ATX city council considering sculpture to homeless (Austin, Round Rock: sales, 2013)

[tazbigdog]

I don't agree that this statue is appropriate to memorialize a portion of the population usually associated with panhandling, drug and alcohol use and abuse, etc. Better to have a statue memorializing veterans.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by tazbigdog

I don't agree that this statue is appropriate to memorialize a portion of the population usually associated with ... drug .. use...

You're right. We already have a statue to Willie!

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by scm53

But will be the only at large member, post 2014. Not just another member.

An at-large member with the same voting power (1/10) as a district member. Mayor's power is even more diluted than it is today (1/7) but does retain same ceremonial duties...ribbon cuttings, speeches, etc. as well as gets resume line, business cards etc that says "Mayor".

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by EzPeterson

W.T.F?

Remember this garbage come election time.

Originally Posted by tazbigdog

I don't agree that this statue is appropriate to memorialize a portion of the population usually associated with panhandling, drug and alcohol use and abuse, etc. Better to have a statue memorializing veterans.

This!

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Komeht

An at-large member with the same voting power (1/10) as a district member. Mayor's power is even more diluted than it is today (1/7) but does retain same ceremonial duties...ribbon cuttings, speeches, etc. as well as gets resume line, business cards etc that says "Mayor".

Please. You are being disingenuous. The power is in representing the narrow interests of the cabal that controls today, with all at large votes - but representative of a only a narrow sliver of Austin. That will continue in the only at-large seat. With eleven members, six votes control. Count on sanity from one NW, one SW, one SE. At least five will be of the Tovo/Morrison doppelgänger mindset. The at large mayor - certainly from the three listed as supporters of this - will ensure continued effective control of City Hall.

[austin-steve]

A bronze statue, no matter what it depicts, placed in a city park would be the height of irony, given that our city parks are sorely underfunded and deteriorating. That expense would be better allocated toward improving the park through better maintenance and upkeep rather than adorning it with an object which will, at worst, be vandalized and, at best, be an ongoing parks expense through the scrubbing of graffiti.

Statues normally memorialize those who made a contribution or sacrifice to country or community. While I sympathize with the plight of the homeless, they do not contribute or sacrifice for the benefit of others.

If city council wants parkgoers to be visually reminded of homelessness, they simply need to lift the homeless camping ban which drove the homeless out of the parks and into the greenbelts and back alleys. Then there will once again be plenty of "living statues" in the form of actual homeless people asleep on the ground or loitering in groups, instead of a stupid statue placed in a location where those the statue commemorates are legally prohibited from assembling or sleeping.

Steve

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

A bronze statue, no matter what it depicts, placed in a city park would be the height of irony, given that our city parks are sorely underfunded and deteriorating. That expense would be better allocated toward improving the park through better maintenance and upkeep rather than adorning it with an object which will, at worst, be vandalized and, at best, be an ongoing parks expense through the scrubbing of graffiti.

Statues normally memorialize those who made a contribution or sacrifice to country or community. While I sympathize with the plight of the homeless, they do not contribute or sacrifice for the benefit of others.

If city council wants parkgoers to be visually reminded of homelessness, they simply need to lift the homeless camping ban which drove the homeless out of the parks and into the greenbelts and back alleys. Then there will once again be plenty of "living statues" in the form of actual homeless people asleep on the ground or loitering in groups, instead of a stupid statue placed in a location where those the statue commemorates are legally prohibited from assembling or sleeping.

Steve

That's pretty dang good for this early in the morning!

[Kosmonaut]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

That's pretty dang good for this early in the morning!

concur. Austin-Steve is my hero. I would sleep behind his house anytime.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by scm53

Please. You are being disingenuous. The power is in representing the narrow interests of the cabal that controls today, with all at large votes - but representative of a only a narrow sliver of Austin. That will continue in the only at-large seat. With eleven members, six votes control. Count on sanity from one NW, one SW, one SE. At least five will be of the Tovo/Morrison doppelgänger mindset. The at large mayor - certainly from the three listed as supporters of this - will ensure continued effective control of City Hall.

I'm not sure why you can't wrap your mind around this - the Mayor gets 1 vote out of 10 in the new system. Under current system, Mayor gets 1 vote out of 7. If anything, the Mayor's power is diluted under 10-1 but remains exactly that as every single other council member. I don't know what the districts are yet - no one has put out even a preliminary map for comment. But that doesn't change at all the fact that the Mayor gets 1 vote and 1 vote only. The rest is window dressing.


You people are incredibly mistaken if you thing 10-1 will end this madness. Morrison and Tovo will be more entrenched than ever and it will be impossible to vote nutty councilmembers like them out now.We don't have a strong Mayor in Austin. It's time we do before 10-1 spins absolutely out of control with looney toons.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Here it is: "The Homecoming": Statues to Memorialize the Homelessness Experience | House The Homeless

At least they could have made it a statue of Leslie or something.

Don't forget Homer The Goose.