Our campaign is proud to announce the endorsement of the Austin American-Statesman. The Statesman joins over a dozen Democratic, public safety, and community organizations in supporting Margaret Gómez.
The Statesman says voters should ask themselves: Will my choice make things better or just different?
They describe Margaret Gómez as champion of social services who, after beginning her career as a commissioner's secretary, has become a recognized expert in county government.
The Statesman also praises Gómez as "a cross over hit" who has "developed strong ties with non-Latino political groups, including labor and environmentalists."
The Editorial Board writes that Raul Alvarez "lacks focus and displays little practical working knowledge of county government" and that "Alvarez is a favorite of the ultra-hip but a disappointment to people who expect results."
The people of Precinct 4 do expect results.
They expect a leader who will be a champion for them, not a voice for the City Hall insiders and outside interests.
Today is the filing deadline for the Democratic Primary, and, with only 58 days until Election Day, I am proud of the progress my campaign has made so far.
I've received endorsements from six public safety associations, including the state's largest, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT). I am humbled to have earned the support of CLEAT once again, as well as the Travis County Sheriffs Officers Association, Travis County Sheriffs Law Enforcement Association, Austin/Travis County EMS Employee Association, Austin Police Association, and the Travis County Firefighters Association.
I also have the support of the only three elected officials to have endorsed in this race: Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe, Austin City Councilman Bill Spelman, and Constable Richard McCain. Additionally, I have been endorsed by former Travis County Judge Bill Aleshire, former Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro, and former Texas Comptroller John Sharp.
After fifteen years as county commissioner, I am so proud to have the support of both the current president of University Democrats Melessa Rodriguez and the immediate past president Jimmy Talarico.
With more than three decades of Democratic activism in my hometown of Austin, I am proud to have the support of many Democratic activists, including Precinct 424 Democratic chair Walter Timberlake. To view my full supporter list, click here.
Volunteers, friends, family and I have been working hard over the past few months to spread the word to Precinct 4 voters about my record on the Commissioners Court. Our campaign has knocked on over 1800 doors throughout southeast Travis County and made countless phone calls.
There are less than two months until Election Day, and just over a month until early voting begins. The support our campaign has enjoyed has been great, and I look forward to continuing to work hard as I visit and listen to voters across Precinct 4 about how county government can better serve them.
I have submitted the following to the Austin American-Statesman in response to their editorial last Saturday criticizing the stand several of my fellow Capital Metro board members and I have taken on a fare increase exemption for senior and disabled citizens.
The Austin American-Statesman editorial board wrote on Saturday that my work to exempt senior and disabled citizens from Capital Metro's fare increase did not show leadership. Earlier this month, the same editorial board praised me for deciding federal stimulus dollars intended for rail projects should not be used to delay fare increases that would eventually go up. The editorial board now says that working to exempt seniors and disabled citizens from the fare increase is "hedging."
Deciding to raise fares is never easy, but this time we knew it was a necessity if we wanted to maintain current levels of service. I am hopeful that raising fares will help Capital Metro better fulfill its mission to provide an efficient and affordable system of public transportation that the people of Travis County can depend on and be proud of.
While a base fare increase is unavoidable, raising fares on seniors and disabled citizens is a separate issue. Currently, they ride Capital Metro buses for free. I believe it should stay that way, and that we can avoid increasing the burden on an already vulnerable population while still putting Capital Metro on a path towards financial stability. I've been involved with government for a long time, but rarely have I been criticized for working on behalf of seniors and disabled people. There is nothing political about this. It is simply the right thing to do.
The community reaction to the fare proposal has been loud and clear. People do not believe fares should be raised for seniors or disabled riders at this time. As a public, taxpayer funded agency, we cannot ignore public input when making changes to the agency’s fare structure.
My parents taught me at a young age that leadership means standing up for those who cannot always stand up for themselves. This is what first attracted me to public service. Leadership also means listening to your constituents. At this time, it is just not wise to raise fares on the most vulnerable. I commend my fellow board members for joining me in support exempting seniors and disabled citizens from the fare increase. I am confident that my proposed exemption will pass and that the senior and disabled riders who rely on Capital Metro every day will have one less burden to worry about.
(Gomez is currently Travis County Commissioner for Pct 4. She is being challenged by Raul Alvarez in the Democratic primary. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Being chosen by my peers to chair the the Capital Metro Board has been an honor and a privilege. It has also been one of the toughest volunteer jobs I have ever had. We have dealt with accounting errors, a union strike and continuing delays in the opening of Metro Rail. However, despite problems with agency's leadership, I never lost sight of my responsibility as chair of the board: to help Capital Metro provide an efficient and affordable system of public transportation that the people of Travis County can depend on and take pride in.
As chair, I have had to make many tough votes. I stand by my vote against using one-time stimulus money to delay an inevitable fare increase. As an avid supporter of rail, I believe the money is better spent investing in long-term improvements to our rail lines.
As difficult as it is, a fare increase is needed to continue providing current level of service to the transit dependent. I am proud to say that Cap Metro's fares will remain among the most affordable in the nation.
I have expressed to leadership that I believe Capital Metro would benefit from an aggressive nationwide search for a new CEO with executive leadership experience. We need someone who can run an agency successful, rather than someone who only has experience in transportation.
Approving a fare increase is never a popular decision, but I believe it is the only way Capital Metro can survive at this time. However, I do not believe that we should balance the agency’s budget on the backs of elderly and disabled citizens, which is why I will ask the board to exempt seniors and disabled citizens from any fare increase.
Capital Metro has made mistakes, but this should not be one of them. There is no good reason not to exempt seniors and disabled citizens from a fare increase. My constituents in Precinct 4 and people from across the county understand this, too. Government should be there to help those who need it most, not increase their burden. In tough economic times, little things add up. For my constituents who receive Social Security and disability benefits, this is even more true.
There is a lot of work ahead at Capital Metro. To start, they should launch an aggressive nationwide search to insure we find the most qualified individual. Most importantly to the many people who rely on Capital Metro everyday, they can agree to exempt seniors and disabled citizens from a fare increase.
I look forward to hearing back from you all on this issue. Please leave your comments below or connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or on my website.
