More than carpetbagging: GOP candidate to challenge Talarico for moving while still representing former constituents

Rep(?) James Talarico saw the writing on the wall.

Rather than running for re-election to Texas House District 52 in Williamson County, where Republicans are expected to take back some turf, he moved south a bit to presumably bluer and safer Travis County in HD 50.

The problem with that, according to the Travis County Republican Party and challenger Victor Johnson, is that Democrat Talarico continued to represent HD 52 while a newly minted resident of HD 50. The problem is, if so, that's not legal and a vacancy should have been declared. According to a press release from the Travis GOP, Johnson is set to file a legal challenge. See more on that below in a press release from this morning.  If the powers-that-be determine this complaint has legs, then it's worse than carpetbagging.

Candidates vow to replicate Southlake CRT resolution in Round Rock

A press release today from a slate of five Round Rock ISD candidates is hopeful that successes in Keller ISD, Southlake ISD, and Grapevine ISD in North Texas can be emulated in the Austin area.

Is it possible? We'll let the press release speak for itself for now.

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Legislation passed in the 2021 session paved the way for bringing common sense back to Texas classrooms.

Now a slate of conservative Round Rock ISD trustee candidates are vowing to prevent radicalized propaganda such as Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project from being taught in taxpayer-funded schools. Their plan when elected: to author a resolution similar to ones approved by Keller ISD and Southlake ISD in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The resolutions provide more oversight of library materials, insist on teaching biological male-female differences and not "gender identity," and keep boys out of girls restrooms, showers, and changing areas.

“The problem is clear: too much time and effort is being spent away from basic educational concepts like reading, writing, and math. 7 year old children do not need to solve the mysteries of gender ideology or critical theory,” said John Keagy, Place 1 candidate. “We need to get back to basics and empower our teachers to do what they do best: prepare the next generation to be successful, productive members of our community.”

 

“When public schools deviate from academic priorities and involve themselves in social and political issues, families in the community take notice and find other educational alternatives for their children,” said Christie Slape, candidate for Place 5.

 

"Parents have made their voices overwhelmingly clear in Grapevine and in schools across the country: No longer will Leftist indoctrination tactics play fast and loose with established history,” said Don Zimmerman, Place 6 candidate “Radical social experiments will not be allowed to take the place of academic priorities in our classrooms. We look forward to passing a similar resolution as soon as we are elected to finally put the spotlight back on ABCs and 1-2-3s, not CRTs and LGBTs."

The slate, consisting of Keagy, Slape, Zimmerman, Orlando Salinas (Place 3) and, Jill Farris (Place 4), will appear on the ballot on the Nov. 8 election. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 24.

The Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees election is Nov. 8. To learn more about The Fabulous Five challengers visit RoundRockOneFamily.com/candidates.

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City of Austin still not listening to neighbors re: Manor Road affordable housing proposal

UPDATE: Council passes the development proposal by NHP/Capital A unanimously.

As part of the city's expansion of affordable living options, the City Council's housing corporation will vote Thursday whether to accept a proposal by NHP and Capital A Housing for a new development in a largely residential area in Northeast Austin.

Large vacant and under-utilized lots still dot the map around Manor Road in the shadow of the former Mueller Airport tower. Mueller Airport was a simple terminal until replaced by Austin Bergstrom International Airport on a former airbase east of the city in the late '90s.

Neighbors, who mostly live in newer developments in the aptly named Mueller community and a number who reside in the more-lived-in JJ Seabrook neighborhood, have gathered numerous times to discuss the various proposals for a city-owned tract at 3511 and 3515 Manor Road. The JJ Seabrook neighbors "strongly" supported Fontaine Trails, a proposal by the Foundation Communities (or FC) for multigenerational houses which they found more "neighborly," "holistic," and compatible with the geography and surrounding parks amenities. Mueller neighbors only narrowly favored the NHP/Capital A proposal titled Seabrook Square.

According to George Hindman, who lives south of the Mueller neighborhood and Manor Road in JJ Seabrook, calls the NHP/Capital A plan "fiscally irresponsible" and said it will require around $7 million in subsidies to sustain -- money that could be used to build another housing project. Nor does the NHP/Capital A proposal cater to families facing homelessness, as hoped by his neighborhood group.

Leander ISD Board President laughs after 'muzzling' departing Trustee

Bode, left, and Johnson, right.

The next round of 2022 school board elections in Central Texas got off to a confrontational start Thursday, less than two days ahead of candidate filing. 

Trustee Aaron Johnson of Leander Independent School District (west and northwest of Austin) announced at Thursday night's regularly called school board meeting he would not seek re-election after numerous terms at the same post.

Johnson asked permission to read a prepared personal privilege speech, outlining his time on Place 6 since 2011, his family's involvement and "personal sacrifices," and also including critiques of the way reading and writing is being taught at his son's campus. He was prevented by Place 1 Trustee and board President Trish Bode from finishing with "just a few paragraphs left."

Watch below (starting at around 17:40).

Zimmerman returns to ballot to avenge Round Rock ISD taxpayers, parents

Former Austin City Council member, 2020 legislature hopeful, and longtime taxpayer advocate Don Zimmerman made his next step official today via an interview on KBLJ-AM's "Mark Melynda and Ed Show."

Zimmerman filed paperwork to run for a seat on the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees.

City Runoff results hint at conservative resurgence, relevance of shoe leather politics

The results are in for Leander and Manor Municipal Runoff elections. While they're two different scenarios entirely, we can draw two lessons from them.

First, let's look at the results, which you won't find covered much in the local media:

Leander Council member Place 3 

Juan Alanis 1162 votes (37%) 

David McDonald  2910 votes (63%) 

Leander Council member Place 5 

Chris Czernek 1952 votes (62%)

Bill Louden 1193 votes (38%)

Manor Council member Place 6 (unexpired term)

Kathy White 29 votes (43%)

Deja Hill 39 votes (57%)  

'Bombshell' report: Round Rock ISD was warned not to hire, reinstate embattled superintendent

Thanks to the pressing of the Texas Attorney General's office, a March 8 report from an independent investigator the Round Rock ISD hired to look into the corruption centered around its embattled superintendent finally came to light.

Among the revelations: 

"The search firm has confirmed that if they had known about the relationship between Hafedh Azaiez and Vanessa Ruiz [Alrdich] they would not have advanced Azaiez's name forward to the RRISD Board of Trustees for consideration to the position of Superintendent."

State Bar President unlawfully holding office? Politics may be to blame according to Zimmerman

Sylvia Borunda Firth

The president of the entity responsible for the consistent practice of law in Texas is herself not legally elected.

This is according to a press release concerning a complaint to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The complaint asserted that Texas State Bar President Sylvia Borunda Firth did not receive a majority of votes, making her ineligible to serve.

Don Zimmerman, former Austin City Councilman, elected MUD district member, and taxpayer advocate, noted in the complaint the State Bar's board of directors policy manual states the "President Elect shall be elected by a vote of the majority of those members of the State Bar who voted in such election."

Your May 7, 2022, Election Guide

While we didn't get a whole lot of input this year, there are nevertheless some very important contests on this year's Texas Constitutional Amendment and Local Election ballot.

You might be wondering why we have a constitutional amendment on this year's ballot -- we normally have them each odd-numbered year after a legislative session. These two propositions were placed on the ballot to close a loophole and help catch up with inflation, so they could not wait. 

Savvy voters may also be wondering why not all school boards and cities appear. Some may be included on the November general election (e.g. gubernatorial, or midterm) ballot, while others are still on the May local election ballot. Pros and cons there.

Here they are. Voting ends 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7. And don't forget to turn back around and vote again in the May 24 Primary Runoff! More info on that coming soon.

'Purely for survival:' Musk to donate Gigafactory site for use as Travis GOP field office

Travis County Republicans may have worked out of a spacious suite on the west side of Austin during the last election cycle, but 2022 is shaping up to be the year of a bold East Austin strategy in a much bigger space.

We're talking way bigger.

This is thanks to billionaire Elon Musk's spurious offer for the county GOP to rent the interior of the new Tesla Gigafactory as 2022 elections field office -- yep, all 3.3 square miles of it, including Cybertruck truck beds after hours if meetings or county conventions go long. All for $1 a month through the election: the cost of about a third of a breakfast taco downtown.

The Gigafactory, to be temporarily rebranded as the Travis GOP Tera-Office, will be located off Toll 130 in what may as well be Bastrop if it wasn't for the taxes and regulatory hurdles. I mean, if you hit the toll road for 20 minutes you're practically in Belton. Head a little south and you're in for some serious barbecue. But it's still technically in Travis County and the Austin metro area.

How did Austin Republicans vote on issues compared to the rest of Texas?

You know those 10 questions at the end of the Republican ballot? Assuming you were one of the 6% of voters who turned out for the GOP primary here in Travis County, you would have seen 10 questions at the end of the ballot (by comparison, Democrats had a 7% turnout statewide).

While they aren't proposed laws or new planks for consideration in the party platform, they are non-binding opinion polls that show where Republican voters are on numerous issues central to party priorities.

The State Republican Executive Committee comes up with the referenda -- one of which (No. 7) was put forth by member Olga Lasher, who represents Senate District 14. She put together a handy chart to show the difference between statewide and Travis County totals. It may be that Travis County Republicans are slightly more liberal than their statewide peers. And it could be that the lower margins reflect a trend of crossover voting (e.g. liberal voters voting in the GOP primary for one reason or another). Either way, Travis County Republicans are still giving landslide approval to these critical issues, from abortion to elections reform.

'Which is it?' ask Candlewood critics: elderly facility, domestic violence shelter, or something else entirely ...

Mayor Adler: he's no Monty Hall

Perhaps the City of Austin is telling skeptical taxpayers "Let's Make a Deal" when it comes to contradictory announcements on how to use an embattled hotel property it purchased last year.

Somewhat like the famed television game show, the Austin City Council has suggested, at various times over the past year, three ways to use the former Candlewood Suites on Pecan Park Boulevard in Northwest Austin. And which one is the real plan (if any) is anyone's guess. Here they are:

• Behind Door No. 1: a general permanent supportive housing project similar to others being implemented across the city, as discussed before the purchase.
  
  
• Behind Door No. 2: a women's shelter for domestic violence victims, as announced when the property was purchased by the Austin City Council over the summer.
  
  
• And Behind Door No. 3: a shelter for the elderly, as a Feb. 3 vote to partner with non-profit Family Eldercare would suggest. 

Project Connect claims first victim: century-old campus diner Dirty Martin's

UPDATE: The restaurant is circulating a petition here.

It may have been only a matter of time in Austin's ever-changing economic climate. But the passage of a recent light rail expansion bond may have greatly accelerated the demise of one of the places that claims to be "Austin's oldest restaurant." 

Dirty Martin's Place, open since 1926 and originally known as Martin's KumBak (earning its nickname due to its earlier lack of flooring) is apparently in the way of the Orange Line of Project Connect. It has remained a hot spot for adjacent University of Texas students for the entire time, and maintains an outdoor garden area popular in the evenings.

Manager Daniel Young, via a forum dedicated to Austin's many past-and-present greasy spoons, confirmed rumors the establishment had received notice of potential eminent domain proceedings from the city:

Beto holds candlelight vigil, croons 'Lean On Me' over 1 winter storm death per Texas county

"We all have pain ..."

During the Austin leg of Beto O'Rourke's Keeping the Lights On tour, the Texas gubernatorial hopeful whipped out the latest run in the Democratic playbook:

A candlelight vigil over a small amount of deaths.

A la U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's infamous candle-lit "prayer service" marking the one-year anniversary of the 2021 Capitol break-in, O'Rourke held a memorial for the 246 estimated deaths in last year's icy blast across the Lone Star State's 254 counties.

Both conservatives and liberals question choice of state monitor for 'out of control' Round Rock ISD

The Texas Education Agency announced the appointment of former longtime Carroll Independent School District Superintendent David Faltys to monitor the "out of control" Round Rock ISD in Central Texas.

After three years of complaints, Faltys was tapped to observe the embattled district for one year, according to the TEA letter. Faltys resigned as Carroll ISD superintendent in January after 15 years with the district.

This has raised eyebrows on the left side of aisle, as Southlake Carroll High School has been in the crosshairs of liberal-progressive interest groups after voters threw out critical race theory proponents. Left-leaning podcasts and documentaries have recently begun to paint the North Texas school and the district the poster-child for racism in predominately caucasian suburbs. NBC News dedicated a series of stories titled "Southlake," portraying the uprising of parents and taxpayers in a negative light.

But the selection of Faltys has been questioned by a wider coaliton of parents, pro-taxpayer activists, and public ed watchdogs. According to a joint press release issued by the Round Rock Parent Coalition, True Texas Project of Williamson County, Wilco We Thee People, Moms for Liberty of Williamson County, and the Travis County Taxpayers Union, Faltys has conflicts of interest that should disqualify him from placement. 

In the Spring of 2021, Faltys's consulting company was instrumental in the locating and hiring of Dr. Hafedh Azaiez as Round Rock ISD Superintendent. RRISD paid the company $32,000 for their services, with the caveat that the company would perform another search free of charge if Azaiez is terminated or quits within the first two years.

“David Faltys appears to have a clear conflict of interest in this matter, having a financial incentive to ensure Azaiez retains his employment with RRISD for at least two years.” said True Texas Project spokesman Jeremy Story. “It is very concerning that TEA would assign a monitor to oversee and advise a district who apparently has a personal financial incentive to maintain the status quo in that district.”

Dustin Clark of the Round Rock Parent Coalition called on the TEA to "immediately remove David Faltys and assign a monitor who can perform their duties impartially, with no conflicts of interest."

Clark and Story were arrested and later jailed by Round Rock ISD police at a September tax rate meeting for the district. Clark and Story defied RRISD police officers to take their seats in the same room as board trustees, although in-person access was limited under the guise of COVID-19 prevention.

If any of this is sounding familiar, it should. The accusations of corruption, open meetings law violations, and legal problems plaguing RRISD have garnered national media coverage over the past several months. From allegations of sexual impropriety by the new superintendent to attempts at censoring two conservative trustees, not to mention the arrests, Round Rock ISD may very well qualify for a documentary of its own. Below is a brief update.

Conservative Trustees take national stage, appeal for support

Trustees Danielle Weston and Mary Bone have made several high-profile appeals on national cable news shows and podcasts for peace on the elected school district board. The duo are raising funds for legal defense. 

Weston told The Travis Tracker they have attained pro bono legal representation going forward.

Censure efforts continue

Weston told The Tracker that although there is legal intervention currently taking place, her peers on the RRISD board voted 5-2 to "begin the censure process on me [and Bone] regarding three emails I sent to the Attorney General of Texas , the [Williamson County] Judge, a State Board of Education member, and some members of the public in August" regarding mask mandates in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott's orders. 

There was no evidence presented of any statutory violation, Weston added: "The real objective is to use me as an example to deter others from sharing their values or stepping forward and joining me on the board."

Zimmerman calls on Trustee Harrison to resign

Former Austin City Council member Don Zimmerman called on RRISD Trustee Tiffanie Harrison to immediately resign due to her connection to groups that appear to condone violent radicalism.

His organization, the Travis County Taxpayers Union, had previously labeled the board members pursuing censuring Weston and Bone "the Bad Faith Five" for hampering public participation in the setting of new district tax rates. 

We will continue to "monitor" the situation in Round Rock.

'It alarms me:' Austin residents given 6-minute notice on 1-year COVID extension

Extending the city of Austin's COVID-19 emergency orders for another year was placed on the agenda Friday, giving Austin residents until noon Monday to sign up to speak for a Tuesday morning meeting.

Then that already tight timetable was greatly reduced.

At 8:54 a.m. this morning, the orders were apparently amended, giving Austin residents six minutes to analyze the document prior to the first meeting of the day -- that's "zero time to respond or sign up to speak" according to the sole Republican member of the Council.

Austin community activist, businesswoman Rupal Chaudhari files for Travis County Judge

Image from press release.

Rupal Chaudhari, who for the better part of this year received a crash course in Austin/Travis County's lack of communication and responsiveness, announced her candidacy for the county's top spot at the Travis County GOP Executive Committee meeting Tuesday night.

"Travis County can do much better. And if we want to keep the Austin area from descending into the madness we see in Portland and Seattle, then we must do better," said the Republican candidate for Travis County Judge.

Wait, a Republican? Running countywide in our little blueberry in the tomato soup? Chaudhari admits it will be a tough battle taking on incumbent Andy Brown or whoever the Democratic nominee ends up being.

Move over, Napoleon Dynamite! Austin's anti-racists to dance their way to defeat Prop A

"Heads up, Austin, we gotta talk ..."

Move over, Napoleon Dynamite!

Vote today: Your 2021 Texas Constitutional Amendment Recommendations are here

Early voting begins 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 18, in the 2021 Texas Constitutional Amendment and Local Election. While there is plenty to be concerned with (notably Austin's Prop. A to restore police funding and reform law enforcement), the eight propositions to amend the Texas Constitution should not be overlooked. Most are issues of consistency with existing state law, while a few should raise eyebrows. 

Below are the Tracker's recommendations. As always, let us know in the comments if you have any additional info or different opinions. 

Your November 2021 Travis County voting guide

While Proposition A in Austin (to undo the damage done by an ill-advised and disastrous Defund the Police movement) is in the spotlight, there are many more items appearing on your ballot this October and November -- maybe even a few other Proposition As. 

Don't be caught off-guard! The Tracker has the entire list of Travis County ballot items below and which voting precincts they will appear in. We will roll out voting recommendations gradually, so check back in frequently. And if you have any recommendations of your own feel free to leave a comment below.