posted Jun 13, 2011 7:16 AM by Stop The Shafts Now
The City council runoff election between Kathie Tovo and incumbent Randi Shade is a battle for the future of Austin. This election has consequences. Think about the votes they make in City Council. Think about the back room deals. Even the appointees to boards and commissions matter. That outrageous Mike Levy letter you received? It was written by the same Mike Levy that Randi Shade appointee on the Public Safety Commission. Is that the kind of person you want making decisions for you? That's the kind of person Randi Shade appoints.
Special interests, law firms, developers, and especially Formula One and WTP4 contractors are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into getting out the vote. It's all on the line and they are using spin, misrepresentation of facts and positions, scare tactics and outright lies to drive turnout. They are lining up every organization they can and asking each member to get five others to vote for Shade. This is not the usual runoff election with tiny turnout. There will be more votes than the main election.
The Kathie Tovo campaign needs your help. We need to counteract Shade's astroturf machinations with all-out grassroots get-out-the-vote efforts. It is very simple. If we get everyone who wants a change of direction at City Hall out to vote, Kathie will win. If too many of us sit at home we will lose.
Here is how you can help.
Call A-L on your phone address book and get them to vote for Kathie
Call M-Z and get them to vote for Kathie
Put 'Vote for Kathie Tovo' under your email signature.
On your iPhone or Android, put "Sent by a voter 4 Kathie Tovo"
Put the link www.kathieforaustin.com on your emails
Put shoe polish on your car window on the last day of early voting, June 14. "Last Day 2 Early Vote 4 Kathie Tovo!" Drive around.
Put shoe polish on your car window on election day, June 18: "Vote Today 4 Kathie Tovo!" Drive around.
Call 590 KLBJ-AM 836-0590 during call-in shows and talk about Kathie.
Hand out 10 yard signs today
Email all your friends today about why they should vote for Kathie Tovo.
Post on your Facebook wall about why you're voting for Kathie Tovo.
Join Twitter. Follow @KathieTovo then retweet stuff!
Ask your favorite local business to put a Kathie Tovo sign in their window.
Go to the campaign office and volunteer to help for 1 hour.
Go to the campaign office and make phone calls for Kathie. Any time before 9pm.
Go to the campaign office and make signs for Kathie.
Get some friends together and go stand with your Kathie signs at your local precinct on June 18. Tell people to vote for Kathie.
Call the press and tell them to cover the city council race more.
Bring a brown bag lunch and come work at the Tovo office.
Got $25? Send the Tovo campaign some money right now.
Talk a Randi Shade supporter into voting for Kathie Tovo.
The campaign needs you. Your city needs you. |
posted Jun 8, 2011 3:22 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
|
With our strong vote for Kathie Tovo in the previous city council election in May 2011 (we were among the highest percentage as well as number of votes cast), our neighborhoods have gotten the attention of City Hall and election campaigns across the city. If we all vote in the run-off election, we will have a say in future decisions that the City Council may make, and we will be heard. For this reason, we need to VOTE this time!
Randi Shade's backers are throwing huge resources at this race. They know that if Kathie Tovo wins, they will not be insiders soaking up money from the taxpayers like they did with Shade. Kathie's grassroots campaign relies on volunteers like us. Kathie will not owe the special interests when she is on the Council, she will listen to us.
This election will be won on turnout. Clearly, a majority of Austinites want Kathie Tovo to take over the City Council Place. Kathie came close to a majority in the first round and soundly beat Shade. Max Nofziger and Kris Bailey, the other two candidates have both endorsed Kathie Tovo in this runoff.
Stop the Shafts endorses Kathie Tovo. We have a commitment from Kathie to take a fresh look at WTP4 including our Shaft site. We are confident that we will win on the merits. We know that risking the destruction of the headwaters of Bull Creek with Austin Water Utility's current Shaft plan is irrational. We know that the City's own figures prove that WTP4 is not needed for many years, if ever. |
posted Jun 8, 2011 3:21 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
Early Voting is June 6-14. The Randall's at 183 and Braker is closest to this area.
Election Day is Saturday, June 18, 7AM-7PM. For Precincts 335 & 336 combined, Heartland Healthcare on Rustic Rock at Spicewood Springs Road is the polling place. This is a change from previous elections.
See http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/election/intro_eng.htm for complete election information.
It is vital that you come out and vote. If we don't win this seat, expect the blasting to start in September at the Shaft site in the middle of our neighborhood.
Endorsement
Place 3- Kathie Tovo http://www.kathieforaustin.com/
Kathie is committed to good government and fiscal responsibility.
By electing Kathie Tovo to replace incumbent Randi Shade; we can force a review of Water Treatment Plant 4.
Unstopped, WTP4, will be the biggest financial and environmental debacle in the history of Austin. Randi Shade is the biggest supporter of WTP4 on the Council after Mayor Leffingwell. He's not up for election yet, but Shade is. She is the mouthpiece of the special interests getting ready to take $1.4 Billion from us and put it in their pockets. She doesn't care if she destroys Bull Creek along with our home values. |
posted May 24, 2011 3:29 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
Stop the Shafts Scores Big Win
Congratulations to Chris Riley, Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo. Stop the Shafts endorsed all three candidates. Chris and Laura won outright. Kathie finished 13 points ahead of Randi Shade and they are headed to a runoff on Saturday June 18.
The June 18 runoff is vitally important. We need a great turnout to get Kathie Tovo in office and send Randi Shade back to private life. Kathie has agreed to take a fresh look at the WTP4 project and act for the benefit of the people of Austin, not the contractors and developers who so far have controlled the project. Randi Shade is committed to the current WTP4 plan. That plan is fiscally irresponsible and environmentally disastrous. Shade and Mayor Leffingwell are the driving forces behind putting the Shaft in our neighborhood park, endangering Bull Creek and our safety and health.
Political experts are publicly urging Randi Shade to concede and save Austin the $500,000 cost of the runoff election. No incumbent council member has ever won a runoff after a general election defeat of this magnitude. With over $1Billion at stake on WTP4, we expect Shade's backers to throw another $100K plus at this race in hopes they can pull it out. It's still a smart investment for them: Spend a little of their money to get their hands in the pockets of the ratepayers and taxpayers. Our response needs to be a strong turnout.
Unregistered citizens still have the opportunity to vote in the June 18 runoff. You must register by Wednesday May 18. Go here for registration information http://www.votexas.org/register_to_vote.html |
posted May 11, 2011 4:14 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
[
updated May 11, 2011 4:17 PM
]
Election Day is Saturday, May 14, 7AM-7PM. For most of us, Canyon Vista is the polling place.
This Is Our Chance To Shift the Balance of Power on the Austin City Council From the Developers to the Citizens
GET RID OF RANDI SHADE , and the city council can stop the one billion dollar mistake on the lake!
WE RECOMMEND :
Place 1 : Chris Riley
Place 3 : Kathy Tovo
Place 4 : Laura Morrison
Randi Shade appears poised to face either a run-off or outright defeat next Saturday. Let's make sure that happens.
Why? Just take a look at SHADE'S voting record, public behavior and policies while in office. Voters are turned off by her tin ear, her emailed comments about citizens who appear before council and other rude and insensitive remarks, her involvement in the Open Meetings Act violations and her casual attitude about maintaining ethics accreditation.
Her unwavering support of the Water Treatment Plant #4 while simultaneously accepting huge sums of campaign cash from well-connected lobbyists, engineering firms, and developer interests has disappointed many former supporters who are looking for a fresh face on council.
VOTE to REMOVE SHADE
WHY?---
1) 1.5 Billion Dollar water treatment plant (WTP4) on Lake Travis (extreme NW Travis County) to send water to extreme SE Travis County ( south of Slaughter)
The funny part, the mayor and Randi Shade say it's to save money!! And of course, firms working on this project have contributed over $15,000 to her campaign. Go to http://awu.austinissues.org/ for a complete list of contributors.
NOT TO WORRY. They will get their $15,000 back, your water rates will double to pay the $1.5 Billion dollars for WTP4. - 100,000 % return, not bad.
2) Northwest Austin - Y'all have heard of our fight to save Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, Bull Creek, and the PARD site( the triangle at Spicewood Springs Rd. and Old Lampasas Trail).
The city vowed not to destroy delicate areas, not to damage Bull Creek, basically to tiptoe through the tulips in endangered areas.
Now that they've gotten the go ahead, the truth comes out. The city is demanding VARIANCES to DRILL AND BLAST in the safety zone near the creeks and springs. The city's own environmental specialists say the safety zones exist to protect the creeks and no construction is allowed. The water flow in Bull Creek is in danger, threatening endangered species, recreational use and the natural beauty of parks and greenbelts all the way to Lake Austin.
WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO IS $$$, OVER ONE BILLION OF THEM. The question is WHO is making all this money??... and who is facilitating it? - Randi Shade sure is!
And WHO IS PAYING FOR IT? The last question is easy - WE ARE!! /
If you don't want keep paying, get out and vote! |
posted Apr 11, 2011 3:09 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
To see the full article with links to the candidate websites, go to http://www.mountainneighborhood.com/node/95
On Tuesday, April 19th at 6:30pm, the Mountain Neighborhood Association (MNA) will host a candidate forum for the upcoming Austin City Council elections to be held on May 14th.
Voters must be registered by April 14th in order to vote in the upcoming election.
Go here for registration information http://www.votexas.org/register_to_vote.html
The forum will be held at Mountainview Park (located at 8950 Westerkirk Drive, Austin TX 78750) and will provide northwest Austin residents a chance to meet the candidates and learn about their vision for Austin. This forum is open to all Austin residents, so please forward this invitation to friends in other neighborhoods who might like to attend and encourage them to share the information with their neighborhood associations. Updated information can be found on the MNA website at http://mountainneighborhood.com.
Since much of northwest Austin has been annexed over the past 10 years, we historically have not been as involved with Austin politics and our voter turnout and representation has been fairly low. We encourage residents to become more informed about the issues and the candidate's views for the upcoming election.
The following candidates are running for office -- almost all of the candidates have confirmed they will attend the forum:
Place 1: Roger Chan, Josiah Ingalls, Norman Jacobson, Chris Riley
Place 3: Kris Bailey, Max Nofziger, Randi Shade, Kathie Tovo
Place 4: Toby Hill, Laura Morrison, Eric Rangel
To provide some background information on the candidates, please see the candidate's responses to the Austin Neighborhood's Council (ANC) questionnaire from their candidate forum (ANC is a council made up of representatives from homeowner associations throughout Austin, so we felt their questionnaire provided a good overview of issues). We encourage residents to view the responses before the forum and submit additional questions they feel have not been addressed, particularly questions pertinent to northwest Austin.
ANC Endorsements and more information http://ancweb.org/resources.htm
Forum Agenda
Introduction
Opening statements (2 minutes per candidate)
Questions posed to candidates (1 minute responses per candidate)
Opportunity to talk with candidates one-on-one.
Residents should submit questions for the candidates to Eric Deal, MNA President, see http://www.mountainneighborhood.com/ for his email address.
Questions for the forum will be selected from those submitted. This is your opportunity to find out each candidate's views on a variety of topics that affect northwest Austin. |
posted Jan 21, 2011 7:44 AM by Stop The Shafts Now
Spicewood Springs Road Tunnel Coalition, Joe Wheeler and Save Our Springs Alliance File Suit against the City of Austin for Taking Bull Creek Park Land for Construction of a Massive Water Tunnel
Last Friday the Bull Creek citizen group, Spicewood Springs Road Tunnel Coalition, Bull Creek park neighbor Joe Wheeler, and Save Our Springs Alliance, an environmental watchdog group, filed suit in Travis County District Court challenging the City of Austin's planned use of Bull Creek park land for construction of a large water transmission tunnel for the City's Water Treatment Plant No. 4 project.
The planned eight-to-ten feet diameter tunnel would extend over six miles from the water plant site at FM 2222 and RM 620 to a large water storage tank at McNeil Road and US 183. The tunnel would pass under Bull Creek and the Balcones Canyonlands endangered species preserve.
The construction shaft challenged in the lawsuit would be 30 feet in diameter and an estimated 70 to 100 feet deep. It is located at the intersection of Spicewood Springs Road and Old Lampasas Trail. The site is adjacent to a Bull Creek tributary and within 50 feet of the 32 unit Bull Creek Ranch condominium complex. Construction is planned to last two-and-one-half years.
On December 16th, 2010 a 4-to-3 Austin City Council majority voted in favor of taking roughly a half acre of park land on Bull Creek for a construction shaft site. The diversion of parkland for the construction was supported by Mayor Lee Leffingwell and councilmembers Mike Martinez, Sheryl Cole, and Randi Shade.
Councilmembers Laura Morrison, Bill Spelman, and Chris Riley opposed the park land taking and supported neighborhood and environmental opposition to the project.
Chapter 26 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code prohibits the diversion of park lands to non-park use unless a governing body holds a public hearing and makes formal findings that there "are no feasible and prudent alternatives" to the taking of the park land, and that "all reasonable planning to minimize harm" to the park land has been addressed.
The suit seeks to enjoin the city from using the park land, or nearby endangered species preserve land, for construction of the planned water tunnels.
Joe Wheeler, a plaintiff in the suit, points out that "I sold this land to the city to be used only as a park after the city repeatedly refused to let me develop it. Now the city plans to use the land for a major mining operation and has failed to follow its own ordinances and has violated state laws that protect parkland against misuse."
According to members of plaintiff, Spicewood Springs Road Tunnel Coalition:
We used to believe the citizens of Austin had a voice in their government, but our experiences showed just the opposite. The city's water utility was granted permission to proceed with a mining operation and concrete plant on Bull Creek park land without plans to minimize harm to the land, the water, or protected wildlife. We have no choice but to seek relief in court.
Austin residents have spent the past 25 years working for a balance between the protection of significant park land and the growth of a vibrant city. The Chapter 26 hearing held last December showed that not only is the water utility allowed to disregard a multitude of city codes and procedures, but to do so across some of the most fragile land in the city. The Balcones Canyonlands and Bull Creek Preserves are the product of the investment of millions of dollars and decades of hard work. Relying on the "confidence" of the water utility is not sufficient. Confidence is a feeling, and important decisions are made with facts.
There are several feasible and prudent alternatives to this proposed boondoggle project - alternatives that would save Austin water ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars in the years ahead. At the same time we would protect Bull Creek park and preserve land from needless destruction.
Despite the fact that the city's Parks Advisory Board refused to recommend the use of the park for construction purposes, the City Council majority determined to proceed full steam ahead with the project. The City Council majority has repeatedly disregarded the input of its advisory boards in proceeding with the WTP4 project. We agree with the Parks advisory board that study of the affect of the proposed construction on Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, area parks and the ecosystem of Bull Creek and its tributaries is a necessary prerequisite to the decision where and whether to locate WTP4 in the midst of sensitive protected habitat for endangered species. The City appears to have given no consideration, as it is required by state law, to the affect of the proposed construction on the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve.
The City plans to begin construction of the water transmission tunnel in the fall of this year. However, the City has initiated construction of the water plant and plans to in begin construction of a two-mile tunnel between Lake Travis and the plant site some time next month.
|
posted Jan 17, 2011 11:21 AM by Tami Tolbert Kagy
[
updated Jan 17, 2011 11:22 AM
]
Dec 16th, 2010 (Thursday): Attend city council meeting. Be at City Hall by 4pm. The vote is slated to be the last agenda item so citizen, AWU presentations, and the following city council vote should start at 4pm. This is the last public meeting the City will hold on the Shaft. If you want to stop the blasting of a mineshaft next to pristine Bull Creek and 50 feet from homes, this is your last chance. No matter whether we lose or win this vote, we need everyone to come out so the City knows they have to keep our neighborhood and our environment safe.
A huge turnout will be our notice to the city council members who are ignoring the law, the public good and the safety of the Bull Creek ecosystem that we will hold them accountable.
--------
Nov 18th: City council votes 4-3 to give a $299 M blank check to AWU. Austinites are now on the hook for this wasteful project with rate increases into perpetuity.
Nov 10th: Water and Wastewater commission voted against the requested blanket approval.
Oct 26th: The PARD full board voted unanimously (7-0) to delay the Chapter 26 decision on the shaft site. They are awaiting completion of the environmental studies and risk mitigation. A big thank you to the board for patiently listening to the concerns from the citizens, asking critical questions and finally taking a stand. |
posted Oct 4, 2010 8:17 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
[
updated Oct 4, 2010 8:20 PM by Tami Tolbert Kagy
]
Save the Date!
Parks and Recreation Board Hearing on Oct 11 at 6PM
Mexican American Cultural Center
600 River Street
The City of Austin has given up its reprehensible plan to do the tunnel drilling from the park site at Spicewood Springs Road / Old Lampasas Drive and transport thousands of truckloads of rocks through our neighborhood.
This is an important success. But it is not enough, and here is why:
The Plan to Dynamite a 30ft Diameter Tunnel Is Still in Force - 50 feet from the Bull Creek Ranch homes.
Environmental Risks Are the Same as Before: Hydraulic fluid and raw sewage will run into Bull Creek whenever the substandard sewage lift station at Scotland Well Drive and Spicewood Springs Road fails.
The City Is Understating the Amount of Construction Activity and Traffic. A cement factory will be on site, and pipe laying is planned from there.
The City Likely Will Grade the Mountain Neighborhood Entrance and use it as parking and staging area.
Once the Shaft Is There, the City Will Be Back. Austin Water Utility wants to take the Park so they can use it at will. Once the shaft is there, the City can expand operations with far fewer hurdles to pass. Plans for a future second pipeline are already in place following the same route.
Therefore, our position remains: No Shaft!
We continue to make our case. On October 11 there is the Chapter 26 hearing with the Land and Facilities Sub-Committee of the Parks and Recreation Board. We need to convince the Board that the use of the site for a mining operation poses an unacceptable risk to Bull Creek and there are suitable engineering alternatives.
This meeting is very important. It is our chance to put the brakes on this plan. It is important that many people show up at this meeting. Please take two hours to attend this meeting, a small investment that will save you from construction traffic, a decline in home values and save your child's school quality. Save the date and don't count on your neighbor to attend instead of you.
October 11th, 6pm
Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River Street
Please check the websites for ride sharing info
http://www.stoptheshafts.com/
www.facebook.com/noshaft
The City has the right to reschedule this meeting with 72 hours notice. So please check EOD Friday 10/08 on the website for any updates and confirmation of the hearing date.
Thank you for your support. We hope to see you there! |
posted Sep 26, 2010 8:05 PM by Stop The Shafts Now
[
updated Sep 26, 2010 8:50 PM by Tami Tolbert Kagy
]
Important News Release: City Backs Down on Spicewood Springs Shaft Plan Critical Event! Hold the date: October 11 at 6PM - Parks Board Hearing. See the bottom of this message for details. Austin Water Utility Agrees to Eliminate 10,000 Dump-Truck Trips On Spicewood Springs Road Citing serious concerns expressed by neighbors (that's us!), City Manager Marc Ott delivered a memorandum to the Austin City Council recommending "changing the shaft in the Spicewood Springs / Old Lampasas Trail area from a working shaft to a retrieval shaft." Mayor Leffingwell supported this plan at a meeting held Friday, September 24 with Stop the shafts members at City Hall. See the City's announcement at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/water/wtp4/wtp4_news.cfm?nwsid=2614 A Quick Overview The shaft would connect to the proposed tunnel between the Lake Travis Water Treatment Plant 4 (WTP4) and the water tank at McNeil & 183. Changing to a retrieval shaft means the rubble extracted from the tunnel would not come out at the Shaft, but rather at the endpoints. This would move approximately 10,000 dump-truck loads from Spicewood Springs Road to the endpoints of the tunnel. The Good News This is a huge improvement over the original plan. It means that our months of opposition has finally gotten the City to consider the safety of the thousands who use Spicewood Springs Road every day. The City also estimates shaft construction will be reduced from 36 months to 13 months duration. The Bad News The City still wants to blast a 30-foot mineshaft on parkland at Spicewood Springs & Old Lampasas Road. There would still be major truck traffic, a concrete plant, and unacceptably high risks to the residents. A major risk that the City is trying to finesse is to the environment. The obsolete solid waste lift stations on Spicewood Springs Road recently failed again, as so often happens after rainfall. The result was over 180,000 gallons of sewage in Bull Creek. The constant runoff of springs and groundwater into the shaft, in addition to the muck and other fluids coming from the hole, are going into those lift stations. That means that every time a lift station malfunctions, Bull Creek will be polluted. What We Can Do Now that the City is finally compromising, it is time to move them to a plan that WE can live with.This is a big step in the right direction, but it's not enough. There is a Parks Board Chapter 26 hearing scheduled for October 11 at 6PM. It is at the Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River Street. This is where we make our case against blasting a mineshaft into our park on the banks of Bull Creek. Unless Austin Water manages to postpone it again, we will organize to make our case at this meeting. Mark the date on your calendar. Carpool plans wil be announced. The more people we have there, the better our chances. |
|
