Austin Council recall election re-ignited for 2021

Becky McMillian (center) gathers with volunteers this weekend.

On the heels of the creation of a new PAC to push for restoring public safety, another local political movement is already well-on its way toward bringing back the Austin City Council recall effort.

"We had 30 people attend our meet and greet on Sunday, so we could finally meet each other face to face, and we have 111 people signed up to volunteer so far who are serious about volunteering to undertake this task," said Becky McMillian, founder of Your Minute Is Up. 

"With community-led efforts before, we’ve only seen 50 to 80 people show support to volunteer throughout the several-months-long process. Within one week of making this announcement we are seeing volunteers pour in at a faster rate. That just goes to show how the community is really behind this! The fire in people’s voices and outrage is amazing! They want their city back, and for the council and mayor to be out of office."

We quote the inaugural press release from Your Minute Is Up below.

AUSTIN -- [...] The recall effort that got started by Our Town Austin at the end of 2019 got crushed by COVID-19, and their petitions became invalid. Your Minute Is Up is a fresh, community-based approach to the goal of placing a recall of the current Austin City Council (those left after the November election, that is) on the May 2021 ballot, with eager Austin citizens behind it. 

Founder of Your Minute is Up, Becky McMillian, is a single mom, business owner and has lived in Austin since 1986. She explained the nascent organization will target Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Sabino Renteria, Ann Kitchen, and Paige Ellis. Once the petitions are verified, those named have five days to resign or face a recall election on an upcoming ballot.

Below is a statement from McMillian. Interviews are available by ... emailing yourminuteisup@gmail.com

Over the past six months, our jaws have dropped at the stunning disregard for and rapid degradation of our quality of life in Austin as displayed by our Council and Mayor.

The reasons for a recall are numerous: for mismanagement of public policies and resources that have eroded the Austin brand and decreased affordability for all citizens, for catering to special interest which is reducing the quality of life for residents and visitors, and for endangering the lives of health, safety and welfare of Austin citizens and local businesses.

But there are a couple of issues that have become the straws that broke the proverbial camel's back.

First, there is the homeless camping situation which has led to an uptick in violent crime. The homeless are now migrating into neighborhoods and endangering the lives of citizens and themselves. If city leaders knew first-hand how bad it was in the woods, just as Mayor Steve Adler stated in an interview (KVUE-TV, Oct. 18, 2019) why not stop it in the woods and homeless camps and address the problem there? Why bring it to the streets, sidewalks, and business entrances if not to beat the drum for higher taxes and more spending?

“Violent crimes committed by homeless people toward non-homeless people increased by only seven incidents," Adler said via KVUE last year before the homeless camping ban was lifted. He reported that property crimes committed by homeless people only increased by five incidents between 2018 and 2019. Why, then, would Adler wish to accelerate the crime rate by bringing it to our doorsteps?

In my personal experience alone, not accounting for a million other Austinites and millions of visitors, I have been chased down for money while walking with my child to the car, subject to the sight of a man masturbating behind an office building next to a dumpster, and had my drivers side window beaten and spat upon while at a red light because I did not give him any spare change. This is not a city I want to raise my family in. 

Just this year, Austin had the highest rate of increase for criminal activity in the nation. They now have played the moving-money-into-a-different-bucket trick and “reallocating funds” to show they care about the “civil rights” campaign that is now infiltrating our streets across America, also known as “defunding the police.” They are doing knee jerk moves, without even putting any thought into anything. These major cities across America are reading from a playbook, and are not listening to the citizens of their own city. They have their own agenda and willing to endanger citizens across Austin, and we are not going to put up with this any longer! 

We are practically rolling out the red carpet for and welcoming major problems into our city!

We the taxpayers are poised to spend millions on hotels to house the homeless and those struggling with mental health and substance abuse addiction. Our city officials are a bunch of enablers for drug and alcohol addicts. Our Homeless population that struggle with mental health on the streets need 24 hour observation, and rehabilitation, and that’s even if they are willing to go. The ones that are playing with drugs, need a good wake up call!

They are also asking taxpayers for billions of dollars for Project Connect, a rail system to run through Austin, raising property taxes by an estimated 25 percent, which only helps a select percentage of transportation issues. They sure do know how to spend a lot of money without accomplishing much besides helping special interest groups making their pockets deeper. 

For these and many other reasons we intend on recalling Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Sabino Renteria, Ann Kitchen, and Paige Ellis. The other incumbent candidates, we anticipate, will not be re-elected in the November general election.

We don’t have another minute for you Mayor Adler or Council, Your Minute is Up! We are taking our city back! 

We invite all Austinites to check our calendar of events for locations to sign the petitions and make donations towards the efforts at https://your-minute-is-up.com.