INTO
INTO PROPOSITION A. IT'S ON THE BALLOT FOR CITY OF AUSTIN VOTERS.
AUSTIN VOTERS. TODAY -- EVERYTHING FROM JOBS,
TO ECONOMY, TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING -- SEVERAL OF
THE BENEFITS
PROPONENTS SAY ARE PART OF THIS
PLAN -- THAT AREN'T
NECESSARILY LISTED ON THE
BALLOT.
BALLOT.
BALLOT. KVUE'S BRYCE NEWBERRY JOINS US
LIVE THIS MORNING AND BRYCE --
OF COURES THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO
EVERY STORY.. AND
OPPONENTS SAY THOSE BENEFITS ARE
NOTHING COMPARED TO
THE
THE BIG
THE BIG COST OF PROJECT CONNECT. GOOD MORNING --
THIS 10-YEAR PROJECT PROMISES TO BRING
THOUSANDS OF JOBS AND ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY TO OUR
AREA.
THOSE BENEFITS COME WITH WHAT
ADVOCATES SAY
ADVOCATES SAY
IS
IS A
IS A MORE
IS A MORE EQUITABLE AUSTIN. BUT OPPONENTS JUST CAN'T GET PAST ALL THE
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN COST.
"WHILE IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE
PROPOSITION A IS A VOTE FOR PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION --
IT'LL DO MORE THAN JUST THAT.
WE HAVE A GENERATIONAL
OPPORTUNITY TO POSITIVELY AFFECT
THE OUTCOME OF OUR CITY SHAUN
CRANSTON IS VICE CHAIR FOR
MOBILITY AT THE AUSTIN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE.
BASED ON CAPITAL METRO'S
PROJECTIONS -- BUILDING A MASS
TRANSIT SYSTEM IN AUSTIN WOULD
RESULT IN
NEARLY 14-BILLION
NEARLY 14-BILLION
DOLLARS
DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY -- AND MORE THAN 97- THOUSAND
JOBS.
THOUSAND JOBS. MANY OF THOSE JOBS -- IN
CONSTRUCTION.
THIS ISN'T JUST BUILDING A
MCDONALD'S OR SOMETHING
SIMPLE. OF COURSE, THIS IS A
COMPLICATED SYSTEM AND A
VERY LARGE GROWING CITY JEREMY
HENDRICKS FROM
THE SOUTHWEST LABORERS DISTRICT
COUNCIL EXPECTS THE
PROJECT TO ATTRACT SOME OF THE
MOST SKILLED AND SAFEST
WORKERS.
I WOULD EXPECT THE BUILDING AND
TRADES AND NONUNION SECTOR
TO IMMEDIATELY START RECRUITING
AND TRAINING FOLKS. I KNOW
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF
CONTRACTORS, NOT JUST FROM
HERE IN AUSTIN, PROBABLY ALL
ACROSS THE NATION, LOOK AT A
MAJOR PROJECT LIKE THIS AND
CRANSTON SAYS A MAJOR PROJECT
LIKE THIS -- COULD ATTRACT EVEN
MORE EYES. THE HARDEST TO
QUANTIFY WITH THE NUMBER TODAY
IS
IS HOW
IS HOW MANY BUSINESSES WILL CHOOSE TO LOCATE HERE BECAUSE OF OUR
TRANSIT SYSTEM. ALSO NOT LISTED
ON THE BALLOT -- PROJECT
CONNECT'S CONNECTION TO
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE CITY HAS MORE THAN 26-
THOUSAND
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
58 PERCENT OF THOSE ARE JUST A
HALF-MILE AWAY FROM A PROPOSED
PROJECT CONNECT STATION.
I REALLY DO SEE THIS AS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO NOT ONLY
TRANSFORM HOW WE GET AROUND IN
OUR CITY, BUT ALSO TO BALANCE
GROWTH AND EQUITY AND RACIAL AND
ECONOMIC
ECONOMIC AND MOBILITY JUSTICE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY -- SUPPORTERS SAY
PROJECT CONNECT ADDRESSES SOME
OF AUSTIN'S LONGHELD NEEDS.
DON'T TAKE YOUR OWN PRIVILEGE AS
THE
THE EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE VOTING FOR DR. COLETTE PIERCE BURNETTE IS PRESIDENT OF
HUSTON TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY.
THEY'RE VOTING FOR AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AUSTINIES TO
HAVE AN EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO
GET TO THEIR JOBS, TO GET TO
PROVIDED HEALTH CARE, TO GET
CHILD CARE, TO GET HOME, TO GET
TO SCHOOL IN ADDITION TO A
TUNNEL -- LIGHT RAIL TRACKS --
AND
BUS ROUTES --
ADVOCATES INSIST IT'LL MEAN A
BETTER
BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL AUSTINITES."
AUSTINITES." AND AGAIN -- OPPONENTS OF
PROJECT CONNECT TOLD US THE COST OF THE PLAN FAR
OUTWEIGHS ANY BENEFITS THAT
COULD BE GAINED FROM IT.
COMING
COMING UP
COMING UP TOMORROW MORNING ON DAYBREAK -- JUST HOW MUCH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN
HAS GROWN... AND
HOW A TRANSIT SYSTEM COULD HELP
THE
THE NEARLY 100- THOUSAND EMPLOYEES WHO WORK IN THE AREA.
MIKE?
MIKE? ALRIGHT, THANKS BRYCE!
AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN
TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THIS PROJECT..
JUST HEAD TO "KVUE DOT COM SLASH
PROJECT CONNECT."
WE HAVE AN INTERACTIVE MAP--
PLUS DETAILS ABOUT
WHAT THE TRANSPORTATIO N PLANS
COULD LOOK LIKE-- AND
HOW MUCH IT'LL COST TAXPAYERS.
YOU CAN ALSO TEXT THE WORD
"CONNECT" TO "5-1-2... 4-5-9... 9-4-4-2"-- TO RECEIVE SEVERAL
LINKS ABOUT PROJECT
CONNECT.
YOU HAVE TO TEXT-- CALLING WON'T
WORK!