What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?

[jimmyjazz 46470]

I think it might have been possible to conceive and market the library as something most would think is a little less stodgy, because the electronic book thing is real.  It wouldn't have to be functionally much different, just pitched a bit differently. 

That said, I don't really have a problem with it, and I agree cities need to have central showcase facilities that help define their culture.  Putting everything outside of 183/I35/BenWhite/MoPac is just a non-starter when it comes to maintaining a "brand".  These facilities are hardly the biggest cost drivers.

[Orange&White 5554]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

There’s a housing shortage because we spent 40 years attempting to stop time. Welcome to the party pal!

If that piece of property had been sold to a condo developer it would have:

1. Been an immediate cash infusion to city coffers from the sale. Maybe it could have paid for like 10% of the botched Waller creek tunnel.
2. added tax tax revenue in perpetuity instead of being a non taxed piece of property in the most expensive part of town. Maybe that added tax could fix the leaking water pipes that lost billions of gallons of water per year
3. added housing units to the shortage that you mentioned.

But thankfully people have a place to check out ebooks.

 

As to bolverk’s statement about old courthouses on the square, I doubt they would have been built if the counties were in tremendous debt, decaying infrastructure, and unbalanced budgets. Don’t try to equate those times to current day Austin.

 

[Orange&White 5554]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Successful cities are proud of themselves and rightly so. This city could do with a lot more vanity, if only we aspired to something better than yesterday. I still can’t believe we built the library. We would never do it today. 

Tell us the ways you find this city to be “successful”. 

[Orange&White 5554]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Imagine looking around and seeing a tax code rigged to rip you off, so as to give people in the top 1% a break, and a land use code rigged to create generational wealth for the top 1% in part by making it hard to stay in your home, in a town where they import high end talent who make more than you, where your kids probably won’t stick around because the highest paying employers actively avoid local talent, and you look at that and say: “man, this public library is a problem.”

That all sounds really successful.

[bolverk 29805]

55 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

As to bolverk’s statement about old courthouses on the square, I doubt they would have been built if the counties were in tremendous debt, decaying infrastructure, and unbalanced budgets. Don’t try to equate those times to current day Austin.

 

Cities have to take on debt to pay for new infrastructure of all types to accommodate growth, especially fast-growing ones such as Austin. I haven't looked up when the old library was built, but the thing was way too small and way too old. It was time for a new one. It was put on the ballot, and the voters in Austin collectively agreed through a bond election to take on debt to build a new one.

 

That said, let's take a look at some of Austin's comps in terms of debt per capita, according to the Texas Comptroller (link provided so you can see for yourself), to see where the City of Austin as a single taxing entity stands:

Austin             $1,548 
Houston         $1,476 
Dallas             $1,447 
San Antonio   $1,237 
Fort Worth       $824 

So, we're pretty much in line with Houston/Dallas and a little above San Antonio, but Austin has also been growing much faster than all of them. I don't know what the heck is going on in Fort Worth, but good for them.

Now, let's compare Austin to some of our really responsible, fast-growing Central Texas neighbors who are obviously the models of good governance compared to Austin's spend-thrift ways.

San Marcos     $5,078 
Georgetown    $2,606 
Cedar Park      $2,202 
Leander          $2,058 
Round Rock    $1,711 

Wait, hold up a minute. Are you trying to tell me that Austin has the lowest per capita debt burden? I'm so confused...

 

Okay, well, surely Austinites are paying out the wazoo in taxes to keep the debt so low because we know this City is fucking incompetent (link to rates).

Dallas             0.73570
Fort Worth     0.67250
San Antonio   0.54159
Houston         0.51919
Austin             0.44580

 

Against our neighbors:

San Marcos    0.603000
Leander          0.417282
Georgetown   0.374000
Cedar Park      0.370000
Round Rock    0.342000

"Ha! I told you Austin's taxes were too high!"

Well, you see, those suburban areas are largely trying to grow themselves out of debt by keeping low taxes to draw development stemming from Austin's growth. They're also taking out bonds that don't really increase the existing tax rates to fund new infrastructure. In essence, they're betting that their growth will pay for itself over the long term. Also, those suburban areas have the added benefit of developers often footing the bill for new infrastructure to new subdivisions. Finally, they don't have a whole lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced (San Marcos might be the exception, and look at their rate). With the debt burden and the tax rates comparisons, it seems to me that we've got a pretty manageable situation.

Is Austin perfect? Fuck no. Are there some stupid things the City does? Fuck, yes. But sometimes some of y'all get yourselves in way too much of a hissy fit and obsessed over the dumbest shit like a goddamned new library that was sorely needed. Maybe look around at what's going on in other places before you freak the fuck out.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

11 hours ago, Deej said:

I'm starting to believe Bozo is Adler.

The Libary and everything you’re mad about got done during the Will Wynn/Lee Leffingwell era. Adler didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t build or create anything.

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

7 hours ago, bolverk said:

 

Cities have to take on debt to pay for new infrastructure of all types to accommodate growth, especially fast-growing ones such as Austin. I haven't looked up when the old library was built, but the thing was way too small and way too old. It was time for a new one. It was put on the ballot, and the voters in Austin collectively agreed through a bond election to take on debt to build a new one.

 

That said, let's take a look at some of Austin's comps in terms of debt per capita, according to the Texas Comptroller (link provided so you can see for yourself), to see where the City of Austin as a single taxing entity stands:

Austin             $1,548 
Houston         $1,476 
Dallas             $1,447 
San Antonio   $1,237 
Fort Worth       $824 

So, we're pretty much in line with Houston/Dallas and a little above San Antonio, but Austin has also been growing much faster than all of them. I don't know what the heck is going on in Fort Worth, but good for them.

Now, let's compare Austin to some of our really responsible, fast-growing Central Texas neighbors who are obviously the models of good governance compared to Austin's spend-thrift ways.

San Marcos     $5,078 
Georgetown    $2,606 
Cedar Park      $2,202 
Leander          $2,058 
Round Rock    $1,711 

Wait, hold up a minute. Are you trying to tell me that Austin has the lowest per capita debt burden? I'm so confused...

 

Okay, well, surely Austinites are paying out the wazoo in taxes to keep the debt so low because we know this City is fucking incompetent (link to rates).

Dallas             0.73570
Fort Worth     0.67250
San Antonio   0.54159
Houston         0.51919
Austin             0.44580

 

Against our neighbors:

San Marcos    0.603000
Leander          0.417282
Georgetown   0.374000
Cedar Park      0.370000
Round Rock    0.342000

"Ha! I told you Austin's taxes were too high!"

Well, you see, those suburban areas are largely trying to grow themselves out of debt by keeping low taxes to draw development stemming from Austin's growth. They're also taking out bonds that don't really increase the existing tax rates to fund new infrastructure. In essence, they're betting that their growth will pay for itself over the long term. Also, those suburban areas have the added benefit of developers often footing the bill for new infrastructure to new subdivisions. Finally, they don't have a whole lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced (San Marcos might be the exception, and look at their rate). With the debt burden and the tax rates comparisons, it seems to me that we've got a pretty manageable situation.

Is Austin perfect? Fuck no. Are there some stupid things the City does? Fuck, yes. But sometimes some of y'all get yourselves in way too much of a hissy fit and obsessed over the dumbest shit like a goddamned new library that was sorely needed. Maybe look around at what's going on in other places before you freak the fuck out.  

Real talk!  But angry, bitter old men don’t like it, so numbers be dammed.

Edited February 6 by Bozo_Casanova

[DigglerontheHoof 21273]

11 hours ago, Deej said:

Still zero need for one there. What percentage are checked out from that location?

Weird and regarded crusade you're on. 

[Orange&White 5554]

7 hours ago, bolverk said:

 

Cities have to take on debt to pay for new infrastructure of all types to accommodate growth, especially fast-growing ones such as Austin. I haven't looked up when the old library was built, but the thing was way too small and way too old. It was time for a new one. It was put on the ballot, and the voters in Austin collectively agreed through a bond election to take on debt to build a new one.

 

That said, let's take a look at some of Austin's comps in terms of debt per capita, according to the Texas Comptroller (link provided so you can see for yourself), to see where the City of Austin as a single taxing entity stands:

Austin             $1,548 
Houston         $1,476 
Dallas             $1,447 
San Antonio   $1,237 
Fort Worth       $824 

So, we're pretty much in line with Houston/Dallas and a little above San Antonio, but Austin has also been growing much faster than all of them. I don't know what the heck is going on in Fort Worth, but good for them.

Now, let's compare Austin to some of our really responsible, fast-growing Central Texas neighbors who are obviously the models of good governance compared to Austin's spend-thrift ways.

San Marcos     $5,078 
Georgetown    $2,606 
Cedar Park      $2,202 
Leander          $2,058 
Round Rock    $1,711 

Wait, hold up a minute. Are you trying to tell me that Austin has the lowest per capita debt burden? I'm so confused...

 

Okay, well, surely Austinites are paying out the wazoo in taxes to keep the debt so low because we know this City is fucking incompetent (link to rates).

Dallas             0.73570
Fort Worth     0.67250
San Antonio   0.54159
Houston         0.51919
Austin             0.44580

 

Against our neighbors:

San Marcos    0.603000
Leander          0.417282
Georgetown   0.374000
Cedar Park      0.370000
Round Rock    0.342000

"Ha! I told you Austin's taxes were too high!"

Well, you see, those suburban areas are largely trying to grow themselves out of debt by keeping low taxes to draw development stemming from Austin's growth. They're also taking out bonds that don't really increase the existing tax rates to fund new infrastructure. In essence, they're betting that their growth will pay for itself over the long term. Also, those suburban areas have the added benefit of developers often footing the bill for new infrastructure to new subdivisions. Finally, they don't have a whole lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced (San Marcos might be the exception, and look at their rate). With the debt burden and the tax rates comparisons, it seems to me that we've got a pretty manageable situation.

Is Austin perfect? Fuck no. Are there some stupid things the City does? Fuck, yes. But sometimes some of y'all get yourselves in way too much of a hissy fit and obsessed over the dumbest shit like a goddamned new library that was sorely needed. Maybe look around at what's going on in other places before you freak the fuck out.  

I completely understand all of that.

However, when I drive through those places, they don't look like a cesspool of trash. The roads are in decent shape and the lane markings are not all worn off and barely visible. They are not losing billions of gallons of water to decaying water lines. Their electricity isn't failing in large swaths every time there is a wind or ice becaue there is not money to keep the trees around the lines trimmed. They aren't paying out hundreds of millions in lawsuits for stupid decisions their leader regarding airports or crime labs. They don't have a history of boodoggle, failed infrastructure projects.  They don't have a history of overpaying for hotels and then letting them decay and burning tens of millions of dollar for empty hotels in the name of homelessness.

The library in a vacuum is fine. Not in the face of the financial status that this city currently in.

Ferraris are awesome cars, but you don't go out and buy a Ferrari while your kids are starving and you are living in a shack.

But I guess the city needs to have more vanity so when the guests come to down, before they get murdered, they can stroll through some homeless camps, walk down some decaying streets and walk into our awesome library and check out an ebook to read in their hotel.

Edited February 6 by Orange&White

[YGIFS 19453]

14 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

The Libary and everything you’re mad about got done during the Will Wynn/Lee Leffingwell era. Adler didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t build or create anything.

This is a good point.  I really liked Will and Lee and still despise Adler.  But yeah Steve didn't greenlight that project.  But to be fair, Steve greenlit a buncha other dumb shit.  

Okay, let's move on.  I like libraries.  I support them, I helmed the TBF initiatives for Library Grants.  We volunteer at our local branch and our kid's library.  I am literally now in charge of our districts revamp of our libraries (scary, I know).  I love the Central library architecture.  I'm just saying it's doesn't make complete sense financially.  You can like words and numbers at the same time, it's not binary.  I remember when Gary Hoover bought that rural hospital and turned it into his personal bibliophile collection  and invited us out there and had plans to turn it into library/museum of business.  And then it caught fire and he contacted me pleading for help to help salvage the remains of the older books.  And I've helped the Ransom Center Library and Briscoe Center at UT collect bounded archives.  

Alls the fuck I'm saying is we could have had ten more branches for the cost of that downtown location and impacted more lives.  If there's people literally coming from out of town just to see our library, then I'll shut up and listen..  But that'd be the first I'm fucking heard of it.

[Guest]

Shoulda put that library at the old Home Depot at St. Johns. Think of how many book it could hold! A place to be proud of.

The library timeline and price tag sucks. Having significant public structures in the city center does not (and I've never been to the library personally) -- especially given our lack of museums and other culture.

[Deej 77160]

9 minutes ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

Weird and regarded crusade you're on. 

Yeah, we should just look the other way every time the city pisses away that much money. Oh wait, we fucking do. 

[PvilleStang 2924]

12 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

You could put a gun to their downy heads and they wouldn’t be able to tell you how much the library cost, how it was financed, or whether/how long they were paying for it. Hell there’s a 60%+ chance they voted for it, if they were even here.

But they sure are angry about it. 

Libraries lend out e books. Real popular.

Now why do you have to beseech the down syndrome folks.  Calling ACC aggy is even an insult to aggy.

11 hours ago, Deej said:

I'm starting to believe Bozo is Adler.

The next few posts sure seem to support your theory:

11 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

There’s a housing shortage because we spent 40 years attempting to stop time. Welcome to the party pal!

11 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Successful cities are proud of themselves and rightly so. This city could do with a lot more vanity, if only we aspired to something better than yesterday. I still can’t believe we built the library. We would never do it today. 

 

[PvilleStang 2924]

8 hours ago, bolverk said:

 

Cities have to take on debt to pay for new infrastructure of all types to accommodate growth, especially fast-growing ones such as Austin. I haven't looked up when the old library was built, but the thing was way too small and way too old. It was time for a new one. It was put on the ballot, and the voters in Austin collectively agreed through a bond election to take on debt to build a new one.

 

That said, let's take a look at some of Austin's comps in terms of debt per capita, according to the Texas Comptroller (link provided so you can see for yourself), to see where the City of Austin as a single taxing entity stands:

Austin             $1,548 
Houston         $1,476 
Dallas             $1,447 
San Antonio   $1,237 
Fort Worth       $824 

So, we're pretty much in line with Houston/Dallas and a little above San Antonio, but Austin has also been growing much faster than all of them. I don't know what the heck is going on in Fort Worth, but good for them.

Now, let's compare Austin to some of our really responsible, fast-growing Central Texas neighbors who are obviously the models of good governance compared to Austin's spend-thrift ways.

San Marcos     $5,078 
Georgetown    $2,606 
Cedar Park      $2,202 
Leander          $2,058 
Round Rock    $1,711 

Wait, hold up a minute. Are you trying to tell me that Austin has the lowest per capita debt burden? I'm so confused...

 

Okay, well, surely Austinites are paying out the wazoo in taxes to keep the debt so low because we know this City is fucking incompetent (link to rates).

Dallas             0.73570
Fort Worth     0.67250
San Antonio   0.54159
Houston         0.51919
Austin             0.44580

 

Against our neighbors:

San Marcos    0.603000
Leander          0.417282
Georgetown   0.374000
Cedar Park      0.370000
Round Rock    0.342000

"Ha! I told you Austin's taxes were too high!"

Well, you see, those suburban areas are largely trying to grow themselves out of debt by keeping low taxes to draw development stemming from Austin's growth. They're also taking out bonds that don't really increase the existing tax rates to fund new infrastructure. In essence, they're betting that their growth will pay for itself over the long term. Also, those suburban areas have the added benefit of developers often footing the bill for new infrastructure to new subdivisions. Finally, they don't have a whole lot of aging infrastructure that needs to be replaced (San Marcos might be the exception, and look at their rate). With the debt burden and the tax rates comparisons, it seems to me that we've got a pretty manageable situation.

Is Austin perfect? Fuck no. Are there some stupid things the City does? Fuck, yes. But sometimes some of y'all get yourselves in way too much of a hissy fit and obsessed over the dumbest shit like a goddamned new library that was sorely needed. Maybe look around at what's going on in other places before you freak the fuck out.  

Now, break up the spending by department, if you want to get into the weeds here.  Homeless services, Arts and Entertainment, etc.  We spend more money on the icing on the cake rather than the actual cake itself.  We need to ensure the basic necessities of a community are handled properly (Austin Energy and their tree trimming, road maintenance, water infrastructure maintenance, trash service, city sanitation workers, etc.) before we start throwing money at shit like tax payer funded cultural museums, DEI initiatives, investing in climate change, etc.  Hell, even building trains that serve a SLIVER of our population while alienating most the rest is a poor stewardship of our tax dollars.

The fact that the city has that much debt PER CAPITA, compiled with the county debt per capita, state, and national debt is what's going to drive us into the shitter in a generation or two, and as long as we have this current mindset where we'll just print money or tax everyone, we're doomed.

[texasdago 7589]

Y'all keep thinking of it as a place just for books and its not.  

Wait wait... you mean you went to New York City to visit Grand Central but YOU DIDN'T TAKE A TRAIN!?????

No, its not on par with Grand Central but it is a destination and families go there to enjoy it.  They study in the building (amazing... I used to go to the PCL or UGL to study and I *gasp* didn't check out books), they go to the terrace, they hang out... its not just a library.  

50 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

However, when I drive through those places, they don't look like a cesspool of trash. The roads are in decent shape and the lane markings are not all worn off and barely visible. They are not losing billions of gallons of water to decaying water lines. Their electricity isn't failing in large swaths every time there is a wind or ice becaue there is not money to keep the trees around the lines trimmed.

Haven't spent much time in Houston have you?

https://abc13.com/houston-water-lines-main-break-report-outage-city-council-meeting/12510774/#:~:text=HOUSTON%2C Texas (KTRK) --,to be a growing problem. (2022)

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/houston-extreme-drought-water-main-break/285-55565845-7ccf-46c8-9141-c3f25a1e1623 (2023)

...and this was the cherry on top when we still lived in Houston:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/28/houston-water-main-break-flooding-boil-advisory/4901547002/

"Houston health officials ordered a mandatory boil water notice for the entire city Friday after a break in a pipe that provides 50% of Houston's water on Thursday sent drivers on a flooded freeway scrambling onto the top of their cars.

Restaurants were ordered to cease operations immediately and many schools and business shut down for a second day Friday.

The boil water notice was in effect for the city's entire fresh water system. "

Not to mention there are plenty of stories like this...

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/woodlands/article/creekside-park-centerpoint-power-outages-woodlands-18431568.php

"The June 21 storm caused more than 70 percent of residents' time without power. More than 300,000 Houston-area homes lost power as a record-breaking 97 mph gust of wind hit the area without warning. While 99 percent of Entergy customers in The Woodlands had power by June 22, Centerpoint took three more days to reach the same metric.

In September, Taconi said her portion of the neighborhood lost power four times, totaling more than 15 hours without electricity. At least one outage was attributed to vines on a tree that she had reported two weeks prior, Taconi said."

Two days ago...

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/02/03/power-outages-reported-as-heavy-rain-hits-houston-area/

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

13 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

Now, break up the spending by department, if you want to get into the weeds here.  Homeless services, Arts and Entertainment, etc.  We spend more money on the icing on the cake rather than the actual cake itself. We need to ensure the basic necessities of a community are handled properly (Austin Energy and their tree trimming, road maintenance, water infrastructure maintenance, trash service, city sanitation workers, etc.) before we start throwing money at shit like tax payer funded cultural museums, DEI initiatives, investing in climate change, etc.  Hell, even building trains that serve a SLIVER of our population while alienating most the rest is a poor stewardship of our tax dollars.

Oh by all means, let's talk about what the data tell us. Here's the detailed view, in an easily to navigate visual form by revenue source and expense allocation. You can look at it by waterfall, pie chart, and by fund, department, activity, and unit. Go nuts!
From where I sit it looks like mostly cake, but maybe I don't have a microscope to spot the "DEI and other Fox News boogeymen" sliver. BTW - you won't see the train in there, because that is Capital Metro, my dude. Not City of Austin. But I can throw you some breadcrumbs. What you will see is a 5.59% sliver of the expense budget, marked "non departmental". Project Connect is in there. Homeless stuff is mainly a tiny slice of the 1.76% slice that represents public health, but obviously the homeless represent a huge portion of EMT and Police spending ("cake"), because we'd rather pay through the nose to keep them alive and sick than actually address the problems. It's going to be very tough to locate "taxpayer funded cultural museums", but if you look into the .19% of the budget related to cultural arts it should be in there somewhere. Pretty sure when you tie that off to fund source that's mainly covered by the hotel occupancy tax, but either way,  and if you get to find it amid all the cake you get to host Mardi Gras! happy hunting! 

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

32 minutes ago, texasdago said:

New York City to visit Grand Central but YOU DIDN'T TAKE A TRAIN!?????

My office is less than a block from Grand Central. People hang out there. They also hang out and use the NYC Public LIbrary. I was studying for an upcoming professiona exam in the famous two block wide reading room last tuesday and had to wait for a seat because it was so full of people working and reading. 

Edited February 6 by Bozo_Casanova

[HenryJames 66275]

The last few pages are just vibes.

[B00M 6574]

1 hour ago, PvilleStang said:

Now, break up the spending by department, if you want to get into the weeds here.  Homeless services, Arts and Entertainment, etc.  We spend more money on the icing on the cake rather than the actual cake itself.  We need to ensure the basic necessities of a community are handled properly (Austin Energy and their tree trimming, road maintenance, water infrastructure maintenance, trash service, city sanitation workers, etc.) before we start throwing money at shit like tax payer funded cultural museums, DEI initiatives, investing in climate change, etc.  Hell, even building trains that serve a SLIVER of our population while alienating most the rest is a poor stewardship of our tax dollars.

The fact that the city has that much debt PER CAPITA, compiled with the county debt per capita, state, and national debt is what's going to drive us into the shitter in a generation or two, and as long as we have this current mindset where we'll just print money or tax everyone, we're doomed.

But all we need is icing, the cake is baked /chuck strong

 

[YGIFS 19453]

48 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Y'all keep thinking of it as a place just for books and its not.  

Wait wait... you mean you went to New York City to visit Grand Central but YOU DIDN'T TAKE A TRAIN!?????

No, its not on par with Grand Central but it is a destination and families go there to enjoy it.  They study in the building (amazing... I used to go to the PCL or UGL to study and I *gasp* didn't check out books), they go to the terrace, they hang out... its not just a library. 

Hahaha, trick question Clive Owen.  Grand Central Station is a post office by the subway.  Grand Centra Terminal is where the trains run!!! /insideman

You New Yorkers obviously know about it.  But there's a really cool hidden bar on the west side upstairs of the building.  Like there's a public bar, but then there's a hidden bar behind it and you gotta know what you're doing to get in there.  A colleague took me in there once and it was like being back in the roaring 20's.  /csb 

Also, fun fact-there's a hidden room at the Austin Central Library behind one of the stacks.  A remnant of a bygone era.  It was purpose built for banned books.  

Edited February 6 by YGIFS

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

7 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

You New Yorkers obviously know about it.  But there's a really cool hidden bar on the west side upstairs of the building.  Like there's a public bar, but then there's a hidden bar behind it and you gotta know what you're doing to get in there.  A colleague took me in there once and it was like being back in the roaring 20's.  /csb 

The Campbell Apartment! This Russian lady I used to work with took me there. That bar is fantastic. 

[texasdago 7589]

25 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I was studying for an upcoming professiona exam in the famous two block wide reading room last tuesday and had to wait for a seat because it was so full of people working and reading. 

But did you check out a book?

I do wish they would reopen the cafe on the ground level of the library.  Will have to see if they're doing anything new there.  Walked past it a couple of days ago but did not look towards the cafe space.

Edited February 6 by texasdago

[texasdago 7589]

Maybe I'll go there today and take a fresh picture...

[Guest]

What the fuck is wrong with you NYC/Grand Central is that way, dorks --->

[YGIFS 19453]

4 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

The Campbell Apartment! This Russian lady I used to work with took me there. That bar is fantastic. 

So did you give her the Moscow Munch, or what?  

4 minutes ago, texasdago said:

But did you check out a book?

I do wish they would reopen the cafe on the ground level of the library.  Will have to see if they're doing anything new there.  Walked past it a couple of days ago but did not look towards the cafe space.

It's not reopening.  They're putting out lease options off-market but their T.I. package is garbage and the kitchen wasn't setup for a new generation acquisition.  Somebody is gonna have to for out a fuckton of money to revamp it and despite its location, it's a low-volume traffic hit.  Urbanspace nearby took a hard look at it and they certainly have the pockets for it, but decided the spot is completely fucked and the city won't budge on the finances.  I imagine later in his term, Watson will make something work.  But get used to the eyesore, gonna be there awhile.

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

4 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Maybe I'll go there today and take a fresh picture...

Man, those are some great looking homeless people. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

14 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

It's not reopening.  They're putting out lease options off-market but their T.I. package is garbage and the kitchen wasn't setup for a new generation acquisition.  Somebody is gonna have to for out a fuckton of money to revamp it and despite its location, it's a low-volume traffic hit.  Urbanspace nearby took a hard look at it and they certainly have the pockets for it, but decided the spot is completely fucked and the city won't budge on the finances.  I imagine later in his term, Watson will make something work.  But get used to the eyesore, gonna be there awhile.

I just don't see that spot as a viable cafe/bar space. Maybe breakfast-lunch only, but the margins would be brutal and I don't see how you could pay staff without alcohol margins to make it work, and I don't see that space getting the traffic reuired to stay open in a full bar format. I hate to say it because I hate freebies, but given the importance of activating the space vs realizing revenue I'd just partner with a proven local operator like Taco Deli or Thundercloud on profit share basis, if that's even allowed.  

Edited February 6 by Bozo_Casanova

[texasdago 7589]

21 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I just don't see that spot as a viable cafe/bar space. Maybe breakfast-lunch only, but the margins would be brutal and I don't see how you could pay staff without alcohol margins to make it work, and I don't see that space getting the traffic reuired to stay open in a full bar format. I hate to say it because I hate freebies, but given the importance of activating the space vs realizing revenue I'd just partner with a proven local operator like Taco Deli or Thundercloud on profit share basis, if that's even allowed.  

Actually, I think it could be a great bar... other than Codependent, the options in Soholm aren't really bar-like.

But... this is why I'm not in the bar business.  Actually, serve drinks on that terrace.

[YGIFS 19453]

Yeah, that's a head-scratcher actually.  You could do it as a lunch/happy hour/nightime bar spot.  I think the city would just circumvent its own zoning laws about a 51% establishment on a library/public property.  And there's certainly enough people in the immediate vicinity who live/work and enjoy cocktails.  But they just won't budge at this point.  They're holding out for a traditional B/L/D spot with just beer/wine permitted and that's just not gonna move the needle M-F in terms of finances.  I don't know why they're so dug in, but I suspect they'll change their mind down the road.  But don't your breath.   Gonna take a long while...

[Texas Jeff 1978]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

BTW - you won't see the train in there, because that is Capital Metro, my dude. Not City of Austin. ... Project Connect is in there. 

Which train?  In Austin, you have to be specific...

Cap Metro funds the Red Line.  It is running at about 1/10th of the original projections.  Way to go, planning people...

City of Austin taxes us for Project Connect, which goes to the Austin Transit Partnership, where some of the money is swizzled around and comes back to the City of Austin to prevent people from being displaced by the new train that does not yet exist.  Some of the ATP money goes to Cap Metro for stuff like the new Red Line soccer stadium station.  So Cap Metro funds the Red Line except where it doesn't, which comes from ATP, which comes from the CoA, which comes from you the taxpayer who thought you were funding a rail system to get to the airport.

It's almost as crazy as Austin school taxes.  You pay taxes to your local school board, but half of that money goes to the state because other districts need the money because they are poor, and yet half of Austin ISD's population is economically disadvantaged.  But as a wealthy district we must do our share so we send half of the money to the state, where they DO NOT SPEND IT ON EDUCATION and instead give everyone a break on their property taxes.

Madness...

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

Which train?  In Austin, you have to be specific...

Cap Metro funds the Red Line.  It is running at about 1/10th of the original projections.  Way to go, planning people...

City of Austin taxes us for Project Connect, which goes to the Austin Transit Partnership, where some of the money is swizzled around and comes back to the City of Austin to prevent people from being displaced by the new train that does not yet exist.  Some of the ATP money goes to Cap Metro for stuff like the new Red Line soccer stadium station.  So Cap Metro funds the Red Line except where it doesn't, which comes from ATP, which comes from the CoA, which comes from you the taxpayer who thought you were funding a rail system to get to the airport.

It's almost as crazy as Austin school taxes.  You pay taxes to your local school board, but half of that money goes to the state because other districts need the money because they are poor, and yet half of Austin ISD's population is economically disadvantaged.  But as a wealthy district we must do our share so we send half of the money to the state, where they DO NOT SPEND IT ON EDUCATION and instead give everyone a break on their property taxes.

Madness...

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

56 minutes ago, Texas Jeff said:

 You pay taxes to your local school board, but half of that money goes to the state because other districts need the money because they are poor, and yet half of Austin ISD's population is economically disadvantaged.  But as a wealthy district we must do our share so we send half of the money to the state, where they DO NOT SPEND IT ON EDUCATION and instead give everyone a break on their property taxes.

Madness...

preach!

[Bozo_Casanova 26670]

34 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Cap Metro funds the Red Line.  It is running at about 1/10th of the original projections.  Way to go, planning people...

City of Austin taxes us for Project Connect, which goes to the Austin Transit Partnership, where some of the money is swizzled around and comes back to the City of Austin to prevent people from being displaced by the new train that does not yet exist.  Some of the ATP money goes to Cap Metro for stuff like the new Red Line soccer stadium station.  So Cap Metro funds the Red Line except where it doesn't, which comes from ATP, which comes from the CoA, which comes from you the taxpayer who thought you were funding a rail system to get to the airport.

Yep - just making that point that contrary to popular opinion, it's not eating up the city budget. 

[MissingInAction 25299]

So I cruised about north central Austin, a hot bed of bike lanes, during one of the most beautiful days one would get in Texas.

I did not see one person using these fucking things. Not one.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

So I cruised about north central Austin, a hot bed of bike lanes, during one of the most beautiful days one would get in Texas.

I did not see one person using these fucking things. Not one.

I live in a neighborhood with bike lanes and actually ride a bike around occasionally to go to the library, convenience store, etc. that are close by.

I'm not going to use bike lanes on major roads. It's just unpleasant to ride next to cars roaring by at 40 mph with nothing but a plastic pole to protect me. 

[BillyGoatHill 4331]

On 2/5/2024 at 9:27 AM, FirstTimeCaller said:

Also, went on a daytrip yesterday. Came back about 2 p.m. on Sunday through the Y. The light at 290/William Cannon is flashing red in all directions. Took 20-30 minutes to get through. Heaven forbid there be a cop directing traffic so that it isn't backed up for miles.

Now just imagine if you lived west of the Y.

Saaaaay Bee Cave, Lakeway, or Dripping Springs and you had to drive thru that mess EVERYDAY (for the last 13 years 🤬)

edit: Ha! just noticed your username...

Edited February 6 by BillyGoatHill

[Mittens 8373]

38 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

So I cruised about north central Austin, a hot bed of bike lanes, during one of the most beautiful days one would get in Texas.

I did not see one person using these fucking things. Not one.

I log 2,500+ miles a year on my bike in Austin, and the vast majority of those are in bike lanes.  I've never seen you.  Not one time.

[crash_davis 23152]

3 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I log 2,500+ miles a year on my bike in Austin, and the vast majority of those are in bike lanes.  I've never seen you.  Not one time.

so would you say that he's Missing in Action?

[MissingInAction 25299]

24 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I log 2,500+ miles a year on my bike in Austin, and the vast majority of those are in bike lanes.  I've never seen you.  Not one time.

Just look for this:

[crash_davis 23152]

On 2/4/2024 at 10:54 PM, Nicole44 said:

I believe the stabbing occurred at West 26th and Nueces. Or at least that’s what the short KVUE article said. That hits very close to home. 

Racially motivated? 

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/06/us/austin-stabbing-palestinian-american-cair/index.html

The incident happened just after the victim and three other Muslim Americans attended a pro-Palestinian protest, CAIR said in a news release.

They were driving home when the suspect allegedly tried to “rip a flagpole with a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf reading ‘Free Palestine’ off of their car,” CAIR said in a news release. The suspect screamed the N-word and pulled one of the group from the vehicle and attacked him, CAIR said, citing the victims. The three others got out and fought the suspect, who then allegedly stabbed the victim with a knife, CAIR said.

 

Stabber: Bert James Baker

[B00M 6574]

38 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I log 2,500+ miles a year on my bike in Austin, and the vast majority of those are in bike lanes.  I've never seen you.  Not one time.

Is that purely for exercise or do you commute to work on a bike? I’ve mapped it out before and there are a couple intersections I just don’t want anything to do with but maybe hike and bike trail expansion will allow me to ditch the car some days in the future. Good luck to anyone trying to share roads with seemingly every person reading and typing on their cell phones while, oh yeah, also driving. 

[Mittens 8373]

1 minute ago, B00M said:

Is that purely for exercise or do you commute to work on a bike?

Exercise/enjoyment.  I would say that 90% of my riding is on fairly well protected lanes or trails.  The majority of my riding is in the evening or weekends when car traffic is low as well, so that helps.

[Bevo 13633]

Austin is too crowded

[Deej 77160]

29 minutes ago, B00M said:

Is that purely for exercise or do you commute to work on a bike? I’ve mapped it out before and there are a couple intersections I just don’t want anything to do with but maybe hike and bike trail expansion will allow me to ditch the car some days in the future. Good luck to anyone trying to share roads with seemingly every person reading and typing on their cell phones while, oh yeah, also driving. 

I've seen more than my share of people on bikes looking at their phones. Talk about a death wish. 

[MissingInAction 25299]

And with headphones on. 

What Darwin doing?

[HenryJames 66275]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

Racially motivated? 

 

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

The suspect screamed the N-word...

 

[PvilleStang 2924]

But they were middle eastern...  Wrong-racially motivated?

[Brisketexan 105567]

Just now, PvilleStang said:

But they were middle eastern...  Wrong-racially motivated?

Racists typically aren't bright enough for precision.  Heck, even the well-meaning neighbor kinda racists....

[Deej 77160]

[tx 3 putt 77919]