Best of Austin 2008Readers PollPolitics & PersonalitiesBest Activist: Mary Arnold
Take any neighborhood in Austin, and you can probably find the sweet green fingerprints of activist Mary Arnold on it. Where Austin is human-sized and lovely in a homegrown way, Arnold has likely researched, written, and testified mightily for it to be that way. At age 72, she is our living treasure of civic justice. Thank you, Mary, for reminding us of the good things we're capable of. West Austin Neighborhood Group, PO Box 5722, 512-459-9460 www.deepeddy.com/wang Best Austin Booster: Eugene Sepulveda
Talk about doing Austin a favor – a really, really big favor – Eugene Sepulveda just seems to give and give and give. As a professor at UT's McCombs School of Business, he prepares his students for the rewards and pitfalls of modern business. As a philanthropist, he teaches Central Texans how to give. As a community activist, he gives us hope and strength. With a high tech background and an innate sense of dedication to others, Sepulveda has conquered virtually every obstacle in his path … and that makes it easier for all of us. Entrepreneurs Foundation of Central Texas, PO Box 684826, 482-8894 www.givetoaustin.org Best City Official: Mayor Will Wynn As a member of the City Council, he worked hard enough that we elected him mayor. After his deft handling of the influx of Hurricane Katrina survivors, we elected him again. Smart, insightful, sophisticated, handsome, and successful, this Democrat has sidestepped many partisan issues in favor of leading Austin as a unified city. His development plans, an anathema to some, have raised an accessible, inviting Downtown area, revitalizing the center of our city. Wynn thrives on challenges, and Austin presents many. Did we mention he does a spot-on "Thriller" dance? Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second, 974-2220 www.cityofaustin.org/cityhall Best Council Member: Mike Martinez
This chrome-domed crowd-pleaser comes from the rough and tumble world of the Austin Firefighters Association, but as a council member, Martinez has displayed real political savvy on when to tread lightly and when to bore fully ahead. The result has been consistent, solid leadership on matters like public safety and City Hall reform. Martinez's straightforward, no-BS style makes him an effective council member – and may likely serve him well in larger future pursuits. Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second, 974-2220 www.cityofaustin.org/cityhall Best Elected Official: Mayor Will Wynn As a member of the City Council, he worked hard enough that we elected him mayor. After his deft handling of the influx of Hurricane Katrina survivors, we elected him again. Smart, insightful, sophisticated, handsome, and successful, this Democrat has sidestepped many partisan issues in favor of leading Austin as a unified city. His development plans, an anathema to some, have raised an accessible, inviting Downtown area, revitalizing the center of our city. Wynn thrives on challenges, and Austin presents many. Did we mention he does a spot-on "Thriller" dance? Austin City Hall, 301 W. Second, 974-2220 www.cityofaustin.org/cityhall Best Environmentalist: Brandi Clark A human switchboard for all things sustainable, Clark earns Austin's respectful adoration for the fertility of her imagination and the durability of her projects. Austin CarShare, Austin EcoNetwork, Citizen Gardener, and the soon-to-exist One Earth Bank are all founded by this supercharged mitochondria of green. Austin EcoNetwork, PO Box 684641, 939-9776 www.austineconetwork.org Best Grassroots Movement: Texans for Obama
Where were you on Feb. 23, 2007? If you were with 20,000 other Austinites on Auditorium Shores, watching Barack Obama before he was even a serious front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, thank Texans for Obama. These determined activists saw the hunger for change and have fought tirelessly to keep that campaign energy high. www.texansforobama.com Best Job: Teacher Every one of us had one that stood out from the rest. The teacher who pushed us harder, made us wonder, and had a very significant hand in making us who we are today. In a mostly thankless profession, with heavy responsibilities and little accolades and pay, these tried-and-true heroes are the keys to unlocking the future of this country and our world. Whether it's first-grade spelling or AP physics, each one of them deserves so much more than this grateful thank you. Education Austin, 316 W. 12th #202, 472-1124; Texas State Teachers Association, 316 W. 12th, 877/275-8782 www.educationaustin.org; ww.tsta.org Best Local Issue: TIE: Traffic, Transportation
Is that best pronounced “most intractable”? Want soaring gas prices or underfunded public transport? Is that an essential rail-link or a white elephant boondoggle? Meanwhile, the pro- and anti-toll-road forces draw more blood, and developers argue that mixed-use is the future. The Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is attempting to get all the region' cities and counties to sign on to a long-range plan to beat sprawl. The stick: You can't get roads or rail transit unless you grow densely and sustainably. Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transit Working Group, 505 Barton Springs Rd. #700, 974-2275 www.campotexas.org/comm_twg.php Best Local Politics Blog: Burnt Orange Report If political blogs aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on (think about it), then why do so many politicians keep refreshing the page at BOR? Proudly partisan, fiercely combative, and well-connected enough to beat a lot of "real" journalists to the punch. www.burntorangereport.com Best Local Politics Blogger: Eileen Smith What happens when a blogger joins the accursed mainstream media? In the case of Eileen Smith, InthePinkTexas.com's own delightfully dissolute Pink Lady turned TexasMonthly.com editor, it just means more outlets to let that gloriously acid tongue lash incoherent vice presidential candidates and illiterate baristas with equal relish. www.inthepinktexas.com Best News Story: Governor's Mansion Fire
No, Rick Perry didn't lean his shiny coif too close to the tanning lamp. A broken motion sensor, only one trooper on duty, and a Molotov cocktail. Alone, these don't amount to much. Together, they resulted in catastrophic damage to a 152-year-old state treasure. This blaze was the result of a lone arsonist, someone who authorities believe was "angry" with the government. Someone really should have told that guy Dubya moved out eight years ago. 1010 Colorado, 463-0063 www.txfgm.org Best Nonprofit Group: Texas Freedom Network It seems pretty simple. Church? You go over here. State? You stay over there. While the religious right tries to bundle them together, the Texas Freedom Network fights back to protect each from the other because it (and its many pious and nonbelieving members) values the independence of thought in the classroom and the state House. PO Box 1624, 322-0545 www.tfn.org Best Public Service: Travis County Democratic Party None of this “blue dot in a red sea” nonsense. The Travis County Democratic Party has seen a state that is going from purple to crimson, and the party is spreading out across Central Texas to help other county parties perform what many Democrats see as the biggest public service: taking back the House. 1311 E. Sixth, 477-7500 www.traviscountydemocrats.org Best Scandal: Governor's Mansion Fire No, Rick Perry didn't lean his shiny coif too close to the tanning lamp. A broken motion sensor, only one trooper on duty, and a Molotov cocktail. Alone, these don't amount to much. Together, they resulted in catastrophic damage to a 152-year-old state treasure. This blaze was the result of a lone arsonist, someone who authorities believe was "angry" with the government. Someone really should have told that guy Dubya moved out eight years ago. 1010 Colorado, 463-0063 www.txfgm.org Best State Legislator: Kirk Watson It could have become Watsongate, but the laconic former mayor laughed off his little slipup on MSNBC's Hardball With Chris Matthews to become the Tito's Vodka-sippin' hero of the Texas Democratic Convention. But beneath the bonhomie is the sharp political mind that is already making a mark in the Texas Senate. Watson, Bishop, London & Brophy, 106 E. Sixth, 479-5900 Best Unsung Behind-the-Scenester: James Harrington, Texas Civil Rights Project
Why is TCRP's director so unsung? Because he's usually too busy representing clients and causes to beat his own drum. Fighting back against corporate interests and government abuses, he proves that civil rights, due process, legal representation, and that strange old concept of justice aren’t just for people who can afford it. Texas Civil Rights Project, 1405 Montopolis, 474-5073 www.texascivilrightsproject.org |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
