Environmental hypocrisy in Austin Election, SOS hiding their donors

Austin American Statesman ^ | 5-12-06 | John Kelso

[Cat loving Texan]

I want to know who the Head Salamander is.

I want to know the name of The Big Lizard. I want to know who is giving the big bucks to the Save Our Springs Alliance to stop development in the Barton Springs watershed.

But I may never find out, because of an interesting little gem of irony that I find particularly amusing.

The Save Our Springs folks — the same frog-fondlers pushing an amendment that would make the city post all information online in real time in the name of freedom of information — won't release the names of their financial donors.

Here's a group that wants the city to put it on its Web page every time Brewster McCracken lets one go. And it won't tell us where it's getting the money to support its fern-friendly causes?

Wouldn't that be like NASCAR complaining about fossil fuel consumption? Wouldn't that be like Halliburton crabbing about war?

Here's an organization that has put up more than $211,000 to try to push through both the Barton Springs anti-growth amendment and the open government amendment. Here's a group that wants to pass an amendment that would make the City of Austin put all city business online.

And they won't tell us the names of their donors? I think I need an undercover SOS source, like, you know, Deep Trout.

Remember Scott McClellan, aka Mister Mum, the former Bush press secretary whose job was to make sure nobody knew what the heck was going on? I hear he's coming to work as the spokesman for SOS.

The University of Texas is about to erect a 134-foot-wide scoreboard at Royal-Memorial Stadium. In the spirit of its online amendment, I think SOS should post the names of its donors on the new high-definition scoreboard, along with a likeness of The Big Lizard.

Whoever he is. Or it is.

But the money had to come from some green-minded sugar daddy. On March 22, Colin Clark, the SOS communications director, said SOS had $10,000 in the bank. About a month later, SOS had contributed $110,000 to the political action committee supporting the Barton Springs amendment.

So where is the money coming from?

I think maybe it's Cabela's, the giant outdoor store in Buda. I don't trust Cabela's. I went in there looking for red wigglers a couple of months ago, and one of the guys in the worm department didn't know what I was talking about. But when you think about it, what other humongous business around these parts would benefit more from the Barton Creek watershed remaining a remote Yosemite National Park-like wilderness?

I mean, if you're in the business of selling overpriced hiking boots to yuppies, wouldn't you want to pony up a quick $100,000 to keep William Cannon Drive unspoiled for camping? What better way to sell high-dollar tents, canteens and backpacks than to keep Oak Hill and the Southwest Parkway in their current pristine primordial forest condition?

But SOS . . . I don't know. I thought it stood for Save Our Springs. Apparently it stands for Sponsors: Our Secret.

John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or jkelso@statesman.com.

[Cat loving Texan]

The SOS group is so bogus. They are proving the hypocrites that they are. Glad to see they are being put on the defensive.

[mtbopfuyn]

I've often thought much the same about REI. All their employees seem to be NYC yuppies. I've only been able to find one thing in that store and that, of course, was a high tech toy. But, yeah, this salamadar idiocy has gone on far too long.

[DrewsDad]

Deep Trout...LOL

Even the liberal [un]American [mis]Statesman and the Chronicle are recommending a no vote on Props 1 and 2.

Are they part of the grand consipracy to rape Mother Earth too?

[DrewsDad]

Has anyone seen the Burma-Shave style pro-prop1/2 signs popping up around town?

Let's see if I remember some of them...
Want Clean Water?
Want Open Government?
and something about Police Corruption
and something about Secret Deals

[P-40]

The SOS group is so bogus.

They don't seem to get the fact that it is better to be honest and upfront with your audience when that audience is largely well educated.

[TexanByBirth]

Good Grief....I thought the SOS group had died out!

Look for Bridgette Shea. Her slimy self was the front person for this group in the early 90s and you can bet she is behind this latest reincarnation!

[P-40]

I thought the SOS group had died out!

They are still around. I'm not sure how many of the original players are still a part of the group though.