Author: Travis County Solidarity Party

Finally the moment y’all have been waiting for. This year, the American Solidarity Party presidential ticket of Brian Carroll and Amar Patel gained 253 votes in Travis County. This is almost double our vote count of 131 from 2016!

Along with this total count we have developed a spread sheet of precinct by precinct data of votes, along with a simple map to show where these votes are coming from.

Very simply, we look very forward to getting to know all 253 of y’all that voted for us, and ask for your support in organizing and future elections.

In Solidarity,

Brian Talbot,
County Chair- Travis County Solidarity Party

Precinct Data: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19UsB3YbR18UBmixgLoF9-0jI1C1w0HuLWnEubM3fLEc/edit?usp=sharing

We do need to stay home, but the way Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Governor Greg Abbott have been handling this crisis is less than stellar. Social distancing, wearing a mask outside, and staying at home when possible are necessary for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and flattening the curve. However we cannot ask people, especially those out of work or cannot work at home to do this for months on end, no amount of eviction bans, are gonna pay rent/mortgage and put food on the table. But opening the economy back up this early with no data to support a decrease in cases/deaths is just as irresponsible no matter how well thought out the plan is.

We need solutions that really help the common man. A $1200 check from the federal government every once and a while isn’t going to help Austinites. We need real, and speedy financial support for those effected most by this crisis, so they can do the right thing and stay home until the curve is flattened. Then we can actually reopen in the stages described in the governor’s plan.

The cities/counties and state need to be working together in a spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity to come up with solutions that best fit communities not one-size fits all solutions imposed from top down.

Texas Constitutional Amendments

Prop 1: Allows persons to serve as more than one appointed or elected municipal judge. Recommendation: For, it is a shame that there are not enough willing citizens to serve their communities as a municipal judge, an all too important position in our communities. While we would like for judges to serve only one position, we must have our judgeships filled to serve the community.

Prop 2: Allows the Texas Water Development Board to issue up to $200 million in bonds. Recommendation: For; The programs by the TWDB support people in rural and low-income communities by continuing to provide clean water. Clean water should be a right for all Americans.

Prop 3: Authorizes temporary property tax exemption for disaster areas. Recommendation: For; when disaster strikes a community the last thing families in crisis should be worried about is property taxes.

Prop 4: Prohibits the state from levying an income tax on individuals. Recommendation: Against; while no one likes new taxes it is extremely short-sighted to completely ban a revenue option without considering what Texans might need in the future. While an income tax might not work now, who’s to say in 10, 20, or even 50 years from now? State law already makes it so you would need a constitutional amendment and a vote to start an income tax, that could then only be used for projects like education. Banning the possibility of an income tax can hurt future Texans, while this proposition failing keeps the status quo, no income tax.

Prop 5: Dedicates revenue from the sales tax on sporting goods to parks, wildlife, and historical agencies. Recommendation: For; This proposition creates no new taxes, it only redirects tax revenue from the general fund to better protect and conserve our natural and historical treasures.

Prop 6: Authorizes the legislature to increase bonds for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute. Recommendation: For; this proposition allows for greater resources for cancer research, treatment, and prevention.

Prop 7: Increases distributions to the state school fund. Recommendation: For; I will admit, as a teacher I am a little biased on this one, but our public schools deserve the resources available.  There are no new taxes or taxpayer burdens, this proposition would simply increase the amount of money allowed to transfer from the Permanent School Fund (the investment portfolio) to the Available School Fund (money to be given to districts and schools for educational needs).

Prop 8: Creates a Flood Infrastructure Fund. Recommendation: For; we’ve all seen how devastating floods in our area can be. Whether it’s here in Austin or our neighbors who receive the brunt of hurricanes, we need to take better care of our neighbors and ourselves when it comes to recovering from and protecting against floods.

Prop 9: Authorizes property tax exemption for precious metals held in depositories. Recommendation: Against; while the construction of the “Texas Bullion Depository” would add jobs for our friends in Williamson County, why it’s being built is the issue. One of the major issues in our country is the hoarding of wealth. This proposition encourages the hoarding of wealth and natural resources instead of responsible use for the benefit of our communities and families.

Prop 10: Allows for transfer of law enforcement animals to handlers or others if in animal’s best interest. Recommendation: For; the bonds built between law enforcement officers and working animals can be strong life long bonds. It is best for the welfare of the animal if they are given to the people they are most accustomed to once they have finished serving their communities.

Travis County Proposition A

Recommendation: For. This prop will energize the County Expo Center and help it make improvements so that the needs of users (such as the Austin Rodeo) can be better served in bringing jobs, opportunities, and culture to our county.

City of Austin Propositions A and B

Recommendation: Against. These props are not supported by any major business, civic, cultural/artistic organization in the city. These props set up barriers for the new development of community spaces and the expansion of social services such as solutions for homelessness.

Prop A was originally designed to stop the Austin FC Stadium from being built, but even the prop’s initial supporters have stopped supporting it.

Prop B gets rid of newly expanded funding for historic preservation, cultural projects, and programs to help end homelessness. The prop also does not comply with state law, making it a target for being nullified by the courts.

These recommendations are the personal opinions of the Brian Talbot, the Travis County Chair. They do not represent the recommendations or opinions of the Solidarity National Committee, or the American Solidarity Party of Texas 

On Monday, September 9th the Solidarity National Committee announced the winner of the American Solidarity Party’s primary election for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.

Our nominee for President of the United States is Brian Carroll of California. Carroll is a retired school teacher from Visalia, CA, and ran for Congress in California’s 22nd Congressional District against Devin Nunes and came in 5th place ahead of the Libertarian candidate running a one-man campaign. Carroll is the current Vice-Treasurer of the American Solidarity Party of California.

On September 17th Carroll selected SNC Chair Amar Patel as his running mate for Vice President. According to current ASP rules, there was a 48-hour period to challenge Patel for the nomination. There were no challengers and Patel was selected as the Vice Presidential Nominee.

Amar Patel is a school teacher from Illinois and the Chair of the Solidarity National Committee, the executive body of the American Solidarity Party.

We are so excited to have Brian and Amar as the standard-bearers of our party!

For more information on the Carroll/Patel campaign please visit their campaign website at briancarroll.life