Austin Spends Billions Securing the Border, Not Homeless
Austin, a supposed 'liberal bastion,' rejected a property tax increase for homeless relief, as Bloomberg gleefully reports. The story glosses over a much larger financial reality: Texas leadership, not Austin voters, dictates where the real money goes. While locals quibble over millions for their most vulnerable neighbors, Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star—a state border security
mission—has, as of February 2024, funneled over $11 billion of taxpayer funds, originally for programs like Medicaid and hurricane relief, into a performative militarization of the border. That's ten thousand million dollars for what many consider (citation needed) a political stunt, not direct human aid. So, Austin voters couldn't stomach a minor property tax hike for their struggling citizens,
but the state finds limitless billions to 'secure' a line on a map. One might wonder if the 'liberal bastion' label only applies when it's convenient for a certain narrative, ignoring the systemic diversions of public funds elsewhere. Apparently, the 'fiscal conservatism' Bloomberg applauds for local issues vanishes when it comes to endless border theater.