A recent effort to bolster emergency communication infrastructure failed in the Texas Senate earlier this year
As the death toll from flash floods in Central Texas climbs past 80, scrutiny is mounting over Kerr County’s past decisions to reject an outdoor siren alert system due to cost concerns.
Kerr County, located in a flood-prone region of the Texas Hill Country, has previously dismissed proposals for siren-based warning systems, citing financial burden on local taxpayers.
A recent effort at the state level to bolster emergency communication infrastructure, House Bill 13, failed in the Texas Senate earlier this year. The bill would have funded improved disaster alert systems and provided grants for counties to build infrastructure like sirens and radio towers, according to the Texas Tribune.
Some lawmakers, including state Rep. Wes Virdell, voted against it due to its projected $500 million cost, though several now admit they’re reconsidering in the wake of recent events.
There you go…
🐆🍽️😢
On the one hand, I can’t imagine the county in question has the type of tax revenue to support $500 million, even if they were the type to have change to raise taxes (they’re not). On the other hand, situations in which local governments can’t afford essentials is exactly when you’re supposed to have larger government (Texas, Feds) step in an subsidize, which of course they aren’t willing under GoP rule. Meh.
I don’t think the 500m Dollar is for just one county. More likely this is for all of Texas.
Wow, so we can put an actual dollar amount on the lives lost. Most of the time karma isn’t so precise.
The bill was rejected so recently, you don’t even have to adjust for inflation.
And Poseidon said “hey guys gald and enby pals, want to see the funniest shit this week?”
Thoughts and prayers 👍
I’m reminded of “a libertarian walks into a bear”. Right wing folks have a poor model of the world
The poor ones do. The rich ones are well aware that they’re protected from consequences.
Thoughts and prayers
What forest? I can’t see no forest because of all these damn trees!
Why help myself if I have to spend money and do stuff?
Understandable when it comes to wearing pants. Not understandable when it comes to natural disaster warning systems.
Just in case anybody wasn’t sure.
Couldn’t they just use a system that sends texts or alerts using GPS / triangulation?
A lot of that area is remote or in canyons so cell service is spotty at best.
Edit: that is to say, you need a dedicated system specifically for warnings like this with real power sources, physical alarm devices, and either hard wired data systems, or data systems that are on radio towers high enough up to actually function and function properly in bad weather.
True, and maybe it would make sense for the county (or a cellphone company?) to invest in strategically located towers so that cell service would be less spotty in general there? Not just for this kind of emergency but also lost hikers etc.
I don’t think something of this risk should be left to individual, non-publicly maintained or controlled devices. This is specifically an area where the time to act is short and oftentimes the public is either in the river or river adjacent so they wouldn’t have their phone.
That said, there should be better cell service for the reasons you listed, I just don’t think it is the solution to the loss of life here.
Good points, both would be good.
But, $GOP$
Remote areas and canyons are not the problem this solution addresses. Have you ever heard of tornado sirens or air raid sirens?
The bill would have funded improved disaster alert systems and provided grants for counties to build infrastructure like sirens and radio towers, according to the Texas Tribune.
many residents are believed to have not seen the warnings due to them being issued in the early morning hours, or lacked access to mobile devices altogether.
Yeah, I was trying to tell the poster above why a cell message or triangulated gps signal wouldn’t work. This area is remote and needs proper infrastructure with dedicated alarms to function in a safety critical capacity.
There are already tornado sirens in the area around Seguin, so clearly they can afford some kind of warning, but then using budget as the reasons to avoid spending on this kind of thing has always been a bad faith argument.
How about this. Create a program where people can sign up to buy an affordable siren. Install sirens. Texas reimburses those people a percentage. Maybe a tax credit. People hate paying taxes. Texas charges another percentage to all people in Texas.
Maybe it’s just me but if I had the option to install an affordable advanced warning siren I’d be interested. My phone works too but a siren has to be cheaper than a funeral for my family.
I don’t know why people assume that the siren systems local governments install aren’t the affordable option…
What do you think is cheaper and provides the most safety…a single siren loud enough to cover a very wide area, or the state reimbursing hundreds of people to buy inadequately installed and tested sirens all over the place?
I can guarantee that if you had everyone install their own systems a significant portion would not be installed correctly, and another significant portion wouldn’t have the needed maintenance performed to maintain reliability.
I guess people don’t understand the innate cost effectiveness of consolidation at scale?
$50. I like where your head is at but that is not the type of sirens they are talking about. Also,
My phone works too
