The Coronavirus In the 2 weeks since my last blog, EVERYTHING changed. For the worse, of course.
Worldwide, millions of children have been orphaned in the last 18 months, due to their parents/caregivers dying of Covid. One estimate is that, worldwide, an adult caregiver now dies every 12 seconds. Given the scarcity of vaccines in most countries, this is not expected to improve much, for years. The hardest hit areas are Africa, South Asia and Latin America. The number of Covid orphans already exceeds that from AIDS and other plagues. This tragic human and economic consequence will burden many countries for a generation.
Indonesia, with patients now needing to bring their own oxygen tanks to hospitals, is the new Covid hub, eclipsing India and Brazil. In the Philippines, the capitol city of Manila (population 13 million), will be completely locked down Aug. 4-20 with people only allowed to leave their homes for essential shopping. Bali delayed its planned July reopening to vaccinated tourists. In Japan, new cases spiked to the highest level ever, just as the Olympics began; as of July 28, the country was reporting over 10,000 new cases per day, a pandemic high.
Cuba has the most new cases, per capita, in Latin America.
The UK lifted pandemic restrictions in a state of confusion. “Freedom Day” was rife with worker shortages as many people were self-quarantining due to exposure notices from the government-sponsored app. That included PM Boris Johnson, in isolation for at least 10 days after being in contact with diagnosed officials.
In the US, the war has changed. We are suddenly back to losing the fight against the pandemic; instead of a celebratory summer, we are back in Covid hell. So announced the CDC last week, as it revised how we fight Covid. So announced President Biden, as he enacted vaccine mandates—the last resort for controlling Covid among an irresponsible populace. So announced countless state and local entities as well as private businesses following suit, while the Delta variant reignited the pandemic in poorly vaccinated areas nationwide. The new strategy is to make life harder for the stubborn unvaccinated, whose irresponsible shot refusal not only makes themselves Covid fodder but also endangers everyone else.
The current surge is driven by the Delta variant, accounting for 80-90% of new cases, depending on region. Even with limited testing, there were over 100,000 new cases reported on July 29 and again on July 30; daily levels have not been that high since the surge in February. The current surge is expected to continue escalating until peaking in late October. Experts say:
–Delta is 200 times as contagious as the original Covid-19 virus.
–Anyone NOT vaccinated WILL get it.
–Having had Covid in the past does NOT protect against Delta.
–99% of the people dying now from Covid are UNVACCINATED.
–GET VACCINATED.
Over 25% of all new cases in the US are in Florida, and many hospitals there have more Covid patients now than ever before. Just 3 states—Florida, Texas and Missouri—together account for over 50% of America’s new cases; they also have Republican governors who blatantly downplayed the pandemic from the start and banned mitigation efforts like mask requirements. Other states rife with hot spots include Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. All these states have low vaccination rates and overwhelmed hospitals, yet again.
The virus turn-around caused Google, Apple and Uber to postpone having employees return to work in offices until October. Other companies large and small are likely to follow their example.
Covid has given us yet another new term—breakthrough infection. More and more people who are fully vaccinated are testing positive for Covid, many asymptomatic and some experiencing mild symptoms. These are known as breakthrough infections and are not surprising. We always knew that the vaccines wouldn’t stop 100% of sickness and that a few people would still get covid—just not severe or deadly cases. But, the sheer number of breakthrough cases seems larger than expected, and THAT is due to Delta being so contagious. Check out NYT’s 25-minute podcast from The Daily, on how and why some people get infected even though fully vaccinated, the new finding that THEY ARE CONTAGIOUS, and the new issues that raises. Breakthrough Infections, Explained UPDATED podcast 8-2-21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/podcasts/the-daily/breakthrough-infections-delta-variant.html?rref=vanity
Masks are back. On July 27, the CDC stated EVERYONE (even the vaccinated) should return to wearing masks indoors in public, wherever the virus is surging (for example, areas with a positive testing rate of 8% or higher.) At present, that includes 2/3 of all counties in the US. The CDC based this change in masking on new data showing the Delta variant is not only infecting vaccinated people but causing them to carry the virus in great amounts, making them spreaders. This is because, with Delta infections, the viral load in nasal passages is 1,000 times higher than with basic Covid. So, vaccinated parents and other adults spending time around unvaccinated children can infect them.
St. Louis has mandated masks for everyone, indoors in public places, as has Washington, DC; both areas have high case-counts now. The White House and The House of Representatives (actually, ALL federal areas), along with many businesses (including all Disney parks and all Broadway theaters in NYC), are requiring masks be worn by everyone. Experts note that N95 masks are widely available to the public now, and they are far more effective than fabric or surgical masks.
In the last 2 weeks, US cases have increased 150%, hospitalizations are up 74%, and deaths are up 10%.
In Texas, in the last 2 weeks, cases have increased 209%, hospitalizations are up 80%, and deaths are up 48%.
Texas is again reporting over 10,000 new cases daily, which hasn’t happened since February. As of July 30, there were 6,251 Texans hospitalized for Covid-19, the most since February. The current positive test rate is 16.99—more than double what it was 2 weeks back.
Do you want to live or die? Here is crystal clear data on the choice. 99.5% of people who died due to COVID-19 in Texas from Feb. 8 to July 14 were unvaccinated. Texas has seen nearly 9,000 COVID-19 deaths since February. All but 43 were unvaccinated people. 7/21/21 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/21/coronavirus-texas-vaccinated-deaths/
Austin/Travis County, due to the sharp increase in new cases and hospitalizations reached the threshold for Stage 5 guidelines on July 30, just 1 week after escalating to Stage 4. In Stage 4, masks are advised even for vaccinated people in stores and restaurants, when traveling, and in outdoor crowds. Unvaccinated people (including those only partially vaccinated) should not gather in groups and should only go out for essential purposes. In Stage 5, likely adopted if hospitalizations stay up for 3 days, all travel should cease. As of July 31, Austin/Travis County has 338 people hospitalized for Covid, a level not seen since February, and only 11 ICU beds are available.
Gov. Abbott issued new orders last week reiterating that no government entity can require masks or vaccinations, decreeing that “personal responsibility” is all Texas needs to fight Covid. Odd–that hasn’t worked so far.
Vaccinations–the safe path to herd immunity
Worldwide, France will require Covid passes for all domestic travelers and restaurant patrons. The Italian government is requiring people to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test for indoor dining, visiting museums and attending shows.
Canada has reached vaccination goals and says it will open its border to Americans August 9, as long as they have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days before travel and present a negative test taken within 72 hours before arrival.
Israel is offering a 3rd shot of Pfizer, as a booster, to everyone over age 60 who got vaccinated at least 5 months previously.
In a rare success story, 90 percent of adults in remote Himalayan kingdom Bhutan (population 800’000) have been fully vaccinated. Vaccine for the first set of shots was donated by India. A large group of countries (Denmark, Bulgaria, Croatia, China, America, and others) donated the second round of vaccine, but it was the developing nation’s robust cold-chain technology and the eagerness of its people to get vaccinated that guaranteed success.
At least 100 out of America’s 613 athletes participating in the Olympics in Japan are NOT vaccinated. (That doesn’t include over 70 of the athletes who failed to complete the official health form.) The IOC says about 85% of ALL athletes are vaccinated, but how that number was reached is vague.
In the US, studies show that being vaccinated makes you 25 times less likely to die of Covid. Yet, the split between vaccinated and not vaccinated remains a sharp divide. 99% of recent deaths were among unvaccinated people, and more than 97% of recent hospitalizations occurred among the unvaccinated.
But, since so many people clearly are NOT smart enough, vaccination mandates could no longer be denied.
The Department of Veterans Affairs became the first federal agency to mandate vaccination; it gave 115,000 health care workers (those patient-facing such as doctors, dentists, registered nurses, physician assistants and specialists) a vaccination deadline that is 2 months out.
California state employees, as well as on-site public and private health care workers, must be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing. New York City municipal employees (including police officers and teachers) must be vaccinated by mid-September or get weekly tests. New York state workers must be vaccinated or face weekly testing (with patient-facing health care workers NOT given the testing option). On July 29, President Biden ordered that all federal civilian workers (over 4 million people) must be vaccinated, or they will have to mask, social distance, and test weekly. The same rules will be applied to all US military personnel.Broadway theaters will require proof of vaccination to attend; the same will be required for performers and staff. Hundreds of bars in San Francisco will require indoor patrons to prove vaccination or a recent negative test. The major unions in Hollywood agreed to a short-term plan that would allow studios to require everyone on production sets to be vaccinated. University vaccine requirements are being upheld by the courts, with over 600 higher learning institutions announcing vaccine mandates. Indiana University’s Vaccine Requirement Should Stand, Federal Judge Rules 7/19/21 https://www.npr.org/2021/07/19/1018010489/indiana-universitys-vaccine-requirement-should-stand-federal-judge-rules
MANY other entities are chiming in to require vaccination for employees—Google, Facebook, Netflix, The Washington Post, California State University, CNN, Saks, Lyft, Uber, and Morgan Stanley. Countless medical facilities, including the multi-state Mayo Clinic system of hospitals, are requiring employees to be vaccinated.
Recent Covid articles I recommend….
UPDATED podcast on NYT’s The Daily, covering current info on breakthrough Covid infections 8-2-21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/podcasts/the-daily/breakthrough-infections-delta-variant.html?rref=vanity
Vaccinated People May Spread the Virus, C.D.C. Reports 7/30/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/30/health/cdc-vaccinated-delta.html
As Infections Rise, C.D.C. Urges Some Vaccinated Americans to Wear Masks Again 7/27/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/27/health/covid-cdc-masks-vaccines-delta-variant.html
‘There’s a disconnect’: After a rapid rollout why has US vaccine effort stalled? 7/26/21 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/26/us-vaccine-effort-nuance-covid-coronavirus
Medical groups call for mandatory vaccination of U.S. health care workers 7/26/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/26/health/health-care-workers-vaccine-requirement.html
The Delta Variant Is the Symptom of a Bigger Threat: Vaccine Refusal 7/25/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/25/health/coronavirus-vaccine-refusal.html
Covid Has Created a Scale of Family Loss Not Seen Since AIDS 7/20/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/opinion/covid-19-orphans.html
Delta variant sweeps through states that dialed back health powers 7/22/21 https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/22/delta-variant-surge-covid-cases-500483
U.S. Life Expectancy Plunged in 2020, Especially for Black and Hispanic Americans, due to the pandemic 7/21/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/us/american-life-expectancy-report.html
Surgeon General Assails Tech Companies Over Misinformation on Covid-19 7/16/21 https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/15/us/politics/surgeon-general-vaccine-misinformation.html
Daring Mighty Things
On July 20, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin had a successful test flight for its version of a space ride. Its New Shephard is a more traditional capsule launched via rocket, compared to Virgin Galactic’s plane-like craft. (Clearly, its design team was predominantly male.) Plus, it went higher into the atmosphere, passing the 62-mile-high Karman line. On board were Bezos, his brother, and 82-year-old female aviator Wally Funk; the 4th seat went to the 18-year-old son of the highest bidder at a charity auction. (So, the flight took into space both the oldest and youngest “astronauts” ever.) While the Virgin Galactic craft is flown by a pilot on board, Blue Origin is flown from the ground, with no crew along for the 10 minute ride.
Texas state elections
Of course, Trump endorsed Ken Paxton in the 2022 AG race; crooks gotta stick together. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton gets all-important endorsement from Donald Trump over fellow Republican George P. Bush. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/26/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-2022-donald-trump/
Bush and Paxton will also face Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eve Guzman in the Republican primary.
And, by the way—the Texas legislature is in complete disarray. The Democrats who bugged out to DC on July 12 are still AWOL, so the Texas House lacks a quorum and nothing can get done during the special session. Unfortunately, that means Gov. Abbott’s May temper-tantrum veto of all funding for the legislative branch still stands. So, as of Sept. 1, the legislature has no funding and staffers (Republican AND Democrat) are out of work. The current failed special session ends next week. Abbott can call another session, with or without the contentious voting rights bill on the agenda, to take care of basics like the budget and the dire issue of banning U-T from ditching the Big 12 for the SEC. With flaky Abbott, it all depends on how things poll for his re-election campaign. The Texas Supreme Court has been asked to rule on whether Abbott has the power to defund a co-equal branch of state government, which should be interesting. Analysis: Texas government has to put Humpty Dumpty together again 7/29/21 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/29/texas-legislature-budget-veto-greg-abbott/
In Lakeway, there were 3 Council meetings
Lakeway Council had 2 meetings on Monday, July 19.
During the afternoon Budget Meeting:
Heritage Committee requested funds to clean and polish the Spirit of Freedom monument and to make at least 3 more videos showcasing Lakeway’s history (covering our July 4th parade tradition, Colorado River and building the dam, and the pioneer roots of local families). Mayor Kilgore asked that the Heritage Committee investigate honoring ALL who served and not just those serving during recognized conflicts.
Arts Committee requested $13,500 for various visual arts programs, $2,500 for printed materials, and $37,450 for the Austin Symphony collaborative concert with Lake Travis High School.
City Manager Oakley listed several committee/department requests:
–Economic Development requests $25K.
–Wildlife Advisory needs $8,800 for the annual deer census and $2,000 for educational materials. Council Member Mastrangelo suggested adding additional routes to the census (including Vanguard and the airpark area) which would increase the cost to $10,000, subject to WAC’s discretion. Mayor Kilgore mentioned additional work on non-deer wildlife issues would be addressed by his soon-to-be-named WAC committee members.
–Parks and Recreation requests $700K total (from Capital Reserve Fund), being $100K for the N. Lakeway Village Trail (a new looped trail with boardwalk and pedestrian bridges in the greenbelt area off Clara Van and connecting to Clubhouse Drive), $55K for a sidewalk near the Hurst Creek sculpture garden, $445K for the new bridge near the Hurst Creek sculpture garden (after discussion on the high cost, Council asked for options for pedestrian, cart, and vehicle bridges), and $100K for professional parks planning.
–5 vehicles (2 cars and a 4X4 truck for Police Dept., a truck for BDS, and a 4X4 dump truck for Public Works) for $260K (from Capital Reserve Fund).
–Another $122K (from Capital Reserve Fund) for a radio system for the Emergency Coordinator, sealcoat and striping of parking lots at LAC and Swim Center, and new exterior doors for LAC.
Mayor Kilgore asked staff to provide the cost to the city of increasing the homestead exemption for residents over 65 from the current $5K to $15K or even $30K.
Mayor Kilgore pointed out that the city does not observe 3 federal holidays (Veterans Day, Juneteenth and Columbus Day); he asked staff to provide the cost of making those city holidays. He also noted that the city now observes 1 religious holiday (Good Friday); he suggested that staff be allowed instead to take 1 religious holiday of their choice and asked the cost be calculated for that.
Addendum—Activity Center fees were discussed, being annual membership fees (for residents and for non-residents), room rentals, linen and equipment rentals, plus class fees, and special event fees. In discussion, Council agreed that membership fees for residents help cover ongoing expenses, separate and apart from construction costs for the building paid decades ago by taxpayers. In addition, having residents pay a small membership fee enables their groups to get priority and discounted rate for event bookings when 80% of attendees are members.
Go here to watch the meeting online– https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/129159
During the evening Regular Meeting:
The Agenda had 30 items, most being fleshed out in the voluminous Meeting Packet. (For good or bad, most of these items are routine. There are only a few substantive items, which I noted with an asterisk.* The city needs to figure out better ways to handle the routine stuff and get it off Council’s plate.) RESULTS in ALL CAPS.
–The Consent Agenda has items appointing members of the following boards and committees: Ethics, City Building Commission, Zoning and Planning, and Economic Development. Another item closes down the Public Engagement Committee, since the City’s Communications Director has taken on its work. (Names and full details are in the Meeting Packet.) ITEM 6 (ETHICS COMM. NOMINATIONS) WAS WITHDRAWN. THE REST PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
–Item 16 is the Financial Report. REVENUE IS UP BY $900K, LARGELY DUE TO SALES TAX AND RESIDENTIAL PERMIT FEES BEING HIGHER THAN PROJECTED.
–*Item 17 is a rate increase request by Waste Management, per the terms of its trash and recycling collection contract with the city. Increased costs (landfill costs and wages) of $0.76 are offset by increased revenues (recycled materials’ worth) of $0.57, with the result being a requested rate increase of $0.19, to $17.80 (per month, per customer). PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–*Item 18 is acceptance of a donation from The Lakeway Civic Corp. to pay for up to $40k in continued restoration of the Liebelt Cabin. Conditions on the gift are that the City undertake to fund annual maintenance work on the cabin AND pursue grant money to fund making the cabin and its surroundings compliant with the Texas Accessibility Act. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY, BUT ABSENT THE CONDITIONS (which LCC changed to suggestions)
–Item 19 is a budget amendment for item 18. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–Item 20 is a request for a short-term rental permit for a condo at World of Tennis. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–Item 21 is a request for a special use permit for 100 years allowing an ambulatory surgery center at 6 Lakeway Center Court. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–Item 22 is a request for a special use permit for 20 years allowing Guaranty Bank and Trust to operate with drive through lanes at 620 and Lakeway Blvd. (at the old location of Plains Capital Bank). PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–Item 23 is a request for preliminary plan approval of MC Bee Creek Subdivision (17 single family lots on 34 acres) at Lakehurst Loop and Lakehurst Road, in the city’s ETJ. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–*Item 24 is a proposed development agreement for 314 Clubhouse Drive. (See Meeting Packet, starting at page 169.) This was round 2, for this controversial development. At Council’s June 21 meeting, action was tabled for a month, to allow the developer to meet with the city and neighboring owners to resolve at least some issues. June proposal: In the ETJ, at Longwood, the 6.3 acre tract would be annexed to the city with 17 single-family homes built. Zoning would be R-2, they want front facing garages with no turnaround, 15’ set-back, building materials specified, zoning fees waived. Now, the proposal was for annexation but for 16 single-family homes with R-1 zoning, access via Longwood, no driveway turnaround (but the request for front-facing garages is gone), building materials specified, zoning fees waived. The bottom line remained that, since the tract is not currently within Lakeway’s jurisdiction, the owner is free to develop it per Travis County’s far more lenient rules unless agreement is reached. NOTE: the only real objection nearby homeowners still had was wanting the city to extend Clara Van to the new tract, to handle the construction traffic. However, they did NOT want the development connected to Longwood, as that would make the entire neighborhood a cut-through to 620. Cost to extend Clara Van was estimated at $2M-4M, which Council found to be prohibitive; in addition, if the city built a connector road it would (at some point) be punched through to fully connect the neighborhood to 620. So, the development will be accessed via Longwood. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY (with zoning fees and cut and fill handled normally)
–*Item 25 is a change to the building ordinance to address how the city handles the increasingly common development agreement. Changes include requiring written notice to surrounding landowners within 200 feet (as is already done for zoning changes), having at least 2 Council hearings prior to voting on the agreement, and encouragement for developers to meet with neighboring owners BEFORE the matter gets to Council. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
–*Item 26 is discussion of various code provisions:
–a) short term rentals (theoretical 1,000 foot distribution—see Meeting Packet page 209)
–b) golf carts (comparison of regulations by state and nearby cities–see Meeting Packet page 210; cart path illustration–see Meeting Packet page 211)
–c) camping (HB 1025—see Meeting Packet starting with page 212)
–d) BDS regs
There was little discussion of these issues, just a decision of how to prioritize review of them, given that all will be labor intensive for staff, who are occupied with the budget process now. PRIORITY: BDS ISSUES, GOLF CARTS, AIRPARK ACTIVITY (newly suggested), the rest as time permits
–*Item 27 is first reading of the BDS Design Manual (see Meeting Packet starting with page 221). MINOR CHANGES SUGGESTED. Second review will be at July 26 meeting, with vote then.
–*Item 28 repeals a 2008 city ordinance and extends Lakeway’s ETJ to include the area south of Hwy. 71, as allowed by state law (see illustration on Meeting Packet page 301). PASSED 6/0 (Council Member Vance having recused herself)
–Item 29 amends building ordinances to align the hours allowed for construction, as listed in various locations of the code already, and to allow exceptions for early concrete pours at commercial sites. PASSED UNANIMOUSLY (with staff asked to look at similarly allowing early concrete pours at residential construction sites)
–Item 30—ADJOURNED at 10:22pm. Go here to watch the meeting online– https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/129177
Go here for the Meeting Packet (for the evening meeting)— https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx
Lakeway Council met in Special Session Monday, July 26.
This was largely a Work Session for the FY 2022 Budget, a short meeting (under 45 minutes), basically a step in the budget process that started with reviewing information received from Travis County Appraisal District. Per TCAD, Lakeway’s tax base increased by 12% from $5.1 billion last year to $5.7 billion this year. The valuation of existing property went up 8%, plus properties new to the city added 4% to the base. Also per TCAD, the average taxable home value in Lakeway increased from $559K in 2020 to $661K in 2021.
Council seems agreed that there is no need to consider raising the tax rate, which is now .1645. In fact, the increase in the city’s tax base means the tax rate can go DOWN, and still generate the same amount of tax revenue. This magic rate is called the “no new tax rate,” and it would be .1547. The City Manager is suggesting the slightly lower rate of .1545 which she says will balance the 2022 budget as now envisioned. (Note that this rate would raise taxes by $19 per home, due to the fact that our residential values rose while our commercial values dropped this year. This shift in the property tax burden from commercial to residential may or may not be a Covid-19 fluctuation; city staff is getting more info on this.)
The City Manager pointed out that when residents pay their property tax bill, only 7% of the total goes to City of Lakeway. The rest of the money goes out like this: LTISD–58%, Travis County–16%, MUD—5%, Central Heath—5%, Austin Community College—5%, emergency services—4%. So, the decision on Lakeway’s tax rate will only affect its 7% piece of the pie.
In addition, a chart of area cites and tax rates for 2021 was shown. Services provided vary, but Lakeway was pretty much in the middle. Austin, Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock and others have higher rates. Bee Cave, The Hills, Briarcliff and others have lower rates.
Revenues and expenditures were quickly reviewed, including the new committee and department requests made at the last meeting. Looking at the big picture, the City Manager summarized the proposed budget (using the .1545 tax rate) as $16.3 million of balanced revenue and expenditures. This allows the usual transfer of $350K to the Capital Reserve Fund and provides a healthy 33% Fund Balance Ratio.
At its Aug. 16 meeting, Council will propose a tax rate. (In August, all the Travis County data will be in and numbers finalized, so the proposed budget will be posted online.) On Sept. 13, there will be a public hearing on the issue. The Sept. 20 meeting is the deadline to adopt a budget and tax rate.
The Addendum to the Agenda added second review for Building and Development Services’ new Design Manual. This is seen as a living document, with information to be added and revised as needed, with the goal of making the process easier for owners and developers. It was approved 6/0. (Council Member Vance was absent.)
Adjourned: 7:12pm. Under an hour–this might be a record….
Go here to watch the meeting– https://lakewaytx.new.swagit.com/videos/129546
Back to me….
Have to say, the new surge and the U-turn in Covid stats nationwide and right here in Texas—it has really gotten me down. Nothing infuriates me more than stupid selfishness; people try to dress it up as “vaccine hesitancy,” but I’m done. If you refuse to get vaccinated, shame on you. People try to compare requiring a COVID-19 vaccination to the hullabaloo when seatbelts became law. Sorry, that is not very apt. Seatbelts ONLY protect the wearer. Getting vaccinated for Covid protects EVERYONE. It protects the person getting vaxxed but also family, friends, store and restaurant employees, the folks at work and on the plane and in line to vote and sitting in meetings and in medical waiting rooms, etc. It also helps us all by easing hospital admissions AND by encouraging economic recovery. Most of all, it deters new and nasty variants that will—at some point, if left unchecked—be immune to the vaccines. The reason we can’t find the perfect comparison for Covid non-vaxxers is that, in modern history, there hasn’t been a situation, like we have today, when people put their own misguided “freedom” ahead of not only their OWN good but of the best interests of EVERYONE. We have simply reached a new and tragic low in common sense, duty, and morality.
A lot of the blame rests with the Republican party, as far as I’m concerned. It cannot be stressed enough: Republicans have become the party of personal IRRESPONSIBILITY. That obviously applies to everything Covid-related, from wearing masks to getting vaccinated to red state laws banning precautions and forbidding businesses from requiring proof of vaccination. It also applies to every other plague in America now—spouting “stop the steal” with zero proof of election fraud is irresponsible, ignoring climate change is irresponsible, lack of gun regulation is irresponsible, erratic immigration policy is irresponsible, and it goes on and on. Now, the GOP is the non-policy party, whose leaders are grasping for power instead of even trying to govern. This excellent article says is all: Republicans used to laud ‘personal responsibility’. Not with Covid 7/30/21 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/30/republicans-used-to-laud-personal-responsibility-not-with-covid
So, the house I bought 3 years ago still had the ORIGINAL water heater, from 1996. Obviously, replacing it has been on my list…. I got 6 local plumbers recommended by Next Door users as doing good work recently, calling and emailing all of them. It seemed like overkill, but only 3 ever got back to me and came to the house to look things over. Of those, 1 never supplied the promised estimate. But, I was happy with one of the other 2 options and had the work done. Not sure why getting this kind of work done in Lakeway is so difficult.
Good books I recently finished:
The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics 2020, by Steve Benen. Written by the producer of The Rachel Maddow Show and the source of the show’s blog, this book looks at how the GOP devolved over decades to become unable to craft coherent policy on anything from health care to immigration to budget to foreign policy. Turns out Trump didn’t originate the non-policy policy; he just happened along at the right time to let it cloak the fact he lacked the intelligence, interest and attention span to create anything more complicated than a sound bite.
Robert B. Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me, 2021 by Ace Atkins. Parker is long gone, sadly, but the estate contracted with various authors to continue writing the stories of several of his beloved protagonists. Overall, Atkins does well with Spenser, Boston’s best-known gumshoe, in this 48th book in the series. It isn’t as good as some of Parker’s books, but reading present-day adventures of Spenser, Hawk, Susan and Pearl is literary comfort food.
Both books are available at Lake Travis Community Library.
I’ve been lucky enough to see fawns on my morning walks most days lately. Here are some recent photos.
Panda cub video update on Washington Zoo’s Xiao (AKA Biscuit):
Mom and cub 7/30/21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xi_887ph_A
Xiao Qi Ji Makes a Splash 7/25/21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zsRtDQTm-U
Tree Dangles & Mommie Wrangles 7/23/21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNBxOQLnKFg
MEI XIANG & CUB XIAO QI JI 7/23/21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwm1naGApm8