Category Archives: Austin

03/22/17

Reckless Endangerment — Travis County Sheriff’s Office v ICE

Bit early in the ATX, but the Big Red Car has to tell you about the reckless behavior of our Travis County Sheriff, Sally Hernandez as it relates to ICE and not honoring detainers. Travis County is the home county of the city of Austin By God Texas. Austin is sometimes referred to as The People’s Republic of Austin.

On 1 February 2017, Sheriff Hernandez announced her new policy of not cooperating with ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) as it relates to honoring certain (almost all) detainer requests.

This is on the forward edge of the battle area between the Federal government’s objective of deporting criminal aliens, thereby Making American Safe Again (couldn’t resist, sorry), and the sanctuary city movement.

Already, the State of Texas (in the person of Governor Greg Abbott) has taken action against Travis County and canceled state grants for veterans (amongst other worthy endeavors) to the tune of $1,500,000. Seems a small amount, but it is meaningful if you are one of those veterans impacted. [Full Disclosure: The Boss is a veteran and this really pisses him off.]

Bottom line: Our Sheriff is releasing criminals into Travis County. These criminals (charged with and/0r convicted of serious crimes)  would, otherwise, be deported to their country of origin.  Sheriff Hernandez’s actions, in failing to cooperate with ICE, are recklessly endangering the safety of Travis County citizens and Texans, in general.

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02/16/17

Tortilla Wrap Engineering

Big Red Car here in the ATX on a wickedly sunny, but crisp day. Ahhh, On Earth as it is in Texas! Today, we talk tortilla wrap and its engineering — complete assembly instructions like they were selling these babies at Ikea. No tools required.

So, the Big Red Car likes to take some nourishment at Green Mesquite on Barton Springs Road.

Green Mesquite Barbecue

When there, I like to have a chopped beef sandwich and if I’m really hungry, I’ll have a tortilla wrap as a chaser.

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Take careful note of the relative position of the well-centered sausage, the pickles, and onions. This is a properly sauced tortilla wrap. Do not over sauce, a rookie mistake.

Let’s stop right here. Please do not tell me it’s called a “sausage wrap” and the wrapper is a tortilla. I made that mistake about a third of a century ago. When I walk into Green Mesquite on Barton Springs Road, my friend brings me an Arnold Palmer and a chopped beef with onions and pickles (like the service you get in an Emergency Room when time can be critical) and waits to find out whether we’re having a tortilla wrap chaser or not.

This level of fractured communication works for us and in all the years the NSA has never objected. So, just leave it alone.

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