Waterfall of Chihuahuas… If Robert “Crocodile” Corbin’s multiple accounts of abuse by dogs and “arrogant dog owners” are to be taken at face value, it’s no wonder he regularly pleads with city leaders to scrap Austin’s “no-kill” policy. Before urging members of the City Council Open Space, Environment and Sustainability Committee to evict Austin Pets […]
Reporters’ Notebook
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Devolution and exclusion
Mistakesman… As early voting starts on Monday morning, one candidate is facing an uphill battle reaching out to voters thanks to the Austin American-Statesman. David Holmes, the Democrat running for Travis County Commissioners Court Precinct 3, says the Statesman cut his race entirely from the League of Women Voters’ candidate guide that was included in […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Campaigns, opinions, etc.
Locals vs. State Legislators… In case you missed it, The Texas Tribune has posted audio from most of its 2016 Texas Tribune Festival panels. Mayor Steve Adler managed to score a seat on one of the panels, “Rideshare’s Road Forward,” talking about Austin’s now infamous ordinance governing ride-hailing companies. For those out of the know, Austin’s […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Butterflies but not rainbows
Hersh the homeowner… Pay enough attention to local politics, and you’ll eventually notice a collection of commonly repeated phrases and cliches: “There are many tools in the toolbox,” “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” “That passes on a 10-1 vote, Council Member Zimmerman opposed” and so forth. Last week, however, […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Upscale dogs, other complaints
You’re never too old to throw shade… Last Monday, the Austin Independent School District’s workshop meeting was full of lively discussion, including more pondering of academic programming and how to correctly catalog it for parents and district members. Often, special programs like AISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Magnet school or McCallum High School’s Fine Arts […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: What has hot dogs, great views and live music? It’s a roundup festival!
Hot dogs at Town Lake Animal Center… Things got heated during the Animal Advisory Commission’s recent discussion of the temperature of the Town Lake Animal Center. There has been increasing public concern over ineffectual swamp coolers where the outdoor kennels are, which means dogs have no protection against the humid Austin summer. Veterinarians have determined […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Cash rules everything around us
In for a penny… This week, City Council will OK the city’s budget. So, it’s understandable that the conversation last week was dominated by budget discussions – particularly given the $1.6 million or so that City Council is left looking for this week, and the many programs still left to fund. Although it took no […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Same as it ever was
Remember your dais voice… City Council members and city management are increasingly pushing back on Council Member Don Zimmerman’s tirades against city staff. It started at a Council budget work session Wednesday, when the cantankerous conservative expressed outrage that a staff presentation on the city’s future financial situation was based on the assumption that city […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Vultures everywhere
Reply all … Over the weekend, Public Safety Commissioner Mike Levy put Austin Neighborhoods Council President Mary Ingle on blast over the upcoming transportation bond election. It all started last week, when ANC held a panel on the upcoming bonds. That panel was held in front of a packed, interested house – but it was […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Zimmerman and more Zimmerman
The dull bits cut out… After the frenetic fun of the It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-style campaign season of 2014, it’s forgivable to survey 2016 and presume that electoral politics in Austin have gone into extended hibernation. Luckily, for those who thirst for drama, one young gun in West Austin is tossing his […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Reach for the czars
It’s a dog-eat-chicken world… In comments to City Council during citizens communication Thursday, the city’s top anti-dog demagogue, Robert “Crocodile” Corbin, described the Austin Animal Center’s “no kill” policy as “destructive to humans, animals, the environment and our finances.” He reminded them of a previous story he had recounted to them “about a large, old […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Resignations and resignation
“Sent using OWA for iPhone”… On Friday, the Austin Monitor reported that Neighborhood Housing and Community Development department executive Steve Ritchie had quit, following the sudden retirement of Director Betsy Spencer over the public release of allegations of harassment and retaliation. Ritchie’s resignation letter, sent on Wednesday, Aug. 3, read, “I tender my resignation effective […]