� No regular City Council meeting this week, but on Saturday, beginning at 9am, Council will host a special called “Citizen Forum” meeting – exotic fruit of the May campaign – promising many favorites from Citizen Communications: chemtrails, fluoride, constitutional amendments, anti-government ranting, and perhaps even some city policy. The next regular meeting is Nov. 1.
› Early voting for the Nov. 6 election continues through Friday, Nov. 2, at the mega-voting site at Highland Mall and other locations. You don’t need an official “Voter ID” – just your registration card, driver’s license, utility bill, or other documentation that confirms your name and address. For more, see endorsements.
› Travis County Attorney David Escamilla announced settlements in the nearly two-year investigation of council members concerning potential violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Was the outcome worth the public headache? See “Open and Shut,” and “Point Austin“.
› The AISD board of trustees extended the contract of Superintendent Meria Carstarphen for another year – through June of 2015 – making critics wonder, “What’s the rush?” See “Carstarphen Gets an Extension.”
› Trying to throw a monkey wrench into the Central Health Prop. 1 tax ratification election, the “Travis County Taxpayers Union” PAC filed a federal lawsuit charging that the ballot language violates the Voting Rights Act – Central Health said the language had already cleared the U.S. Department of Justice. And St. David’s HealthCare announced its opposition to Prop. 1 as a “shell game” too favorable to competitor Seton Healthcare.
› The doping scandal surrounding Austin cyclist Lance Armstrong deepens, as the International Cycling Union officially stripped his seven Tour de France titles, after pressure grew to remove his Olympic medal, and more riders came forward to confess commonplace doping on the cycle tour.
› The latest round of state public school finance lawsuits began in federal court Monday, with six plaintiff groups comprised of hundreds of school districts claiming the state failed to provide an “efficient and equitable system of free public schools” as mandated by the Texas Constitution.
› Attorney General Greg Abbott did his best Alex Jones impression this week, sending a letter to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, telling its election monitors not to interfere in the Nov. 6 election. Conservatives nationwide – the same ones pushing turnout-suppressing voter ID laws – are beating the same conspiracy drum.
› Capital Metro will test a new electronic pass system during Formula One weekend, allowing riders to buy bus tickets on their cell phones.
› [CORRECTED] Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to recommend denial of zoning changes for a controversial multifamily development off North Lamar, next to McCallum High School. City Council is due to take the matter up Nov. 8.
› Three City Hall critics have renewed legal claims against the city and three other jurisdictions over tax breaks on historic properties. The trio dropped their suit last year after the city agreed to tighten the process, but they now want further action.
› Effective Nov. 1, drivers paying their parking meters with a debit or credit card will have to make a minimum purchase of $0.25 instead of $0.10 in order to offset increased fees, which have skyrocketed for the 250,000 monthly transactions.
› “Horses and bayonets” joined “binders full of women” as the latest memes of the presidential campaign, as the final debate took place Monday between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney. See “Chronicle Endorsements.”
This article appears in Mitt Romney.