What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?

[Bevo 13900]

8 hours ago, NAVY said:

That’s a tough one. We would probably add bike lanes to the bike lanes. Does that help your shit? 

Well there’s also the acquisition of unused hotels for homeless who will also not use them. I seriously doubt that they would remove the dirty underwear and tshirts/wipes from behind my office building or repair the back door that the homeless fucked up with a crowbar.

I also doubt that they would improve parks, museums, theater, safety on 6th street, water in the lake or cleanup under the overpasses. So, I guess that makes me pretty happy that the money goes somewhere else that could possibly help people.

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

9 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Yes ... and no ... and yes again, I would say:

Yes it does!  The district gets X dollars per student and raises Y dollars from property tax.  Recapture is just Y - X.  Y and X are not correlated.  It's a little more complicated than that, because I'm not telling you that part of the Y dollars goes for bond payments and part goes for teachers and gets recaptured.  So when the number of students goes down, recapture goes up even if the number of property tax dollars collected remains the same.

No ... because they still get X dollars per student.  They get fewer dollars but they have fewer students to educate.  Their buildings are in bad shape, but their large property tax base allows them to raise big bucks for improvements, for a declining student population.  AISD took about 30 years off from doing basic improvements, and they will be playing catch up for the next 25 years.

And yes again, it does hurt because AISD is closing only a few schools as their population declines.  So maybe last year they had a school with one principal, one football coach, one nurse, one college advisor and so on ... now they have a smaller school with the same one principal, one football coach, and so on.  They are still maintaining the same number of buildings and these one-per-school positions, but across a smaller population base per school.  That leaves less for classroom teachers.  AISD could help themselves by closing some campuses and figuring out what size of student population is most efficient, but they will not.

Also:

The X dollars per students does not include consideration for cost of living.  It costs more to live in Austin than it does in Temple.  The teachers receive nothing extra in AISD for cost of living.  Also, AISD is one of a few districts that pays into Social Security.  So teachers receive less now and in theory, get more later when they have a pension and social security coming in.  But right NOW, when they need to afford basic rent or a starter home, they start off with less pay because they pay into social security while most districts around them do not.

A note on that - like most other things that are broken about Austin, this one comes down to the housing shortage. Enrollment is declining for several reasons, but the main reason is that the young middle class families who work in the city can't afford to live in the footprint of the district, and are being replaced by DINKs and affluent immigrants with fewer or no kids. This is also the reason  2/3+ of our police force does not live in the city they patrol. 

[bluto 4999]

Where’s the really fun talk of the i 35 plan  getting finalized? I’m sure it’ll go swimmingly

[South Austin 53231]

What the fuck is going on with the re-striping of roads, where the center lines are now jutting left and right for no apparent reason?  I'm specifically talking about North Loop and Bull Creek Road, for those who live in the area.  Why now do we have a short veer to the right every so often on these roads? 

[BabaYaga 15629]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

and are being replaced by DINKs

[Orange&White 5573]

8 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

What the ever living fuck. Teacher’s Retirement is more than enough to live off of, why the fuck would they pay social security?????

Maybe I am missing the satire, but teachers retirement is definitely not "more than enough to live off of". 

My mother taught in different school districts for 23 years and her monthly retirement check from TRS is like $2200.

[Orange&White 5573]

12 minutes ago, South Austin said:

What the fuck is going on with the re-striping of roads, where the center lines are now jutting left and right for no apparent reason?  I'm specifically talking about North Loop and Bull Creek Road, for those who live in the area.  Why now do we have a short veer to the right every so often on these roads? 

The road markings in this town have gone to complete shit in the last five years and it is readily apparent all over town.

Which is ironic since those markings are basically a requirement for self driving and driverless cars to be able to maneuver correctly. And Austin has become one of the primary testing grounds for those vehicles.

But hey, we have a super duper library.

[Steel Shank 9556]

"Improvements" to Barton Springs Road.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/barton-springs-road-1-year-safety-pilot-slated-for-late-fall-launch/

[Deej 77852]

Don't see a lot of folks using the bike lanes when it's 106 degrees for months straight. 

[Mittens 8755]

3 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

"Improvements" to Barton Springs Road.

I'm a cyclist who uses that stretch of road fairly often and acknowledge it's a bit sketchy.  This is the dumbest fucking idea and it's going to back traffic up into Lamar, way up into Barton Hills, and well back into Zilker.  Just ridiculously stupid.

[Orange&White 5573]

8 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

"Improvements" to Barton Springs Road.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/barton-springs-road-1-year-safety-pilot-slated-for-late-fall-launch/

 

1 minute ago, Mittens said:

I'm a cyclist who uses that stretch of road fairly often and acknowledge it's a bit sketchy.  This is the dumbest fucking idea and it's going to back traffic up into Lamar, way up into Barton Hills, and well back into Zilker.  Just ridiculously stupid.

If the cars can only go 2.7 mph, the fatality rates will plummet. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

[crash_davis 23470]

23 minutes ago, Deej said:

Don't see a lot of folks using the bike lanes when it's 106 degrees for months straight. 

Oddly enough, I haven't heard a peep from the cycling Nazi's during this Hell on Earth summer on how we should all bike everywhere. Good thing we got rid of car lanes so that the bike lanes can be empty.

[South Austin 53231]

34 minutes ago, Mittens said:

I'm a cyclist who uses that stretch of road fairly often and acknowledge it's a bit sketchy.  This is the dumbest fucking idea and it's going to back traffic up into Lamar, way up into Barton Hills, and well back into Zilker.  Just ridiculously stupid.

I venture there every once in a while for dining, but will likely avoid it after that bullshit.  I'm kicking myself for voting in favor of Adler's mobility bond a few years ago.  What a piece of shit mayor he turned out to be.

[Deej 77852]

14 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I'm kicking myself for voting in favor of Adler's mobility bond

[BabaYaga 15629]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

What the fuck is going on with the re-striping of roads, where the center lines are now jutting left and right for no apparent reason?  I'm specifically talking about North Loop and Bull Creek Road, for those who live in the area.  Why now do we have a short veer to the right every so often on these roads? 

Get rid of all road lines and let's fucking party!

[BabaYaga 15629]

1 hour ago, Steel Shank said:

"Improvements" to Barton Springs Road.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/barton-springs-road-1-year-safety-pilot-slated-for-late-fall-launch/

Scratch this BS idea and use a portion to buy all the cyclists fuks Pelatons and get them off the roads.  

[Orange&White 5573]

34 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I venture there every once in a while for dining, but will likely avoid it after that bullshit.  I'm kicking myself for voting in favor of Adler's mobility bond a few years ago.  What a piece of shit mayor he turned out to be.

What do you mean? The $50M to repair/replace the Redbud bridge, that still hasn't begun, isn't helping you in your day-to-day life?

Edited August 23, 2023 by Orange&White

[gsoda3 3362]

10 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

Teacher’s Retirement is more than enough to live off of, why the fuck would they pay social security?????

paying into both TRS and SS is one of AISD's best recruiting tools.  TRS is definitively NOT enough to live on.  they pay something like 70% of the average of your five highest earning years.  up until this year the top of the payscale for a 40 year tenured teacher was like $70,000 and that's being generous.  there's an entire industry devoted to selling alternative retirement vehicles to educators in order to boost post-retirement income.  

[PvilleStang 2997]

10 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

What the ever living fuck. Teacher’s Retirement is more than enough to live off of, why the fuck would they pay social security?????

and yes one of the “proposals” for splitting up AISD into the other 9 local ISDs that border it which sounds like a fuck you Austin plan at first glance but actually might help spread some of the wealth and reduce the recapture total for the area while providing better facilities for the kids.

Based on who proposed this plan I wouldn’t trust it at face value but I’d be curious to see debate on its merits.

Consider TRS is basing your retirement on a percentage of your highest 5 years, and usually it's a low percentage unless you work well past your minimum retirement age.  You retire, and have ZERO additional income if you don't contribute to SS or a 401K, which is difficult when you're earning enough to live paycheck to paycheck as a teacher.  SS is a good way to ensure they fill the gap between 70% of their income from the pension and their necessary income during retirement.

 

You really want to feel how crappy it is, look at TRS's tiers (https://www.trs.texas.gov/TRS Documents/benefits-tier-guide.pdf).  It's a slap in the face, because a generation ago gets a lot more benefits than today's generation.  Same problem with ERS.  Watching people in their early 50s retire with full benefits all the while knowing since you joined 20 years later, you'll be working at least to 63, if not 68, to enjoy 90% of what they're getting a decade earlier.

[texasdago 7771]

1 hour ago, Steel Shank said:

"Improvements" to Barton Springs Road.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/barton-springs-road-1-year-safety-pilot-slated-for-late-fall-launch/

I hate this idea... terrible.  Not to mention the I-35 construction is going to completely hose some of the parkland along Town Lake.  But hey, at least I-35 will be more like Houston.  

[Armybrat 41420]

2 hours ago, Orange&White said:

Maybe I am missing the satire, but teachers retirement is definitely not "more than enough to live off of". 

My mother taught in different school districts for 23 years and her monthly retirement check from TRS is like $2200.

She’s receiving $500/month more than I do.

[Armybrat 41420]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

Oddly enough, I haven't heard a peep from the cycling Nazi's during this Hell on Earth summer on how we should all bike everywhere. Good thing we got rid of car lanes so that the bike lanes can be empty.

Especially along Shoal Creek, not to mention the virtually unused multimillion dollar bike bridges along north & south MoPac.

[Armybrat 41420]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I venture there every once in a while for dining, but will likely avoid it after that bullshit.  I'm kicking myself for voting in favor of Adler's mobility bond a few years ago.  What a piece of shit mayor he turned out to be.

Wonder how many millions that grifter & his wife skimmed (and continue to) off from the sucker taxpayers?

[Armybrat 41420]

11 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I hate this idea... terrible.  Not to mention the I-35 construction is going to completely hose some of the parkland along Town Lake.  But hey, at least I-35 will be more like Houston.  

Fewer places for the Rainey Street drunks to “accidentally drown”.

[YGIFS 19458]

^
I saw a guy on that earlier this week at about 3:30p.  I almost veered off the road, I couldn't fucking believe it.  And he was on a mountain bike on the stretch with the most asphalt paving underneath him.  Ambient temp had to be pushing 120-130.  I'm curious if they're gonna extend that back on South MoPac from the Greenbelt to Barton Skyway where they're doing that additional on/off lane.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

14 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

She’s receiving $500/month more than I do.

like a boss!

[Wally Pryor 5410]

11 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Not to mention the virtually unused multimillion dollar bike bridges along north & south MoPac.

The best part of the artist's rendering for the bridge going over Barton Creek was the people in business attire presumably walking downtown for a meeting. The rendering that was never circulated showed them passed out and dead just 10% into their destination. 

High comedy. 

[Guest]

Is this the thread where we can still bitch about Adler? Fucking "transformative" mobility bonds. Project Connect. Dumb, expensive, pie in the sky stuff that sounds good but NEVER turns out how it is sold. 

There's no doubt that he left Austin in worst shape than when he found it.

[Armybrat 41420]

Seriously though, I do draw SS too, but that’s less than the TRS “largess”.

Mrs. Brat is a double-dipper also with her ERS and SS.

Luckily we have other sources of income, or else we’d be cutting it close…..what with the inflation.

[utee94 16091]

5 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Is this the thread where we can still bitch about Adler? Fucking "transformative" mobility bonds. Project Connect. Dumb, expensive, pie in the sky stuff that sounds good but NEVER turns out how it is sold. 

There's no doubt that he left Austin in worst shape than when he found it.

I don't think he ever intended to do anything for Austin, other than line his own pockets and those of his cronies.  So from that perspective, he did a fantastic job.  

Austin has had a lot of dumb mayors and council members, and Austin has had a lot of incompetent mayors and council members, and Austin has even had a handful of opportunistic mayors and council members.  But Adler is the first one I really felt was a true crook, the fabled kind of criminal politician that cities like Chicago and New York have been known for over the years.  I guess our little Austin is finally growing up.

 

 

[YGIFS 19458]

6 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

The best part of the artist's rendering for the bridge going over Barton Creek was the people in business attire presumably walking downtown for a meeting. The rendering that was never circulated showed them passed out and dead just 10% into their destination. 

High comedy. 

It was likely you that I was posting with about 1-2 years back.  I had seen those renderings all blown up at some meeting (either city hall or something near our neighborhood as part of some bullshit 'community input' meeting in my area).  And I audibly laughed to the chagrin of some staffers by me at the idiocy of the idea that anybody would use that thing to commute anywhere other than maybe a handful of tech workers who had showers at work at those nice office buildings where V&E used to be or maybe farther down towards Spyglass.  But otherwise, everybody on that bridge rendering was a lie and just waiting to burst into flames.  They said, with straight faces, "It'll allow not just  for commuting, exercise, and recreating but even a great place for our four legged Austin residents to stroll."  If an owner took their dog on that burning oven, paw-charring, over-budget shitshow from Best Buy to Barton Skyway on a "walk", the dog would eat the owner's face and dick off and I would see to it the dog became the next Mayor of Austin.  

5 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Is this the thread where we can still bitch about Adler? Fucking "transformative" mobility bonds. Project Connect. Dumb, expensive, pie in the sky stuff that sounds good but NEVER turns out how it is sold. 

There's no doubt that he left Austin in worst shape than when he found it.

He was truly an underappreciated confidence man.  I could rehash a dozen issues I had with his staff.  But a fun one that doesn't get talked about at all was the Vision Zero for the no dead pedestrians.  A good thing.  Then he goes and quietly starts that dark skies program where we shut off lots of city lights at night to decrease light pollution.  The best part is the Dark Skies guy and Vision Zero woman worked next door to each other and there's no CoA record of them ever meeting to discuss the inherently fucked up contradiction in their two missions.  

5 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Seriously though, I do draw SS too, but that’s less than the TRS “largess”.

Mrs. Brat is a double-dipper also with her ERS and SS.

Luckily we have other sources of income, or else we’d be cutting it close…..what with the inflation.

That is doubling amazing when I consider that you retired before SS was even invented.  Kudos for working the system, sir!  

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

27 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

The best part of the artist's rendering for the bridge going over Barton Creek was the people in business attire presumably walking downtown for a meeting. The rendering that was never circulated showed them passed out and dead just 10% into their destination. 

High comedy. 

Those "activation" renderings are always hilarious. The only projects that I can think of where real life ended up matching the art since I've been paying attention are the renderings from the Mueller Design Book and the redevelopment of 2nd street. Virtually everything else has been wishful thinking.  

Edited August 23, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Brisketexan 106948]

Just now, Bozo_Casanova said:

Those "activation" renderings are always hilarious. The only projects that I can think of where real life delivered the concept since I've been paying attention are the renderings from the Mueller Design Book in 90's and the redevelopment of 2nd street. Virtually everything else has been wishful thinking.  

We need an "activation" rendering of all of these showing multicolored shitty tents where all the new homeless camps will be set up around new bridges and such, for reality's sake.

Also, more drawings of hot babes in yoga pants jogging by.  In exceptional detail.  For science.

[YGIFS 19458]

Yeah, the 2nd street project came out pretty damn close to the "sold" design.  And somehow still moves traffic through while looking really nice at the holidays.  

I told the SaveAustinNow PAC that get one intern with some modicum of intelligence to go pull renderings from say a dozen recent CoA projects and post that picture next to what that area looks like now (this was 2+ years a go) with all the filth and encampments.  And that visual aid will put your vote over the top much quicker and cheaper  than your weekly media appearances and rambling newsletters.  But I get it, they like to be on TV.  But we gotta start doing those with the next convoluted bond or transporation project.  Go out and photograph Barton Springs Road right now while we can with 4 lanes of traffic and decent sidewalks coexisting.  When those bike lines go live, take a picture of traffic backed up from MoPac to South Congress, people just idling and burning fuel like a mother fucker and then one dude cruising by on a Schwinn, stopping every 90 feet to chug gatorade to keep from dying.  Carbon Footprint saved?  None, especially when you take into account the energy needed to bury that poor fucker.

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

9 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We need an "activation" rendering of all of these showing multicolored shitty tents where all the new homeless camps will be set up around new bridges and such, for reality's sake.

Also, more drawings of hot babes in yoga pants jogging by.  In exceptional detail.  For science.

I was in a meeting one time about this. My proposal was that planners submitting plans to the city should be encouraged to incorporate design language elements inspired by  Heavy Metal Magazine and the work of HR Giger, but this suggestion was not well received. 

[utee94 16091]

4 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

None, especially when you take into account the energy needed to bury that poor fucker.

Well, at least we've got that part taken care of.  The Rainey Street Drowner will just throw the body in Town Lake.  No burial required.

Edited August 23, 2023 by utee94

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

8 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

And somehow still moves traffic through while looking really nice at the holidays.

No somehow about it. More lanes in a given area don't necessarily move local traffic better. They usually make things worse. See also Katy Freeway 2023, and I-35 in 2033.

Austin's traffic problem is mainly the result of our street grid being so fragile (by design), not a lack of lanes. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[YGIFS 19458]

7 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Well, at least we've got that part taken care of.  The Rainey Street Drowner will just throw the body in Town Lake.  No burial required.

I picture Nicole down at the end of Rainey some nights, patting herself on the back about being so green over a nice Pinot Grigio.  Like a female, cuter version of Rodney in "Caddyshack."     "Ah, cemeteries biggest wastes of prime real estate.  People don't wanna be buried these days, it's all about ecology.  Dump 'em in the river!"  As Wang looks at her and says, "You have the weirdest eulogies" as they both kick the body into Town Lake.  

[Brisketexan 106948]

11 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

I picture Nicole down at the end of Rainey some nights, patting herself on the back about being so green over a nice Pinot Grigio.  Like a female, cuter version of Rodney in "Caddyshack."     "Ah, cemeteries biggest wastes of prime real estate.  People don't wanna be buried these days, it's all about ecology.  Dump 'em in the river!"  As Wang looks at her and says, "You have the weirdest eulogies" as they both kick the body into Town Lake.  

Is Wang still jewish in this scenario?

This is important.

[Armybrat 41420]

39 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Those "activation" renderings are always hilarious. The only projects that I can think of where real life ended up matching the art since I've been paying attention are the renderings from the Mueller Design Book and the redevelopment of 2nd street. Virtually everything else has been wishful thinking.  

Does Billy Looch moonlight as a rendering artist besides his TexAg gig?

[sasquatch69 626]

I've spent way more of my life in the DFW area than Austin, and I really do wonder:  Why can't Austin seem to get transportation/mobility issues right, ever?

Dallas is far from perfect, but we have a decent light rail network (it's had some post-COVID issues but they've recommitted $$$ in the past month to go towards security and operational improvement), and we're getting a new line from North Dallas/Plano/Richardson to D/FW Airport which will be a boon for those of us that live up here and travel.  And even moreso, the hike-bike trail network they've built in East and Central Dallas is actually useful.  I can ride from home all the way around White Rock Lake, or to downtown/Uptown, with very little surface-street riding. 

So what is it that keeps Austin from being able to get even the basics right?

[Shaggybevo 353]

3 hours ago, South Austin said:

What the fuck is going on with the re-striping of roads, where the center lines are now jutting left and right for no apparent reason?  I'm specifically talking about North Loop and Bull Creek Road, for those who live in the area.  Why now do we have a short veer to the right every so often on these roads? 

 

City of Austin is adding sidewalks on both sides of the street and adding dedicated bicycle lanes to Bull Creek Road between 45th and North Loop.  Street parking will be removed on one side of the street to make room.  Homeowners will also be giving up some of their front yards adjacent to the street.  The work is being funded by the 2016 Mobility Bond that was approved by voters.  Mobility will be improved for walkers and cyclists. Construction has started. 

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2ea053bb2794484880f485b0775b1186

My guess is that the roads were temporarily re-striped to give construction crews some elbow room to work.

Unsure why the center lines are jutting out like that - maybe as a "traffic calming" scheme during construction?

[YGIFS 19458]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Is Wang still jewish in this scenario?

This is important.

Oh, yeah.  Orthodox.  Old school.  

 

I don't why I found it so amusing last week when they said there's been another delay/cost overrun in one of the first sets of tracks for the new light rail, obviously.  But they are pleased to announce the little Zilker train is set to start "service" at the holidays.  But they didn't say which year.

[Armybrat 41420]

20 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

I picture Nicole down at the end of Rainey some nights, patting herself on the back about being so green over a nice Pinot Grigio.  Like a female, cuter version of Rodney in "Caddyshack."     "Ah, cemeteries biggest wastes of prime real estate.  People don't wanna be buried these days, it's all about ecology.  Dump 'em in the river!"  As Wang looks at her and says, "You have the weirdest eulogies" as they both kick the body into Town Lake.  

My son scattered his wife’s ashes in Town Lake near SRV’s statue 9 years ago (the spot where they first met 15 years before) in front of a gathering of family & friends.
Quite an emotional moment, but I stifled a laugh when a big off-leash yellow Lab came along, jumped in the water and strolled right through the middle of the ashes which had not dispersed yet. 
Then I thought what she would think about her ashes being mixed with tons of bat shit as she drifted downstream under the Congress Avenue bridge.

smh

[Armybrat 41420]

16 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

I've spent way more of my life in the DFW area than Austin, and I really do wonder:  Why can't Austin seem to get transportation/mobility issues right, ever?

Dallas is far from perfect, but we have a decent light rail network (it's had some post-COVID issues but they've recommitted $$$ in the past month to go towards security and operational improvement), and we're getting a new line from North Dallas/Plano/Richardson to D/FW Airport which will be a boon for those of us that live up here and travel.  And even moreso, the hike-bike trail network they've built in East and Central Dallas is actually useful.  I can ride from home all the way around White Rock Lake, or to downtown/Uptown, with very little surface-street riding. 

So what is it that keeps Austin from being able to get even the basics right?

Austin voters.

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

19 minutes ago, sasquatch69 said:

I've spent way more of my life in the DFW area than Austin, and I really do wonder:  Why can't Austin seem to get transportation/mobility issues right, ever?

Dallas is far from perfect, but we have a decent light rail network (it's had some post-COVID issues but they've recommitted $$$ in the past month to go towards security and operational improvement), and we're getting a new line from North Dallas/Plano/Richardson to D/FW Airport which will be a boon for those of us that live up here and travel.  And even moreso, the hike-bike trail network they've built in East and Central Dallas is actually useful.  I can ride from home all the way around White Rock Lake, or to downtown/Uptown, with very little surface-street riding. 

So what is it that keeps Austin from being able to get even the basics right?

Two main issues:
The lesser issue: The very red state gov is headquartered in a very blue city and the good old boy network isn't what it used to be, so deals don't get cut here that do elsewhere. 
The greater issue: The voters. Dallas, for all of its flaws, is a city defined by stivers and striving. Austin is not that. Nowhere close. A close friend of mine who is close to the levers of power has a great line he uses that when people hear "Keep Austin Weird" they think the operative word is "weird," but it's not. The operative word is "keep."
Austin's best days are behind it, in the opinion of most people in the city who matter. They fundamentally think Austin used to be better and can never be as good as it used to be. They don't want it to change anymore than it has, and they certainly don't want to spend any money on adapting to a world they didn't ask for. The new is treated with suspicion and striving for greatness is perceived as nothing less than a vice.  The most motivated voters in our city are not anywhere near a majority anymore, but until two election cycles ago were a controlling coalition motivated by a combination of cynicism, hostility to the future and frugality.  That coalition has been vanquished as of this last election and the new dominant coalition is younger, smarter, more practical and less burdened by toxic nostalgia, but I'm afraid it's too late to matter. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[Armybrat 41420]

5 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

Oh, yeah.  Orthodox.  Old school.  

 

I don't why I found it so amusing last week when they said there's been another delay/cost overrun in one of the first sets of tracks for the new light rail, obviously.  But they are pleased to announce the little Zilker train is set to start "service" at the holidays.  But they didn't say which decade.

Fify

[PvilleStang 2997]

10 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

the new dominant coalition is younger, smarter, more practical and less burdened by toxic nostalgia, but I'm afraid it's too late to matter. 

The new coalition includes the likes of Cam Girl Faith and Greg Casar 2.0.  City Council cares more about the 5,000 homeless than it cares about all tax-paying Austinites.  We're spending more money on homeless services, culture centers, public transit and DEI initiatives and completely tossing the side the bare minimums of what a city government needs to operate (policing, maintenance, 911 call centers, water, electric, etc).  

[Bozo_Casanova 26869]

4 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

The new coalition includes the likes of Cam Girl Faith and Greg Casar 2.0.  City Council cares more about the 5,000 homeless than it cares about all tax-paying Austinites.  We're spending more money on homeless services, culture centers, public transit and DEI initiatives and completely tossing the side the bare minimums of what a city government needs to operate (policing, maintenance, 911 call centers, water, electric, etc).  

See the problem with what you wrote there is that it's all bullshit. For example the police just got their largest budget allotment ever, just like in 2022 and 2021, and so on. And speaking as someone who has personal first hand experience with homeless people in Austin I can tell you this from my own personal experience. Outside of the people who directly work on the issue, nobody gives a fuck in this town. 
DEI? Are you serious? Go back to your Todd and Oz and hide in the suburbs, chief. 

Edited August 23, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[South Austin 53231]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Is Wang still jewish in this scenario?

This is important.