M1EK D
@mdahmus.bsky.social
It’s me, M1EK; your pal from the internet. Ask me why AURA sucks!
Note the first two examples are similar to Austin's Red Line (just a bit worse). Austin's Orange Line (which would be good) is suffering because people fell for the bullshit in 2004 despite my best efforts.
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
Are Federal Transit Grants Hurting, Not Helping, Public Transportation? | Strong Towns
Three case studies reveal how top-down funding creates rigidity, waste, and systems that cities cannot afford to fix or abandon.
www.strongtowns.org
December 12, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Note the first two examples are similar to Austin's Red Line (just a bit worse). Austin's Orange Line (which would be good) is suffering because people fell for the bullshit in 2004 despite my best efforts.
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025...
The Rosedale school redevelopment is now being attacked as a 'monstrosity' in three separate Nextdoor threads, in which I'm the only one supporting the development. AURA's five similar groups must still be busy throwing each other happy hours.
December 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
The Rosedale school redevelopment is now being attacked as a 'monstrosity' in three separate Nextdoor threads, in which I'm the only one supporting the development. AURA's five similar groups must still be busy throwing each other happy hours.
While the five groups that are all AURA are pouring each other drinks at happy hours, nobody but yours truly is out there blocking and tackling on shit like this (on Nextdoor):
www.kvue.com/article/news...
www.kvue.com/article/news...
Central Austin residents push back against proposed six-story development at former Rosedale school site
Austin ISD is in the process of selling the now-vacant Rosedale Elementary campus to developer OHT Partners to build 435 residential units and a parking garage.
www.kvue.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:02 PM
While the five groups that are all AURA are pouring each other drinks at happy hours, nobody but yours truly is out there blocking and tackling on shit like this (on Nextdoor):
www.kvue.com/article/news...
www.kvue.com/article/news...
The life of a transit centrist: Simultaneously:
1. on reddit, fighting against an idiot who thinks it's unreasonable to have expected Cap Metro to run more or even the normal number of 803s during ACL after they heavily promoted riding it
1. on reddit, fighting against an idiot who thinks it's unreasonable to have expected Cap Metro to run more or even the normal number of 803s during ACL after they heavily promoted riding it
December 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The life of a transit centrist: Simultaneously:
1. on reddit, fighting against an idiot who thinks it's unreasonable to have expected Cap Metro to run more or even the normal number of 803s during ACL after they heavily promoted riding it
1. on reddit, fighting against an idiot who thinks it's unreasonable to have expected Cap Metro to run more or even the normal number of 803s during ACL after they heavily promoted riding it
After reading a recent campaign donations list, I can assure you that the "AURA board member to lobbyist/nonprofit/city sinecure" advogrifter pipeline is even bigger and badder than I previously thought.
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
After reading a recent campaign donations list, I can assure you that the "AURA board member to lobbyist/nonprofit/city sinecure" advogrifter pipeline is even bigger and badder than I previously thought.
Reminder: Tom Wald is a grifting asshole: m1ek.dahmus.org/and-about-th...
And Eric Goff being the biggest supporter of the RLP should raise every advogrifter alarm in the city.
They are bad people who have done bad things and lie (badly) about why they did/do them.
And Eric Goff being the biggest supporter of the RLP should raise every advogrifter alarm in the city.
They are bad people who have done bad things and lie (badly) about why they did/do them.
And About That Bridge… – M1EK's Bake-Sale of Bile
m1ek.dahmus.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reminder: Tom Wald is a grifting asshole: m1ek.dahmus.org/and-about-th...
And Eric Goff being the biggest supporter of the RLP should raise every advogrifter alarm in the city.
They are bad people who have done bad things and lie (badly) about why they did/do them.
And Eric Goff being the biggest supporter of the RLP should raise every advogrifter alarm in the city.
They are bad people who have done bad things and lie (badly) about why they did/do them.
Susan Somers Orange Line Laser Focus watch: 0⃣0⃣9⃣5⃣2⃣ days and counting!
I'm sure more self-congratulatory preaching-to-the-choir happy hours where people who never ever ever hold Cap Metro or ATP accountable for delivery of anything will make this all OK in the end though.
December 2, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Susan Somers Orange Line Laser Focus watch: 0⃣0⃣9⃣5⃣2⃣ days and counting!
A sign the Orange Line is the right corridor for rail: I got on an 801 at 7:10 AM SB headed downtown at 39th; and got the last available seat.
A sign the starter was cut too short and is going to be disappointing: Only one person got on after I did.
A sign the starter was cut too short and is going to be disappointing: Only one person got on after I did.
December 2, 2025 at 1:57 PM
A sign the Orange Line is the right corridor for rail: I got on an 801 at 7:10 AM SB headed downtown at 39th; and got the last available seat.
A sign the starter was cut too short and is going to be disappointing: Only one person got on after I did.
A sign the starter was cut too short and is going to be disappointing: Only one person got on after I did.
I've worked with lots of executives who needed sharpening. Good idea, Woot!
December 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM
I've worked with lots of executives who needed sharpening. Good idea, Woot!
Hope the Columbus Yankees humiliate the Ann Arbor Astros.
November 29, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Hope the Columbus Yankees humiliate the Ann Arbor Astros.
Austin has many more people working downtown than in 2000 when we already had enough to justify light rail. The vacancy rate is high because a ton of new buildings just finished. Don’t listen to suburbanite boomers who have no clue.
November 29, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Austin has many more people working downtown than in 2000 when we already had enough to justify light rail. The vacancy rate is high because a ton of new buildings just finished. Don’t listen to suburbanite boomers who have no clue.
First attempt at Bluesky phishing. I guess that means it’s gonna make it yall!
November 11, 2025 at 1:21 AM
First attempt at Bluesky phishing. I guess that means it’s gonna make it yall!
This is the kind of 'social spending' that's a complete waste; paying a consultant to produce a plan to pay people supposedly being 'displaced' and the end cost of all of this is worse for 'displacement' than just letting more things get built more easily at the start.
November 7, 2025 at 7:18 PM
This is the kind of 'social spending' that's a complete waste; paying a consultant to produce a plan to pay people supposedly being 'displaced' and the end cost of all of this is worse for 'displacement' than just letting more things get built more easily at the start.
There are a lot of people (Julio and those with less convincing forms of blather) who keep trying to push back against budget cuts that the voters very obviously asked for, implying that they are impossible. This is Prop B redux. The will of the voters is clear.
November 7, 2025 at 4:03 PM
There are a lot of people (Julio and those with less convincing forms of blather) who keep trying to push back against budget cuts that the voters very obviously asked for, implying that they are impossible. This is Prop B redux. The will of the voters is clear.
Reposted by M1EK D
This could be us if we weren't strangling the solar industry to help keep oil prices up
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This could be us if we weren't strangling the solar industry to help keep oil prices up
Just gave a totally #inspiring statement in a work meeting that since I was a young lad I always aspired to be a combination of a human rubber stamp and a human weathervane.
November 5, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Just gave a totally #inspiring statement in a work meeting that since I was a young lad I always aspired to be a combination of a human rubber stamp and a human weathervane.
As usual, though, Austin insiders are delusional about the nature of the average voter and of the impact the larger political system they live in has on them. For instance, Julio is harrumphing about cutting social services. Yes! The voters said yes! Cut those services now.
November 5, 2025 at 1:44 PM
As usual, though, Austin insiders are delusional about the nature of the average voter and of the impact the larger political system they live in has on them. For instance, Julio is harrumphing about cutting social services. Yes! The voters said yes! Cut those services now.
The wrap-up on Q is very simple: Voters noticed tens of millions of dollars previously spent to help the homeless didn't do anything to make the public spaces any safer or cleaner, until the very end when Watson did a performative last-second Hail Mary on it. It's Prop B II.
November 5, 2025 at 1:37 PM
The wrap-up on Q is very simple: Voters noticed tens of millions of dollars previously spent to help the homeless didn't do anything to make the public spaces any safer or cleaner, until the very end when Watson did a performative last-second Hail Mary on it. It's Prop B II.
The magnitude of the Prop Q loss ought to promote a lot more humility from its proponents than has been in evidence so far.
November 5, 2025 at 3:29 AM
The magnitude of the Prop Q loss ought to promote a lot more humility from its proponents than has been in evidence so far.
Reposted by M1EK D
I voted against Prop Q, the first time I've voted against a local property tax increase. The recent actions and statements by the city show they cannot and should not be trusted with even more discretionary funds at this time.
October 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I voted against Prop Q, the first time I've voted against a local property tax increase. The recent actions and statements by the city show they cannot and should not be trusted with even more discretionary funds at this time.
I voted against Prop Q, the first time I've voted against a local property tax increase. The recent actions and statements by the city show they cannot and should not be trusted with even more discretionary funds at this time.
October 28, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I voted against Prop Q, the first time I've voted against a local property tax increase. The recent actions and statements by the city show they cannot and should not be trusted with even more discretionary funds at this time.
Lots of urbanists who profess to believe that incentives affect behavior who are pretending that enforcing the camping ordinance frequently won't get at least some of the campers to finally accept living under the rules involved in taxpayer-paid shelter.
October 24, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Lots of urbanists who profess to believe that incentives affect behavior who are pretending that enforcing the camping ordinance frequently won't get at least some of the campers to finally accept living under the rules involved in taxpayer-paid shelter.
Congratulated guys on old team at company that laid me off 2 years ago on a big release and got invited to their celebratory happy hour which then I couldn’t refuse so then I was awkward, happy, one beer, and now sad. The enb.
October 23, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Congratulated guys on old team at company that laid me off 2 years ago on a big release and got invited to their celebratory happy hour which then I couldn’t refuse so then I was awkward, happy, one beer, and now sad. The enb.
New bridge sitch from a couple days ago:
October 23, 2025 at 6:12 PM
New bridge sitch from a couple days ago: