Today’s Election Day in Texas, Virginia, and several other states! If you haven’t already voted early, find your voter registration card, grab your ID and head off to the polls!
Now a few election roundup bits:
Among several reforms, the proposition would enact the nationally recognized “Safe City Standard” in Austin to require two police officers per 1,000 citizens.
Texas Scorecard previously reported that New York billionaire George Soros recently intruded into Austin and gave $500,000 to oppose Proposition A. Now, other big players are joining him. Washington, D.C.-based labor union The Fairness Project and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (the largest trade union of government employees in the nation) are also pumping money to defeat the citizen-led effort.
The Fairness Project, which has previously supported harmful employer mandates in Texas, poured in $200,000 to kill the police campaign, while the big-government union tossed in $25,000.
Founded by Chas Moore, the AJC has reached new heights of influence within the City of Austin. Before launching the coalition, Moore “served as a student activist fighting many social issues at The University of Texas at Austin and in the broader Austin Community.”
Snip.
Moore describes himself ideologically as a “liberal, radical, abolitionist, [and] afrofuturist.” He founded AJC in 2015.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, AJC had its tax exempt status revoked in August of 2019 for failing to file a Form-990 return for three consecutive years.
Moore said that there was a misunderstanding between himself and the organization financing AJC at the time, the Texas Fair Defense Project, as to who was responsible for the tax filings. He said that the misstep was rectified by filing backdated 990s and their status was reinstated in 2020.
Under Moore’s tutelage, AJC has prodded the progressive-dominated city council to adopt a sea change in policies.
One of AJC’s biggest triumphs includes its successful effort lobbying council to scrap a 2017 APD labor agreement and the eventual final product that included the creation of the city’s Office of Police Oversight — which expanded on the responsibilities of its predecessor, the Office of the Police Monitor. Another more recent and monumental gain is the 2020 cut and redirection of $150 million from the Austin Police Department (APD) budget.
Other big issues AJC and its sister organizations, such as Texas Appleseed, the Texas Fair Defense Project, and Just Liberty, pushed for include a 2017 ordinance mandating the municipal court prioritize personal recognizance (PR) bonds for defendants classified as indigent, the subsequent ousting of five judges who did not abide the policy change, and the 2019 recission of the citywide prohibition on camping and laying.
3 different angles from 3 different journalists, all conveniently standing behind a man with a newly-sewn confederate flag patch
Seems totally legit pic.twitter.com/8qdSM7SE7M
— Jewish Deplorable (@TrumpJew2) November 2, 2021
VIDEO: McAuliffe campaign staffers blocked the media from asking the former governor any questions after his election eve rally this evening #news #politics #electioneve #TerryMcAuliffe #GlennYoungkin #virginia #election pic.twitter.com/xvKVotVnAN
— Nicholas A Ballasy (@NicholasBallasy) November 2, 2021
What’s wrong with not just saying “Sorry, he’s not taking questions” rather than yelling “THANK YOU FOR COMING” over and over again?
Tags: 2021 Elections, Austin, Austin Justice Coalition, Brad Johnson, Chas Moore, Crime, Democrats, Elections, Proposition A (2021), Terry McAuliffe, Texas, Texas Constitutional Amendment, Virginia
Last summer, when the Austin city council voted to loot $150 million from the police budget, they divvied up those funds among various pet organizations. For example, Planned Parenthood received $20 million in funds stripped from the APD budget. I’m sure it’s only coincidence that the groups handed those millions are also organizations that can be relied on to, in turn, support the campaigns of left-leaning councilmen.
Any idea if AJC got a cut from the taxpayers via the council’s cash grab? I’ve yet to see a full breakdown on the recipients, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see AJC listed.
[…] you're in Austin, here's a good news roundup and voting recommendations. I urge you to check your ballot summary page for "Proposition A"; my […]
A few days ago I got a “No Way on Prop A” door hanger hung on my front door. It breathlessly informs me that “Wealthy Republican Elites Want to Cut Basic City Services”. (Evidently the makers of the flyer don’t consider police a basic city service?). The glossy flyer was paid for by ‘Equity PAC’, and per regulations, in the fine print at the bottom Equity’s 5 biggest donors are listed. Among the five: Austin Justice Coalition.
Now I’m really curious to know why AJC has been receiving taxpayer funds, if the group is engaging in politicking. My understanding is that for several years Chas Moore has filed for nonprofit status with the IRS. I’m not a tax attorney, so it’s unclear to me if AJC’s contribution to Equity PAC would constitute a violation of the organization’s nonprofit status…
Go ahead and scan that flyer. As a 501(c)(3), my understanding is that they shouldn’t be able to fund ads taking political positions.
LP, I sent shots of the “No Way on Prop A” flyer to the email address in your contact info, subject is ‘AJC / politicking”. If you didn’t receive them, let me know…
Got it, thanks! I’m asking around to see who the right person to send a copy to is…
Emailed photos of the flyer to you at the address given in your contact info, under the heading “AJC / politicking”. Let me know if you didn’t receive.
*Now* my previous comment shows. Sigh.
Sorry for the duplicate message. And keep us all posted about AJC…
Here in Georgetown the ISD has five raise your taxes proposals totaling some $333M, or should I say a third of a billion. That’s ~$25K per student. Amazing disrespect for homeowners.