Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

The endorsement is actually linked to from front page anyway and was when Bluejay posted his blog post, but Bluejay didn't notice.

No, I call B.S.  The words "Randi Shade" or "endorses" don't appear anywhere on LOBV's home page, period.  This is not a failure of mine not to notice something.  What I said wasn't there, actually isn't there.

The fact that the endorsements are *linked* is rather irrelevant as the reader has no freakin' idea what's being linked to.  Here's how the link appears:

   LOBV: http://goo.gl/XT0j2

That's the actual text as it appears to the reader.  I submit that better wording might have been, oh I don't know, how about:

   LOBV's endorsements

Or even more to the point:

   LOBV endorses Randi Shade

And no, it doesn't take an entire webmaster position to change a couple of words in WordPress.  Come on.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely believe that LOBV does fantastic work, and I certainly wasn't going to belabor the lack of clear endorsements on LOBV's site, but when you characterize LOBV's failure to clearly post its endorsement as my failure to notice (it's wasn't; the endorsement just isn't there), or as a failure of the community to run the website when we're talking about just a couple of words of text, then no, sorry I call B.S.
-----
P.S.  Good luck finding the actual candidates' answers to the questions on LOBV's site, too.  It's not on the home page (not even in an obfuscated link), and there's not even a link from the endorsements page.  Though I suppose that's my or the community's fault too, somehow.

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

Website

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

Okay, I posted the full text of the endorsement and Randi's answers a few hours ago, and linked them from the endorsement box on the front page.

Please everyone note that Shade supports car-free bike lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd., and a sunset review of the helmet law for kids.  That's a lot more bold than you usually see in a council candidate.

I was a bit stunned when I talked to Tovo's campaign earlier and a staffer asked me a rather bizarre question about the survey.  It's kind of long to detail here, but the full write-up is on the endorsement and answers page.

tomwald

Moderator

From: 78722

Registered: 2008-05-27

Posts: 290

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

No, I call B.S.  The words "Randi Shade" or "endorses" don't appear anywhere on LOBV's home page, period.

I wasn't trying to be offensive.  It's linked there with the nearby text of "Austin City Council Place 3 Runoff", but it's certainly not obvious that the LOBV link goes to our endorsement, and we certainly could do a better job.  It was a twitter post, which is one of only two quick ways we can put new text at the top of the page.

[Added paragraph:] I was and am responding to public commentary about LOBV.  The original comment is a helpful one.  I felt obliged to respond, but I certainly wasn't trying to start or continue an unfriendly argument.  I'll continue to explain some more background here, but I am not meaning to belittle the value of Bluejay's recommendation or speak against Bluejay.

As far as how long each task takes to do... the problem is that my days are very often a series of hundreds of tasks that take a short amount of time.  There are only so many minutes in a day, and I need to prioritize some things.  E.g., do we get a bike plan for Travis County, or do I make the LOBV endorsement link a little more prominent.

On the website, we will be changing the format so that multiple pieces of information can be near the top of the page.  Right now, if I post something about the election, it'll get buried further down.  Really, the election info should be a sticky near the top until the election is over.

Bluejay and others, I hope you'll understand that I've already considered so many of the possibilities for a solution, including everything in Bluejay's last post.  Bluejay has good suggestions, but I also understand that he and others do not have enough extra time themselves to step and become ongoing LOBV volunteer themselves.  I'm not faulting Bluejay for this lack of time, or even saying that he shouldn't give suggestions for improvement... but I am saying that we're pretty maxed out on what we can accomplish.

I hope you can also see that there is a volume of thought behind these small daily decisions, and I could go on and on regarding the background of how we got here.  I also hope you can share the conclusion that we are not helping our common goals by belaboring these things so much -- because it takes away from productive work.  I'll have to make this my last word here on this subject.

bizikletari

Member

Registered: 2009-03-18

Posts: 223

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

Great job, Michael.
Thanks for your effort. I feel a lot better about casting a vote for Shade now, malgré tout.

bizikletari

Member

Registered: 2009-03-18

Posts: 223

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

I imagine everybody who reads the forum knows the substantial outcome in the elections runoff:
http://www.statesman.com/news/elections … 48470.html

I believe the bike community's political capital wasn't hurt too deeply by opposing the "green" candidate. In hindsight a rating system, as suggested by Rob, instead of clear cut endorsements would have been a shrewder course of action for the bike community to take.

I am glad that MBJ wrote in his endorsement rationale that "We're faced with two exceptionally-qualified candidates, who sometimes appear more similar than different". Certainly the bike community at large will have a partner in the council, only one different to the one we were cheering for.

I would submit that Tovo's environmental platform is, or should be, the language we speak to ensure the achievement of our common interest. 

So, no worries. I am sure we'll find ways to approach councilmember Tovo and work together. As Martínez, Riley and Leffingwell will sure do as well.

Last edited by bizikletari (2011-06-19 22:04:54)

bizikletari

Member

Registered: 2009-03-18

Posts: 223

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

I would insist with transforming car parking space into bike parking space.

The questions I proposed above were:

A. Parking space requirements for businesses work against density goals and it is an important obstacle for small businesses in the central Austin area. Considering that in the space used to park a single car it is possible to park easily (Choose your number, I say 15) regular bicycles, would you modify the current parking space requirements to favor bicycling parking instead of the car-centric position of today's regulations.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/tran … may/nTSrq/

Love it.

eileenstx

Member

Registered: 2010-09-30

Posts: 13

Re: Who do we want on the City Council?

I would insist with transforming car parking space into bike parking space.

The questions I proposed above were:

A. Parking space requirements for businesses work against density goals and it is an important obstacle for small businesses in the central Austin area. Considering that in the space used to park a single car it is possible to park easily (Choose your number, I say 15) regular bicycles, would you modify the current parking space requirements to favor bicycling parking instead of the car-centric position of today's regulations.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/tran … may/nTSrq/

Love it.

The corresponding bike (and disabled) parking minimum requirements will be based on the original calculations with some extras for those that do upgraded options like showers and secure parking. That code amendment is working it's way towards council through boards and commissions now.