this election, it is encouraging to see the campaigns focus their message to better define their differing visions for the City of Austin. I encourage you to read the full piece, especially the final bulleted remarks in the extended entry.
I'm extremely gratified to be joined by so many good friends and supporters. The last few days have been more exciting and more energizing than any time during this entire campaign - or even during my first campaign, three years ago.
I've literally been inundated with hundreds of phone calls and emails since Saturday from people urging me to stay in this race.
This is not about personalities, it's about priorities.
I want to say that again, because it's important: This is not about personalities, it's about priorities.
Specifically, it's about the enormous differences between me and my opponent when it comes to some big decisions that are critical to Austin's future.
Let me say right off the bat, I know that some of my opponent's supporters have been saying since Saturday that I should quit this race and save the taxpayers the cost of holding the run-off election. But I want to be very clear about this.
There is much more taxpayer money than $500,000 at stake in this run-off election.
I believe my opponent's positions on one issue alone - Water Treatment Plant 4 - could end up costing the citizens of Austin millions and millions of dollars.
As most of you here know, my opponent has refused to say whether she would vote to stop construction of Water Treatment Plant 4 if she were elected to the Council. Personally, I believe that means that she would vote to stop it.
And if she did, it is very clear to everyone that terminating our construction contracts on that plant would result in lawsuits, hundreds, if not thousands, of lost jobs, and lost sunk costs that would easily tally into the millions of dollars. So let me say again - there is clearly much more money at stake here than the cost of holding the run-off election.
I also believe that I can win this run-off, which is another reason I don't intend to quit.
The turnout on Election Day was essentially tied with the lowest turnout percentage in Austin's entire history. In terms of raw votes, it was the lowest turnout in more than 40 years. The margin between me and my opponent on Election Day was just over 4,000 votes.
That's one-half of one percent of Austin's population. That's fewer people than fit into the Austin Music Hall. That's less than the number of students and parents at Bowie, Austin, Crockett or just about any of our local high schools. It is also about the same number of people expected to move to Austin this summer.
And, there have been several examples over the last 15 years where candidates have made up larger vote deficits than mine to win in a run-off.
So what I intend to do on June 18 is not without precedent. I am absolutely confident that it can be done, and that we will do it.
The following is a statement from Randi Shade with regard to the June 18th runoff election to be held between her and challenger Kathie Tovo.
"Over the past three days, I have been inundated with phone calls and emails from friends, supporters and strangers, urging me to stay in the race for Place 3, and worried that they will no longer be represented at City Hall. I intend to run and win in the run-off election on June 18."
"Despite the view of some political pundits, I am confident that we can compete effectively and win the run-off election. The turnout on May 14th was just 7% -- the lowest turnout in decades. The final margin between myself and my opponent on Election Day was just over 4,000 votes -- less than 1/2 of 1% of Austin's population. That margin is too small, and the differences between myself and my opponent are too big, for me and my supporters to quit this race."
"On a broad range of issues critical to Austin's future, my opponent and I have fundamentally different views. The run-off election will be about those issues and differences, and with just two candidates in this race, voters will have a very clear choice to make."
"Some of my opponent's supporters have said that I should quit this race to avoid the cost of the election. But I believe that my opponent's positions on the issues would put millions of public dollars at risk. I cannot in good conscience quit this race when the stakes, and the potential costs, are so high."
"Our entire campaign team is energized and looking forward to a vigorous contest. I am hopeful that Austin voters will participate in this run-off election in numbers that are worthy of our great city and its greater future."
Council Member Shade will hold a press conference on Thursday to talk more about the key issues in the run-off election.
(Randi Shade is the incumbent candidate in Austin's City Council Place 3 race. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Greetings, Burnt Orange Report readers!
I know you've all been busy watching the ongoing Texas Legislative session, paying attention to what's going on in Washington, and thinking about how we will be impacted. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the ongoing City Council elections here in Austin, though, which will also have an impact on our lives (though hopefully for the better!). I was glad to see Michael Hurta's post drawing attention to the ongoing races and wanted to come on BOR to talk with you about my re-election campaign.
It's been an exciting first term, and it's been an honor to serve the city I love so much. I am proud to run an office that is accessible and responsive to citizens citywide. And while I know it isn't possible to agree with every person on all the issues, it is possible to have thoughtful debate and make decisions that are driven by fairness and common sense. My record reflects that approach, and I'm glad to share some highlights from my first term with you here.
Prioritizing Reliable City Services: I protected core services and expanded public safety personnel even in tough budget cycles; improved social service contracts to support our most vulnerable neighbors; and advocated successfully for improved parks maintenance citywide.
Helping Grow Our Economy: I helped bring good jobs to Austin and expand local businesses; increased City support for small, minority, and women-owned businesses; prevented excessive regulation of mobile food vendors; and helped create a City music office to support Austin's music industry and improve issues between venues and neighborhoods.
Protecting Our Natural Resources: I set aggressive renewable energy goals while capping utility rate increases; helped launch the Pecan Street Project to drive smart grid technology and clean energy research; supported long-term water treatment capacity while pushing for tougher water conservation goals; prevented a proposed project in the Barton Springs Recharge Zone; and helped increase funding available for tree planting and parkland conservation.
This is everybody's Austin. My office is always ready to work to help citizens from across our City. Whether you're new to town or a long-time activist, I'll listen, get the facts, and use common sense to solve our problems.
In a second term, my priorities will continue to be providing core city services that make our neighborhoods safer and cleaner, and running an office that is responsive to solving problems at City Hall for citizens citywide.
But you don't have to take my word for it -- here's a video featuring just some of the folks who've contacted my office seeking help, and their experiences.
I'm proud of my record, and proud of the work I've done in my first term. In my re-election campaign, I'm honored to have been endorsed by 22 diverse community organizations, including the Central Labor Council, Austin Police, Firefighters, and EMS Associations, Austin Progressive Coalition, Capital Area Asian American Democrats, Capital City Young Democrats, Central Austin Democrats, Circle C Area Democrats, Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, League of Bicycling Voters, North By Northwest Democrats. St. Edwards Democrats, Stonewall Democrats, University Democrats, The Victory Fund, and the West Austin Democrats. I hope to gain all of your support, and keep working hard in a second term.
Before you vote, please take some time to visit my campaign website to learn more about my background, to read my answers to the many questionnaires from candidate forums, and to see my broad base of support from over 800 individuals. And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact my campaign!
If you are anything like Phillip, you believe that local Austin elections are decided by a machine of Democratic groups that often exercise in groupthink and comprise almost all the opinion-makers in these races.
If you're more like him, you hate that. But that's how elections often work in this town. With three incumbents up for reelection at City Hall, it's time for a little update.
Before Council Members Randi Shade, Chris Riley, and Laura Morrison even hired their reelection teams, most observers thought that the three were in pretty good shape. They also thought that, if anyone was in any trouble at all, it was Council Member Shade, who has critics from both left and right. If club endorsements are the guide, those initial guesses were true. All three Council Members seem to be leading their races.
The following Democratic organizations (in a relative timeline order) have endorsed the following candidates:
North by Northwest Democrats: Chris Riley (Place 1), Kathie Tovo and Randi Shade dual endorsement (Place 3), Laura Morrison (Place 4)
Black Austin Democrats: Chris Riley, Kathie Tovo, Laura Morrison
Austin Tejano Democrats: Chris Riley, Laura Morrison
South Austin Democrats: Chris Riley, Kathie Tovo, Laura Morrison
Capital Area Progressive Democrats: Chris Riley, Kathie Tovo, Laura Morrison
Circle C Area Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
University Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
Central Austin Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
Austin Progressive Coalition*: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
Capital Area Asian American Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
Capital City Young Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade, Laura Morrison
West Austin Democrats: Chris Riley, Randi Shade and Kathie Tovo (dual endorsement), Laura Morrison
*NOTE: The University Democrats and the Central Austin Democrats are the two organizations that come together to make the Austin Progressive Coalition (APC), which endorses candidates that both other clubs endorse. When APC endorses candidates, it prints and distributes thousands of fliers to help elect them.
Chris RIley and Laura Morrison have received every single Democratic club endorsement thus far, and so long as they maintain normal, active campaigns; losses by them would come as major surprises. Morrison was supposed to have tough opposition from radio-man Toby Ryan, but he's fared very poorly in the endorsement game (not even showing at many endorsement meetings!). Ryan's campaign hopes to reach out to non-traditional voters for victory, but they'll likely need quite a few of them.
Not counting APC, Randi Shade leads opponent Kathie Tovo in Democratic club endorsemetns 7-5. Tovo started strong out of the gate, and her biggest victory was with the South Austin Democrats, a big organization that has sent city council mailings in the past. Council Member Shade won the biggest prize when she won the APC endorsement: their mail and enthusiasm may very well put her over the top.
The Place 3 race is also interesting in that the opposition support for Kathie Tovo seems to come entirely within the establishment. The University Democrats, always made up of members new to the scene, has a history of endorsing anti-establishment and challenger candidates more often than other organizations. In their endorsement vote, Randi Shade received over 80%.
That said, the Tovo-Shade race is still a competitive one, and the endorsement game is close enough that the field campaigns will make the difference over the next month. With other candidates on the ballot, too, a runoff won't be surprising. I wouldn't be surprised to see the incumbent win without a runoff, either.
With city council talking about single member districts, this may be one of the last times that every Democratic club has quite this type of influence on the council. With a mid-May election, there's one other thing that can still swing things, too. You'll still need to vote.
Disclosure: I am now a public supporter for all the incumbents (Riley, Shade, and Morrison). I am also the President Emeritus of the University Democrats.
I'm catching up on some key stories before heading out for Thanksgiving back home in Fredericksburg with Mayor Tom Musselman and the First Frau. Chief among those would be city politics in Austin. While last week wasn't the start of filing for office, it was the beginning of the fundraising period and public announcements by incumbents as to whether they are running for re-election.
Places 1, 3, and 4 are on next May's ballot and incumbents Chris Riley, Randi Shade, and Laura Morrison have all announced they are running for re-election with the following treasurers and advisors.
Place 1: Chris Riley
Democratic and neighborhood activist Mike Clark-Madison will serve as treasurer of Riley's re-election campaign. Longtime Austin political consultant David Butts will help lead the campaign, with support from fundraising consultant Susan Harry, who also worked for Riley's 2009 campaign. More information is available at Riley's re-election campaign website: www.ChrisforAustin.com.
Announced challengers include former Mayoral candidate Josiah Ingalls who received less than 1% of the vote in the 2009 contest against Lee Leffingwell. Riley won Leffingwell's unexpired term that year and as a result is back on the ballot aiming for a full term.
The only other rumors in the race involve Austinites for Action's Dominic Chavez who was one of a handful of people opposing this November's Proposition 1 Mobility Bond campaign. Chavez is also considering running against Laura Morrison in Place 4 but has yet to make a decision on which seat he'd prefer to run in, if either. The only thing that's different about the two seats is the margin Chavez would lose by and how much money he'd have to waste in the process.
Place 3: Randi Shade
Of the three races, this is the "hottest" but that's still not saying much. Burnt Orange Report's Katherine Haenschen, who's coming off leading the 2010 Travis County Democratic Party coordinated campaign and managed Riley's 2009 successful campaign, will be managing Shade's race. Susan Harry will serve as Shade's fundraiser. Well known consultants Mike Blizzard and Mark Littlefield will act in advisory roles.
Shade is up for her first re-election bid after defeating incumbent Jennifer Kim with 64% of the vote in 2008 which was nearly equal to then Councilmember Lee Leffingwell's margin against Jason Meeker & Friends. Shade definitely has a base from which to start but this race is already being defined as a referendum on the incumbent, much like her original race three years ago. Shade has not been one of the more visible councilmembers due in part to her governing style as well as the birth of her second child Emme just two months after taking a seat on the council dias- something Shade's campaign acknowledged in their first email to supporters.
Rumors of challengers started back in October with much of the attention being focused on former Democratic State Representative Ann Kitchen who was being urged to challenge Shade focusing on the debate over Water Treatment Plant #4. WTP4 has split the local environmental community and the council with a series of 4-3 votes pushing the project forward. Kitchen has since withdrawn her name according to the Austin Chronicle leaving environmental activist Robin Rather's name in the mix.
Rather would be a credible candidate and would occupy a lot of space to Randi's left flank which is somewhat exposed with quiet grumblings among some union players and some members of the GLBT community who don't see Shade as a fierce advocate on their behalf. But the talk about Shade keeps coming back to the Water Treatment Plant which isn't a broad enough or damaging single issue for a challenger to run on. Based on polling I've seen over the last two years, the public is pleased with the city council at above average levels and messaging around WTP4 actually works in Shade's favor. As much as people are pro-conservation in this town, when push comes to shove, they aren't willing to risk their water supply to two half century old water treatment plants (already down from three) as the city doubles in population yet again by ~2030.
I hate to say this 6 months out from the election, but the clock is ticking. If the forces behind Kitchen and now Rather don't formalize an announcement by the second week of December they will be severely weakened. That means they would have to be canvassing key voters and city political players right now to get their ducks in a row in time; every day that goes by in this 'silent campaign' period is one day closer to victory for incumbents. Even for the "buzziest" of the 3 seats, there has been remarkably little chatter, leaving Shade an opportunity to solidify some of her more 'squishy' support and pull in a lot of cash.
Place 4: Laura Morrison
Consultant David Butts will be chief consultant to Laura Morrison's re-election bid with Jim Wick filling in a campaign manager. Wick was largely responsible for Karen Sage's upset victory over Mindy Montford in the 2008 judicial primaries and recently led Rep. Valinda Bolton's field campaign. Dean Rindy will be the media consultant with Jeff Smith as pollster and former Leffingwell field hand Shawn Badgley doing field.
Morrison has evolved and grown into her position on the dais- and in a good way from most anyone you talk to. She's disarmed many potential opponents and does not have any announced challenged other than the same rumors of Dominic Chavez (see my notes under the Place 1 area). If you asked folks 3 years ago if Shade or Morrison would have a tougher re-election the vast majority would have said Morrison, myself included. That appears to be wrong. Morrison has shored up her (non-neighborhood) left flank since being elected and doesn't face any particular issues with the environmental community (she voted with Riley opposite of Shade on WTP4). That doesn't leave a lot of space for a challenger, at least among the traditional city electorate and power bases.
I expect that all three council members will end up being re-elected, continuing a long period of stability on the city council. It's quite possible that we'll have a 5 year stretch of the Leffingwell/Martinez/Cole/Shade/Morrison/Spelman/Riley council- at least until Austin votes on an expected Single-Member District plan in 2012 which could alter the makeup of the dias considerably. And both of those things, and in that order, might be what Austin needs as it finalizes a number of major long range planning processes in the next couple of years.
Today, less than two months after Mike Villarreal's HB 1937 became effective, the Austin City Council will vote on a resolution to act upon the bill's intentions. Agenda Item Number 39, sponsored by Mayor Leffingwell, would order the City Manager to "study and evaluate the means of implementing a program under HB 1937 to finance the installation of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy resources by property owners in the City of Austin, in a way that has no cost impact on the City government."
In other words, the the council can take the first step towards a plan that would allow solar panels added to homeowners' houses through property tax based loans. Council Members Randi Shade and Mike Martinez also co-sponsor the legislation, and hopefully the rest of the council will join in support. If passed, though, the council will still need to vote on the final implementation, which would probably occur in January. Regardless, the mayor sounds excited about the idea:
"If successful, it will help make solar energy accessible to many more local residents, help them save money on their home energy bills almost immediately, and continue to build on Austin's growing reputation as a national leader on renewable energy initiatives," Leffingwell said.
Leffingwell said the program could potentially allow the installation of solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades with no up-front cost. The loan would also be tied to the home and would convey when it is sold, the statement said.
Of course, the plan still has its kinks, too. I imagine the City Manager, the Mayor, and their staffs will be able to work them out.
Austin Energy General Manager Roger Duncan is an advocate of solar power but worries that if too many people install solar panels too quickly, the city could have trouble maintaining its grid unless it comes up with a new business model for the utility.
The city government has been promoting solar mainly by offering to pay part of homeowners' installation costs. That subsidy money comes from fees collected from all electric-utility customers.
But the subsidy, or rebate, has proven so popular that the city has had trouble keeping up with demand - $3.3 million of the $4 million the city budgeted for this fiscal year was already committed by Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year.
Thankfully, a loan program like this, more useful to consumers than simple subsides, will can also save the city some money. Unlike those subsidies, the long-term budgeting implications would barely be effective under a solar panel loan program. Worst case scenario: I'd imagine the city could place a cap on the amount of loans it gives out per year. We might need such a restriction, because Austinites are certainly the type to jump on an opportunity like this.
At the current pace, Austin can set itself up to be the first Texas city with such a plan, which may serve as the impetus other cities need to follow through. Rep. Villarreal follows the issue on his blog, and he informs us, "The City of San Antonio and other stakeholders around town have been working to figure out how to implement the program in our community."
Perhaps Austin will show the way.
Update: The Austin City Council passed the resolution on a 7-0 vote.
(Finally. Though I'm not sure how much good releasing them after Early Voting has ended and when most students are in finals and leaving does... - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
In April of last year, city Councilman Lee Leffingwell was awarded the Texas chapter of the American Water Works Association's Conservationist of the Year award. The honor was bestowed upon Leffingwell because he recommended in 2006 that Austin's toilets be retrofitted to reduce water waste, which would cut excess water usage by up to 10 percent over the course of 10 years. As a smart, steady council member since 2005, Leffingwell is unafraid to tackle any subject, and has the experience to back him up. Prior to his current term, he was chair of the Austin's Environmental Board. A lifelong Austinite, Leffingwell understands the issues that command the attention of someone in his position - environmental sustainability, improvements to public transportation and mental healthcare reform, to name a few. We're confident that, given another term, Leffingwell can continue to make seemingly simple, smart and structural changes to benefit Austin now and for the future.
Place 3: Randi sun's-so-bright-i'm-sittin'-in-the-Shade
Randi Shade's a relative newcomer to the scene of Austin politics, but we think she deserves the benefit of our doubt. While Shade and incumbent Jennifer Kim put forth similar platform ideologies in regards to traffic, urban planning, the environmment and affordable housing, we think Shade has more intrinsic power to champion positive initiatives for Austin's benefit. She recognizes that many systems in place, such as code enforcements in neighborhoods, are complaint-driven. But instead of complaining about the complaints, Shade wants to open avenues for dialogue between residents and the city. And while Shade supports initiatives for downtown development, she is an Austin loyalist who wants to "keep Austin Austin." In addition, we trust that Shade has the best interests of Austin's environment in mind. She co-founded the Austin Clean Energy Initiative in 2001 and wants to conserve the land around the Edwards aquifer, as well as select parts of East Austin that are in imminent danger of being chewed up by development.
Place 4: Robin "crazy hippy" Cravey
If anyone could be Austin personified, it would be Robin Cravey. Cravey is an eco-pioneer, one of those people who everyone used to think was crazy for riding around town on a scooter, using cloth diapers and shirking air conditioning, but now represents what should have long been the status quo. Even though Cravey has been dedicated to reducing his environmental impact for decades, he has no reservations on making an impact of a different kind on Austin. A longtime public servant, Cravey, a practicing attorney, has worked at city hall since the 1990s and been a member of the Austin Planning Commission. This is where Cravey really secures our vote: With Austin developing at a Los Angeles-esque clip, we need a voice on the city council to speak up against flagrant development. Instead, we believe Cravey will fight to keep Austin real by protecting local treasures such as Barton Springs, and he says that one of his main priorities is to fill in the gaps on the Austin hike-and-bike trail. We're all for his promise to make the city smaller and greener with sustainable development planning, affordable housing closer to the center of town and better options for public and bicycle transit to reduce our dependence on cars.
(Jennifer Kim has been (dual) endorsed by Burnt Orange Report. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
There has been much to-do in the last few days about a supposed anonymous automated call from my campaign, and my opponent is attempting to use this to distract from the fact that she is taking unpopular stands that will have a direct effect on city services and your taxes.
First, let me confirm that my campaign did do an automated call to voters about Randi Shade's promise to police and firefighters for increased staffing while seeking their endorsement. This call went to voter who received a mail piece about this same issue and used the same language in the mail piece. I do not believe we were being deceptive in any way.
More importantly, my opponent's objections to the call and resorting to calling me a liar show how concerned her campaign is that we are pointing this issue out.
On January 24, the editorial board of the Austin American Statesman reported on the police and firefighters associations making their City Council endorsement. They said," It was highly disappointing that Cid Galindo and Randi Shade, two of the candidates endorsed this week, promised - in writing - to increase public safety staffing without knowing the rest of the city's needs or financial limits."
I agree with these sentiments. It is irresponsible to make such promises without knowing the financial condition of our city.
Our City budget is now facing at least a $20 million deficit. At the same time, we have the highest paid police and firefighters in the state. I think we need to ensure we are taking care of all the city staff, providing essential services, and balancing the budget before making more promises.
I hope I can count on your support so I can continue to stand up for our community values which start with our budget.
I'm extremely gratified to be joined by so many good friends and supporters. The last few days have been more exciting and more energizing than any time during this entire campaign - or even during my first campaign, three years ago.
