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Britton Williams

@brittonvance.bsky.social
116 followers 272 following 198 posts

Fiercely Texan. Alabama alum. Episcopalian. Rowdy moderate that likes to talk about politics, cities and my cat. 🏳️‍🌈

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Reposted by Britton Williams
EOW Without Context @eow-no-context.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
reflect on same-sex relationships
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
“We work a lot with intelligence and information received. We have a communication center here. We receive a lot of calls from individuals saying, hey, my neighbor that's present here illegally, or my ex-wife, you know.”
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Speaking of gays in Washington, G-Man, by Berverly Gage, is an excellent biography of J. Edgar Hoover. The book deals with Hoover’s contradictions: a masculine archetype and a closeted gay man, a committed public servant and a ruthless authoritarian.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
In honor of Pride, I can’t recommend Secret City, by James Kirchick, highly enough. The book chronicles American history through the lens of gay Washington from the 1930s to 1990s. If you ever wondered whether Reagan was controlled by a “homosexual ring”, this is the summer read for you.
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Welcoming Neighbors Network @welcomingneighbors.us · 02/06/2025
Texas had a heckuva 2025: - Allowed apartments in commercial zones - Legalized modest starter homes in new subdivisions - Adopted single-stair up to 6 floors in the state bldg code - Ended arbitrary roommate caps in college towns Amazing work by @texansforhousing.bsky.social & coalition!
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
They've also approved bills to reduce hurdles to convert vacant office buildings into residences, make it illegal for cities to disallow manufactured homes and relax local rules in college towns that say how many unrelated adults can live in a home.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Texas is having a YIMBY moment! "Both [legislative] chambers have approved bills to make it harder for property owners to stop new homes from being built near them and encourage cities to allow the construction of smaller apartments." www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/t...
texastribune.org
Texas bill allowing smaller homes on smaller lots amid housing affordability crunch advances in House
Senate Bill 15, a top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, is part of a broad push by lawmakers to put a dent in the state’s high home prices.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
I respect the heck out of @mcbride.house.gov. This was a great interview. "We have to create space for some imperfect allies... That conversation needs to continue with people, but we can’t dismiss them as bigots or remove them from our coalition..." www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/arc...
theatlantic.com
Democrats Need ‘Imperfect Allies’
A conversation with Sarah McBride
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Sen. King (I-ME) and Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) made plans to shore up Social Security by investing funds in equities. Unfortunately, they couldn’t bridge the partisan divide. But Trump kind of revived the idea with his talk about a sovereign wealth fund. www.asppa-net.org/news/2023/5/...
asppa-net.org
A Bipartisan 'Big Idea' to Fix Social Security
The third rail of American politics isn’t what it should be, according to Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, (R-LA).
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
imagine being accidentally added to a second, slightly smaller group chat where they're talking about how to handle this scandal
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
I would love to see John Bel Edwards run for Senate in LA. And Doug Jones again in AL. I’d be happy to see them run as Dems, but maybe they’d fair better as Independents if the state party decided to stand down?
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
Yeah, I’d really love to learn more about it. It kinda strikes me as similar to the polykatoikias in Athens, but designed to be more upscale.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
@holz-bau.bsky.social single-stair keeps keeps winning, even in the Americas.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 21/03/2025
I’m obsessed with the midrises in Condesa, CDMX.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
I took this last week as I was heading to the airport. Dallas needs a big, brutalist metro.
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Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
Warning: Fascists believe a very wide array of First Amendment activity is “anti-American.” This will not stop here.
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The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 08/03/2025
They’re smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle and powered by a motorcycle engine. But truck drivers prefer them over big American pickups and are fighting to keep them on the road.
wsj.com
‘What Is That Thing?’ Tiny Trucks Are Causing Big Fights.
Japanese haulers have won people over, even in Texas, but many states say they’re too brittle for America’s streets; a ‘dude magnet’
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Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Also experimenting with innovative new “Strobe Tariffs” which will apply only to imports received in odd-numbered minutes after the hour.
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Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · 06/03/2025
NEW proposal from @leedrutman.bsky.social and Georgetown's Michael A. Bailey: If Democrats are doomed to lose Senate races in red states anyway—b/c the party's brand there is so radioactive—they should consider stepping aside in those states to let a new anti-MAGA party field candidates.
thebulwark.com
Democrats Must Step Aside in Red States
And let a new party—one that could actually defeat MAGA Republicans—compete there in 2026 and 2028.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Strongest result since when? apnews.com/article/germ...
apnews.com
Conservative opposition wins German election and the far right is 2nd with strongest postwar result
Projections show German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives have won a lackluster victory in Sunday's national election.
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Reposted by Britton Williams
Terra Field @rainofterra.gay · 24/02/2025
The public comment period for changing passports to misgender trans people is open. Please take a moment to let them know that you do not support that change.
federalregister.gov
30-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Application for a U.S. Passport
The Department of State has submitted the information collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are requesting comments on these collections from all interested individuals and organizations....
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cait (and adonis) @cait.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
he is so swagless he has somehow achieved negative drip. this image is like a vortex, i can feel the swag being drained from my own body as i view this
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Of course, as soon as I post this, it appears that I may have spoken too soon. The BSW is just at the cusp of entering the Bundestag.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Whomp whomp. The “left conservative” party that took its social cues from the far-right and economics from the far-left flopped.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Expectations of a far-right surge among young Germans didn’t materialize.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I also think that we should encourage more explicit factions within our existing parties. Democrats seem to have this, somewhat, already with the New Dems, Blue Dogs, and Progressives. Could be interesting to focus more as a precursor to multi-party system.
google.com
Redirect Notice
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
But maybe under a party-list proportional system? If you only need to clear, say, 5% of the vote to earn seats, then sure, I could see delegations from the coasts sending Greens to Congress.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
That’s a good question. I think a lot would depend on the voting system. Under the proposed bill, the largest districts would have 5 seats, so I don’t know that a distinct Green Party could get 17% of the vote when running against labor, progressive, and neoliberal opponents all on the left.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
There's an updated piece from earlier this year. They renamed Labor the New Populist Party, but the authors also go into detail on the legislation that could actually bring this system about: Don Beyer's Fair Representation Act. Worth a read! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | How to Fix America’s Two-Party Problem
Proportional representation could help restore American democracy.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I also feel like I would vote Labor. I do like that you can see the position on the quadrant. 🤷‍♂️
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Occasionally, Enriching Our Worship comes out swinging.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
At least once a quarter, I go back to this quiz from the NYT: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To? (Published 2021)
We can fix American politics. Just add more parties.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Other Anglophone (or mostly Anglophone) countries like Ireland and Malta have PR, without party lists and also seem mostly immune to extremist parties in parliament. Am I cherry picking or is there something here?
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
I’m a fan of PR, but one worry I have is that it empowers extremist parties that wouldn’t get a toe-hold in FPTP. Obviously, FPTP hasn’t offered much protection recently in the US, but it seems to have done so in the UK, Canada…
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
The tech press is doing great work. And this piece from @lopatto.bsky.social might be the best I’ve read this week. Comparing DOGE to the Cultural Revolution and “anti-woke” to purges of all things “bourgeois” is insightful. www.theverge.com/elon-musk/61...
theverge.com
Elon Musk’s first month of destroying America will cost us decades
There’s no considered plan, just careless mass destruction.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
A tax on heavy truck mileage would: - Shore up the Highway Trust Fund - Reduce traffic, air pollution, and wear on roads - Induce investment in rail All without raising the gas tax or imposing new fees on drivers. www.cato.org/regulation/w...
cato.org
A Vehicle Mileage Tax for Heavy Trucks?
Economists have long argued for replacing the gas tax with a mileage tax.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Stoops will bring us together. 🎶 But seriously, stoops and porches build community and knit neighborhoods together. They should be standard on new homes. youtu.be/EVjiz80WStE?...
youtu.be
New York's Stoops, Explained
YouTube video by Harrison Trautschold Brown
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Or spend $1.7 billion to improve pedestrian infrastructure, add bus-only lanes, pay for more security, add trees, streetlights, and benches. I don’t know, make it pleasant to be downtown?
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
But at least we’re spending $1.7bn on a new convention center.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
2 hours spent walking around downtown Dallas, and I snapped this photo of 211 N Ervay. This turquoise tower is one of my favorites.
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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 14/02/2025
Wack.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Can we stop referring to Trump as Hitler? He’s more of a Kmart Mussolini.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Same. I was raised evangelical and heard incessant whining about discrimination, but didn’t see any until the President’s goons started making death threats against one of my bishops.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
I’m feeling more fired up just over the past couple of days.
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The Onion @theonion.com · 05/02/2025
FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States
theonion.com
FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States
WASHINGTON—Putting the nation on alert against what it has described as a “highly credible terrorist threat,” the FBI announced today that it has uncovered a plot by members of al-Qaeda to sit back an...
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Fantastic from @taras-grescoe.com on Swiss public transport. He also mentions neighboring Austria’s €3 per day “climate ticket” that covers public transit nationwide. This was a key part of the Conservative-Green coalition agreement. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: What North America can learn from the greatest transportation system in the world
Fifty years ago, Switzerland was poised to become as car-dependent as anywhere in North America. Now it has the best transit system in the world. What’s the secret to this alpine nation’s transport su...
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
I’m a fan of @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social proposal for a constitutional amendment that would subject presidential pardons to Senate advice and consent.
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
I desperately want to see Tex Rail branded Stadlers: - Downtown Dallas and Denton - Downtown Dallas and Parker Road - Silver Line all the way to Downtown Fort Worth through DFW - Downtown Dallas and Downtown Fort Worth along TRE corridor and separately through Arlington
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Britton Williams @brittonvance.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
REGIONAL RAIL
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Aubrey Gilleran @aubreygilleran.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Democrats should say we'd rather default than fund this.
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