#atxcouncil: Alter, Pool, and "Defunding the Police"

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15

ICYMI:

The Austin Justice Coalition is taking more drastic steps, calling for the Austin City Council to defund the Austin Police Department in favor of resources designed to protect the community.

"In the wake of the senseless murders of Mike Ramos, George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless others, and the Austin Police Department's escalated violence against the city's grieving community, Austin is in desperate need of courageous leadership," officials wrote in an emailed advisory. "Communities around the world are rising up to call to an end the killing of black people and demand change that lives up the creed:

To that end, Austin Justice Coalition members plan to address council members during their regular meeting scheduled on Thursday: "We are calling on the Austin City Council to become these courageous leaders by pledging to defund the Austin Police Department and invest in the resources that really keep us safe and healthy, especially in black communities, Indigenous communities and communities of color."

There's a lot we could say, but we'll start here: This is an all-around fascinating conundrum for Allison Alter and Leslie Pool.

Both of them are up for re-election this fall.  If they vote yes, they can't win.  Voting no, however, is likely to produce a challenge from the left.  That is likewise a very challenging position to maintain.

It's the political equivalent of Kobayashi Maru.

You're damned if you do.  If you don't, you might not be damned, but you're damn sure going to find yourself in a painful position.  Neither option is good.

FWIW, if we were advising Allison Alter or Leslie Pool, we would advise them to vote no.  You might not win, but you'd live to fight another day.  Voting yes is a guaranteed loss.  Then again, Allison Alter and Leslie Pool don't ask this website for advice very often.

Bottom Line:  Whatever choice they make, it's going to be extremely painful.