'Widest bridge in Texas' to be built in South Austin?

We're taking a closer look at this situation, but thought we'd go ahead and share this email we received soliciting opposing comments on what appears to be plans for a humongous bridge south of Town Lake -- perhaps the widest in Texas. 

As you know, I [Dean Van Landuyt] am a bridge engineer with more than 40 years of design experience.  The ATP (Austin Transportation Partnership) is planning to build the WIDEST bridge in the State of Texas along Riverside Drive.  There is nothing light about the light rail bridge they have in mind.  They’re budgeting for a cheap, heavy highway structure.  The ATP has done a bait-and-switch since the bond vote and now wants to move the tracks from the street level up to a new 1-mile-long highway-type bridge.  At the junction of the South Congress and Riverside lines, the structure balloons from 35’ to approximately 150' wide.  For scale, the current widest bridge in the state is on I-10 in Houston and is 140' wide.

Ironically, at a time when TxDOT is tearing down the twin I35 elevated bridges and depressing the mainlanes downtown to improve the appearance and quality of life in the city, ATP is trying to slip in this monstrosity.  They have not been forthcoming about how massive this is.  They have only shown a few pretty renderings of people ambling next to zippy light rail stations.

I was able to track down some minimal engineering plans and expose what they are really up to.  And wouldn’t you know, a huge bridge is the preferred solution of the developers who recently bought the old American-Statesman and TxDOT buildings on the NE corner of Congress and Riverside Drive.  ...

If you would like to keep the south shore of Lady Bird Lake from turning into a blighted area, I ask that you copy and attach the attached Word file [via Google Docs] and send it to input@atptx.org.

Austin kids' museum staff: give us DEI training!

UPDATE: The Thinkery responded with a statement, not mentioning the DEI demand specifically.

Parents, children, and other visitors were taken aback today when encountering a picket line in front of a popular kids' venue in Austin due to a strike at least partially fueled by DEI.

Formerly the Austin Children's Museum, The Thinkery is funded through a combination of philanthropic gifts, ticket sales ($18/head), and local government funds, such as the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

According to a note being distributed by a group of Thinkery employees and "floor staff," there were numerous safety concerns with the building and a lack of emergency training. A Reddit thread indicated that at least five employees were recently terminated, which may have sparked the dissent. The letter named a lead staff member, demanding her termination.

Among the other items was a rather politically charged demand:

One last round of elections for 2024: Your Austin-area Runoff guide

After the monumental presidential election of 2024, most of us were content to prop our feet up, pop open a Topo Chico for this warm end to the year, and take a well-deserved break from the daily political grind.

Not so fast: there remains some unfinished business in many places, and that includes Travis County. If you live in Austin ISD, City of Austin District 7, and/or the City of Manor, there's a runoff election scheduled for this Saturday, Dec. 14. More info here. So far, just under 14,000 voters have submitted their ballots.

While there are no strong conservatives in the running this time, we believe there remain candidates that are head-and-shoulders above their competitors in terms of experience and overall philosophy. That's why we put together this short voters guide for you last-minute shoppers.

Info on school bonds and propositions for the still-undecided Travis County voter

Still undecided? Don't worry -- you're not alone!

Early voting continues today through Friday, with Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. If you haven't voted yet because you haven't had time to research the propositions and bonds on the ballot, we hope this article will help. We also hope it will empower you to not feel guilty about saying no to increased local government spending during the Biden-Harris recession.

2024 Travis County Voter Guide for the habitually late

Still making up your mind on candidates and propositions? Haven't been able to find a spare moment during a busy October? Or just a little lazy? We won't tell -- we just want to help you decide! 

Early voting ends 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, and picks up again 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5. Details.

Below are The Travis Tracker's selections on the best choices for conservatives on this year's general election ballot. Most are Republican nominees and endorsees, while others are conservative, conservative-leaning, or liberals who are less likely do do any damage.

We start with local candidates and with federal -- because if we don't prioritize our local candidates who else will? Races with no preferred candidates or positions are not included -- you'll see many unopposed Democrats in judicial positions, for example. And remember: When in doubt, leave it blank! Your ballot will not be thrown out because you left a race empty.

Analysis: Leander ISD candidate exposes 'garbage' pro-incumbent tactics

All campaigns at any level can get ugly, dirty, and downright underhanded. Yet there's a "positive-vibes only" one-sidedness that often occurs when we're dealing with public school board races.

The tilted perception of local school board races often goes something like this: 

There's a core of board/district leadership that's essentially a booster club. To them, the school and any state and federal machinery (and associated teacher unions) can do no major wrong -- and therefore, their preferred candidates are automatically assumed to have the moral high ground and have that as an advantage at the ballot box. Win or lose, much like at your alma mater's homecoming football game, you had better cheer every play the board makes or you're a traitor. Rah-rah! Or should we say kumbaya?

Then there's everyone else, who apparently have no school spirit because of their disruption of board harmoniousness. They are immediately accused of having no other agenda than to dismantle public education, take all the kids to private school, and bring the school tax rate down to zero. Why? Because they dare to criticize. Boo! Hiss!

Any thinking voter knows the situation is more complex than the black hats versus the white hats -- it's all very much political, with both Republican and Democratic parties now weighing in, as well as various internecine conflicts taking place as an undercurrent that voters often do not see. Taxpayer-funded lobby groups are not happy about this trend one iota. Florida voters are even considering whether or not to label school board candidates by party like up-ballot races.

Child care in crisis? What's the real motivation behind Travis County Prop. A?

"One lunch per month," proponents of Travis County's Proposition A claim the final cost will be to taxpayers.

Prop. A, a property tax rate increase of 2.5 cents per $100 valuation to fund child care services and related contractors in the county, would come out to about $10 per month for the average Travis County resident.

This begs the question of why lunch is now $10 to begin with, when you used to get back to the office with a five dollar bill and some change.

We all know the familiar refrain by now: rising taxes and unrestrained spending in Austin and Travis County has led to, among other factors, a decimation of small business vitality and an exodus of working families from the urban core. Will, then, heaping on another small tax increase keep families in the middle from leaving, or bring them back? 

Prop. A bond 'won't fix problems' warn former Austin ISD Trustees

Austin ISD has been on the warpath lately to promote Proposition A, which it says will make up for an unexpected shortfall of funds allocated by the Texas Legislature last session. 

A recent article stated Prop. A would raise $171 million in new revenue, but the district will only keep $41 million of it due to state "Robin Hood" recapture. That remaining $41 million would be used to make good on a teacher pay increase agreement, supporters say, including the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

But Prop. A isn't the ticket, warned a letter from 10 former Austin ISD Trustees. The letter warns Prop. A represents a steep tax hike in exchange for "minimal benefit to students, the district, or public education as a whole." And this despite declining enrollment in Austin public schools.

Below is the letter, obtained from various social media sources.

'Marketing language' on Pflugerville ballot? Taxpayer groups sue to take it off Prop A

The Travis County ESD No. 2 board of directors voted Monday night to approve language that includes an apparent marketing nickname on the November ballot, the Tracker has learned.

Each time ESD No. 2 has been on the ballot previously they have been identified on the ballot as "Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2," without “Pflugerville Fire Department” -- a moniker the taxing entity has often employed informally.

The contested language on the November ballot, as approved by ESD No. 2, now reads, in the form of Proposition A:

Final '24 Runoff Election In Austin Area Turns Ugly After Incumbent Launches Attacks

Reddy Yeduru versus Becki Ross (i)

LEANDER, Texas -- What was being hailed as the most civil election this rapidly growing Austin suburb has seen in recent memory quickly turned contentious in the runoff.

Incumbent Becki Ross faces challenger Pulla Reddy Yeduru in the runoff election for Leander City Council Place 6. Early voting continues through Tuesday, June 11, with runoff election day Saturday, June 15. 

The total number of voters so far is under 600 -- a low turnout in early voting for the final of three elections in a month's time for the city (local election, primary runoff, and now local runoff) while the nation seems exclusively focused on the November presidential contest.

With a narrow four-vote victory for Mike Herrera over incumbent Esmeralda Mattke Longoria on May 4 in Place 2, the balance of power shifted on the seven-member Council from majority Democrat-favored Council members (see images below) to conservative and Republican-affiliated. A $12,000 recount paid for by Longoria's campaign in late May did not change the final outcome.

Republicans unveil bracket voting to boost voter turnout in '26 election

It's a three-fold problem the GOP faces: 

• Recruiting more hands and eyes on the election process, making sure each and every vote is counted.
• Coming up with a sexy new voting method to rival the left's call for Ranked Choice Voting.
• Tapping into an ever-growing demographic of sports fans as a source of new voters, especially basketball fans.

This week the Travis GOP Committee on Voting Affairs rolled out a bold concept to help with all three dilemmas: 

A bracket-style tournament ballot for the 2026 primary election! 

Just in time for March Madness in two years, Republican voters will be able to participate in a series of bracket-style matchups between Republican candidates. Like with a tournament, each winner will advance to the next level until a winner is decided. And it would totally eliminate the need for an expensive runoff.

7 reasons why not to raid the other party's Primary this year

We get it. Sometimes there's a race in the other party that's appealing  -- when you want the more conservative Democrat (or Libertarian, or Green, or Constitutionalist, for that matter) to win.

This kind of party-hopping is extremely tempting in the Austin area for we Republicans. After all, Democrats maintain the same kind of numerical advantage over Republicans locally that Republicans enjoy statewide over them. In many cases, the winner of the Democratic Primary in the Austin area is presumed the winner of the general -- though this is certainly not always the case, and local Republicans have made an art of upset victories.

This year in Travis County it's especially tempting to jump ship during the primary, and for voters of both major parties.

For Democrats, they're bored by the presumptive re-nomination of Joe Biden, and many are perfectly willing to switch over to the R primary and vote against Donald Trump by casting their vote for another presidential candidate. This new "Operation Chaos"-like tactic could have the effect of distorting many Republican races down ballot.

But on the other hand, Travis County Republicans are wanting to do everything they can do to stop Soros-supported District Attorney Jose Garza, a radical Leftist Democrat, from winning another term and gutting the law enforcement system even further than he has. Although Republicans have their champion in the form of Daniel Betts, he is unopposed on the R ballot. But Garza is opposed by Democrat Jeremy Sylestine on the D ballot, leaving Garza opponents wondering if voting for decidedly pro-law-enforcement Sylestine would make for an effective first line of defense before it's Betts versus the Democratic nominee in November.

While it's true the Presidential race is effectively already decided and there aren't as many prize fights on this year's Republican primary ballot as usual, here are some reasons why you should consider keeping your vote in the Grand Ol' Party this Primary, courtesy of the Travis GOP's blog:

Austin stands to lose up to 2 miles of turf if 'ATXit' measures pass

 

While a non-binding secession referendum will not appear on GOP primary ballots this March, the May ballot will offer certain Austin communities a chance to "ATXit."

In a saga going back at least a decade, River Place residents will have the chance to reverse the city of Austin's long-awaited annexation of the remainder of its HOA territory. Lost Creek residents and at least four other Austin-controlled developments will get to vote on disannexation on the May 4 local ballot.

Thanks to HB 3053's passage, authored by West Travis County Rep. Ellen Troxclair, residents of cities with 500,000 residents or greater and areas that were annexed between March 3, 2015 and Dec. 1, 2017 are eligible to disannex themselves. Though not uncommon for cities to disannex territory when adjusting boundaries, putting it on the ballot is something new to Texans.

HOME latest example of Austin not listening to us

Late-night hubris.

Guest editorial by Rupal Chaudhari

Even though hundreds of people waited all day to speak Thursday on the elimination of single-family neighborhoods in Austin, it obviously didn't matter to the city.

As public testimony wrapped up late into the night, the city had its celebratory press release all queued up just before midnight, complete with generic clip art photos of obviously non-Austinites smiling at a marketer’s camera, crowing about passage of the one item on the agenda.

Thankfully two city council members voted against approving phase 1 of the risky HOME Initiative – perhaps to avoid drawing opponents with candidate filing ending on Monday. But add this to a growing list of examples of the city of Austin not considering our voices equal to theirs.

Sunday's massive Palestinian protest organized by Socialists

Thousands demonstrated outside the Texas Capitol and downtown Austin Sunday afternoon in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and opposing U.S. and Texas foreign aid to Israel.

That last part sounds like more of a Libertarian goal, but the protest did not appear at all like something from the Ron Paul camp. Nor did it look like other anti-Israel rallies held in the past in Central Texas, aside from the usual black-and-white fishnet keffiyeh head scarves and red and green Palestinian separatist flags. 

Smoke bombs, bused-in protesters, and misuse of the term "genocide" were the handiwork that all pointed to collaboration with the opposite side of the political spectrum.

If you guessed Antifa you were correct. Also spotted were Democratic Socialists of America protesters. Despite the fact that a Palestinian state would all but ban the "justice" and sexual expression the radical Left champions, the Palestinian cause fits the bill of the "anti-colonial" push popular with the liberals of late. However, a large number of Democratic public officials strongly support Israeli statehood and its territorial claims as an ally of the U.S.

Round Rock ISD and the astounding, invisible tax hike

Is it a simple calcuation, or the ol' ball and cup trick?

The Round Rock ISD is banking on the fact that statewide tax relief and recent changes to how "Robin Hood" is handled will mask a local tax hike on the ballot Tuesday:

This is according to Don Zimmerman, longtime tax reform advocate, former Austin Council member, and executive director of the Travis County Taxpayers Union (TCTU). The ballot language, he said, is so problematic the organization is preparing to file a lawsuit -- only to find that state courts no longer hear ballot language complaints prior to an election!

Banning Single Family zoning in Austin? Just say no!

The following call to action by education policy activist Brian Talley was sent by the Travis County Republican Party. Over 300 people are reportedly signed up to speak to the Austin City Council today on this critical issue to the city's future.

Banning singe-family zoning has been a Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) talking point, and a Biden administration agenda item, for quite some time. They call it exclusionary zoning because it limits the number of units and families per lot. Here is [Congressman and former Austin City Council member] Greg Casar promoting his work to "dismantling exclusionary zoning laws" back in September of 2019.

Get to know the 14 amendments appearing on your November 2023 ballot

Local recommendations coming soon! For now join the discussion here.

With 14 state propositions on the ballot this fall, voters may not have all the time to study and analyze each of the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. Even further complicating matters, the media focus is on the 2024 primaries and the upcoming presidential election.

Fortunately, we have you covered! Below is our analysis on each of the propositions, preceded by our suggestion on how to vote (or not vote in two cases). Our analysis may shift as further information and inpput is gathered (we might could be convinced on the tax breaks), but in the meantime, you can do your own homework via the Texas Legislative Council's thorough analysis. If you need help voting or are looking for polling locations and what's on your local ballot click here.

Scroll all the way down for our Quickshot Guide for fast reference or to memorize.

Austin 9/11 remembrances, plus this week's conservative events

Makeshift memorial wall shortly after 9/11/01 at the Flight 93 crash site.

Hijackers inside the cockpit are heard yelling "No!" over the sound of breaking glass. The final spoken words on the recorder were a calm voice in English instructing, "Pull it up." The plane then crashed into an empty field in Stonycreek, Pennsylvania, about 20 minutes' flying time from Washington, D.C.

It's Patriot Day, but you're not in D.C., New York, or rural Pennsylvania today where Flight 93 crash-landed. But there are still numerous opportunities right here in Austin to pay tribute to those who lost their lives or gave their lives that fateful day 22 years ago.

Below is Travis GOP's venerable semi-weekly email blast Week at-a-Glance, including some other compelling events below for the next week-and-a-half:

Homelessness Inc.'s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week in Austin

Austin's homelessness czar resigned last week and the timing couldn't be any worse for advocates of the city's Housing First approach.

The next day, news broke of eye-popping accounts of multiple overdose deaths, prostitution, drug manufacturing, violence, and under-cooked meals at one of the city's two "bridge shelters," Northbridge, designed as a channel between the homeless camps and more permanent housing arrangements and treatment opportunities. The whistleblower was previously and allegedly fired after bringing attention to these matters.

And on top of that, a plan to raise Austin's current-11% hotel occupancy tax to compensate for a years-long closing/renovation of its convention center and partially fund homeless services was shelved.

The city also postponed a contract extension for rehabbing an old hotel -- the embattled Candlewood Suites, which the city hopes will become the crown jewel of its Permanent Supportive Housing offerings.