Lake  Travis  Democrats

 

LAKE TRAVIS DEMOCRATS

 

 

LAKE TRAVIS DEMOCRATS

A very large, enthusiastic, and energized crowd attended the Lake Travis Democrats’ April 8, 2008 meeting at the Lakeway Activities Center. The focus of the evening was on three extremely important regional candidacies for the upcoming November election.

Karen Huber is running for Travis County Commissioner in Precinct 3, which is not only the largest in area of the four county precincts, but also the most important in terms of controversial land development. Karen Huber is a sixth-generation Texan who has become increasingly disturbed by the diminishing quality of life in her beloved Hill Country, particularly in terms of increased traffic, diminished air and water quality, and unregulated development. As she puts it, "We are strip-mining our assets by allowing an uncontrolled growth that is not sustainable." As an example, she points to four new West Travis County housing developments that will add an additional 61,000 vehicles each day on Highway 71. She argues the county must become more proactive in its fight for local control. She also promises to be a collaborative leader who will work to bring environmentalists and developers together to work for the common good. Her opponent, who is the incumbent, has taken a different approach, believing that the free market solves all problems of overcrowding and environmental degradation. In the final analysis, Huber maintains that hers is a nonpartisan campaign, because, as she puts it, "We are in a hole so deep that we must all pull together if we are going to climb out of it."

Incumbent Valinda Bolton is running for election for the Texas House of Representatives in District 47. She has proven her independence over the past two years, while standing tall for students and teachers in our public schools. She has also worked diligently to put a stop to corporate giveaways "from toll roads taxpayers already paid for, to fast-track approval for coal-fueled electric plants that will release tons of pollutants into the air, to a Bahamas-based company that received million-dollar bonuses even after they dropped thousands of kids off CHIP." She is also determined to block the state from selling off thousands of acres of precious park land while fighting to preserve Texas’ natural resources for generations to come.

Adan Ballesteros is the Democratic candidate for Travis County Constable in Precinct 2. He is a highly decorated law enforcement officer with 27 years of experience. He has worked with many youth organizations, including the Boy Scouts, and has also been active in the American Red Cross and in his church. He promises to "increase efficiency and revenue while decreasing waste and spending of tax dollars." He also promises a conspicuous presence in the community.

The Lake Travis Democrats unanimously endorsed each of these three candidates.

The final speaker of the evening was Bettye Boyd, who spoke on the Cool Cities Program, which targets America’s mayors to help reduce greenhouse emissions in their respective communities. Large cities such as Dallas and Austin have already become active in this program, but Cool Cities also targets smaller cities. As an example, a Lakeway Cool Cities Team has just been formed and is working to build consensus of opinion that will encourage the City Council and the Mayor to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

The next LTD meeting will be held at the Lakeway Activity Center on May 13, 2008.

For further information on the activities of Lake Travis Democrats, or to become a member, go to www.laketravisdemocrats.org.

Submitted by Lew Carlson