By Bill Oakey – January 18, 2022

Is your voice being heard at City Hall? If it isn’t, there’s a pretty simple reason. The special interests are the ones with all the connections. While you and your family are busy out working, the Big Money lobbyists and their cronies are always lurking at City Hall. Some are arrogant and some are real friendly. But their concern for you doesn’t add up to diddley.

So, many of us are wishing and hoping that Kathy Tovo will run for Mayor. Word has it that she is very close to a decision. If she doesn’t want it, we really can’t force her…

But if she does, I’m ready to endorse her!

With Kathie Tovo in the Mayor’s chair, we could finally start chip-chipping away at that big thick wall that separates us regular folks from the insiders at City Hall. So, if she decides to run, what would you want her to include in her campaign platform? Let’s start thinking about that, just in case. I would propose some ideas on affordability. Then I would work with her office staff, and urge them to launch a couple of big initiatives right away. All I need is for her campaign to give me the word and start me up!

How Tough Would It Be To Get Her Elected?

This probably wouldn’t be an easy race for us to win. Every square inch of our City that hasn’t been nailed down is up for sale to the highest bidder. It’s too late to bring back the unique hometown ambiance and funky weirdness that helped the marketers lure more people here. The new Austin is still a wonderful place, but it’s fraught with many challenges. Not all of us drive Teslas and toss away $25 to $50 a pop to park at a soccer stadium. Some of us care more about a tasty down home meal than an overpriced joint with a fancy chef from Paris or Milan. Kathie Tovo is our strongest voice at City Hall. Don’t get me wrong, though. She has proven that she can bring all sides together and reach consensus on reasonable solutions to big, contentious issues.

So, if Kathie runs, how can we help her win?

In a nutshell, it’s up to you. We have elected grassroots candidates for Mayor before. But it’s a lot of hard work. You and your friends and their friends would all need to pitch in and help. If Kathy Tovo ran and won, she would be our first woman elected Mayor since the election of 1981. That was 41 years ago! Kathy supports the current development code requirement that neighborhoods must be notified in advance on proposed zoning changes. She can be counted on to work out a plan that allows more density in some areas, but not nearly as threatening to as many existing neighborhoods as what’s in the latest draft of the revised code.

Kathie did not vote to slash the police budget. As part of the City Council majority, she approved streamlining the operations, with much better handling of mental health related cases, and a whole host of other impressive reforms. The lack of officers on the job is largely caused by a backlog of new hires needing to complete the cadet training classes. The revisions to the cadet training program, which led to some delays, will pay off in the long run with much better protocols and safer outcomes during arrests. We need to share that message widely.

Here’s the Final Big Question…

Trustworthy grassroots candidates for Mayor with an amazing staff of experienced, knowledgable and responsive people are hard to come by. We might have to wait a million years for the next opportunity. So, if she runs here’s the big question. Can compassionate Austinites unite to support a proven leader who feels strongly about bringing people together to solve problems, and help heal our economic divide? I believe there’s a song that answers it – Yes, we can…can!

Musical Accompaniment for This Blog Posting

1. “Wouldn’t it Be Great” – Loretta Lynn, title song from her 2018 album, recorded at age 85
2. “Wishin’ and Hopin'” – Dusty Springfield, 1964, written by Hal David & Burt Bacharach
3. “Chip Chip” – Gene McDaniels, 1962
4. “Start Me Up” – The Rolling Stones, 1981
5. “It’s Too Late” – Carole King, 1971, from her 13X platinum album, “Tapestry”
6. “It’s Up to You” – Ricky Nelson, 1962
7. “I’d Wait a Million Years” – The Grass Roots, 1969
8. “Yes We Can Can” – The Pointer Sisters, 1973, their first hit single. Listen joyously to the positive, unifying message in the lyrics! It fits so well today that it could have been written yesterday. it was written by the legendary New Orleans pianist, singer, songwriter and producer, Allen Toussaint.