Old Town, Georgetown Texas

By Ross Hunter

Council is tomorrow, about 24 hours away, and I’m inviting you to attend the session.

If you haven’t read the weekend Sun you should pick up a copy anywhere you can and get an exhaustive overview of the numerous allegations made lately against our city attorney, along with comments from most of the council members and the attorney himself, Mark Sokolow.

These allegations have been made principally by Ken Martin at the Austin Bulldog, and if you’re not on his alert list you won’t know that he published another story last night, with new allegations, along with a great summary of what’s been published so far and what we hope to happen at council tomorrow.

You can read his story here:
http://www.theaustinbulldog.org

I will be appearing before the council tomorrow, speaking quite soon after session opens at 6 pm. I’m on the agenda with my long-standing political fight-partner Rick Williamson to ask the council for an investigation into all the allegations that have appeared in the press.

The whole town is talking about all these allegations of incompetence and impropriety, yet not one word has come from the council about any of it in open session. Everything so far has happened in closed session, and it comes time now to drag this nonsense into the light of day.

But there’s way more than my little speech happening tomorrow. Later in the proceedings when we come to item Q of the Legislative Regular Agenda we get our chance to pay honor and respect to council member Patty Eason for forging ahead against much adversity and creating a formal invitation from the council for the public to speak.

This is what you should come down for. It’s okay to sit and watch – I’ve told you many times that the headcount is what these politicians are swayed by, nothing else. And people really value having supporters around them as they get up to speak. But if YOU are willing to speak, you can simply and briefly make the request for an official investigation into these allegations you’ve read about in the press. That will be completely sufficient.

Remember this is not really about the attorney, that fiasco is just a by-product of the council’s own incompetence and its fears of being found out. This is about the open government we used to have, and the good governance that this council destroyed. We’ll only get it back if we grab these scoundrels by their jaws and prise them open and make them speak to us.

So we start at 6 pm in Council Chambers, at Seventh and Main. Shortly into the proceedings I’ll get my chance to speak. Then we have to wait while the folks from Shady Oaks do their part for democracy regarding an annexation that’s earlier on the agenda. This may not take very long, but we won’t know until we’re there. Soon after that will come your chance to address the council if you so wish, or to lend the rest of us your silent support as we do. Rick and I believe we are allowed to speak again, and we’ll sign up for that one for sure.

Join us.