Headlines / Quote of the Week

UT graduate students in the Underpaid at UT activist group stage a banner drop at East 21st Street on Nov. 16 to raise awareness about labor conditions and labor organizing on campus. They say grad student workers continue to face inadequate compensation despite the ever-increasing cost of living in Austin. (Photo by John Anderson)

Turkey Trot to the Polls: The December 13 run-off election will decide three Council members and Austin's mayor, so don't forget that early voting begins December 1 and runs through December 9. Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by election day and received by Dec. 14, but we recommend heading to the polls in person if you're sending your ballot late.

A Seat at the Table: Another stark reminder of Austin's housing crisis: Evictions have skyrocketed in recent months, Travis County Health and Human Services informed county commissioners last week. HHS says it's taken six months just to get through the crisis applications they received in the first two weeks of March when the eviction moratorium lifted.

Gravy Train: As inflation swells the budget for Project Connect, the Austin Transit Partnership created to build the Orange and Blue lines is considering ways to cut costs, and, as a result, it seems that some or all of the city's light rail system will need to be at ground level instead of underground. Another cost-cutting measure could mean there will be only one crossing over Lady Bird Lake instead of two.

Construction Casserole: Construction is underway at the world's largest community of 3D-printed homes in Georgetown, Community Impact reported. The collaboration between construction tech company ICON, construction company Lennar, architecture firm BIG-Bjarke Ingles Group, and developer Hillwood Communities is less expensive than traditional building.

Stuffing Kiddos This Summer: Texas was approved for a fifth round of Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfers through the federal government, Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week. That's $1.4 billion in benefits for roughly 3.5 million eligible children. Families will receive $391 per child for summer meal expenses from June 1 to Aug. 30.

Millennial Mashed Potatoes: Austin was apparently the biggest millennial magnet in America in 2021. According to consumer financial site SmartAsset's analysis of 2021 moves from state to state by people aged 25 to 39, New York City hemorrhaged millennials while Austin became home to the most late-twenty-and-thirtysomethings, followed by Denver, Dallas, Raleigh, and Jacksonville, Fla.

Cranberry S.O.S.: As we head into more wintry weather, the state Sunset Advisory Commission staff released last week its reports on the Public Utility Commission of Texas and Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which found the agencies "cannot truly fulfill expectations for ensuring a reliable electric grid" due to underfunding and poor "decision-making processes." Fingers crossed.

Quote of the Week

Austin during Winter Storm Uri (Photo by John Anderson)

"PUC [Public Utility Commission] is woefully underresourced given its critical responsibilities and work that still lies ahead."

– The Sunset Advisory Commission staff report released last week, which found the state unready to ensure the grid’s reliability