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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Austin, TX, United States, 04/28/2008 - The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) has endorsed Lee Leffingwell, Randi Shade, and Cid Galindo in the 2008 City Council election.
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The organization hosted a City Council candidate forum Wednesday, April 23rd. During the forum, panelists and audience members asked the candidates about such issues as affordable housing, late night construction noise, park revitalization, light rail, and how Austin can absorb its inevitable growth. At the end of the forum, DANA members voted for the candidates they feel will best address the issues important to the downtown neighborhood.
After tallying the votes of its membership, DANA's Board of Directors released the following endorsements and statements of support:
Place 1: Lee Leffingwell
Council Member Leffingwell's many years of public service and his parks and environmental advocacy have earned him the endorsement of DANA. We would, however, like to commend Mr. Demling for how he has managed his campaign, his balanced approach to problems and his quick grasp of issues affecting this city and particularly downtown. While we are not endorsing him in this race, we sincerely hope that he remains engaged in Austin civic affairs and look forward to the opportunity to endorse him in the future.
Place 3: Randi Shade
While the DANA board has enjoyed a good working relationship with Council Member Kim, the membership of DANA voted strongly in favor of endorsing Randi Shade. We are encouraged by having two such qualified candidates but believe that Ms. Shade demonstrates an acute understanding of issues directly affecting our downtown neighborhood. DANA believes this to be a good predictor of success on the City Council and enthusiastically endorses Ms. Shade's candidacy.
Place 4: Cid Galindo
DANA, as a neighborhood association, appreciates that Ms. Morrison, Mr. Galindo and Mr. Cravey all have backgrounds and experience in similar organizations. Additionally, we are impressed by each candidate's in-depth knowledge and ready responses to very specific and complex downtown issues. DANA's membership voted by a wide margin to endorse the candidacy of Cid Galindo because we believe he has the most realistic and thorough plan for managing growth and density in downtown and the city of Austin as a whole.
“Historically, the Mayor and City Council have understood the important role that Austin’s urban core plays in the city,” says DANA’s president, Marshall Jones. “We are pleased that the candidates recognize the influence of our membership and participated in the forum.”
DANA’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those who live, work and play downtown. DANA influences decisions that affect downtown, educates and listens to residents and stakeholders, and fosters a downtown community.
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