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Posted
23 hours ago, Deej said:

If you're in Austin, that money would just go somewhere else, so why bother? 

I would be OK with more money for schools if the schools actually got the money, and if schools were free to raise more money, with voter approval, to pay teachers what they think they are worth.  I'm OK with Austin ISD's school bond money and I wish they would ask for more, as I think the 2022 bond is underfunded.  All of the bond money stays in the district.

It is bullshit that I pay "property tax", which is labelled as "school tax", which is actually "money to be paid to the state for education", which may become "money to put razor wire in the Rio Grande".  It should be illegal to collect a tax for one purpose and confiscate it for some other purpose.  If the state wants Robin Hood money or private school tuition or more razor wire, they should do it via a state-wide tax.

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Posted
9 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

I would be OK with more money for schools if the schools actually got the money, and if schools were free to raise more money, with voter approval, to pay teachers what they think they are worth.  I'm OK with Austin ISD's school bond money and I wish they would ask for more, as I think the 2022 bond is underfunded.  All of the bond money stays in the district.

It is bullshit that I pay "property tax", which is labelled as "school tax", which is actually "money to be paid to the state for education", which may become "money to put razor wire in the Rio Grande".  It should be illegal to collect a tax for one purpose and confiscate it for some other purpose.  If the state wants Robin Hood money or private school tuition or more razor wire, they should do it via a state-wide tax.

The AISD bonds that we keep funding are complete BS.  They collect X amount of dollars, of which 30% might go to AISD, while the rest is recaptured for school district golf courses and water parks in the valley, or Football Stadiums that house 5x the ISD population and outdo Rice and Houston's stadiums.

Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, PvilleStang said:

The AISD bonds that we keep funding are complete BS.  They collect X amount of dollars, of which 30% might go to AISD, while the rest is recaptured for school district golf courses and water parks in the valley, or Football Stadiums that house 5x the ISD population and outdo Rice and Houston's stadiums.

It's important to distinguish between bond money and money for school operations.

Last year, Austin ISD passed Prop A, which was money for school operations.  By law, they can tax up to nine copper pennies.  The pennies are called "copper" because they are subject to recapture.  So in this case, you are correct, we had an election to raise our taxes. Austin ISD got $40 million per year out of the deal and the state got $130 million per year.  It was not a bond election.

The money for school operations part is maxed out.  The district cannot raise taxes any more for this portion.  And, it is subject to "compression", which means that the rate gets reduced so that the tax money raised cannot go up by more than 2.5% per year.

The money for bonds is different.  When you vote for a bond, you are giving permission for the school district to borrow the amount of the bond.  In 2022, Austin voters gave permission for the district to borrow about $2.4 billion dollars and use the money to improve schools.  The district went through years of planning after the election and started to borrow the money, and now projects are under way.  Each year, the district raises tax money to pay back the bonds, but like a mortgage they don't pay it back all in one year.  Your bond tax dollars go to interest and principal on the loan, just like on your house.

Most importantly, NONE of the bond money is sent to the state for recapture.

This is one way that poorer school districts get those nice football stadiums.  We send part of our "school operations" money to the state, and the state sends part of that to the poorer district.  That district does not have to raise as much money for school operations.  So they turn around and crank up their tax for "bond projects", which turns out to be the super nice football stadium.

I'm not against those districts building decent facilities, but something is wrong when the "rich" district has crapola facilities and the "poor" district has a Jumbotron.

Edited by Texas Jeff
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Posted
The AISD bonds that we keep funding are complete BS.  They collect X amount of dollars, of which 30% might go to AISD, while the rest is recaptured for school district golf courses and water parks in the valley, or Football Stadiums that house 5x the ISD population and outdo Rice and Houston's stadiums.

099e47b7885a688dfd7594f59bd5bdea.gif
Posted

Liver King arrested in Austin for terroristic threats, which appear to be calling Joe Rogan out to fight. Lulz

Quote

The Austin Police Department has arrested Brian Johnson, known online as the social media influencer “Liver King,” according to Travis County Jail records.

He faces one charge of Terroristic Threat, a Class B Misdemeanor.

...

Investigators have not yet confirmed who the alleged threat was made to.

In an Instagram video Johnson posted on June 23, he said, “Joe Rogan, I’m calling you out, my name’s Liver King. Man to man, I’m picking a fight with you. I have no training in Jiu-jitsu; you’re a black belt, you should dismantle me. But I’m picking a fight with you. Your rules, I’ll come to you, whenever you’re ready.”

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/social-media-influencer-liver-king-arrested-in-austin/

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Posted
2 minutes ago, royiv said:

It’s so weird to me how Austin became ground zero for assholes over the last decade. 

Been more than the last decade.

Posted (edited)

Liver King spiraled once he admitted to taking an insane drug cocktail and his body wasn't the product of just eating raw liver. The way he's acting in those videos is familiar to anyone who spends time near ben white and manchac.

Edited by chainsaw
Posted
1 hour ago, Deej said:

Liver King arrested in Austin for terroristic threats, which appear to be calling Joe Rogan out to fight. Lulz

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/social-media-influencer-liver-king-arrested-in-austin/

I'd pay money to watch a Thunderdome type event with those two.

Except I'd prefer "Two men enter, no men leave."

Also using the term "men" here loosely.

Also, no, I wouldn't pay money. But I'd read a Surly summary and or MSPaint of it.

Posted
5 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

I'd pay money to watch a Thunderdome type event with those two.

Except I'd prefer "Two men enter, no men leave."

Also using the term "men" here loosely.

Also, no, I wouldn't pay money. But I'd read a Surly summary and or MSPaint of it.

napoleon dynamite GIF

Posted
40 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

I'd pay money to watch a Thunderdome type event with those two.

Except I'd prefer "Two men enter, no men leave."

Also using the term "men" here loosely.

Also, no, I wouldn't pay money. But I'd read a Surly summary and or MSPaint of it.

 Joe would fuck that dude up. 

Posted
Just now, Pam Cummings said:

Challenging someone to a fight is a terroristic threat? That's interesting.

It is when the person making the report is a sponge-brained pussy-ass coward (e.g., Joe Rogan).

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Posted
Just now, Brisketexan said:

It is when the person making the report is a sponge-brained pussy-ass coward (e.g., Joe Rogan).

Yeah Rogan kinda seems like a big puss for that. But this Liver King guy looks like a real winner too. Isn't he the guy who claims to be swole off some weird diet but is clearly just roided out?

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Posted
1 hour ago, gofuckyourself said:

I'd pay money to watch a Thunderdome type event with those two.

Except I'd prefer "Two men enter, no men leave."

Also using the term "men" here loosely.

Also, no, I wouldn't pay money. But I'd read a Surly summary and or MSPaint of it.

The "King" is all coked and roided out of his head.  I would love to see him roll against ANYONE that is a high level BJJ fighter.  Love him or not, Rogan is a black belt in Gi and no-Gi and would twist him up in a matter of minutes. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

The "King" is all coked and roided out of his head.  I would love to see him roll against ANYONE that is a high level BJJ fighter.  Love him or not, Rogan is a black belt in Gi and no-Gi and would twist him up in a matter of minutes. 

Harrison Ford Who Gives A Shit GIFs | Tenor

 

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Posted

I have no fucking idea who Liver King is. I'm not even gonna him up. I'll consider it a small victory going to my death not knowing who the fuck another social influencer/what the fuck is.

But never pass an opportunity to say,

Fuck joe rogan.

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Posted
1 hour ago, ztejas said:

 Joe would fuck that dude up. 

Instead he presses charges after a fellow douchebag challenges him to a fight. Pussy ass bitch.

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Posted
On 6/23/2025 at 1:26 AM, Texas Jeff said:

I would be OK with more money for schools if the schools actually got the money, and if schools were free to raise more money, with voter approval, to pay teachers what they think they are worth.  I'm OK with Austin ISD's school bond money and I wish they would ask for more, as I think the 2022 bond is underfunded.  All of the bond money stays in the district.

It is bullshit that I pay "property tax", which is labelled as "school tax", which is actually "money to be paid to the state for education", which may become "money to put razor wire in the Rio Grande".  It should be illegal to collect a tax for one purpose and confiscate it for some other purpose.  If the state wants Robin Hood money or private school tuition or more razor wire, they should do it via a state-wide tax.

 

On 6/23/2025 at 6:19 PM, Texas Jeff said:

It's important to distinguish between bond money and money for school operations.

Last year, Austin ISD passed Prop A, which was money for school operations.  By law, they can tax up to nine copper pennies.  The pennies are called "copper" because they are subject to recapture.  So in this case, you are correct, we had an election to raise our taxes. Austin ISD got $40 million per year out of the deal and the state got $130 million per year.  It was not a bond election.

The money for school operations part is maxed out.  The district cannot raise taxes any more for this portion.  And, it is subject to "compression", which means that the rate gets reduced so that the tax money raised cannot go up by more than 2.5% per year.

The money for bonds is different.  When you vote for a bond, you are giving permission for the school district to borrow the amount of the bond.  In 2022, Austin voters gave permission for the district to borrow about $2.4 billion dollars and use the money to improve schools.  The district went through years of planning after the election and started to borrow the money, and now projects are under way.  Each year, the district raises tax money to pay back the bonds, but like a mortgage they don't pay it back all in one year.  Your bond tax dollars go to interest and principal on the loan, just like on your house.

Most importantly, NONE of the bond money is sent to the state for recapture.

This is one way that poorer school districts get those nice football stadiums.  We send part of our "school operations" money to the state, and the state sends part of that to the poorer district.  That district does not have to raise as much money for school operations.  So they turn around and crank up their tax for "bond projects", which turns out to be the super nice football stadium.

I'm not against those districts building decent facilities, but something is wrong when the "rich" district has crapola facilities and the "poor" district has a Jumbotron.

Doing The Lord’s work here, thank you.

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Posted
12 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

So what drives the decision to raise money through increased taxes as opposed to doing so through a bond issue?

Depends on the quality of the whores provided by the bond underwriter at the roadshow after party.

Posted
3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Longer than that (LBJ, Charles Whitman, James Cross)

James Cross? LBJ's Air Force One Pilot?

I went to HS with his kids. My father used to fly "space available" on the weekly LBJ mail run between Andrews & Bergstrom.

Did he do a waste dump over Taylor, or something? 🙂
 

Posted
1 hour ago, PvilleStang said:

Did someone get hooked on cocaine and ozempic?!

Looch was introduced to a doctor from Norman who pioneered a novel delivery mechanism for the medication

Spoiler

dfdb7f4aada0c90d202e9b1a9d67c5e2.gif

 

Posted
18 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

So what drives the decision to raise money through increased taxes as opposed to doing so through a bond issue?

Bonds can’t be used to fund day to day operations.

Posted
1 hour ago, PvilleStang said:

Did someone get hooked on cocaine and ozempic?!

You think he wasn't doing coke while partying with Johnny?

Posted
46 minutes ago, PTINS said:

James Cross? LBJ's Air Force One Pilot?

I went to HS with his kids. My father used to fly "space available" on the weekly LBJ mail run between Andrews & Bergstrom.

Did he do a waste dump over Taylor, or something? 🙂
 

No….. THIS James Cross - murdered two UT coeds in 1965. Convicted and spent only 26 years in prison before being paroled in 1992:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/lansing-state-journal-james-cross-murd/59946232/?locale=en-US

Posted
1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

So what drives the decision to raise money through increased taxes as opposed to doing so through a bond issue?

Generally the administration proposes a budget and the board adopts a tax rate to meet the budget.  Sometimes it needs voter approval.

If the admin needs more money to pay teachers, they have to look at the O&M component of the taxes.
If the admin needs more money to build schools, they have to look at the I&S component of the taxes.

For the money for operations part, which is called "operation and maintenance" or O&M, there are three components:

1. First there is a basic rate, decided by the board but limited by state rules.  This is subject to recapture.  In AISD this is about 50% of the money raised.
2. Next there are an optional 8 "golden" pennies.  If the board uses those then it gets to keep all of the money they generate.
3. Next there are an optional 9 "copper" pennies.  If the board uses those, then they are subject to recapture and in AISD's case about 75% of the "copper" money goes to the state.

AISD was already doing 1 and 2 and passed 3 as Prop A last year.
AISD is maxed out on operations tax.  They can not raise the rate unless the state changes the rules.  The "basic" rate is getting compressed, so that part of the tax rate is going down.

For the bond part, which is called "interest and sinking", or I&S, generally the administration works with a community committee to create a set of projects and an estimate of the cost for those projects.  The proposal goes to the voters and they either approve it or do not approve it.  If approved, the administration and board have permission to borrow those dollars to create those projects.  They are supposed to stick with the "bond book", which is a description of what will be built.

The bonds are sold at an interest rate and must be paid back.  The board sets the I&S tax rate at a level sufficient to pay back the interest and principal on the bonds.  This works just like buying a house and paying a mortgage.  The board sets the rate so that the total amount of the taxable property in the ISD times the rate is enough to service the debt.

The state sets a limit of 50 cents for the tax rate for the I&S part.  So once a district has borrowed so much money that it requires 50 cents in tax to service the debt, the school can not issue more bonds.  The districts you see that seem poor but have nice new football stadiums are probably at the 50 cent limit.

If a school district just issued bonds to build schools and later paid off all of the debt, the I&S tax rate would drop to zero.  But usually school districts replace debt as it is paid off with a new bond, so that they can say "your tax rate is not changing" .... but what they don't say is that your tax rate would be going down if you didn't pass the new bond.

AISD's interest and sinking rate is currently about 13 cents.  They could borrow a ton more before hitting the 50 cent limit.  But they are choosing not to do that, for a variety of reasons.

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