Austin Convention Center & Prop Q, San Antonio's Project Marvel, Bastrop's botched public notice; signs of cross-partisan uprising against taxpayer abuse!

KVUE-TV on Austin United PAC files petition for public vote on $5.6B convention center fiasco.

Are local cross-partisan uprisings against taxpayer abuse going on in Texas? You know something's up when progressives and conservatives are using the same words, "Live within our means."

In Austin, voters are being asked to approve a 20% tax hike (Prop Q) just as Austin citizens filed 25,000 signatures calling for a public vote to put the Austin Convention Center $5.6 billion re-do fiasco before the voters in May. (Thanks to KVUE and the Austin Free Press coverage HERE.)

On Thursday, October 21, the imperious Austin City Council (minus the super-smart, humble and transparent Councilman Marc Duchen) decided to steamroll ahead with an initial $650,000 in tax revenue bonds for the convention center. They couldn't bring themselves to slow down even just a tad to see if the petition would be certified by the city clerk in another few weeks, much less the May vote. (See today's KVUE's coverage HERE.)

Click on the sign to be taken to McGuire's site

We are also hearing lots of chatter that Prop Q, Austin's big tax rate hike election, could be in trouble. CBS reported this on day one of early voting HERE. Also, see our article, "Christmas Came Early thanks to a guy named Nathan," about a techie guy -- Nathan McGuire -- who decided to take action on his own and did so, brilliantly and independently, including this clever sign for free digital use.

San Antonio's Project Marvel -- Props A & B

See MySA's article comparing the Austin & San Antonio Convention Center Battles.

Which downtown lobby -- San Antonio's or Austin/s -- is more clueless about the economic times? Hard to say.

As for San Antonio, the good news is its new Mayor, Gina Ortiz Jones, is leading a cross-partisan uprising against taxpayer abuse -- right now at the polls. Voters get to vote on the mega-project on the public purse -- Project Marvel. According to MySA:

"it includes a new Spurs arena, an expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, a new convention center hotel. and more downtown-area improvements. Although an exact price for each construction plan hasn't been set, city officials estimate it could cost up to $3.5 billion."

San Antonio is a city where 17% of its citizens live below the poverty line. If you believe our economy is in good shape for non-essential spending, we have a bridge to sell you.

Bastrop Taxpayer Abuse

Bastrop is in the minor leagues for clueless city spending, but for its size of just 12,000 people, its City Manager (Sylvia Carrillo) is in the running for the worst city manager seen near a city budget. Don't miss this LIV article about the city of Bastrop's issuance of $15 million of debt (viz certificates of obligation) that includes a golf course!

Did the city of Bastrop purposely botch the public notice to deny citizens the right to petition for a public vote? We're on a mission to find out.

Join us in creating your own local cross-partisan uprising against taxpayer abuse.

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