Incompetent, fucked-up government in Austin

[dalton99a]

Car washes are allowed to operate while most residents have no water

[jimfields33]

1. Sounds like the mayor will need to answer for this

[Chicago1980]

13. The mayor doesn't control the water pipes.

[3Hotdogs]

16. I don't figure that the car wash's water needs to be sanitized.

Its not that water is not available. Its CLEAN, potable water that is missing. A utility needs power to sterilize water.

[ananda]

28. Mayor Adler needs to be recalled.

..

[WVreaper]

2. Karen

needs to wash her car.

[Claire Oh Nette]

3. Don't Mess with Texas

I've owned my car just over a year. It rains here. That's when it gets washed. These people are shallow and have money to burn, because that kind of car wash is not cheap.

Wasteful, and I ask whether the city allowed this, or just didn't explicitly prohibit this. The owner and his clientele are likely Cruzers and Hatriots. I me mine.

And they wanted to secede....

[Renew Deal]

11. Do you also shower outdoors?

Since it's cheaper?

[Celerity]

4. worst headline of the year - City Manager Spencer Cronk: Operating smoothly under extraordinary

circumstances


https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2021/01/city-manager-spencer-cronk-operating-smoothly-under-extraordinary-circumstances/

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Can't interfere with bizniz.

[not fooled]

15. ++++++++++++++++++++

biznez must run freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

people, on the other hand....serfs

[Skittles]

6. is it the same mayor who advised people to stay home while on vacay in Mexico?

sounds like a real winner - shouldn't he be a repuke?

[dalton99a]

8. Their so-called water director is as clueless and useless as they come

The water director is now blaming the car washes' "unneighborly behavior" for the prolonged disaster

[cwydro]

20. I think he's a Dem, but I can't remember.

I remember the episode though.

[Texasgal]

22. Ofcourse he's a DEM

WE are in Austin after all.

Not all DEMS have their ass in the right place!

[Crunchy Frog]

7. Texas knows what its priorities are.

[Cha]

9. omg somebodies have

their freaking priorities Whacked!

[Renew Deal]

10. Is the car wash preventing her mother from getting water?

I don't understand the complaint. Did she just find out life is not fair? The water should be used if it works.

[catrose]

12. It's not (always) a question of broken pipes. We're being told it's impossible to get water.

Theoretically the car washes get it from the same places we can't. "No water pressure," they're saying in my district.

[Skittles]

33. are you for real?

[Renew Deal]

34. Yes

But I'm not there. They might be permitted to use water. Also, that is besides the point that others brought up that car washes recycle water. There is not enough info with those tweets.

[Scruffy1]

14. Automated car washes recycle their water.

I have no idea what kind of car wash this is but the usual automated car wash may use as little as 2 gallons per car. It gets filtered, treated and reused.

[LeftInTX]

17. I think the car washes in San Antonio were open today

My daughter in Austin has water now. It was 60 degrees today. There should be enough electrcity to pump water.

The problem now are burst pipes and much of it depends on construction or just luck. Pier and beam foundations or buildings with attic pipes are at risk. My friend's apartment had big overhead pipe burst. He packed his things and got out of there.

[ananda]

29. I never lost water, I don't exactly know why.

I did keep the faucets dripping the whole time though.

[zaj]

18. What would banning their operations do to help the situation?

I don't get the outrage. Are they making it hard to fix broken pipes? Is there a need for them to limit water usage when it's working? This seems like a "nothing". What am I missing?

[Texasgal]

21. We are trying to fill the reserves in order

to get enough water pressure to people so they can have water!

[Texasgal]

19. I am in south Austin

and STILL without water! I am BEYOND frustrated!

To the Austinites that felt the need to wash their car, FUCK YOU!

[Lithos]

24. Hey

We also live in Austin - Barton Hills - have water, though it's part of the boil ban type of thing.

Do you need water - even if it needs boiling to drink? Do you need a shower? Our water is hot and we have decent pressure here. We do not have a huge supply of drinking water, but can help at least with access to what we at least have. DM me if you need...

[Texasgal]

35. Thank you!

I finally got water this afternoon!

Best shower I've ever had!

Thnak you for your kindness.

[Lithos]

23. to be fair...

To maintain costs, many car wash places recycle/reclaim their water so much of it is self-contained. Ie, the water is far from potable. I would confirm this before I cast too many stones.

That said, it's still very bad from an image standpoint.

While I live about 1.5 mi away in S. Austin and lucky to have water, too many of my neighbors farther south are without water and everyone in my neighborhood is doing their best to conserve.

L-

[KY_EnviroGuy]

25. Optics, folks....OPTICS. Not good for the general public's spirit and demeanor.

Now, let's hope some badass with an arsenal whose grandma ain't got a drop to drink doesn't shoot up one of these joints.

Ted Cruz's little southern escapade was very bad optics and flat our immoral, for example.

KY........

[Kaleva]

26. Yesterday, Austin has placed a ban on washing cars and using water for other outdoor use

"Austin Water Orders Ban On Car Washing, Outdoor Water Use

People who wash their cars or add water to a pool may be subject to a $250 fine under emergency water restrictions issued by Austin Water on Saturday.

The utility had asked customers to conserve water so it can shore up reservoirs depleted due to the extreme weather. A minimum amount of storage is needed to build water pressure for the entire system and get water back to customers.

Austin Water said the restrictions are also needed to ensure water is available for hospitals, fire departments and power plants.

In a statement announcing the restrictions, the utility said it had learned of "unneighborly water use" in the community."

https://www.kut.org/austin/2021-02-20/austin-water-orders-ban-on-car-washing-outdoor-water-use

[dalton99a]

27. Austin has very serious infrastructure issues, and the leadership is obsessed with PR bullshit

like a new green garbage can and more light rail that nobody uses

Other cities and municipalities in the region never shut off running water to residents (i.e. their residents never had to shit in bags).

The days-long water outage in Austin is a disgrace, and the mayor is nowhere to be seen

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https://www.kxan.com/investigations/austins-biomass-power-plant-sat-idle-during-texas-winter-energy-crisis/

Austin’s biomass power plant sat idle during Texas winter energy crisis
by: David Barer
Posted: Feb 19, 2021 / 12:37 PM CST / Updated: Feb 19, 2021 / 12:38 PM CST

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Austin Energy’s biomass power plant in East Texas, which the city purchased in 2019 for $460 million, sat idle and produced no power during one of the worst winter energy crises in state history.

An Austin Energy spokesperson confirmed to KXAN the Nacogdoches plant, which burns wood waste and can produce more than 100 megawatts of power, was not used in the past week. And, because of a plan made last year, the city did not have the option to fire the plant up, the utility said.

[LeftInTX]

31. I think we have one of those in SA

I don't know how much energy it produces

[AwakeAtLast]

32. My sister and her husband are done with Austin

They had been discussing a move back to his home town of Albuquerque, NM. This past week solidified their decision, and he has been doing interviews on Zoom.

I loved visiting there ten years ago. Now, not so much. There won't be anything but trendy condos and bumper to bumper traffic in another ten years!

[Skittles]

36. I lived in Austin for 17 years

it shocks me now, it is just nothing like it was

[AwakeAtLast]

37. She's been there for twelve.

It is not the Austin she fell in love with, that's for sure!

They have been priced out of the housing market, too. Supply in Austin is so small, bidding wars are making offers jump up to $100,000 over asking price! That's insane!

[Lithos]

38. LOL

Been here 50+ years. Talk about how things have changed. (Not always for the worst - just change)