🧵 My thoughts on the Latino vote:

Every election, Latino voters play a crucial role in determining the next president – and this year is no different. So what’s happening with the Latino vote in 2024? 1/ For decades, Latino voters reliably favored Democrats in national elections. Democrats have carried the Latino vote by more than 20 points in every election since 2004. In 2012, President Obama received 71% of the Latino vote, the highest share since 1996. 2/

UPDATE: I'm working with officials, private companies, & federal agencies to make sure we deploy more resources to #ATX to get the lights on.

Travis & Hays County have declared local disasters, which will help make sure resources get deployed & relief workers get support. ⤵️🧵 2/ ⚡️ IF YOUR POWER IS STILL OUT ⚡️
• Report outages (if you haven’t already) to @austinenergy at 512-322-9100; or text OUT to 287846
• If you need a warming center or shelter, call 512-305-ICEE (4233)

🧵 This week, we celebrated the tenant organizing efforts & groundbreaking of a new era for Rosewood Courts in #ATX.

This housing property was the first federally-backed public housing project for African Americans in the entire United States. 2/ Rosewood Courts was built during FDR's New Deal & secured in Austin by LBJ.

In fact, Texas was one of the birthplaces of public housing in America, thanks to LBJ when he was a Congressman.

📸: Rosewood Courts in 1954 (Dewey G. Mears Photograph Archive/Austin History Center)

🧵 The election results in Texas are a story of HOPE for the South and the country. Here's why 👇🏽 1/ @BetoORourke had the best governor's race performance in 20+ years. Thank you, Beto, for inspiring millions of us.

I am considering running to represent our community in the United States Congress.

We can make the world a better place if we fight for it – organize for it. I hope you'll consider joining me in this exploratory phase: rungregrun.org #TX35 If top Republicans won’t fix the Texas power grid and fight climate change, then we need someone in Congress who will— so our families don’t freeze in the next storm.

🧵 I don't think @evan7257 is critiquing Austin itself. He's condemning a caricature of Austin & the broken housing politics that comes with it.

The solution isn't to bash #ATX. It is to *celebrate* the real Austin & tackle our challenges. 1/7
texasmonthly.com/news-politics/… It's often left out of the #ATX story, but *hundreds of thousands of working class people live here.* And Austin is majority people of color.

We can keep the working/middle class in Austin! But that means rewriting our zoning code while also rewriting the story of our city. 2/7

During our meeting today, #ATXCouncil approved ⬇️

✊🏿 Formally recognizing & apologizing for the City’s participation in enslavement, Jim Crow, & discrimination, and affirming a commitment to reconciliation, restitution, & investment in Black Austin. #ATX
kut.org/austin/2021-03… ⚡💧 $10M in utility bill relief for @austinenergy & @AustinWater customers impacted by the public health, economic, and weather disasters.
cbsaustin.com/news/local/cit…

⚡️💧Austin Energy & Water will *not* charge ridiculous utility rates from this disaster. In fact, tomorrow we're giving $10M in utility earnings back to struggling customers.

That's because our utilities are publicly owned. They serve the people rather than profit. Details 👇 In 1890, Austinites were fed up with high prices from private electric/water companies, so they voted to create public utilities.

Now, utility rates are set by City Council, & all earnings benefit our residents, not shareholders.

History of Austin Energy austinenergy.com/wcm/connect/ae…

🧵: La semana pasada, le pedí a nuestra Ciudad cuatro artículos para ayudarnos a garantizar el agua para todos los residentes de Austin. 💧

Aquí hay algunas actualizaciones sobre nuestros esfuerzos ⬇️

@reporteatx @Univision62 @TelemundoAustin @1071laz 1. 📍 Establecer una lista central de propiedades de alquiler sin agua.
La ciudad ahora tiene un mapa de dónde aún no hay agua o dónde se han arreglado las tuberías: bit.ly/austinwaterout…. Si es propietario de una vivienda y necesita ayuda, visite austintexas.gov/atxrepairs

THREAD: 💧 Last week, I asked our City for four items to help us guarantee water for all Austinites. Here are a few updates on our efforts ⬇️ 1. 📍 Establish a central list of rental properties without water in Austin.
The City now has a map of where water is still out or where the plumbing has been fixed: bit.ly/austinwaterout…. If you’re a homeowner who needs help, go to austintexas.gov/atxrepairs

⚡ Actualización: Estuve en la llamada informativa de ERCOT y luego en una conversación con el alcalde. Esto es lo que he reunido: 2/ No llamaría esto"apagones continuos". Estos apagones no están "rodando" de una parte de la ciudad a otra, porque básicamente *todos* los circuitos que @austinenergy cree que puede apagar están actualmente apagados.

⚡ THREAD: I was just on the @ERCOT_ISO informational call and then in discussion with the Mayor. This is what I have gathered: 2/ I would not call these “rolling blackouts.” These outages are not "rolling" from one part of the city to another, because basically *all* of the circuits that @austinenergy thinks they can turn off at this time are currently turned off.

🧵: ⚡ Cortes de Energía ⚡

Vecindarios de la ciudad están experimentando cortes de energía en este momento, y lo han estado durante muchas horas. 2/ Todos necesitamos respuestas sobre cuándo se restablecerá la energía. Austin Energy (AE) afirma que esperan obtener más información a las 10:30 am de ERCOT (ellos dirigen el programa para la red eléctrica en el estado de Texas).

THREAD:⚡ Power outages ⚡

Neighborhoods across the city are experiencing power outages right now, and have been for many hours. 2/ We all need answers about when power will be restored. @austinenergy (AE) states they’re hoping to get more info @ 10:30am from @ERCOT_ISO (they run the show for the power grid in Texas). We need more info from AE as soon as possible after that.

We did it!! Austin City Council just reduced APD's budget by over $100 million *and* reinvested resources into our community's safety and well-being. Tens of thousands of you have called, emailed, and testified. You made the impossible into a reality. #blacklivesmatter We voted to open a new family violence shelter, house the homeless, expand substance use care, establish gun violence intervention programs, hire mental health first responders, & more. Tens of millions of dollars are being immediately reinvested into these solutions.

I’m proposing $93M-$123M worth of changes to the APD budget today. I'm committed to at least a $100M reduction to APD. This will ensure major reinvestment into services that make our community *more* safe. Details below.

THREAD [1/5] I propose we make our city more safe and just by reinvesting tens of millions of $ to:
-New family violence shelter (we haven't added a single bed in years)
-Permanent supportive housing
-Mental Health response teams
-Victim Services
-Medics and ambulances for COVID

AND... [2/5]

Hey, transportation planning friends and aficionados! I need your help (use this twitter thread) setting good goals for our city's mobility future.

We want getting around Austin to be more reliable, affordable, quick, safe, and just. How do we measure that? The Council is going to vote (in March) on the Austin's Strategic Mobility Plan. One of the goals is a 50/50 mode split between single occupancy car trips to work and other options (walking, biking, transit, telecommunte). What do you think?