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.

Meet the women too hot for Austin's Pride parade (and why 'TERFs' are being de-platformed)

Although there have been some signs lately of better dialogue when it comes to differences over sexuality issues in Austin, a group of women's activists again find themselves persona non grata.

Even as Austin ISD is inviting employees, parents, and students to attend the city's Austin Pride march, and as the city has begun drumming up calls for citizens to report "hate crimes" this week, not all taxpayer voices will be included in this subsidized event.

According to speakers for the Let Women Speak rally, for their views on gender rights to be celebrated, they will have to host their own event concurrently with the officially sanctioned Austin Pride parade this Saturday at 7 p.m. The location has not yet been announced, organizers say, due to safety precautions.

Finally! Some conservative representation during 'Pride Month'

Although Austin's "Pride Month" is typically recognized in August, the city's CBS affiliate was out in full force this month with its "All in Y'all" televised special. 

Airing on KEYE-TV, Chanel 42, on Tuesday (June 27) following the 6 o'clock news, the special was about as favorable to the liberal-progressive side as one would generally expect in terms of its presentation. But despite the framing of the issues with left-of-center terminology and imagery (e.g. calling bills designed to protect women and minors "anti-LGBTQIA+" and so forth), CBS Austin, in partnership with the Texas Tribune, did a relatively bold thing: 

They provided viewers a balanced room of panelists and audience members during a town hall-style program following the special! No, seriously, they did. No moderate Republicans with social-left sympathies, either -- actual socially conservative Republicans. The town hall aired immediately after a news package on sexuality bills that passed or failed during the recently concluded 88th regular legislative session. 

Here was the lineup:

Austin-area Conservative Voter Guide: May 2023 Local Elections

Early voting polls opened this morning at 7 a.m. in the May 2023 local elections. From police accountability, to school bonds, to local board and council candidates, to the creation of new taxing districts, this will be a critical election in some places within Travis County, but in other places there may be nothing on the ballot.

To find out what's on your ballot, see if you're registered to vote, check out a map of voting locations with wait times, and more visit www.VoteTravis.com.

Below are our recommendations (updated as of 4/24/23). Special thanks to the members of the Travis County Republicans Facebook Group for their insight. If you have any suggestions of your own please feel free to use the comments or weigh-in at the link above. Please note: multiple endorsements may be included in each race.

Cutting through the hype in Austin's Prop A versus Prop B election

When cornered and left without much in the way of reasonable argument on any given ballot issue, radical Progressives in Austin will almost always resort to blaming conservatives.

Such has been the case with Proposition A versus Proposition B, appearing on the May local election ballot starting Monday, April 24, 2023.

The unsubstantiated rumor going around is that those dastardly Republicans, independent conservatives, assorted Libertarians, and any number of right-leaning rabble-rousers are behind Proposition B as a sinister means to derail Proposition A and any attempt to provide oversight of law enforcement and achieve racial justice within the capital city. And how dare they!

City of Austin cancels April Fool's Day

Austin no longer pities the fool

In an unexpected announcement, the City of Austin said it will no longer recognize April Fool's Day as an official city holiday and urges all residents to refrain from celebrating the occasion, mocking the city, or visiting comedy clubs that have a history of exposing the ignorance of local leadership.

Former Austin Mayor Steve Adler, in one of his final directives before leaving office in December, created the Federation for Austin's Reputation and Trustworthiness in order to study and empirically measure how seriously people are taking radical new changes in local policy.

Legislators 'aim to disrupt' bloated Austin subway, rail plan

After estimates that a new rail system approved by voters is already 40% over budget, and news continues to surface of how it would destroy businesses and snarl traffic, Texas legislators may soon be stepping in.

As the bill-filing deadline approaches, multiple bills have been submitted related to Project Connect, which would provide for five new rail lines (one of which would be a controversial subway crossing the lake and cutting into pedestrian business corridors), priority signaling for mass transportation, new routes to and from expanded park-and-ride sites, improved payment options, and $300,000 in "anti-displacement" funding.

Not just residents with proverbial back yards but historic businesses have cried foul at how the plan would radically change life in Austin and destroy many amenities. Now reporters are tweeting that several bills filed recently would "disrupt Project Connect" (and this after former Mayor Steve Adler said during one of his final interviews as mayor that his homelessness policies were designed to cause a "disruption" -- keep an ear out for this word).

Second anniversary of Candlewood pushback met with several surprises, announcements

Security fence around the former Candlewood Suites.

Wednesday marked the second year since Pecan Park Boulevard neighbors and business owners first read news of the city of Austin's planned $9-15M conversion of a Candlewood Suites hotel into permanent homeless housing and started banding together to stop it from happening.

MOVE Candlewood, the organization leading the fight now entering their third year, issued a press release and a year-in-review. We include that below. But this week featured quite a bit of other announcements from the homelessness solutions front -- with plenty of that activity on and surrounding the anniversary. Here's the summary:

BREAKING: Elections law violation allegations may trail exiting Austin Mayor

The new year may have originally portended a tan and rested Steve Adler, who did not seek re-election to a third term as Austin mayor. But if elections law violation allegations stick, he might find himself immediately back to work fending off charges.

Local attorney and former Travis County Judge Bill Aleshire took to Twitter early this evening to announce: 

"On behalf of Mackenzie Kelly & Linda Guerrero, I filed a criminal complaint against Steve Adler today because of this press conference using city ATXN staff, equipment & website endorsing [Zo] Qadri & [José] Velásquez https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/190448 Can’t use public funds for political advertising."

Kelly is Council member for Austin's District 6, elected in 2020. Guerrero was recently a runoff candidate for District 9, with Qadri as the victor. Velásquez won the runoff election to District 3 on the Council. The new Council and Mayor are set to be sworn-in Friday.

The Tracker obtained copies of the complaint filings to the Texas Ethics Commission and a copy of Aleshire's correspondence with Democratic Travis County Attorney Delia Garza. View them here. Aleshire also corresponded with the city regarding the complaints.

Adler: I wrecked Austin to make homelessness 'visible' (UPDATE)

In a final ask-the-mayor interview with KTBC-TV Fox 7, outgoing Austin Mayor Steve Adler finally laid down his cards regarding the strategy behind his widely criticized homelessness policies.

Observers have for the last three years scratched their heads over Adler's apparent recklessness -- the sudden removal of a public camping policy in 2019 (which he admitted did not work), a behind-the-scenes order to require Council members to identify a hotel or other building in each Council district to convert into a small shelters for millions of dollars each, and numerous other controversial decisions regarding homelessness and pubic safety in Texas's capital city. This was during a period of economic struggle, an increase in crime, and law enforcement/public safety funding cuts, leading numerous organizations to rally to "save Austin," plus action from the Texas Legislature and Governor.

Now we know why: Adler's agenda was designed to make a political point.

"... The disruption associated with our community seeing the people who were experiencing homelessness was something that had to happen." (Watch at 3:20)

TAYLOR: How to rise above manipulation of words

By Dan Taylor
Guest Contributor

I want to think out loud about how our use of words has become so twisted in the modern world.

The very definition and meaning of words are often twisted, oftentimes to fit political, cultural, or personal agendas.

We can see this on national debate stages, but more intimately, in localized manipulators that we all see in our day-to-day lives.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹

The socialist political organizer Saul Alinsky has a chapter in his book “Rules for Radicals” in which he talks about the modern manipulation of words to gain political favor, but this has existed for the past 100 years (at least, but I don’t want to dive beyond that). 

Statesman endorsement process of County Judge tilted in favor of Democratic incumbent, complete with mystery quote

That the Austin American-Statesman did not endorse the Republican candidate at the top of the countywide ballot is no surprise.

Even if the Houston Chronicle broke loose of the usual gravitational pull toward Democratic candidates and endorsed Republican contender Alexandra del Moral Mealer over Democratic incumbent Lina Hidalgo, the Statesman's top editors predictably held on to their familiar ground in the left-leaning capital of a conservative state.

Yet Travis County Judge challenger Rupal Chaudhari was right to be hopeful. Change is in the air, for reasons already predicted in numerous media outlets in the weeks leading up to this election. The issues she has raised are not the typical red versus blue struggles in D.C., or under the Pink Dome for that matter. Chaudhari has outraised and from what we can tell outworked Democratic incumbent Andy Brown. She's a candidate for the people, and to that there has been little to no questions throughout the entire year of her campaign.

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.

--30--

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).