Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 This paper can be recycled Vol. 38 No. 18 Website: theaustinvillager.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-476-0082 Fax: 512-476-0179 Septemberber 17, 2010 SUCCESSFUL AUSTIN Council unanimously approves FY HIGH GRADUATE TO SHARE LIFE STORY WITH STUDENTS 2011 City Budget The Austin City Coun- plan. cil today approved a bal- · An additional 48 po- anced Fiscal Year 2011 bud- lice officers, 30 paramedics get that maintains core ser- and 10 firefighters. vices while increasing public · Increased staffing in safety personnel, library fund- the Planning and Develop- ing and other Council initia- ment Review Department. tives. · $500,000 increase in RAPPIN’ The $2.8 billion dollar library materials budget. Tommy Wyatt budget will take effect Oct. 1, · Reallocation of Trail of 2011. An estimated $11 mil- Lights funding to park main- Don’t be lion to $28 million revenue tenance. shortfall was closed in part The budget includes in- fooled by the by eliminating or repurposing creases in electric, garbage and water rates. 21.75 vacant City positions City Manager Marc Ott hype! from the General Fund and · Electric – a 79-cent in- We have been hearing reducing costs by $8.7 million get and get us to approval to- crease per month for the aver- day.” a lot about the division in the via a departmental “budget age residential customers. scrubbing.” In addition to approv- · Garbage – a $1 in- Republican party between “As the Mayor said this ing the budget, Council con- crease for 90-gallon cart us- the regular party members morning, this is the product ducted the first public tax rate ers bringing the total cost to and the Tea Party members. of months of work by staff, hearing. The Council adopted $27.95. Prices for the 60 and But, we must remember that Council and the community. a budget that includes a pro- 30 gallon carts will remain This budget provides a bal- posed property tax rate of the same. All carts include a they are all of the same party. Austin High School to become Robin Wilson Home ance that meets our immedi- 45.71 cents per $100 assessed base rate of $8.75 and a $5 graduate Robin Wilson, an in 2006. We use to have that in ate needs and prepares us property valuation. The next anti-litter fee. eco-friendly interior designer, As a member of the Texas among the Demo- well for future years,” City hearing on the tax rate will be · Water – a $3.84 in- business owner and author, is Class of 1987, Ms. Wilson Manager Marc Ott said. “I’m at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 29, with crease per month for the aver- crats. Before, we had a two returning to her alma mater to was a student leader at particularly encouraged by adoption expected Sept. 30. age residential customers. party state (or should I say a speak to students at 11:15 a.m. Austin High. She was a the thousands who took the Among the budget For more information state run by the Republican Friday, September 17. member of the Superinten- time to provide feedback on highlights: on the budget, check Wilson, an Austin na- dent Student Advisory Party) there was the same funding priorities, which re- · Implementation of the www.cityofaustin.org/bud- tive, is returning to Stephen F. Committee, President of division among the Demo- ally helped us refine the bud- animal services live outcomes get. Austin High School as a part Student Council in her jun- crats. We had the Conser- of an initiative by The History ior year, and a member of vative and the Liberal Makers, an organization dedi- the team of student produc- Miss America Caressa Cameron crowned Democrats as well as those cated to capturing oral histo- ers of a television special on who considered themselves ries of successful African the history of the school. national honorary chair of AIDS Walk Austin moderate. Americans. On Friday, Sep- Ms. Wilson also is a gradu- Cameron’s personal platform is ‘Real Talk: AIDS in America’ tember 17, more than 120 hon- ate of the University of When the disgruntled orees nationwide will return Texas at Austin. “Real Talk: AIDS in America.” HIV testing,” said Paul Scott, conservatives could not con- to a high school (or their alma Today, she runs a “I am thrilled and hon- executive director of AIDS Ser- trol the party, they pulled mater), to speak to a student multi-million dollar design ored to be speaking at AIDS Walk vices of Austin. away and joined the small assembly, with the hope that business and is considered Austin on October 17,” said Cameron’s visit to Austin band of Republicans and their stories will make a posi- an eco-friendly expert. She Cameron. “‘Real Talk: AIDS in will shed light on the fact that tive impact on young people, is also the author of America’ is my personal plat- about 6,000 Central Texans are took over state politics. That allowing students to hear Kennedy Green House, which form as Miss America 2010, and living with HIV or AIDS, and that is the same thing that they about life experiences, chal- chron- icles the renovation having lost an uncle to AIDS, an estimated one in five people plan to do in Washington, if lenges and influences, and of the private residence of this is a cause that is very near who have the disease are un- they are able to get control have a positive reflection on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She and dear to my heart.” aware because they haven’t been of congress again. the education system. has appeared in maga- In her home state of Vir- tested. Wilson combined her zines, newspapers and on ginia, Cameron organized ef- The fundraising goal for We must remember love for real estate and her re- television, including the forts to persuade public school the 23rd annual AIDS Walk that the Tea Party members curring problems with NBC Today Show. officials to establish AIDS-tar- Austin is $140,000. and the Republican regulars asthma and allergies –she be- (For more information geted sex education and spoke Last year’s AIDS Walk are all Republicans. And lieves there is a tie to indoor about Ms. Wilson, please AUSTIN, Texas—Miss to tens of thousands of students Austin raised $132,000 to pro- America 2010 Caressa Cameron when push comes to shove, air quality and asthma and visit her web site (//www. about the issue. vide HIV prevention education allergies— and founded her robin wilsonhome.com/) or will serve as national honorary “We are privileged to have to more than 10,000 people and they will support each other. firm in 2000, and rebranded it Wikipedia.) chair of AIDS Walk Austin 2010 Caressa serve as national hon- direct care services to an addi- They will need to if they are and will speak at the walk Oct. orary chair of AIDS Walk Aus- tional 1,500 Central Texans. content on rolling back all of PRESIDENT OBAMA URGES 17, AIDS Services of Austin an- tin and to have her speak to walk Cameron, who was Miss the gains that the Democrats nounced. participants on October 17. Her Virginia, was crowned Miss CONGRESS TO FUND Cameron travels about have made on Washington in work as an ambassador for HIV America on Jan. 30 during the DISCRIMINATION 20,000 miles each month as Miss and AIDS awareness has the po- Miss America Pageant at the just two short years. SETTLEMENT FOR America, speaking to audiences tential to save lives through re- Planet Hollywood Resort & Ca- People who want to about her personal platform of ducing stigma and encouraging sino in Las Vegas. see more progress for the BLACK FARMERS Cameron, 23, is a student middle class, needs to keep (WASHINGTON, DC) Carol Moseley Braun Considering at Virginia Commonwealth Uni- the Democrats in office until — President Obama today re- versity, where she is majoring in affirmed his support for black Run for Chicago Mayor broadcast communications. She more of the proposals are farmers who suffered decades By Kathy Chaney Special eventually wants to earn a approved and put into place. of discrimination by the US De- to the NNPA from the Chicago master’s degree in mass commu- The country cannot af- partment of Agriculture and Defender CHICAGO (NNPA) - nications and become a TV news ford for us to go back to a call on Congress to finally fund Carol Moseley Braun anchor. time when we are facing a the long delayed settlement may put her hat in the ring to For more information agreement. succeed outgoing Chicago about the Miss America Organi- depression in our economy. During today’s White Mayor Richard M. Daley, zation, visit www.miss america We are not out of the woods House press conference, sources said. The former U.S. .org. yet. But, before we can move Obama said, “It is a fair settle- Senator was flooded with The kickoff party for the further, we must get rid of the ment. It is a just settlement. We that it will bring us closer to calls on Tuesday –– the day walk will be from 6-7:30 p.m. road block that is opposing think it’s important for Con- justice. We are asking the Sen- Daley made the surprise an- Thursday, Sept. 30, at Whole gress to fund that settlement. ate to act immediately to fund nouncement that he would Carol Moseley Braun Foods Market at West Sixth Street all of the proposals that are We’re going to continue to this settlement, with definitive not seek a seventh term in of- made in the U.S.