Austin Mayor Steve Adler retweeted a piece from something pretentiously called URBĀNITŪS that frets over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Back the Blue” initiative to “seize Austin’s police department” and see a return to Jim Crow.
Doing real work to make cities safer for all – both harder and more helpful than rhetoric that forces division with no solutions. UT Prof writes Gov Abbott’s “Back the Blue” pledge to seize Austin’s police dept. a return to Jim Crow https://t.co/XfXqtpYBls via @UrbanitusAustin
— Mayor Adler | ?wear a mask. (@MayorAdler) September 12, 2020
Huh … another Democrat fretting about “rhetoric that forces division with no solutions.” Do they have mirrors in Austin?
Remember back in mid-August when Abbott said that he would freeze cities’ property tax revenue at their current rates, forever, if they chose to defund their police? That’s what has them ticked off. Jeremi Suri writes:
Historians have documented how the pressure to pledge support for segregation eliminated the space for compromise: you had to be either for segregation or against it, nothing in-between. Many elected officials caved to the fear of alienating white voters.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Back the Blue” manifesto re-plays this terrible history. After repeated examples of police brutality toward citizens of color, and overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system treats citizens of color in prejudicial ways, the governor has chosen to defend the status quo and bully elected officials to follow his lead. He demands that elected officials pledge “to support any measure that discourages or stops efforts to defund police departments in Texas.”
Yep. And Senator John Cornyn put it so well:
Sad to hear Mayor defend the deterioration of public safety and quality of life that has made Austin such an attractive place to live. Decline is a choice. https://t.co/f5Z1BEBeCt
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) September 13, 2020
Wise words.
And who is the author of this piece of work? pic.twitter.com/K4UTrxPgDD
— Pat Oborski (@Patrick4736) September 12, 2020
@JeremiSuri Did you disclose in the Urbanitus piece that Councilmember Alter is your wife? (If I missed that disclosure, I apologize) I feel that is a necessary disclosure to readers since your piece supports the Council so strongly vs Gov & she was part of that decision.
— River City Run (@RiverCi90378810) September 12, 2020
We checked Suri’s bio at the bottom of the piece, and no, no mention that he’s married to an Austin City Council member who backed defunding the police.
The claim is not simply an exaggeration. It's a slander and should be condemned. It should be noted that the author is married to an Austin council member. Mayor Adler’s endorsement of this article should also be repudiated.
— Lawrence Model (@LModelMD) September 12, 2020
Seems Mr Adler forgot to disclose this article was written by @ALTERforATX husband. So it’s just more propaganda to justify what they did to APD. @GovAbbott @ToddJeffries @ATXPOA
— Dennis Farris (@Farris_actual) September 12, 2020
Wow… this is really rich. You got another city council members husband to do a hit piece for you in your defense? This OPINON piece is absolute garbage and another pathetic attempt back pedal the fact that you made our streets less safe by defunding the police. Embarrassing.
— SAVEAUSTINTX (@saveaustintx) September 12, 2020
Prove exactly how are streets are less safe.
— Beanz and Rice (Gabilán) (@beanzrice) September 12, 2020
Better yet, how about the city prove their experiment will help police brutality while making streets safer before they try it. I'm not willing to put my family at risk so the council can try a trendy policy made from three words off a sign.
— St≡v≡n Christakos | My Electric Adventure (@schristakos) September 12, 2020
Huh? I expect more from my city council than passing reform using three words off a sign. The defund the police movement is one of the dumbest ideas ever. It doesn't even address police brutality. It's just an emotional statement. Every city council member needs to resign
— Free thinker (@logicaltexan69) September 12, 2020
Just when I think @MayorAdler can’t get any worse, he rises to the occasion. ??????????????
— Eric Bauer ????? (@EricBauer1776) September 12, 2020
You should be embarrassed with this tweet. Fact is, the Austin you created ranks #1 in murder and #3 in robbery percent growth. Please stop the gaslighting and misdirection. https://t.co/mjSlbKWWde
— Patrick Moorhead (@PatrickMoorhead) September 12, 2020
Classic deflection. You don’t do real work and neither does the rest of the city council.
— Texas Aeronaut (@txaeronaut) September 12, 2020
Equating support for police with Jim Crow sure sounds like “rhetoric that forces division with no solutions” to me
— Trevor Conn (@tsconn23) September 12, 2020
"…rhetoric that forces division"
"…return to Jim Crow"
Can you see it, Mayor?— Buck Fury (@buckfury) September 12, 2020
Invoking Jim Crow is no different than using the Nazis and the Holocaust as similes and points of reference. Jim Crow prohibitions are long gone. But the reference portrays the police as universally, intentionally, and enthusiastically racist.
— Lawrence Model (@LModelMD) September 12, 2020
I back the blue over you.
— Flip Lockhoof (@lockhoof) September 12, 2020
Cause we trust academia now do we? Too many PhDs in the world means they'll say anything to keep themselves in the department until they're tenured. #AddledAdler
— Dane Wilkins (@DaneGeographer) September 12, 2020
Are Marxist-leaning educators in America a big part of the riotous chaos seen in places like Austin, Portland, and other Democrat-run cities?
— SlippinJimmy (@SlippinJimmy19) September 12, 2020
Did you just compare having adequate police to Jim Crow? Absolute nonsense. You & the council should have designed reform that actually addressed police brutality & not just try to make reform out of three words off a sign. Unacceptable. The council must be replaced. Adler too.
— St≡v≡n Christakos | My Electric Adventure (@schristakos) September 12, 2020
???you have got to be kidding me. this is pathetic even for you Stevie
— Eric G (@508lonestar) September 12, 2020
"Doing real work to make cities safer…" Whatever you're doing it's not working. If I were you, I would step down. You've already become persona non grata in this town, universally despised. Don't even bother running for reelection. pic.twitter.com/tyTaHpKJCB
— Luca Meier (@blockchainbudd) September 12, 2020
Your efforts to justify your lack of positive change for our community is not working @MayorAdler-its clear that our city is crumbling under your watch. You are and always will be the mayor who changed #Austin for the worse. Our once beautiful and safe city is now neither.
— Matt Neas (@Matt_Neas) September 12, 2020
You're doing your city a grave disservice. You're going to make Austin very unsafe. The Governor will be well within his rights to have State Troopers take charge of the City. #TexasBacksTheBlue
— The New Adventures of Henry (@Car94Hen) September 13, 2020
Related:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says any city that defunds its police should have its property tax revenue frozen forever https://t.co/6WcZBdGHVX
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 18, 2020
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