[00:00:01]
GREG CASAR[Greg Casar]
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT FOUR.OUR LOCAL DEMOCRACY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT TOGETHER.
WE'RE SAVING LIVES BY PRIORITIZING PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE'RE FIGHTING TO MAKE SURE NO ONE LOSES THEIR HOME OR CAN'T PAY THEIR BILLS IN THIS PANDEMIC.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OUR LOCAL CULTURE ALIVE.
AND IN THIS MOMENT OF CRISIS, WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER LIKE NEVER BEFORE TO MAKE OUR CITY MORE SOCIALLY, JUST AFFORDABLE AND SAFE FOR EVERYONE BEFORE BECOMING A CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AGO, I WAS AN IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ORGANIZER.
I ORGANIZED ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT USUALLY WEREN'T, UH, AT THE TABLE AT CITY HALL AND WE PUSHED TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO.
WE PUSHED CITY COUNCIL TO STAND UP FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE INSTEAD OF POWERFUL INTERESTS AND REALLY BIG CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES.
AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I REMAINED FOCUSED ON LIFTING UP THE VOICES OF WORKING PEOPLE AND WE CAN MAKE POWERFUL CHANGE.
I'VE SEEN HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT CHANGE WHEN PEOPLE COME AND PUSH CITY HALL.
IN MY FIRST YEAR AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THERE WAS A DISTRICT FOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OF LOWER INCOME WORKING CLASS RESIDENTS, PRIMARILY LIVING IN MOBILE HOMES WHO HAD THEIR WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD PURCHASED BY OUT OF STATE INVESTORS.
THOSE INVESTORS TRIED TO ILLEGALLY PUSH PEOPLE OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY RAISING RENTS ON PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR LEASE, TRYING TO FORCE EVICTIONS OF NEIGHBORS AND PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER.
PEOPLE CALLED MY OFFICE AND WE GOT LAWYERS.
WE GOT THE MEDIA INVOLVED AND WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP EVERYBODY IN THEIR HOMES AND STOP THOSE ILLEGAL EVICTIONS, BUT WE DIDN'T STOP THERE.
WE KEPT ORGANIZING AND WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT A PROPOSAL FORWARD TO CITY HALL FOR THE CITY TO ASSIST THOSE NEIGHBORS AND BUYING BACK THEIR LAND FROM THOSE OUT-OF-STATE INVESTORS THAT THEY CAN HAVE PERMANENT STABILITY.
AND WE WON EVERYDAY PEOPLE AND PRIMARILY A MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY WON AGAINST OUT OF STATE INVESTORS THAT WERE JUST TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK ON THE BACKS OF WORKING PEOPLE.
THAT'S THE KIND OF CHANGE THAT WE NEED IN THIS CITY.
NOW, THOSE NEIGHBORS NOT ONLY HAVE LONGTERM STABILITY, BUT THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING IN THEIR COMMUNITY IN THIS PANDEMIC, MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE FOOD AND THE MASKS THEY NEED.
I'VE SEEN THAT SPIRIT IN PLACES LIKE MY OWN DISTRICT OF DISTRICT FOUR, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE REAL CHANGE UNDER THIS NEW SYSTEM AND ARE BRINGING UNPRECEDENTED PARKS INVESTMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY, TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS, SAFETY INVESTMENTS, PUBLIC HEALTH INVESTMENTS, LIKE NEVER BEFORE TO PARTS OF THE CITY LIKE NORTH AUSTIN THAT HAD BEEN NEGLECTED FOR FAR TOO LONG.
WE CAN SEE OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINALLY HAVE TO RESPOND AND DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE'VE PASSED UNPRECEDENTED COVID RELIEF PROGRAMS, RAISED WAGES, AND ONE PAID SICK TIME FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
WE SAVE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN EAST AUSTIN FROM BEING SHUT DOWN BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND WE SET OURSELVES ON A PATH TO ESTABLISHING A REAL MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM FOR OUR CITY.
WE'VE MADE TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES TO OUR BUDGET, CHANGES TO OUR BUDGETS TO START TO RELY LESS ON MASS INCARCERATION AND MORE ON THE KINDS OF PUBLIC SERVICES THAT PREVENT CRIME AND VIOLENCE.
IN THE FIRST PLACE WE NEED VIOLENCE PREVENTION, MENTAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES.
I'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW OUR CITY TOO OFTEN HAS OVER RELIED ON THE JAIL AND ARRESTS AS A SOLUTION WHEN REALLY WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ARE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS, HOUSING TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS TREATMENTS, TO ADDRESS ADDICTION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, AND WE HAVE FINALLY STARTED TO BEGIN, BUT OUR GREATEST CHALLENGES ARE STILL TO COME.
WE FACE THE STATE GOVERNMENT THAT WANTS TO STOP OUR WORK ON RACIAL JUSTICE.
THEY WANT TO UNDO OUR ADVANCEMENTS ON CIVIL RIGHTS AND WORKERS' RIGHTS.
THEY SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE PANDEMIC, BUT THAT HAS NOT BEEN A PRIMARILY WHAT THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SITTING ON ITS HANDS AND SOMETIMES MAKING THINGS WORSE.
AND AS WE HEAD INTO 2021, WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
NOT BACK, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR HELP FROM OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
THE RECOVERY FROM COVID-19 IS REALLY IN OUR HANDS AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT RECOVERY IS INCLUSIVE OF THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN US THROUGH THIS.
THE RESULT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BEEN REALLY TRAGIC, BUT AS WE COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE TO HEAL.
AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE CAN NOT BECOME MORE UNEQUAL.
WE HAVE TO BECOME A MORE INCLUSIVE CITY AND THE RESULTS AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT HAS TO BE US TAKING REAL ACTION FOR BLACK LIVES AND NOT JUST PLATITUDES OR WORDS.
THE AUSTIN OF TOMORROW HAS TO INCLUDE THE WORKING AND MIDDLE CLASS.
I REPRESENT NOT PUSH THEM OUT OF THE CITY, BUT I'VE SEEN WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE FIGHT HARD AND COME TOGETHER.
SO LET'S FIGHT FOR DECENCY AND FOR KINDNESS AND LET'S FIGHT FOR AUSTIN AND WIN.
[Louis C. Herrin III]
HI, MY NAME IS[00:05:01]
DISTRICT FOUR.I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN GALVESTON, TEXAS.
I ATTENDED TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY AND I HAVEN'T FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER FOR THE STATE.
I'LL GIVE YOU SOME TIDBITS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE NUMBER ONE SONG.
WHEN I WAS BORN WITH THE TEXAN THROUGH AND HEARD, I'VE HAD TWO SONS IN AUSTIN OVER EAGLE SCOUTS.
AND MY OLDEST IS A GRADUATE OF WEST POINT.
AND MY YOUNGEST IS A GRADUATE OF TEXAS, A AND M WITH A DEGREE IN FORESTRY.
AFTER I GRADUATED FROM TEXAS A AND M IN 1980, I MOVED TO AUSTIN BECAUSE I HAD MY CHOICE OF SEVERAL CITIES.
I MOVED OFF BECAUSE OFTEN WITH THE CITY THAT I WANTED TO RAISE MY CHILDREN IN.
AND, BUT IF YOU ASKED ME THAT QUESTION TODAY, I WOULD NOT GIVE YOU THE SAME ANSWER.
OFTEN WOULD NOT BE ON MY CHOICE.
THE CITY MOVED TO SIX YEARS AGO, I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL, UH, BECAUSE I DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THE CITY WAS GOING WITH THE COUNCIL WE HAVE TODAY.
WE HAD SIX YEARS AGO BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HAVE SCREWED IT UP AS MUCH AS OUR CURRENT COUNCIL HAS.
AND I WAS SAW FOR THE 10 TO ONE FOR THE REPRESENTATION BECAUSE BEFOREHAND WE WERE ONLY BEING REPRESENTED BY ONE SMALL SECTION OF THE CITY.
OUR CITY COUNCIL HAS DONE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S MAKING IT SAFE.
THEY KEEP SAYING AUSTIN, THAT'S A SAFE CITY, BUT THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND DEFUND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THEY ARE REDUCING THE STAFF OF OUR OFFICERS, PATROL OFFICERS TO THE 19 OR 2015 STANDARD IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OFTEN HAS THE POPULATION HAS FOOD.
WE SHOULD BE ADDING MORE CUPS, NOT REDUCING IT.
AND THEY WERE STILL SAYING, WE'RE A SAFE CITY.
THE WAY THAT THE, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DETECTIVES THEY'RE REDUCING, UH, THE GANG UNITS.
THEY'RE REDUCING THE UNITS THAT ARE GOING FOR ILLEGAL DRUGS, ET CETERA.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY COULD SAY THAT WE'RE A SAFE CITY.
WHEN THEY'RE OPENING UP THE CITY WHERE CRIME, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE ENFORCED ON US, THAT WE HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE.
THE CITY HAS BEEN DOING BANDAID THAT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE AND NOT BETTER.
WE'RE SPENDING, MAN'S A DOLLAR AND WE HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT.
WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO WORK OUT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM, WHEN YOU PUT IT WITH CODE NEXT AND THE PROJECT CONNECT, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING A LOT MORE PROBLEMS THAN IN THE PAST.
AND WITH PROJECT CONNECT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND MAKING MORE PEOPLE HOMELESS.
CAUSE WE'RE RAISING OUR TAXES WERE GOING TO HAVE A VERY LITTLE INPUT.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE TRAFFIC EVEN WORSE THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.
EVEN WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE PROJECTING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AND CODE NEXT IS GOING TO CAUSE US TO HAVE A IT'S GOING TO DESTROY OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, CODEX, UH, PLANNERS.
SOME PEOPLE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE UP NORTH AND THE WEST COAST.
THEY DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT FOR THE WAY THE CITY IS OUR ENVIRONMENT HERE.
AND THE WAY THIS NEW CODE NEXT IS GOING TO BE, UH, IT'S GOING TO MAKE THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN, MUCH HOTTER POTS, MORE FLOODING FUTURE.
BUT TO WRAP THINGS UP, IF YOU LIKE THE WAY THE CITY IS GOING AND YOUR WANT TO KEEP GOING THAT WAY, GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THE INCUMBENT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGE AND I WILL GUARANTEE YOU, I WILL GO FOR CHAIN A BOOK FOR ME.
MY WEBSITE IS LOUIS HERON.COM.
IT'S L O U I S H E R R I N.COM.
I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE AND I WILL TRY TO SUPPORT AND SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE DISTRICT CORE AND THE CITY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY NEEDS THE RECOMMENDATION.
AND AS AN ENGINEER, I AM TRAINED TO LOOK AT BIG PROBLEMS, BREAKING THEM DOWN WITH SMALL PROBLEMS TO SOLVE THEM ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME UNTIL WE SOLVE A BIG PROBLEM.
[Ramesses Setepenre II]
HELLO, CITY OF AUSTIN, DISTRICT FOUR RESIDENTS.MY NAME IS
I'M A SELF FUNDED GAY SOCIALISTS OR ECOSOCIALIST, WHICH MEANS THAT I CARE FOR THE PLANET AND THE PEOPLE OVER PROFITS AND USING THE PLANET'S RESOURCES IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE MANNER.
I AM PRO BLACK BROWN, LGBTQ WOMEN'S RIGHTS, INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, UM, FOR DRUG AND SEX WORK LEGALIZATION OR DECRIMINALIZATION HEALTHCARE FOR ORAL COLLEGE, FOR ALL SLAVERY REPARATIONS, LIVING WAGES, ABOLISHING POLICE UNIONS, AND QUALIFIED IMMUNITY, GETTING MONEY OUT
[00:10:01]
OF POLITICS, ENACTING RANK CHOICE, VOTING, AGREEING NEW DEAL AND ALL THINGS PROGRESSIVE.THE REASON I'M RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL IS BECAUSE I USED TO WORK AT CITY HALL AS A CONTRACTOR, AND I WAS PAID MEAGER WAGES, FULL TIME HOURS, NO BENEFITS.
AND MY PAY CHECK WAS DEFRAUDED.
YES, WAGE THEFT HAPPENS EVEN AT CITY HALL.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, I WAS TREATED WITH HOMOPHOBIA, XENOPHOBIA BULLIED BY CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE IN FORGIVENESS.
I BELIEVE IN VENGEANCE AND VENDETTA FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, MY COUNCIL MEMBER NEVER REACHED OUT TO ME NOR ANSWER ANY OF MY EMAILS NOR SOCIAL MEDIA.
MY COUNCIL MEMBER GREG HAS FAILED TO REPRESENT ME AS A COUNSELOR CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, AS WELL AS AN EMPLOYEE, A CITY HALL.
AND I REFUSE, I REFUSE TO BE ANYONE'S COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
THAT'S WHY I'M REPRESENTING MYSELF AND CHALLENGING HIS POSITION.
I DON'T NEED NO MAN TO REPRESENT ME BECAUSE I'M GOING TO REPRESENT ME.
I'M SELF-FUNDED, WHICH MEANS THAT I REFUSE TO TAKE ANY MONEY FROM ANYONE.
I DON'T NEED A CORPORATION SPONSOR ME.
I DON'T NEED A SUGAR DADDY BECAUSE I'M AN INDEPENDENT HOMOSEXUAL.
I BELIEVE IN GETTING MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.
QUITE LITERALLY, I LIKE THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER, GREG, WHO TAKES OVER 98% OF HIS MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF HIS DISTRICT.
AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF STATES, THAT'S OVER $72,000 FROM PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN HIS DISTRICT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW'S THAT LEGAL BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION TO TAKE MONEY AS A, AS A CITY COUNCIL FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR STATE.
I BELIEVE IN WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO ABORTION, NOT EVERY EJACULATION JUST DESERVES OR NEEDS A NAME.
I BELIEVE IN LEGALIZING SEX WORK BECAUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWS YOU TO BE PAID POVERTY WAGES OF SEVEN 25 AN HOUR.
THEN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD AT LEAST ALLOW YOU TO SELL YOUR BODY.
FOR MORE THAN THAT, I BELIEVE IN DECRIMINALIZING, ALL DRUGS, KIND OF LIKE WHAT PORTUGAL DID, BECAUSE DRUGS ARE A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, NOT A CRIMINAL ISSUE.
I BELIEVE IN BLACK LIVES MATTER AND BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER.
I BELIEVE IN DIVESTING FROM THE APD, WE SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING 40% PLUS OF OUR CITY BUDGET ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IS THIS AUSTIN, OR IS THIS A DYNASTY MAN? AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE SENT POLICE OFFICERS TO DO THE JOBS OF MULTIPLE OTHER PROFESSIONS, SUCH AS COUNSELORS, PSYCHIATRISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, TRAFFIC RULE, ENFORCERS, ANIMAL CONTROL, ET CETERA.
SO HOW ABOUT WE HIRE THESE OTHER PROFESSIONALS ONBOARD INSTEAD OF SENDING A ONE SIZE FITS ALL RESPONSE THROUGH RESPONDER.
AND IF WE WANT TO REDUCE CRIME, WE JUST START AT COMMUNITY IN RICHMOND.
EVERYONE KNOWS EVEN ON A SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL THAT POVERTY AND CRIME ARE LINKED.
IF YOU WALK DOWN THROUGH A POVERTY SERKAN POT PART OF TOWN, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MORE VIGILANT.
SO HOW ABOUT WE ACTUALLY GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM AND AIM TO BOSCH POVERTY, PROVIDE HEALTHCARE, CREATING A LIVING WAGE, PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PROVIDE EDUCATION, PROVIDE SOCIAL MOBILITY, PROVIDE ACCESS TO NECESSARY RESOURCES IN ORDER TO REDUCE CRIME.
FINALLY, THE PSD HAS THE STONES IS THAT I'M THE MOST PROUD OF AGGRESSIVE CANDIDATES.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU VOTE FOR ME.