Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” Welch
Transportation engineer, urbanist, Austinite, liberal patriot
Board Secretary @aura-atx.org
Poems & Essays: thisfaintfire.substack.com
- When people use EVs as an argument against building transit, not only are they ignoring the fundamental issue of geometry (why mass transit will always be useful); they’re also deliberately overlooking the glacial pace of EV adoption in the US
- Heliport mandates are some of the silliest things we’ve ever done in zoning
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchVery comprehensive Vox article on building code research and reform efforts across the country, fearing John Zeanah’s report for the Center for Building on low-rise multifamily housing and Michael Eriksen’s academic work on building code costs www.vox.com/future-perfe... (gift link)
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchHighlighting the speaker who stood in front of the Surprise mayor and told him to consider what the Mayor of Ohrdruf must’ve thought before he died by suicide: “He might have thought ‘how is this my fault I had no jurisdiction over this’ maybe he said ‘this site was not subject to local zoning.’”
- Probably “The Prizefighter and the Heiress” (I know it’s technically 5, but c’mon that’s a compound word) youtu.be/jpepfBOYb0c?...
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThis isn’t some anonymous tip. This is sworn testimony, under penalty of perjury, from someone who said Trump threatened to kill her if she exposed Epstein’s sexual abuse.
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThe body of a migrant who died at an El Paso immigration detention center was sent to a military hospital rather than the county medical examiner who investigated two previous deaths at the facility — and concluded that one of them was a homicide rather than a suicide.
- So let me get this straight: A man in Buda saw some kids on a street corner. He then parked his truck in traffic, left the vehicle, and assaulted an underage girl for disagreeing with his emotional support gestapo. The kids whooped his ass & caught it all on video, but he still hasn’t been arrested?
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThis is one of the most important cases that galvanized Black people in the late 40s through the 1950s. Almost every major Black leader had a comment about it. It is also one of the most successful defense committees that was organized in the 20th century. Almost no one knows about it today.
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThe number of detainees getting put on ICE flights at MSP has been relatively low the last few days. I believe this is not on account of ICE pulling back - they still outnumber local police in many towns - but on account of vulnerable people staying home, observer pressure, and lawyer organization.
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchICE caused a car chase and accident in one of Austin's north central neighborhoods today. This is not community safety.
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchBREAKING: Judge Ana Reyes, in DC, issues a stay of DHS Sec. Noem’s decision to end Haiti’s temporary protected status (TPS) designation, a decision that was to go into effect on Tuesday and could have ended legal status for up to 350,000 people overnight. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchTens of thousands of people across Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana have gone a week without power or heat after a brutal ice storm. At least three dozen people have died in connection with the storm, officials have said.
- Six primes listed as bidders on the Austin Light Rail vehicle RFP, with 39 days remaining: Alstom Brookville CAF Kinki Sharyo Siemens Stadler vendors.planetbids.com/portal/50907...
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchICE now confirming that there is a measles outbreak at the Texas concentration camp where young Liam was held.
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” Welchnote to national Democrats: you can do this too when you have the majority there is nothing stopping court expansion other than norms that have long since become obsolete in the face of a radical, out of control majority currently enabling a fascist lunatic
- Really cannot overstate how much of an earthquake last night was
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThe precinct-level data from last night’s special election in Texas suggest a national win for the Democrats of around D+7 to D+10 come November www.gelliottmorris.com/p/blue-wave-...
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchYesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
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- Current mood
- I hope they’re shitting their pants
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThe R candidate has apparently conceded, so that's a flip folks. Probably a 30-point swing vs 2024 per The Downballot, could be 35 vs the 2022 election in the seat docs.google.com/spreadsheets...
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchLeigh Wambsganss raised nearly $2.3 million for the SD9 district, much of it coming from three billionaire-funded PACs. Taylor Rehmet raised $346,000, most of it coming from donations of $100 or less. His biggest donor gave him $12K, and a bunch of local unions also cut him larger checks.
- Tarrant County understanders, help me figure out if these are good blobs or scary blobs for Rehmet to be winning an Election Day drop by 19 points
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” Welch‼️‼️ Still a lot TBD, but Rehmet is leading early vote count by **13 POINTS** in a district that Trump won by 17 points. I'll be updating in this thread throughout the night.
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchJudge Biery signed the order with a photo of Liam and two bible verses: The first is "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The second is simply "Jesus wept." Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
- NEWS: Judge Biery has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos. A thunderous rebuke against ICE’s violent campaign in Minnesota. Read the order below. Link: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchICYMI: This Saturday, progressive Taylor Rehmet squares off against a billionaire-funded Christian nationalist for a +17 Trump state senate seat in Tarrant County, a hub of the far right. Rehmet already over-performed, and is confident he’s on the verge of a stunning upset in a bellwether county.
- Shout out to Blue Owl Brewery for putting this together on like two hours notice after the venue in San Marcos cancelled today because it was “too cold”
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchIt's near-white out conditions in Chicago as the snow comes down, and tonight's anti-ICE/CBP rally is wrapping up in front of city hall. But not before the crowd bounces and chants, "I believe that we will win!"
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” Welch👀 Every Senate Democrat + Collins and Murkowski just voted for the Bernie Sanders amendment to repeal the $75 billion in additional ICE funding under Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” The measure failed 49-51.
- Some damn good writing right here, good bull
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThousands of people filled the streets of downtown Minneapolis in protest of federal immigration enforcement for the second consecutive Friday. 📷️: Aaron Lavinsky
- Texas republicans continue their war on education, including plans for further funding cuts
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- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchThese are all Black people. The regime is betting that you wont care Jamael & Trahern the way you care about Alex & Renée
- feds have arrested jamael lundy alongside journalists georgia fort and don lemon for the protest at a st. paul church led by an ICE agent lundy is currently running for state senate district 65 in minnesota. his wife is anika bowie, a st. paul city councilmember www.jlundyforsd65.com
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” Welch41 miles of new subway for the cost of free buses. Here’s an audacious, expansive plan to expand the subway’s reach & catalyze housing to attack the affordability crisis. An incredible effort from NYU Marron team. Excited for this to be out in the world: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/n...
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- Chart of roadway fatalities & serious injuries in Austin since 2015, when the City officially adopted Vision Zero Even easier to see the progress now with 2025 added. After a slow start, severe crashes have fallen by more than a third in the last 3 years Note these are absolute numbers
- From the candlelight vigil tonight for Alex Pretti at Ascension Seton Hospital, organized by the National Nurses United chapter here in Austin God make this country worthy of the people who die for it
- Reposted by Parker “Austin Needs Approval Voting” WelchSchumer calls for Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller to be removed from their jobs.
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- Oh, whoops! Correction on my last post, the DART withdrawal elections are all in May, not November
