Prodigious Songcraft Blooms in Sarah Jarosz - The Austin Chronicle

Naked City› EPA GETS TOUGH ON SMOG, TOUGH ON TEX-AS The Environmental Protection Agen cy hasproposed a stronger health standard on smog,drawing praise from environmentalists, scornfrom Gov. Rick Perry, and concern from localofficials. The current standard is .075 parts permillion, and the Austin area barely managed tomake that standard this past summer. The newproposal calls for a level of .06 to .07.Nonattainment can bring restrictions on the availabilityof federal transportation funding. TheSierra Club praised the proposal, saying it willlead to less asthma and other respiratory illnessesand heart disease in Texas. Our governor tooka dimmer view: “The EPA’s only consistent targethas been the target on the backs of Texas workersand taxpayers,” he said in a press release.“[T]he Obama administration seems intent uponfollowing flawed science down a road that willlead to the loss of hundreds of thousands ofTexas jobs, while doing nothing more to protecthuman health.” The EPA will issue the final standardAug. 31; it is currently taking public input,including at a Feb. 2 hearing in Houston. TheClean Air Force of Central Texas’ TechnicalAdvisory Committee will discuss the proposal atits Jan. 28 meeting, 9:30-11:30am, at the AustinChamber of Commerce.– Lee Nichols› QUINTANA ARRESTED Austin Police OfficerLeonardo Quintana, who was cleared of anycriminal wrongdoing in the May 2009 shootingdeath of 18-year-old Nathaniel Sanders II, wasarrested early Jan. 12 by police in Leander, reportedlyafter he was in a car accident. He wasreleased that afternoon on bond. Sanders’ familyattorney Adam Loewy said he deposed Quintanafor six hours on Monday as part of the family’scivil suit against the officer, and Quintana seemed“very nervous” and “rattled” by a number of thequestions. Austin Police Assoc iation PresidentWayne Vincent said he could not speculate aboutwhat happened, but “I will say that he’s beenunder a tremendous amount of stress and pressure”with multiple investigations and reviews ofthe Sanders shooting death. “We don’t have allthe details yet, but we’re supporting him just likewe would any family member.” APD says Quintanawill remain on restricted duty while the criminalcase in Williamson County and an APD InternalAffairs investigation are pending. – Jordan Smith› CAUGHT HUFFING Austin Police Sgt. Craig Martinis on restricted duty this week, pending the outcomeof two cases in which he was arrested forallegedly using inhalants. Martin was popped in aLowe’s parking lot Dec. 16, 2009, after someonereported to the Kyle police that he was inhalingsomething from an aerosol can; he was arrestedagain Jan. 12, this time by Cedar Park Police, whoreportedly charged the police supervisor with theillegal use of glue or paint. Martin has been onrestricted duty since the December arrest, policesay, and will remain off the job pending the outcomenot only of the criminal cases but also ofAPD’s internal inquiry.– J.S.MLK DAY OF SERVICE Williamson County residentscan volunteer for one of many opportunitiesby checking www.unitedway-wc.org.NXNW DEMOCRATS MONTHLY MEETING featuresspecial guest Ronnie Earle, candidate forthe nomination for lieutenant governor. Sherlock’sBaker St. Pub, 9012 Research, 380-9443.TUESDAY19DIVERSITY EXCHANGE LECTURE SERIESDr. Joseph Zavala discusses the exchange ofideas surrounding issues of race, ethnicity, gender,and class. 11am. Agard-Lovinggood Bldg.,Huston-Tillotson University. Free.WEDNESDAY20FOOD FOR THOUGHT LECTURE Texas FreedomNetwork’s Kathy Miller talks about the currentstate of the Texas State Board of Education.› TRAVIS COUNTY DELEGATION TO THERESCUE With the state of Texas facing fallingsales-tax revenues, on Jan. 12 House SpeakerJoe Straus announced four new House SelectCommittees intended to examine spending prioritiesand find potential savings. The committeecharges also glance toward the greatest challengeunder the Dome – the state’s structuralbudget deficit, caused by a gap between requiredexpenditures and the current malfunctioning taxbase. The Travis County delegation is representedon three of the committees: Rep. DonnaHoward, who joins fellow Democrat ElliottNaishtat on the new Federal Legislation committeeto study implementation of federal healthcare reform, said the charges “focus on the mostcritical issues that we’re going to have toaddress to keep the budget in play and makesure that we have sufficient funds to provide theservices that Texans expect.” Fellow TravisCounty Dem Mark Strama joins EmergencyPreparedness, while Dawnna Dukes will look forsavings on Government Efficiency andAccountability. There are no local reps on FiscalStability, which is charged with examining thestate’s tax base and “whether the shortfall isdue to the current recession alone or more systemicproblems.” While she called it doubtfulthat any Republican will vote for any tax increasesor shifts in an election year, Dukes said, “itwill put many on the spot. Depending on theleadership, there will be those that say, ‘cut,’ but2003 didn’t go well for a Republican majoritythat made cuts.” All four committees must filetheir reports by Dec. 1. – Richard Whittaker› A PLEA FOR NATIONAL HEALTH CAREEX CHANGE On Jan. 11, Austin’s Lloyd Dog gettand 10 other members of the TexasDemocratic Congressional delegation wroteto President Obama and the House leadership tourge that the proposed health care legislation,now in negotiation between the House andSenate, include a single, national health careexchange through which citizens can buy insurance,“to protect Texans from second-rate care.”The House version of the bill provides for anational exchange, but the Senate version allowsindividual states to create their own exchangesor even regional exchanges within states. The letterstates that the Senate approach “not onlyreduces the market leverage of the exchange andincreases complexity, but it also relies on stateswith indifferent state leadership that are unwillingor unable to administer and properly regulate ahealth insurance marketplace.” In states likeTexas, the members write, where the currentleadership opposes the national reforms, theresult will be inferior or unproductive. In a statementreleased with the letter, Doggett wrote:“With 1 in 4 Texans living without insurance, weshould not settle for second-rate care. Insteadwe should ensure access to the lowest cost,highest-quality insurance plans, which means weneed a national health insurance exchange.”– Michael King7pm. American Legion Hall, 2201 Veterans Dr.,472-3344. Free. www.centerforinquiry.net/austin.THURSDAY21BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL convenes itsmonthly public meeting to advise city staff on bicyclingissues. 6:30pm. One Texas Center, 505 BartonSprings Rd., 203-7626. www.austineconetwork.com.ONGOINGAISD SCHOOL YEAR SURVEY Parents and staffare invited to share their thoughts on the upcomingschool years. www.austinisd.org. Deadline: Jan. 29.HOMELESS COUNT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ECHO,a coalition of local organizations working on homelessness,needs help tallying homeless people inparks, campsites, and other public spaces. Trainingwill be provided. Sign up online. Thursday, Jan. 28,4pm. 782-8835. www.traviscountyhomelesscount.org.326-3555 2617 South 1 st st.www.jeepmasters.comYOUR BESTALTERNATIVETO DEALERSERVICEURBAN LIVING7727 Burnet | 451-2144 | urbanlivingaustin.comhours: monday - saturday 10-6pm | sunday 1-5pm★ Scheduled Maintenance30, 60, 90K★ Tune-ups★ Transmissions★ Exhaust★ Collision, Paint& Body ShopStorewide Sale!SIMPLEPLATFORMBED$299** Queen size frame only,mattress not included.Also availablein King, Full, & Twin.S U P P O R T A U S T I N | S H O P L O C A L | K E E P T A X D O L L A R S H E R Ea u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m JANUARY 15, 2010 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 13