Elections
Push for November Elections Raises $52,250
- Push for November Elections Raises $52,250
- RECA and Austin Board of Realtors PACs each
- kick in $26,000 to move council election dates
- by Ken Martin
- © The Austin Bulldog 2012
- Posted October 29, 2012 8:51pm
The Democracy Austin Political Action Committee reporting raising more than $52,000 in the latest reporting period and spent nearly all of it on television and ads in The Austin Chronicle to get voter approval for Propositions 1 and 2 on the November 6 ballot.
Both propositions would move the election of mayor and council members from May to be held during the November general elections. Prop 2 differs from Prop 1 by additionally lengthening terms from the current three years to four years; shortening the number of terms allowed from three terms to two terms; and requiring that staggered elections be held in even-numbered years.
Austin City Council Members Mike Martinez and Chris Riley were appointed to serve as treasurer and assistant treasurer, respectively, September 5. They were appointed by Austin Strategies political consultant Mark Nathan, who in July 2011 left his job as chief of staff for Mayor Lee Leffingwell.
Nathan answered The Austin Bulldog’s questions about the campaign via e-mail this evening.
Prop 3 Proponents Question Prop 4 Legality
Civil rights attorney and two minority groups
say federal preclearance for 8-2-1 is unlikely
by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog 2012
Posted Sunday, October 21, 2012 4:38pm
A pointed legal question keeps cropping up in the debates between proponents of Proposition 3 (the 10-1 plan for electing council members) and Proposition 4 (the 8-2-1 plan).
Proposition 3 debaters have repeatedly stated that the Proposition 4 hybrid plan will not be able to win federal approval because it will not pass muster under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Prop 4 advocates insist the 8-2-1 plan would indeed be approved.
It would be good to get past this back-and-forth argument so that voters know whether or not the hybrid 8-2-1 plan has a good chance of being approved before casting ballots for a proposal whose implementation might be doomed. The election is November 6. Early voting starts tomorrow.
Poll Triggers Backlash from 10-1 Proponents
Proposition 3 advocates say Prop 4 playing dirty
with a misleading poll, Prop 4 denies the charge
by Ken Martin
© The Austin Bulldog
Posted Wednesday October 17, 2012 10:09pm
Proposition 3 backers of the 10-1 plan for electing council members issued a press release today claiming that Proposition 4 supporters of the 8-2-1 plan used “Karl Rove dirty tricks” with a “push poll” that mischaracterized the sources of the group’s funding.
Proposition 4 proponents say an automated poll was conducted but it was not a push poll.
“A push poll is an interactive marketing technique, most commonly employed during political campaigning, in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll,” according to Wikipedia. “In a push poll, large numbers of respondents are contacted, and little or no effort is made to collect and analyze response data. Instead, the push poll is a form of telemarketing-based propaganda and rumor mongering, masquerading as a poll.”
The Austinites for Geographic Representation (AGR) press release quoted Bruce Todd of Bruce Todd Public Affairs, who was mayor of Austin from 1991-1997, saying, “Not only are the Prop 4 proponents engaging in dirty political tactics by using a push poll, they are funding it with money that came in after the 30 day out reporting period. Prop 3 is supported by the largest, most diverse grassroots coalition in Austin’s history. Prop 3’s support includes the NAACP, LULAC Districts 7 and 12, South Austin Democrats, Travis County Green Party, Austin Central Labor Council–Texas AFL-CIO, Austin Tejano Democrats, and, yes, Republicans. Our breadth proves all of Austin wants Prop 3.”
It should be noted there would be nothing improper about using funds raised by Austin Community for Change (AC4C) after the September 27 reporting deadline for any legitimate political purpose.
AC4C reported raising $2,685 in the three months ending September 27 and a total of $4,592 since it began fundraising June 1. AGR had raised nearly $90,000 with four weeks left till the November 6 election. AGR’s largest contributors were the Homebuilders Association of Greater Austin and environmentalist Kirk Mitchell.(Disclosure: Mitchell is The Austin Bulldog’s largest donor.)
