This Is Not A Test: Strayhorn Alert System

Following yesterday's announcement, Newsdesk has resolved to bring you continuing coverage of the Strayhorn mayoral announcement. After yesterday, you could never accuse us of having a pre-11/12 mindset.

Per her naming of a campaign treasurer, the Strayhorn Mayoral Declaration Alert System, powered by GRANDMA (Graded Ranking and Assessment of Narcissistic, Doomed Mayoral Announcements) technology, remains at red alert. The intel Strayhorn filed is available here; aside from naming a campaign treasurer, 11/12 also brought the filing of a specific purpose PAC, Carole for Austin. And interestingly, the treasurer for both is Lousie Epstein.

Epstein was elected in 1990, as part of the "green" City Council. However, her environmental bonafides didn't bear out on the dais: Epstein bears the unique distinction of being the only candidate the Austin Chronicle formally apologized for endorsing. An editorial in the Oct. 18, 1991 issue (sadly, not online), entitled "An Apology to the Citizens of Austin," says Epstein "sat in our offices and asked us to trust her; we, in good faith, asked our readers to trust her; for that, we are sincerely sorry … We've never apologized before for an endorsement, and hope never to do so again. But then, we've never felt betrayed by an endorsee before. Disappointed, yes, but not betrayed. In order to get elected, Louise Epstein pretended to be someone she clearly isn't – a courageous representative of the people, and we bit on it, hook, line and sinker."

The entire "apology," below the fold.

The Austin Chronicle Vol. XI, No. 8 Oct. 18, 1991

"An Apology to the Citizens of Austin"

In May of last year, in an issue whose cover read "Won't Get Fooled Again?", the Austin Chronicle endorsed Louise Epstein for Austin City Council, based largely on the shortcomings of the incumbent, Epstein's experience with public finance, and an endorsement interview in which she convinced us that she "would be different than others who have been elected on reform platforms, then changed once after they attained office …"

Her recent performance on the CWO (Comprehensive Watershed Ordinance) and elsewhere has convinced us that, for whatever reason, she is no longer following the agenda on which she campaigned, and on which we based our endorsement. She sat in our offices and asked us to trust her; we, in good faith, asked our readers to trust her; for that, we are sincerely sorry.

Would either of her opponents have performed differently during the current CWO controversy? Not likely – councilmember Sally Shipman fought a determined rear-guard battle to save the Barton Creek PUD proposal last summer, and Beatriz de la Garza was openly critical of the environmental community throughout her campaign – but at least with them, we would probably have known what we were getting.

We've never apologized before for an endorsement, and hope never to do so again. But then, we've never felt betrayed by an endorsee before. Disappointed, yes, but not betrayed. In order to get elected, Louise Epstein pretended to be someone she clearly isn't – a courageous representative of the people, and we bit on it, hook, line and sinker. In an earlier issue we asked Louise Epstein to "come home." Now it appears she's home already.

– Austin Chronicle Editorial Board