ANDREW BUCKNALL General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I believe my greatest contribution was being
the after-school site coordinator for YMCA at Zavala
Elementary. Having the opportunity to become a member
of the East Austin family opened my eyes and provided
me an opportunity to have an impact on children's'
lives and help grow our community.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
My benchmark would be to determine the health
of the community and would be determined by the
accessibility of all of Austin to maintain affordable
housing, basic services and small business
opportunities.
Affordable housing should not be displacing current
residents and should be provided on the median income
of a smaller area than the entire city of Austin to
prevent further gentrification. Continued investment
in down payment assistance to keep generational
property ownership by families living in East Austin
should be encouraged and funded through the city.
East Austin should not be an afterthought when it
comes to basic infrastructure provision. All of
Austin deserves the roads, drainage support and basic
services at equal levels.
Invest in Job incubators and partnerships with lenders
willing to grant loans to East Austin entrepreneurs to
be able to develop sustainable economic growth which
keeps resources in the community.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
We need to continue to encourage ESL classes
to open up educational opportunities. I would like to
see continued cooperation between the Recreation
Centers and the schools to provide homework centers
and opportunities for educational advancement. I
would encourage more after-school programs which
provide youth with activities. We must stay committed
to school safety both in the school and in providing
safe streets around the schools. I will continue to
work with colleges like Huston-Tillotson University
and open up opportunities for groups like the young
scholars program with PODER. We must continue to work
with state to try and preserve the top 10% rule for
admission. Public private partnerships must be
encouraged to allow opportunities for scholarships.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
As a council-member I will seek an appointment
to the Capitol Metro Board and try to use influence to
provide more reliable, frequent and safe transit
service with well-lit stops. Before we go off in a
totally new direction in transportation I believe we
should increase the efficiency and reliability of our
bus service. I support the upgrading of the Cities
traffic control system which is currently on the bond
proposal so we can adjust stop lights to cycle at
faster intervals during non-peak hours to increase
efficiency. As potential CAMPO member I will not
suport tolls on existing roads and would not support
new roads funded by tolls unless as a last resort.
LEE LEFFINGWELL General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I believe the most important contribution I have made to the Latino community, and to the community at large, has been my five years of volunteer public service as Chair of the city’s Environmental Board. Protecting our natural resources – keeping our air and water clean – is critically important to all of us, and I am proud to have helped play a role in that effort. If elected to the Austin City Council, I hope to have the opportunity to work with Austin Latinos to identify and meet those challenges more specific to the community.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
I believe strongly that Austin city government needs to put a greater focus on the challenges we face as it relates to East Side gentrification. I also believe that we should be doing more to help locally-owned businesses – especially our minority- and women-owned business – be successful.
Further, I agree with the fundamental premise of the question: that our efforts to address these serious challenges should receive at least the same level of attention as we give to our efforts to attract and retain large employers. As far as accountable benchmarks of my personal commitment to these concerns, I would hope that my voting record, if elected to the Council, would offer an accurate measure.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
I agree wholeheartedly that our education system is an essential component of our overall quality of life, and that education issues deserve the attention of the City Council, even though public education is not the City Council’s responsibility. Accordingly, if elected to the Council, I would hope to be appointed to serve on the standing City of Austin / Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees Joint Subcommittee in order to better understand the education challenges we face and to work directly with other stakeholders, not limited to the AISD board, in order to help meet them.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
With good cause, the top complaint of Austin citizens is traffic. I absolutely believe that we must be diligent in our ongoing efforts to address the region’s mobility problems, because beyond the simple hassle of traffic jams, our transportation problems are also a drag on our economy, damaging to our environment, and, too often, the cause of fatalities. While the City Council alone has only a limited ability to significantly impact traffic congestion (although I believe there are a few simple steps that could be taken quickly to achieve some worthwhile improvements), city leaders can and must work cooperatively with other jurisdictions and our regional partners to deliver effective solutions. To do so, we must be prepared to use every tool at our disposal – new and well-maintained roads, effective and accessible mass transit systems (I strongly support the commuter rail system), great pedestrian and bike facilities, and smart land-use planning. While I am not categorically opposed to using tolls to fund expanded road capacity where we need it, I was very strongly opposed to the toll plan recently approved by CAMPO, based in part on my opinion that it is fundamentally unfair to toll roads that taxpayers have already paid for.
JAMES PAINE Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
I don't really know much about transportation issues. Hopefully, my colleagues in city council will be able to bring me up to speed. I can't bullstuff you on this one. Thanks ever so much! James
CASEY WALKER General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I would have to say my work with Brown Santa in the 90s where we delivered Christmas turkeys and presents to families in the Latino communities in Austin. It gave the families a lot of joy and it gave me a lot of joy too.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
I want to phase out tax abatements to big corporations and apportion that money to helping small local business and providing tax relief for the citizens of Austin. As a city, Austin sells itself. The City Council no longer needs to try and sell the City to bring businesses here. Let’s use that money to help those that really need it.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
I agree that education is often unmentioned in this discussion and it should be. I want Austin schools to be the best in the Country and I think we first need to evaluate what the City is doing to currently fix this, because whatever it is, it’s not working. I think from there we need to work closely with the teachers, administration, and students and get their input on what is and is not working. Why should we assume we know what’s best for the schools when very few of us are in the schools everyday like the teachers and students.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
I would start by fighting Phase 2 Toll Roads because they are going be a huge financial crisis for working families who are not prepared for that added expense. I would also fight to make sure that commuter rail is kept as inexpensive as possible while also keeping it as efficient and as unassuming as possible.
MARGOT CLARKE General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I would say that my best contribution to Austin’s Latino community (especially young people) was the work I did at Planned Parenthood. As the public affairs manager, I was responsible for lobbying and organizing grassroots lobbying at the legislature (and in the community) for access to low-cost reproductive health care and comprehensive sexuality education. Having the knowledge to enter into the sexually-active phase of life with the ability to protect oneself from disease and control reproduction is important to being able to pursue one’s life goals. And the health care that Planned Parenthood provides is, in many cases, the only access to primary care that many uninsured Austinites have. I was (and am) proud to fight for people’s rights to make responsible choices for their lives.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
Small, local businesses are the cornerstone of Austin’s economy, making up two thirds of our job base. Local business also returns three times the money to our local economy compared to national chains. I have supported local business not only as a consumer, but as an early sponsor of the Austin Independent Business Alliance. I will work to foster these businesses with programs like independent business zones. In addition, out of innovative small to midsize companies can immerge our next homegrown major employer to help Austin’s affordability issue by building broader prosperity. We should ensure support for local business before we consider subsidies for large corporations, and make it possible for our small businesses to thrive.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
For many years, there has been an informal arrangement where three members of the city council meet with three members of the school board to exchange information – this practice is important to continue. As I have said before, reducing the dropout rate, especially among our minority youth, is a critical issue for Austin, and there are ways for the city council and the school district to work on that together. For example, the city can hire at-risk teens for summer jobs with city department, to provide valuable work experience as well as extra income. Also, the district staff uses demographic and other data from the city, and vice versa, to plan and address problems; this is especially helpful in dropout prevention because often kids missing school is an indicator of underlying needs for social services. Finally, I believe that it behooves the council to be supportive of the excellent resource we have in ACC.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
Too many Austinites spend a disproportionate amount of their income on transportation costs, which at times can nearly equal housing costs. I will work to provide more transportation options, reduce sprawl, and address housing affordability so that people can live closer in. (This means collaboration with housing, as well as transportation, agencies.) I will also fight against the toll road plan so there is not an additional finance burden on our citizens.
GREG KNAUPPE General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
Increasing the affordability and accessibility of healthcare for all Austinites, particularly Hispanics has been my greatest contribution. I have fought to bring federal and state funding to Austin for Medicare, Medicaid and Federally Qualified Health Centers. As Vice President of Public Affairs for the Texas Hospital Association, I have devoted my career to brining healthcare to as many people as possible.
I am proud to have served on the Steering Committee of the recently passed Travis County Hospital District. Our campaign led to the passage of an umbrella organization to coordinate the delivery of healthcare services in our City and County. The ultimate goal is better access to primary health care for employees.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
Thirty years from now when my children are raising my grandchildren, I want them to enjoy the same quality of life in Austin we have now. Integration and economic development cannot strangle historic communities east of I-35.
Since the start of my campaign, I have focused on eliminating the I-35 divide and ensuring that prosperity touches every part of the city. Small businesses make up over 80% of our economy. I will be diligent to ensure that small business/disadvantaged enterprises are fully informed as to access to capital. I will also work with the State Legislature to make sure that a percentage of the enterprise fund is invested in local/state businesses.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
Equal access to quality education is extremely important to me. I am the only member of my family to have graduated from high school, including my parents. Education is priority number one when it comes to quality of life and economic prosperity. I have experience in working with all levels of government on healthcare related issues. Efforts to properly educate our community must be coordinated. AISD, ACC and the local universities to ensure we are providing opportunities for everyone to succeed in school. A vital role the city can play is ensuring adequate funding for after-school programs and access to quality, affordable childcare for low-income families.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
We currently face a regional mobility crisis. That’s why I support multi-modal transportation solutions including rail and road. Every day in my professional career I work with federal and state leaders to draw funding for healthcare in our region and state. I want to bring that experience to City Hall to make sure we tap as many federal dollars as possible to tackle our education, healthcare, and transportation crisis’s. Austin must have a more efficient bus service. The more efficient, the more people utilize the service, thereby bringing fares down. The number one obstacle to employment is transportation. An efficient bus service will serve our community well.
WES BENEDICT General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I have been an opponent of the policies of gentrification that are forcing working families, including many Latinos, to flee the escalating property values, rents, and property taxes. My small manufacturing business employed a majority of Latinos, and I also helped some Latino employees set up there own small businesses which ended up serving my company as well as some of my competitors. It was a win-win for the new business owners as well as my business.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations?
While I have worked for such large companies as 3M and PricewaterhouseCoopers, I recently owned a small countertop manufacturing company in South Austin that competed with Home Depot. I realize that subisidies and tax breaks for large companies come at the expense of higher property taxes from home owners, renters, and small businesses.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
While the city council isn't directly involved in educational policies, by having policies that promote affordable housing and efficient transportation, educational opportunities will be easier to realize in Austin.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
Bus transit is far less expensive than rail transit. I'm afraid the commuter rail will primarily serve wealthy Northwest Austin residents commuting to high dolllar jobs in downtown. I'd rather upgrade our bus system, improve roads so that people can get around town more easily, and provide more affordable housing in Austin so that so many people don't have to move out to the suburbs and then commute long distances back into the city for work. I think it was wrong for the City Council to prevent a new taxi business from starting up. Additionally, I think taxis and commuter vans should be allowed to pickup people at more than one location, which is currently prohibited. That would allow more entrepreneurs to start transportation services that can easily adjust to market demands, rather than waiting on route approvals through Capital Metro which often take political considerations into account of actual need.
BETTY DUNKERLEY General
1. What do you consider to be your greatest contribution to the Latino community of Austin?
I have been a public servant in Austin for almost 15 years, and during that time I feel that I have made a number of important contributions to the Latino community. In particular, I have worked to help ensure adequate infrastructure investments in East Austin, deliver affordable housing options, and promote the success of small local businesses, including those owned by women and minorities. As Director of Administrative and Financial Services and Assistant City Manager, I also worked very hard to ensure that my own city staff was a diverse reflection of the community, including strong Latino representation. In addition, as a Council Member, I have been proud to serve on the Minority-Owned Business Enterprise and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Subcommittee, along with Council Member Alvarez and Council Member Thomas, to help ensure that MBE / WBE entrepreneurs have equal access to economic opportunity.
Economy
2. It seems a given that the long-term commitment and contributions of large companies such as Freescale are important to the Austin economy and culture. City council has a role in determining how Austin's public resources are devoted to recruiting, cultivating, and retaining these entities. If we substitute "successive generations of families living on the Eastside, small business/disadvantaged enterprises and the creative class" for "large companies such as Freescale" in the previous sentence, what accountable benchmark(s) would you like to propose as a measure of your priorities or commitment, if any, to entities other than large corporations.
First, it’s important to say that I don’t think Austin’s efforts to attract and retain large employer should be neglected. In fact, I think these efforts can be of great importance to East Austin, particularly if we can secure commitments from large employers who choose to locate in our “Desired Development Zone” within East Austin to commit to hire their employees directly from the East Austin community. I strongly support asking for that commitment, especially if there are city incentives involved. At the same time, I do believe we need to continue to invest more time and resources into ensuring a high quality of life for East Austin residents, and promoting the success of small, locally owned East Austin businesses. As it relates to helping small local businesses, I am very proud of some important progress we have made in recent years, including establishing a division of our economic development department that is devoted exclusively to helping small businesses; revising our building code to allow small business owners more flexibility in building and expanding; and funding a broad range of support services focused on assisting local entrepreneurs who may have limited administrative capability. Finally, regarding gentrification issues, I am very concerned that we find a way to help ease the pressure on families in East Austin who are struggling with an ever-increasing property tax burden, and accordingly I support the efforts of Council Member Alvarez and Council Member Thomas who are working to deliver real solutions to this problem.
Education
3. Education is an often unmentioned factor in maintaining a city's quality of life. If elected, how would you partner with Austin public schools and local colleges and universities to increase educational achievement?
While improving our public education system is obviously not within the direct purview of the City Council, I do think we can play an important role in facilitating a broad and honest dialogue among all education stakeholders to identify and pursue solutions to specific problems. I currently serve on the City of Austin - Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees Joint Subcommittee, and I do feel as if our subcommittee has helped facilitate just such a dialogue as it relates to public education. In terms of local colleges and universities, I think our most important commitment as a City Council should be to work toward ensuring affordable housing and effective mass transit options, so that students can enjoy a good quality of life while in Austin. From a funding perspective, I have supported city funding for adult education services at AISD and for many of the local non-profits that support adult / youth education and summer youth employment programs.
Transportation
4. Transportation is a concern for many working families in Austin. How would you partner with local, state and federal transportation agencies to keep fares low and quality of service high?
We should always be working to provide more and better transportation options, but, as your question notes, the most meaningful transportation solutions are delivered by working in partnership with other authorities. Strictly in terms of what we can do as city policy-makers, I support increasing density (within the context of neighborhood planning) around identified transportation nodes to encourage increased use of mass transit alternatives over the long-term, and I support having more and better bicycle and pedestrian facilities all across the community. Of course, we also need to be working toward a much-improved road infrastructure, but we do face serious funding challenges. Given our current funding situation with the State, I do think there is a place for toll roads to fund the construction of new road capacity (road capacity not already paid for with gas tax funds), but I oppose tolling roads that are either already in existence or already funded with gas tax. I did support the recent Council initiative to conduct an independent review of the current toll plan.
