Early Voting
Filed under: Politics

Early voting began yesterday and will continue on until Tuesday, May 3. Voting in city elections isn’t as humdrum as you probably think it is. It’s a great group activity for instance, go out to the polling place with the guys, vote, exchange high fives, go get some beers, discuss the ramifications of the ACC annexation proposal. It’s also a great place to bring a date to let him/her know how politically conscious you are: you even vote in city elections! And if you don’t have a date, did we mention that polling places are rife with attractive singles? And you’ll always have a conversation starter, try these:

“Those ballots are so confusing aren’t they?”
“Did I see you here last election?”
“You are turning me on sooooo much right now.”
and the time honored, “Who did you vote for.”

But while you’re at the polling place don’t forget to vote, you usually get a sticker. Don’t know where to go or who to vote for? Here’s some helpful links:

Killfloor’s Guide to the 2005 City Elections
Endorsements [Chronicle]
Endorsements [Statesman]
More Endorsements [Daily Texan]
Where To Vote, Schedule [County Clerk’s Office]
You can also call 512-238-VOTE to find out about voting locations.

More on the Smoking Ban
Filed under: Politics

After posting our novel-length guide to the upcoming city elections (link below). We’ve overheard many a heated discussion at various coffee shops concerning the Anti-Smoking Referendum. And since the next best thing to overhearing discussions at coffee shops is reading blogs, we’d thought it be a good idea to send you over to ill-sorted ephemera, where much more time and thought has been put into the matter. There’s a good selection of articles concerning the issue, for and against. And you don’t even have to go to a coffee shop.

Smoking Ban In Austin? (scroll down) [Ill-Sorted Ephemera]
Also see: Killfloor’s Guide To The 2005 City Elections

Killfloor’s Guide To The 2005 City Elections
Filed under: Politics

The City of Austin Elections are coming up pretty soon (early voting starts April 20), and some fairly important issues are being decided. You’ve got like a week to vote for this shit, so you probably should. Now, just so you don’t go and randomly press buttons (fun though it may be) we’ve put together a little guide of the issues at hand. Sure some of the commentary is a little biased, but we’re much too lazy to give you both sides of an issue (besides, if you don’t agree with us then you know what not to vote for, don’t you). So here’s our fucked up guide to the city elections.

(more…)

Stricter Smoking Ordinance Likely
Filed under: Music, Politics

From this week’s Chronicle:

“‘With the Disney-fication of Sixth Street, we’ve had live [original] music venues get outpriced and move onto Red River,’ says Wickham. ‘And the bars that are on Red River right now, we’ve survived the economic downturns that have happened over the last three or four years. We’ve survived poor city planning that put a homeless shelter right across the street from my bar. And yet this smoking ordinance threatens me in a way that poor city planning and economic downturns never could. That’s the concern.

‘This is something real, and quite frankly, all the live music venues and all of the bands I’ve talked to, we’re scared. There are no two ways about it. I’m not going to lie and say we think we can beat this thing. We’re scared. We’re really scared. This is going to change not only our business but what Austin is to everybody who comes here, and the only thing we can do about it is try to better inform people right now.’”

Smoke Signals [Chronicle]

Municipal Wi-fi Threatened
Filed under: Politics, Technology

More from the 79th session of the Texas legislature today, also known as the longest running April Fools joke of all time, concerning bill HB 789; which, if passed, would make it impossible for municipalities in Texas to start Wi-fi programs in libraries, parks, and other public places. The bill has garnered support from many representatives, including Rep. Phil King (the bill’s sponsor) and wireless broadband provider SBC, who feel that free municipal Wi-fi is directly competing with businesses whose job it is to deliver wireless internet. As Rep. King puts it, “No business should have to compete with public tax dollars.”
The thing is: SBC, although they may think otherwise, does not own the Internet. Nor do they own the radio waves used by wireless internet or the air in which they reside. These things are in fact owned by the people via the government. If offering Wi-fi in public places infringes on SBC’s right to free-market competition then the world must have gone mad without me noticing. To even remotely compete with businesses then the city would have to offer Wi-fi as a for-profit program. Something which no city has ever done or, as far as I know, planned to do.
But they’re still making a big deal about it. Come on guys, the joke’s not funny anymore.

Text of HB 789 [PDF]
Phil King Still Confused [SaveMuniWireless.org]

Central Texas Toll Roads: Inconvenience Postponed
Filed under: Politics

If you’re like us, then the thought of a leisurely drive down 360 interrupted by a government employee requesting you give them money is a less-than-appealing prospect. Add this to a proposed $22 billion price tag and you’ve got a pretty ugly proposal. This is the opinion expressed repeatedly by Austinites in transportation meetings, with reasons ranging from risks of increased taxes to environmental damage. But this doesn’t mean the plan has died. On Monday night the regional toll road planning board voted to postpone the plan. This adds a little bit more jeopardy to the establishment of the whole toll road proposal, since June 12 is the federal deadline to adopt the plan.
Besides the disapproval of some of the board members, this may have something to do with how the plan lays out funding for the toll roads. One source of funding in the current plan would include the proposed hike in the state gas tax in an attempt to tie it to inflation. House Bill 5 would raise the tax by nearly a penny; which, granted, isn’t a whole lot, but doesn’t sound too attractive considering I just had to take out a loan to fill my tank. The bill seems unlikely to pass, but it’s curious to note that many Representatives see an increased gas tax as unnecessary if toll roads are to go into effect. So we have ourselves a little catch-22. Oh the irony!
House Bill 2481, concerning a proposed emissions reduction program, also includes a portion of the State Highway Fund going towards the cost of the toll road plan. Although the Chairman of the Environmental Regulation Committee, Rep. Dennis Bonnen (who also helped to draft the bill), was reluctant to say whether or not the funds would actually end up going towards toll roads, which have been targeted by a few environmental groups for proposing construction in the sacred Barton Creek Watershed.
Keep in mind the toll roads wouldn’t be finished until around 2030. But still, they suck.

Board Postpones Toll Road Plan [Daily Texan]
House Bill Would Raise State Gas Tax [Chronicle]
Bill would cost highway fund a half billion dollars [Statesman]

John Kerry To Speak At UT
Filed under: Politics

You may remember Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. He is probably best known for running for President way back in 2004 (he lost). You may also remember his lack of campaigning in the state of Texas. It makes sense after all, because he probably would have been shot along some highway by a crazed redneck ala Easy Rider. But Senator Kerry has recently figured out that he can book a flight directly to the speck of blue amidst a sea of red that is Travis county.
John Kerry will be speaking on Saturday at the University of Texas’ Recreational Sports Center located on campus at 2100 San Jacinto Blvd (thanks to the University Democrats). The discussion will be a town hall style forum concerning children’s health insurance and his “Kids First” initiative (and recreational sports?) . This shit goes down at 10am sharp (Kerry is never late) and anybody is welcome to attend. However there’s only so many people who can fit in a building so visit the link below to reserve up to four spaces.

RSVP [JohnKerry.com]
Event Details [UDems]
Directions [Google Maps]

UDems Party
Filed under: Politics, Parties

The University Democrats are apparently organizing another quaint get-together. Of course these gatherings always tend to grow out of hand with all of that political fervor and downright liberal frustration, so you can expect that the event will be generally “off-the-hook”.
Actually, the party is in honor of the University Democrats garnering of the much coveted(?) title: Most Outstanding Organization on Campus. So congratulations are surely in order, because it’s good to see that Democrats can win something in Texas.
I understand the party commences at 10:30pm. For directions and more information visit the UDem website.