Get the Flock out!
Surveillance tech backlash isn't unique to Austin.
City Council is poised to approve the budget today, although it's not clear when. I'll have analysis on that tomorrow.
In the meantime, it's been interesting to see scrutiny in the national media of a couple of issues that have been prominent on the Austin radar recently.
Fire Chief Joel Baker retires
The chief, hired to lead AFD in 2018 after a lengthy career in Atlanta, announced he will be retiring at the end of the month. So far I haven't heard anything to indicate this wasn't his choice. The city will launch a national search for a replacement.
The Austin Firefighters Association was gracious in a statement responding to the news despite its membership's overwhelming "no confidence" vote against Baker last year in the wake of the Kerrville flooding disaster. When I reached out to retired AFA President Bob Nicks, he offered a mostly negative verdict on Baker's tenure:
In my opinion, Chief Baker retiring is a very positive development for the firefighters and the citizens of Austin.
The reasons that the firefighters listed in the 2025 Chief Baker vote of no confidence mandate certainly comes to mind.
On a positive note, Chief Baker's last several appointments to his command staff were excellent, and the fire department will be in great hands moving forward.
I truly wish Chief Baker a long and happy retirement!
The data center backlash feels so familiar to Dog's Head
Jasmine Sun, an independent tech writer examining the politics of data centers, recently went on Ezra Klein's podcast to describe the concerns fueling opposition in towns in Wisconsin and Michigan.
