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Welcome to South Austin Patriots
Dancing Ancient Oak on Williamson Creek		Williamson Creek		Williamson Creek		Williamson Creek
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Hello, and thank you for your interest in the South Austin Patriots. We are a small, but growing, environmental group based in South Austin, Texas. Our mission here is simple: we want to convince the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Austin that ramming a ditch (or "structural alternative" in bureaucratese) down the middle of one of South Austin's last remaining urban greenspaces -- Williamson Creek -- is not a good idea. In fact, it is an AWFUL idea, and we want to state that loudly and clearly for the record. A very brief history: in 1998, a handful of houses along Williamson Creek that were built in the 1970s got some water in them -- not surprising, since they were built in a floodplain. Those houses had flood insurance which paid off after that "flood"; they still have flood insurance to protect them today; and, most ironically, they will STILL NEED to have flood insurance even if this awful project goes through (a point lost on many residents, apparently). After that 1998 event, the City of Austin and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began looking at options to lessen the risk of such an event ever recurring. One option of several they looked at -- and are still looking at -- is the "structural alternative" option, commonly known as a DITCH to anyone with common sense and two eyes looking at one. In 2006, the Corps and the City held a series of public meetings to see what residents along the creek thought of the various options, including the ditch. The good news is that the City of Sunset Valley and the Broken Bow neighborhood in Austin -- probably the single "hardest hit" neighborhood of all in 1998 -- told the Corps to "DITCH the DITCH" idea... and the Corps said "no problem." It REALLY IS that simple, Guys: if enough people state emphatically enough that they don't want this ditch, the Corps will GO AWAY. The bad news is that several other neighborhoods along Williamson Creek did not squawk loudly enough, so now the Corps is back again like a bad case of cockroaches -- and, unbelievably, they are STILL talking about ramming a ditch down the middle of Williamson Creek (or, to be more accurate, channeling WIlliamson Creek down the middle of a ditch). That is where we stand today. The Corps and the City are both pretending that this attack on our ecosystem and way of life is a small "family matter" that should concern only those few houses backing up to Williamson Creek. What they conveniently sweep under the rug is the fact that one stretch they are studying for their ditch is right down the middle of PUBLICLY OWNED GREENBELT, which belongs to every citizen of the city of Austin. The multi-million-dollar price tag on this pork-barrel boondoggle should be enough, in itself, to outrage any hard-working tax-paying citizen of the United States, as well, so don't be shy about joining if you don't live in South Austin -- everyone is invited to be a South Austin Patriot! Our mission here at South Austin Patriots is to stamp out this threat to Williamson Creek once and for all and forever by squawking so loudly that they will NEVER return to the table with this absurd idea. We are NOT asking them to stop ALL flood control measure studies, we are simply stating that the "structural alternative" option should be SCRAPPED in favor of less destructive and intrusive options (such as raising bridges, raising houses, etc.).
Link to Read the City of Austin's New Williamson Creek Flood Study
What can you do to help us in our fight? Four things: Join South Austin Patriots at Yahoo Groups by clicking on this link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southaustinpatriots/. By joining our Yahoo Group, you will be updated by e-mail of breaking news, announcements of events, etc. Sign our petition by clicking onto this link http://southaustinpatriots.org/petition.html. If you have trouble accessing this link, e-mail me at hambone78745@yahoo.com, and I will get you a copy. Come speak your mind at the public hearings by stating loudly and clearly that we need to "Keep the U.S. Army OUT of South Austin: Ditch the Ditch!" Those all-important meetings should be cranking up in October; announcements will be updated through our Yahoo Group, so join today. If you have it in your heart and wallet, we are always looking for donations to help defray the costs of getting the word out. It's expensive enough to fight City Hall, but it can really get pricey fighting the U.S. Army!
Once again, thank you for your interest in the South Austin Patriots, and we hope you can join our group. -- Hambone, Comrade-In-Peace South Austin Patriots
Email Hambone directly at: hambone78745@yahoo.com OR hambone@southaustinpatriots.org
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