The Military Budget as Cookies

This excellent animation from TrueMajority shows in graphic detail (using Oreo cookies) how ridiculously, large the military budget is, and how we could solve many domestic problems with a modest 12% cut. A must-see. (watch it now)

How to Not Get
Hit by Cars

An illustrated guide for bicyclists. Might save your life.

(Visit now...)

Cheap Airfares

How to find the
Cheapest Airfare

Everything you wanna know.

(Visit now...)

Battery Guide

Which battery is best? We cover rechargeable and alkaline batteries to show you what's hot, what's not, and the best way to charge them. (visit now)

(Back to Light Rail page)

Pro-Rail letters in the Statesman

Plan for the future
Letter appearing in the Austin American-Statesman, June 19, 2000

A recent letter-writer criticized the light-rail proposal due to Austin's low density of development. Light rail has been very successful in Dallas, which has similar density to Austin. Light-rail stations would provide an economic incentive for denser in-fill development in the areas around the stations.
 
Another recent letter criticized the Portland, Ore., model of planned development. Whether we like it or not, Austin will continue to grow, and this growth will bring about changes. We can decide now to plan for a liveable city in the future. (This is the choice that Portland made years ago.)
 
If we choose not to plan for the future, we'll end up sprawled out like Houston is today. Returning to the Austin of the past is not an option.
 
Which model will you choose for Austin's future: Portland or Houston?
 
PAUL K. SMITH, Austin
 
BLUEGECKOYOGA@cs.com
A better choice
Letter appearing in the Austin American-Statesman, June 18, 2000
 
The June 8 letters to the editor "Fighting sprawl" and "Light-rail rationale" sang the same old song: Forget about light rail; just build us more roads and all our problems will disappear.
 
It really should be obvious by now that paving our way out of gridlock is a fool's game that never ends and can't be won. I have visited cities that are way ahead of us in this vain attempt, and the result is gridlock.
 
I have also experienced light rail for myself, and I can testify that it works. In Portland during rush hour, the park-and-ride lots are full of cars and the trains are full of people. Portland still has traffic problems, but at least commuters have a choice to avoid the pain. We should create that choice in Austin.
 
PHIL HALLMARK, Austin
Back to Light Rail page






Another site by Michael Bluejay...

Michael Bluejay explains slot machines.  I know about more stuff than just bikes.  My explanation about how slot machines work is probably the best you're gonna find anywhere.'

Entire website ©1995-2021 by Michael Bluejay