Galindo-Morrison Match Slithers Toward Finish Line
Ten thousand Austinites (plus all those undocumented immigrants who keep flooding the polls) cast their ballots during early vote, and now it’s all over but the smearing of each candidate by the other between now and Saturday’s final round.
Galindo is a Republican — or at least that’s what Morrison claims when she and her team aren’t too busy working for ex-Republican and brand-new Democrat Karen Huber in her race for Travis County Commissioner against incumbent Gerald Daughtery, who really is a Republican.
Morrison is a hypocrite — or at least that’s what Galindo says when he and his team aren’t too busy accusing her of supporting ordinances that may or may not even exist.
Turnout was 2.4 percent during early vote. Apparently, not even illegals are enthusiastic about these two candidates.
Posted on June 11, 2008 – 9:46 am by APR
17 Responses to “Galindo-Morrison Match Slithers Toward Finish Line”
A pox on both their houses.
By Pol Pot on Jun 11, 2008
wait a minute, wait a minute.
Morrison and her “team” are not working for Huber. Morrison’s consultant, David Butts, is also a consultant for Huber. End of story.
There is nothing wrong with previous Republicans seeing the light and becoming Democrats, some even running for office, like Huber, who has impeccable environmental and activist credentials by any Democratic standards. Democrats welcome converts at any point in their political lifetime.
Galindo, on the other hand, hasn’t played well with Democratic party ideals - there in lies the difference. His lack of engagement with the Austin Democratic base and his stalwart support for RECA ideas shows his Republican slant, which in Austin labels one as R.
By Out of the Office on Jun 11, 2008
OotO, Galindo’s policies are more progressive than are Morrison’s - Morrison’s McMansion Ordinance (which her own home teeters on the edge of violating) disincents affordable housing and she’s opposed all other density everywhere at every time where her hands weren’t tied beforehand. She’s all about keeping Austin safe for the Old Money; and I can’t think of anything more Republican (conservative) than that.
By M1EK on Jun 11, 2008
As much as it pains me, I agree with dahmus.
Morrison is hypocrite and ultimately dangerous to Austin. We can’t keep going the way we are and expect everything to just work out fine. We need a council that understands that growth is inevitable at this point. If we are going to remain a livable city, we need some new blood. Not just more of the same ole neighborhood association nutjobs.
By faqu on Jun 11, 2008
How can a home that was in place a hundred years before the McMansion ordinance was ever conceived “teeter on the edge” of violating it?
How does that compare to Galindo’s misrepresentation of himself as an “urban planner” when he is actually just another developer representing out of town money?
Or how about Galindo’s failure to follow city ordinances and disclose his development interests while her served on the planning commission?
Or his failure to accurately report the contributions and expenditures of his deceptive campaign?
Or his misrepresentation of facts surrounding the work of the green home task force? Is he against green, or just the green that’s not in the koolaid he has been feeding his woefully misinformed supporters–both of them?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Oh, and have you seen the tin boxes he built on Haskell Street? No wonder the East Side is turning out for Morrison. Those things be URGLY.
By Big Uncle on Jun 11, 2008
Morrison’s home is big and out of scale and is multi-family in - all things she’s virulently opposed for other people. It “teeters on the edge” of violating the ordinance if it were applied when it was built. The point isn’t illegality, it’s hypocrisy.
By M1EK on Jun 11, 2008
Hey, OofO. How is it that Huber, a lifelong Republican who switched parties for this race specifically, has “seen the light,” but Galindo, who has voted in exactly two primaries in his life (GOP in 2004, Democratic in 2008) is a Republican?
By Pol Pot on Jun 11, 2008
Oh, I also meant to note Galindo’s own statement to the AAS that he’s had his Galindo Group Austin (not a part of Galindo Group(s) elsewhere) “urban planning” company since 1995, but could only name one client–a developer planning a major project in a “town center” in Pflugerville. This is what I would call sprawl.
I am not an “urban planner.” I don’t even play one on teevee. But as I remember the best thinking in this area, those cities that work best are the most compact. We will have in-fill, higher density as the population grows. Most major cities accomplish this by going up, as is happening down town now.
We hope to preserve a walkable, bike-friendly atmosphere. I can’t see how pushing these “town centers” in the Galindo plan, most especially at _taxpayer_expense_, to the eastern edge of the city furthers this goal. If you plan on walking and pedaling around Austin if this comes to pass, you better start pedaling now.
Unless, of course, you have an “urban planning” client who wants to develop in Pflugerville. Just another Galindo card from the bottom of the deck, seems to me.
There are others. Better look real carefully at what you would get if you make the mistake of voting for this phony.
By Big Uncle on Jun 11, 2008
The point of ECT is that “taxpayer expense” happens with sprawl OR with “town centers” - but the return on taxpayer expense is much better with the town centers. (Residents of the typical sprawl crap are much more likely to drive for much longer distances - and Austin pays the bills for that; along with higher costs for other infrastructure like water/sewer/electric).
Morrison’s plan destroys walkability and bike-friendliness, both of which depend on density, which she hates (even though she lives in a multi-family building in the middle of a neighborhood; oops).
By M1EK on Jun 12, 2008
Where is this “taxpayer expense” meme coming from?
There’s been no discussion of public funding or subsidies for the town centers. The only discussion has been on how to best to focus our planned infrastructure expenses to support sustainable development in walkable centers that can be supported by transit.
This isn’t just Galindo’s plan; it’s CAMPO’s plan. The only difference between Galindo’s and CAMPO’s plan is that Galindo’s plan includes two town centers in the Southeast. Not that this stuff is rocket science. All of the town centers are at major intersections, and I don’t know why CAMPO didn’t also include the additional town centers that are in Galindo’s plan.
Morrison should just come out and be honest that she’s running against the ECT vision.
By AusJeb on Jun 12, 2008
Dear Austin Jeb: Morrison should be honest? C’mon! Honesty is for the little people. Elitists like her are above it.
By Duiker on Jun 12, 2008
AusJeb, I don’t know whose plan this is. At first Galindo said it was his and then later admitted it was based on others’ work on the planning commission; now you say it’s ECT.
Whatever its questionable origins, the plan on Galindo’s campaign web site says,
“…seven major new town centers should be developed within the
Desired Zone. Each would involve public-private partnerships
between the city and at least one major employer and
one major mixed-use developer.”
I’ve learned that what developers mean when they say “public-private partnership” is my taxes and their profits.
As I said, I prefer a compact city and don’t want to imitate Houston with its downtown vaporized and spread hither and yon. Show me the transit first, and how to pay for it before you ask me to pay for the development of Pflugerville and other points east.
By Big Uncle on Jun 12, 2008
Big Uncle, the worst enemy of the compact city is Morrison - she’s against density even downtown, much less on major transit corridors or other helpful places.
Galindo’s been involved with ECT for years - it is not a shock that his vision closely matches theirs.
By M1EK on Jun 12, 2008
If, as people, we cannot reassess our values and able to move and make choices - then what is the point of being human? Huber, who has been working on issues that make most Republicans cringe for many years, wanted to switch parties. Why is that a bad thing? And because she had been working on many county issues for a long time and had a unique understanding of them, decided she wanted to run for office - a huge personal sacrifice, if you ask me.
But then, I suppose i’m just a true believer in that public service and subjecting yourself and your family to long days and nights, public scrutiny, and spending alot of time, money and energy is a sacrifice and something to be honored. I know I would never want to run for office….
Candidates are not perfect people. I personally like both Morrison and Galindo. Should we hold candidates to higher standards than we hold ourselves, i don’t know. But what I do know is, as an active progressive, I have seen Morrison’s activism and leadership as a positive. On the other hand, I have only seen Galindo step up when RECA or a new condo developer needed a hand.
Again, just my humble opinion…and am happy to agree to disagree…
By Out of the Office on Jun 12, 2008
OotO, you’re discounting Galindo’s work on the Planning Commission and with ECT. Morrison’s activism has largely been of the reactionary variety - trying to stand athwart history yelling “stop”, as the old saying about conservatives goes.
By M1EK on Jun 12, 2008
M1EK, did you use to date morrison in high school and she dumped you for the captain of the soccer team or something? becuz you sure sound angry about her.
actually you sound pretty mad about just about everything.
By jana on Jun 13, 2008
For the Mother’s Day weekend vote (where all of 8% of the voters showed up), I received a card in the mail from Travis County just two days before. This time, was there a card sent about the election? I sure didn’t get one…I’m not surprised the turnout was low. Also, I live near Bee Caves and the Barton Creek Elementary School is about a 1/2 hour away…I moved to Austin from New York City. Why is there no Voter Guide here?
By Barry Popik on Jun 15, 2008