Sign in

Jack Craver

@jackcraver.bsky.social
455 followers 31 following 232 posts

Subscribe to the Austin Politics Newsletter to understand what's going on at City Hall: austinpolitics.net

PostsRepliesMedia
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I always felt more comfortable in the creaky 100-yr-old elevators in Paris than the steel boxes in US apartment buildings. Can we just do that?
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I wrote in my new newsletter, Neighborhood Matters, about a point that is largely overlooked in the discourse about America's declining birth rates. After 150 years of steady decline, birth rates SKYROCKETED following World War II. Why? www.jackcraver.com/why-the-baby...
jackcraver.com
Why the Baby Boomers are so special
There's a lot of talk about why we're not having babies. There's not enough talk about why people in the 50's had so many.
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today I wrote about a well-meaning but wrong-headed effort in Ambler, Pa. to turn an ugly parking lot into a public space. The result is a "plaza" I've never seen anybody use b/c it's next to *another* giant parking lot. Would love to hear of similar examples! www.jackcraver.com/why-some-pub...
jackcraver.com
Why some public spaces suck
Even very "nice" public spaces often repel human beings.
100
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
You all need to sign up for my new 100% free newsletter/podcast, Neighborhood Matters. In my first article I write about why, in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, local govts should consider whether each decision fosters or hinders human interaction: www.jackcraver.com/we-all-love-...
jackcraver.com
We all love strangers
We should embrace it.
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Minimum acreage requirements??? Good God.
3132
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our Philly-area school district (Wissahickon) is a good case study. There used to be an elementary school right in the middle of the very walkable borough of Ambler. Now Ambler kids are bussed or driven to a big sprawling campus w/no sidewalk & lots of parking.
001
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I wrote about how Twitter, despite getting monumentally worse under Elon, is sadly still the default place for elected officials and political media. Which gives local pols a skewed idea of the politics of their community: www.austinpolitics.net/social-media...
austinpolitics.net
Social media in local politics
Where should an elected official post?
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Kirk Watson is striking a fiscal conservative posture after voting for much of what bloated Austin's budget, notably the police contract. If he really believes the city should consider major cuts, he should be more specific. More analysis here: www.austinpolitics.net/whats-watson...
austinpolitics.net
What's Watson's spending goal?
Does the mayor really want to shrink city government?
021
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
A former APD officer tells me that Anthoneil Williams was killed by incompetent policing. www.austinpolitics.net/what-a-forme...
austinpolitics.net
What a former APD officer says about the Anthoneil Williams shooting
"Civilians, especially children, should not have to act perfectly to be safe."
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Cool to see a City Council member support Cap Metro drivers. But it would also be cool to see elected officials demand better performance from Cap Metro as ridership continues to decline. www.austinpolitics.net/wanted-trans...
austinpolitics.net
Wanted: transit watchdogs
Transit riders need solidarity too.
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Amazon is coming to ATX and to set up an advanced manufacturing plant as part of a massive 2,600 acre development w/ 14,000 new homes, retail, office etc. It's premised on a Tax Increment Finance deal Council will vote on Thursday. Is it a good deal? www.austinpolitics.net/amazon-is-co...
austinpolitics.net
Amazon is coming to Dog's Head
And Vanessa Fuentes battles breast cancer.
010
Reposted by Jack Craver
David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Only one country voted against a UN declaration to reduce crash deaths. Want to guess which one? Info: www.linkedin.com/posts/overwh...
18366111
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
guys, I got some news. Melania Trump did something: www.austinpolitics.net/melania-deli...
austinpolitics.net
Melania delivers for Austin's homeless
I'm not kidding.
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Anybody have guesses as to why the Cap Metro 801 & 1 (N. Lamar/Guad/SoCo) route would be experiencing particularly bad on-time performance (under 70%) for the past year? Is that due to construction?
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
The toll that big trucks/SUVs are taking on American lives is a good example of an issue where advocates need to focus on long-term persuasion. Data isn't enough. You have to find families willing to share the stories of their children being killed. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
The Deadly Rise of Giant Trucks and S.U.V.s
The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Billionaire surveillance tech investor Joe Lonsdale moved to Austin, discovered it was actually liberal, and has begun campaigning for the state of Texas to take away the city's self-governance: www.austinpolitics.net/joe-lonsdale...
austinpolitics.net
Joe Lonsdale's threat
The tech billionaire veto.
1136
Reposted by Jack Craver
Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 05/05/2026
Amtrak is planning to cancel the Heartland Flyer, a train linking Ft Worth & Oklahoma City, this summer because Texas DOT has failed to identify the $3.5 million needed to fund it. Texas DOT has an annual budget of roughly $20 billion, 5,700 times as much as the Flyer needs to continue operating.
keranews.org
Amtrak will discontinue Texas-Oklahoma route this summer
The Texas Department of Transportation cut funding for the Heartland Flyer route, forcing Amtrak to discontinue the service.
613739
Reposted by Jack Craver
Somewhere In ATX @somewhereinatx.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
@jackcraver.bsky.social gets it right: The city confuses the media on IT www.austinpolitics.net/the-city-con...
austinpolitics.net
The city confuses the media on IT
The confusion is the point.
112
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
There's been a lot of really inaccurate reporting in the local media about City Manager TC Broadnax's push to consolidate the city's IT workforce. But clearly Broadnax has no issue with the inaccurate reporting, which serves his agenda. www.austinpolitics.net/the-city-con...
austinpolitics.net
The city confuses the media on IT
The confusion is the point.
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
I can't be the only e-bike owner who feels the need to specify that mine is the kind that you have to pedal.
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
I had a really great conversation with Itzel Hernandez from the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers!) about growing up undocumented in America. She didn't realize she was undocumented until she applied for college: www.youtube.com/watch?v=t08R...
youtube.com
Undocumented AMERICANS
YouTube video by Neighborhood Matters with Jack Craver
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Small families, sure. But AI? Nope. Much of white collar work is a cultural choice. Incredible "efficiency" tools like computers, email and Slack haven't lightened the work load. On the contrary.
110
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I know this is petty, but it annoys me that when I tell people I have an e-bike they immediately imagine I'm talking about some kind of moped. Maybe I should just say "pedal-assist"
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
City Manager TC Broadnax & Mayor Kirk Watson are using absolute dogshit data to justify a reorg of IT workers that Austin Energy GM Stuart Reilly says "poses serious risks to grid reliability, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance and operational effectiveness." www.austinpolitics.net/efficiency-o...
austinpolitics.net
Efficiency? Or efficiency theater?
Bad data, questionable solution.
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
This week on Neighborhood Matters I talk with Kyle Vansice, who has developed an AI product that helps builders maximize density on a lot. Could be an important tool in a place with as fucked up of a land development code as Austin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIW9...
youtube.com
AI-enabled urbanism
YouTube video by Neighborhood Matters with Jack Craver
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Yesterday I took a look at the new density bonus that is being crafted to replace DB90. It's fine. But it will not address Kirk Watson's dream of an affordable housing program that doesn't require him to take tough votes. www.austinpolitics.net/a-new-densit...
austinpolitics.net
A new density bonus?
What's wrong with what's there already?
030
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Had a great convo with a sassy community garden advocate in Ambler, PA about how public outdoor spaces bring people together. And I begin with a monologue remembering a depressing convo with a city official who told me that libraries are obsolete: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3hM...
youtube.com
How community gardens can save the world
YouTube video by Neighborhood Matters with Jack Craver
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Hard disagree. I think the only way you get meaningful productivity gains is by surrendering important decisions to the LLM. That is not a recipe for good journalism.
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Anyone happen to have a photo of the flex posts on the Barton Springs Road Bridge?
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
I had a great conversation with Adam Greenfield, head of Safe Streets Austin, about his efforts to undo decades of horrible car-centric planning in ATX. He described the tragedy that launched his advocacy as well as what IS possible in US Sunbelt & what is NOT. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrD8...
youtube.com
The case for walkable cities
YouTube video by Neighborhood Matters with Jack Craver
050
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
I understand why transit officials in Austin are projecting confidence about getting federal funding from the Trump administration, but I think those of us on the sidelines have the obligation to be realistic: www.austinpolitics.net/next-step-fo...
austinpolitics.net
Next step for light rail: federal funds
From the Trump administration??
030
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
In March, an Austin police officer killed one person and injured several others while driving 51 mph over the speed limit. APD determined he did not violate department policy. Read more: www.austinpolitics.net/how-badly-do...
austinpolitics.net
How badly does a cop have to screw up?
Deadly incompetence clearly isn't enough.
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Last month it seemed that Mayor Kirk Watson called for an officer seen punching a man on 6th St to be disciplined. It also appeared APD had removed him from patrol. But I saw him the other day. www.austinpolitics.net/is-this-offi...
austinpolitics.net
Is this officer supposed to be on the streets?
I thought he was put on restricted duty.
033
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
In the wake of Prop Q's failure, expect to see lots of performative frugality on small expenses. What you probably won't see is any meaningful effort to rein in the city's biggest cost drivers: www.austinpolitics.net/no-cuts-for-...
austinpolitics.net
No cuts for the cops
But Fire & EMS brace for cuts.
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
My take on Austin voters' rejection of Prop Q: "Austin voters delivered a giant middle finger to City Council last night. There's no nicer way to put it." www.austinpolitics.net/fu-q-tax-hik...
austinpolitics.net
FU-Q: Tax hike goes down in flames
No way to sugarcoat it.
030
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
I talked to 30 voters at the polls in South Austin today about Prop Q, the proposed tax hike. It was a very mixed bag in an otherwise very liberal area. www.austinpolitics.net/vibes-at-the...
austinpolitics.net
Vibes at the polls
Mixed vibes in South Austin.
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Greg Abbott is making things harder for the city of Austin as it tries to clean up homeless encampments: www.austinpolitics.net/abbotts-unco...
austinpolitics.net
Abbott's uncooperative encampment strategy
The state won't talk to the city.
000
Reposted by Jack Craver
Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 20/10/2025
New from @jackcraver.bsky.social: "It’s a tough time to be an Austin property taxpayer. Nothing seems to make sense."
texasobserver.org
Why the City of Austin Wants Voters to Hike Their Property Taxes
And what Prop Q could mean for the future of local governments in Texas
2164
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
Check out my article in the Texas Observer about Prop Q, the Austin tax rate election. www.texasobserver.org/austin-prope...
texasobserver.org
Why the City of Austin Wants Voters to Hike Their Property Taxes
And what Prop Q could mean for the future of local governments in Texas
1105
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Do you think property taxes in Austin are high? That's a matter of opinion, but they're not much higher than surrounding suburbs. Check out the data I compiled here: www.austinpolitics.net/are-austin-p...
austinpolitics.net
Are Austin property taxes actually high?
How does Austin compare to other Central Texas cities?
030
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
At least one police brutality incident caught on camera may be too much for the APD chief to brush under the rug. www.austinpolitics.net/your-move-ch...
austinpolitics.net
Your move, Chief Davis
Police brutality on 6th Street.
040
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Greg Abbott takes a brave stand against rainbow crosswalks in Austin, Houston and San Antonio: www.austinpolitics.net/politics-in-...
austinpolitics.net
Politics in the crosswalk
Watson gives Abbott the disdain he deserves.
030
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Here's a look at who is supporting & funding both the pro & anti sides of Austin's tax rate election. www.austinpolitics.net/whos-against...
austinpolitics.net
Who's against Prop Q?
Business groups come out against.
285
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Well, cat and dog abortions are mostly legal again at the Austin Animal Center. But Mayor Kirk Watson still managed to slip in an exception for "lactating" animals at the behest of the anti-pet abortion wackos at Austin Pets Alive: www.austinpolitics.net/the-mayors-l...
austinpolitics.net
The mayor's lactating exception
But the shelter is doing abortions again.
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Had a lot of fun meeting & learning about the Clippys at last week's City Council. They get their name from the friendly Microsoft Office assistant who kind of sucked but at least didn't steal your data. They came to City Hall to oppose AI cameras in parks: www.austinpolitics.net/the-clippys-...
austinpolitics.net
The clippys come to City Hall
A big YouTube personality gets his fans involved.
010
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Does a new state law undermine Austin's affordable housing density bonuses? Probably, but that doesn't mean it will ultimately hurt overall housing affordability. Read more: www.austinpolitics.net/does-a-new-l...
austinpolitics.net
Does a new law undermine Austin's density bonuses?
Is this a good thing?
020
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
NYC's congestion toll isn't realistic in most U.S. cities, where even the poor rely on cars to get to work. I enjoyed talking to the UT's Kara Kockelman about a less painful way to discourage rush-hour driving: Credit-Based Decongestion Pricing: comotion.substack.com/p/the-credit...
comotion.substack.com
The credit fix for congested cities
(5min read) Introducing credit-based decongestion pricing.
000
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
I break down how the city of Austin actually spends its money. Austin spends 40% more on police than Fort Worth (same pop & crime rate). The cost of APD + AFD exceeds all of the property tax the city collects. www.austinpolitics.net/its-the-poli...
austinpolitics.net
It's the police spending
Back the Blue ≠ low taxes
032
Jack Craver @jackcraver.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Did you know that Austin has had an anti-abortion policy on the books for the past 6 years –– for dogs and cats. City Council finally freed itself from the wacky grip of Austin Pets Alive! and voted to repeal it. www.austinpolitics.net/dog-cat-abor...
austinpolitics.net
Dog & cat abortion is back!
Good riddance.
020