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Resident next to planned facility asked important questions Piney Creek at Riverwood Drive, northern side of the city of Bastrop. On Monday night, September 15, the room was full at the Kerr Community Center in the city of Bastrop. Participants struggled to talk to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality at its official public meeting on the pending Wastewater Permit application by Utilities, Inc. Of Texas (formerly Corix) / Permit No. WQ0013548001. The meeting was about water quality threats if there is a 10X increase in wastewater into the Colorado River in the county and city of Bastrop, if the Permit is granted.   It wasn't easy. Residents are just people, mostly not scientists or policy experts, though there were policy experts there, some positively surprisingly so. But “just people” are capable of speaking from their heart, and they did. LIV was there, following water and land stewards at Environmental Stewardship , Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund , Save Our Springs Alliance , farmer, land steward, and former reporter extraordinaire Skip Connett, and Chap Ambrose, community activist and BBQ King for us all   at Keep Bastrop Boring. We were able to capture testimony on short videos linked below. Though we were glad to see three City of Bastrop Council Members -- Kerry Fossler, Kevin Plunkett,  and John Kirkland -- in attendance, they said nothing, asked no questions during the open question agenda item, and in some cases, asked not to be recognized as such in TCEQ’s record of proceedings . Why? New Bastrop Mayor Ishmael Harris , who has worked for the last 20 years in wastewater for the City of Austin’s Water Department, was not in attendance, nor was City Manager Sylvia Carrillo. No County Commissioners attended. CAUTION : Protecting Bastrop's water is not a slogan. It's a vital life aspiration for Bastrop residents, leading to a practice of policy, not politics. Go here to watch the short videos. Action : Share the videos and ask folks to get on the LIV email list. Policy, not politics, is what you do in a disaster. Texas politics is a disaster. Our water is headed in the same direction. That's why we must protect Bastrop's water for real.

Young Men and Online Radicalization: Dissecting Internet Subcultures with Lee Fang, Katherine Dee, and Evan Barker | SYSTEM UPDATE #516 Are you ready to make politics boring again? No joking here about the heinous murder of Charlie Kirk . If anything good comes from it, we may learn how to help by first realizing that we don’t understand what is happening in America to and with some of our young men. Independent journalist Lee Fang  and his guests -- two young women -- Katherin Dee  and Evan Barker  -- are great because they don't pretend to have the answers to a complex story that defies easy answers. However, we do know this. We do not have to blind ourselves to the many shades of gray -- or purple -- between and beyond the "truth" both parties are engaged in attempts to own. They do not own us, our thoughts, or our hearts. And, they definitely don't own the truth. Charlie Kirk's death, and frankly, the loss of  Tyler Robinson’s  life as he knew it when he made his fateful decision, are tragedies for our country and all Americans.  Let's take the time to ask a lot of questions, listen, and figure out as much as we can to avert another such tragic event. Watch and listen to the interview of Young Men and Online Radicalization : Dissecting Internet Subcultures with Lee Fang, Katherine Dee, and Evan Barker | SYSTEM UPDATE #516

Residents in Blue have self-organized. Sept. 18, 2025   For Immediate Release   Contact:  Travis Brown 512-560-0341  travisbrown983@gmail.com Or Michele Gangnes 512-461-3179 mggangnes@aol.com   State Agency to Consider Blue Residents’ Request for Hearing on Gas Power Plant       LEXINGTON, TEXAS – A legal challenge by Blue residents to a proposed 1,200-megawatt natural gas power plant in their community will take another step Oct. 22 during a meeting of commissioners of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ).   At that meeting, the three commissioners are scheduled to vote on the residents’ request that a contested case hearing be held over the application for a state air emissions permit by Sandow Lakes Energy (SL Energy Power Plant I LLC).   Travis Brown, spokesman for the Move the Gas Plant group, said he anticipates the commissioners will vote to send the permit application to the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for a contested case hearing.   “This gas plant would be one of the largest in Texas,” Brown said.  “If built, it will have a monumental negative impact on the quality of life in our rural community.”   Brown said maps in the company’s application for a permit show almost 100 residences located within a mile and half of the proposed plant site.   According to the American Lung Association, air pollution from natural gas power plants can cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer premature death in nearby communities.  It can also worsen asthma, especially in children and the elderly, according to the association.   Brown said other local impacts from the proposed plant would include decreased property values and increased noise, lights and traffic in the Blue area.   Sandow Lakes Energy estimates the gas plant would emit 3.9 million tons of greenhouse gases (CO2) each year. That amount of CO2 is equivalent to the annual emissions of 825,262 automobiles, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.   The site of the proposed plant is at the intersection of CR 309 and CR 312 on property owned by Sandow Lakes Ranch.   In a July 24 ruling, the TCEQ executive director determined that the Sandow Lakes Energy permit application “meets the requirements of applicable law.”   Brown said that ruling was no surprise.     “The TCEQ has a history of rubber stamping most applications for air emissions permits,” Brown said.  “Just meeting ‘requirements of applicable law’ doesn’t mean air pollution from this gas plant won’t be harmful.”   During a contested case hearing, Brown said Move the Gas Plant will present evidence that the application does not meet all applicable laws and that it contains major flaws and deficiencies.   An administration law judge will hear evidence and then make a recommendation to TCEQ regarding whether an air permit should be issued.    The Blue residents are represented by the Austin public interest environmental law firm of Perales, Allmon & Ice.   Sandow Lakes Energy submitted its application for an air permit in August of 2024 and paid extra application fees to have it “expedited,” Brown said.   “If Move the Gas Plant had not organized and opposed the air emissions permit, then Sandow Lakes Energy likely would have been granted its permit months ago and would probably already be constructing the gas plant,” Brown said.   Brown said he expects the contested case hearing likely would not begin until late this year, at the earliest, and would probably extend into 2026.   Brown noted that the company has for several months been clearing trees and moving dirt at the proposed site.  However, the company is prohibited from starting actual construction until it has an air emissions permit.   The TCEQ meeting on Oct 22 will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the commission offices at 12100 Park 35 Circle in Austin. It will be available online.  The commissioners will not take any public comment during the meeting.    If the commissioners decide not to allow a contested case hearing, they could vote to approve the permit at the meeting.   Brown said there are economic and other factors that could hinder or stop the gas plant, and the effect of those factors may be augmented by permitting delays inflicted by MTGP.   For example, a surge in demand for natural gas power plants has created a tremendous shortage of turbines and supply chain bottlenecks, Brown said. Turbine manufacturers such as Siemens have said there is a wait time up to eight years for companies to get new turbines.    In Texas, more than 130 new gas power plant projects recently have been launched.  But some of those projects already have been scrapped or delayed for many years because of the inability to get turbines.    Last February, the Lee County Commissioners Court passed a resolution that cited negative impacts of the gas plant on the Blue community.  The resolution also asked Sandow Lakes Energy to consider moving the site of the gas plant to a site further within Sandow Lakes Ranch and farther away from residences.    “Our position has always been that it’s wrong to put a huge power plant in Blue when there is a feasible and much less damaging location nearby,” Brown said.  “That location is the site of the old Alcoa smelter and coal plants on Sandow Lakes Ranch.”   For more information, go to www.movethegasplant.org .                                                                #####

There's a lot going right now for those who want to protect Bastrop's water! Don't miss this VERY! important meeting on Monday night at 7 with the TCEQ about the wastewater permit we posted for you last week HERE . Hint: Free BBQ starts at 5 pm!) Official comments are closed at midnight on Monday. Come make your comments to TCEQ and hear what others have to say. Invite residents and officials, please. Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund's Andy Wier has just posted his helpful comments about the permit HERE . If you come early on Monday, Andy will be there to answer questions before the meeting begins. Steve Box, Environmental Stewardship, a leader in water protection (quantity and quality), just released an email alert about Monday's meeting HERE . Got questions or comments, use the comment section below or send an email to contact@livtx.org . Thank you for caring and taking action!

How can this 78-year old former Governor dis politicians? Read this article. SUMMARY: California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom , along with Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott,  spurred on by the President himself, have set off a ticking time bomb in a reactionary war -- state by state -- to gerrymander congressional district lines. This never-ending quest of the two parties to force each and every voter to join their hyperpartisan, red v. blue war once again proves they know not the color purple! The redistricting war underway in California and Texas has us convinced there is no way out without the rise of the independent voter. Who are the independents? We have no "platform", for we have a variety of views on policy. We are best understood by these two words: anti-corruption and nonpartisan . Think about it as you read this article and contact us to get involved with the anti-corruption, nonpartisan LIV. Hey Texans, Let's Terminate California and Texas Gerrymandering! Schwarzenegger  has thrown down the gauntlet to terminate California Governor Gavin Newsom 's "Prop 50" plan to "temporarily" put aside the California Independent Redistricting Commission now on the November 4th ballot as Prop 50 Summary here . Win or lose, we think he's on the right side of history. The Govenator led the petition for and passage of -- after six tries -- the beloved statewide initiative for the California Independent Redistricting Commission in 2010. He doesn't give up, folks, and neither should we. We agree with those astute political analysts who say Texas Democrats could also catch a break. We recommend this article in the American Prospect Donald Trump Won’t Be Saved by Maps . The article rightly points out, especially focusing on Texas Latinos: "...even in today’s polarized political environment, individuals change their minds." What the Prospect misses, however, is that Texas Latinos and Hispanics might best be understood as independents. We independents, of all stripes, are woefully misunderstood. Donald Trump simply understood us better, at least rhetorically speaking. He convinced enough of us that he was the most anti-corruption, nonpartisan guy running. How did that happen? Texas Democrats' power emanates from urban Texas, where many Democratic leaders have become tools of corporate lobbies, all while talking a good line about the 'hood' they just helped demolish and their continued quest to conduct water grabs in rural Texas, not to mention big-time money grabs. Here's a current example : Democratic Mayor of Austin Kirk Watson and his $5B+ convention center "magic hole" fiasco HERE . Note: Nary an Austin Democrat will peep a word about "the hole," even as thousands of signatures are being gathered to place a measure on the Austin ballot in May -- and even after the Watson City Council placed a 15% tax hike on the November ballot! Don't Mess With the Governator OR I&R Message to Dems : Independents have an interest in having at least two viable parties. We love electoral competition. Please stop manipulating voters. This Columbus Dispatch article on August 21st calls the question on Newsom's so-called "temporary" redistricting fix of something that ain't broke: " California has an independent redistricting commission that is designed to limit partisan influence on the map-drawing process, but Newsom said the measure would allow a new process to draw maps that would go into effect for House elections in 2026, 2028 and 2030, before ceding power back to the commission to draw maps ahead of 2032." See full article HERE . The California Citizens Redistricting Commission , championed by Schwarzenegger, and petitioned for by voters for a place on the ballot when he served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011, inspired citizens across the country to petition for and pass their own measures for IRCs. In Texas, we used California's (especially San Diego's) as a model for the one and only IRC that exists in Texas -- in the City of Austin. One of LIV's founders, Linda Curtis, played a key role in the petition for and passage of the Austin IRC in 2012, along with "the 10-1" plan for geographic representation.* Linda points out: "The Newsom plan is not only an attack on independent redistricting. It's an attack on the mother of all reforms -- the initiative and referendum process. I&R is the people's legislative power to intervene when politicians of any stripe fail. Newsom and Trump are unwisely inviting a big problem with independents and populists who can make all the difference in upcoming elections." Texas Independent's Closing Argument Arnold Schwarzenegger calls Newsom's plan a "race to the bottom." We wholeheartedly agree! Catch Arnold's non-politician statements in this Houston Chronicle HERE . Here's one we pulled for you: "I don't blame Gavin Newsom because I understand that he's in a very difficult position, told him, I said, ‘look, you do what you do' but I said, ‘I need to do what I need to do. You're there to protect the Democratic party,' I said, ‘I understand that because you want to go and become their leader nationwide and all of that,' I said, ‘but I have to protect the people. Someone has to be out there that's a grown-up, that's above all of that.'" It's the Governator's Game on with Gavin and ours with King Greg. It's a great fight, folks. Let's also terminate two-partyism and give Arnold all the muscle we can muster for an anti-corruption, nonpartisan, independent electoral revolt in 2026! ____________________________ Notes: *Texas is one of the few western states that does not allow statewide petition rights. Only home rule cities (population of at least 5000 and a city charter) allow citizens to petition for a public vote.  Governor Greg Abbott  was a no-show on August 28 , as 200 local business leaders waited for him in Kerrville, the scene of the July 4th flood disaster that's struggling with recovery. On August 29,  the Governor was all over the news signing the rammed Republican redistricting maps.  A three-judge panel at the federal court in El Paso has set a preliminary injunction hearing to determine whether the Texas maps are legal and can go into effect. Some officials are saying it's a 50-50 chance to delay the March primary. The hearing is set to begin on Oct. 1 and continues through Oct. 10. See  this  Community Impact news article. Scott Braddock  (Quorum Report) describes the unprecedented bottom feeding going on in the Texas Legislature as a result of the Texas Abbott/Trump gerrymander:  Read the whole outrageous Braddock piece and take notes for the 2026 election  HERE . Former longtime Travis County official,  Bill Aleshire , is representing Austin taxpayer advocate,  Jeff Bowen , who is challenging the ballot language set for Austin's proposed 15% tax rate hike election in November. See KVUE-TV update  HERE . Oops!!! We missed this fantastic September 2 opinion-editorial by Charles Munger, Jr . in the New York Times, " Do Not Gerrymander California ." Take note of what he says about Texas ! Thanks to the Texas Tribune, you can see how the Texas maps re-jiggered Texas maps may affect you HERE . Ron Paul gives the "runaway Democrats" a break , the right to travel afforded by the U.S. Constitution. Not the First Rodeo: The Long History of Redistricting Fights in Texas : Texas Standard, Aug. 5, 2025

Andy Wier, Executive Director, Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund Do you or your family live, work or play along Piney Creek between Camp Swift and the Colorado? The TCEQ has set the public meeting to take questions and hear comments regarding this wastewater permit. Monday, September 15, 2025, 7:00 PM Kerr Community Center 1308 Walnut Street Bastrop, TX 78602 Up until the end of this TCEQ public meeting, in Bastrop, you may also file comments electronically at https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/ Enter permit WQ0013548001 Comments in person or electronically are very important. During the comment period, you must list any concerns you have regarding the wastewater permit. If you decide to take legal action at a later date, you may only argue the issues you raised during the public comment period. The permit application, Executive Director’s preliminary decision, and draft permit are available for viewing and copying at Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church Street, Bastrop, Texas. PERMIT NO. WQ0013548001 APPLICATION AND PRELIMINARY DECISION. Utilities, Inc. of Texas, P.O. Box 140164, Austin, Texas 78714, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a major amendment to Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0013548001, to authorize an increase in the discharge of treated domestic wastewater from a daily average flow not to exceed 350,000 gallons per day to an annual average flow not to exceed 2,000,000 gallons per day, relocate Outfall 002, and to discontinue the effluent irrigation fields. TCEQ received this application on May 25, 2023. The facility is located at 101 Cool Water Drive, in Bastrop County, Texas 78602. The treated effluent will be discharged to an unnamed tributary, thence to Piney Creek, thence to the Colorado River, Above La Grange in Segment No. 1434 of the Colorado River Basin. The unclassified receiving water uses are minimal aquatic life use for the unnamed tributary and intermediate aquatic life use for Piney Creek. The designated uses for Segment No. 1434 are primary contact recreation, public water supply, and exceptional aquatic life use. Got questions? Send them to us at contact@livtx.org . Thank you!

KVUE-TV: " Austin group nears 20,000 signatures to pause Austin Convention Center project" On or before August 18, the City of Austin is set to place a tax hike on the November ballot. This comes just as the Council has refused -- so far -- to put the Austin Convention Center "deal" up for a public vote or to simply postpone the $5.6 billion porker. Instead, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and most of the City Council have moved full steam ahead to demolish the current convention center, approved by Austin voters in 1998 and completed in 2002. It's so new, it's not even paid for until 2029. The Mayor and Council have expressed every intent to rebuild and expand the convention center for $5.6 billion over the life of the 30-year term of bonds the City has yet to issue. Meanwhile, the convention center business is flatlining. (See " The Magic Hole " mini-documentary at SaveAustinsSoul.com ). The most common response from voters who are signing the petition for a public vote on the $5 billion demolition and reconstruction of the Convention Center is this: "It's stupid." Bill Bunch, 7-31`-25 Austin City Council Budget Meeting Austin voters are not stupid because they have smart people, like Bill Bunch, who will tell them what's being withheld from them, just like he did yesterday, moments after the KVUE interview, when he spoke to the City Council. Check it out ==> Petitioners for a public vote must gather at least 20,000 valid signatures on paper to force the City Council to place measures on the ballot. To date, petitioners have gathered 19,000 signatures but have missed the July 9 deadline for the November ballot. However, the City can place measures on the ballot, including their tax hike, as late as August 18. Thanks to the story of the Magic Hole on KVUE-TV News, the City has time to do the right thing, but will they? Go to AustinUnitedPAC.com to find the locations to sign the petition or print out the petition, sign it, get some others to sign it, and get it to the petitioners. You can also help gather signatures with some quick tips by calling 512.612.5873.

Message to Abbott and Trump: Fix our problems, not elections Update, August 14 : Since we posted this article on July 24, much has happened as we await another special session to be called by the Governor in a truly stupid redistricting that has the GOP risking shooting itself in the foot. Oh well! Hold on to your hats, folks. Independent Texas voters are about to become THE most critical decision makers in Texas elections. If you have read this original article starting below, skip down to the end to see the LIV map submitted for us by our very own budget and redistricting nerd, Jeff Harper . Original Article: The last three paragraphs of the July 22nd Quorum Report article by Harvey Kronberg on Texas redistricting are illuminating: "And just to add a little more confusion to the matter, it is worth noting that the 2021 redistricting maps are still under litigation. It is difficult to see how the current effort at redrawing maps would pass court muster in time for the December filing deadline. An even worse case would be postponing the filing deadline and the March primary, which has historically created additional difficulties for incumbents. Who knows what the final product will look like, but it is a high-stakes gamble regardless of your political persuasion.” Texas Governor Greg   Abbott' s Special Legislative Session started Monday, July 21st. Special Sessions have a shelf life of 30 days. The Governor was reluctant to place redistricting (the ultimate partisan sword) on the "Call" (the session's agenda). Redistricting is not required by law until 2030. Perhaps the Governor knows his job, first and foremost, is to fix our problems. That starts with the unnecessary tragedy on July 4th at Camp Mystic, along the shores of the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. But something changed the Governor's mind about placing redistricting on the Call. He received a call from the President. (See Texas Tribune, July 22, report HERE . ) Today, Democrats (and we're guessing some quiet Republicans) are arguing that the 30-day special session should be dedicated to solving our most immediate problems that the Legislature failed to do in the 2025 regular session -- dealing with the state's flooding and disaster threats and relief. LIV supports the Texas House Democrats letter urging " Speaker Burrows, we call on you to join Texas House Democrats and stand in solidarity with Texans devastated by the July 4th floods by putting flood response first—before any other business ." We also implore Texas House Republicans to join the Democrats and end the partisan bloodbathing that has us -- regular Texans -- in their two-party crossfire. LIV has submitted a map under Jeff Harper's name. More soon as citizens are finally getting involved in map drawing! __________________________ Read the entire July 22 Quorum Report article here, This is the LIV approved map, listed under Jeff Harper's name. Thank you, Jeff! To view the maps start here: https://tlc.texas.gov/redistricting , then go to DistrictViewer, then Congress, then to the plans submitted by the public. You can open and view the maps in great detail. LIV Map: We believe the LIV map is the best, but redistricting will always be a weapon if we allow politicians to pick their voters.

Newly elected Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones UPDATE!  Not long after we published this article, the Mayor's life was threatened. The suspect has been apprehende d. There are some -- a few -- in political office today who seem to understand their job is to be a noisemaker* for the people, not their political career. One of them is the newly elected no-nonsense Mayor of San Antonio, Gina Ortiz Jones . Though she is a Democrat, Jones' politics are very independent-minded. She is our kind of noisemaker! In her opinion piece published in the San Antonio Report on August 12, " The People Deserve Our Due Diligence , " Jones speaks as a genuine economic populist about the costs of a new sports arena for the San Antonio Spurs, in one of poorest cities in America. She clearly isn't saying NO to the stadium, but she is asking for an independent fiscal analysis and for the project to slow down. Does this sound familiar? The same rush on the Austin Convention Center dubbed "The Magic Hole" has resulted in the demolition (not yet complete) of a perfectly fine and relatively new convention center before it's paid for in 2029! (See our article, " The Austin Convention Center Magic Hole on KVUE-TV News! Bunch Nails It! " This editorial in the San Antonio Express News appeared on August 13th, the day after Jones' opinion article and the same day her life was threatened. The editorial pressures Jones to "take the deal" before what she has asked for -- an independent fiscal analysis -- is done. Message to the Express News: Citizens want and need policy, not politics . We invite and enjoy your comments, so please do! *We use this word -- noisemaker -- in the positive about Gina Ortz Jones and to let another Mayor in our midst, who uses the term to disparage citizens who disagree with him, know that his behavior is not OK.

Can America rescue our great white whale, the plurality of Americans who are independent? "In politics, as of today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat or an independent? Annual trend since 1988" The Gallup Poll has been asking this question of voters since 1988. The responses since 1988 are all HERE for you to enjoy, especially if you're an independent. In 2024, the percentage of independents was 43% -- a strong plurality . We can hardly wait to see what our numbers are in 2025, as we Americans bear witness to the sinking of the Titanic -- America's two-in-one-party rulers by default. Be a good independent -- read this article -- be sure not to miss the subtitle: Democrats Regain Advantage in Party Affiliation: Shift occurs even as Democratic Party favorability falls to record low Word on the street is that Elon Musk is unserious about forming his new political party, the America Party. He hasn't filed the papers in states around the country to establish a new political party. Surprised? We aren't, because say what you want about Musk, but he ain't stupid. Ross Perot sunk a lot of money into a wonderful and massive failure, the Reform Party USA. Some of LIV's founders were there. We failed, and we learned something very important and basic about independent voters. They (we) cannot be shoved into a single political party, though we have become more important to reforming American policy and our political misconduct. That said, unbeaching the white whale of American politics -- independent voters -- needs and deserves creative experimentation. That's not having a rich guy fund his own party in his own image. Most Americans during the Perot era 30 years ago crossed the Rubicon -- a point of no return -- to believing in American (two-party) politics and politicians. Perot was on his way to win the presidency in 1992 when he suddenly dropped out. His volunteers continued to petition for a place on the ballot and pulled Perot back into the race to garner a whopping 19% of the vote. That was huge but hugely ignored. But that was also when the notion of "taking the politics out of politics" was born in the hearts of millions of Americans. Ross Perot hired Russ Verney to run the Reform Party USA. He is quoted in this snarky recent Politico piece about Elon's dalliance with independent politics, Advice for Elon Musk from the Most Successful Third-Party Campaign in Modern History . What the piece covers over is the mass movement of people behind Perot, who were the real engines of change that defied a traditional party organization. It's a great story to be learned from, not hidden. With the Perot movement dead, the then pro-choice Donald Trump eventually adopted the "America First agenda," a Christian nationalist agenda, as he pushed the idea (a powerful promise the Democrats had spurned) that he would serve as an "anti-war" President for "free speech." Lesson Learned : Populism is powerful, and shit happens. What happens next in the story about unbeaching America's Great White Whale -- independent voters -- is most important. Pay attention, y'all, because the knife fight between the Democrats and the Republicans will not end well without the education and organizing of independents who are the voters capable of taking the politics out of politics, even just a little. Speaking of knife fights, be sure to read the latest from Harvey Kronberg of Quorum Report , the Texas political anaylist we independents trust in his latest, " In bid to remove Democrats from office Abbott ignores his own previous opinion as AG on separation of powers ."

An old bit by Vicki Lawrence on the Carol Burnett Show, circa 1967-78 Horse Pucky : Foolish , deceitful, bombastic, or arrogant talk. This "article" entitled Bastrop invests in water infrastructure , is a paid ad sponsored by the City of Bastrop in the ironically-named "Story Telling" pages of Community Impact News. It's a promotion. Of what, you might ask? Sylvia Carrillo. Bastrop City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino is using taxpayer dollars to promote herself as if she is the leader of the city of Bastrop. She is not an elected official. She is an employee who is paid the highest salary in the city at $242,000 per year. Sylvia's Legacy is About Development. Changes to the development code were put on fast track by Sylvia Carrillo before last May's election . Those changes were supported and executed by the chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission and now Mayor, Ishmael Harris . The most important changes promise less standard city development rules and more "PDDs" -- Planned Development Districts. Definition: A Planned Development District (“PDD”) is a unique zoning district created for a given geographic region to allow for development standards that are modified from the standards of the City’s conventional zoning districts What does this mean for the City Council? It means that in order to represent their constituents, they have to pay attention to the details of very complex deals that will be coming before them for their oversight and approval. These "deals" will be worked through in negotiations between developers and lawyers, and Sylvia Carrillo. Council members must do their homework and not simply trust Sylvia. Their job is to oversee the city manager, but will they? Over the last nearly 3 years of Sylvia's tenure, we have seen big turnover of people -- especially in upper management. As well, Council Members who knew they were her employers , got the shaft as a majority of the members of the Council (3 in 5 voting members) and some key actors in the local political community made Sylvia a campaign issue in May. It was so bad, a set up question at the local Democratic Party candidate forum in May asked candidates if they supported Sylvia as she sat in the room watching! Here are some of the people now gone. Mayor Lyle Nelson was forced out with a "fake recall" by Council Members Kirkland, Plunkett and Meyer Cheryl Lee lost her Council seat on to John Kirkland (who outspent her 3 to 1 for an unpaid position) City Attorney Alan Bojorquez , forced out. We wrote about it here . Jennifer Bills , City Planner (there is no planner now) Chris Stone - Fire Chief Kathy Danielson - Convention Center Director and her assistant Terry Moore - Director of Parks and Recreation John Eddleston - Public Works Tracy Waldron - Finance Director Ann Franklin - City Secretary Candice Butts - Main Street Manager Jean Reimenschneider - BEDC project manager Tracey Moffett - Utilities Director Trey Job - Asst City Manager Rebecca Gleason - Asst City Manager Clint Nagy - Police Chief Tiger Davis , engineer Smooth Sylvia Carrillo Has Put Open Government at Risk The Community Impact News sponsored ad mentioned above was published on the heels of Sylvia's denial of LIV's simple open records request. Our request related to an item (Item 4B) posted for the June 10th City Council meeting Executive Session listing a discussion of "contractual agreements" and "ballot initiatives." We simply wanted to know WHICH contracts and initiatives were discussed. We received no less than three responses --- two from the new City Secretary -- and the third coming from Carrillo herself. They all said the same thing: Email from Sylvia Carrillo to Linda Curtis in response to a request for information, July 14, 2025 PS If you like this article, Smooth Sylvia Carrillo, and you live in the city of Bastrop, we want to hear from you. Send a message to us at contact@livtx.org .

Click on the picture above to be taken to SaveAustinsSoul.com where you can view the documentary and a list of places to sign the petition for Austin Voters. Did you hear the one about the "not one, but two convention centers" with Circuit of the Americas now moving to build another, largely privately funded, convention center in Austin?   The response from Save Austin's Soul petition drive signers for a public vote on Austin's $5B convention demolition and reconstruction is simply and bluntly this: "It's Stupid."Help petitioners finish this drive. Go to the website -- SaveAustinsSoul.com   to see locations to sign. Call 512.612.5873 or email petition@austinindependentpac.com . Enjoy this Austin Business Journal article about the effort published on July 28.