Sequester Austin

Like a lurking Nosferatu, the sequestration continues to generally bum out all those in its path. Today Mayor Lee Leffingwell received a letter from Housing and Urban Development outlining what Austin can expect from the budgetary cuts. Needless to say, there will be a precipitous decline in the availability of Edible Arrangements.

Extending the warm fuzzies, Leffingwell said, “It’s clear that we are just beginning to see the effects of sequestration at the local level. The letter we received today does not include specific federal budget reductions but is informative in setting expectations. … As elected officials and administrators locally, we find ourselves in a very unfortunate position.”

The letter sets an expectation of a 5% shortfall for several programs --including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), and Emergency Solutions Grants for the homeless (ESG). The Mayor’s office says the city will have to find new funding to make up the difference for key city services.

It looks like now might be a great time for a citywide garage sale. Luckily for the city, the old Home Depot on I-35 (purchased years ago for a still conceptual new municipal court) is still available –- maybe they'll want to put that on the auction block, too.