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Fitlump fucking won an Austin City Council seat


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14 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

At a party yesterday afternoon I'm having a casual conversation with this dude at the keg line and the small talk of our professions comes up.

Turns out he works for CoA as some sort of finance advisor. At first he had my curiosity, now he had my attention.

I bring up the homeless problem in my area, so he mentions how Mackenzie is working hard on that.

Seems the two are good friends and hang out quite a bit.

I asked him if he knew about her past and he said she is quite open about it and thinks it makes her a better rep of the people.

I asked him if she ever mentioned Romeo Rose, to which he answered no.

I said,  why don't you take a seat and google that name.

He pulls out his phone and taps away for a second. His jaw drops, "Romeo Rose fucks city councilman". 

Yea ill let you unpack that buddy. My work is done here.

He thought she was only fucking him and they had something special!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Adler joins advisory board of venture cap company which buys homes and turns to into short term rental units. Fuck him.

https://communitynotcommodity.com/2022/08/09/mayor-adler-joins-california-company-that-buys-homes-and-converts-them-into-vacation-properties/

Also, Adler proposed to give the City Council a raise. 

Edited by crash_davis
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Just checked another nearby city.  Round Rock pays their mayor $1000 per month and city council members make $750 per month.
Perhaps we could get those guys....

Pflugerville pays their city council zero dollars.
Dallas - $60k per council member.
Houston - $3,600 per year, less than what Austin pays each council member in car allowance.
San Antonio - was roughly $46,000 per year in 2015.

Fort Worth asked for voter approval in May to raise the mayor to $100k and city council members to $75k, and the voters said no.

I don't think the Austin thing is a voter approved pay raise, but I could be wrong.  They had $20 million "left over" in the budget so they are considering raises for themselves.

It looks like Austin, at a current pay rate of $83,158 plus $5k for a car, may already be the highest paid big city council in Texas.

Edited by Texas Jeff
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Meanwhile, they're putting a $350M bond on the November ballot to address housing affordability.  That's right: at the same time they're pursuing zoning policies and holding up developments so as to ensure that there is a housing shortage, they're asking the taxpayers to foot a $350M bill to . . . address the housing shortage that they created.

Basically, it's a gambit to get the taxpayers of the entire city to subsidize Central Austin's desire for low-density housing.

Fuck that.

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It's getting harder and harder to justify living in Austin.  When the average age of voters in the city is 33 years old, you get the shenanigans we get.   Children will vote yes for anything, and elect anyone who knows how to memorize a few buzz words.  Every city has its share of morons in public office, but Austin takes the cake for Texas. It's frustrating.  

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2 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Meanwhile, they're putting a $350M bond on the November ballot to address housing affordability.  That's right: at the same time they're pursuing zoning policies and holding up developments so as to ensure that there is a housing shortage, they're asking the taxpayers to foot a $350M bill to . . . address the housing shortage that they created.

Basically, it's a gambit to get the taxpayers of the entire city to subsidize Central Austin's desire for low-density housing.

Fuck that.

And the voters will overwhelmingly re-elect all of the council people that did it and approve every bond presented.

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8 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Just checked another nearby city.  Round Rock pays their mayor $1000 per month and city council members make $750 per month.
Perhaps we could get those guys....

Pflugerville pays their city council zero dollars.
Dallas - $60k per council member.
Houston - $3,600 per year, less than what Austin pays each council member in car allowance.
San Antonio - was roughly $46,000 per year in 2015.

Fort Worth asked for voter approval in May to raise the mayor to $100k and city council members to $75k, and the voters said no.

I don't think the Austin thing is a voter approved pay raise, but I could be wrong.  They had $20 million "left over" in the budget so they are considering raises for themselves.

It looks like Austin, at a current pay rate of $83,158 plus $5k for a car, may already be the highest paid big city council in Texas.

here's what KVUE reports for Dallas, Houston, SA: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/austin-mayor-and-council/austin-city-council-consider-raising-heir-salaries/269-f60bc08b-e0ac-41d6-842b-37bf0ca5ae24

Quote

KVUE reached out to other cities around the state to find out how much council members and mayors are paid. Here's a quick breakdown: 

San Antonio 
Council members - $45,722 per year
Mayor - $61,725 per year

Dallas
Council members - $60,000 per year 
Mayor - $80,000 per year

Houston
Council members - $62,983 per year 
Mayor - $236,189 per year 

The council's Wednesday meeting was set to begin at 10 a.m. This story will be updated based on what the council decides.

 

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9 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Meanwhile, they're putting a $350M bond on the November ballot to address housing affordability.  That's right: at the same time they're pursuing zoning policies and holding up developments so as to ensure that there is a housing shortage, they're asking the taxpayers to foot a $350M bill to . . . address the housing shortage that they created.

Basically, it's a gambit to get the taxpayers of the entire city to subsidize Central Austin's desire for low-density housing.

Fuck that.

Yeah, as much as it turns my stomach to vote against affordable housing I can’t support this bond when the council keeps making our zoning and development process worse, which in turn damages affordability. 
 

9 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Just checked another nearby city.  Round Rock pays their mayor $1000 per month and city council members make $750 per month.
Perhaps we could get those guys....

Pflugerville pays their city council zero dollars.
Dallas - $60k per council member.
Houston - $3,600 per year, less than what Austin pays each council member in car allowance.
San Antonio - was roughly $46,000 per year in 2015.

Fort Worth asked for voter approval in May to raise the mayor to $100k and city council members to $75k, and the voters said no.

I don't think the Austin thing is a voter approved pay raise, but I could be wrong.  They had $20 million "left over" in the budget so they are considering raises for themselves.

It looks like Austin, at a current pay rate of $83,158 plus $5k for a car, may already be the highest paid big city council in Texas.

The above being true, I enthusiastically support raising council and mayor pay. The most qualified and best candidates for office in our city don’t run for office because it’s too much of a pay cut and they can’t afford it. and I mean that specifically- we have the people we have because cycle after cycle the best turn the opportunity to run down because they can’t afford to take the job. It’s a shit job, they pay is bad and you have to listen to people screaming at you all day, mostly about nonsense. 
 

As of today that leaves three groups:

1) those who can’t make more

2) vanity candidates with axes to grind or friends to serve who are completely Unimpacted by affordability issues

3) true Public servants  who are making real sacrifices to serve in good faith

 

literally- that’s your entire candidate pool, increasingly #2.
We get what we hire for. It’s part of why I’m so opposed to the strong mayor system. Do you really want the voters of this city choosing a chief executive officer of the city from the pool of those who will do it for <$140k? If you do, you’re a great mark for people in group #2.

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The above being true, I enthusiastically support raising council and mayor pay. The most qualified and best candidates for office in our city don’t run for office because it’s too much of a pay cut and they can’t afford it. and I mean that specifically- we have the people we have because cycle after cycle the best turn the opportunity to run down because they can’t afford to take the job. It’s a shit job, they pay is bad and you have to listen to people screaming at you all day, mostly about nonsense. 
 
As of today that leaves three groups:
1) those who can’t make more
2) vanity candidates with axes to grind or friends to serve who are completely Unimpacted by affordability issues
3) true Public servants  who are making real sacrifices to serve in good faith
 
literally- that’s your entire candidate pool, increasingly #2.
We get what we hire for. It’s part of why I’m so opposed to the strong mayor system. Do you really want the voters of this city choosing a chief executive officer of the city from the pool of those who will do it for

The Council are mostly new urbanists and want to upzone everything, which will lead to higher home prices because demand for Austin housing is global. You make it easier to build, the more the property value is worth. The higher the comps in each neighborhood. Supply and demand now include investors from Malaysia looking at properties on Zillow. Cash investors.

Very few cities are building more housing than Austin these days. And its mostly high-end, including empty units, luxury housing, and short-term rentals.

The code next gambit may be the best bad idea, but it sucks for existing residents.
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2 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:


The Council are mostly new urbanists and want to upzone everything, which will lead to higher home prices because demand for Austin housing is global. You make it easier to build, the more the property value is worth. The higher the comps in each neighborhood. Supply and demand now include investors from Malaysia looking at properties on Zillow. Cash investors.

Very few cities are building more housing than Austin these days. And its mostly high-end, including empty units, luxury housing, and short-term rentals.

The code next gambit may be the best bad idea, but it sucks for existing residents.

 

Man would I love to hear McKenzie Kelly try to explain what a "New Urbanist" is without any warning or ability to be coached through it.

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20 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

The Council are mostly new urbanists and want to upzone everything, which will lead to higher home prices because demand for Austin housing is global. You make it easier to build, the more the property value is worth. The higher the comps in each neighborhood.

Everything about this, from the composition of the council to the impact of additional capacity, to the dynamic of the market, is wrong. You didn’t mention it, but your post suggests that changing the zoning would also impact property taxes on a SF home, and that’s also false. 
and I don’t blame you- all the above  bullshit is the currency of the people who actually control 6/11 of the council and  benefit most from what’s happened to Austin over the last 20 years. It’s just not true. 

The only thing that’s isn’t wrong is the premise that demand for Austin housing is “global.” Demand for all scarce goods is global. The reason why Austin is such an attractive market for single family home investors is the combination of population growth and exclusionary zoning. That’s what they select for. If we made building housing legal in central Austin again it would become less attractive to global investors, not more, because their scare good would get less scarce. That’s not my opinion or theory, that’s the rationale for investment choices many of them disclose to investors. 
I’m not a new urbanist. But at least their mitigation strategy has some merit, as opposed to CAVE people who think we can deny our way back to 1977.

Edited by Bozo_Casanova
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1 hour ago, Eskimohorn said:


The Council are mostly new urbanists and want to upzone everything, which will lead to higher home prices because demand for Austin housing is global. You make it easier to build, the more the property value is worth. The higher the comps in each neighborhood. Supply and demand now include investors from Malaysia looking at properties on Zillow. Cash investors.

Very few cities are building more housing than Austin these days. And its mostly high-end, including empty units, luxury housing, and short-term rentals.

The code next gambit may be the best bad idea, but it sucks for existing residents.

Strange comment since suburban communities often fight density due to fear of dropping property values. If you're right about upzoning then why is multifamily development such a hard sell outside of major metros? 

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On 8/17/2022 at 5:45 PM, Bozo_Casanova said:

The above being true, I enthusiastically support raising council and mayor pay. The most qualified and best candidates for office in our city don’t run for office because it’s too much of a pay cut and they can’t afford it. and I mean that specifically- we have the people we have because cycle after cycle the best turn the opportunity to run down because they can’t afford to take the job. It’s a shit job, they pay is bad and you have to listen to people screaming at you all day, mostly about nonsense. 

You make valid and reasonable points.  I would be OK paying these folks more if they had a recent track record of making good decisions, or if there was some slate of kick ass candidates out there waiting to run but saying they will not because of the pay.

There is not "Moneyball" of politics.  As a taxpayer, how do I know that I am paying more and getting more value for my money, versus just giving more money for the same bad outcomes?  How do we identify talented folks to run our city and is compensation what is holding them back?

Personally, I could not make it through one city council meeting without losing it.  They start in the morning, spend all day recognizing scout troops, folks who are retiring, having lunch, having dinner, etc and then they talk about the stuff that really matters at 2am.  Front load important stuff when people are fresh.  Limit meetings to a max of 4 hours, which is about as long as any reasonable person can take it.

If I was in charge, here's what I would focus on:

* Prior to turning dirt, Project Connect would have to demonstrate how the zoning was going to change around every train stop so that each one would eventually look like West Campus.  Each stop should have all buildings with office, retail and housing so that each super-expensive stop would be sure to be busy.  Just putting a line on paper with stops without changing what is around it is going to create an under-used transit system.

* We would get serious about developing Robinson Ranch, with frequent red line stops between a few stations throughout the property.  The land is already zoned for density but nothing is being done to exploit the zoning.

Those two things would take the pressure off of existing neighborhoods and use the transit we are building.  People are not using what we have now.

* We would hire the two Bobs to come in and wreck shop.  I suspect there are tons of employees doing not that much and tons of other needs elsewhere that are not getting met.  But momentum has probably kept things just where they are.  Optimize it or at least convince me that we are efficient.

* I would figure out how to open all of the neighborhood pools and consider building some swim centers for year round use.  It's hot out there and we are fat.  Time to swim.

* I would use housing bonds to build places specifically for teachers and teaching staff, or reduce their property expenses, or figure out how to make their lives easier.  The state isn't helping the Austin area retain teachers.  Classes are being taught by subs.  We are importing already educated high-tech talent but not focusing on the young talent that is growing up here.  The city isn't directly responsible for education but they could be helping make it easier for teachers to compete with high tech folks for housing.

Most of all I would try to build consensus on the big stuff.  I think this is where Adler has failed.  He thinks he knows the "right" answer, but not everyone agrees with him.  So he tries to force it and pisses people off.  Groups fight with each other and not much gets done, or the thing that does get done has weak support or is under-utilized.

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Looks like lump is getting paid, although I will note that she was one of the three that voted against the pay increase

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/austin-city-council-members-give-themselves-33000-raise/65410370007/

Quote

In a decision that did not go over well when they first proposed it earlier in the week, the council, in one of the final actions in the two-day budget approval meeting, signed off on a 40% pay increase for the 10 district representatives and a 37% pay increase for the mayor.

They mayor's position now pays $134,191 annually. The other council seats pay $116,688.

But that's not all they gave themselves. Beginning in December, council members for the first time will get to participate in the city's retirement program.

Combined, the council pay raises, which are much larger than the 4% increases going to other city employees, will cost taxpayers a total of $395,000 annually.

In defending the pay raise earlier in the week, several council members cited a market rate study that showed they and their aides are underpaid. In Travis County alone, council members are set to make $30,000 less than the proposed salary for a county commissioner, even after the council's pay increases, and about $17,000 less than for a justice of the peace.

The last time the council made major adjustments to their own salaries was in 2006. They've received raises since then, but smaller ones that were only designed to offset increases in the cost of living.

"We're subject to the same economic pressures as our employees," Council Member Leslie Pool said earlier in the week. "I do think the public recognizes the work that we do, the fact that this is essentially a 24/7 job."

Eight council members voted for the raise: Natasha Harper-Madison, Sabino "Pio" Renteria, Chito Vela, Ann Kitchen, Leslie Pool, Kathie Tovo, Alison Alter and Mayor Steve Adler.

They were apparently undeterred by earlier backlash on social media, which largely focused on the awkward timing of the raise as the city contends with affordability concerns and low- and middle-income workers leaving the city.

Three council members voted against the raises: Vanessa Fuentes, Mackenzie Kelly and Paige Ellis.

Earlier in the day, Ellis, who initially said she was undecided, issued a statement through her office objecting to the raise and saying the money should go to other critical needs. Ellis, who is running for re-election in November, likely headed off political attacks by coming out against the $33,000 raise.

“I will vote no to increasing Council Member salaries, as our priorities need to stay focused on working people right now," Ellis said in the statement. "That includes recruitment and retention of city employees who will ensure that our parks are well-maintained, our pools are safe, and our curbside pickup services are timely."

Perhaps not wanting to draw attention to the raise, or maybe because they wanted to get to bed after two long days of budget deliberations, no council member during the meeting commented on the raise or explained their vote.

Elsewhere in the $5 billion budget, the minimum hourly salary for city employees was raised to $20. That will cost an estimated $7 million, which includes raises for workers already making at or around $20 per hour.

 

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15 minutes ago, Blotto said:

Looks like lump is getting paid, although I will note that she was one of the three that voted against the pay increase

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2022/08/19/austin-city-council-members-give-themselves-33000-raise/65410370007/

 

She voted against it to look better, knowing full well it was going to pass. 
 

Which is essentially how every vote goes for her.

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4 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

 I would be OK paying these folks more if they had a recent track record of making good decisions, or if there was some slate of kick ass candidates out there waiting to run but saying they will not because of the pay.

There is. Probably like 150-200 people who are recruited cycle after cycle and pass because the pay doesn't make it possible. And this won't get it there either. but we'll probably get a few more/better. And at the budget level the money isn't a needle-mover. We should double the pay, at least. I cannot ephasize strongly enough what an unpleasant job this is, mainly because of the terrible interactions with some of the worst people in the city, day after day. Just taking shit from them all day long. 

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There is. Probably like 150-200 people who are recruited cycle after cycle and pass because the pay doesn't make it possible. And this won't get it there either. but we'll probably get a few more/better. And at the budget level the money isn't a needle-mover. We should double the pay, at least. I cannot ephasize strongly enough what an unpleasant job this is, mainly because of the terrible interactions with some of the worst people in the city, day after day. Just taking shit from them all day long. 

Won’t argue with any of that. It’s gotta be a miserable job. And you get what you pay for. Only thoughts I have on the whole thing are that raises shouldn’t go in to effect until their next election. Whoever wins the seat is who benefits from the raise.
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Of course fitlump is the one wanting to bring back the license plate reader program

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/license-plate-readers-back-before-austin-city-council-next-week/

Quote

Austin City Council will once again discuss reinstating the Austin Police Department’s license plate reader program during next week’s council meeting. The controversial program was discontinued when the council cut the police budget in 2020.

Council members have kicked the proposal down the line several times, but Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly — who originally introduced the proposal — is bringing it back once again. It now has several sponsors, according to the agenda, councilmembers Leslie Pool, Ann Kitchen, Kathie Tovo and Paige Ellis.

Quote

“For me, this is a matter of life safety for people in the community. If we can save one child who is abducted or if we could help one victim of a heinous crime get justice, then that’s worth it to me,” Kelly said, also briefly noting she was confident the council could ensure the data collected was used appropriately.

I’m glad she thinks APD wouldn’t misuse the data.

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I am still completely dumbfounded to this day that goddamn fucking fitlump got elected to run fucking Austin Texas.

And then I wonder, we’ll how many other city councils have a fitlump on them. And the answer can only be likely most of them. Because there’s nothing special or unique about her and Austin.

And the only conclusion to reach from that is that our 250ish year old experiment with democracy is headed for a catastrophic failure because humans are too stupid to actually execute it effectively long term. And believe or not, I’m an optimist.

Might as well just enjoy what we can while we can.

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On 8/19/2022 at 11:04 AM, Orange&amp;White said:

She voted against it to look better, knowing full well it was going to pass. 
 

Which is essentially how every vote goes for her.

She is actually a surprisingly competent politician.  Narcissist + attention whore + liar turned out to be an outstanding résumé for that gig. 

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On 8/19/2022 at 11:04 AM, Orange&amp;White said:

She voted against it to look better, knowing full well it was going to pass. 
 

Which is essentially how every vote goes for her.

She voted against it because the higher pay recruits a better quality opponent in her next election.   It shouldn’t be hard to top her resume.  

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3 hours ago, demos said:


Give them a bike and make them use those lanes downtown that no one else uses.

Shit a few weeks ago my wife and I rented one of those BCycles…nearly got hit twice on Barton Springs by gaggles of what looked like bachelorettes trying to decide where to drink next and not paying attention.  At least FitLump has airbags to cushion an impact. 

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On 8/27/2022 at 10:43 AM, tbone_ said:

I am still completely dumbfounded to this day that goddamn fucking fitlump got elected to run fucking Austin Texas.

And then I wonder, we’ll how many other city councils have a fitlump on them. And the answer can only be likely most of them. Because there’s nothing special or unique about her and Austin.

And the only conclusion to reach from that is that our 250ish year old experiment with democracy is headed for a catastrophic failure because humans are too stupid to actually execute it effectively long term. And believe or not, I’m an optimist.

Might as well just enjoy what we can while we can.

They're all cut from the same cloth. Suburban style "mom", wants to give police and fire all the money in the world, demonizing renters, bitter, etc. Although police and fire skepticism doesn't get you anywhere in the burbs. At least you can attack them in larger cities because most of them don't even live there. DPA and DFFA always come to my door asking for support. Easiest way to tell them off is to ask for their drivers license. No Dallas address? Get lost.

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