Balder and Dash
The runoff for Austin City Council Place 4 is beginning to come into focus, with endorsements lining up behind Laura Morrison, who led Cid Galindo in the first round last month.
The Man gives its nod to Morrison in a Sunday editorial, calling it “a close contest” but arguing that the former neighborhood activist is “the candidate with broader range.”
The Chronicle goes with Morrison, too, saying she and Galindo both “are highly experienced and very impressive candidates” but concluding that her “solid engineering and business background make her a pragmatic, nuts-and-bolts choice to succeed” the retiring Betty Dunkerly, know for her budget know-how.
Burnt Orange Report also weighs in for Morrison and her ability to lead “by earning people’s respect and getting them involved in the discussion.”
Speaking of which, what do you think?
Posted on June 2, 2008 – 9:48 am by APR
11 Responses to “Balder and Dash”
Neither of these candidates is likely to set the woods on fire. But then the council member they are running to replace never did either.
By Pol Pot on Jun 2, 2008
In my opinion, Ms. Morrison’s endorsements from the “establishment” are all the evidence needed to show that she would be just more of the same on a city council that does more meddling in our private lives than solving real problems.
By Jules Reston on Jun 3, 2008
Jules, there’s a huge difference - Morrison would be like Jackie Goodman’s second coming, if not worse - I wouldn’t be surprised if one of her first actions was to promise to always vote on the side of a valid neighborhood petition, for instance, even though said petition already requires a supermajority (5-2) to override.
None of the current city council are quite that irresponsible. And Galindo would be a lot better than that.
By M1EK on Jun 3, 2008
Uncomfortable though it may be to favor a candidate endorsed by the Real Estateman, it’s clear that both the Chronicle and BOR have seen through the fluff and padding in his resume to view Galindo as just another unqualified rich Republican running on his daddy’s money.
Morrison, on the other hand, has a proven record as a problem solver and, if they had asked me, I would have said I vastly prefer some one with her real credentials over Galindo’s manufactured “urban planner” ruse. After all, who need disaster management more than Austin City Hall?
By Big Uncle on Jun 3, 2008
Proven record? What boards and/or commissions did she serve on that showed she could reconcile anything but the narrow interests represented by the NIMBY subculture embodied in Austin NAs? And most of the density she takes credit for not opposing was explicitly called for in the OWANA plan written and passed before she got involved in the NA’s leadership (so her hands were effectively tied).
By M1EK on Jun 3, 2008
I agree with M1EK. Morrison is narrowly focused on the neighborhoods and liberal elitists who think they know best how the rest of us should live. I would rather have “an unqualifed Republican” on the city council than an unqualified elitist.
By Spite House on Jun 3, 2008
” Neighbors”=residents=people=Austin community.
“Urban planner”=developer=profit for daddy in College Station.
How about some magic beans?
By Big Uncle on Jun 3, 2008
I have been undecided in this race, but Big Uncle’s venomous attacks have finally made my choice for me. I’m voting early today. For Cid Galindo.
By S. Bates on Jun 4, 2008
Have you been paying attention to the housing crisis at all Statesman? How can you possibly support a candidate that will make it even more difficult to sell an existing home in Austin? Laura Morrison thinks it’s OK to literally take equity from homeowners with this point-of-sale ordinance. And how magnanimous of her to want to protect those in lower-income brackets. What about the middle-class that is already taking it on the chin with lower home values and high gas prices? I guess it’s OK to bleed a few more dollars out of us, huh? Not sure I am crazy about Cid. But if he is a NO vote on point of sale, I am a YES vote for him!
Even a 1 to .5% cap on the cost of mandates will hurt the affordability of homeownership in Austin. No city council has the right to take away that American Dream from it’s constituents. In the case of many first time homebuyers or those from an economic disadvantage, adding $1000 to the cost of owning a home will price them out of the market. Laura Morrison has said that she would support some upgrades in the form of a mandate. No matter how small the price, the effect remains the same. I vote for Cid because he has vowed to protect the ability to own a home in Austin.
The Statesman misfires once again! Laura Morrison represents the old Austin mentality that has got us stuck with the problems we have today—traffic and sprawl! And now she wants to stick it to hard working homeowners by requiring them to have a permit to sell their homes. I know you think that issue is “bubbling just below the surface at city hall,” but it threatens to bury us homeowners out here in the real world and cripple an already weak housing market. Wake up Statesman! Laura Morrison is bad for Austin!
By Greg on Jun 4, 2008
It’s becoming clear that Galindo’s few supporters like their political dialogue as fact-free as their candidate’s resume, but for those who still believe in reality, you might want to check what the Statesman and the Chronicle say about Galindo’s fraudulent mailer.
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/06/03/0603place4.html
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Blogs/News?oid=oid%3A630872
By Big Uncle on Jun 4, 2008
I’m just curious, because I feel like I go to a lot of public events where I see Morrison — where is Cid Galindo hiding? I have yet to meet him or even lay eyes on him in person.
By MeanRachel on Jun 4, 2008