Here is what leadership in Austin, Texas, looks like: Mayor Steve Adler issued a warning for Austin residents to stay home while he was on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and a day after hosting 20 guests for his daughter’s wedding at an Austin hotel.
Adler posted a Nov. 9 Facebook video, likely intentionally shot upward toward the ceiling for backdrop, in which he said, “We need to stay home if you can. This is not the time to relax. We are going to be looking really closely. … We may have to close things down if we are not careful.”
At that point, Adler was on his second day of a weeklong vacation at the Cabo family timeshare after taking a private jet with seven other wedding guests. His daughter’s wedding took place a day before the trip with 20 guests at a hotel near downtown Austin. The city recommendation at the time was to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people.
“I regret this travel,” Adler said in a statement after the Austin American-Statesman reported his actions. “My fear is that this travel, even having happened during a safer period, could be used by some as justification for risky behavior. In hindsight, and even though it violated no order, it set a bad example, for which I apologize.”
Adler earlier told the Statesman that he consulted the city health director about the wedding and had the 20 guests distanced and tested for COVID-19. “It is not perfect,” Adler admitted. “Obviously, there are infections that could happen, but I think all of us should be minimizing risks as best as we can.”
The mayor is inspiring everyone, making us imagine what it will be like to attend weddings at trendy locations and vacation in tropical locales again.
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