Austin City Government - Circus of the Insane

[Pasken 1309]

 

15 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

What would Adler do with this power?

Would the City Council be able to overrule the mayor?

What if (remote possibility) Fitlump gets on the City Council?

 

Or what if she is our first strong mayor and runs the austin city government? 

[demos 3002]

Guess they're planning on one returning downtown to work:

https://www.statesman.com/news/20200914/pandemic-inspired-bike-lanes-on-congress-ave-to-be-made-permanent

[bschoolprof 6252]

Never let an opportunity to add more bike lanes go to waste. 

[destroya 375]

What a fuck ass shit show of a council. Let’s pander to every fucking constituency at the expense of running a functioning city. 

[B00M 6414]

1 hour ago, destroya said:

What a fuck ass shit show of a council. Let’s pander to every fucking constituency at the expense of running a functioning city. 

The homeless, drug addicts, and bicyclists are every constituency?

[destroya 375]

As a cyclist who uses drugs and is housing challenged my indignation is righteous 

[Deej 76756]

4 hours ago, demos said:

Guess they're planning on one returning downtown to work:

https://www.statesman.com/news/20200914/pandemic-inspired-bike-lanes-on-congress-ave-to-be-made-permanent

They need to ticket every fucking cyclist that doesn’t use them, which from my experience downtown these past few months is a good number of them.

[demos 3002]

What fucking bike traffic congestion?

[Wally Pryor 5261]

The same congestion you see on the Mopac and 360 bridge bikeway - the one that cost $15MM, the one that 8 people use per day,  the one the city tried to convince was a much-desired gateway to downtown.    So much so that they had these lame brain depictions of people in business suits walking across Barton Creek, I'm guessing in the middle of July, headed for that important meeting downtown, 10 miles and a heat stroke away.  

Lunatics. 

 

 

[Guest Lobo]

Earlier last Spring, I did see two bikes waiting at the same intersection to cross downtown.  So this seems logical.  

I mean, since almost no diagonal parking occurs anymore on Congress Avenue, it would have made zero sense to just close off one set of those (either the NB or SB side) and turn that set of parking spaces into a two-way bike lane, preserving the 3rd lanes of Congress Avenue.  Wait until Covid-19 is over and we return back to normal downtown traffic and everybody has to wait behind both left hand and right hand turners.  This is going to the epic fail of epic fails.  

[BrazilHorn 6586]

43 minutes ago, demos said:

What fucking bike traffic congestion?

There are no bikes but there were at one point a fuck ton of dipshits on Bird/Lime scooters. If this gets those fuckers out of the road then ok.

Better to call these "Homeless drunken stumbling buffer zones" vs bike lanes. Adding 3-5 feet so a drunken/drugged out homeless person can fall off sidewalk onto the street is actually probably a higher demand on Congress than bike lanes. Maybe we could pad these stumbling buffer zones so when people fall off sidewalk they avoid injury. The $ spent on cushions is offset by reduced ambulance roll-outs.

[dcar00 14159]

41 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Earlier last Spring, I did see two bikes waiting at the same intersection to cross downtown.  So this seems logical.  

I mean, since almost no diagonal parking occurs anymore on Congress Avenue, it would have made zero sense to just close off one set of those (either the NB or SB side) and turn that set of parking spaces into a two-way bike lane, preserving the 3rd lanes of Congress Avenue.  Wait until Covid-19 is over and we return back to normal downtown traffic and everybody has to wait behind both left hand and right hand turners.  This is going to the epic fail of epic fails.  

what return to normal DT traffic?  haven't you bought your bike yet, you slave to the infernal internal combustion engine?

 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

I get a few thousand $.   But $1.3MM, in print toner.     Holy shit.

 

A former Austin Public Library employee is facing a pending criminal case after authorities alleged that he fraudulently bought and stole at least $1.3 million in printer toner and resold it online.

Randall Nelson Whited is charged with theft, a first-degree felony because the amount he allegedly took is more than $200,000. A background search shows Whited, who turns 54 this month, has been arrested multiple times on theft charges dating back to the mid 1980s.

“We are looking into the allegations and we will be working with the district attorney’s office to resolve the matter,” Whited’s attorney, Bill Hines, said.

The theft was uncovered by the city’s auditor office, which determined Whited also misused a library credit card to buy electronics and home goods. The findings were referred to the Austin Police Department.

The auditor’s office released a report Monday morning stating that poor oversight from library management allowed the stealing to go unnoticed.

“The library’s poor practices and procedures provided an opportunity for Whited to steal from the city during his tenure, leading to waste and overspending by the department,” according to the report. “Whited took advantage of poor purchasing reviews by his supervisors, former Financial Manager Victoria Rieger and Contract Management Specialist Monica McClure. Whited also took advantage of several other purchasing and budget-related shortcomings, such as having a role in the approval of his own purchases and insufficient oversight of the Library’s budget by Rieger and Assistant Director Dana McBee.”

As an accounting associate, Whited was responsible for making and approving purchases, cash receipts, billing, and other accounting transactions, the report states.

Whited resigned in lieu of termination in August 2019 for an unrelated issue, the auditor’s office said.

Because of previous theft convictions, the court could treat Whited as a habitual offender and increase his minimum sentence to 25 years in prison.

[Hornius Emeritus 12454]

This is not a good look. At the same time Adler was stressing that residents need to stay at home for Thanksgiving, he and his family were actually vacationing in Cabo.

Austin mayor stressed residents ‘need to stay home.’ He was vacationing in Cabo at the time - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX

[Bozo_Casanova 26438]

42 minutes ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

This is not a good look. At the same time Adler was stressing that residents need to stay at home for Thanksgiving, he and his family were actually vacationing in Cabo.

Austin mayor stressed residents ‘need to stay home.’ He was vacationing in Cabo at the time - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX

It's an extremely, extremely bad look. I'm just glad he did it after Prop A passed. 

[HRSchenker 2268]

2 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

This is not a good look. At the same time Adler was stressing that residents need to stay at home for Thanksgiving, he and his family were actually vacationing in Cabo.

Austin mayor stressed residents ‘need to stay home.’ He was vacationing in Cabo at the time - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX

Jesus. This is worse than Clay Jenkins and his antics 

[Guest Lobo]

Shhhhhhiiiiiiiit.  
 

would it honestly surprise Austinites if Adler earmarked a few million to dredge town lake for a new cargo pier?

[Deej 76756]

Most Austinites now:

"What's Town Lake?"

[Armybrat 40826]

2 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

This is not a good look. At the same time Adler was stressing that residents need to stay at home for Thanksgiving, he and his family were actually vacationing in Cabo.

Austin mayor stressed residents ‘need to stay home.’ He was vacationing in Cabo at the time - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX

Fuck that elitist hypocrite and the private jet plane he flew in on.

 

 

 

[BradInATX 9208]

Yep. Adler just made the list.

[Incredulity 11659]

On 9/14/2020 at 9:01 PM, B00M said:

The homeless, drug addicts, and bicyclists are every constituency?

When virtue signaling is your constituency, yes it is.

[CHEF DIESEL 126]

It really highlights the fact that the pandemic really isn't a problem for those who can afford to buy their way around it.

[Shaggybevo 353]

"Let them eat cake!"

[DalTxHornFan 3098]

13 minutes ago, CHEF DIESEL said:

It really highlights the fact that the pandemic really isn't a problem for those who can afford to buy their way around it.

FIFY

[Shaggybevo 353]

The election is over so the narrative has changed.

Fauci said over the weekend to open the schools. Because apparently the science has changed.

[Wally Pryor 5261]

So the wet rag Adler is also an unbridled hypocrite.

Shocked, I am.   Just shocked.

 

[B00M 6414]

2 hours ago, Shaggybevo said:

The election is over so the narrative has changed.

Fauci said over the weekend to open the schools. Because apparently the science has changed.
 

Well.. Yeah? There were signs early on from sweden, china, etc, that kids didn't get it. Did you trust that in April and May? Now we have our own data confirming that, along with a legit hypothesis why.

NYC pulled its head out its ass and reopened no-risk elementary schools. Middle and high schools present some risk for spread so it makes (some) sense to remote learn them.

Edited December 3, 2020 by B00M

[Texas Jeff 1945]

6 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

This is not a good look. At the same time Adler was stressing that residents need to stay at home for Thanksgiving, he and his family were actually vacationing in Cabo.

Austin mayor stressed residents ‘need to stay home.’ He was vacationing in Cabo at the time - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX

Cabo Steve.

Dude held an outdoor wedding for 20 people at a time when gatherings were supposed to be limited to 10, breaking an order he signed.

[Cajun 11705]

But he said he was sorry!

[Armybrat 40826]

Don’t forget the on camera disappearing straw incident right after he canceled SXSW.

Eat your shitcake and stfu.

Edited December 3, 2020 by Armybrat

[Wally Pryor 5261]

At least Adler was smart enough to ditch the mariachi band, sombrero and on-the-rocks with salt before he instructed us on camera to be good boys and girls. 

I assume he was smart enough not to hit the taxpayers for the private jet expense but who knows.  

Fucking rag. 

[Guest Lobo]

That "Journalist" really missed the point of the story.  Yes, Adler is full of shit as usual.  But that Statesman Tony guy/gal needs to look into who's plane that is.  Adler made some money before he became mayor but not 10-person private jet kinda money.  Check the tail number on that bird and Mr. Mayor's life becomes increasingly more difficult.  

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

He was probably on business, I think there was a funeral directors convention in Cabo about that time.

[Shaggy3.0 1695]

52 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Don’t forget the on camera disappearing straw incident right after he canceled SXSW.

Eat your shitcake and stfu.

Yep.  This fucking guy.

 

Tar and feather time.

 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

Plohetski is a good journalist.  The only one at the Statesman.   Among other things he was all over the Austin bomber story. 

I'd be surprised if he didn't go down the above path. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26438]

24 minutes ago, Lobo said:

That "Journalist" really missed the point of the story.  Yes, Adler is full of shit as usual.  But that Statesman Tony guy/gal needs to look into who's plane that is.  Adler made some money before he became mayor but not 10-person private jet kinda money.  Check the tail number on that bird and Mr. Mayor's life becomes increasingly more difficult.  

False. False false false. Adler is RICH. And the way he got rich is a big part of why he's mayor. Not saying it's his jet, but he could certainly afford to charter or do a fractional. And he has all the rich friends as well. 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Bozo_Casanova

[ChickenSandwich 9829]

13 hours ago, Shaggybevo said:

"Let them ice cream!"

 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

16 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

I'm just glad he did it after Prop A passed. 

Pretty sure the wet rag, now wet rage hypocrite, could have taken a trip around the world the week of the election and the choo choo would have passed with flying colors.    Once that ballot language was written the die was cast. 

[Armybrat 40826]

If he could run for mayor again, he’d still be reelected in a landslide. The Austin voters really are that stupid.

[Guest Lobo]

18 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

False. False false false. Adler is RICH. And the way he got rich is a big part of why he's mayor. Not saying it's his jet, but he could certainly afford to charter or do a fractional. And he has all the rich friends as well. 

It wasn't a rich friend's plane.  He admitted it was mostly family members.  I know he has money from before he was mayor, I said so in my fucking post.  He could do a charter.  But the tail number is someone he's close to that he wouldn't like it being known lent him the plane free of charge.  I threw Tony at the Statesman a bone this morning about the tail number.  I wanna see if he runs with the story.  

[atomheartbevo 89630]

Surly: What’s posted here, is mostly ignored by the world.   

[Bozo_Casanova 26438]

13 minutes ago, Lobo said:

It wasn't a rich friend's plane.  He admitted it was mostly family members.  I know he has money from before he was mayor, I said so in my fucking post.  He could do a charter.  But the tail number is someone he's close to that he wouldn't like it being known lent him the plane free of charge.  I threw Tony at the Statesman a bone this morning about the tail number.  I wanna see if he runs with the story.  

Look, I'm not trying to be combative, but people need to understand that Steve Adler is part of the social-industrial complex of rich people in Austin. He's not a billionaire or anywhere close, but he's half of a power couple, and the combination of their business and personal relationships, combined with his work as an eminent domain attorney, Senate staffer, and their very prominent philanthropy is how he got to be where he is. 

I keep coming back to the same basic theme on this thread because people don't seem to want to believe their eyes. Politics in Austin are broken, but not because of occult conspiracies. Everything that's happening is right there in the open for everyone to see. 

And by the way, I have no idea whose plane it was, but I guarantee you I wouldn't be surprised by any name.  Rich people loan each other their planes. Who was it?

Edited December 3, 2020 by Bozo_Casanova

[Guest Lobo]

I agree. I'd like it to come to light which Austin business community member lent him that aircraft/pilot/fuel for both the down and back legs.  That's all.  We're all just tired of his shit, this is far from biggest fraud.  He's corrupted what could have actually been a progressive and helpful city council for 6 years now. 

[CooterBrown 18004]

Are past flights on flightaware? Should be easy to narrow down the plane with the destination and date.

[Guest Lobo]

yeah, kinda disappointed the journalist didn't do that.  Or if he did, he chose to leave off the plane ownership information.  I'm guessing he knew he didn't want to drag that other person's name into the article because it would bury the lead which was "adler and family hosting big wedding and partying down in Cabo during increased restrictions on his orders."  However, this now gives time for that "friend" of Adler to dress up the gift of the plane as a "hourly lease" and paper up the lack of payment.  

[Bozo_Casanova 26438]

6 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

Are past flights on flightaware? Should be easy to narrow down the plane with the destination and date.

I'm sure past flights are available somewhere. Presumably it flew from Austin to Cabo on 11/8. So, that would be either EDC or AUS to MMSL. 

[ChickenSandwich 9829]

32 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

If he could run for mayor again, he’d still be reelected in a landslide. The Austin voters really are that stupid.

Price of elite guilt. The Austin voters have already been forced from Travis county. 

[Cajun 11705]

And, yet, there ole Steve is, in the Mayor's seat.

Voted in again.

Well done Austin!

[ChickenSandwich 9829]

On 9/22/2020 at 2:56 PM, Wally Pryor said:

The same congestion you see on the Mopac and 360 bridge bikeway - the one that cost $15MM, the one that 8 people use per day,  the one the city tried to convince was a much-desired gateway to downtown.    So much so that they had these lame brain depictions of people in business suits walking across Barton Creek, I'm guessing in the middle of July, headed for that important meeting downtown, 10 miles and a heat stroke away.  

Lunatics. 

 

 

https://www.statesman.com/news/20170627/wear-barton-creek-bike-bridge-built-but-few-coming-so-far

I tweeted out just after sunrise Friday that I was hanging out at the new Barton Creek bike bridge in Southwest Austin to see how many cyclists and others might be using the $14.5 million edifice. I noted that in the half-hour or so I was there, I had seen one commuting cyclist cross the 1,045-foot span over the creek gorge.

But here’s the deal: In three hours hanging out at the bridge from 6:15 to 9:15 a.m., in balmy mid-70s temperatures with a refreshing breeze, I saw just eight northbound commuters on bikes and one guy headed south to work (he said). I also saw three people on bikes just out for exercise, as they yelled back when I asked. And John Baxendale.

Baxendale, an administrator in the University of Texas chemistry department, commutes 25 miles from Lakeway by bike most days (I kid you not) and had gone miles out of his way just to take a gander at the new bridge. So he doesn’t count as a Southwest Austin cyclist for whom the bridge (and its shorter mates spanning Loop 360 about a half-mile to the north) might be a commute solution. More of a bike tourist, as it were.

“I just wanted to check it out,” he told me, having heard for 20 years that the project was in the works and then, over a five-year period, under construction. He noted that cycling outside of Central Austin on busy suburban streets is “about half leap of faith, half denial.” Then he got back on his bike and returned to the fray.

Just for the record, I also saw six walkers, two joggers, two small dogs and, jarringly, a pickup and a front-end loader creeping across the 14-foot-wide bridge. Crews are still doing some punch list stuff on the bridge.

The point is, I saw on average one commuting cyclist every 20 minutes, or three per hour. Even if that number was off by a factor of 10 because of the heat and the other factors, that would mean all that money was spent to help about 100 people. You have to ask: Was it worth it?

Of fucking course not. 

Edited December 3, 2020 by ChickenSandwich

[Cajun 11705]

39 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

If he could run for mayor again, he’d still be reelected in a landslide. The Austin voters really are that stupid.

Yep.

And we are all told how "smart" they are.

Nope.  No smarter than the people of Orleans Parish.