“A Texas-based filmmaker and activist is highlighting the growing homeless crisis in Austin after a shocking video showed its 'crown jewel' hiking trial littered with needles and human waste.

In footage posted Tuesday by Jamie Hammonds on Twitter, trash can be seen littered across the Violet Crown Trail in the state capital. 'It's destroyed. It will never be the same,' Hammonds said in his tweet.

A local resident added that the 'environmental damage from these camps is immense.'

In an interview with Fox News, Hammonds pointed the blame at Austin's Democratic leaders, arguing that policies have driven people from the city's streets into recreational areas.

The city's council is made of ten Democrats and just one Republican, and is overseen by Democratic Mayor Kirk Watson. Hammonds said in a March 2023 interview: 'We can’t keep going down this path. It takes constituents to push the council members to start making different decisions.' …”

DailyMail article:
https://mol.im/a/12173811

Austin is not quite the shithole that Seattle, Portland, SF, LA and NYC are, but my guess is that’s only because it’s in a red state. While there are a lot of homeless in the city, they at least aren’t openly using drugs like I’ve seen in the other cities.

I’m only a visitor to the cities so residents may have a different experience than I do with the amount of open drug use in Austin but I haven’t seen it. It’s certainly unfortunate as Austin is a really cool city with a lot of awesome places to visit.

Again and again…”The Left destroys EVERYTHING it touches” - Dennis Prager

quote:

Originally posted by Pale Horse:
Austin is not quite the shithole that Seattle, Portland, SF, LA and NYC are, but my guess is that’s only because it’s in a red state. While there are a lot of homeless in the city, they at least aren’t openly using drugs like I’ve seen in the other cities.

I’m only a visitor to the cities so residents may have a different experience than I do with the amount of open drug use in Austin but I haven’t seen it. It’s certainly unfortunate as Austin is a really cool city with a lot of awesome places to visit.

Agreed.
Austin is many things but, it's nowhere close to the squalor & disfunction that many of the West Coast cities have created for themselves. What saves Austin, is it's in a red-state, surrounded by red counties. While it certainly is lighthouse for Lefties in the entire region, with majority conservatives surrounding it, the stupid is contained & moderated.

quote:

Originally posted by Pale Horse:
Austin is not quite the shithole that Seattle, Portland, SF, LA and NYC are...

Neither were any of those places until they were those places. Shit begets shit.

Massive homeless encampments, needles, paraphernalia, and human waste have become the most universal indicators of a leftist controlled city.

'These are leftist droppings alright'

In the article linked in my OP, scroll down a little to see the photo of Austin mayor Kirk Watson. Would you buy a used car from that guy? I think not.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
In the article linked in my OP, scroll down a little to see the photo of Austin mayor Kirk Watson. Would you buy a used car from that guy? I think not.

Same fake smile as politicians everywhere, but where's the 10 gallon hat, Lucchese boots, and bolo tie? I didn't think you could win an election in Texas without the proper apparel. You guys are slipping.

quote:

Originally posted by architect: Same fake smile as politicians everywhere, but where's the 10 gallon hat, Lucchese boots, and bolo tie? I didn't think you could win an election in Texas without the proper apparel. You guys are slipping.

You can't dress like that as a Democrat and win an election in Austin. The lefties will think you're a conservative.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Austin is many things but, it's nowhere close to the squalor & disfunction that many of the West Coast cities have created for themselves. What saves Austin, is it's in a red-state, surrounded by red counties.

Pretty much, even though I will never step foot into Austin, it is bad enough. Having been to SF, Los Angeles, and Portland in the last 5 years, Austin is an approximate facsimile of those shitholes. My brother in law, and other friends who grew up in Austin, they live in the Hill Country areas and also avoid Austin like the plague.

The best part about Austin is the 85mph toll road that bypasses the cesspool. The worst part of the toll road is there's usually a local Austin-ite driving their Tesla about 15mph under the limit in the left lane.

Austin was Californized a little over 10 years ago. You could draw a graph with that influx that would mirror this homeless problem.

Poor behavior allowed to fester begets worse behavior that becomes malignant. So called compassion begets acceptance begets entitlement. The politicians treating these problems with kid gloves need tents in front of their homes and RVs dumping raw sewage lining their neighborhoods.

The idiot majority put these leftists in power. They get exactly what they deserve.

They seem incapable of looking into the future to see the consequences of these decisions.

We feel so bad that there are homeless people. Lets let them camp out in the public parks.

Two years later:

Oh, gee. This park has turned to shit and is full of trash. People are afraid to go there.

Seems I recall that the ledge just passed a new law that grants the state govt the power to remove local elected officials that don’t do their jobs. It seems aimed at DAs who fail to hold arrested criminals or otherwise enforce the law. The Austin (Travis County) DA is a cop hating leftist who lets criminals out on no bail or reduced bail. He’s just one leftist pol who has turned Austin into “Fecal City”.

When the ledge is in session every 2 years, the ledge members have to live temporarily in the area unless they’re close enough to commute, so the state ledge members get to experience fecal city on a personal level.

Wonder if the Gov will have the will to remove the Austin mayor and city counsel members for failure to maintain a livable city? Doubt it. I can see the Gov making an example of the Austin, Houston or SA area DA’s. It should generate a political “fecal weather event” if it happens along with the requisite cries of fascism, totalitarianism and death of democracy by the GDCs.

The state just took control of the Houston School district due to failures to meet standards, although that was under previously enacted powers related to schools. A storm of protest is rising from teachers and
the GDC community.

I live in the Hill Country about 25 miles away. I have to go to Austin sometimes. I watch where I step.

Just saw this video/article. About San Francisco, not Austin but shows how bad leftist control is destroying cities. The kid that is in the video gives me hope for some of GenZ.

Fourth World

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
The idiot majority put these leftists in power. They get exactly what they deserve.

Part of my frustration is trying to understand why TXDPS took over an expanded patrol area of responsibility surrounding the Texas Capital area to help out the understaffed Austin PD. Not just traffic collisions and traffic stops, but they are answering loud noise complaints and domestic disturbance calls (as well as all the other routine BS) in certain residential areas. IMHO, TXDPS should've said nope, y'all are on your own, reap what you sow.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
The idiot majority put these leftists in power. They get exactly what they deserve.

The sane minority don't deserve it, though.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
They seem incapable of looking into the future to see the consequences of these decisions.

We feel so bad that there are homeless people. Lets let them camp out in the public parks.

Two years later:

Oh, gee. This park has turned to shit and is full of trash. People are afraid to go there.

It's almost like once you start self deluding about one thing, it also works for other things.
Self delusion: I put that shit on everything!