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What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?


crash_davis

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12 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

We rejected the strong mayor form of governing a year or two ago...  So Watson is about as powerful as Zo and Baby Alter.  The nutjobs run the asylum.  

He still has the pulpit more than any other member.

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Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, royiv said:

Why should taxpayers be on the hook for this? If the scooter companies want to operate in Austin, removing scooters from the lake should be a cost of doing business for them. They should be allowed a finite number of scooters. Deploy 100 scooters and you’re down to 90, better go diving in the lake to retrieve 10 before you can replace them.

 

8 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

Or, we charge back time and equipment costs to retrieve the garbage.  A lien against the company for hazardous waste in the lake might be good, too.

Good god, these statements. Austin should not be on the hook for any of this shit.

Edited by FirstTimeCaller
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10 minutes ago, royiv said:

Serious question, what do you think priorities 1-4 or 1-5 are because I can’t figure out what the heck Watson is doing?

1. The housing code changes 
2. City manager
3. APD funding/contract
4. Various brick-a-brack/crises that comes with being a mayor

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10 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

1. The housing code changes 
2. City manager
3. APD funding/contract
4. Various brick-a-brack/crises that comes with being a mayor

Yeah, City Manager is definitely up there and had a brain fart on thinking of that one. I would put that one first. I’m not really seeing shit on APD or the housing code changes. 

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Posted (edited)
35 minutes ago, royiv said:

Serious question, what do you think priorities 1-4 or 1-5 are because I can’t figure out what the heck Watson is doing?

This.  Are we sure that its not Adler holding up a carboard cutout of Watson because he has done nothing.

Edit: Great article on Watson working hard to resolve the homeless camps around town...

 

Edited by texasdago
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28 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

 

27 minutes ago, GhostRider said:

Lady Bird Lake is 18 feet deep at it's deepest point.

go to settings and turn on your sarcasm font. 

 

i actually think divers might be more expensive than a CoA employee playing with his department's submersible.  last diver i hired charged $150 / hour and he wasn't doing manual labor while underwater.

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19 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

1. The housing code changes 
2. City manager
3. APD funding/contract
4. Various brick-a-brack/crises that comes with being a mayor

No no, you've got it all wrong.

1. Removing dead bodies and electric scooters from town lake 

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4 minutes ago, ztejas said:

No no, you've got it all wrong.

1. Removing dead bodies and electric scooters from town lake 

And we have no idea how many dead bodies and scooters are in the lake so we can’t determine the effectiveness of these initiatives.

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Just now, royiv said:

And we have no idea how many dead bodies and scooters are in the lake so we can’t determine the effectiveness of these initiatives.

Ohhhhhh I know someone that's probably got a pretty good idea. 

@Nicole44

Bad Girls Club Reaction GIF by MOODMAN

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35 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

We rejected the strong mayor form of governing a year or two ago...  So Watson is about as powerful as Zo and Baby Alter.  The nutjobs run the asylum.  

Now if only we could reject the Strong President system.

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Hand wringing over a solution to the homeless “problem” always cracks me up.

Houses get built when someone thinks they can profit from doing so. No one profits from building houses for people who can’t pay. So they don’t get built.

There are only two possible solutions: 1) steal money from your electorate (taxes) to pay builders enough so they can make a profit and will build, or 2) steal money from your electorate (taxes) and build it yourself. There is no other answer.

But people are people and like to fuck chickens and wring hands and grandstand to get votes and so on and so on. So here we are.

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56 minutes ago, GhostRider said:

Lady Bird Lake is 18 feet deep at it's deepest point.

I know, was being sarcastic about how shallow it is, it's one atmosphere and divers could easily take care of this vs bringing in some expensive submersible or even rednecks with magnets and a rope could just as easily accomplish.

 

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3 hours ago, Nicole44 said:

 

Seeing "Homeless Strategy Office" in print or anywhere else is the most comical thing. Guessing most of the strategic moves in March centered around working on a good tournament bracket. At only $150K / year to run the thing we should at least allow the person to prioritize the important things. 

Another machete party on Friday night, this time around Ben White and Manchaca. Near where the bums have set up nightly shop around that custom car wash. They need to up their game. Pre "camping ban" the area under the bridge near Dan's had two couches, a big screen, refrigerator and a (mini) pool table. Still got some work to do.  

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1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

Hand wringing over a solution to the homeless “problem” always cracks me up.

Houses get built when someone thinks they can profit from doing so. No one profits from building houses for people who can’t pay. So they don’t get built.

There are only two possible solutions: 1) steal money from your electorate (taxes) to pay builders enough so they can make a profit and will build, or 2) steal money from your electorate (taxes) and build it yourself. There is no other answer.

But people are people and like to fuck chickens and wring hands and grandstand to get votes and so on and so on. So here we are.

Or a city could buy a few hotels...

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I don't know the actual number of scooters that have been tossed in the lake, but at some point they need to come out.  That shouldn't cost the city or taxpayers one dime.  Sure, if you can catch the random drunk who thought it funny to throw one in the lake, fine them the cost of retrieval (plus some), but beyond that, it's a stupid business model and the scooter companies need to take care of it.

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https://www.fox7austin.com/news/removing-scooters-e-bikes-from-lady-bird-lake

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Fire Department is hoping to remove hundreds of electric scooters and bikes from Lady Bird Lake.

Recently, members of the AFD RED (Robotic Emergency Deployment) Team tested out a submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV). While testing the equipment, they spotted an e-bike and a robotic arm attached to the ROV was able to grab a wheel and pull it out of the water.

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We took a canal tour in Amsterdam over spring break, and the narrator said 16,000 bicycles end up in the canals every year. I thought of you people.
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2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

Hand wringing over a solution to the homeless “problem” always cracks me up.

Houses get built when someone thinks they can profit from doing so. No one profits from building houses for people who can’t pay. So they don’t get built.

There are only two possible solutions: 1) steal money from your electorate (taxes) to pay builders enough so they can make a profit and will build, or 2) steal money from your electorate (taxes) and build it yourself. There is no other answer.

But people are people and like to fuck chickens and wring hands and grandstand to get votes and so on and so on. So here we are.

Agreed. The housing here won’t be fixed. Ever. Waaay too much chicken fucking.

When we vote for things like Project Connect, we just make it more expensive but no one cares to understand that this increases both ownership and renting real estate. Pretty cool stuff to vote for. To make matters worse, they didn’t even have the accurate amount it would cost.
 

I can’t fathom putting together a package for a city of a million people and being a few billion off of the true number.

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3 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

 

Good god, these statements. Austin should not be on the hook for any of this shit.

Didn't one of the big two scooter companies go bankrupt? Good luck getting them to pay for theirs. 

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So we need a hotel for the homeless, a cemetery for Nicole’s victims, and a parking lot for the scooters.  All at the bottom of Town Lake?  Throw in a craft brewery and count me in as an investor 

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Agreed. The housing here won’t be fixed. Ever. Waaay too much chicken fucking.
When we vote for things like Project Connect, we just make it more expensive but no one cares to understand that this increases both ownership and renting real estate. Pretty cool stuff to vote for. To make matters worse, they didn’t even have the accurate amount it would cost.
 
I can’t fathom putting together a package for a city of a million people and being a few billion off of the true number.

Project Connect, taxes, and building costs have meant fuckall for Austin housing prices since we’re in a global real estate market. In fact, making it less profitable to own an extra home or build a new home has helped stabilize the market. Things like inflation and interest rates have worked together in complicated fashion along with global economy to shape our housing market.

The other issues that need to be understood is the depth and breadth of the homeless problem. The first is that what we see being the problem is the long-term homeless, who migrate to Austin and can fit in one or more of these categories: Mental illness, addicts, or career criminal. This is a regional and national problem. Austin has little ability to solve these issues in the longterm.

Where affordability really causes homelessness are people and families temporarily displaced. Thats your single mothers, abused children, termed foster kids, divorced dads. One or more Surly posters may find themselves living on friend sofas or motels. Guess what: you may be homeless.
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But let’s be honest about the homeless “problem”. The problem isn’t that the don’t have a dwelling. No one really cares if they have houses. A “solution” to the problem, in everyone’s eyes just means that we don’t have to see these ugly people in places we want to be.

Call it what it is.

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2 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

But let’s be honest about the homeless “problem”. The problem isn’t that the don’t have a dwelling. No one really cares if they have houses. A “solution” to the problem, in everyone’s eyes just means that we don’t have to see these ugly people in places we want to be.

Call it what it is.

A true solution requires a big investment in mental health and substance abuse treatment and we know that’s not going to happen. Instead, we use the justice system at a higher price.

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3 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

But let’s be honest about the homeless “problem”. The problem isn’t that the don’t have a dwelling. No one really cares if they have houses. A “solution” to the problem, in everyone’s eyes just means that we don’t have to see these ugly people in places we want to be.

Call it what it is.

You ain't tired of this BS argument yet? I see that shit from half of r/Austin and it is such disingenuous bullshit. 

"Hey, the homeless situation causes some serious financial, environmental, and societal costs. We have machete attacks, murders, fires, and tons of trash."
"Oh, you just don't like seeing poor people!"

GTFO.

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1 minute ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

We have machete attacks, murders, fires, and tons of trash

This kind of stuff has always happened. If anything is disingenuous it's the idea that these things are new. They're not new. They're being selectively amplified by dark money interest groups to manufacture consent for throwing money at cops (the same cops who refuse to even pretend that they're interested in solving the crimes that do get reported).

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23 minutes ago, gofuckyourself said:

I threw my scooters in the lake to create an artificial reef and/or an underwater playscape for the nutria.

Some of us care about the environment.

Centuries from now, there'll be reefs along the Highland Lakes created by Michael Hsu buildings, Nicole's victims, and Bird Scooters.  And scholar's will inquire "What are dead birds doing down there recreating a reef?  Oh, like Bird Scooters like Lime?  Right, right."  

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12 minutes ago, royiv said:

A true solution requires a big investment in mental health and substance abuse treatment and we know that’s not going to happen. Instead, we use the justice system at a higher price.

Agreed.  I simply gave up fighting City Council on this when we'd review homelessness/affordable bonds for the better part of a decade.  Almost no money going to the three underlying causes-mental health, addiction, and veteran's services.  To be fair, that shouldn't all to the municipal level-much of it should be carried by the Feds and State of Texas.  But after reviewing one bullshit purchase after another without caring for the basic proactive care of it all...I've just fucking had it.  Yes, there are always going to be people who are ill, have exhausted services and kindness and just go out to live in the streets and wreak havoc in some cases.  But we are just going to Hampton Inn our way out of this issue.  Ever.  It's a quiet little grift that goes unnoticed while we talk about access road encampments.  Happy Easter everybody! 

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14 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

This kind of stuff has always happened. If anything is disingenuous it's the idea that these things are new. They're not new. They're being selectively amplified by dark money interest groups to manufacture consent for throwing money at cops (the same cops who refuse to even pretend that they're interested in solving the crimes that do get reported).

Lol. Yeah, that's the ticket. 

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1 hour ago, DaggerHorns said:

Agreed. The housing here won’t be fixed. Ever. Waaay too much chicken fucking.

When we vote for things like Project Connect, we just make it more expensive but no one cares to understand that this increases both ownership and renting real estate. Pretty cool stuff to vote for. To make matters worse, they didn’t even have the accurate amount it would cost.
 

I can’t fathom putting together a package for a city of a million people and being a few billion off of the true number.

It wasn't that they were off by that much. They knew that they were underbudgeting so that the number would look better on a ballot.

Once it was approved by the voters, there is no repercussion to saying "whoops! sorry. we missed it by a few billion".

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You ain't tired of this BS argument yet? I see that shit from half of r/Austin and it is such disingenuous bullshit. 
"Hey, the homeless situation causes some serious financial, environmental, and societal costs. We have machete attacks, murders, fires, and tons of trash."
"Oh, you just don't like seeing poor people!"
GTFO.

I don’t follow your point.
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1 hour ago, Orange&White said:

It wasn't that they were off by that much. They knew that they were underbudgeting so that the number would look better on a ballot.

Once it was approved by the voters, there is no repercussion to saying "whoops! sorry. we missed it by a few billion".

And the map they put out was BS.

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On 4/2/2024 at 1:53 PM, chainsaw said:

This kind of stuff has always happened. If anything is disingenuous it's the idea that these things are new. They're not new. They're being selectively amplified by dark money interest groups to manufacture consent for throwing money at cops (the same cops who refuse to even pretend that they're interested in solving the crimes that do get reported).

Until a lowbrow gaming shop wasn't renewed its lease, the whole neighborhood suffered. Syringes, shit, broken windows, broken cameras, clothes with shit on them, bricks through car windows, breaking and entering, burglary, and passed out addicts. The police did next to nothing and I'd call 911 and just report a person not responding but breathing. Luckily it was fairly rare that they passed out in front of the building to where it would cause an obvious material loss of business. Still, I would have to escort patients back to their cars if I was seeing them after 7:00. And every morning, I would have to get to the office an hour earlier to clean up before seeing patients. I've been in the same place for 15 years and it hasn't always happened and even after the gaming business left, I still have some stragglers who haven't gotten the hint.

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On 4/2/2024 at 9:26 AM, royiv said:

Serious question, what do you think priorities 1-4 or 1-5 are because I can’t figure out what the heck Watson is doing?

he's doing exactly what he was elected to be doing: be austin's old white father

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Just now, chainsaw said:

This is why they need a pay cut. Or at least their compensation should be tied to performance.

Yeah, fighting the homeless issue by defunding the police, that's a solution.

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1 minute ago, chainsaw said:

Overfunding and overpolicing never works.

Not advocating for it, but overpolicing always works. If I spent money on security guards, the problem would have disappeared overnight for as long as the security guards were present.

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13 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Not staffing 911, and having between a 700-400 officer shortage for a very large city never works. 

I've seen no evidence of shortages that doesn't require me to take the union's word at its face value.

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I've seen no evidence of shortages that doesn't require me to take the union's word at its face value.
How about from a site that seems geared towards your desires? We have a little more than half the police as other cities of similar size. If you go by the oft-mentioned "225 officers per 100k people for cities with a population over 500k", then we should have 2218 officers. That's a little over 400 short, and over 1400 less than cities of comparable population per this website that wants less police.

Or maybe the police union is conspiring with them? 7ea478d1f914d448ef0cd6055801cf88.jpg
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Anyone seeing any sort of effect of Dell's surging stock price around town? Does anyone still work there? Stock price has just soared and it's got to be making some folks flush.

 

image.png.8298ccec360dacd907832be93f805d4d.png

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8 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Anyone seeing any sort of effect of Dell's surging stock price around town? Does anyone still work there? Stock price has just soared and it's got to be making some folks flush.

 

image.png.8298ccec360dacd907832be93f805d4d.png

The parking lots at the Round Rock Dell campus are mostly empty whenever we drive by there weekdays. 
Or maybe everybody who doesn’t still work from home just Ubers in?

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