Democrat-run Austin City Hall is giving a former city council member a golden parachute on his way out of elected office—all at citizens’ expense.
Former Austin City Councilmember Jimmy Flannigan, a far-left Democrat who recently lost his race for re-election, has now been hired by the city to run their “Austin Convention Center Enterprises.” The “public corporation” oversees the city’s convention center (obviously) and other nearby property. The corporation has over $250 million in assets.
Flannigan’s compensation figures were not released, although a sum well into the six-figure range seems likely.
During his time on council, Flannigan vocally cheer-led for a multibillion-dollar expansion of the aforementioned convention center. At the same time, he repeatedly voted to raise taxes on the beleaguered citizenry, has a long history of gaslighting the public over claims to “fiscal responsibility,” voted to allow lawlessness among the local homeless population, and even suggested demolishing the city police’s downtown headquarters when the council defunded the department by one-third.
The city hiring Flannigan to run the convention center corporation is made all the more curious given he’s been dogged by questions about his financial skills and competency.
This sort of revolving door between government and taxpayer-subsidized enterprises rightly leaves Texans cynical.
To quote Frank Sinatra, “nice work if you can get it.”
