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We are more than excited to share this long overdue news for Texas landowners and their rights to protect the aquifers beneath them — Happy New Year, Texas! (read the release below) Note: If you live in the Lost Pines District (Lee and Bastrop counties) please plan to be at the next Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District Meeting on Wednesday, January 17th, likely starting at 7 pm at Bastrop City Hall. (We will keep you informed). Also, this coming Monday, at 9 am, please attend the Bastrop County Commissioner’s Court Meeting (Bastrop County Courthouse) where the subject of a Waste Transfer Station planned for high-growth Cedar Creek will be on the agenda. For Immediate Release Thursday, January 4, 2018 SIMSBORO AQUIFER WATER DEFENSE FUND (SAWDF) P.O. Box 690 Elgin, Texas 78621-0690 www.simsborowaterdefensefund.org ~~Working for a legacy of aquifers that last forever~~ Contacts:  Michele Gangnes 512-461-3179 mggangnes@aol.com                    Travis Brown 512-560-0341  travisbrown983@gmail.com Judge Rules for Local Landowners In Groundwater Export Dispute   BASTROP – A state district judge in Bastrop has ruled in favor of four local landowners in a dispute over permits that allow massive amounts of groundwater to be pumped from Lee and Bastrop counties. Judge Carson Campbell’s January 4, 2018 order ( copy here ) ruled that the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District improperly excluded three individual landowners and conservation group Environmental Stewardship, also a landowner, from participating as parties in a 2014 hearing over permits issued by the district in 2016 to water marketing company End-Op LP, now known as Recharge Water. Those permits allow Recharge Water to pump and export up to 46,000 acre-feet of water annually (approximately 15 billion gallons per year) from 14 wells in the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, for export to Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. The judge’s ruling also revokes the permits issued by the groundwater district to Recharge Water and orders the district to conduct new proceedings on the permits that allow the four landowners to participate as parties. “Judge Campbell’s ruling sets an important precedent for all of Texas,” said Michele Gangnes, a Lee County attorney and director of the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund. “It means groundwater districts must recognize the property rights of all landowners in their groundwater and give them a voice on pumping permits that likely will affect the groundwater under their land.” Gangnes said a new hearing before an administrative law judge over the Recharge Water permits would also allow the landowners to present evidence that the pumping allowed by those permits would permanently damage the viability of the Simsboro formation. “Pumping of that scale, especially when combined with other planned Simsboro projects, would cause huge drawdowns, affecting the wells and groundwater resources of thousands of landowners across Lee and Bastrop counties,” Gangnes said. In a new hearing, Environmental Stewardship also would present evidence that the pumping would have negative impacts on the rivers, streams and springs that depend on groundwater. “Our objective is to protect and sustainably manage the Colorado River, its tributaries and our aquifers, through monitoring and practices based on good science,” said Steve Box, Executive Director of Environmental Stewardship. ”While the district may side with End Op and appeal Judge Campbell’s ruling to a state court of appeals,” said Ernest Bogart of Elgin, one of the landowners’ attorneys, “we hope the district will accept this ruling that will allow the district’s constituents and all Texans to protect their property and water rights.” During a hearing before Judge Campbell on Oct. 18, attorneys for the groundwater district and Recharge Water argued that the landowners had no right to be parties because none of them had wells that were producing water from the Simsboro formation. “The judge’s ruling affirms our position that whether you have a well or not is irrelevant – your groundwater resources would be impacted by these pumping permits and you as a landowner have the right to be heard,” Gangnes said. SAWDF was formed in 2016 by veterans of several groups, including Neighbors for Neighbors, who have battled for almost two decades to protect the region’s groundwater. SAWDF, a 501(c)(3) organization, has focused its current fundraising campaign on supporting the landowners’ case.                                                       #### #MicheleGangnes #SimsboroAquiferWaterDefenseFund #BastropCounty #JudgeCarsonCampbell #EndOpLP #ErnieBogart #EnvironmentalStewardship

SIMSBORO AQUIFER WATER DEFENSE FUND (SAWDF) P.O. Box 690 Elgin, Texas 78621-0690 www.simsborowaterdefensefund.org ~~Working for a legacy of aquifers that last forever~~ October 20, 2017 For Immediate Release Contacts: Michele Gangnes 512-461-3179 mggangnes@aol.com Travis Brown 512-560-0341 travisbrown983@gmail.com Judge Hears Arguments on Landowners’ Right to Protest Groundwater Export, Ruling to Come BASTROP – A state district judge in Bastrop on Wednesday heard arguments for and against the contention that four local landowners were denied their rights when they were excluded by the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District from participating in a 2013 administrative hearing on a groundwater pumping permit. The 2013 hearing resulted in a permit to water marketer End-Op LP (now known as Recharge Water) that allows massive amounts of groundwater to be pumped and exported from Lee and Bastrop counties. The Oct. 18 hearing was part of a legal challenge to that permit. Judge Carson Campbell ruled in favor of the landowners from the bench Wednesday on the question of whether he has the authority to review the District’s decision to exclude them. A ruling on the landowners’ right to protest the permit is pending from Judge Campbell. Three individual landowners and landowner Environmental Stewardship, a non-profit conservation organization, are asking the court to allow them a new hearing so they can present evidence that the permit would harm them and their property, as well as the region’s aquifer. Environmental Stewardship also seeks to present evidence on negative impacts on the rivers, streams and springs that depend on groundwater. The permit allows Recharge Water to pump and export up to 46,000 acre-feet of water annually (approximately 15 billion gallons per year) from 14 wells in the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, for export to Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. A lawyer for the groundwater district joined the water marketer’s attorneys in arguing against the landowners (or “those folks” as he called them), primarily because none of the landowners are producing water from the Simsboro formation.  Landowner attorney Don Grissom, who has ties to Bastrop County, denounced the District’s and End Op’s “condescension” and “arrogance” in dealing with residents of the two counties, who he said are entitled to have the district protect their water supply, whether they have wells or not. Water marketers have bought rights to pump groundwater from thousands of acres in Lee, Bastrop, Milam and Burleson counties, with an eye on selling groundwater to San Antonio and other cities along the I-35 corridor. Representatives of a citizens group organized to protect groundwater in Central Texas say they are optimistic Judge Campbell will affirm the right of Texas landowners to protect the groundwater under their land from negative impacts of permits. “Landowners, conservationists and property rights groups across the state are watching this case closely,” said Michele Gangnes, a Lee County attorney and director of the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund. “This could set an important precedent for the protection of groundwater and property rights across Texas.” SAWDF was formed in 2016 by veterans of several groups, including Neighbors for Neighbors, who have battled for almost two decades to protect the region’s groundwater. The 501(c)(3) organization’s Fall 2017 fundraising campaign is focused on supporting the landowners’ case.       ### #Simsboro #EndOp #Recharge #SimsboroAquiferWaterDefenseFund #DonGrissom #ErnieBogart

Thanks to the good folks who showed up last night, including speakers, contributors and volunteers, for our Independent Pow Wow! We were Democrats, Republicans and independents — actually talking to one another. What about? Will the eastern counties of Central Texas have a future? Not if we allow the hogs to gorge themselves at our water trough. Tomorrow, the courts will finally have a look at OUR future water supply. What are your rights to the water underneath you? We soon shall see! SHOW UP TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18, 1:30 PM! Bastrop County Courthouse Annex 804 Pecan Street, Bastrop, Texas 21st District Court of The Honorable Judge Carson Campbell Wear a Blue Shirt for Water! Bring a check (it’s tax-deductible) to the Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund! Can’t make it? Mail SAWDF a check to PO Box 690, Elgin, TX 78621 On the Water Front Materials to share from last night’s meeting: Two page summation flier here ! Slide Show on End Op L.P . (aka Recharge), by Simsboro Aquifer Water Defense Fund. More soon on the Waste Transfer Station and Bastrop litigation news, including videos from this event. #CarsonCampbell

Wake up, Texas! Two mega-water deals are either about to swamp us or citizens will succeed in pulling the plug. Don’t get caught thinking you know who your friends and foes are — politics, like the weather, is increasingly unpredictable. If you can get to Bastrop on Monday night, please come on out — and bring folks to this VERY important event! It’s all about the water wars, waste transfer stations and your pocketbook. Austin — we hope to see you at this meeting on Friday, October 20 held by IndyAustin , a new pac for ballot measures started by Linda Curtis of Bastrop and David Jones of Austin. Linda’s residence has not gone unnoticed by those who seem to be trying to erect an imaginary partition between Bastrop and Travis counties. (Even Donald Trump won’t support that wall!) But the reality is that Bastrop is intimately tied to Austin, as Austin continues to lose it’s soul to those who want to turn it into a commodity — not a community. How? CodeNEXT . CodeNEXT is a massive overhaul of Austin’s land development code that, if handled badly (like it is now) could drive more unaffordability and more people to leave Austin. Just now, we witnessed the Austin City Council vote to give the San Francisco-based consultants making CodeNEXT into CodeWRECK, an additional $2 million. (Only Ora Houston, Allison Alter and Leslie Pool said no — thank you, ladies). More here from Community Not Commodity . IndyAustin’s petition for a public vote on CodeNEXT (the same petition carried by Let Us Vote Austin pac) has the earliest deadline — in January. So sign it now (Austin voters only) mail it or bring it to us on October 20. This week and next, no matter where you live in Texas, please reach Gov. Greg Abbott . The Governor is knee-deep in Harvey relief and the Texas Congressional delegation is not helping . Please respectfully reach the Governor with these three points: Tell Gov. Abbott that you are behind him on Harvey relief. Thank the Governor for his veto of HB 2378 (for automatic renewals of groundwater transfer permits), which made all the difference for stopping the Vista Ridge/San Antone Hose’s fast one last week at the Post Oak Groundwater Conservation District ( we wrote about this here with videos here ), and Ask Gov. Abbott to do all he can to stop the California Water Model — mass movement of groundwater — embodied in Vista Ridge and mega-permit End Op making its way to court next week ( more here from the Bastrop Advertiser ). On Tuesday, this message was delivered in person and in citizens comments to SAWS and especially to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg at a SAWS meeting on behalf of the “source communities” for Vista Ridge. Ready for an independent revolt? We are! Join the only voter association for non-aligned voters in Texas — and keep voting in your primary of choice!. We are the League of Independent Voters of Texas. Visit our membership page here — join us. Would you like to volunteer? Let us know how you’d like to help. Call us anytime between 8 am and 8 pm, Monday through Saturday. Yours in friendship and determination for future generations, LIV PS You can also thank Rep. John Cyrier, Rep. Leighton Schubert, Rep. Terry Wilson, and Sen. Lois Kolkhorst for simply asking Post Oak to hold a hearing…yet to happen, so stay tuned. #waterwars #TerryWilson #LoisKolkhorst #CodeNEXT #LeightonSchubert #PostOakSavannahGroundwaterConservationDistrict #VistaRidge #eminentdomain #RonNirenberg #JohnCyrier #SanAntoneHoseGovGregAbbott

#PostOakGroundwaterConservationDistrict

Bastrop, Texas, Thursday, October 5, 201 7:  Some would say only God and Mother Nature “own” the Simsboro — humanity only stewards it. Residents of Bastrop, Lee, Milam and Burleson counties are looking to enlist Governor Greg Abbott’s intervention in what they’re calling a manmade disaster in the making – the draining of the very slow to recharge Simsboro Aquifer by San Antonio’s Vista Ridge water project, aka “San Antone Hose”. The “Hose” is a “mega-permit” in the Simsboro just 30 miles east of the Governor’s residence, according to claims by the non-profit League of Independent Voters of Texas. LIV Board member and Simsboro landowner, Michele Gangnes said, “On Tuesday night, in the tiny rural town of Milano, Texas, we witnessed their typical arrogance when the purveyors of Vista Ridge forgot who runs Texas. They insisted that the groundwater district — Post Oak — ignore the three state representatives, one state senator and one county judge who weighed in — AND a veto by the Governor of Texas.” Linda Curtis of Independent Texans PAC and a new local Austin pac, IndyAustin, said, “In the post-Harvey world, anything could happen. Donald Trump himself just pulled the plug on public-private toll road deals! So who knows what Greg Abbott might do, if asked by his neighbors living in the Simsboro communities.” Details on the meeting in Milano are posted here, including videos. For more information call Linda Curtis at 512-657-2089 #PostOakGroundwaterConservationDistrict #SanAntoneHose #VistaRidge

Some would say only God and Mother Nature “own” the Simsboro — humanity only stewards it. Part 1: Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District Meeting 10-3-17 Is it possible that Governor Greg Abbott will intervene in this manmade disaster in the making – the draining of the oh so slow to recharge Simsboro Aquifer by the San Antone Hose – just 30 miles east of his residence?  After you read this (and watch the videos, if you really want to get into this), please call the Governor’s office at 512.463.2000—or better yet, write him a hand written letter to PO Box PO Box 12428, Austin, TX 78711 or fax 512-463-1849 – try the contact page on his website here too: https://gov.texas.gov/apps/contact/assistance.aspx. Ask for his intervention to Oppose the Part 2: Post Oak Savannah Groundwater District Board, 10/3/17 Hose, then pray for divine intervention, too. Last Tuesday night, Paul Terrill, the attorney for San Antonio’s for-profit partners in the “ Vista Ridge Project” (aka the “San Antone Hose”), pressed the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District to violate its own rules by doing Vista Ridge a little ole “non-substantial” favor. On September 28, Vista Ridge had already pressuredPost Oak to amend its already-published regular meeting agenda to accommodate Vista Ridge’s surprise request to extend the terms of the Vista Ridge groundwater transport permit (expiring in 2034) by 10-years. The “favor” was to rush through this extraordinary request as a non-substantial permit change the General Manager could handle on his own. The extended term is being sought to match the transport permit to Vista Ridge’s mega-permit (expiring in 2044) to pump 50,000 acre-feet per year from the Simsboro and Carrizo aquifers. The mismatched permit terms apparently have long been a problem for Vista Ridge, but the Post Oak District has no obligation to fix it 17 years in advance. At the meeting, Terrill wanted the Board to ignore Post Oak’s own rules, which require a formal application to amend a transport permit, a review by the District as extensive as any other permit application, and 10 business days public notice in advance of a formal public hearing. (Last night’s notice – Item 14 on the agenda — was less than 3 business days for a regular board meeting, with only informal public comment — but in fact, many members of the public turned out, and there was lively public comment and audience response in opposition to Vista Ridge’s end run!) Vista Ridge’s response to what they expected would be a slam dunk was flat out cocky. Terrill mocked a letter signed by three state representatives ( John Cyrier, Terry Wilson and Leighton Schubert ) and a letter from State Senator Lois Kolkhorst , and ignored an in-person statement by Lee County Judge Paul Fischer , who all urged that Post Oak deny the request in favor of transparency and a properly noticed, public hearing. As their basis for this request, the legislators referenced Governor Greg Abbott’s veto of HB 2378 , a 2017 bill by San Antonio’s Rep. Lyle Larson to make renewals of transport permits automatic (a welfare handout by Larson to water marketers in general, but clearly a handout primarily to Vista Ridge.) Terrill argued that the intervention of elected officials was “all political”, because the bill was passed unanimously by the Legislature before the Governor vetoed it. (Now, that’s a whole other discussion — when is a veto not a veto? NEVER! until it is legally overridden.) Anyway, Terrill’s message was: — ignore Judge Fischer, ignore the three reps – Cyrier, Wilson and Schubert – ignore a State Senator and, unbelievably, IGNORE the Governor of the State of Texas! What are these Vista Ridge guys smokin’? Hundred dollar bills, or just fumes from foreign lenders, and SAWS, who don’t want to risk having a 142-mile pipeline to nowhere in 2034? The bottom line is, there’s no emergency on the part of Post Oak to solve this latest desperate attempt to shore up a project that doesn’t make sense. [LINDA — this paragraph was catchy but just didn’t make sense.] Agenda Item 14 was pulled down for now, because the Board acted responsibly and told Vista Ridge to put in a formal application if it wants to proceed. Will the Vista Ridge handout come back with a proper application and a properly noticed public hearing for the 10-year extension? No one knows, but residents and landowners are preparing for the next step…with hope for a better future, regardless. When officials do the right thing – in this case, support transparency, open government, and the constituents who put them in office – they are to be sincerely applauded. Thank you, Paul, John, Terry, Leighton, Lois and yes, Governor Greg himself! Most of all thanks to the people of Burleson & Milam counties who continue to hang in there when those water grabbers are doing nothing but hanging us…out to dry. Stay tuned, ye people of mighty faith and contactl the Governor. Then reach your local officials too. Urge them to save the Simsboro from a manmade disaster. #TerryWilson #LoisKolkhorst #PaulFischer #LeightonSchubert #GregAbbott #PostOakSavannahGroundwaterConservationDistrict #SAWS #VistaRidge #JohnCyrier

This red alert signals a turning point in the Vista Ridge water project – aka the San Antone Hose. COME TO MILANO (MILAM COUNTY) THIS TUESDAY, 5:30 PM! Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District Office 310 Avenue C, Milano, TX 76556 Put a halt to a fast one by the Post Oak District! As usual, the fast one concerns yet another favor to Vista Ridge, aka The San Antone Hose! What’s the deal? In short, the permits Vista Ridge received from Post Oak don’t match up. The right to pump 50,000 acre-feet lasts until 2044 while the right to move it to San Antonio instead of using it at home in the District (the “Transport Permit”) lasts only until 2034 . Whoops! Big money investors don’t like lending billions of dollars to a project that isn’t sewn up, legally. Post Oak wants to sneak those additional 10 years onto the permit without adequate public notice (they gave a few days, instead of the required 10 business days notice) AND without a required public hearing. On Tuesday night, Item 14 (click here for the Board Meeting Agenda_10.03.17 ) suggests that this additional 10 years is an informal “request” for an “insubstantial” change — in a permit for the permanent removal of over 16 billion gallons of groundwater a year! That’s like claiming the Simsboro is “drought proof”. Don’t let Post Oak get away with yet another giveaway to their “partners”, Vista Ridge, Blue Water and San Antonio! SHOW UP, bring family & friends — Milam, Burleson, Lee and Bastrop countians – we all have an interest in the Simsboro formation of the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer. Our additional alerts this week will be sent to folks across Texas, especially the region affected by Vista Ridge — all the way down the pipeline to San Antonio — so keep your eyes peeled. MARK YOUR CALENDARS PLEASE! Monday, October 16, 6:30 pm, First National Bank Main Office Community Room, 489 Highway 71, Bastrop, TX. Come to the Bastrop Independent Pow Wow:  to join in an education session focused on water wars heating up again, a waste transfer station slated for Bastrop (or other nearby counties) and the price tag for litigation involving the city of Bastrop, Bastrop County and BISD. More Info here. Wednesday, October 18, 9 am, 21st District Court, Bastrop County Courthouse , 804 Pecan Street, Bastrop, TX , in the courtroom of Judge Carson Campbell. Got questions or need a ride? Call us at 512.213.4511, text us at 512.657.2089 or email us at info@independentleagueTX.org.

We are happy to provide a 29-minute video this portion of the TCEQ hearing held in Cedar Creek, Texas (Bastrop County) on September 18, 2017.  While you watch it, ask yourself whether this a proper location (Hwy. 21 near the junction of FM 812) for a waste transfer station? This is a high-growth area due to its proximity to Austin. Residents and County Commissioner Mark Meuth, who has long lived in this area, raised very serious and legitimate concerns about traffic hazards. Phil Cook, a “water guardian” and 40-year resident, raised cogent concerns about water resources, including that TCEQ wasn’t even using up-to-date FEMA maps. Much of the property destined for this project is in a floodplain. Our question is whether, in a post-Harvey world, state agencies are going to stop allowing the tail (industry) to wag the dog (citizens and their safety). The answer, in our view, is really up to the citizens placing proper demands on their officials. We are proud of you Cedar Creek citizens who showed up, spoke your minds and asked hard questions — and you were polite too! An organizing committee is active now in the Cedar Creek Community. We will help notify you of their upcoming meetings. Meanwhile, we at the League of Independent Voters, will be co-hosting an event — “Bastrop Pow Wow” with Independent Texans on Monday, October 16. Hope to see y’all there! Details here on Bastrop Pow Wow . Meanwhile, enjoy the video! #LEALCO #TCEQ #WasteTransferStation

We know you love us, we know it’s true, but do you love us enough to pay your membership dues? Nat Love, a typical cowboy in 1907, is a reminder that we need an open range where the ideological and party fences that divide us are taken down so the cowboys and cowgirls, from all heritages, can work together. Join LIV now, partners! #blackcowboy #freedslaves #NatLove

Rather than shoot from the hip on the special session, we provide for you the opinioin of Harvey Kronberg from the Quorum Report. We respect Kronberg and view him as the best analyst of Texas politics. Quorum Report: the 85th Special Session #85thSpecialSession #HarveyKronberg #QuorumReport

*Austin’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT) is estimated to bring in $92 million this year and likely to cross the $100 million mark next year. State law requires the HOT tax be used to benefit and promote tourism to the Austin area. *The HOT tax is skyrocketing because tourists are flocking to Austin for live music; arts and cultural festivals; unique Austin restaurants, businesses, and cultural facilities; UT sports; Barton Springs, the Highland Lakes, and Lady Bird Lake; the State Capitol; family and business trips and the overall beauty of Austin. *The success of the HOT tax has almost nothing to do with the convention center. Less than 2% of Austin visitors come here for conventions at the convention center. *While less than 2% of Austin visitors come for the convention center (CC), the current convention center is consuming over 80% of our HOT tax revenues. *If the Austin CC is expanded, this gross mismatch between spending and benefits will be locked in for decades. Our music and arts communities, our parks and waterways, our historic, natural and cultural resources, and our iconic Austin businesses will continue to suffer and disappear because of escalating costs of living and doing business in Austin. * The Austin CC suffered a $24.3 million net operating loss for FY 2016 (p. 112, CoA, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report). This fact was hidden by City Convention Center and Austin Convention and Visitor Bureau staff. *The national convention center business is flat, while convention centers have been expanding across the nation. As a result, there is a glut of supply of CC space chasing a limited demand. This means the Austin CC is forced to give away the space for free or almost free (hence, the $24.3 million 2016 loss).   When voters approved bonds in 1998 to expand the convention center they were never told the center would lose millions of dollars every year. *Almost one-third of claimed “convention center attendance” flows from one single event: SXSW, yet the vast majority of SXSW visitors spend little or no time in the center. *The ACVB and Convention Center Department are hiding critical information on alleged “lost business,” making it impossible to check inflated claims of demand for center space. If the center was successful, it would not have lost more than $24 million last year. *If three (3) additional blocks of prime downtown property are taken off of the tax rolls for the proposed expansion, the City’s analysis estimates over $50 million per year in lost tax revenue in 2031 and beyond for taxing entities (City, AISD, Travis County, ACC, Central Health). *We say we love live music, the arts, our parks and local business: it’s time to support what we say we love and which we are losing every day. FAQs: So if the Convention Center is such a failure, why do some arts and music groups and the mayor say they support the proposed expansion? ACVB and the Convention Center Dept. misled everyone, insisting the CC was wildly successful and that expanding it would throw off more dollars for everyone. The 15% set aside for arts and culture grants would grow along with the expanded center, and thus everyone would benefit. The truth about the eye-popping losses of the convention center was covered up by the skyrocketing collection of HOT tax and hiding the true financials. City staff has still never presented a complete financial picture of either the current CC or the proposed expansion. The estimated $600 million cost of the proposed expansion excludes land purchases, lost property taxes, and year-after-year operating losses. Doesn’t state law limit grants for arts and culture to no more than 15% of the total HOT tax collection? Yes, there is a limit of 15% of collected HOT tax that may be directed to arts and culture grants. As long as we are paying off convention center debt, arts and culture will not get the maximum 15% of collections. Also, other categories of allowed HOT tax spending may benefit live music, the arts, culture, historic preservation, and parks, beyond the specific arts and culture category. For example, funds spent on preservation of historic music and theatre venues may come from the historic preservation category. Funds to promote Austin live music, arts, and historic, nature, and local business tourism can all be funded from the “tourism promotion” category. What happens next and what can we do? The City Council will be figuring out the FY 2018 budget in July and August. We need to tell the council now to direct more of this year’s money to the things that both tourists and residents love about Austin and which we are losing – and direct money away from the wasteful and secretive ACVB (aka “Visit Austin”). We also need to tell the council “No Convention Center Expansion Without An Election” HOT tax revenues needs to be spread around the community, equitably, not poured into one giant hole downtown, so that we can save and benefit local artists, musicians, business owners and the natural and cultural treasures that make Austin Austin. It’s time to stop – not expand – wasteful spending on the convention center dinosaur. Thanks to Save Our Springs Alliance for providing this great fact sheet to the Austin public. #AustinConventionCenter #boondoggle #HOTTaxes