Citizens Organize to Stop Austin City Council’s Destructive Decision

[Elderberry]

Texas Scorecard By Jacob Asmussen February 25, 2020

After the council’s controversial homeless decision sparked months of public chaos, Austinites are now campaigning to restore safety to their community and sanity to their local government.

AUSTIN—“The Mayor and City Council refuse to admit their mistake, so it is up to the citizens to fix their mess.”

On Monday, Austinite Matt Mackowiak stood alongside a coalition of organization leaders and concerned neighbors as they announced their new effort—nonprofit Save Austin Now—to restore order and safety to a city strung out on months of mayhem.

“We are proposing that our city go back to where it was in June, before Council Member Greg Casar pushed through the homeless camping ordinance without considering the risks posed to public safety, public health, tourism, and the image of Austin,” Mackowiak said.

The whole issue began last June, when the Austin City Council made the controversial decision to allow vagrants to camp, sit, and lie down in public spaces across the city. Almost overnight, Austinites saw their streets, sidewalks, and highways littered with campsites, trash, and tent cities.

The council’s decision sparked a wildfire of public contention, prompting a slew of law enforcement and elected officials to speak out against it, and nearly 90,000 citizens and counting to sign a petition calling for the law’s reversal. Citizens also packed townhalls over the summer, testifying to the harmful consequences of the law and angry that registered sex offenders were among those now allowed to sleep directly next to apartments and elementary schools.

More: https://texasscorecard.com/local/citizens-organize-to-stop-austin-city-councils-destructive-decision/

[thackney]

Sanity in Austin?  How did that happen?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Methinks the SF mentality of the Austin City Council overstepped in its rush to make Austin more like San Francisco.

[PeteS in CA]

This should set up some interesting, classic-style, town vs. university friction (I'm assuming the votes of UT students and academics are a significant constituency in Austin elections).

[240B]

The students are much more likely to be mugged and/or assaulted by the homeless bums.
They are more likely to be out late at night and more likely to be impaired which makes them easy.
I doubt the snobs at UT enjoy walking in pee and poop or being coerced for money every 10 feet on the sidewalk.
No. Same as San Francisco/NYC, this is an ordinance which is only supported by elites who do not have to deal with it.