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50,000 Austin users are getting in on a new app that tracks crime, COVID updates and protests
20 October
(Pexels)
About 50,000 Austin-area users have already downloaded Citizen, a smartphone app that reports real-time police and emergency medical threats. Austin is already one of Citizen's most popular cities since the company soft-launched here late last year.
<p>"It's one of our top markets after cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago," Citizen spokesperson Lily Gordon told Austonia via email.<br/></p><p>The app relies on hired analysts and user-generated content to track every 911 call and public safety dispatch in the city. Users receive alerts about nearby incidents directly on their cell phone lock screen, and reports are updated live with additional details as well as audio and video recordings as they become available.</p><p>While there are numerous services similar to Citizen, including the city-built <a href="https://austintexas.gov/department/austin-pd-smartphone-app" target="_blank">Austin PD smartphone app</a>, Citizen claims to be the most popular since its launch in 2017. In total, the app has been downloaded by 5 million people across 20-plus metropolitan areas. </p><p>Citizen has already live reported several notable events in Austin. In addition to daily local COVID-19 updates, the app served as an information resource during downtown social unrest in late May and June.</p><p>More recently, Citizen dominated coverage during two September news events: when <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-trump-boat-parade" target="_self">five boats sank</a> during a pro-Donald Trump boat parade rally on Lake Travis (Sept. 4) and again when <a href="https://austonia.com/construction-crane-collision-austin" target="_self">two construction cranes collided</a>, injuring 22 workers in the Mueller neighborhood (Sept. 16). During both news events, the smartphone app scooped some local news outlets with live breaking news updates from analysts and Citizen users.</p><p>"We were proud that we were able to provide real-time updates on this major story to more than 30,000 Austinites and be a resource for local news outlets," Gordon said via email. "As a real-time safety app, this example points to how we are in a unique position to provide up-to-the-minute updates about developing public safety incidents."</p><p>As part of its "official" Austin debut in April, the company hired freelance help to increase activity on the platform. Austin native Brian Smith, who runs <a href="https://twitter.com/txmobilenews?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@txmobilenews</a> on Twitter as a freelance videographer, helped Citizen cover breaking news events in Austin as part of its "Street Team Program." He posted videos of public safety threats directly to the app, getting paid for each scene he documented. </p><p>The street team disbanded after the first month because of COVID-19 health concerns. Smith did similar stringer work while living in New York City. But Austin doesn't have as many breaking news stringers—think Jake Gyllenhaal's character in "Nightcrawler"—as the larger news markets. </p><p>"I'm kind of the only one who does the videos for the television networks," said Smith, who works as head of sales for a technology startup during the day. "This market just doesn't support it."</p><p>Even though Smith is no longer paid by Citizen for his side hustle, he still uses the app to find breaking news events to cover for the highest bidder. He even posts the occasional video clip from a news event as long as it doesn't compete with his freelance work.</p><p>From his experience, the app has proven reliable and accurate, and it's only improving.</p><p>"I do believe the people behind Citizen are committed to doing the best they can to put the best information out there to inform the public," Smith said.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="614b6e2361ab68210306ae3383fc7f09" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="356b6" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUzNTU2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDY2OTcwMH0.JPAjqSqiMj3SUbE6RPsTteEqibfZQFp_xWrTaRAoBLs/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Public safety alerts are blasted to Citizen users each time a 911 call is documented. Users can customize the extent they receive alerts.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Citizen app</small></p><p>Many users on Citizen promote news from the app on other social platforms, including Westlake resident Dennis Lastor, who posts the occasional breaking alert to Twitter. The city has become less safe since he moved here 21 years ago, he said, and Citizen helps document the extent of the issue.<br/></p><p>"I wanted to see what kind of crime was going on and what kind of increase might be going on, and Citizen app was the only direct source showing the reality of what kind of crime was going on," said Lastor, who downloaded the app about three months ago.</p><p>Lastor, an engineer, says Citizen provides data that shows a rising crime trend as well as bizarre anecdotes about public safety risks in Austin. For example, there have been reports of multiple people chased by a machete-wielding man in one neighborhood, he said, and more than a dozen 7-Eleven convenience stores have recently been robbed. </p><p>According to the <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/101520_CMR_September_%20EXTERNAL.pdf" target="_blank">latest crime report</a> from the Austin police chief, crimes against persons and property crime are down so far this year. Lastor acknowledges the app has the potential to confirm his own bias, so he also relies on other news sources to balance out Citizen.</p><p>Lastor and Smith also both reject any comparison to Nextdoor—another hyperlocal reporting service—which is sometimes ridiculed for its unsubstantiated "suspicious person" posts. In fact, Lastor just deleted his Nextdoor account. </p><p>"(Citizen) can be hypervigilant, so you may think it's World War III when it's just an average day, but the upside beats the downside," Lastor said.</p>
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Assistant Police Chief Joe Chacon briefs reporters Tuesday afternoon about the first day of early voting in Austin and department plans for managing potential election-related unrest in the coming weeks.
The Austin Police Department reports no issues that required their attention during the first day of early voting, Tuesday.
<p>Amid <a href="https://austonia.com/early-voting-travis-county" target="_self">long lines and record voter registration efforts</a>, Austin Assistant Police Chief Joe Chacon told reporters Tuesday afternoon that no patrol officers have been dispatched to polling sites so far. </p>
<p>Police officials and city leaders expressed concern this week <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-protest-election-week" target="_self">about election-related unrest</a>. But so far, Chacon said there have been no specific threats in Austin that raise concern.</p>
<p> "Austin Police Department will be prepared if something comes up," Chacon said. </p>
<p>The department is "adequately staffed" for election patrol efforts, Chacon said, despite no additional staffing made available. </p>
<p>APD will not provide an active role in site security, with no officers assigned or stationed to actively monitor polling sites, Chacon said. Instead, polling judges are located at each site and have been trained when it might be necessary to contact authorities.</p>
<p>Patrol officers have been made aware of polling location sites and will manage long lines that potentially become a safety hazard for voters and passing motorists.</p>
<p>"However, they are not there to take any action other than that," Chacon said.</p>
<p>Early voting runs from Oct. 13-30 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Election Day voting takes place 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 3. </p>
<p><strong>More on voting:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-early-voting-2020" target="_self">Here's where you can vote early in Travis County</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwNjk0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDE0MDkxOX0.LO36rxXIBv6gr3diP978TaghyKYjXPrD216Z4q2xUYg/img.jpg?width=980" id="518b2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7133def5c8ac35112b61935c14476be2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Here's where you can vote early in Travis County(Emma Freer/Austonia)
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(Bob Daemmrich/Austonia)
Ellen Chatterton of Austin studies the sample ballot as long lines of voters queue up to cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in Texas. Travis County early voting polling place wait times can be found here.
Travis County is poised to break records this election.
As of 9:52 a.m. on Tuesday, the first day of early voting, more than 6,000 people had cast their ballot in person, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir told county commissioners. By noon, that number had more than doubled—to 14,000—according to a follow-up tweet.
<p>"That's good?" Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe asked. "Yes," DeBeauvoir responded. "Very good."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3796681b0f58286ad54897d73ce4d546" id="c6353"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1316062760082567169"><div style="margin:1em 0">Austin, you showed up this morning! Early voting continues through October 30th. Think of November 3rd as the last… https://t.co/0HHd4xUvaW</div> — Mayor Adler | 😷wear a mask. (@Mayor Adler | 😷wear a mask.)<a href="https://twitter.com/MayorAdler/statuses/1316062760082567169">1602608787.0</a></blockquote></div><p> Nearly 36,000 people voted in-person on the first day of early voting ahead of the last presidential election. </p><p>The county has <a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-early-voting-2020" target="_blank">37 early voting locations</a>. Some residents arrived early.</p><p>"We had people waiting overnight to get inside the polling place at 7 a.m.," DeBeauvoir said. "There are lines almost everywhere."</p><p>Although she said they were quickly processed, most polling locations were posting a wait time of more than 20 minutes around midday. Voters can find wait time estimates for local polling places <a href="https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/elections/wait-time-map.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb65ae9a387a2a6ae3171d06d43377ff" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="71e56" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUxMjU0NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwOTA2MDAzMX0.CWBYHsf8NOeWDHvt-PfIEjWIATf3MHpJQYiTgUnMnV0/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Travis County Clerk)</small></p><p>The early voting period runs through Oct. 30. You can find a list of polling locations, opening hours and races to watch <a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-early-voting-2020" target="_self">here</a>.<br/></p><p><strong>Safety at the polls</strong> </p><p>In addition to COVID-era precautions, which include "finger cots" and multiple cleanings throughout the day, DeBeauvoir said her office is working with local law enforcement agencies to ensure polling places are safe and secure for voters.</p><p>"We know that there's a lot of threats out there on social media, especially about <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-protest-election-week" target="_blank">marauding brands of maskless militias</a> that are going to take over the polling places," she told commissioners. </p><p>But DeBeauvoir said she is unconcerned, given the oversight of election judges and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/09/texas-election-poll-watchers/" target="_blank">the requirements of poll watchers</a>, who are credentialed and limited to two at each polling place.</p><p>"There's no such thing as a stealth-appointed poll watcher," she said in response to a question about Donald Trump Jr., who called on "every able-bodied man (and) woman to join Army for Trump's election security operation" in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/officialteamtrump/videos/2640587549523836" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a recent political advertisement.</a></p><p><strong>Voting by mail</strong></p><p>Despite myriad lawsuits concerning <a href="https://austonia.com/politics/court-extends-block-on-vote-by-mail" target="_blank">who qualifies to vote by mail in Texas</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/voting-rights-groups-sue-texas-gov" target="_blank">where residents are allowed to drop off mail-in ballots</a>, DeBeauvoir told commissioners that her office has received a record-setting 78,000 mail-in ballot applications for the Nov. 3 election and expects around 100,000 total by the Oct. 29 deadline. </p><p>The vast majority of applicants—86%—are residents over 65 years of age, which is one of the eligibility criteria. </p><p>Around 75,000 applicants have been sent their mail-in ballots, and more than 13,000 have returned them, DeBeauvoir said. </p><p>In comparison, her office sent out <a href="https://austonia.com/heb-letter-vote-by-mail" target="_blank">only 27,000 mail-in ballots</a> ahead of the 2016 general election. </p><p><strong>Voter registration</strong> </p><p>In other record-setting news, more than 850,000 Travis County residents—of 97% of eligible voters—registered by the state's Oct. 5 deadline, according to the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="469" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=469&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbjelfant%2Fvideos%2F10158930488333130%2F&show_text=false&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></div><p>"These numbers exceed even my expectations," Elfant said in a press release issued Tuesday.<br/></p><p>However, Elfant added that it is typical that the number of people who vote is "far less" than the number of people registered to do so. </p><p>For example, in the November 2016 election, just under two-thirds of registered voters in Travis County actually cast their ballots, <a href="https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/travis.shtml" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to the Texas Secretary of State's office</a>. </p><p>"We are all hoping that this election is different and we not only have a record number of registrations but a record number of voters casting ballots," he said in the statement. </p><p><strong>More on early voting:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-early-voting-2020" target="_self">Here's where you can vote early in Travis County</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwNjk0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDE0MDkxOX0.LO36rxXIBv6gr3diP978TaghyKYjXPrD216Z4q2xUYg/img.jpg?width=980" id="518b2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0b3ce45ee582775ac4cf66abb99318e8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Here's where you can vote early in Travis County(Emma Freer/Austonia)
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(Jordan Vonderhaar/ Texas Tribune)
Austin police and city leaders say they are preparing for November protests as the city steels itself for an election that has wrought tension at the highest levels of national government.
<p>The election, which President Donald Trump has warned will be "rigged" and said the outcome may not be clear for "months," comes after <a href="https://www.kut.org/post/gov-abbott-says-texas-wont-be-needing-us-military-respond-protests" target="_blank">a summer marked by near-daily demonstrations,</a> both in downtown Austin and across the nation, over civil rights and police brutality.</p><p><a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2025923?query=featured_home" target="_blank">Nearly two dozen people were hospitalized</a> in late May after clashes with Austin police, whose use of bean bag rounds during protests resulted in <a href="https://austonia.com/gov-abbott-defunding-pledge" target="_blank">sweeping changes ordered by the Austin City Council</a> and a <a href="https://austonia.com/city/austin-police-will-no-longer-use-bean-bag-rounds-at-protests" target="_blank">ban on the use of less-lethal weapons</a> against demonstrators.</p><p>In July, demonstrator <a href="https://austonia.com/tag/garrett-foster" target="_blank">Garrett Foster </a>was shot by a man who said he was unconnected to protests but driving for Uber in the area when his car was attacked by protesters. Daniel Perry, an active duty sergeant with the U.S. Army in Killeen, said he shot Foster in self defense. Charges have not been filed. </p><p>A tense memorial for him brought clashes between those who thought Perry was there to cause trouble, and those who believed Foster threatened him—<a href="https://austonia.com/austin-protesters-clash-with-police-in-the-wake-of-garrett-fosters-death/state-police-in-riot-gear-form-a-line-along-congress-avenue-and-advance-toward-protesters-to-remove-them-from-the-street" target="_blank">with both sides heavily armed</a>, including armed members of the Proud Boys militia, an extremist right-wing group that has made national headlines recently.</p><p>Police said this week that they are getting ready for the protests but declined to specify what their plans will include. An emailed statement suggested that officials are planning for potential unrest beyond the peaceful atmosphere seen in the majority of protests through the last several months.</p><p>"The Austin Police Department will plan and prepare for any large protest or civil unrest events related to the upcoming elections," said police spokesperson Tara Long, in a statement emailed to Austonia. "The goal of such preparations is to ensure the safety of the community, while protecting the rights of people to peacefully exercise their First Amendment Rights."</p><p><strong>Demonstrations a way of life in Austin</strong></p><p>In 2016, on the day after the November election between Trump and Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, <a href="https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20161112/How-an-Austin-tweet-about-Trump-protests-became-a-national-conspiracy" target="_blank">demonstrators marched in Austin</a> to protest the fact that Trump had won the election in spite of the fact that Clinton had won the popular vote. </p><p>On the day after Trump's January 2017 inauguration, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/21/thousands-expected-participate-texas-womens-marche/" target="_blank">tens of thousands descended on downtown Austin</a> to show solidarity during the Women's March on Washington.</p><p> "Austin has a storied history of large-scale peaceful protests when election results have offended our community's sensibilities," said City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, chairman of the Council's Committee on Public Safety.</p><p>Home to the state Capitol, Austin has played host to countless demonstrations throughout the years.</p><p>Local and statewide groups have demonstrated on myriad issues including immigration laws, gun control, or demanded higher pay for teachers or the legalization of marijuana or the protection of a woman's right to choose abortion.</p><p> "As a state capital city, we are always prepared and continuously improving our process for peaceful protest," Flannigan said. </p><p>Flannigan said he doesn't anticipate any voting issues on Election Day that might cause clashes at the polls, saying that elections in Williamson and Travis counties, parts of both of which fall within his district, have worked hard to accommodate voters with little incident. </p><p>Even with the recent national tensions over masks and potentially thousands of partisan poll watchers at voting sites, he and others said they don't anticipate clashes on a local level over those issues.</p><p>"Austin has a long history of safe and fair elections, and I have no doubt that Austinites of all political perspectives are eager to vote and will do so responsibly and safely, wearing their masks and taking the necessary precautions," Flannigan said. </p><p>He and others noted, however, that the potential for unrest after the election is fairly high—given the likelihood that the presidential election may not be over on Election Night. </p><p>The appetite for protest in Austin certainly hasn't abated in recent weeks, with groups from all parts of the political spectrum planning protests over voting sites, masks and other issues.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e976f16a8a8706cfb9eff3f07d6ae246" id="94187"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1313680812957724672"><div style="margin:1em 0">PROTESTS MUST HAPPEN NOW. Gov Abbott reduces drop boxes to one per county. Harris County has 4.2 million people. VO… https://t.co/LKm3iOgYjc</div> — Helen Armstrong (@Helen Armstrong)<a href="https://twitter.com/HelenArmstrong5/statuses/1313680812957724672">1602040887.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Austin City Council Member Greg Casar, one of the council's loudest voices for police reform in the wake of the protests, called on Austinites to "continue to raise our voices, exercise our rights, and keep holding officials accountable" after votes are cast.<br/></p><p>"APD, by their own admission, needlessly harmed peaceful protesters this summer, including hurting medics and nearly killing two teenagers, and the entire City Council has made it clear that this is not acceptable," Casar said in a statement to Austonia. "We remain committed to protecting all people's First Amendment rights, and we remain committed to safety for our city employees as well as everyday residents. I will continue to fight for policies that protect Austinites' health, safety, and right to protest, no matter the election results."</p><p>Asked whether downtown businesses were taking any actions in anticipation of rowdy protests, the Downtown Austin Alliance released a statement that did not detail any plans but supported the notion of civic engagement—noting that demonstrations on the Capitol steps and along Congress Avenue are a way of life in Austin and "a foundation of our democracy." </p><p>"For the past several months, there have been peaceful protests and demonstrations almost every day downtown," the statement said. "As stewards of downtown, we remain focused on ensuring that downtown is a vibrant and welcoming place for all who want to engage civically."</p>
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(REUTERS/Bill Clark)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says he will not resign his post as the state's top lawyer after allegations of criminal activity.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who came under fire this weekend with allegations of bribery and abuse of office by seven of his most senior aides, will not resign his post as the state's top lawyer, he said Monday.
<p>"Despite the effort by rogue employees and their false allegations I will continue to seek justice in Texas and will not be resigning," Paxton said in a statement.</p><p>The statement comes less than two days after top aides with the agency <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/03/texas-ken-paxton-bribery-investigation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">called for a criminal investigation</a> of Paxton, writing "we have a good faith belief that the attorney general is violating federal and/or state law including prohibitions related to improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential criminal offenses."</p><p>Media reports have tied the allegations to Paxton's relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer and Paxton donor. According to the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/Austin-investor-Nate-Paul-at-center-of-15620657.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Houston Chronicle</a> and Austin-American Statesman, former First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer and the other officials felt compelled to act after Paxton allegedly appointed a special prosecutor to target "adversaries" of Paul.</p><p>In his limited public statements on the allegations, Paxton has pointed the finger back at the top deputies accusing him of wrongdoing. But Paxton claimed Monday that he was merely investigating a case that had been sent to the agency, as is his responsibility.</p><p>"The Texas attorney general's office was referred a case from Travis county regarding allegations of crimes relating to the FBI, other government agencies and individuals. My obligation as attorney general is to conduct an investigation upon such referral," Paxton said. "Because employees from my office impeded the investigation and because I knew Nate Paul I ultimately decided to hire an outside independent prosecutor to make his own independent determination."</p><p>Paul is a controversial real estate investor whose net worth Forbes estimated at around $800 million in 2017, whose assets include some of Austin's most prime downtown properties and a smattering of self-storage facilities. But his real estate empire has shown signs of decline, with at least 18 of Paul's companies declaring bankruptcy in the past year, according to the Austin Business Journal. And in 2019, his home and business office were the targets of an FBI raid, according to local news reports.</p><p>Even after top Republicans called the allegations concerning and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, Paxton's former chief deputy, called for his resignation, Paxton signaled he will charge ahead through the allegations.</p><p>Paxton on Monday announced he would appoint Brent Webster, a former criminal district attorney in Williamson County, as his new first assistant attorney general, replacing Mateer, who resigned Friday and was one of the seven top aides leveling accusations at Paxton.</p><p>Without commenting on the circumstances of Mateer's departure, Paxton praised Webster's "substantial real-world experience." Webster has also worked as a civil litigator and criminal defense attorney in private practice, according to a news release from the Texas attorney general's office.</p><p>"I am confident that he will diligently and faithfully serve the office and the people of Texas," Paxton said in a statement.</p><p>Roy called on his former boss to resign from his post Monday, becoming the most high-profile Republican to do so so far.</p><p>"For the good of the people of Texas and the extraordinary public servants who serve at the Office of the Attorney General, Attorney General Ken Paxton must resign," Roy said in a statement. "The allegations of bribery, abuse of office, and other charges levied against him by at least 7 senior leaders of the Office of the Attorney General are more than troubling on the merits."</p><p>"But, any grace for him to resolve differences and demonstrate if the allegations are false was eliminated by his choice instead to attack the very people entrusted, by him, to lead the office – some of whom I know well and whose character are beyond reproach."</p><p>Roy called the office of the attorney general "too critical to the state and her people to leave in chaos."</p><p>"The Attorney General deserves his days in court, but the people of Texas deserve a fully functioning AG's office," he added.</p><p>Roy served as Paxton's initial first assistant attorney general during Paxton's first term, <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-first-two-years/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">but resigned upon Paxton's request</a> in a major shake-up of senior staff in 2015. He was elected to Congress as a Republican in 2018.</p><p>By Monday afternoon, Roy said he would return campaign donations from Paul, the real estate investor tied up in the allegations against Paxton.</p><p>"Upon learning of the recent news about Nate Paul and the Attorney General, we combed our financial records & found $2700 from a Nate Paul in the 2018 cycle. I do not recall meeting Mr. Paul and it shows as an online contribution," <a href="https://twitter.com/chiproytx/status/1313170439301148673" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Roy tweeted</a>.</p><p><em>Edgar Walters contributed reporting.</em></p><p><strong>More:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/ken-paxton-accusations" target="_self">Gov. Greg Abbott says accusations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "raise serious concerns"</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ2NDM0MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1Mzg5OTc0MX0.N6qb3IobEov7hQ7zz3lp0bp47wqH-Lnf_3orqP_6aJQ/img.png?width=980" id="178cd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8a2c41019930894d15fac2d11034eb0b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Gov. Greg Abbott says accusations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "raise serious concerns"(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
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Digital billboard in Michigan.
Up to 85 digital commercial billboards could light up the skies all over nature-loving, small-business-owning Austin after a decades-old ban on the bright, flashy signs was recently found by a court to be unconstitutional.
<p>The billboards, which switch images up to every eight seconds, offer exponentially more affordable ad options for small business owners but create what opponents call "visual blight" along highways in both urban centers and unincorporated areas.</p><p>At least one City Council member, whose district could include up to 20 digitized billboards if the opinion stands, indicates she would fight for the current ban.</p><p>"I believe the City's prohibition of off-premise digital signage stands on solid legal ground, and I will be talking with City legal staff to ensure that this rule remains in place," said Council Member Kathie Tovo, whose <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/department/district-9" target="_blank">District 9</a> includes much of downtown.</p><p><a href="http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/19/19-50354-CV0.pdf" target="_blank">The opinion</a> is focused on an Austin lawsuit but, if allowed to stand with no appeals, would set a precedent that could have statewide and national implications.</p><p>The signs in question are "off-premise," which means they advertise businesses that are not at the property where the sign is located. "On-premise" signs are more loosely regulated, and digital signs are generally allowed if they are on the business property.</p><p>The two companies who own the analog signs in lawsuit, <a href="http://www.lamar.com/" target="_blank">Lamar Advertising Company </a>and <a href="https://www.reaganoutdoor.com/" target="_blank">Reagan Outdoor Advertising</a>, asked the city of Austin to allow them to digitize their signs in 2017 but were denied based on <a href="https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/land_development_code?nodeId=TIT25LADE_CH25-10SIRE_ART2EN" target="_blank">the city's sign code</a>. </p><p>They sued, arguing, among other things, that the regulations were discriminatory because they allowed some signs to be digital and not others, a distinction they said was content based—and thus violated the First Amendment—because the signs' content is what indicates whether it is off-premise or on-premise. The Fifth Circuit agreed in its Aug. 25 opinion. </p><p>The argument against them is at odds with Austin's culture of supporting small businesses, which would benefit from having access to more sign inventory at lower prices and avoiding costs of production, Bill Reagan, founder, chairman and CEO of Reagan Outdoor Advertising, told Austonia in an interview. </p><p>"We look forward to the ability to avail ourselves of this technology," Reagan said. "Everything in this world is going more and more digital, not less. Billboards shouldn't be excluded from that technological evolution." </p><p>But in a town that loves the soft lights of its historic moon towers and has tried to guard against over-populating the highways with billboards, the idea of digital signs, officially known as "changeable electronic variable message" billboards, blazing against the night sky is a tough one to swallow for opponents. </p><p>"It just doesn't make sense for Austin," said Sarah Tober, executive director for Austin-based Scenic Texas told Austonia. "We are a city that loves our wild, natural beauty, and this is the furthest thing from that." </p><p>In a Sept. 23 letter to Austin Mayor Steve Adler and the City Council, the group asked the city to appeal the ruling. City officials have not yet indicated whether they will appeal. Their deadline is January 2021. </p><p>Tober and other opponents also argue that the signs are <a href="https://www.scenic.org/sign-control/digital-billboards/fhwa-study/" target="_blank">dangerous and distracting</a>, while Reagan pointed to <a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/real_estate/oac/possible_effects/cevms00.cfm" target="_blank">federal studies </a>saying they appeared to be no more a distracting than analog billboards.</p><p><strong>A long history in Austin</strong></p><p>The issue <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=279588" target="_blank">comes up</a> every few years in Austin. Informal polls typically come back with an <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/pulse/poll/should-austin-allow-off-premise-digital-billboards/20944099" target="_blank">overwhelming "no" response</a> from locals.</p><p>Supporters have also argued that updating analog billboards with the digitized ones is "good for the local economy, will produce less light pollution than floodlights on traditional billboards and can help public safety," according to <a href="https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2015/12/digital-billboards-coming-austin/" target="_blank">a report in the Austin Monitor </a>in 2015, before the city updated the codes the following year. </p><p>Opponents said the tall commercialized digital billboards do more harm than good, stipulating that highway safety messages currently allowed are often lower to the ground and easier to see while driving.</p><p>"The State of Texas has said we do not need to have a digital device in our hands, so why do we need to be looking at a digital device in the sky?" Tober said. "There are health implications, there are mental health health implications, there are physical health implications, and there are physical health implications of having digital billboards. There are also broader environmental implications."</p><p>There's also the potential risk of hackers, she noted, <a href="https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/09/30/porn-video-displayed-on-billboard-over-i-75" target="_blank">who in late 2019 broke into a digital billboard over an interstate in Michigan</a> and broadcasted pornography for several minutes.</p><p>At the time, groups like Scenic Texas and its Austin chapter were trying to ban or eliminate billboards altogether. Meanwhile, the supporters were pushing for the codes to further regulate on-premise signs while allowing them to upgrade the technology on existing off-premise billboards to digital. </p><p>Eventually, the city landed here on the issue: Keep the 700 billboards the city already had at the time, only let a new one up when an old one comes down, and maintain the ban on digitized off-premise billboards, with some exceptions. </p>
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Gov. Greg Abbott says accusations against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "raise serious concerns"
05 October
(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
By Emma Platoff
Senior officials in the Texas Attorney General's Office have asked federal law enforcement to "investigate allegations of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential crimes" by their boss, the Austin-American Statesman and KVUE-TV first reported Saturday.
<p>The senior staff members, including Jeff Mateer, who <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/10/02/ken-paxtons-top-assistant-attorney-general-leaves-agency-to-help-get-conservative-judges-on-the-federal-court/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resigned</a> from his post as Paxton's top aide this week after several years leading the agency, notified the agency's human resources director that they sought the investigation.</p><p>"We have a good faith belief that the attorney general is violating federal and/or state law including prohibitions related to improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential criminal offenses," seven agency leaders wrote in a one-page <a href="https://twitter.com/tplohetski/status/1312547386019938304/photo/1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">letter</a> obtained by the Statesman.</p><p>The brief letter, dated Oct. 1, says the officials notified law enforcement of a potential crime on Sept. 30, but does not provide detailed accusations. The officials also say they notified Paxton himself of the accusation via text message on Oct. 1.</p><p>Paxton, a second-term state official and former state legislator who serves as co-chair of the Lawyers for Trump coalition, has been under indictment for <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/06/19/ken-paxton-criminal-case-timeline-texas-attorney-general-fraud/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more than five years</a> on felony charges of securities fraud. Paxton has yet to go to trial on the charges amid side battles over where the case will be heard and how much the special prosecutors appointed to take the case to trial will be paid.</p><p>The Houston Chronicle <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Austin-investor-Nate-Paul-at-center-of-15620657.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported Sunday</a> that the allegations are tied to Paxton's relationship with Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and campaign donor, citing the text message Mateer and the other officials sent to Paxton last week.</p><p>"General Paxton, yesterday, each of the individuals on this text chain made a good faith report of violations of law by you to an appropriate law enforcement authority concerning your relationship and activities with Nate Paul," Mateer told Paxton in the Oct. 1 text, obtained by the Chronicle.</p><p>According to the report, Mateer and the other officials felt compelled to act after Paxton allegedly appointed a special prosecutor to target "adversaries" of Paul.</p><p>A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said in a statement that "the complaint filed against Attorney General Paxton was done to impede an ongoing investigation into criminal wrongdoing by public officials including employees of this office. Making false claims is a very serious matter and we plan to investigate this to the fullest extent of the law."</p><p>She declined to comment further, citing an open investigation.</p><p>Ryan Bangert, the deputy first assistant attorney general and one of the seven aides who signed on to the letter, wrote to agency staff Sunday encouraging them "to ensure the agency continues its important work without interruption."</p><p>"I write to assure you that the executive team remains committed to serving you, this office, and the people of Texas. The work we do together makes a difference every day in the lives of our fellow citizens," Bangert wrote. "Your work, your sacrifice, and your dedication to this office inspire us all."</p><p>Meanwhile, top Texas Republicans reacted cautiously to the allegations against Paxton.</p><p>"These allegations raise serious concerns," Gov. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/greg-abbott/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Greg Abbott</a> said Sunday in a prepared statement. "I will withhold further comment until the results of any investigation are complete."</p><p>Lt. Gov. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/dan-patrick/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dan Patrick</a> called the news "obviously concerning."</p><p>"I learned about this from media reports," Patrick said in a statement. "I will wait until the investigation is complete before making any additional comments."</p><p>The office of House Speaker <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/dennis-bonnen/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dennis Bonnen</a> did not immediately return requests for comment.</p><p>An attorney with Paxton's defense team in the securities fraud case, Philip Hilder, declined to comment. Brian Wice, one of the special prosecutors on the case, said Sunday that "we're going to look into this," but declined to elaborate further. It's not clear whether the latest allegations are related to the pending securities fraud charges.</p><p>Jordan Berry, a political adviser to Paxton, confirmed Sunday that he had resigned in the wake of the allegations.</p><p>Michelle Lee, a public affairs officer for the FBI, declined to comment on the matter, citing internal policy within the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice not to comment on the existence of pending or potential investigations. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney for the region said "we have no comment." Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said Saturday evening "we do not have an investigation."</p><p>Paxton has faced numerous questions over his ethics over his more than a decade in public life. To help pay for his stacked team of defense attorneys, he has <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2017/07/05/paxtons-friends-still-footing-bill-his-legal-defense/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts</a> for his legal defense fund, claiming the contributions came from "family friends" and are exempt from a state bribery law that bars elected officials from receiving gifts from people who are subject to their authority.</p><p>In the securities fraud charges that are still pending, Paxton is accused of convincing investors to buy stock in a technology firm without disclosing that he would be compensated for it. He has maintained his innocence and criticized the prosecution as politically motivated. In 2014, the Texas State Securities Board fined Paxton $1,000 for soliciting investment clients without being registered, and he <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/static.texastribune.org/media/documents/201405021200.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signed a disciplinary order</a> without disputing its findings.</p><p>Last year, his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/16/ken-paxton-angela-securities-regulations-texas-attorney-general-power/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">filed a bill</a> that would have expanded her husband's power as attorney general, giving him the power to exempt individuals from state regulations like the one he has been charged with violating.</p><p>In 2018, Paxton's office filed — and then abruptly <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2018/12/04/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-reverses-course-plano-lawsuit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recalled</a> — a formal court brief in a lawsuit over Plano's zoning policies, in a move that his supporters attributed to political influence from conservatives in his home county.</p><p>Paxton, a conservative who has often elbowed for airtime as the state's top culture warrior, has kept up a busy and high-profile role during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>This spring, he declared that Gov. Greg Abbott's ban on elective medical procedures, an effort to conserve hospital resources for coronavirus patients, also barred abortions in the state, sparking a lawsuit that would drag on for weeks and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/04/01/texas-abortion-ban-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">force hundreds of women to cancel appointments</a> to terminate their pregnancies. His office <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/12/texas-attorney-general-warn-cities-coronavirus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threatened</a> to sue the state's biggest cities if they did not roll back coronavirus-related safety precautions, including mask mandates, and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/07/texas-evictions-coronavirus-ken-paxton/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told local officials</a> they could not keep landlords from evicting their tenants during the pandemic.</p><p>Paxton <a href="https://apnews.com/article/3c992cd29925f80e94c5d75ef82f7fe4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">used the power of his office</a> to lean on a Colorado county after it shut its doors to vacation home owners — including a top donor.</p><p>Paxton has led major multi-state lawsuits to overturn laws like the Affordable Care Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, often landing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He's made equally political choices in the cases he chooses not to take. His office <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/01/29/ken-paxton-wont-defend-state-agency-gay-marriage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">refused to defend</a> a state agency, as it typically would, when it was sued for disciplining a state judge who refused to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. And it <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/Attorney-General-Ken-Paxton-won-t-defend-Texas-13161740.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">declined to defend</a> the Texas Ethics Commission in a lawsuit brought by the hardline conservative group Empower Texans, a political donor.</p><p>Last year, he was a major player in Texas' <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2019/02/01/texas-citizenship-voter-roll-review-how-it-turned-boondoggle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">botched effort</a> to review its voter rolls.</p><p>Paxton often boasts of his close relationship with the president, frequently greeting him on the tarmac when Air Force One touches down in Texas, and sharing stories during public appearances about their communication on major Texas-led litigation — the time Trump called while Paxton was in the shower is a favorite.</p><p>In 2018, Paxton narrowly bested his Democratic opponent, Justin Nelson, to win reelection in an unexpectedly tight race. Nelson had made Paxton's indictments the centerpiece of his campaign.</p><p>"Ken Paxton is the top law enforcement official in the state," Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Saturday. "Yet, he has proven for years that he cannot follow the law himself."</p><p>Calls could build in the coming days among other Republicans for Paxton to more specifically address the charges or resign. On Sunday, state Rep. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/directory/sarah-davis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sarah Davis</a>, a Houston Republican representing a district that Democrats are targeting this year, became the first known GOP member at the Legislature to suggest Paxton resign if he does not "quickly address these allegations."</p><p>"Although innocent until proven guilty, AG Paxton has been under indictment for the past five years," Davis tweeted. "With these new allegations of bribery and abuse of office, Paxton needs to quickly address these allegations or resign so he can devote his time to his own personal legal matters."</p><p><em>Cassandra Pollock, Patrick Svitek and Abby Livingston contributed reporting.</em></p><p><em><br/></em></p>
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Progressives Against Project Connect held rally in front of Capital Metro's East Austin headquarters September 30, 2020.
It's a well-worn cliché in American politics that Progressives want to raise your taxes whereas Conservatives want to cut them. But the reality is more e nuanced. At least in Austin this fall, where some Progressives are taking a stand against a tax increase known as Proposition A.
<p>A self-described group of "Progressives Against Project Connect" held a press conference September 30 to air their grievances about the proposition, which asks voters to approve a property tax rate of $0.5535 per $100 of property valuation before exemptions. That rate is $0.0875 higher per $100 valuation than the voter-approval tax rate, a 20.4 percent increase over the current level.</p><p><a href="https://theaustinbulldog.org/transit-tax-draws-attack-from-the-left/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Read the rest at The Austin Bulldog</a>.</p>
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