Greg Abbott Calls Out Liberal Austin for 'Hypocritical' LA-Style Homeless Solution
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is blasting Austin city officials for turning his state’s capital into a tent city.
A city ordinance that went into effect this month allows the homeless to set up campsites in public places throughout the city with one notable exception:
According to KXAN, camping is still banned around City Hall.
That means the city council members who are allowing campsites to go up everywhere else won’t have to deal with detritus on their way into the office. It’s a perfect example of liberals making rules for everyone else while they’re shielded from the consequences.
Abbott wasn’t being quiet about the backwards law. In a July 10 tweet he made the hypocrisy clear.
Just wait till these frustrated citizens learn that Austin still bans homeless camping AT CITY HALL.
Mayor Adler acknowledged that business owners are concerned about the impact that homeless campers have on business but they shouldn’t consider the City Hall ban hypocritical. https://t.co/Dm31g5Wk5B
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 11, 2019
Turning over public sidewalks to vagrants to sleep on is the kind of “solution” that one might expect in liberal Southern California, where Los Angeles has allowed camping on sidewalks between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for more than a decade, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Like most liberal “solutions,” though, that’s only made the problem worse, as the Times reported that homeless people banned from sleeping on sidewalks in neighboring cities were migrating to L.A.
Unlike Los Angeles, Austin is famous, as Culture Map Austin puts it, for being “the lone blue dot in the middle of a sea of Texas red.”
In 2016, it was named the second-best city in the United States for liberals by the financial technology company Smart Asset.
(No. 1 was Seattle, which has its own formidable homeless problem. That might not be a coincidence.)
Austin’s liberal culture puts it at odds with the conservative state legislature and governor.
Even before Austin passed the new ordinance, the governor threatened to override it through the state legislature.
If Austin— or any other Texas city—permits camping on city streets it will be yet another local ordinance the State of Texas will override.
At some point cities must start putting public safety & common sense first.
There are far better solutions for the homeless & citizens. https://t.co/xYezoovVCg
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 24, 2019
As KXAN reported at the time, Abbott would have to wait until state lawmakers reconvene, which won’t be until 2020.
In the meantime, those unfortunate enough to be living in the Austin city limits will have to get used to the idea that their city council is allowing the homeless to camp everywhere – except where the council meets.
And judging by responses to Abbott’s tweet about the “hypocritical” ordinance, many aren’t happy about it.
I CANNOT even fathom this is the new norm. My brain won’t accept it. ABOLISH THE FILTHY, CORRUPT DEM “PARTY”
— BaRbiE VoN TrUmP ? (@LGKITTEN) July 11, 2019
Horrible decision made by our city leaders @GregAbbott_TX! I am glad you are acknowledging this!
— natalie (@nashykabashy) July 11, 2019
As Texas attorney general, Abbott made a national name for himself battling the Obama administration in court.
As KXAN reported Tuesday, Austin’s complaints about the homeless have only grown since the new ordinance went into effect.
So as governor, Abbott’s fighting a lot closer to home.
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