What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?

[dcar00 14,367]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Ding ding ding.

Rewarding the police for functionally "going on strike" and refusing to do their job to blackmail the citizens and city to give them even more....well, f them.

Its fundamentally both.  It takes 2 to tango.  and the "we just need social workers to respond to these situations" crowd didn't help.

[Brisketexan 105,346]

1 minute ago, dcar00 said:

Its fundamentally both.  It takes 2 to tango.  and the "we just need social workers to respond to these situations" crowd didn't help.

Agree that the failures are across the board (and I'm not a "we JUST need social workers to respond" guy....I'm a "we ALSO need social workers to respond, AND we need to provide more on-point training and tools to the officers who are most likely to respond to mental health calls" guy.  When you send out only hammers, every problem is treated like a nail.)

[Orange&White 5,539]

40 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

Completely agree regarding the police failing to do their job.  They're only one part of the system, though.  When the other parts will do absolutely nothing at all, there is plenty of blame to go around.  The police can arrest every homeless person in town over and over and over but it doesn't solve anything and doesn't get those folks the help they need.   Despite a couple of attempts to paint this with a partisan brush, it's possible to think the police in Austin are useless and sandbagging while at the same time lamenting the failings of the criminal justice system and mental health resources available to address things as well.  Our DA sucks, our police department sucks, and our city council sucks. All of this can be true without political sides coming into play.  Austin is a failed city on many levels, and the blame for that can be spread around widely, including up to the fuckery of the state government and its influence here.  But locally we're a complete and utter embarrassment of a shitshow.  Admitting as much shouldn't be shameful if you don't let politics get in your way.

Save some of the blame for the citizens that elect the people that run the city.

[ztejas 43,538]

9 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

What has changed is that the police are no longer telling folks to move along from high traffic and/or high visibility areas. 

That isn't true. I saw them doing this like 3 days ago along 71 by 35.

I think they are picking their battles but there are absolutely established areas that are off-limits - or that they are attempting to make off-limits. 

The hobo camp shit is still waaaay better than it was at its peak when we had Cesar Chavez lined up and down with tents. That doesn't happen without at least some enforcement.

I mean I think most of us agree on the main points - it's a discussion of what % of the blame falls where. I'm just sharing what I've personally seen around the city. 

[crash_davis 23,115]

I'm firmly left of center in the political spectrum but fuck the homeless. Enough is enough. My thoughts on those leeches are well documented on this site. I want to help people who have a desire to help themselves. It appears that many (prob most) of the homeless enjoy being drugged out homeless. I'm all for spending tons of Austin taxpayer money to help but it's not viable long term solution. It's not just an Austin issue, it's a national issue. We should we NOT have to foot the bill for every homeless motherfucker who shows up at the city limits.

And it's about conviction. Santa Fe is a liberal bastion of a city. If you ever spend time in Santa Fe you'll see that the city has conviction to stopping the homeless from taking over the city. And not surprisingly, they don't have quite the homeless problem that Austin does.

Edited June 1, 2023 by crash_davis

[hayden_horn 11,365]

33 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Agree that the failures are across the board (and I'm not a "we JUST need social workers to respond" guy....I'm a "we ALSO need social workers to respond, AND we need to provide more on-point training and tools to the officers who are most likely to respond to mental health calls" guy.  When you send out only hammers, every problem is treated like a nail.)

see, i've taken the same position with my remote learning 15 year old youngest son who wants to stay up all night and sleep all day. i don't like it. i actually hate it, partly because i also want to stay up all night and sleep all day. my wife hates it hates it. she wants to see him during the day, etc, and she uses his schoolwork lack as a reason. a damn good one, in fact. 

i've told him, time and again, "look, dude, if you are current with your schoolwork, no one is in a position to complain about your hours."

mom's only objection so far is "you're behind on your schoolwork" so prove her wrong, son, and then do what you want.

apd is in a similar position. if you had, i dunno, been doing your jobs for, i dunno, maybe the last 20 years or so, things wouldn't have gotten so bad. if you keep up with property crime and sexual assault cases in any sense of the word"giveafuck" then you'd have a lot more sympathy in the community. but ever since apd went full on thug police force and started the mardi gras riot, it's been more of the same. 

then art acevedo came and probably set apd back another 20 years with his backasswards dumbassery.

[ztejas 43,538]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

And it's about conviction. Santa Fe is a liberal bastion of a city. If you ever spend time in Santa Fe you'll see that the city has conviction to stopping the homeless from taking over the city. And not surprisingly, they don't have quite the homeless problem that Austin does.

Santa Fe also gets a lot colder in the winter. Not totally apples to apples. 

[crash_davis 23,115]

11 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Santa Fe also gets a lot colder in the winter. Not totally apples to apples. 

NYC, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, even Erie, PA have homeless problems. Weather has little to do with it.

Edited June 1, 2023 by crash_davis

[mchookem 16,386]

yeah...Denver has its fair share as well, but they do open all or most of the city rec centers for shelters when it got really cold. i was still surprised at how many folks made do outside when it got the coldest.

interestingly, while there are your standard druggies and mentally ill folks on the streets, Denver seems to have a pretty large contingent of actual gypsies. that's interesting...you see more women/children, they stand out.

Edited June 1, 2023 by mchookem

[ztejas 43,538]

16 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

NYC, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City, even Erie, PA have homeless problems. Weather has little to do with it.

The # of homeless in those places doesn't exceed the # of shelter beds. It far exceeds it in Texas. The weather in Texas (at least, in Austin) doesn't place a hard cap relative to the amount of beds the way it does in CHI or NY. 

We are talking about the shanty towns and tent cities, i.e. people sleeping outside, correct? 

Sleeping outside in Chicago or New York (or Santa Fe) in January can kill you.

Edited June 1, 2023 by ztejas

[Brisketexan 105,346]

6 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Sleeping outside in Chicago or New York (or Santa Fe) in January can kill you.

[Texas electric grid design] And sleeping INSIDE in Texas in February can kill your ass, too! [/Texas electric grid design]

[crash_davis 23,115]

5 minutes ago, ztejas said:

The # of homeless in those places doesn't exceed the # of shelter beds. It far exceeds it in Texas. The weather in Texas (at least, in Austin) doesn't place a hard cap relative to the amount of beds the way it does in CHI or NY. 

We are talking about the shanty towns and tent cities, i.e. people sleeping outside, correct? 

Sleeping outside in Chicago or New York (or Santa Fe) in January can kill you.

Again, we shouldn't be talking about # of beds. We're talking about conviction to making those leeches feel unwelcomed here. Ban panhandling. Rigorously enforce camping bans. Hold the DA accountable to prosecuting these fuckheads instead of turning them back on the street without even a slap on the wrist. 

[Orange&White 5,539]

21 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Again, we shouldn't be talking about # of beds. We're talking about conviction to making those leeches feel unwelcomed here. Ban panhandling. Rigorously enforce camping bans. Hold the DA accountable to prosecuting these fuckheads instead of turning them back on the street without even a slap on the wrist. 

HaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!

Good one!!

[crash_davis 23,115]

7 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

HaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!

Good one!!

Yea I know but one can hope. We're going to continue bitching about the homeless unless the entire city leadership and populace are on the same page. From police's perspective, why the fuck should they arrest anyone or enforce anything if the DA isn't going to do shit. Otherwise they are just wasting time. When will the city voters stop voting for more stupid homeless bond money which doesn't appear to making any dents on the leech population. 

The ongoing "answer" will be fuckheads asking for more bond money, in perpetuity, to "support" the homeless, whatever the fuck that means now.

Here's an idea, kick the motherfuckers out and no one will have to ask for any bond money. But then what will happen to the feel good homeless charities???? Use that homeless money towards helping working families in Austin. Free/subsidized daycare for working families, pay teachers more, improve the fucking roads, etc.

Edited June 1, 2023 by crash_davis

[Samson's Wig 3,194]

1 hour ago, Orange&White said:

Save some of the blame for the citizens that elect the people that run the city.

Absolutely, but that's a tough nut to crack when you live in a city full of young single adults like Austin.  The average age here is very young, which doesn't typically lead to terribly thoughtful voting.  Unless you have a plan for shifting the demographics significantly, it's not going to change.  Austin is not a kid-friendly city (surprisingly bad in terms of schools, available activities, etc. - especially when it was known as a good place to raise kids just a generation ago), so most parents get the heck out of here once they hit a certain age, leaving young childless voters to elect similarly minded goobs into office.  Most of the parents left here are those who can afford million+ homes and private schools, along with the high tax rates and general cost of living, so not a huge group.   It's not really any worse than a city dominated by old folks, though, where absolutely nothing is ever approved if it costs money and nothing ever changes.  It will be interesting to see if Austin's demographics age at all over the next couple of decades with all the transplants sticking it out, or if we continue to see people reach their thirties, settle down, and then get the fuck out to someplace with affordable housing and decent schools.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,559]

2 hours ago, dcar00 said:

Its fundamentally both.  It takes 2 to tango.  and the "we just need social workers to respond to these situations" crowd didn't help.

It's more than that. We don't need just one or two things. We need what Mobile Loaves and Fishes does with Community First Village and a few other orgs/programs like that. We need housing+social workers+counseling+industry+law enforcement+rules enforcement+standards+testing and measurement+scolds peering out of their blinds+pied pipers+God+Love+Money+the dignity of work, and on and on.
In other words we need nothing short of a holistic approach to fixing broken human beings and reintegrating them into society through community and everything that word entails. And if we try to do without one of the things that makes a community complete, the whole effort is wasted. 

So when I say that the camps and things like people shitting on the sidewalk are a law enforcement issue, it's because they are - people don't want to look at homeless people, because being confronted by the crumbling edifice of a failing civilization is painful. There's an easy solution to those symptoms - tell the cops to take them away and back to the woods they go. But make no mistake - any dollar spent on just one thing, i.e. just housing, or just social workers, or just cops or a just "get tough" approach is a dollar wasted, not to mention cruel, because they will still be out there and seeing camps will just be replaced by other symptoms that you may not see but you will pay for.
And that's why I encourage even those who don't give a fuck, or maybe especially them (and let's face it, that's most of you and most people in this city) to support MLF here in Austin: it's the most cost effective way to deal with this because it's the only thing that works.

Edited June 1, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Bozo_Casanova 26,559]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

Again, we shouldn't be talking about # of beds. We're talking about conviction to making those leeches feel unwelcomed here. Ban panhandling. Rigorously enforce camping bans. Hold the DA accountable to prosecuting these fuckheads instead of turning them back on the street without even a slap on the wrist. 

So you're one of the "just housing" crowd, basically, except the most expensive version, in a gated community with three hots to go with it. Maybe the Democratic Socialists have an extra dunce hat you can borrow. 

Edited June 1, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Bozo_Casanova 26,559]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

I think they are picking their battles

Yeah, anybody who has ever seen 4-6 cars conducting a single traffic stop in Tarrytown while it takes multiple hours to respond to burglaries in Windsor Park can definitely attest to that.

[crash_davis 23,115]

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

So you're one of the "just housing" crowd, basically, except the most expensive version, in a gated community with three hots to go with it. Maybe the Democratic Socialists have an extra dunce hat you can borrow. 

I'm one of the fuck the homeless because they are thankless leeches to society Democratic Socialist crowd. I'll gladly wear a dunce hat if we rid ourselves of them.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,559]

Just now, crash_davis said:

I'm one of the fuck the homeless because they are thankless leeches to society Democratic Socialist crowd. I'll gladly wear a dunce hat if we rid ourselves of them.

Then you should give your money to Mobile Loaves and Fishes because that is your only real option. 

[Wally Pryor 5,263]

3 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

Completely agree regarding the police failing to do their job.  They're only one part of the system, though.  When the other parts will do absolutely nothing at all, there is plenty of blame to go around.  The police can arrest every homeless person in town over and over and over but it doesn't solve anything and doesn't get those folks the help they need.   Despite a couple of attempts to paint this with a partisan brush, it's possible to think the police in Austin are useless and sandbagging while at the same time lamenting the failings of the criminal justice system and mental health resources available to address things as well.  Our DA sucks, our police department sucks, and our city council sucks. All of this can be true without political sides coming into play.  Austin is a failed city on many levels, and the blame for that can be spread around widely, including up to the fuckery of the state government and its influence here.  But locally we're a complete and utter embarrassment of a shitshow.  Admitting as much shouldn't be shameful if you don't let politics get in your way.

It's a unbridled shits show on all these fronts and more. 

But in a city that likes to spend consulting $ on how we should pick consultants, not a dime has been spent toward engaging Alan Graham to my knowledge. And that's one of the biggest crimes of all. But, hey, why do that? You'd only get sensible and pragmatic ideas about addressing homelessness while also interrupting the flow of money into pockets that are getting more full by the day.

[crash_davis 23,115]

Just now, Bozo_Casanova said:

Then you should give your money to Mobile Loaves and Fishes because that is your only real option. 

Why would I give money to organizations which help to keep homeless here and encourage more to hobo their way down there? I want them to feel unwelcomed, not welcomed.

[dcar00 14,367]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Agree that the failures are across the board (and I'm not a "we JUST need social workers to respond" guy....I'm a "we ALSO need social workers to respond, AND we need to provide more on-point training and tools to the officers who are most likely to respond to mental health calls" guy.  When you send out only hammers, every problem is treated like a nail.)

sure and didn't say you were a just need social workers.  that said.  the issue is we allowed way too many nails and got rid of places to house the huge percentage of bent and broken nails that can't or won't decide to be straightened out.

 

[Samson's Wig 3,194]

2 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

It's a unbridled shits show on all these fronts and more. 

But in a city that likes to spend consulting $ on how we should pick consultants, not a dime has been spent toward engaging Alan Graham to my knowledge. And that's one of the biggest crimes of all. But, hey, why do that? You'd only get sensible and pragmatic ideas about addressing homelessness while also interrupting the flow of money into pockets that are getting more full by the day.

It's mind-boggling, frankly.  It's possible he was approached and declined, but I have difficulty believing that.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,559]

2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Why would I give money to organizations which help to keep homeless here and encourage more to hobo their way down there? I want them to feel unwelcomed, not welcomed.

because it's the only thing that works. And it doesn't make them feel welcome. It makes them not homeless.  You should go over there and see what I'm talking about. 

[Wally Pryor 5,263]

No worries, not taxpayer dollars....

 

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin City Council approved an $88 million settlement agreement with LoneStar Holdings, the group that operates the airport’s South Terminal, for a lawsuit in Travis County District Court and another in federal court.

The agreement allows Austin-Bergstrom International Airport the ability to move forward with its expansion and redevelopment program, according to an AUS press release. 

As part of its expansion plans for AUS, the city decided last June to use eminent domain to take over the property near the main terminal where the South Terminal sits.

The city agreed to a 40-year deal with Lonestar in March 2016 and then in June 2022 offered to pay the group $1.9 million, which Lonestar denied, citing the amount it took to renovate the South Terminal. As a result, the company filed a lawsuit against the city last August.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/88m-settlement-approved-for-critical-austin-airport-expansion/

 

[dcar00 14,367]

56 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

Yea I know but one can hope. We're going to continue bitching about the homeless unless the entire city leadership and populace are on the same page. From police's perspective, why the fuck should they arrest anyone or enforce anything if the DA isn't going to do shit. Otherwise they are just wasting time. When will the city voters stop voting for more stupid homeless bond money which doesn't appear to making any dents on the leech population. 

The ongoing "answer" will be fuckheads asking for more bond money, in perpetuity, to "support" the homeless, whatever the fuck that means now.

Here's an idea, kick the motherfuckers out and no one will have to ask for any bond money. But then what will happen to the feel good homeless charities???? Use that homeless money towards helping working families in Austin. Free/subsidized daycare for working families, pay teachers more, improve the fucking roads, etc.

we used to do that(move them along) but now you are declared evil and god forbid if a 30 second video appears of a law enforcement officer trying to do that with any semblance of force.  when we did move them along there ended being an organic shared responsibility from the entire state or public.  The drug crisis and the stupid "please camp here" signs made certain locations worse.

the only way to solve it is an ugly process which is determining who wants help and who is beyond help.  and yes I believe there are some portion of people that are beyond help especially as it relates to the use of taxpayer dollars to help them. I realize every specific instance is different but most of them made their own bed and will tell you so if they ever get sober.

IMO, it would be more efficient to build mental hospitals(thanks Geraldo!) and have the social workers attend to them there than try to do "field work". Some can make it out but it is a deep dark ugly hole.

I know a lot of you put your time in really trying to help these folks and for that you should be commended.

[royiv 9,361]

I don't think the answer is heavy-handed law enforcement and prosecution. I don't see how that solves the problem. I think that just creates a burden on law enforcement, courts and jails.

If someone is being violent or committing property crimes, absolutely prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, something that doesn't really happen much any more and not just in Austin. Prosecuting people for the crime of being homeless just creates a revolving door at the jail and doesn't treat any of the causes of homelessness. 

Bozo is spot on about what Mobile Loaves and Fishes is doing, especially with the Community First! Village. The city should probably redirect the money spent on hotels to them to expand their programs and reach, but no one is going to make any money doing that.

It would be great to see that state mental health hospitals funded to a level that meets the needs of the state, but that's not going to happen with the current regime in charge so it's unfortunately left to the cities to figure the mess out. Bussing folks to other parts of the state hardly seems like a solution. You're just shifting chairs on the deck of the Titanic at that point and it's only a matter of time that other cities would start sending Austin their problems.

[Wally Pryor 5,263]

3 hours ago, Samson's Wig said:

It's mind-boggling, frankly.  It's possible he was approached and declined, but I have difficulty believing that.

The city not doing the right and prudent thing is mind-boggling?

More so, it's just following the SOPs to a tee. 

[MAUFRAIS 6,637]

Even when you give a homeless person a home, I can still tell.

[dcar00 14,367]

2 hours ago, royiv said:

 

It would be great to see that state mental health hospitals funded to a level that meets the needs of the state, but that's not going to happen with the current regime in charge so it's unfortunately left to the cities to figure the mess out. Bussing folks to other parts of the state hardly seems like a solution. You're just shifting chairs on the deck of the Titanic at that point and it's only a matter of time that other cities would start sending Austin their problems.

newsflash...

[Biff Tannen 45,742]

Anecdote time:

I walked the hike and bike trail a couple of mornings ago and saw that almost every recycle and trash can was completely overflowing and most looked like they had been rifled through, with trash strewn around the vicinity of each and every one.  I then saw a guy hammering together some boards at the Shoal Creek inlet, making some kind of shanty, and screaming randomly in Spanish.  Assuming the two are related.

[MAUFRAIS 6,637]

The trash can was also speaking Spanish?

[ztejas 43,538]

[ChickenSandwich 9,853]

2 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

The city not doing the right and prudent thing is mind-boggling?

More so, it's just following the SOPs to a tee. 

What Mayor Adler learned about homelessness on his LA, Seattle tour

Steve Adler traveled to two West Coast cities to learn about what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to addressing homelessness.
 

https://www.kvue.com/amp/article/news/politics/what-mayor-adler-learned-about-homelessness-on-his-la-seattle-tour/269-b5f82b51-9b4d-450f-8765-3e6e7411b749

[Deej 76,926]

He learned he could fleece Austinites to pay for his trip to the PNW.

[Wally Pryor 5,263]

13 hours ago, ChickenSandwich said:

What Mayor Adler learned about homelessness on his LA, Seattle tour

Steve Adler traveled to two West Coast cities to learn about what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to addressing homelessness.
 

https://www.kvue.com/amp/article/news/politics/what-mayor-adler-learned-about-homelessness-on-his-la-seattle-tour/269-b5f82b51-9b4d-450f-8765-3e6e7411b749

Good lord, he was such a piece of shit. 

[tomahawk dunk 339]

9 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

Good lord, he was such a piece of shit. 

Yeah, fuck that guy.

[Bevo 13,601]

On 5/26/2023 at 11:11 PM, Bevo said:

APD looking for a suspect involved in an aggravated assault at the Domain

by: Sam Stark

Posted: May 26, 2023 / 05:33 PM CDT

Updated: May 26, 2023 / 05:33 PM CDT

SHARE

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department needs the public’s help finding Shawn Baptista, 43, who has been arrested twice for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – both incidents occurring at or near the Domain Shopping Center in North Austin. 

On April 2, APD arrested Baptista for an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly using a knife during an assault in the Domain Shopping Center area. On April 6, Baptista was released from custody on a $12,000 bond, per APD.

Then, on April 12, Austin detectives say Baptista committed another aggravated assault. This time, Baptista reportedly threatened someone with a gun, per APD.

Three days later, on April 15, Baptista was at the Domain again, where people observed him playing loud, vulgar music inside a department store, per APD. A department store employee asked Baptista to lower the music volume, which made him upset. An employee then asked Baptista to leave the store. 

The following day, on April 16, Baptista returned to the store with a machete, “and expressed that he would cut someone’s head off for messing with him,” the police report read.

APD arrested Baptista for terroristic charges following this event, and he was released from custody 11 days later on a $10,000 bond, APD said. 

 

Hey, question for you guys - Is this the same guy?

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/shawn.baptista.5/photos

 

 

 

[David Dennison 18,947]

 

[Orange&White 5,539]

I thought the Onion was a satire site? 

[HornOnTheBayou 8,946]

That is a modest proposal to consider.

[Blotto 23,579]

This thread seems as good a place as any for it

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-apartment-issues-10-p-m-curfew-do-residents-have-to-follow-it/

Quote

While the word “mandatory” was used, the property manager told KXAN over the phone he couldn’t enforce the rule because there was nothing in the tenants’ lease that would prohibit them from being out at this time. He said the security company that patrols the complex suggested he send the notice out. Apartment management did not answer any further questions.

Good luck with that. I imagine the Array Apartments must be a lovely place to call home. 

[Cap33 393]

Body found in Shoal Creek at 29th & Lamar

https://twitter.com/DocumentingATX/status/1668045748842250243?s=20

Haven't walked through here in a while bc of some homeless asshole throwing rocks at dogs a while back.

Edited June 12, 2023 by Cap33
I'm an idoit and can't imbed a tweet I guess

[drt 640]

Since summer is getting going I'm going to call my shot and hope I'm wrong.  There will be at least one major fire in a greenbelt area this summer in the city limits.  Just way to many campsites for it not to happen.

[MissingInAction 25,187]

Will probably have a few heat stroke deaths over the next week.

[TKthunder2 4,997]

Then former Mayor Adler will start a non profit that the city will fund in order to get homeless into “cooling shelters”. Once he gets the funding they’ll buy some hotels that sit vacant for the next 10 years and then sell them to the city for 3x the price.

[Deej 76,926]

12 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

Will probably have a few heat stroke deaths over the next week.

I was hoping for more than a few. 

[MissingInAction 25,187]

DPS is coming through with bobcat crews completely destroying the camps at Cameron and 290 today. I wanted to get out of my car and cheer them on 

[YGIFS 19,452]

Are you being serious?  Or just online banter?