South Austin voters’ voices were loud and clear on Election Night. Even though the South Austin Republican Club doesn’t align with the results, we want to thank all the candidates that ran, their campaign staff, volunteers, and warriors that worked tirelessly to get out the vote for who we supported.
These next months and years will be critical to saving Austin from the progressive left and making progress for our principles in Travis County. This is going to require everyone to provide effort and resources to dominate the field and turn out everyone we can for the candidates and causes we support.
The hardest challenges will yield the most satisfying victories in times of great adversity. George Washington faced seemingly insurmountable odds when crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter in 1776. But, with perseverance, focus, and unwavering determination to protect and maintain the principles he found important, we prevailed in one of the most significant ways in American history.
We too have this same chance in Travis County in 2024. The odds may seem stacked against just. The data may not add up. But if we fold now we do a disservice to everything we believe.
Therefore, we can’t back down. We must cross our Delaware River. We must protect what we hold to be true and important.
The fight is not over. We can and will do more in 2024. And, most importantly – We Can Win Austin!
“This morning, Austin Energy had around 3 dozen homes without power, but around by 5:25 a.m. that number jumped to 7,772.” FOX7 “People were seen fighting over food in the dumpster at an H-E-B store in South Austin on William Cannon and I-35 yesterday.” FOX7 “A residential development containing 375 units and rising up to seven floors at the…
Image: FOX7 As Texas deaths caused by opioid use have risen, Austin has installed its first Narcan vending machine. This machine was deployed by the N.I.C.E. Project (More Narcan In Case of Emergency) in conjunction with Sunrise Homeless Navigation. What is Narcan? It is a nasal spray drug that prevents death from overdosing on opioids…
Dallas Emerson, Communications Director & Data Analyst
dallas@southaustinrc.org
Primaries are often ugly—and Republicans’ primaries have been uglier than usual lately.
When politicians disagree on policy or ideas, primaries can be enlightening, allowing voters to partake in choosing the direction of the party, and the evolution of our shared ideology.
When politicians share essentially the same ideas, the debate comes down to one of character; which means that everyone should grab their ponchos, because the mud will be slung.
The Texas Attorney General’s Republican Primary is an example of this phenomenon. Heading into the runoff, Ken Paxton, the incumbent, and George P. Bush, Texas’ Land Commissioner, must be thoroughly examined.
Both are dedicated followers of President Trump’s MAGA movement, with Paxton holding Trump’s endorsement, but Bush is a close ally of the former President as well.
Both men are conservative. Ken Paxton has been a staunch defender of Texas’ rights as a state and fought to ensure that the Federal Government abides by its own laws. George P Bush has worked within his power as Land Commissioner to secure the Southern border during unprecedented waves of immigration in Texas.
Neither could be described as “moderate” or as a “RINO.”
So, we at South Austin Republicans Club have interrogated the character of these two men.
And as a result, we believe Ken Paxton to be compromised in his role as Attorney General, beset by scandal, and in his seventh year of indictment for securities fraud.
The bedrock of our legal system is the presumption of innocence. In no way are we commenting on his innocence or guilt; that is to be determined by a jury of Paxton’s peers.
But the role of Attorney General relies in large part on moral authority, not just a bright legal mind. And after seven years of investigation, Paxton is a tarnished man.
He has faced widespread staff resignation, has chosen to recuse himself from some of his duties as Attorney General, and faces scrutiny regarding ethical violations for the funding of his legal defense fund.
Within weeks of joining the Texas State Senate, his wife, Senator Angela Paxton, filed legislation that would allow the Attorney General to issue exemptions for the very actions he was under investigation for allegedly committing.
Rather than pushing for his day in court, Paxton has sought every delay, every legal tactic to avoid a verdict being reached.
Texas’ credibility is weakened by this spectacle.
He has operated under this cloud for too long, and with his court date approaching, he will, by necessity be focused on his defense, not on the legal needs of the state. Texas needs an Attorney General that can be 100% dedicated to the job at hand.
This brings us to the other man in the race, Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
Son of former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, George P Bush carries a name and legacy that evokes mixed emotions. While it is unfair to judge a man by his father’s, uncle’s, or grandfather’s actions, it cannot be denied that the Bush family is a dynasty in American politics.
The concept of one family wielding so much power is rightfully unsettling to most Americans. Many Republicans are reflexively distrusting of Kennedys for this reason, and after decades of dominance by the Bush family, the GOP is wary and weary of further Bushes.
Bush is not without controversy of his own; primarily the bizarre, emotionally charged, debate over the Alamo, which Bush was charged with renovating. During this time, it was alleged that Bush wanted to erect a statue of Mexican Dictator Santa Anna—a claim made without any evidence. Bush responded that these rumors were due to his ethnicity, as his mother is a naturalized citizen from Mexico. We do know that Bush wanted the Cenotaph—an absolutely staggering monument to the brave defenders of the Alamo—moved off the Alamo grounds. This plan was defeated.
However, the strongest critics of Bush voice few concerns other than the arcane Alamo fight and his family name.
Frankly, these criticisms have little bearing on his ability to execute the duties of the Office of Attorney General.
George P. Bush, as was previously stated, is a conservative Republican. He has campaigned on further securing the border and cracking down on crime—which he notes has risen under Paxton’s watch.
It is never enjoyable to take sides in an intraparty fight. SARC usually avoids endorsing before primaries as this unnecessarily divides the party, leaving us weaker. And in a city like Austin, we cannot have that weakness.
But sometimes, a line has to be drawn.
In this case, the Executive Committee of the South Austin Republicans Club felt that AG Paxton’s scandal has outweighed his ability to faithfully execute his duties. If he were the employee of a small business, under investigation for fraud, accused of violating ethics, unable to perform all his duties because of these investigations, and his work being judged as suspect because of the scandal he refused to put to rest—he’d be fired. And in this case, SARC agrees; he should be fired.
For these reasons, we the Executive Committee have chosen to endorse George P. Bush for Attorney General of Texas.
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Press Release: South Austin Republican Club Announces Endorsement for Texas Attorney General
“Roughly a dozen families living at a mobile home park in South Austin who received 60-day notices to leave will be able to stay for the time being after a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday.” KUT 5 Fun Things in South Austin – DO512 “A 25-year-old man has been arrested for…
Austin City Council voted to increase their pay by 40% last week by an overwhelming margin. Out of the eleven members, only three opposed this egregious hike in pay; Paige Ellis (D8), Vanessa Fuentes (D2), and the redoubtable Mackenzie Kelly (D6).
Dallas Emerson, Communications Director & Data Analyst
dallas@southaustinrc.org
Keep Voting
Former President Donald Trump released the following statement yesterday, October 13th, 2021:
This message has been received as a threat to the Republican Party; somehow to address the alleged fraud of the 2020 election.
There are those who argue this message is not a threat but, an analysis: Republican voters will stay home because they feel their votes will not count.
While South Austin Republicans Club takes voter fraud very seriously, we cannot encourage people to not vote. The idea that Republican voters should stay home is destructive, and the same attitude that handed two Georgia Senate seats to Democrats in January. When Republicans stay home, Democrats win.
As our club has noted before, there is no evidence of election-altering fraud in Austin. If the powers that be could suppress the vote, we would have never passed Proposition B (citywide homeless camping ban) or gotten a conservative councilwoman elected (Councilwoman Mackenzie Kelly).
As we look to vote for Prop A this year, and electing new councilmembers next year, we cannot allow the questions we have about the 2020 election prevent us from making our voices heard.
Despite how badly we wanted to see Donald Trump reelected, we must honestly and factually take up the many challenges that Republicans face. So that we ensure conservative leaders are elected and conservative policies implemented.
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“There are those who argue this message is not a threat but, an analysis: Republican voters will stay home because they feel their votes will not count.”
In 2020, the city council removed $150 million from the Austin Police budget. While this author has given special attention in the past to the obscenity of losing our sex crimes unit, there is another element that was eliminated causing all too tragic consequences.
Today, we will specifically look at mass shootings, trying to understand what exactly they are. By striving to understand the horrors that rock our headlines all too often, we may gain insight into how to prevent them.
We have an opportunity to help someone in need right now.
Here in Austin, there’s an Afghan interpreter named Hash who served alongside our military. He has become a citizen, but his family is currently trapped in Kabul, at Hamid Karzai International Airport. They have been told they will leave in 2 days, but they have no food or water. His 3-year-old child is now beginning to fade in and out of consciousness.
A veteran, and Hash’s sponsor, have reached out to SARC, asking if we can share Hash’s story.
We’ve all seen the images coming out of this emergency, and here is a small but important way we can help someone who risked his life for our soldiers.
He has asked that people contact Austin media to bring attention to this emergency and to see if his family can receive basic supplies.
So South Austin Republicans, we’re asking you to reach out and share this link with the following media outlets:
Please take a few moments and reach out to one or more of these outlets; a hero’s family is in need, and this is all he’s asked in return. If you have other media outlets to add to our list, please comment below this post.
If the media asks you for additional details, please have them email southaustinrc@gmail.com.
CALL TO ACTION: Afghan-American Austinite Veteran Seeks Assistance for Family Members
Barrett, who currently serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, emerged soon after Ginsburg’s death as a frontrunner among Trump’s potential nominees. Trump had hinted early on that he would pick a woman, and her conservative record is sure to please Trump’s ideological base.
Barrett would be Trump’s third nominee to the high court, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to hold a vote on Ginsburg’s replacement. With only weeks before Election Day, her confirmation is bound to be an epic showdown.
Here’s what you need to know know about Amy Coney Barrett:
A reliable conservative
Religious conservatives would have much to be pleased with Barrett, a devout Catholic.
Barrett has stated that “life begins at conception,” according to a 2013 Notre Dame Magazine article. She also said that justices should not be strictly bound by Supreme Court precedents, a deference known as stare decisis, leaving open the possibility that she could vote to overturn Roe v. Wade if seated on the court.
Evangelical and other anti-abortion activists have been pushing for her nomination. Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion rights group Susan B. Anthony List, spoke with Trump earlier this week to advocate for Barrett.
She has also voiced conservative views on a number of other issues, from guns to the Affordable Care Act. Her reported membership in a controversial Christian group has also raised eyebrows for its teachings on family relationships.
She could serve for decades
At 48 years old, Barrett would be the youngest justice currently on the Supreme Court, making it entirely plausible that Barrett could leave her mark on a swath of cases for a generation or more.
A lasting conservative influence on the court has been a major talking point for Trump throughout his reelection efforts. POLITICO reported Tuesday that McConnell — who has been a major force in his party’s push for conservative influence in the courts — voiced his preference for Barrett to the president.
A protégée of Scalia
Barrett clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia after graduating from Notre Dame Law School. Like Scalia, Barrett is a strict originalist and would “enforce her best understanding of the Constitution rather than a precedent she thinks is clearly in conflict with it,” she wrote in a 2013 Texas Law Review article.
She can go toe to toe with Democrats
During her confirmation hearing to serve on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, Barrett engaged in a contentious exchange with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The California Democrat pressed Barrett on her deeply held religious beliefs and how they could impact her jurisprudence, which led to criticism that Democrats’ questioning was anti-Catholic.
“The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern when you come to big issues that people have fought for years in this country,” Feinstein said to Barrett.
Barrett responded sharply: “It’s never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge’s personal convictions, whether they arise from faith or anywhere else, on the law.”
She’d join a small club
Barrett, if confirmed, would be only the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She’d join Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor on the bench.
Harriet Miers’ 2005 nomination was the last time a Republican president picked a woman for a seat on the court.
Her record
Barrett has served less than three years on the 7th Circuit after working as a law professor at Notre Dame Law School for nearly two decades.
Her short tenure on the bench means there’s been little time to develop a body of legal opinions, which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle would likely scrutinize. Republicans, having been burned in the past by GOP presidents’ nominees who ended up voting more liberally, would also likely demand reassurances from Barrett before granting her a lifetime appointment to the court.
Personal life
Barrett, born and raised in New Orleans, is married to Jesse Barrett, a former assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Indiana. Together they have seven children.
On the heels of the creation of a new PAC to push for restoring public safety, another local political movement is already well-on its way toward bringing back the Austin City Council recall effort.
“We had 30 people attend our meet and greet on Sunday, so we could finally meet each other face to face, and we have 111 people signed up to volunteer so far who are serious about volunteering to undertake this task,” said Becky McMillian, founder of Your Minute Is Up.
“With community-led efforts before, we’ve only seen 50 to 80 people show support to volunteer throughout the several-months-long process. Within one week of making this announcement we are seeing volunteers pour in at a faster rate. That just goes to show how the community is really behind this! The fire in people’s voices and outrage is amazing! They want their city back, and for the council and mayor to be out of office.”
We quote the inaugural press release from Your Minute Is Up below.
AUSTIN — […] The recall effort that got started by Our Town Austin at the end of 2019 got crushed by COVID-19, and their petitions became invalid. Your Minute Is Up is a fresh, community-based approach to the goal of placing a recall of the current Austin City Council (those left after the November election, that is) on the May 2021 ballot, with eager Austin citizens behind it.
Founder of Your Minute is Up, Becky McMillian, is a single mom, business owner and has lived in Austin since 1986. She explained the nascent organization will target Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Sabino Renteria, Ann Kitchen, and Paige Ellis. Once the petitions are verified, those named have five days to resign or face a recall election on an upcoming ballot.
Below is a statement from McMillian. Interviews are available by … emailing yourminuteisup@gmail.com
Over the past six months, our jaws have dropped at the stunning disregard for and rapid degradation of our quality of life in Austin as displayed by our Council and Mayor.
The reasons for a recall are numerous: for mismanagement of public policies and resources that have eroded the Austin brand and decreased affordability for all citizens, for catering to special interest which is reducing the quality of life for residents and visitors, and for endangering the lives of health, safety and welfare of Austin citizens and local businesses.
But there are a couple of issues that have become the straws that broke the proverbial camel’s back.
First, there is the homeless camping situation which has led to an uptick in violent crime. The homeless are now migrating into neighborhoods and endangering the lives of citizens and themselves. If city leaders knew first-hand how bad it was in the woods, just as Mayor Steve Adler stated in an interview (KVUE-TV, Oct. 18, 2019) why not stop it in the woods and homeless camps and address the problem there? Why bring it to the streets, sidewalks, and business entrances if not to beat the drum for higher taxes and more spending?
“Violent crimes committed by homeless people toward non-homeless people increased by only seven incidents,” Adler said via KVUE last year before the homeless camping ban was lifted. He reported that property crimes committed by homeless people only increased by five incidents between 2018 and 2019. Why, then, would Adler wish to accelerate the crime rate by bringing it to our doorsteps?
In my personal experience alone, not accounting for a million other Austinites and millions of visitors, I have been chased down for money while walking with my child to the car, subject to the sight of a man masturbating behind an office building next to a dumpster, and had my drivers side window beaten and spat upon while at a red light because I did not give him any spare change. This is not a city I want to raise my family in.
Just this year, Austin had the highest rate of increase for criminal activity in the nation. They now have played the moving-money-into-a-different-bucket trick and “reallocating funds” to show they care about the “civil rights” campaign that is now infiltrating our streets across America, also known as “defunding the police.” They are doing knee jerk moves, without even putting any thought into anything. These major cities across America are reading from a playbook, and are not listening to the citizens of their own city. They have their own agenda and willing to endanger citizens across Austin, and we are not going to put up with this any longer!
We are practically rolling out the red carpet for and welcoming major problems into our city!
We the taxpayers are poised to spend millions on hotels to house the homeless and those struggling with mental health and substance abuse addiction. Our city officials are a bunch of enablers for drug and alcohol addicts. Our Homeless population that struggle with mental health on the streets need 24 hour observation, and rehabilitation, and that’s even if they are willing to go. The ones that are playing with drugs, need a good wake up call!
They are also asking taxpayers for billions of dollars for Project Connect, a rail system to run through Austin, raising property taxes by an estimated 25 percent, which only helps a select percentage of transportation issues. They sure do know how to spend a lot of money without accomplishing much besides helping special interest groups making their pockets deeper.
For these and many other reasons we intend on recalling Mayor Steve Adler and City Council members Sabino Renteria, Ann Kitchen, and Paige Ellis. The other incumbent candidates, we anticipate, will not be re-elected in the November general election.
We don’t have another minute for you Mayor Adler or Council, Your Minute is Up! We are taking our city back!
Welcome! 