Time for real change in the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector office

I have had a chance to meet most of the Republican candidates running in Travis County, and I think we've got a strong line-up this year.  I'm hoping to write about all the races more in the coming weeks, and I thought I'd start with one of the county-wide races. 

Vik Vad is the Republican running for Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector.  This is an open seat this year, with the lamentable Nelda Wells Spears having finally calling it quits.  Vik is an Austin native and a successful entrepreneur who has also worked in real estate, having first-hand experience with the issues the Tax Assessor's office deals with daily. 

I believe Vik is best person to represent the interests of taxpayers in Travis County.  The office has a largely administrative function, and efficiency is a key factor.  He's focused on integrity and running the office as he would a business - and fortunately, Vik Vad has had experience in the private sector with small businesses.

You can read more about Vik on his website.

It is thrilling to me to know we have young talent in Austin like Vik Vad, and I look forward to seeing what he could accomplish in this vital role in our county.


(cross-posted from Blue Dot Blues)

Travis County Healtcare Board of Managers, Please Reconsider

Thursday night at the Travis County Commissioners' Court on West 11th Street in downtown Austin, TX the not-elected-but-appointed-by-elected-officials Travis County HEALTHCARE District Board of Managers voted unanimously to use $450,000 of the district's property tax revenue (assessed without recourse to all Travis County property owners) to abort the unborn babies of poor and minority women. Margaret Sanger, who never met a person whom she considered of inferior race whom she didn't want to prevent from reproducing, would be so proud. The Board of Managers should be so ashamed of themselves.

As a result of this decision whether they like it or not, whether they live in Austin or not, whether they believe in the right to life or not, all Travis County Property owners' who pay their property taxes will be funding the killing of the unborn babies of poor and minority women. The Board of Managers made such a decision in the face of overwhelming opposition by the public. Why should the managers care about public opinion, they were not elected to their positions and so do not fear the public.

When unelected boards make life and death public policy decisions that are controversial and opposed by the public such decisions are dictates, not a consensus, not the decisions of a democratic body. Those decisions are therefore of questionable legitimacy. Those decisions should be appealed and litigated, and if there is no recourse they should perhaps be civilly disobeyed, in this case by a taxpayer revolt.

For the sake of decency and respect for the poor and minorities, we at The Travis Monitor urge the Hospital District Board of Managers to reconsider their ill-advised decision made without regard of public opinion.

And one more thing, ABORTION IS NOT HEALTH CARE.

Click here to read the Austin American Statesmen story on the "hearing".

Travis county taxpayers to foot tab for abortions?

An unaccountable and unelected bureaucracy making decisions behind closed doors? Nope, not the latest story out of DC, it's Travis county Government this time ... Travis County could spend $450,000 for abortions and refuses to discuss it with citizens. Will Travis county taxpayers foot tab for abortions? We'll be the last to be told.

It's time to Audit Cap Metro

In the wake of the resignation of the President of Cap Metro, and the continuing failure of the light-rail boondoggle to get even a single train up and running, a call for the Travis County commissioners and to the Austin City Council to conduct a thorough audit of Cap Metro:

Mayor and Council Members:

Austin is the largest municipality in the Capital Metro region and provides some 96% of the sales tax revenues for the operations of Capital Metro. I urge you to insist on an immediate independent financial and operations audit of Capital Metro for the following reasons:

There are many indications there has been a gross lack of transparency and numerous misleading and incorrect recordings and presentations of Capital Metro's financial performance and projections which seem to be designed to purposefully hide Capital Metro’s poor performance and mistakes and to deceive and mislead the public.

The fairly recent departure of a long term Capital Metro board chairman, the current departure of the long term Chief Executive and the poor performance and apparent irregularities all make it obvious that a financial and operations audit is appropriate and demanded to provide a sound baseline for the future operation of Capital Metro.

Best regards, Jim Skaggs

We second that emotion. It's time to Audit Cap Metro.

SD-14 Convention - Open Thread

Open comment thread for thoughts on the convention ... what do you think?