Levy Shows Ott What It Means To Keep Austin Weird
Texas Monthly publisher and town crank Mike Levy has welcomed new Austin City Manager to town with one of his patented email exchanges designed to demonstrate the truth behind our fair city’s reputation for keepin’ it weird.
The electronic flap revolves around Ott’s recent appointment of a new director for the Austin-Travis Co. EMS, an agency in which Levy has shown a long and sometimes volatile interest. According to Levy’s emails, Ott failed to honor an informal agreement with a deputy to departed city manager Toby Futrell last year, before Ott hit town. Levy disagreed with Ott’s appointment, complaining that he should have consulted with county officials before making it.
“Mr. Ott, you have showed me who you are,” Levy sent him in a blustery message.
Ott was unimpressed. “Your characterization of me is objectionable sir and I reject it.”
Levy apologized, reports The Man. In the nick of time, too. Ott might have sent Mayor Will Wynn to the magazine to teach its longtime publisher a lesson.
Posted on March 19, 2008 – 1:02 pm by APR
6 Responses to “Levy Shows Ott What It Means To Keep Austin Weird”
Levy is a bully. Sometimes a bully with good intentions. But a bully just the same.
By Pol Pot on Mar 20, 2008
Mike Levy is The Awesome.
We need more outspoken people like him in Austin.
By MeanRachel on Mar 20, 2008
Outspoken is good.
Beating up on city staff like he’s done in the past (not people at Ott’s level, but rank-and-file people just trying to do a good job) is not good.
By M1EK on Mar 20, 2008
I can’t really comment on ML’s behavior toward city staff. I can say that any interaction I’ve had with him over the last 15 years has been incredibly positive!
Incidentally, are you the same M1EK who is beating up on me over on Austin360’s best local bloggers?
Jeesh, I can’t shake you!
By MeanRachel on Mar 20, 2008
Beating up? I just reinforced your meanness!
One I can remember clearly is that ML made some poor city staffer’s life hell for a while because he thought her investigation of car-sharing was ridiculous (an investigation she was directed to do by her bosses at the city council). Real good call on that one too, ML - Austin CarShare appears to be doing very well now.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:160996
Rare image of M1EK contained within as well. (Probably why I remember this one in particular).
By M1EK on Mar 20, 2008
“The calm, personable, real-life Levy is quite different from online Levy — a hell-raiser who regularly criticizes officials and staff in shrill manifestos laden with insults.”
I am pretty sure ML is a hell-raiser in person as well as via email. Calm & personable are the last words I’d use to describe him.
Which I’m not saying is a bad thing (this coming from someone whose public persona is labeled “mean”).
M1EK, you’re all over the Austin Chronicle commentary. I might volunteer as your Wikipedia article creator.
By MeanRachel on Mar 20, 2008