Austin firefighters wishing to make contact with the WSWS can submit the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous.
A man surveys debris and flood damage along the Guadalupe River, Sunday, July 13, 2025, in Kerrville, Texas. [AP Photo/Eric Gay]
The deadly flooding in Texas Hill Country has exposed deep cracks in American society. At least 120 people have died and 170 remain missing in a catastrophe that could have been mitigated with timely warnings and coordinated rescue operations. But years of budget cuts, disinvestment in public infrastructure and politically driven decision-making have taken their toll.
The region lacked any flood warning system. Staffing shortages at the National Weather Service hampered the agency’s ability to issue timely alerts. And in one of the most damning failures, the City of Austin Fire Department—despite having “the best water rescue units in the state,” according to Austin Firefighters Association (AFA) President Bob Nicks—refused to deploy rescue teams until after the flooding had already begun.
On July 11, the AFA (Local 975 of the International Association of Firefighters) voted overwhelmingly—by 93 percent—to issue a resolution of no confidence in Fire Chief Joel Baker.
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In a statement, the AFA wrote:
The Austin Firefighters Association is demanding a full investigation into the decision and calling for transparency and accountability at all levels of management.
We’re urging investigative journalists and the public to help uncover the truth. The lives of citizens—and trust in our local government—depend on it.
The firefighters will not stop until every responsible party is held accountable and systemic changes are made to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
According to Nicks, two formal requests for assistance were sent to the Austin Fire Department before the flooding began. Both were denied. A month earlier, Chief Baker had imposed a moratorium on all out-of-area deployments, citing internal “cash flow problems.”
But Nicks dismissed the financial excuse as a “non-starter,” noting that any deployment costs would be reimbursed by the state of Texas. “The message up and down the chain of command was: do not deploy and do not even ask,” he told the World Socialist Web Site. It was not until July 4—after the disaster was well underway—that Baker allowed just three rescue divers to be sent to the region.
Firefighters from every other major Texas city, as well as from Oklahoma City and even from Mexico, deployed to assist.
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Retired Austin rescue captain Matt Rush rejected the excuse that sending help would have left the city unprotected. “If we send resources to a flood event, we are not losing capability within the city of Austin,” he told austinpolitics.net. “We’re not closing 10 fire stations in Austin to go help Kerrville.”
Right-wing provocateurs have seized on the controversy to advance a racist narrative (Joel Baker is African-American). Charlie Kirk, the fascistic founder of Turning Point USA, said on his podcast: “How many people unnecessarily died because of DEI?” This vile attempt to use this tragedy to incite racism is aimed at shielding the real criminals—Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Republican-controlled state legislature, which has refused to fund a flood warning system but has spent more than $11 billion since 2021 on Operation Lone Star, the state’s anti-immigrant border crackdown.
At the same time, Democratic Party officials in Austin have denounced the firefighters’ vote of no confidence. Democratic Mayor Kirk Watson accused Nicks of “politicizing” the disaster during union negotiations. City Manager T.C. Broadnax echoed the charge, calling the AFA’s resolution “disappointing.” Others affiliated with the Democratic Party have even insinuated that the union’s criticisms were racially motivated, forcing the AFA to issue a statement clarifying that the dispute “is not about race or ethnicity.”
Nicks, who emphasized that “I am not a MAGA guy,” told the WSWS that neither race nor partisanship motivated the union’s decision but the imperative to protect lives and hold those responsible to account.
Indeed, what the Kerr floods exposed is the deep class fault lines in the United States. The flood occurred amid record cuts to public spending, including to the National Weather Service and other basic services millions rely on before and during extreme weather events. As has been widely reported, Trump’s first administration rejected a funding application from the county government for a flood warning system.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party politicians are carrying out massive cuts to city services in major cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. Watson’s arrogant denunciation of the firefighters’ principled stand confirms the local government’s complicity in the decision not to send highly trained personnel to save lives.
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This draining of social resources at every level must be countered by a movement in the working class, independent of both parties, fighting against the Wall Street oligarchy, which is the recipient of these resources.
Global SEO Agency now offering deep-dive Audits, AI Ranking SEO, and Business Profile Optimization to local Austin companies seeking measurable digital growth on major search platforms.
AUSTIN, TX – December 17, 2025 – WebJi®, a leading SEO Agency with over two decades of international experience, has officially announced its expansion of service offerings to the Austin, Texas market. This strategic move brings WebJi®’s proven, remote-first strategies for digital growth to Austin’s local businesses and growing brands. The agency’s main goal is simple: to help companies show up higher in search results. This is achieved by fixing complex Technical SEO problems, growing qualified local traffic, and driving more real customers to client websites across the Austin area.
Solving the Visibility Problem for Austin Businesses
Many local businesses in the Austin area struggle to get noticed online. Their websites often face issues like slow loading speeds, poor user experience, or code that is unclear for the search engine robots. When these technical problems exist, the business cannot rank high in search results, even for customers searching nearby.
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The WebJi® team addresses this core problem remotely and effectively. They start with a thorough study of the client’s website, the market, and key local competitors. From this analysis, WebJi® creates a clear, customized SEO plan. This plan is designed to improve search engine ranking and send valuable, ready-to-buy visitors to the site.
The team has a strong history spanning over 20 years in search engine optimization, or SEO, successfully helping businesses globally. WebJi® now actively serves the greater Austin area, including Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, and Buda. The team, composed of expert SEO specialists, content writers, and link building managers, operates virtually, ensuring every part of the SEO plan is handled professionally and efficiently, regardless of location.
Targeted Services for Real Local Results
WebJi® offers comprehensive services focused on maximizing visibility specifically within the Austin market:
Local SEO and Map Ranking: The agency uses Local SEO to ensure nearby customers find the business first. They optimize listings and pages to boost local calls and visits. They improve Map Ranking SEO so a business’s pin shows up higher for “near me” searches on major mapping platforms.
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WebJi® provides clear monthly reports on traffic, rankings, and leads, showing measurable results typically within 3 to 6 months.
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If your Austin business needs better search engine ranking or Local SEO, WebJi® can help. The team serves all Austin neighborhoods, including Downtown Austin, Central Austin, South Congress, and Tech Ridge.
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Austin, Texas seeks offers of design, engineering, installation, operations and maintenance and decommissioning of solar projects on municipal facilities.
Anne Fischer
Image: Jan Van Bizar, Pexels
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Last spring Austin, Texas city council members approved a resolution to put solar on the rooftops of city-owned buildings. The resolution supports the Austin Climate Equity Plan that aims for net-zero community-wide carbon emissions by 2040 with an emphasis on cutting emissions by 2030. In keeping with that plan, the city is seeking a request for quotations (RFQ) for the solar projects planned for 111 municipal facilities.
Austin plans to make use of existing infrastructure by placing solar on rooftops and over parking lots. In addition to parking lots, the City-owned facilities on the site list designated for solar include at least seven fire stations, libraries, maintenance facilities, garages, recreation centers, city hall, and more.
Quotations on design, engineering, building, operations, maintenance and decommissioning are due by January 6, 2026 at 2 p.m. CST with questions due by December 22, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. An online pre-offer conference will take place via Microsoft Teams on December 19, 2025 at 11 a.m. CST. Teams meeting ID: 277 171 690 189 99 Passcode 45Vf2kK3. Solicitation-specific questions can be directed to shawn.willett@austintexas.gov.
Austin’s electric customers are served by Austin Energy and connected to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid.
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Joe Ely, a Texas singer-songwriter and guitarist, passed away at the age of 78 on Monday, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Ely, a pivotal figure in the 1970s progressive country movement, died at his home in New Mexico due to complications from Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s, and pneumonia.
Ely’s influence on Austin’s music scene was profound. Known for his unique blend of country, rock, folk, and Tex-Mex, Ely was a driving force behind the city’s progressive country music scene.
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He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022, a testament to his enduring impact on the music community.
Born on Feb. 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, and raised in Lubbock, Ely’s music was deeply rooted in West Texas. Despite his close association with Austin, he often returned to the wide-open spaces of West Texas for inspiration.
“Every time I start a new album, I head up to West Texas and drive around,” Ely told Texas Monthly in 2011.
Ely’s career began with the formation of the Flatlanders, a trailblazing country trio with fellow Texans Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. Although their debut album, “All American Music,” was initially overlooked, the group later gained recognition as a quintessential display of West Texas country storytelling.
Throughout his career, Ely collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and the Clash. His live performances were legendary, captivating audiences from Lubbock to London. Ely’s contributions to music were recognized by the Texas Legislature, which named him the Official 2016 Texas State Musician.
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Reflecting on his journey, Ely once said, “I made it this far. I had teachers tell me I wouldn’t make it to 21 when I was going to high school, so I beat the odds, you know?” His legacy as a songwriter’s songwriter and a musician’s musician will continue to inspire generations to come.
