David Buttross

AUSTIN (CLASS/KXAN) - The candidates in the Austin Mayoral Race 2009 were each asked to provide written answers to seven questions on issues, ideas and philosophies.
The following questions were submitted to each of the major candidates by the LBJ School of Public Affairs' C.L.A.S.S. (Citizens for Local and State Service) program.

1) What do you see as the three most critical issues for Austinites in the next five years and what would you do as mayor to address them?

In these tough economic times, our city has to learn to do more with less. That economic crunch will continue over the next five to ten years and it will determine the issues and priorities our city must address.

PROVIDING GOOD QUALITY BASIC SERVICES – The top priority for our city has to be providing good quality basic services like good roads, good quality water, utility services and meeting our public safety needs.

MAINTAINING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE - Maintaining our existing infrastructure and public spaces is critical to the quality of life in Austin. Under our current city council, only 10 percent of our roads are scheduled to be maintained. This is unacceptable. We must prioritize maintaining our existing infrastructure, including our public parks, and keeping our neighborhoods up where they provide the quality of life people expect out of Austin.

LIVING WITHIN OUR BUDGET - I am a firm believer that smaller government is good government. Austin families are hurting and they have to tighten their belts. The city of Austin needs to do the same. We need to find ways to distinguish between our needs and our wants and then we need to fund our needs (see above) before funding all the special interests wants that flood city hall.
As mayor I will work to make sure that we make good use of taxpayer money, that there are no tax increases and that the city works with private enterprise to ensure the city can live within its budget while still providing the necessary services, such as affordable housing, that the city needs.
 

2) The City of Austin's population has doubled over the past 20 years. How will you as Mayor manage Austin's future growth while maintaining Austin's unique community?

We must encourage density in city building, especially in the central areas of town, and work with developers to include affordable housing. Like it or not, Austin is changing and the biggest challenge is helping it change the right way while keeping its unique identity. We do that by deciding what is good about Austin that we want to keep and deciding what we can do without.
 

I believe in mass transit but not the way it currently operates. We are spending too much money to bring people in from outlying areas who then take the money they make in Austin and use it to increase the tax base in other cities. We need to use smaller, more energy efficient and buses and we need to build upon the rail we have already started to make it work cost efficiently and effectively.

People move to Austin because they want its quality of life and they like the fact that it is unique. We must maintain the ability to have different neighborhoods that appeal to people of all economic means and keep our ability to be accepting of diversity and work to find common ground.

3) On a national level, there is a discussion about the need to greatly improve infrastructure. What do you see as Austin’s greatest infrastructure improvement needs, and what will you do to ensure that these problems are addressed and our infrastructure is maintained?

Our greatest infrastructure needs are ensuring that we have good basic city services and maintaining our existing infrastructure. And we need to reexamine how we are handling our infrastructure needs. For example, while we need to improve our existing transportation infrastructure, we also have to re-examine our priorities. We should never again be in the position of having Cap Metro spending down its reserves while it owes millions of dollars to other entities such as the city of Austin. Government must be held accountable whether it is City Hall or other entities who receive local taxpayer money.

There is a big issue in cities across the country regarding maintenance of existing infrastructure and open spaces. This would be one of my budget priorities. We need to take care of what we have before we move on to new items.

I think it is important to note that we must do more with less. Austin families are hurting and have to tighten their belts in these tough economic times, and the city of Austin has to do the same. That means we will have very tough decisions to make about funding and hiring, and determining the differences between what the city needs and what special interests want. We have to work to meet the needs of the city before we meet the wants of everyone else.
 

4) What will you do during your time as Mayor to expand Austin's consumption of renewable energy and promote green jobs and technology?

While I strongly support solar, wind and other renewable energy, I am opposed to our new solar plant because of the costs involved. Austin tends to rush into anything with the word “green” attached whether it is an environmental project or wasting “green” money on “green” projects that don’t work. I support green building and think there are innovative ways to work to make our homes more energy efficient.
However, I think we sometimes concentrate on green jobs and technology to the detriment of our community. When people need a job they don’t care if it’s green, brown, black, blue or pink purple polka dotted. They just want a job. (see answer below).

5) Given the current economic crisis, socio-economic disparities in our community are likely to grow. What should be done to ensure that Austin is livable, affordable and accessible for all its citizens?

As a businessman, I have helped turn over 1,000 renters into homeowners. I know and understand that the city can work with private business to help provide affordable housing. When people become homeowners they become better moms and dads, better spouses and productive citizens because they have a personal and financial stake in the future of our neighborhoods and our city.
I have also developed a small business incubator on the East side of town that has helped more than 300 small businesses become successful entrepreneurs.

Additionally, I have listened at many of our forums while other candidates have talked about green jobs or white collar jobs. I don’t believe the people who are unemployed care what color their jobs are as long as they are able to provide for their families and put food on the table. I think we must work to bring in more jobs and partner with places such as Austin Community College to ensure that the right kind of job training is available to our citizens.

In addition, I would like to work with the state to include a TSTC campus in Austin that works with our local school system to begin training our kids, many of whom do not want to go to college, for high paying jobs in fields they can begin upon graduating from high school.

Jobs will do more to fill the economic disparity gap than any social program. We must give people a hand up, not a hand out.
 

6) How do you think the City should engage post-secondary students in local issues?

Just like every other person. Students need to learn to get involved in local issues early on. There is an old saying that all politics is local, and that is true. I would love to include more student interns to work on local issues so they can have input into how those issues affect them and to make sure they have a place at the table at city hall and on city boards so their voices can be heard.

7) Would you rather be liked or respected? Why?

RESPECTED. It’s nice to be liked, but without respect you can’t accomplish anything in your personal life or as mayor of the city of Austin.