Rise Up Austin

[image] The Other Ones Foundation is receiving $60,000,000 to build 325 of these units. That cost averages over $180,000 per unit. These don't look bigger than 12'x8'... ~100sqft. Austin's average building cost is $180-$300 per square foot. Where is the rest of the money going?

[video] Just last week, the President of Austin/Travis Local AFSCME urged the City Council to audit Austin Police first, citing their pattern of overtime. Had these APD shifts been cut to reduce overtime, the lives of the brave EMS employees would have been in even greater danger.

[image] The Austin City Auditor is earning their pay. Check out this report, to be presented at the Audit & Finance Committee tomorrow. Objective: The objective of this audit was to determine whether the City is managing consultant contracts in an efficient and economical manner. What

[video] As I testified at Austin City Council, these numbers simply don't add up. They make homelessness look less like a problem and more like an industry. The contract with The Other Ones Foundation for Esperanza II doesn’t just support housing development, it locks in taxpayer

[text] THREAD: Last night's @AustinISD board meeting was a masterclass in deflection. A $181M budget gap for next year. A $49M hole this year. And the explanation? Blame immigration. Blame the state. Blame everyone but themselves. Let's go through it. 🧵

[image] How's that camping ban working out? Saw this mess along Shoal Creek and under the foot bridge at 4th and Rio Grande.

[image] Top 10 Annual Salaries of Austin Executives: $4.85M in 2024 Austin Energy GM $475K City Manager $470K Airport CEO $425K Airport CDO $376K Deputy City Manager $325K Austin Energy Deputy GM $322K Austin Energy Execs $317K Chief Medical Officer $315K Assistant City Managers $298K

[image] AUS airport's South Terminal opened in 2017, after $12M in renovations. Just 9 years later, it's being demoed but not before the city spent $88M on an eminent domain settlement. Now ABIA is building Concourse M to temporarily fill service gaps & doesn't open until spring 2028.

[video] The most frustrating part of this week's Austin City Council was waiting over an hour to speak only to be sabotaged by the Mayor. I research and prepare my statements. I'm sure the Council *feels* like I'm wasting their time, but this week the Mayor actually wasted mine.

[video] Austin's recently adopted Homeless Strategic Plan fails to include the taxpayers' perspective. For weeks I've worked to understand the gaps this creates. I presented my findings at City Hall this week, if only for the record. My thanks to everyone who gave me their perspective.

[image] A naked man broke into a southeast Austin home at 4:30 AM on March 23rd, confronted the homeowner, and fired shots. He then shot at arriving officers, sparking a 4-hour SWAT standoff. I can't find any update on this story... Who the hell is this guy?

[video] Listening to Mayor Pro Tem Vela discuss Front Yard Businesses has me wondering if this is a way for Austin to make it easier for immigrants to make money without a work visa. It sounds like we already have people selling goods without filing with the State or paying sales taxes.

[text] Stuck in traffic in Austin and need a public toilet. You know what sucks? When all the public toilets are closed to the public so that homeless people can't camp out in them.

[image] Leaked Austin ISD messages expose admins mocking parents as “poisonous” and “ugly,” privately doubting their own school closure rubric, questioning property-sale motives, and trashing dual-language programs while trying to delete chats to hide it all.

[video] If I had been given ten minutes to explain the problems with all the zoning and parking policy changes proposed by council this week, I don't think I could have said it any better than Council Member Marc Duchen. Thank you @Marc4AustinD10 for being an eloquent voice of reason.

[image] The City of Austin's IT is bloated, spending ~$210M annually (81% more money than peer cities and 98% more staff) per audit. AFSCME Local opposes consolidation into one department, protesting it as counterproductive, claiming it disrupts specialized, non-transferable roles.

[image] Daniel Vasquez, accused of elbowing then stomping on a man's head at Austin Central Library, leaving the victim critically injured - has a record of attacking people, including an 11-yr-old boy & his mother on a CapMetro bus (cases were dismissed via mental health diversion).

[image] Last fall, the City of Austin told taxpayers that we needed to approve a tax rate increase for basic EMS and fire services. Meanwhile, they were sitting on an IT audit that showed a savings opportunity multiples of the budget gap - and they weren't planning on sharing it with us.

[image] Austin City Council is voting to approve the Homeless Strategic Plan on March 26th, Item 31. No input from taxpayers. This will have vast reprocussions. This will be used to justify more funding, more shelters & navigation centers. Share your thoughts📨

[image] It's a common argument, Austin's budget is so big because we run so many enterprises. Perhaps we just don't run them well? The more I learn about the airport, the more frustrated I become with the incompetent management and planning. There's no end to the BS.

[image] Past arrest affidavits indicate Vasquez was homeless. Our homeless system is incapable of providing mental health support. State run mental health institutions don't take the mentally ill until they've committed atrocious crimes. The gap between the systems endangers us all.

[image] Frequent Felony Friday. Vince was on deferred adjudication for violent gun-related crimes near a school. While on deferred took police on a car chase where they found a gun. Instead of revoking probation, Garza just let him go. Last week, he was arrested trying to smuggle

[image] Austin ISD is slashing performance bonuses for top teachers under the Teacher Incentive Allotment, cutting take-home pay by thousands, due to budgets. Yet continue facing fallout from poor student outcomes while undermining incentives meant to reward & retain effective educators.

[image] Thank you, Austin taxpayers, to all of you who have shared your feedback on the city's homeless strategies. I've received many messages & emails which have helped me to prepare this taxpayer perspective for the Homeless Strategies Office. I welcome more feedback. Full document

[image] A family friend of Aiden Hearn, the Austin man who stepped in to save a stranger on a CapMetro bus, has launched a GoFundMe to cover his medical expenses and lost to income while he recovers from knife wounds. If you're inclined to donate:

[image] You know what's really counterproductive? Austin doesn't have a homeless dashboard yet because there's no one in the homeless strategy office with the skills to build one. True story. Maybe consolidating IT will help all departments access the IT services they need?

[text] The Austin City Council meeting ran on and on this week. With kids in tow, we made several trips in and out of the building to do school lessons while I waited my turn to speak. I got a treat during one of our security screenings when the guard greeted me as "Ms Robichaux".

[image] The Other Ones Foundation requires $23K+ in operating costs for EACH unit per year at Esperanza II ... And *you* the Austin taxpayer are expected to pay up.

[text] It's right there in the ordinance - the city can designate camping areas. There has been zero effort to follow through. Even when voters speak at the ballot, we're ignored. What must we do to see full enforcement of Prop B?

[image] The City of Austin is renewing a contract with Hagerty Consulting (current provider since 2020) for up to $1.45M to recover COVID-related FEMA funds. So many questions! How much COVID recovery money is still owed to Austin? Why is the city outsourcing this work instead of

[image] Last council meeting I criticized the city for using an ordinance to establish an audit, citing it as easily reversed. What are they doing this week? Undoing protections on an ordinance that is meant to track lobbyists' influence. Email council on Item 2

[video] Despite Austin Transit Partnership promising transparency, we continue to receive none. Attorney @AleshireLaw gave an update on @NewsRadioKLBJ on March 30th regarding what we know about federal funding for Project Connect. Spoiler: they're withholding information. Transcript -

[image] This is a map of the more than 200 reported cases of arson in Austin from 2024-2026. Most have no suspects. When there are suspects, the local DA mostly declines to prosecute or gives a slap on the wrist to the perp. With all the money spent on homeless cleanups, why can't we