For immediate release.
Contact: Rachel Maddow or Keith Olbermann
Robin Cravey today announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor of Alaska in 2010. He was recruited to run in the Republican primary by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in a secret full moon meeting at Barton Springs Pool.
The announcement came just one day after Cravey withdrew as President Obama's nominee for Secretary of Two Wheelers amid revelations that he underreported his tip income as a cabdriver in 1975.
As you know, my run for a seat on the Austin City Council was a huge effort. Although I did not win a seat on the City Council, I'm proud of the job my staff and I did in getting our message out to Austin citizens. We were gratified by the support and response we received from many friends and citizens.
Since the election, I have been encouraged to continue advocating for Austin's hometown agenda but I need your help! Although I ran a grassroots campaign, I incurred some debt that I need to retire. Please join me at Mary Ann and Craig's house for my "Retire the Debt Party".
I look forward to seeing you and getting an opportunity to discuss the future of our city once again.
This came via email yesterday. Given that Robin Cravey declined to endorse, a low turnout runoff means getting out your existing base and trying to draw in votes from your opponents. There's not much to be gained from Jennifer Gale/Sam Osemene/Ken Vasseau voters but Cravey had an active based that makes sense to woo.
While I expect them to be somewhat more in line with Morrison traditionally, there are elements of Galindo's vision that may appeal to this set of voters as well. In either case, both campaigns would be wise to solicit their support.
Dear Friends and Fellow Austinites,
Thanks to your votes, hard work, generosity and encouragement, I am in the run-off for Place 4 on the City Council.
I want to congratulate Robin Cravey on running an outstanding campaign. On the campaign trail, Robin and I found that we had much in common. Like me, Robin wants a plan that will finally solve the problems and answer the questions that have vexed this city for more than 20 years.
I urge all of my supporters to reach out to your friends and neighbors who supported Robin and tell them my ideas for Austin's future. I hope Robin's supporters will study the Galindo Plan and all my other positions on the issues. I think they will find much to like.
Over the next five weeks, the people of Austin will see two directions for our city. One path is the same path we've been on -- more talking, more divisions, and no solutions. The other is a bold plan to reduce traffic congestion, curb urban sprawl and protect our environment.
I think you know by now which course I want to take. The time for talk is over. It's time to break the stalemate. It's time for real solutions.
To have a chance to put my plan into action, I am going to need even more help from each of you. In particular, we need volunteers for our phone bank. And, of course, I need more of your much-appreciated campaign contributions.
We must move fast. Early voting starts May 28th and election day is June 14.
Again, thank you for that you've done and will do. Working hard and working together, we will win.
This morning I spoke by telephone with Cid Galindo and Laura Morrison. Both of them were gracious in their praise of my campaign, and I congratulated each of them on their success. I expressed my hope that the two of them would be able to continue running positive campaigns in the runoff.
Cid and Laura each let me know that they will be reaching out to the voters who supported me in the general election, and I understand that. I will not be making any endorsement in the runoff, and I let each of them know that.
I will look forward to working with both Cid and Laura in the future in whatever roles each of us may have in serving Austin.
Thanks.
-Robin
Who are you voting for in the runoff? Take the BOR poll.
I'm really curious what announcements may be coming...
The voters have spoken, and Cid Galindo and Laura Morrison will now go into a runoff. I congratulate them on their success and wish them both the best. I salute Jennifer Gale, Sam Osemene, and Ken Vasseau for their campaigns.
I'm deeply grateful for all the loyal friends and the many new friends who joined my campaign, and to the citizens who responded so warmly. It's been a blast!
My family and my staff and I will be taking some well-earned rest, but I may have an announcement or two in the coming week.
Thanks.
-Robin
Robin continues to impress. I doubt this is the last we've heard of him.
(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.
Robin Cravey, the Place 4 candidate endorsed by Burnt Orange Report, has a great new video on YouTube.
Volunteer for Robin's campaign and, of course, don't forget to vote. Today is the last day to Early Vote. Everything you could want to know on the City Council races can be found here on Phillip's Resource Page.
(Robin Cravey is Burnt Orange Report's endorsed candidate in Place 4. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
I got a chance to visit again with Betty Dunkerley over the weekend. I was out canvassing in South Austin, and stopped by the house of my friend Suzie Harriman. Betty was there, and we took a few minutes to catch up on city hall events and talk about the upcoming budget.
As I've said many times, I learned the budget process from Betty when she was city finance director and I was a city council aide. We got to be pretty good friends then, and that has endured.
Naturally, Betty has been a leader on budget issues on the council, and many folks will be sorry to see her go for that reason (among others!). But I can assure you, I intend to devote a lot of attention to the budget if I'm elected.
I've been pleased to see the council hold a series of work sessions on the budget. I've been calling for reinstituting the council worksessions as a way to make the council's work more open to the public. With the hectic pace of the campaign, I haven't been able to attend any of the worksessions, but I'm eager to get into the budget process and start working with the other members of the council to set spending priorities for the coming year.
The April fundraising reports are out in the Austin City Council races. The Statesman has the story.
In Place 1, Jason Meeker raised only $2,960 in April. The incumbent Lee Leffingwell raised $23,690 in April bringing his total since November to an impressive $192,065.
In Place 3, Jennifer Kim outraised Randi Shade by $10,250 last month but still trails to Shade in overall fundraising $184,425 to $179,475. The only council candidate to have raised more than Kim and Shade is Leffingwell. Ken Weiss, another contender for Place 3, raised $215 in April.
In Place 4, Cid Galindo led with $50,030 raised last month. Laura Morrison raised $21,491 and Robin Cravey raised $12,974.
Galindo has had a pretty singificant financial advantage in Place 4.
Galindo has also spent the most money since fundraising began in November — $158,961 — compared with Morrison's $114,214 and Cravey's $48,501. Galindo has loaned himself $60,000; Morrison has loaned herself $40,000.
