Free Republic

AUSTIN, Texas — It could cost nearly $1 million to install 10 new drinking fountains throughout Downtown Austin as part of an effort by some council members to make free drinking water more accessible for everyone. In a city memo released on Thursday, Austin Water identified 10 proposed locations for these fountains. At least two of them would be in the vicinity of the ARCH shelter on Seventh Street. The ADA-compliant fountains would be free to use 24/7 and would be located in well-lit areas, according to the City. Each fountain would contain three components: a drinking fountain, a bottle-filling...

A proposal to cut off access to community college students who linger too long – loading up their transcripts with gym classes, poor grades and far more units than they need to transfer or graduate – has merit and should be explored, the system's chancellor says. A report [PDF] from the state legislative analyst last week recommended giving first-time students a higher priority for class registration, capping the number of taxpayer-subsidized units that students can take and limiting the number of times students can repeat certain courses on the state’s dime – moves that could save an estimated $235 million....