Texas: Firing for Cause

Which of the three situations listed below resulted in the firing of four people from their jobs?

1) The inadequate response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that resulted in the killing of 19 students and two teachers.

2) The failure of local emergency management authorities to activate existing warning systems regarding flash flooding of the Guadalupe River in Kerr County that resulted in the death of at least 135 people, including 71 adults and 37 children.

3)  The viewing of a video from a Texas A&M class that dealt  with gender identity and "did not comply with the Trump Presidential Executive Order" decreeing only two genders.  A Texas legislator broadcast (posted) that video.

The answer is #3.  

A living student's sensibilities were offended and a State Legislator came to that person's rescue by mobilizing internet rage.

Professionals in #1 and #2 failed to follow plans and procedures for which they'd drilled many times.  In both cases the State of Texas covered for those failures.

For those who can count:  Gender identity video - 4 jobs lost, Dead children (56) and adults (73) - 0 jobs lost.

Councilman Hiebert Ready to Axe City Services

Councilman Tommy Hiebert proposed monthly workshops on what city services "must" be eliminated at the close of the September 2nd City Council meeting   Hiebert referenced a Texas Senate bill that could limit tax rate increases to 2.5% and require increases larger than that amount to go to a citizen vote.

I thought that odd, jumping straight to axing city services.  The City of San Angelo has built significant fund balances across its various accounts.  

Economic development executives dangled future business tax income during their discussion.  Council approved an over $100,000 annual increase to make that happen.  Council could adopt a policy providing less generous tax abatement in the future, say 60% vs. 90%, in order to fund city services.

If the city needs more than 2.5% or whatever limit the Texas legislature imposes, Council can take their budget proposals to the voters.  Just as they did with the Coliseum renovation.

Hiebert's desire to cut and not consider other options is premature, at best.  I'd hate to think there might be other motivations.  Across our country governments have been unduly manipulated by major business interests.  

The City of San Angelo needs to grow in a way that is fair to all involved.  Investor funded projects that provide little to no jobs are not high on my list for monster tax breaks.  

The Texas legislature may want to give voters the opportunity to approve or turn down giant tax abatements.  That's a power that equalizes the playing field.  Moving at the speed of voters....

Update 10-10-25:  Council took the first big step by reducing health insurance benefit options for staff, making the current "low" plan option the new "buy up" plan.  What was once provided by the city is now extra, requiring employees to pay more.

Update 11-4-25:  Councilman Harry Thomas spoke about Council facing a tax shortfall in the coming years and the need for members to decide what services may need to be cut.  He did so during the Comprehensive Plan RFQ discussion.  

Update 11-17-25:  Tony Deden wrote:

This essay was born out of revulsion to an accidental summer reading that paraded progress as virtue and private equity as its high priest. Every paragraph spoke the same pious language of “sustainable improvement,” “societal benefit,” and “long-term value creation,” as though leverage, asset-stripping, and balance-sheet cosmetics had become moral acts. I found myself revolted not merely by the hypocrisy, but by the vacuousness of it. In our hyper-financialized society, we have come to mistake valuation for value, and activity for achievement. The word ‘progress’ has been exploited to justify anything that moves—no matter what it destroys. What follows is an act of refusal to bow to the idea that more money is progress. If this essay has a motive, it is contempt for the trivial slogans that pass as thought, and for the hollow theory that confuses financial §engineering with human improvement.

Local politicians and Texas voters would be wise to read his piece.  

American Airlines Diverted Flight Followup

On August 8th I wrote about Flight 4956's diversion to Midland, Texas due to the failure of a wind sensor and the airport tower having no staff present to provide that information to the pilot.  

American Airlines customer service complaint:

I requested a refund for a terrible flight experience and AA has denied that request. I had two miserable flight segments during the trip but flight 4956 on 8-4-25 was the worst experience in my over 40 years of flying. I created the refund application in the Midland airport on my cell phone, an IPhone 8.5. I just tried to refer to the Chat messages I sent that evening for this complaint and am not able to access them as the mandatory AA App update no longer works on my phone. Flight 4956 was diverted to Midland on a clear night with light winds. It did so because the weather report lacked any wind information. I recognize this is a requirement but AA and the FAA/NWS need a backup for when that information is not available. 

There was no support from AA when we landed in Midland after midnight. You can see the calls I made to AA phone line and the chats I sent to your AA bot. The flight crew got their mandatory rest, but I got very little during my night spent in the Midland airport. Airport security did not know how to handle us the next morning as my boarding pass had yesterday's date. After landing back in San Angelo I learned my bag arrived home before I did. The wait for the bag was nearly an hour, as all staff were out on the tarmac for those departing on the plane that got me home a day late. An AA person told us someone would be with us shortly for the bag. Next thing we know she walked by us with her purse and coffee. No service for us. Less future business for you.

The AA reply sounded like something written by AI (see image at top of this post).  So I sent them a link to a previous post on the diverted flight.  That prompted AA's first attempt at service recovery (after providing dozens of feedback via chat, phone and AA's customer service website).  

Thank you.... this is the first message that acknowledged anything. I gave feedback all along the way and American showed no care, much less interest. The bonus miles are appreciated but are a tiny positive in a sea of abuse and inattention.

The City of San Angelo runs the airport which failed to provide the necessary weather information for the plane to land and does not have staff in the tower as backup should the automated system fail.   An initial public information request produced an e-mail regarding ongoing ASOS issues and an August 21st meeting with the Airport Director.

"Ongoing issues" implied that my flight was not the only one impacted.  A PIR on how many flights had been impacted in calendar year 2025 produced "no responsive documents."  Another PIR on the 8-21 meeting gave the same answer, "no responsive documents."  There was a communication from the Airport Director that "all components of the wind sensor had been replaced and that NWS staff would monitor that daily."

A public information request to NOAA and the National Weather Service on the issue was placed on a back burner because it did not meet their criteria for a more prompt response.

As our world moves to automated everything with no human backup, my advice for you is "be prepared" to be treated inhumanely, over and over and over and over.  

If I could never fly American again, I would.  But there are important humans I need to periodically visit.

Update 11-24-25:  Apparently I was not alone 

According to data collected by the United States Department of Transportation in the August Air Travel Consumer Report, American Airlines was the worst of all domestic airlines.