Not Buying Candidates' Panderings

Dear Editor,
    I learned something amazing over the weekend. “Toll roads and uncontrolled growth are ruining our environment.” Really. Brigid Shea told me that in a recorded phone message on behalf of Margot Clarke. What a load of crap. Do these prospective Council members think they can throw a hot-button word like toll roads out there and we'll all go flocking to them? Not me. What's ruining the environment (well, besides the administration's policies and corporate greed) is uncontrolled consumption of nonrenewable energy like gas and oil and mobile-point pollution. But here's the rub, if we magically replaced every gasoline guzzling car and truck tomorrow with solar cars and hydrogen fuel cells, our road system would collapse because the major funding for highway construction and maintenance is the fuel oils tax. If we all went hydrogen, we couldn't pay for a left turn lane, much less major transportation facilities that deal with explosive and uncontrolled growth (OK, I'll give Brigid that one).
    Then I get this door hanger from Wes Benedict, no tolls. He says the “toll roads are a hasty reaction to failed policies that made Austin the most congested midsize city in America.” Another load of crap. I am not pro-toll roads, but I am anti-anti-toll roads. Any candidate who refuses to listen to real solutions, and won't consider viable alternatives to the continued gas-tax funded system is not the person I want representing me and my modern city. Somebody very wise once said, “The times they are a-changin'.” We can embrace change and come up with bold new ways to deal with major issues like transportation, or we can sit around and talk about the good old days. We'll have plenty of time because we won't be able to afford to go anywhere. Vote for visionaries.