newsdesk

Not much at all: schools-wise, Austin ISD, the University of Texas, and Austin Community College are all closed, to name a few. City of Austin and Travis County offices have also shut their doors. For more information, News 8 Austin has an updated list of closures and delays all across the city.

So much for my interview with Lee Leffingwell. Read More | Comment »

Which is probably what you're saying if you're under 18 and not a parent, because Austin ISD and several other school districts in the area have canceled classes and all after-school and extracurricular activities for Tuesday. Read More | Comment »

With any legally required apologies to The Onion:

• Passing legislation classifying all Central Texas as overpass

• Visiting shelters Downtown, stocking up on homeless to burn

• Rick Perry canceling inauguration parade, inauguration

• Kurt Standiford penning angry missive to Austin's gay meteorological cabal

• Whole Foods selling storm supply kits of Dr. Bronner's Soap, organic Cheetos, Tito's Vodka

• Will Wynn starching, pressing collection of “butch” shirts for press conferences

• Anti-toll-road zealots congratulate selves for 290 closure

• Reminiscing over how cool the last freeze was, before Austin changed

Add yours in the comments. (And of course, everything above is extremely silly and false, ya dig?) Read More | 3 Comments »

A revised version of the Big Box Ordinance bounced back from council to the Planning Commission for review on Jan. 16.

A key change forwarded by City Council Member Lee Leffingwell was a developer-friendly provision to allow a single, combined public hearing for 1) the big-box retail conditional-use permit and 2) rezoning. But with the city legal department uncomfortable putting a time limit on the approvals granted at such a hearing, advocates at Liveable City (the nonprofit that originally forwarded the ordinance) were wary of the change. Their concern: Big-box zoning could be approved for a site, but the development might not occur for years or decades; the neighborhood would not get another hearing when the big-box superstore actually got built.

A second concern was the unaddressed "adjacent structure loophole.” The ordinance’s expanded public hearing and neighborhood notification requirements apply only to stores of 100,000 square feet and up. A wily retailer easily could prepare a site plan for two adjacent 95,000 structures – Wal-Mart Home and Wal-Mart Grocery, say – to skirt the ordinance. To close the loophole, city staff was considering a language change, tying total limited square footage to a principal retail use and accessories, rather than to a single building.

If the city isn't shut down by ice Tuesday night, we may get yet another version of the ordinance that gets kicked back up to council – again. Read More | Comment »

From the governor's office:

Media Advisory

Inaugural Parade Cancelled

AUSTIN – The 2007 Texas Inaugural Parade, scheduled to take place Tuesday from Noon to 1:30 p.m. along Congress Avenue, has been cancelled. Freezing rain and ice have prevented workers from constructing bleachers and street barricades necessary to conduct the parade. Further winter storm warnings for overnight tonight and tomorrow morning also could jeopardize parade participants.


Editor's note: We are told, however, that the inauguration ceremony is still set for 10am Tuesday on the south steps of the Capitol, but it will likely be moved inside to the House chamber. Read More | Comment »

So...what's new?

In case you spent this weekend in Margaritaville, you may not have noticed the worst winter storm in recent memory blew in when you weren't looking. So severe Will Wynn had to throw on the long sleeve denim shirt for his press conference yesterday, sans tie. Whoa.

The National Weather Service's 7-day forecast doesn't lend much hope. A winter storm warning is in effect, and reports of sleet are plentiful. The real shitstorm, however, doesn't look to hit until midday tomorrow, when a nasty winter mix of snow, freezing rain, and arctic gusts looks to flash-freeze the city. Ugh.

As today is Martin Luther King day, and most the kids aren't in school yet, it's hard to get a handle on closures. (Except for the aforementioned MLK activities; both UT and the city have canceled theirs.) The city's emergency conditions page has updated road closures and public advisories here. They also kick some ice safety knowledge here.

Of course, there's one simple safety maxim we adhere to: if you ain't got to go nowhere, then don't. Especially if there's a Battlestar Galactica marathon on. Read More | Comment »

So he withdrew it before it went down like a lead zeppelin, but Austin Rep. Eddie Rodriguez proposed language earlier today that would have allowed bloggers access to the House floor.

"With the rise of citizen journalism, it no longer makes sense to limit access to House business solely to the traditional press outlets," says Rodriguez's press release. "This kind of measure would encourage citizen participation in government and help demystify the system for the general public."

Rodriguez's move was an encouraging step, as is a bill up this session drafting a shield law for journalists – although an early draft of it strips independent journalists, such as bloggers, of its protections. Why only afford them to the pros? Read More | Comment »

Today Responsible Growth for Northcross announced they will undertake a massive multineighborhood survey to get a gauge of public opinion in the ongoing Wal-Mart/Northcross debacle. RG4N members will be canvassing door-to-door, while several Wal-Mart-weary businesses will additionally have the survey over the weekend. Also, the survey can be taken online at www.survey.rg4n.org. Says RG4N President Hope Morrison in a press release, "By asking the questions Lincoln Property Company should be asking, we'll quantify the neighborhood opposition to the redevelopment plans and the giant Wal-Mart. Plus, we'll be equipped to create a better vision for Northcross. Ultimately, we want to benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and help Lincoln Property Company rethink their plans and build a more successful and admired development."

This burst of civic action occurs the weekend of the Allandale Neighborhood Association's meeting. Rumors of an interassociation skirmish over whether to sign off in formal opposition to Wal-Mart (and support a possible lawsuit) will likely surface in the Saturday meeting.

Peruse a print version of the RG4N survey here. Read More | Comment »

The reflexive outrage of the mouth-breathing anti-immigration crowd has sunk to a new nadir, according to the Chicago Tribune. Pizza Patrón, that Dallas-based chain of piemakers, announced earlier this month as part of a promotion they would accept payment in pesos. This move garnered hateful e-mails and death threats from the flaccid Lou Dobbs-wannabes of the world. Our suggestion: Pesos or no, get ye down to one of the Patron's Austin stores to show some support.

Anyway, those hateful racists are nuts. Look at the Patrón. Shoot, you'd have to be crazy to cross that guy. Read More | Comment »

Congressman Ron Paul, R-Surfside Beach, filed papers yesterday to run for president. This would be the second run for Paul, who previously ran in 1988 as the nominee of the Libertarian Party. Paul, an obstetrician, has a long political career: He served in Congress in the Seventies and Eighties before his presidential run, and returned to Congress in 1997. Although he is running as a Republican, his votes are consistently what one would expect of a Libertarian. As such, Paul will have an uphill battle for the Republican nomination; although he has had no trouble keeping his seat in District 14 (which covers most of the northern Gulf Coast), his maverick votes have not set well with the Bush-loyal, more theocratic members of the party – especially his fierce opposition to the Iraq war and the PATRIOT Act. Read More | Comment »

Especially if you live North-Central Travis County. The latest issue of the Travis County Democratic Party's e-newsletter lists these times to chat with a couple of elected officials, the state representative for District 50 and the county commissioner for Precinct 2:

State Rep. Mark Strama's Listening Sessions
Saturday, Jan. 13
9-10am: Wells Branch Community Center, 2106 Klattenhoff
11am-noon: Pflugerville Independent School District Administration Building, 1401 W. Pecan, Pflugerville
1-2pm: Manor Independent School District Administration Building, District Learning Center/Board Room, 312 Murray, Manor

County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt's Coffee Jolt Wednesday
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 8-9am
PLACE: Austin Java, 1206 Parkway (12th and Lamar)
CONTACT: Loretta at Loretta@saraheckhardt.com Read More | Comment »

Karl-Thomas Musselman, owner of the Burnt Orange Report blog, announced today that he is leaving Texas. You can read the full story if you follow that link, but the gist is: He's heading to Cambridge, Mass., to work for ActBlue, a clearinghouse for Democratic fundraising.

Burnt Orange Report was started in 2003 by liberal-leaning UT students and quickly developed into a force for Democratic activism in the Lone Star State. It was a factor in the 2006 governor's race when it published old videos of Kinky Friedman's stand-up comedy routine, including some racially tinged jokes that probably sunk what little chance he ever had of winning.

Musselman says that, at least for now, he will retain ownership of the blog, but he will be handing over editorial direction to a new crew, including the addition of former state Rep. Glen Maxey as a writer. Read More | 1 Comment »

Your (still somewhat) Austin Representative, on the president's plan unveiled earlier this week:

"President Bush has been wrong at every step along the descent into chaos in Iraq, and he is wrong once again. The terrible price for his repeated miscalculations is paid for by the blood of the brave, by hundreds of billions of dollars squandered, and by greater insecurity for our families. He has no new plan; just an old delusion." Read More | 1 Comment »

In Fact Daily is reporting the city will abandon its efforts to build Water Treatment Plant 4 on the Cortaña tract in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The tract was the city's initial choice for the plant, but Travis County disagreed with their selection for environmental reasons; their acquiescence was required as they co-manage the BCP with the city. Travis County commissioners were slated to hold a hearing in February where they possibly could have revisited the Cortaña option, yet, if as reported, the city has dumped Cortaña and plans on building WTP4 at Bull Creek, it seems unlikely that hearing will occur. Read More | Comment »

Hide the women, children, and non-English speakers! Red-blooded rocker Ted Nugent ("If you can't speak English, then get the fuck out of America") will play Rick Perry's Inaugural Ball on Tuesday. With all the wound-licking going on over the speaker's race, perhaps you’ve forgotten that the gov and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will be sworn into office next week. A full day of festivities are on deck, starting with a swearing-in ceremony at 10am Tuesday on the south steps of the Capitol. Barbecue will be served. The marching bands strike up at noon for the traditional Congress Avenue parade. And that's where the public participation ends and the invitation-only events begin, my friends. Dancing, drinking, and covert cruising get underway after dark, with an inaugural ball bill featuring former Supremes Mary Wilson, country singer Clay Walker, and, of course, the Nuge, whose gun-toting, foul-mouthed, freedom-loving, immigrant-bashing, Christian values puts him in good stead with this crowd. Wonder if Perry seeks the caveman's counsel on immigration issues. Just a thought. Read More | Comment »

As Beside the Point discusses in print this week, creation of a homestead preservation district for east Austin came before the council today; it was summarily approved earlier this morning. While the city pencils in the boundaries of the district, they must wait for some of the heavier lifting to be done in the recently convened House. Austin Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, author of legislation creating the district last session, must also guide a follow up bill through the Lege cleaning up some of its provisions – which hopefully shouldn't be complicated by his vote against Tom Craddick in the Speaker race. As he told Council and onlookers earlier today, "After my vote on Tuesday I feel more comfortable here, at least for a week or so."

Press release from Mike Martinez's office on the HPD below the fold. Read More | Comment »

City Council is currently receiving a hearing on chronic homelessness in the Austin area, the chronically homeless being those with debilitating illnesses or conditions that have been on the streets for an entire year, or have had four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. Let's revisit some of the statistics on Austin's homeless population:

Over a 12 month period, there were over 6,200 homeless people in the Austin area. Between September 12, 2005 and September 12, 2006, 6,242 unique individuals received services from Austin area homeless service providers. (Homeless Management Information System - HMIS)

On any given day, there are approximately 4,000 homeless individuals of which 1,900 are downtown. (Homeless Count 2004)

Over 1,500 children are affected by homelessness in the Austin Independent School District. In the 2005-2006 school year, AISD Project Help served 1,556 homeless students. (AISD Project Help)

There's many proposals, but they're currently discussing use of "travel trailers," wherein a trailer is donated as housing, but residents keep up with the lot fees. A unique and seemingly smart idea, but only one of several if the city's to meet its goal of ending chronic homelessness in the next decade. Read More | Comment »

So tonight our president is poised to announce his plans after painful weeks of "decider" mode: deploying 21,500 extra troops to Iraq, mostly into the cauldron of Baghdad. I suppose tonight he'll lay out some ostensible reason or goal for putting that many more Americans in the middle of an Iraqi civil war, but I hold little hope we'll get much beyond the same shopworn bullshit about standing up and sitting down.

Of course, it's thought one reason for the escalation is to dismantle the Mahdi Army, lead by Muqtada al-Sadr. You know, the same guy Saddam Hussein's executioners were cheering at the hanging supposedly administered by Iraq government. The strongman undoubtedly helps the meager Shiite government there hang on to power. That's gotta put president Nouri al-Maliki in an odd spot – not to mention the troops sent over there. So are they risking their lives to take out one of the president of Iraq's supporters? What exactly are we supposed to accomplish over there?

It's not surprising that Bush, who claims to administer war plans based solely on Army needs and demands (but promptly canned his top general after he said escalation was a bad idea), has basically been reduced to bribing them into going along with his face-saving plans to escalate, dump the whole mess in his predecessors' lap, and claim that he didn't lose Iraq. It's obvious what Bush is trying to do, but I repeat: what the hell else are we doing in Iraq?

UPDATE: So this is how billion dollar, life and death decisions are made: the "surge" was trumpeted by Bush in part to spite the Baker/Hamilton Iraq Study Group. For shame. Read More | Comment »

Of course, there was more going down yesterday than Jim Pitt's speaker hopes; a stone's throw away from the Lege at the County Court, Travis County commissioners revisited their most contentious issue in recent memory: Water Treatment Plant 4.

Commissioners last dealt with WTP4 back in October, when they rebuffed the city's plans to build the plant at the so-called Cortaña site; the city requires county approval to do so as the agencies co-manage the nature habitat Cortaña lies in, the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. In making their denial, commissioners sited the fact that Cortaña lies in the BCP, and is home to the endangered black capped vireo bird; additionally, some felt the city hadn't exhausted its search for other sites, an allegation underscored by a report from the city auditor stating an additional site did fit city criteria, but wasn't properly vetted. Still, the city says they'd prefer to build the treatment plant at Cortaña over the tract they've currently sited, nearby at the headwaters of Bull Creek. Critics allege that the city's decision to stake out the even more ecologically-delicate Bull Creek site has been a gambit to force the county's hand on approving Cortaña, but if it was, it hasn't met with success. Read More | Comment »

Starting today, you can sign up for e-mail alerts on breaking news from the Chronicle news staff. Don't worry, we won't flood your inbox with the results of every single meeting of the Sign Review Board – we just want to alert you to the Big News. To sign up, click here or the link near the bottom of the left-hand column of this page. Read More | Comment »