Austin Homeless Free for All Ordinance

[crash_davis 23113]

if you hate trump, then you are a commie god hating liberal.  if you hate the homeless, then you are a heartless, selfish nazi republican.  

the middle used to be a reality, a benchmark for compromise, a mark of progress.

the middle now is weakness and delusion.  it's the extreme or nothing, certainly no compromise.  working together is no longer an aim, it's to be avoided.

this is why nothing will happen on homelessness in austin.  this is why nothing will be resolved at the national level on anything.

 

i am willing to pay to help the homeless, to a limit.  i am not willing to have an unending open check book to pay $28,000/year per homeless person to house them.  you want me to pay for a $8M homeless shelter to sleep about 100 homeless, then drive those motherfuckers off the streets and quit letting them have free reign over the city, shitting, pissing, and passing out everywhere.  stop using city resources to treat fuckers who are doped out of their minds on the streets.  if you want help, then get off drugs.  this will weed those who want to help themselves, which i will gladly pay to support, and those who are leeching from the city and do not want or care to get sober.  fuck the latter and drive their asses out of here.  if they want to OD, then let them.  and have a solution where housing 100 people doesn't cost $8M fucking dollars in capital with another X million per year feeding them.  that is not a viable long term solution.  

Edited August 30, 2019 by crash_davis

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

17 hours ago, phdhorn said:

The Tri Delts usually had great racks but not much upstairs.

That's my wheelhouse

[Armybrat 40850]

2 hours ago, SwanderedTalent said:

Went downtown Wednesday night for the Black Pumas ACL taping. Parked @ City Hall, had dinner @ Lambert's, walked to and from the venue, not a homeless in sight. I was led to believe the Reavers were going to get me the minute I stepped out of my car.

They were cooling off in the Library after a day of curbside revenue acquisition.

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

The sad part is that in aggregate terms we don't actually have a huge homeless population for a city our size. They are just concentrated in problematic locations. Austin's homeless problem is manageable enough if we would manage it in the following ways:

1) House and provide wholistic rehab/services for the permanent homeless population in the model of Community First, and support for families facing hardship and women fleeing violence in the model of what the Salvation Army does. 
2) Change the intake/service policies at the ARCH to discourage loitering by those who are not being serviced at that location (they are already doing that this fall)
3) Ban camping in the CBD or within 1000ft of a shelter, or ~200ft from a bus stop and other high velocity/turnover locations.
4) Move the ARCH away from the current location (perhaps to the Austin State Hospital or State School) to reduce the draw of predators and contact with criminal elements

But, we don't do those things, because our voters are cheap and indifferent to suffering and prefer magic beans and time machines to solutions that require change or understanding. We'd rather criminalize the act of sleeping someplace other than the woods so we can pretend to care.  
The people I feel worse for in all this are honestly the people at Front Steps who work at the ARCH and are now managing an angry public to go with the bullshit they already had to deal with, and the permanent homeless population itself, who are now being harassed and subjected to threats by random angry strangers downtown even more than before. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

2 hours ago, SwanderedTalent said:

Went downtown Wednesday night for the Black Pumas ACL taping. Parked @ City Hall, had dinner @ Lambert's, walked to and from the venue, not a homeless in sight. I was led to believe the Reavers were going to get me the minute I stepped out of my car.

Damn your lying eyes! Tune in to KLBJ-AM for the truth, which is that the homeless are fucking in your car as we speak. 

[Abogado Peligroso 89]

4 hours ago, SwanderedTalent said:

Went downtown Wednesday night for the Black Pumas ACL taping. Parked @ City Hall, had dinner @ Lambert's, walked to and from the venue, not a homeless in sight. I was led to believe the Reavers were going to get me the minute I stepped out of my car.

They are banned from camping at City hall and don’t hang around 2nd street.   They are on Congress, sixth, Brazos and the various shelters just north of 6th.   

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

 And under 35, and along Waller creek between 4th and 7th, just as they were before the camping ban was lifted. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by Bozo_Casanova

[ChickenSandwich 9842]

2 hours ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

The sad part is that in aggregate terms we don't actually have a huge homeless population for a city our size. They are just concentrated in problematic locations. Austin's homeless problem is manageable enough if we would manage it in the following ways:

1) House and provide wholistic rehab/services for the permanent homeless population in the model of Community First, and support for families facing hardship and women fleeing violence in the model of what the Salvation Army does. 
2) Change the intake/service policies at the ARCH to discourage loitering by those who are not being serviced at that location (they are already doing that this fall)
3) Ban camping in the CBD or within 1000ft of a shelter, or ~200ft from a bus stop and other high velocity/turnover locations.
4) Move the ARCH away from the current location (perhaps to the Austin State Hospital or State School) to reduce the draw of predators and contact with criminal elements

But, we don't do those things, because our voters are cheap and indifferent to suffering and prefer magic beans and time machines to solutions that require change or understanding. We'd rather criminalize the act of sleeping someplace other than the woods so we can pretend to care.  
The people I feel worse for in all this are honestly the people at Front Steps who work at the ARCH and are now managing an angry public to go with the bullshit they already had to deal with, and the permanent homeless population itself, who are now being harassed and subjected to threats by random angry strangers downtown even more than before. 

I must have missed the last homeless vote proposed to the public on a budget, housing or possible solutions. 

We did hear on a Friday they paid 10million for 100 beds with great access to panhandling. 

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

I must have missed the last homeless vote proposed to the public on a budget, housing or possible solutions. 
We did hear on a Friday they paid 10million for 100 beds with great access to panhandling. 

You also must have missed the part where people turned out in droves to protest shelter or zoning that would allow anything near anything. Oh wait no you didn’t. You oppose that too.

[ChickenSandwich 9842]

I don’t recall a protest for the Home Depot land at ST Johns. Still zero explanation why they didn’t consider a huge tract of land in a good area for the purpose that was already city owned. 

Call it what it is. A new revenue stream for city officials to get their hands on. Climate change is up next, just look at the job posting. 

Just a way to avoid the public to implement new taxes unchecked. 

[David Dennison 18897]

4 hours ago, crash_davis said:

if you hate trump, then you are a commie god hating liberal.  if you hate the homeless, then you are a heartless, selfish nazi republican.  

the middle used to be a reality, a benchmark for compromise, a mark of progress.

the middle now is weakness and delusion.  it's the extreme or nothing, certainly no compromise.  working together is no longer an aim, it's to be avoided.

this is why nothing will happen on homelessness in austin.  this is why nothing will be resolved at the national level on anything.

 

i am willing to pay to help the homeless, to a limit.  i am not willing to have an unending open check book to pay $28,000/year per homeless person to house them.  you want me to pay for a $8M homeless shelter to sleep about 100 homeless, then drive those motherfuckers off the streets and quit letting them have free reign over the city, shitting, pissing, and passing out everywhere.  stop using city resources to treat fuckers who are doped out of their minds on the streets.  if you want help, then get off drugs.  this will weed those who want to help themselves, which i will gladly pay to support, and those who are leeching from the city and do not want or care to get sober.  fuck the latter and drive their asses out of here.  if they want to OD, then let them.  and have a solution where housing 100 people doesn't cost $8M fucking dollars in capital with another X million per year feeding them.  that is not a viable long term solution.  

And when those ODs wind up in the ER or jail, you're going to pay for it.

You're going to have to pay on the front end or the back end, but you're going to have to pay for it.

[justhookit 4191]

1 hour ago, Abogado Peligroso said:

They are banned from camping at City hall and don’t hang around 2nd street.   They are on Congress, sixth, Brazos and the various shelters just north of 6th.   

Exactly, it’s not actually shocking that he didn’t see any homeless in the whole 1.5 block he walked which has pretty much the fewest homeless in the entire downtown area. The 2nd Street District has never really been a camping area (except for the dude that briefly had his mattress in front of  Violet Crown) but I get asked for change there all the time when walking my dad’s dog down to go poop on the green area in front of city hall. Either the 2nd street tenants are good at running them off or it’s just not a lucrative area to beg. I know The W also runs them out of the area too. So yeah, cross Lavaca on 3rd heading towards Congress and you’ll see plenty. Same going west on 3rd towards Trifecta. But don’t let that stop Bozo from saying it’s the EXACT same as before the new ordinance. It’s not the homeless apocalypse, but it’s for sure worse and anyone denying that has an agenda. Can’t take anything he says seriously.

Edited August 30, 2019 by justhookit

[Wally Pryor 5261]

6 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

I don’t recall a protest for the Home Depot land at ST Johns. Still zero explanation why they didn’t consider a huge tract of land in a good area for the purpose that was already city owned. 

 

And you'll never get that explanation.  If you expect such then I'll then have to ask you how life is on Mars.  Remember that Kitchen, at the June 20 council meeting, said there were "upwards of 100" properties (approx 1/3 city-owned) that were reviewed for the shelter before the Banister location was chosen.  We'll never see any of those locations divulged because that was just a shit # thrown against the wall, with zero ramifications when it didn't stick.  Reminds me so much of the disingenuous snake Steve Patterson and his nauseating playbook.

[Abogado Peligroso 89]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

 And under 35, and along Waller creek between 4th and 7th, just as they were before the camping ban was lifted. 

God you are so disingenuous.  If you can’t admit an immediate change in behavior there is no fucking point debating this with you.   You are completely full of shit and incredibly stupid.   

[Guest Lobo]

They are banned from the one building that is the most public asset in the city of Austin

Edited August 30, 2019 by Lobo

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

I don’t recall a protest for the Home Depot land at ST Johns. Still zero explanation why they didn’t consider a huge tract of land in a good area for the purpose that was already city owned. 
Call it what it is. A new revenue stream for city officials to get their hands on. Climate change is up next, just look at the job posting. 
Just a way to avoid the public to implement new taxes unchecked. 

This is an almost perfect ChickenSandwich post.

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

Exactly, it’s not actually shocking that he didn’t see any homeless in the whole 1.5 block he walked which has pretty much the fewest homeless in the entire downtown area. The 2nd Street District has never really been a camping area (except for the dude that briefly had his mattress in front of  Violet Crown) but I get asked for change there all the time when walking my dad’s dog down to go poop on the green area in front of city hall. Either the 2nd street tenants are good at running them off or it’s just not a lucrative area to beg. I know The W also runs them out of the area too. So yeah, cross Lavaca on 3rd heading towards Congress and you’ll see plenty. Same going west on 3rd towards Trifecta. But don’t let that stop Bozo from saying it’s the EXACT same as before the new ordinance. It’s not the homeless apocalypse, but it’s for sure worse and anyone denying that has an agenda. Can’t take anything he says seriously.

Obviously I’m being paid by the homeless to say these things. You people are the real victims here.

[David Dennison 18897]

1 minute ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Obviously I’m being paid by the homeless.

That makes sense. Everyone knows they make bank at intersections. 

[David Dennison 18897]

6 minutes ago, Abogado Peligroso said:

God you are so disingenuous.  If you can’t admit an immediate change in behavior there is no fucking point debating this with you.   You are completely full of shit and incredibly stupid.   

I just want to know if something can be done about all the dudes with jobs and homes pissing in Waller Creek on gameday, because that shit is out of control.

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

God you are so disingenuous.  If you can’t admit an immediate change in behavior there is no fucking point debating this with you.   You are completely full of shit and incredibly stupid.   

It would hurt my feelings and make me feel sad inside to know that my lack of hysteria has cost me the joy of your repartee.
But to your point- there’s certainly been an immediate change in sleeping behavior/accommodations because people with PTSD aren’t being forced to sleep in the woods anymore, but other wise it’s the same people in the same locations.

[Abogado Peligroso 89]

7 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

It would hurt my feelings and make me feel sad inside to know that my lack of hysteria has cost me the joy of your repartee.
But to your point- there’s certainly been an immediate change in sleeping behavior/accommodations because people with PTSD aren’t being forced to sleep in the woods anymore, but other wise it’s the same people in the same locations.

“Sleeping behavior”.  Fuck that is rich.   For someone who fashions himself a political wonk, you either have no understanding of how public policy incentivizes behavior or you are being intentionally obtuse.   

[Wally Pryor 5261]

11 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

I just want to know if something can be done about all the dudes with jobs and homes pissing in Waller Creek on gameday, because that shit is out of control.

Meh. If you can survive the trip down the hill and then back up it, you deserve the opportunity to seek relief. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Just now, Wally Pryor said:

Meh. If you can survive the trip down the hill and then back up it, you deserve the opportunity to seek relief. 

Besides, who the fuck makes it all the way down to Waller Creek? If you have a pissed somewhere along San Jac Drive or behind one of the trees outside the East Stands, you haven't fully experienced a UT game.

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

9 minutes ago, Abogado Peligroso said:

“Sleeping behavior”.  Fuck that is rich.   For someone who fashions himself a political wonk, you either have no understanding of how public policy incentivizes behavior or you are being intentionally obtuse.   

Now we are getting somewhere. I could be all wet here, because I'm relying on direct observation and what I'm told by people and organizations who work with that population, the police who patrol the area, and people who work specifically at the locations most impacted as outlined above, a group that includes my church and own child. My perspective on impact is formed by observation but I'm convinceable.

What data do you have that correlates a statistically significant increase in population or change in behavior by the permanent homeless population since the camping ban was rescinded? Because what I've heard and seen indicates that other than sleeping in places where mere hanging out was happening before it's the same people in pretty much the same locations. As far as I can tell, some of them just put their shit where you can't ignore it now. 

Edited August 30, 2019 by Bozo_Casanova

[Abogado Peligroso 89]

5 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Now we are getting somewhere. I could be all wet here, because I'm relying on direct observation and what I'm told by people and organizations who work with that population, the police who patrol the area, and people who work specifically at the locations most impacted as outlined above, a group that includes my church and own child. My perspective on impact is formed by observation but I'm convinceable.

What data do you have that correlates a statistically significant increase in population or change in behavior by the permanent homeless population since the camping ban was rescinded? Because what I've heard and seen indicates that other than sleeping in places where mere hanging out was happening before it's the same people in pretty much the same locations. As far as I can tell, some of them just put their shit where you can't ignore it now. 

Patently absurd to give anecdotal evidence and then ask for data.  I hope you didn’t graduate from Texas.  

[Deej 76814]

40 minutes ago, Wally Pryor said:

Reminds me so much of the disingenuous snake Steve Patterson and his nauseating playbook.

It's a six percent blended increase in the homeless population. 

[demos 3003]

It's a six percent blended increase in the homeless population. 

Triggered

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

Patently absurd to give anecdotal evidence and then ask for data.  I hope you didn’t graduate from Texas.  

Oh I freely admit it. Go ahead and destroy me with facts But the burden is on you. Do you have any? Or is this just about your anecdotes? And what are they based on? And what are they?

 

Again, looking for specific differences in population behaviors that you can point to, because you teed up policy incentives.

 

Show your work.

[Godzillatron 292]

I don’t go downtown that much these days, met an out of town associate last night. Parked at 5th and Brazos and had to walk through a block of encamped citizens on the sidewalk to get to where I was going. Got yelled at by said citizens to “get out of my neighborhood!” Apparently the public ROW is no longer public.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Deej 76814]

"Liar. Prove it:" - Bozo.

Edited August 31, 2019 by Deej

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

I don’t go downtown that much these days, met an out of town associate last night. Parked at 5th and Brazos and had to walk through a block of encamped citizens on the sidewalk to get to where I was going. Got yelled at by said citizens to “get out of my neighborhood!” Apparently the public ROW is no longer public.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just wait until they get a neighborhood association so they can bitch about parking and greedy developers.

 

[Hornius Emeritus 12468]

10 hours ago, David Dennison said:

Big opportunity for anti-homeless candidates next year. I look forward to hearing their solutions.

 

There are no solutions.  The current chairman of the Travis County Republican party keeps railing at the City Council on Twitter over this issue. I have asked several times what he would do. So far no response.

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

  There are no solutions.  The current chairman of the Travis County Republican party keeps railing at the City Council on Twitter over this issue. I have asked several times what he would do. So far no response.

 

He has published some and the recommendations are basically a mix of crocodile tears, concern trolling, non sequiturs, magical thinking and pharma grade bullshit.

 

But I disagree with you about solutions, at least for the permanent homeless population and families.

 

Good models and good solutions exist, even right here in Austin (Community First, Salvation Army, Trinity Center, Religious coalition for the homeless, ML&F, and lots of others do good work. Even Front Steps). They aren’t even particularly expensive relative to the carrying costs of the problem.

The fundamental issue is culture: we aren’t San Antonio and unlike San Antonio, people in our city don’t broadly care about people who need help. That the reason we we don’t have shelter capacity. the zoning for shelters simply isn’t available in the right places, because people here don’t want homeless shelters and fight to prevent the zoning required.

 

[David Dennison 18897]

3 hours ago, Godzillatron said:

I don’t go downtown that much these days, met an out of town associate last night. Parked at 5th and Brazos and had to walk through a block of encamped citizens on the sidewalk to get to where I was going. Got yelled at by said citizens to “get out of my neighborhood!” Apparently the public ROW is no longer public.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you mock them?

[atomheartbevo 89686]

14 hours ago, Trey3216 said:

Seems we're adopting the caste system from India  

Pretty much.  Or ye olde serf/feudal system from Europe.

[Guest Lobo]

Makes sense, Ann Kitchen always did say she wanted to emulate How Europe does things on social policy.  

[Bevo 13577]

7 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

 

There are no solutions.  The current chairman of the Travis County Republican party keeps railing at the City Council on Twitter over this issue. I have asked several times what he would do. So far no response.

Republicans are irrelevant to this conversation. Austin is going to vote in a Democrat. The question is which one. What are his/her opinions on curbing the homeless problem?

[Facemask 103]

“Sleeping behavior”.  Fuck that is rich.   For someone who fashions himself a political wonk, you either have no understanding of how public policy incentivizes behavior or you are being intentionally obtuse.   

He's Greg Casar, no other explanation. Orv this dickweed I saw last night at W

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Bozo_Casanova 26473]

Man, I hope some of y’all live in houses with mud rooms, because you clearly need someplace to get the sand out of your vaginas.

 

This morning at 7 I ran 5 miles through downtown including Congress from the Capital to Riverside. Saw 4 homeless people, including Susan, who was scratching herself contentedly. 3 were basically parked in front of Royal Blue, which is where that specific group of permanent homeless people hung out before, also. That sucks for Royal Blue (seriously), but it’s not a new problem and it’s in no way the “disaster” that Matt Mackowiac and the rest of the pearl clutches keep insisting upon.

 

What I propose to manage this and what I’m advocating to the few people with real clout that I know is essentially to broaden the set of zoning categories where permanent shelter in several forms is a permitted use -by right- as part of the code revision in progress, plus what is below. I believe this would all but eliminate the problem areas downtown.

What part of this do you have a problem with?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sad part is that in aggregate terms we don't actually have a huge homeless population for a city our size. They are just concentrated in problematic locations. Austin's homeless problem is manageable enough if we would manage it in the following ways: 1) House and provide wholistic rehab/services for the permanent homeless population in the model of Community First, and support for families facing hardship and women fleeing violence in the model of what the Salvation Army does.  2) Change the intake/service policies at the ARCH to discourage loitering by those who are not being serviced at that location (they are already doing that this fall) 3) Ban camping in the CBD or within 1000ft of a shelter, or ~200ft from a bus stop and other high velocity/turnover locations.

4) Move the ARCH away from the current location (perhaps to the Austin State Hospital or State School) to reduce the draw of predators and contact with criminal elements

 

 

 

   

 

[atomheartbevo 89686]

https://www.kxan.com/news/austin-budget-to-be-presented-monday-as-city-leaders-support-more-homeless-services/

Quote

Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk released his proposed budget for next year to City Council with a “historic commitment” to ending homelessness in Austin.

Cronk told other city leaders ending homelessness was a “moral imperative.” 

Citywide spending on homelessness-related services, support, and facilities would increase to nearly $63 million — $17 million more than in the current year.

Quote

The breakdown includes $16.3 million for current and future emergency shelters, $15.4 million for permanent housing, and $13.3 million for homeowners’ and renters’ assistance programs.

To help fund this increase, Cronk is again proposing an increase in property tax revenue by 8 percent.

It’s the last year the city can increase tax revenue by this much. State-imposed 3.5% revenue caps will take effect for FY 2020-2021.

Quote

More city leaders are beginning to support city taxpayers taking on a larger role to pay for resources for Austin’s many homeless people.

In a previous interview with KXAN News, Mayor Steve Adler said he supported finding more resources to help pay for rent, deposits, and a “risk fund” to help with damages; similar to what he supported in a citywide effort to house homeless Veterans.

 

[Guest Lobo]

That’s a lot of money to spend on three things that aren’t the three things that are the major causes of homelessness.  

[CooterBrown 18014]

For that $50,000,000 a year, give each homeless person the option of a one way plane ticket to a non-neighboring state and $10,000 when they land. Cancel the $50m budget the following year.

[Chet Steadman 940]

Amazing that this boneheaded decision made by city council three months ago (which almost zero percent of the public agreed with btw,) will now be costing us tax payers $50,000,000 allegedly to help fix.  

Good work everyone.  

[ChickenSandwich 9842]

9 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

https://www.kxan.com/news/austin-budget-to-be-presented-monday-as-city-leaders-support-more-homeless-services/

 

As I said previously. This is nothing more than a money grab by our limousine liberals. 

Clearly this takes initiative over affordable housing for tax paying citizens. Need to find the KVUE story showing habitat for humanity home recipients being forced out due to high taxes lol. 

So noble our elites. 

Meet have a serious spending problem. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by ChickenSandwich

[atomheartbevo 89686]

The arrogance in raising taxes is amazing.  "OMG WE WON'T BE ABLE TO RAISE AS MUCH IN THE FUTURE SO WE BETTER GRAB EVERY BIT OF CASH OUT OF THE REGISTER THAT WE CAN!"

[Trey3216 15346]

4 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

The arrogance in raising taxes is amazing.  "OMG WE WON'T BE ABLE TO RAISE AS MUCH IN THE FUTURE SO WE BETTER GRAB EVERY BIT OF CASH OUT OF THE REGISTER THAT WE CAN!"

Wait til they revise the number up closer to $100mm  

[Wally Pryor 5261]

Oh, that will happen.    It's the downtown library model.   Just lube up and get ready for words like "revisions", "unexpected", "unprecedented" and the like.    That shit's already in the playbook.   Just need to execute it. 

 

 

[Guest Lobo]

2 hours ago, Chet Steadman said:

Amazing that this boneheaded decision made by city council three months ago (which almost zero percent of the public agreed with btw,) will now be costing us tax payers $50,000,000 allegedly to help fix.  

Good work everyone.  

I read that in Ron Burgundy's voice after he drops the f-bomb on the broadcast but coming out of Steve Adler's mouth:  "Good work everyone, especially those of you on the Council.  Really well done, great job all-around."  Because Adler has the leadership prowess and intelligence of Ron Burgundy.  

The 3.5% coming next year, along with the terming-out of several of our lunatic members...is going to make this next year a complete and total shit-show.  You thought the money grab was on before?  Have we announced an broadened, and better funded partnership with social workers from UT to address homelessness?  Nope, no call has been placed to UT School of Social Work, I can vouch for that.  Have we broadened or better funded our relationship with mental health professionals here in Austin that work for State of Texas?  Nope.  Are Central Health of Travis County, Dell Medical School, or any of the other non-profit stakeholders, being more deeply engaged to cover all the issues surrounding homelessness that aren't housing vouchers (treating the symptom, not the disease)?  No, they are not. 

And as we were formulating our agenda for Bond Oversight, and I asked if we could take a deep dive into the 2018 Affordable Housing Bond before we made a recommendation on the 2019 Homelessness allocation.  Now, it's apples and oranges in terms of what types of housing.  One is for folks struggling to make ends meet in the CoA that need other options (that was 2018), and this one will be for temporary shelters, housing units like the one on Ben white near services, etc.  And I know these large bonds take a long time to effectively deploy, but we sold a lot of paper a few months ago to start building out this 2018 Affordable Vision and the interest payments are already coming due, so I asked that since this 2018 Affordable Bond (as young as it is) is the closest thing we have to what is being proposed in this next budget.  And I thought we could take a deep look and make recommendations about this budget increase because there could be redundancies, some language in the 2018 line items could make some concessions for longer-term housing solutions for homeless that fit under the affordable housing definition, etc.  Things that could be done to limit this straight line item tripling.  It's at least worth a look, right?  Me making that official inquiry as a commissioner doesn't hurt any homeless people, right? Well nope, not how the Mayor's office saw it.  Was told, I could have staff present to us on 2018 bond, homelessness budget increase this year, and potential overlaps/savings/best practices. In January of 2020.  Real fucking helpful considering our budget year starts in a month.  I promise you in 2 hours, we could find tens of millions of dollars in duplicative efforts.  

Reason all of the money being talked about, and all of the solutions being proposed/implemented, are about housing and not about mental health/addiction is because you can't grift social services the way you can skim real estate.  You can't call yourself progressive if you don't believe in math.  Numbers are there, they just won't show them to us.  

Edited September 3, 2019 by Lobo

[TexasBeta 1265]

Step right up....come on in.


183 and Oak Knoll

[phdhorn 6224]

6 hours ago, Lobo said:

I read that in Ron Burgundy's voice after he drops the f-bomb on the broadcast but coming out of Steve Adler's mouth:  "Good work everyone, especially those of you on the Council.  Really well done, great job all-around."  Because Adler has the leadership prowess and intelligence of Ron Burgundy.  

The 3.5% coming next year, along with the terming-out of several of our lunatic members...is going to make this next year a complete and total shit-show.  You thought the money grab was on before?  Have we announced an broadened, and better funded partnership with social workers from UT to address homelessness?  Nope, no call has been placed to UT School of Social Work, I can vouch for that.  Have we broadened or better funded our relationship with mental health professionals here in Austin that work for State of Texas?  Nope.  Are Central Health of Travis County, Dell Medical School, or any of the other non-profit stakeholders, being more deeply engaged to cover all the issues surrounding homelessness that aren't housing vouchers (treating the symptom, not the disease)?  No, they are not. 

And as we were formulating our agenda for Bond Oversight, and I asked if we could take a deep dive into the 2018 Affordable Housing Bond before we made a recommendation on the 2019 Homelessness allocation.  Now, it's apples and oranges in terms of what types of housing.  One is for folks struggling to make ends meet in the CoA that need other options (that was 2018), and this one will be for temporary shelters, housing units like the one on Ben white near services, etc.  And I know these large bonds take a long time to effectively deploy, but we sold a lot of paper a few months ago to start building out this 2018 Affordable Vision and the interest payments are already coming due, so I asked that since this 2018 Affordable Bond (as young as it is) is the closest thing we have to what is being proposed in this next budget.  And I thought we could take a deep look and make recommendations about this budget increase because there could be redundancies, some language in the 2018 line items could make some concessions for longer-term housing solutions for homeless that fit under the affordable housing definition, etc.  Things that could be done to limit this straight line item tripling.  It's at least worth a look, right?  Me making that official inquiry as a commissioner doesn't hurt any homeless people, right? Well nope, not how the Mayor's office saw it.  Was told, I could have staff present to us on 2018 bond, homelessness budget increase this year, and potential overlaps/savings/best practices. In January of 2020.  Real fucking helpful considering our budget year starts in a month.  I promise you in 2 hours, we could find tens of millions of dollars in duplicative efforts.  

Reason all of the money being talked about, and all of the solutions being proposed/implemented, are about housing and not about mental health/addiction is because you can't grift social services the way you can skim real estate.  You can't call yourself progressive if you don't believe in math.  Numbers are there, they just won't show them to us.  

tl;dr: the city council is a bunch of fucking idiots.

Oh, and we've landed on the Moon!