From PolitiFact Texas based at the Austin American-Statesman:
Land Commissioner George P. Bush said a video from a parking garage used by state agencies showed more than a dozen vans with busted rear windows on the same night the Austin City Council voted to redirect $150 million in funding from the police department.
The council’s recent funding decisions regarding the Austin Police Department have come under fire from state officials, who have threatened to freeze local governments’ property tax revenue if they cut police budgets.
Bush said his video highlights the need for police funding and said the city is moving down a dangerous path.
“This was taken tonight in one of the parking garages used by (the Texas General Land Office) and other state agencies in downtown Austin, the same night the City of Austin voted to cut $150 million from (the Austin Police Department),” he wrote in the tweet. “The need for police funding is as clear as ever. This is a dangerous path to go down.”
Bush did not return a request seeking more information about the video, including whether he recorded the footage himself, whether the incident had been reported and when exactly the damage occurred.
Here’s what we know: The parking garage is under the jurisdiction of state law enforcement, not the city police. And the damage to the vehicles was reported five days before the City Council voted on police funding.
Hear how Bush’s statement scored in the player above, and read the full PolitiFact story here.
