Burnt Orange Report

Also, if you are like me and live in Del Valle ISD be sure to vote for Prop 3 to add Del Valle to the ACC District. Right now, if I want to take classes at ACC I have to pay about the same as UT- 62% more than ACC District Residents. Adding Del Valle ISD will let us go to ACC cheaper and the homestead exemption of $80,000 is actually higher than the median home value in the district- many won't pay ANY new taxes and even a $200,000 house will pay about $11 a month for thousands of dollars savings for their kids. So Vote for Prop 3 if you are in DVISD.

More importantly, this is an issue of fairness. Currently, Austin taxpayers pay five times more than (non-Austin) county residents in taxes to support Travis County health care facilities, even though all Travis County residents have equal access to the facilities. The Hospital District would equalize taxes for all Travis County residents.

If you honestly wanted fairness, you wouldn't call for the taxation of Travis County residents to pay for the healthcare services of others. Fair means each person pays what they owe, not each person being forced to cover the costs they had no hand in generating.

If you honestly wanted efficiency in fixing emergency room overcrowding, you'd have no problem with hospitals charging for emergency room care at rates they wish to set for anyone who walks in asking for help. Free market prices work better in allocating resources.

I have to make a comment to encourage all of you to vote for Guadalupe Q. Sosa for ACC Board of Trustees - Place 6. She is a retired lady who worked for 20 years at the Department of Health and Human Services. She graduated from Our Lady of the Lake in S.A. and atteneded ACC. She has been the democartic precinct chair for a number of years and president of her neighborhood association. Most importantly, she headed the South Austin ACC Advisory Board. For more than 2 years, she diligently meet with her dedicated South Austin neighbors to bring an ACC presence into the neighborhood. Currently, the area in which she lives has the second highest ACC enrollment. She is working to increase enrollment in the Early College Start Program. She has earned the endorsements of the South Austin Tejano Democrats, Jackie Goodman, Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, Concerned Citizens for Education at ACC (or something like that) and was one vote shy of winning the endorsement of the South Austin Democrats (run-off between her and Ahart is 5/5/04). She has not worked in the legislature and doesn't have "big name" contacts, but she deserves a chance to represent the community over someone who might use the position to pad his or her resume or as a political stepping stone.

AND she just got the Chronicle's endorsement! Way to go Lupe!!

I'm happy to support Rodney Ahart for that seat. I was impressed with Guadalupe Sosa's resume, but much less so in person. At our endorsement meeting I could hardly hear her from 15 feet away. On the other hand, Rodney had great Democratic credentials, is a young guy who is better connected to the students and has some great ideas about how to improve ACC. He got my vote.

You are right, Lupe is very soft spoken, which does not been she cannot argue the issues. Case in point, the establishment of an ACC south campus. In this race, I am not going on connections and who can speak the loudest, but committment to the community and ACC. As The Chronicle states, she clearly stands out in this regard and has been dedicated to the cause for years - never missing a meeting or opportunity to promote the issue.