Comment to Bikes and Cars Coexisting

I decided to comment on Matthew's blog on bikes and cars in Austin.

It's a shame bikes and cars seem to be at odds in Austin, a city that's supposed to be known for its outdoor opportunities that include biking. Unfortunately, Austin seems to have a problem with aggressive driving, and adding in the boom we've had, extra congestion is making for a very poor setting for anybody who utilizes a bike. About a month ago I actually saw a driver who hit a guy on his bike around the Burnet/Anderson Ln. area. He was okay, but both of the parties involved were not following the rules of the road. A lot of people seem to complain about how the bikers disregard traffic rules, but drivers are just as bad and it makes for potentially deadly outcomes.

So what's the solution? While many will say people should be held more accountable (and I certainly don't agree with pulling out airguns to solve this problem), I think Austin should make some improvements to the roads and infrastructure in the higher density areas, which are where many people bike more for transportation and not for leisure. School is a great idea, but at this point, it would only be an attempt to break people of the habits they already have while biking or driving. The stretch of Guadalupe at UT has attempted to improve on this, but it was a quick paintjob in the right lane letting bikes know that's the lane they can use (anyone who rides a bike knows this already so it was pretty useless). I would say an individual lane dedicated to bikers would go a long way in ensuring everyone's safety, and giving many drivers a lot more patience so everyone can enjoy their preferred method of transportation.

Texas Politicians- The Greatest Caricatures in American Politics?

So, I was reading up on current events happening in Texas, when I heard 'George W. Bush' on the television. That was enough to get my attention. I always seem to find myself standing at attention whenever a Texas politician's name is mentioned. Why is that? For me, it's because they're so darn entertaining. Whether it's George W. spewing off verbal diarrhea, Rick Perry's squirrel hair (I swear that's a squirrel on his head), or Kinky Friedman just being Kinky Friedman, our politicians all seem to have some kind of gimmick or trait that Texans easily remember and at times pick on.

How many times have people really heard about the great politicians in the state of, say, North Dakota? Not much. Why? Because they don't have governors who talk about seceding from the nation, mayors who beat the crap out of party crashers, or jewish cowboys who run for governor (only California rivals our, erm... diversse candidates with the governor race). Dubya? Not a great president, but could someone please get him a television show ASAP? He is pretty hilarious and deserves a second chance... in the entertainment biz, far far away from Dick Cheney.

While this is all good fun, it raises another concern. With all of our colorful officials, is it possible for Texas to be taken seriously in the grand scheme of things? Before Perry mentioned seceding and rejected stimulus funds, we seemed to be respected nationally to an extent, due to our size and steady economy. In 2009, our outrageous characters serving the public may now be too much. Texas is mentioned and now many Americans just laugh pat that supporter on the head like a naive fifth grader who doesn't know anything. Is this how other members of the country view us? Have our politicians left a bad taste in the mouths of neighboring states, and have the citizens of Texas themselves become walking stereotypes thanks to Perry and others? Now may be the time for our Texas officials to tone down the personality quirks in order to have a greater say in national matters.

Despite that concern, I have to appreciate the pizazz and showmanship of our many senators, governors, and other active political influences. Many of them will go down in history with the likes of Stephen Austin and the Texas Rangers, immortalized and admired (or despised) by all who will come to live in Texas.

Response to Min's Blog

Here is my response to Min's blog post concerning education.

Abortion in Texas- Women Forgotten in the Fight

Down here deep in the heart of Texas, no issue seems to push more buttons than abortion. Should it be legal? Should we lift the restrictions? Make them harsher? Ban it altogether? What are the moral implications? Over the past year, bills have been proposed (remember the infamous sonogram requirements that were brought up), groups have prayed for 40 days in front of clinics, and employees have quit after claiming they were disgusted as they saw an abortion take place on a sonogram screen. And, like many times before this, we are letting those very few individuals represent such an important issue. To make matters worse, many who are against abortion fail to realize that those who have abortions are human beings, who could one day very well take their seat in the Texas senate.

These women are not murderers. A lot of them are not irresponsible either. Yet, over and over again, politicians (convservative ones anyway) try to paint the typical abortion getter in this negative light. Way to win votes there. All kinds of women choose to get an abortion. Lawyers, students, even those with kids already. Some women are coerced or forced into aborting, and don't even want to do it in the first place. And this is where the problem arises; through all this hullabaloo and fighting amongst politicians, the women who have experienced it firsthand are either villainized or completely forgotten.

Do you really know what it's like to grieve and regret a decision so emotional? To have a medical complication arise during the procedure? To worry if some religious wingnut will find out and try to crucify you? No? Then get this issue out of the Capitol and let the public have more of a say BEFORE a vote is required.

Bowing 'Fiasco'= Fail.

Poor, poor Obama. It seems like he can't do anything right. Health care, the economy, education... and now bowing? According to the Texas Rainmaker and many other conservative minds out there, attempting a bow is just another thing Obama isn't doing right, this time with something dealing with foreign relations. The author intends to be sarcastic and humorous, but ultimately fails and looks rather immature and like he has some kind of chip on his shoulder concerning Mr. Obama. Perhaps he needs some training in foreign relations.

This guy decides to ignorantly call the Fort Hood shooter an Islamic terrorist; the term 'Islamic terrorist' is really overdone by now, and I'm tired of hearing it. I don't care if this guy was Muslim. I'm sure if he were Catholic, the word 'terrorist' wouldn't even be used. Already, I can't take this guy's credibility, even in humor, seriously. Then, he proceeds to call our president subservient and weak because he bowed to foreign politicians. I'm sorry, but why is this a bad thing? It seems like Obama is trying to display a willingness to respect the other's culture by at least attempting bow where appropriate. Lord knows it's a bit more of an effort to reach out compared to past presidents. America should remember that when Obama is somewhere foreign, different rules apply, and we have to play by them to ensure we maintain friendly relations, and possibly make even more along the way.

Every Child Matters- "Shape up, Texas."

Texas has once again hit a new low, or high depending on how you look at it. This commentary by Donna Norris on the Statesman states that the group Every Child Matters found that Texas leads the nation in child abuse deaths. Norris makes a good point to mention that children cannot choose what family they are born into, and that the findings of Every Child Matters should be a wake-up call to those in Texas looking to improve the situation. Solutions?

Enter the Relief Nursery of Central Texas. The Relief Nursery provides services to families in order to prevent potential future abuse from happening, and also aids in instilling good habits to these families. It's beneficial to parents, as it helps them communicate properly with their children instead of resulting to belts or yelling.

While this can almost be seen as a shameless plug for the organization (Norris is actually the executive director), she makes important points on an issue that is far too ignored in Texas. While many in this state decide to argue about things such as capital punishment and illegal immigration, issues that hit much harder for many at home are left to the wayside. I appreciate Norris taking the time to bring up this topic as well as providing one of the many assistance programs families can go to.

A step in the right direction: City of Austin Offering Same Sex Benefits

Good news for those same sex partners of city workers. According to the Austin American Statesman, same sex partners of city workers will receive COBRA like benefits in case of employee's death, divorce, job loss, etc. While Texas has given domestic partners benefits since 2006, same sex partners have not been able to receive COBRA like benefits since COBRA (The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) is a federal program. Since it is federal, it is affected by the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines a 'spouse' as a member of the opposite sex. Therefore, same sex partners were unable to get any benefits in case of their significant other's death or other life events occur. The City of Austin is extending benefits akin to what COBRA would offer.

While this is sure to draw some ire from the social conservatives remaining in Austin, it can definitely be seen as a step in the right direction for equality for all Austinites and will be very helpful to same sex couples in these trying times who will have one less thing to worry about now.