Violations: Mayoral Campaign Heats Up in Home Stretch

If you parked at a meter downtown this weekend, you may have gotten a "Violation" like the one shown here, saying that Lee Leffingwell wants you to pay to park on nights and weekends. The violation flyers were distributed by a group called BrewsterNation.com, which has posted Leffingwell's unedited response on YouTube. The question, which was asked by the author of this post at the Austin Super Forum, was, "Should the city start generating more revenue from street parking by charging people to park at night and on the weekends?"

Mark Nathan, a spokesman for Leffingwell's campaign, responded that Leffingwell did suggest at an Audit and Finance subcommittee meeting that the city’s Transportation Director, Robert Spiller, look at the possibility of charging to park at meters at night and on the weekends in connection with installation of the new parking meters. However, Mr. Nathan said that Leffingwell has not proposed it nor has he said that he’s for it - he simply told Spiller we should "look at it" and repeated that statement at the forum.

Mr. Nathan also said that "this attack campaign is not only misrepresentative, it’s illegal. There's been no political action committee filed to spend any money advocating for Brewster or against Lee, as is required by law. There is obviously no legally required disclaimer language on the website or any of the printed materials, so the party behind the attack is - for reasons unknown - anonymous. Regardless of whether the party filed a political action committee as required by the law, at this point in the election, any expenditures of this type are required to be reported to the City Clerk within 48 hours, along with a sworn statement that the expenditures were made without the prior knowledge or consent of the candidate whose election is being advocated."

Colin Rowan, communication director of the McCracken campaign, said "Clearly, there are many of people who care a lot about the affordability and accessibility of parking near Austin's entertainment district, and it appears that they've chosen a creative way to voice their concern about this election. It's certainly a different approach than our campaign has chosen. Our hope is that voters look at the candidates' broader platforms -- not just their stances on charging for downtown parking -- when making their decision for election day."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@austinist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Shawn Shillington in News on May 4, 2009 11:44 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

leggyblonde

You can drive whatever you want... I'm just saying dtown is crowded enough. They charge you for the toll roads, né?

Freedom isn't free

It costs folks like you and me

And if we don't all chip in

We'll never pay that bill

Freedom isn't free

No, there's a hefty fuckin' fee.

And if you don't throw in your buck 'o five

Who will?

nutmeg

The fascination with biking is that it is fun fun fun!! Sure, it's not good for people with kids to tote around (that's only about 1 in 4 Americans) or when you're getting groceries (those are days I drive), but I don't see a whole lot of people combining downtown partying with kid-toting and grocery-schlepping, do you?

But, your point that biking is easiest in central Austin is spot-on. We need to do a better job on our bike facilities so more of us can enjoy the incredible benefits of a safe bike route and showers at work. It's a huge factor in my quality of life, and I wish every other Austinite had the option.

kenneth1

I voted early Friday, just hours before seeing those ugly yellow flyers littering the downtown streets. I guess Brewsternation thinks it's a great idea to piss people off, both those who threw them down in disgust and those like me forced to look at them for days in gutters & on sidewalks.

It just made me glad I voted for Leffingwell.

ttrentham

I'm sure they were places elsewhere as well, but I saw a bunch of these on Tenth Street between I-35 and Red River on Friday night on my way down to Beerland. The entire south side of that block is filled with Austin Water Utility vehicles (most of them Priuses). Seems like a waste of energy and paper since those are all city vehicles and wouldn't be subject to a nighttime charges anyway.

leggyblonde

"Keep this up and next thing they will want is to charge a tax for driving in to downtown like London"

or mexico city: certain plates on certain days.

I'm all about small vehicles only dtown. Why do you need an F350 to commute?

juliet77

I agree we need to be paying for parking on evenings and weekends (why should private companies make all the dough?) and this is a pretty boneheaded move on the part of McCracken's people.

That said, it's not enough to get me to vote for Leffingwell. No way, I still think McCracken will be a much better mayor.

Austineey

I don't think McCracken did this, just his supporters. I'm not really sure what problem paying for parking on the night and weekend is supposed to fix. I guess it would make people spend less time there. Most people aren't going to be happy to feed the meter every hour or two while they are out with friends. Maybe it is supposed to help bars/restaurants/music venues who aren't downtown.

Sorry, don't trust the drivers around here to get on the street. I limit my riding to trails.

Kewpie

Dear Austineey,

"I don't think McCracken did this, just his supporters"

Perhaps you're right, but do you understand how swift-boating works? You get a supposedly independent group to put out trash and half-truths against your opponent so that you can claim ignorance of any sleazeball tactics. This is an especially effective strategy when done in the closing days of a campaign when it's more difficult to rebut any charges.

Now, of course, no connection has yet been found between Brewsternation.com and the official McCracken campaign, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that this is a coordinated attack. Especially given the tactics of the McCracken campaign to date: they've already adopted some fairly sketchy anti-Leffingwell language (trying to associate him with John McCain for instance), not to mention the really bone-headed and mean-spirited anti-St.Louis ad they've got running, which must be seen to be believed.

Finally, even if it turns out that Brewsternation.com has no connection with the official McCracken campaign (a big 'if'), what does it say about McCracken that his supporters would go to such lengths and stoop to such second-rate sleazeball tactics to get their candidate elected? And more importantly, why hasn't the McCracken campaign come out strong and hard against the Brewsternation.com fake parking tickets? If you read the McCracken campaign's response above, they all but condone the fake ticket fiasco.

YoYoMa

I really couldn't care less if you vote for Leffingwell or McCracken, but the St Louis video is blown way out of proportion. I checked out the youtube video hungry for some hilarious political screw up, but I thought the whole thing seemed pretty reasonable and was not malicious at all. I lived 2/3 of my life near St Louis as well and their problems are real. He didn't say anything that wasn't true and actually put it very lightly.

Austineey

Wasn't swiftboating an attack on a man's military record? Don't see the connection. Lee did say he would consider charging for parking and I am not cool with that.

I guess you are implying that McCracken is really behind these flyers? I am not sure they would risk this kind of trouble over a single issue voter type of deal.

I didn't know about the McCain stuff. Did have something to do with Lee being up there in age? I really didn't hear anything about that. Lee is about 70ish (can't tell from website) and McCain is like 105.

I don't have a problem with the St. Louis ad. Do you want to live in St. Louis? Me neither. I don't know why we are all so sensitive about St. Louis feelings. Seems like platitudes to me. I don't want Austin to fall into the sewer because our leaders weren't smart and progressive and yes "visionary."

Leggyblonde: I don't have a F350 and I agree smaller cars are a good thing but who are you (or me) to tell people what to drive? I don't know what happened to "Drive Clean, Park Free" and if it is still here but it would help more to encourage than punish people for going downtown. In San Antonio, you could park free no matter when with a hybrid not just get a credit for parking meters.

Grape Ape

I agree that there should be paid parking 24 hours a day for downtown. People should feel fortunate that they pay a small fee to park as is, we could be like larger cities and charge $4-5 an hour or $25-30 to park for the evening.

mdahmus

In the continuing series of right answers for wrong reasons, YES, we should be charging for parking, everywhere, not (mainly) because of a budget shortfall, but because we ought to be using price as a way to apportion access to a scarce commodity whereever possible so people make the most efficient use of said commodity.

If we charge to park at Zilker on the weekends, why the hell not downtown? If you don't like it, take the bus! Ride your bike!

Austineey

I don't understand people's fascination with biking.

If you live in a high rise condo downtown or nice expensive central Austin house, then yeah, riding your bike is great.

Most people in Austin don't live in or near downtown, have kids, need to get groceries, don't have a bike or want to show up to work late and sweaty. Riding a bike is a luxury for people who live and work in central Austin or have a shower at work or have a casual work environment.

Everyone wants reliable and safe transportation and accessibility to downtown but killing downtown night life is not how to do it.

Keep this up and next thing they will want is to charge a tax for driving in to downtown like London. I would rather Leffingwell disavow his past statements.

mdahmus

I biked 15 miles each way to a variety of jobs in the suburbs (living in Central Austin) for years before reactive arthritis ended it. Give it a try - you might be able to swing a day or two a week; no need to become a revolutionary.

Kewpie

I got one of these fake parking tickets this weekend. Pretty cheap stunt by someone, perhaps connected with the McCracken campaign. Clearly a last-minute, clandestine, swift-boat-style smear. I was previously undecided between Leffingwell and McCracken, but this kind of tactic has soured me on McCracken.