BG Reads | News You Need to Know (November 3, 2020)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
*NEW* BG Podcast Episode 112: Discussing Community Healthcare with Perla Cavazos, Deputy Administrator, Central Health (SHOW LINK)
On this episode we speak with Central Health executive Perla Cavazos about the agency’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and initiatives going into 2021.
Coming Wednesday - BG Podcast Episode 113 - Analysis of 2020 Austin Elections.
[AUSTIN METRO]
City tracks $450M cost of Covid (Austin Monitor)
About eight months in, the Covid-19 pandemic has cost the city $449.9 million.
The total, according to an Oct. 30 memo from Deputy Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo, represents the initial $271.6 spending framework approved by City Council in May and “five months of actual spending, additional Council direction, refined federal guidance, new grant awards, and potential vaccination costs.”
A breakdown of the distribution of and sources for the spending is now available on a new city dashboard that is designed to track money spent battling the pandemic. The dashboard shows that the city currently has 21 Covid-related programs underway, with $237.9 million committed and $212 million remaining.
The money comes from a mix of federal relief grants and city money, including $170.8 million from the federal coronavirus relief fund, $49.9 million from General Fund reserves and $76.3 million from city operating funds.
More than $79.8 million in grant funding has been added to the original spending framework since May, including a $58.7 million federal grant awarded to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to help mitigate the effect of the dramatic drop in air travel this year. Grants also came to the city from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist people experiencing homelessness and through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant and Community Services Block Grants.
In terms of spending, estimates for the amount for testing centers and vaccinations has expanded from the original May estimate of $4.5 million – which was solely for testing kits – to $50.6 million. From the memo: “As the magnitude of the testing activities became more apparent, Austin Public Health recognized the need to add additional testing sites and to hire a consultant to manage operations resulting in a revised estimate of $26 million. In addition, $20.1 million has been added to the estimate to account for the longer-term effort of providing and distributing vaccinations.”
That figure, according to the memo, is likely to grow: “$20.1 million in costs for ongoing response efforts, including testing sites and ultimately vaccination activity, have been incorporated into the framework. However, Austin Public Health projects they may need a total of $42 million and at this time, there is no expectation of FEMA assistance beyond January 21, 2021.”
Likewise, care and quarantine facility costs have risen from the original $14.5 million estimate to $31.9 million. Costs tallied now include $15 million for the SAVES initiative, $1.5 million for emergency food access, $2.3 million for the business preservation fund, and $5.6 million for economic injury “bridge” loans, all of which were approved by City Council.
According to Van Eenoo, tracking down an exact figure for money spent has not been easy. That’s reflected in the $7.7 million listed as “uncategorized expenses” on the dashboard… (LINK TO STORY)
Austin’s Cirrus Logic announces CEO change (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin-based chipmaker Cirrus Logic said Monday that company president, John Forsyth will become CEO next year, replacing longtime chief executive Jason Rhode.
Rhode, who has been with Cirrus Logic since 1995 and has been CEO since 2007, will step down in January, the company said.
“We’re thrilled with our outlook going forward. And I’m confident that John’s passion strategic vision and leadership skills make him the right person to lead Cirrus Logic in a bright future, ” Rhode said in a call with investors on Monday.
Cirrus Logic makes low-power voice and audio chips for smartphones, tablets and headphones. It has about 800 employees in Austin.
Forsyth, 47, joined Cirrus Logic in 2014 through the company’s acquisition of Wolfson Microelectronics. He was named president in January after serving as chief strategy officer.
Forsyth said his focus will continue to be driving the strategic initiatives that will support customers, along with strengthening the company’s leadership in audio and expanding its reach to new technology areas.
“We have a tremendously talented team across the company, a proven track record of execution in advanced mixed signal products and a culture of delivering outstanding service to customers who create the world’s most innovative products,” Forsyth said on a conference call with investors. “I believe the company is well positioned to drive growth and profitability in the coming years. I’m looking forward to working closely with my leadership team, our employees, with the Cirrus Logic board and with our customers, as we can continue to fulfill our vision of being the first choice in signal processing.”
Rhode will remain with the company as an executive fellow to work though the transition… (LINK TO STORY)
The pitfalls of being an Austin service industry worker during Covid-19 (Austin Monitor)
Gina Dvorak has been working since she was 16 – she’s never not had a job. So when she was furloughed from the serving job she’s held for over 10 years at an Austin Japanese restaurant, she fell into a state of depression and uncertainty.
Dvorak joined the droves of other service industry workers who lost their jobs when Covid-19 arrived in Austin more than eight months ago.
“The idea of being unemployed was a really hard adjustment,” said Dvorak, who is also an organizer with the National Restaurant Organizing Project and Restaurant Workers United. “Then to have worked in this industry for so long (and) watch it fall to the wayside, you’re looked at without any respect and seen as an unskilled worker.”
Since March in Travis County, 42 percent of jobless claimants had been working in food service, retail or the personal care industry, according to Workforce Solutions Capital Area. Additionally, when comparing February with August, the leisure and hospitality industry has experienced the worst job losses of any sector in the metro area, dropping 24.3 percent, an Austin Chamber report stated.
Nearly one in four (22 percent) of all unemployed residents in the Austin area as of August previously worked in food service, retail or hospitality. In Texas, the unemployment rate for this sector is 8.8 percent or 93,896 people.
Initially, Dvorak thought the restaurant shutdowns that began in March would last a month and then everything would return to normal. But as weeks started passing and Covid-19 continued to spread throughout the country, she sought unemployment through the Texas Workforce Commission.
It was an exhausting and foreign process. It took three months for Dvorak and many of her service industry friends to receive any unemployment funds.
The service industry was already a low-paying industry before the pandemic: Jobs EQ reports that from April to June 2020, the average annual wage for the Austin metro area was $25,270… (LINK TO STORY)
Conflicting statements emerge from Hays County judge, sheriff following Biden/Harris campaign bus incident (Community Impact)
Two local officials are at odds over a controversial event that took place Friday, Oct. 30, along a stretch of I-35 in Hays County.
Several viral videos appear to show a group of Donald Trump supporters in vehicles surrounding a Joe Biden/Kamala Harris campaign bus driving north along the freeway. On Nov. 2, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra issued a statement condemning what he called a non-response from Sheriff Gary Cutler’s office. Cutler's office issued a separate statement, criticizing the judge over his accusations.Becerra’s statement acknowledges that the incident is now under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and implores the bureau to investigate the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, the constable’s office and San Marcos Police Department.
Becerra’s office specifically calls into question why Cutler “failed to respond to the 911 call and then openly blamed the bus for the incident, which garnered national attention as perceived partisan criminality.”
“The Sheriff’s victim blaming is beneath the Office of Sheriff and no one should need to call ahead for support for law enforcement when lives and safety are threatened,” Becerra said in the statement, which added that the constable’s office and SMPD failed to intervene on account of traffic… (LINK TO STORY)
The top venture capital funding rounds for Austin tech startups in October 2020 (Austin Business Journal)
Austin tech startups raised hundreds of millions of dollars in October, and several companies were acquired or scooped up other companies to expand their reach.
Among headline deals were the $100M round that Austin- and Akron-based RVshare reported, as well as a $60M investment for CS Disco, which had gone through layoffs earlier this year. Meanwhile, local electric truck company Hyliion IPOed, and Austin robotic barista startup Briggo was acquired by a subsidiary of Coca Cola… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas COVID-19 hospitalizations and new cases have risen to levels not seen since August (Texas Tribune)
On Nov. 2, there were at least 5,770 hospitalized patients in Texas with confirmed coronavirus infections. This data does not account for people who are hospitalized but have not gotten a positive test, and the Texas Department of State Health Services says some hospitals may be missing from the daily counts.
These numbers do not include beds at psychiatric hospitals or other psychiatric facilities, according to DSHS. They do include psychiatric and pediatric beds at general hospitals, and pediatric beds at children’s hospitals… (LINK TO STORY)
Nearly 127,000 Harris County drive-thru votes appear safe after federal judge rejects GOP-led Texas lawsuit (Texas Tribune)
A federal judge Monday rejected a request by a conservative activist and three Republican candidates to toss out nearly 127,000 votes cast at drive-thru polling sites in Texas’ most populous county, which is largely Democratic.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, a George W. Bush appointee, follows two earlier decisions by the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court rejecting similar efforts by Republicans challenging the validity of drive-thru voting in Harris County. Hanen's ruling appears to clear the way for counting the early voting drive-thru ballots on Election Day.
In his ruling from the bench, Hanen said he rejected the case on narrow grounds because the plaintiffs did not show they would be harmed if the drive-thru ballots are counted.
The Republican plaintiffs appealed the decision late Monday to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the appellate court to disallow drive-thru voting on Election Day in Harris County just hours before it is set to begin. But they did not immediately raise the issue of tossing the already-cast votes… (LINK TO STORY)
Trump’s Latino supporters, a vocal minority, see him as a ‘Superman’ (San Antonio Express-News)
Richard Diaz, the only Republican elected official in Crystal City, voted for Donald Trump in 2016, when Diaz was still a Democrat. Diaz, who serves on the City Council, intends to vote for Trump again Tuesday. “The longer this person is in office, the longer I am satisfied with the work he is doing. I’ve seen a lot of presidents, and none but John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were very effective,” the 80-year-old Diaz said. “Our country is going down. Our constitutional system is going down. People do not respect our country like they did before. Patriotism is not there with the younger generation. And I blame all of this on the Democrats,” he said.
Diaz is among a group of Hispanics in Texas who are unwavering in their support of the president, despite his rhetoric and policies on immigration and his vitriolic attacks against some in the Latino community. They agree with him on his immigration positions, saying they feel empowered by someone they see as a “Superman,” someone who is strong, successful and exudes a “macho” confidence.
Although Trump trailed far behind Hillary Clinton among Latino voters in Texas in 2016, his supporters predict he will again win the state and do well with Latinos. Surveys show a majority of Latinos nationwide back Democratic nominee Joe Biden, though not as strongly as they did Clinton. The difference could prove significant, especially in battleground states such as Texas.
“I have not seen any disillusionment with Trump. He is strong in the Hispanic communities,” said Roy Barrera Jr., a former Bexar County Republican party chairman. “Hispanics are very pro-law enforcement, so is he. They are devout Catholics and pro-life, and they appreciate the president’s position on that. And they are for free enterprise,” he said. And while Trump’s frequent provocative remarks may have disappointed some of his Hispanic supporters, they will still back him, Barrera said… (LINK TO STORY)
Two more senior aides fired from Texas attorney general’s office in wake of criminal accusations against Ken Paxton (Texas Tribune)
Two more senior aides to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have been fired weeks after top deputies accused him of criminal wrongdoing — marking four such terminations in just a few weeks.
David Maxwell, the agency’s director of law enforcement, and Mark Penley, the deputy attorney general for criminal justice, have been fired. Both had been on paid investigative leave for weeks in the wake of their roles vetting a complaint made by Nate Paul, a real estate investor and political donor to Paxton. Ian Prior, a political spokesman for Paxton, confirmed the moves Monday.
Paul accused federal and state authorities of wrongdoing related to a raid on his home and office in 2019. An internal email obtained by The Texas Tribune showed the complaints had been examined by senior aides, who found them meritless. Paxton has said he was concerned that his staff had not sufficiently vetted Paul’s allegations. Paxton ultimately hired an outside attorney to look into the matter, sparking a staff mutiny during which top aides accused Paxton of using the agency to serve Paul’s financial interests. Those aides reported Paxton to law enforcement. Paxton has denied the allegations and called the whistleblowers “rogue employees.”
Prior said Maxwell was fired for violating agency policies, including making employment decisions without consulting the human resources department “that have resulted in allegations of discrimination.”… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
U.S. economy faces severe strains after election with Washington potentially paralyzed (Washington Post)
America’s economy faces severe new strains in the two months between Tuesday’s election and January, a period when Washington could be consumed by political paralysis and gridlock. This window is typically used by successful presidential candidates to plan for the outset of their administration, but several large economic sectors are bracing to be hit by both an increase in coronavirus cases and the arrival of winter weather. These factors could exacerbate extreme slowdowns in the travel, restaurant and hospitality industries, and further depress an oil industry already roiled by low prices.
Millions of Americans are also at risk of having their power and water shut off with unpaid utility bills coming due, while protections for renters, student borrowers and jobless Americans will expire by the end of the year absent federal action. The looming economic pressures come amid a breakdown in bipartisan stimulus negotiations on Capitol Hill and an acrimonious turn in talks between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Pelosi and Mnuchin, who have worked together throughout the year to successfully secure passage of trillions in emergency aid, instead traded barbs in recent days, with Pelosi saying Tuesday the administration had “failed miserably” and Mnuchin attacking Pelosi’s “ALL OR NONE approach” in a letter on Friday.
President Trump and Pelosi have both said they would pursue an economic relief deal during the lame-duck session of Congress, but compromise has proved elusive. “All signs suggest that we’re in for the worst of this at the same time the situation in Washington is also becoming its worst and most horrible,” said Michael Strain, economic expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank… (LINK TO STORY)
In 2020 finale, Trump combative, Biden on offense (Associated Press)
In the closing hours of a campaign shadowed by a once-in-a-century pandemic, President Donald Trump charged across the nation Monday delivering an incendiary but unsupported allegation that the election is rigged, while Democratic challenger Joe Biden pushed to claim states once seen as safely Republican.
America stood at a crossroads. Never before in modern history have voters faced a choice between candidates offering such opposite visions as the nation confronts a virus that has killed 230,000 Americans, the starkest economic contraction since the Great Depression and a citizenry divided on cultural and racial issues.
The two men broke sharply Monday on the voting process itself while campaigning in the most fiercely contested battleground, Pennsylvania. The president threatened legal action to stop counting beyond Election Day. If Pennsylvania ballot counting takes several days, as is allowed, Trump charged that “cheating can happen like you have never seen.”
Going further, Trump even tweeted about election-related “violence in the streets,” though none has occurred. Asked about it, Biden said “I’m not going to respond to anything he has to say. I’m hoping for a straightforward, peaceful election with a lot of people showing up.”… (LINK TO STORY)