Austin Elections

You voted! Austin Mayor and Council re-elected in a landslide. But turnout?

Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell

Congratulations Austin! You turned out to vote in... well... droves would be the wrong word, but in better numbers than the poor early voting turnout suggested. Over 48,000 of you helped us avoid the embarrassing record low turnout that had been predicted by the sages who predict such things.

Those of us who voted decided for the rest of you that the incumbents were doing a pretty good job, so we kept them in place for another three years. If you didn't vote, you don't get to complain, just go with it.

Let's give some credit where it's due. Many of you decided it was worth the extra 5 or 10 minutes in your day to exercise your civic duty.

Mayor Lee Leffingwell held on to his post receiving 52.1 percent of the vote while his main challenger, former city council member Brigid Shea received 37.1 percent.

Mike Martinez, Bill Spelman and Sheryl Cole all easily won. Martinez got 55.5 percent of the vote in Place 2 defeating Laura Pressley; Spelman got 57.7 percent in Place 5. That's quite a feat for Spelman considering he had six competitors in the race. Sheryl Cole got 70.9 percent in Place 6 easily beating Shaun Ireland.

Unofficially, turnout likely hovered somewhere around 12 percent (if my failing math skills serve me well). That's still worse than 2009's 13.1 percent but better than either 2006 or 2008. You can see the history of Austin voter turnout here.

Are we on an upswing? Hardly. 12 percent is nothing to be proud of when you are talking about electing the people who decide your future in this city. In fact, The 48,000 + votes cast this election are only just over the number of votes cast for Mayor Roy Butler in 1973. Butler received 43,700 votes himself in winning the Mayor's post, and there were only 290,000 living in Austin at the time. There are over 750,000 now. Yup, out of 750,000 people, and about 450,000 registered voters, only 48,000 could be bothered to vote.

Mayor Leffingwell is on record regarding the voter turnout problem and has recommended moving City elections to November. The idea is to hold them at the same time as state and federal elections. Good idea? Maybe. Certainly it's more convenient to vote for everything at once, avoiding voter fatigue. At the same time, May elections serve to focus our attention on city matters. Regardless of whether they result in people at the polls, it's hard to argue the entire populace isn't a bit more informed after media coverage of the debates and forums held across the city, and without the extraordinary noise coming from a state or federal election final push.

But let's give some credit where it's due. Many of you decided it was worth the extra 5 or 10 minutes in your day to exercise your civic duty. The rest of you? Well, you can atone for your sins on November 6. And if history is a teacher, you will. Presdiential elections always bring out the most voters.

For those of you who want to practice, early voting for the party primaries begins Monday, with the primaries held on May 29. The primaries don't really count since they are held by the parties themselves, but they give you an opportunity to play with those cool computer voting machines, and that's always fun.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans about invasive screwworm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

It probably won't take much to convince Texans to stay away from the latest invasive species from Mexico, once they hear about the symptoms. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says to look out for evidence of the New World Screwworm (NWS) affecting animals, especially near the state's southern border.

So far it sounds like the NWS is still relatively far away, having been spotted in a cow at a checkpoint near the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It was eradicated from the United States in 1966, according to TPWD, but it is being tracked northward from South and Central America.

Although it's called a worm, it is really a parasitic larva, and this is where things get disturbing.

Before the "worms" become the NWS fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), they lay eggs in open wounds or orifices of live tissue. They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. An infestation can even lead to the death of the animal.

The larvae drop to the ground after feeding, and emerge as flies that can travel long distances, so the movement of livestock — not just contact among them — is a concern.

If you don't own livestock, you're not quite out of the woods. Although the NWS does affect those animals the most, it also affects wildlife like deer and birds, and even pets and humans. Hunters should also keep an eye out, as well as any "outdoor enthusiasts," says the release.

From the release, here are some things to look out for:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

To keep the flies away, especially when traveling to NWS-affected areas like Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American countries, TPWD says it's important to clean and cover all wounds. Travelers should also use insect repellant on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Those enjoying Texas’ natural resources have an opportunity to serve as the first line of defense in protecting wildlife, livestock, and human health,” said TPWD wildlife veterinarian Dr. J Hunter Reed in the release. “Their eyes and ears will be critical to quickly responding and managing this threat.”

animals farmers nature