Res Publica

Thursday 07

PERMACULTURE GUILD SUSTAINABLE FILM SERIES features A Convenient Truth: Curitiba, about a Brazilian city's steps toward sustainability. 7pm. Habitat Suites, 500 E. Highland Mall Blvd., 467-6000. Free. www.permie.us.

THE FUTURE OF WATER IN CENTRAL TEXAS The LCRA wants your input tonight on long-term plans for meeting regional water demands. Call to reserve your seat. Open house, 6-6:30pm; discussion, 6:30-9pm. Dalchau Service Center, 3505 Montopolis, Bldg. A, 800/776-5272 x3380. www.lcra.org/watersupply.

Friday 08

HEALTH-CARE SURVEY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES/NONPROFITS The Central Texas Regional Health Coverage Project is developing an affordable health-care plan available to small businesses and nonprofits currently unable to provide insurance to employees. CTRHCP wants your input as they hammer out the plan's details, so visit www.healthcarecentraltexas.com, and fill out the 10-minute survey – today's the last day, so don't dally.

STATE BUDGET MEETING 10am. Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Brown-Heatly Bldg., Public Hearing Room, 4900 N. Lamar. www.hhsc.state.tx.us/news/meetings.asp.

Saturday 09

BUS RIDERS UNION MEETING The bus fare increase will be a popular topic of discussion today, we imagine. For more on the issue, see Committee Approves Bus Fare Hike. 4pm. Austin History Center, 810 Guadalupe, 499-7480. Free. www.busatx.org.

HEALTH COVERAGE BASICS Find out if your child is qualified for the CHIP program or Children's Medicaid, and get help with filling out applications at participating HEB stores. Call 211 or visit www.chipmedicaid.org for details.

Monday 11

BEYOND THE BARS: THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX Tonight's event is the second in a series of discussions about the broken U.S. prison system. Tonight, you'll hear from the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition and watch a screening of Hutto: America's Family Prison. 8pm. MonkeyWrench Books, 110 E. North Loop, 407-6925. Free. www.monkeywrenchbooks.org.

LIVE MUSIC TASK FORCE MEETING 6pm. City Hall, 301 W. Second, 974-2250. www.cityofaustin.org/council/livemusictaskforce.htm.

Wednesday 13

DROUGHT INFORMATION MEETING The Barton Springs portion of the Edwards Aquifer has been declared to be in an Alarm Stage Drought, which means that the drinking water for many Central Texans is in jeopardy. Find out more at tonight's meeting, where you can learn how the drought affects you and how you can help conserve water. 7pm. Buda City Hall, 121 Main, Buda. www.bseacd.org.

CITY MANAGER MARC OTT speaks at this week's meeting of the Metropolitan Breakfast Club. 7am. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, UT Club, 2108 E. Robert Dedman, 479-9460. $15. www.mbcaustin.org.

Ongoing

HUNGER IS UNACCEPTABLE Wanna help keep Texans fed? All you gotta do is make a sign saying, "Hunger is unacceptable," and send it to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas folks (after uploading a picture of yourself with your sign to CAFB's Flickr site). On Sept. 1, CAFB will deliver your sign, along with hundreds of others, to the Capitol, where legislators will get your message loud and clear – without even having to get out a letter opener. See www.austinfoodbank.org/hunger-is-unacceptable for details.