Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    Today I am proud to be a Lakeway resident, because at the March 20 City Council meeting I witnessed the heart of this city. The city of Lakeway turned down the annexation of the Clara Van neighborhood. This shows that the council listens to the citizens of Lakeway and its neighbors.
    Now it is time to let the City Council hear our voice again on a new subject, simply stated as the overdevelopment of Lakeway. At the same meeting the council tabled a vote on the annexation and rezoning of the Chandler tract, Trevino tract, and Westhill JV subdivision at the request of the Travis Oaks residents. I can't thank the council enough for this action. We have one month to prepare our argument to preserve our neighborhood and maintain the quality of the BCP.
    The proposed development calls for 198 condos on approximately 45 acres. Yes, that's right, 198 new families in a densely populated area that boarders the perserve. If you have been in Lakeway recently you have seen the progression of development and felt the pain of increased overdevelopment adjacent to the BCP.
    I personally have the pleasure of living in a quiet neighborhood adjacent to the Balcones Canyonlands Perserve. Like my neighbors at Travis Oaks, I awake to the sound of a large bird population. The development of the adjacent property will forever change the landscape of this neighborhood and the pristine BCP. I ask you to speak out against further densely planned development in Lakeway. Let your voices be heard. Send an e-mail or call your local representative to express your concern.

Dear Editor,
    I love it when people look to the dictionary to define political parties, I really do. Louis Black just did it, oddly enough, and, oddly enough, he was wrong [“Postmarks Online,” March 10]. Liberals claim to be tolerant, open-minded, willing to embrace change. As proof of the idiocy of this claim, I would refer readers to this paper and people like Jim Hightower. Abject hatred of people who don't agree with you politically is "open-minded compassion"? Sure. When the "conservatives" proposed changes to welfare, Medicare, the tax code, and education, it was the open-minded liberals who screamed the loudest. We all recall the accusations of "if you reform welfare, crime will skyrocket, children will be abandoned, and people will be starving in the streets." Medicare reform will lead to "seniors freezing and starving to buy their medicine.” You might be able to sell the idea that "conservative" means stuck in time and "liberal" means open-minded and tolerant to dogs, cats, and idiots, but it won't wash when presented to anyone with a brain. In closing, compare what a real liberal said to what "real liberals" like Hightower, Black, and Kennedy say today. "What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their causes, but what they say about their opponents.” RFK 1964.

Dear Editor,
    I enjoyed your article on Air America [“Skies Partly Cloudy,” News, March 17]. I consider Air America the most valuable network on the radio. I only wish there was a TV news network similar to it.
    I am annoyed that the local station KOKE is turning down its transmitter power from 5,000 watts in the day, to 700 watts in the evening. I found this out by talking to a representative from Air America in New York. The station becomes unlistenable. A while back the power was up and running day and night. The power is being cut during the Air America show I enjoy the most, The Randi Rhodes Show.

Dear Editor,
    Voting is our right as Americans. If some company is denying us that privilege, then it should be investigated. Stephen Heller is a whistle-blower that turned documents over to the California secretary of state proving that Diebold was defrauding the people of California. Are they defrauding us too?
    Mr. Heller is now under indictment for turning over these documents. It really makes my blood boil that Diebold walks and Mr. Heller has to pay tens of thousands of dollars and faces four years in prison for turning them in. I think Austin would be interested in this story, as would the rest of the country. Check out his official "help me" Web site www.hellerlegaldefensefund.com/press.html.

Dear Editor,
    Your coverage of the Open Government Online and SOS city charter amendments accuses SOS Alliance of calling Daryl Slusher “the new Karl Rove” [“How to Read a Charter Amendment,” News, March 17]. Rather than engaging in name-calling, SOS Alliance merely called attention to the fact that many of Daryl's current attacks on the charter-amendment initiatives (distributed widely by the anti-amendments PAC) are identical to the baseless attacks made by Karl Rove's PAC in 1992 against the SOS Ordinance initiative:
    Daryl's criticism of the charter amendments: Many of the problems ... could be corrected in a traditional public/deliberative process that features public discussion [and] debate. ... Instead ... voters must vote up or down on the wording devised by a very small group of people in a private process ... please read the entire text of these amendments before voting.
    Rove PAC's criticism of SOS Ordinance: Perhaps if the “SOS” Proposal had been subject to public hearings, like other laws, it would make more sense. But the authors have handed us a take-it or leave-it law that was drafted behind closed doors without legal or scientific review. Better read the fine print before you vote.
    Daryl in 2006: taxpayers would have to fund implementation of the ordinance [sic], an estimated $36 million for the Open Government amendment alone.
    Rove PAC in 1992: [SOS Ordinance] is a costly mistake [; a] Study shows that AISD will be hit hard with a reduction of $724 million in the tax base.
    Daryl in 2006: The amendments are sloppily and carelessly written [resulting in] numerous unintended consequences and lawsuits over interpretation of the amendments.
    Rove PAC in 1992: The many flaws in this ordinance will result in an explosion of lawsuits.
    For more detailed discussion of the charter amendments see www.cleanwater-cleangovernment.org.

   [News Editor Michael King responds: In other words, rather than respond to Daryl Slusher's arguments directly on their merits, SOS prefers to juxtapose them to comments made by a PAC "that worked with" Karl Rove in 1992; then Brad Rockwell uses the Chronicle's “Postmarks” column to repeat the process. But that wouldn't be name-calling, because SOS doesn't engage in name-calling, and as Richard Nixon said in 1971, "That would be wrong."]

Dear Editor,
    Re: Air America [“Skies Partly Cloudy,” News, March 17]: Nice article, but to say that the signal was occasionally poor and there was sometimes dead air is a big understatement. It would be more correct to say that they have done a "heck of a job" at KOKE over the past year. This is probably too strong a criticism. I am sure they have done the best they could have, given budget constraints, but it is amazing that the station survived all of this neglect.
    The good thing is, about a month ago, they have finally fixed the transmitter problems, most of the time-sync problems, and the dead air. As a result the local ads are coming back. I am optimistic about the next year.
    I am very disturbed by some recent programing changes. I understand they need to make a buck, but I am afraid they are ejecting too many shows, especially on the weekends. I think they would be better off reducing the reruns and play more once-a-week shows for variety.
    I have been a loyal listener for the past year, but I must say that I will be listening to something else more on the weekends. The get-rich-quick schemes, car show, and bargain-hunter show are not my thing.

Dear Editor,
    I saw the Air America article [“Skies Partly Cloudy,” News, March 17]. Air America is not knee-jerk left-wing criticism, and it's not knee-jerk criticism to point out obvious illegal, immoral, incompetent, and just plain stupid behavior of our government. This accurately describes the Bush administration and the Republican Congress and the Republican Senate. They violated the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution requiring judicial review to conduct wiretapping and conducted warrantless searches of Americans, and this is fact, not speculation. We have become not the world protector against torture but the world purveyor of torture. These are not left-wing principles but strict conservative principles in the belief in fair play and the Constitution. This is absolutely no congressional oversight of this administration by neither the Congress nor the Senate, because both are Republican-controlled and they will not put the welfare of the nation above partisanship. The Senate and Congress might start an investigation, but they never complete an investigation, always shutting it down almost as soon as it opens. We must have new senators and congressmen this year before more people die, because we're the people dying. The Bush administration is running up the deficit higher than all 42 prior administrations combined. If, during the war on terror, we lose our rights and freedoms, we lose more than the war on terror abroad for terror at home. When a president is not bound by law he ceases to be a president and becomes a dictator, king, or emperor, but not the president. Vote this November against the incumbents – none of them are conducting the peoples' business – unless you want a king?

Dear Editor,
    I see where there was yet another 18-wheeler wreck on I-35 (Thursday 3/16 at Slaughter), causing all kinds of chaos for the rest of us drivers for the rest of the day. Isn't anyone sick of these guys (and the rest of the aggressive, bad drivers out there). I see it every morning on my commute from Kyle to South Austin; tractor-trailer drivers all going over the speed limit and 80% riding the ass of the poor person in front of them. I see a near accident almost every day, but no law enforcement until there is a wreck.This situation is easily fixed. First, get the Legislature to pass some tough penalties for tailgating (the main cause of most accidents) and then use unmarked cars to catch these fools. (Real unmarked cars – not black or white Ford Crown Vics which any person with a double-digit IQ could spot.) Second, stop giving a driver's license to any idiot who can parallel park. We need to start teaching driving like the Germans – two months of intense training in the city and on the freeway. Forty thousand Americans die each year in traffic accidents, most of which are totally preventable. Again, speeding and tailgating. Oh, and here's a tip; the left lane is for passing. It's not your personal speedway. And get off the #@!*& cell phones. Let's stop bad and aggressive driving now. It costs us all!

Dear Editor,
    Where is the info on accessibility for SXSW events? Also, I know it's not the responsibility of The Austin Chronicle, but what's up with all the improvements on Town Lake and so little attention given to making it more wheelchair-friendly? I frequently use the hike and bike trail, but know I do so at my own peril! Next time you're on the trail, make a note of how many people you see in a wheelchair on the trail. Almost zero! Austin is not as liberal a community as it might cumulatively think.

Dear Editor,
    From all the comic aficionados, please remind Marc Savlov that Frank Miller is the one who wrote and drew The Dark Knight Returns, not Alan Moore. Perhaps Savlov was thinking of Batman: The Killing Joke. I think Savlov had been reading this article (www.alanmoorefansite.com/bio.html) and confused this sentence: "In 1986, while DC Comics was reconstructing their comic's universe, Moore quietly came out with Watchmen. Watchmen, in conjunction with Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, redefined the comics book medium, and changed the tone of comics to this very day." However, as I stated, Moore had nothing to do with The Dark Knight Returns. I love Marc's reviews, and hopefully this will lead him to read all three books mentioned – as they're all great works in comics.

Dear Editor,
    Re: V for Vendetta review by Marc Savlov [Film Listings, March 17]: Just a quick correction from a comic book nerd: Alan Moore, as far as I can verify, never wrote anything called The Dark Knight. I believe you may be confusing The Dark Knight Returns, a four-part series by Frank Miller about an aged Bruce Wayne. It is undoubtedly one of Miller's best works and possibly confusing because it was released at approximately a year before Moore's The Watchmen (which is still a contender for the best graphic novel ever written). This is minor in comparison to the great work you do, Mr. Savlov, but two great stories by two great writers seems worth the distinction.

Dear Editor,
    I just read your article about Jerry Lynn Williams [“The Lone Ranger,” Music, Jan. 27]. What a sad time this is for all of us. I knew him very well. Jerry lived on a farm south of Crowley, Texas. I was a drummer, and I would get a bass player, and we would go out to his farm and just play for hours and hours. The only thing we bothered were the cows on his place. I had a great time. I have got numerous hours of our jam sessions on reel to reel tape. I have got to find a reel to reel player and transfer the music we recorded onto CDs. Anyway, I thank you for the great write-up about Jerry. I played drums for Johnny Nitzinger for a few years. I am not sure if you know who he is. Thank you for this article and good luck to you.

Dear Mr. Black,
    The vehemence of your response to Patrick Caldwell's March 10 letter [“Postmarks Online”] regarding your misunderstanding of conservative thought exposes a deep subconscious fear of the precepts of conservatism, e.g., individual freedom constrained by moral clarity. You intuitively grasp that if these principles ever penetrated your consciousness you would be forced to realize your mendacious neo-leftist delusions.
    You reveal an inner sense that neo-leftist utopianism offers no rational solutions to the crucial issues of our time. Take the most serious of your complaints – the war in Iraq. Hussein was a megalomaniacal tyrant collaborating with and training al Qaeda and Palestinian terrorists. Moreover, he was feverishly acquiring weapons of mass murder. Before September 11, 2001, tolerating Hussein in his nation prison was acceptable, albeit barely. But post September 11, that was no longer existentially rational.
    Yet when confronted with these mortal realities, neo-leftists such as yourself collapse in hysteria. A mature resolve to defend America and the free world becomes impossible. Specifically, because moral relativism is the dogmatic foundation of neo-leftism, its advocates cannot comprehend the necessity for defensive military action to defeat the forces of genocidal Islamist tyranny. This moral confusion is the reason for the absence of a coherent neo-leftist position regarding the war against Islamist terrorism. And it is a perfect metaphor for the irrational essence of neo-leftism in general. You know these truths, yet your conscience remains unmoved.
    You are intrinsically aware that if you abandoned your moral denial to allow your conscience to be honestly exposed to these facts your soul searching would be enlightening. Instead, the power of popular neo-leftist groupthink emanating from the fashion gurus of Hollywood, academia, and Washington perversely reinforces your denial rendering enlightenment a distant hope. Until this moral schizophrenia is overcome, you and your neo-leftist ilk, especially within the Democratic Party, offer nothing that is positive or helpful to America or humanity.

Dear Editor,
    There are a lot more Air America listeners in Central Texas than KOKE knows about or Arbitron can measure – because we do not listen to the network over the radio [“Skies Partly Cloudy,” News, March 17]. We stream the network live over the Internet from AirAmerica.com or from other stations' Web sites. I live in Austin, but I stream the network from 960AM the Quake in San Francisco.
    If there is a perceived lack of audience in Central Texas, it is not at all the fault of Air America and completely the fault of KOKE. I have always believed that station management was either incompetent or foolish or both for not having a streaming Web site in one of the most tech-savvy regions of the country. Your story of technical travails even student-run college and high school stations don't have give great weight to "incompetent."

Dear Editor,
    Chrissie Hynde's "tell it like it is" words ["Private Life," Music, March 17] induce a flashback to a time when nursing on the milk of convention's bastard child, rock, was as naive as ... Chrissie. Some of us were startled awake by the sound of the starting gun from the nightmare of our own eve of destruction to the dream of changing the world, though not knowing quite what to do.
    We faced the hard reality that change begins with self.
    While I would dispute her claim "the gay community saved America," she has unwittingly illustrated my point: Public lives change what hypothetical, private lives can't and won't change.
    Also, are we to believe her muteness regarding her kids is for the sake of their private lives then segues gushingly in the same breath about someone else's kids?
    Truth is some people, just like rock musicians, woulda, coulda, shoulda, but don't affect those changes from the heart they espouse. No, their situation response is no less glib, shallow, and inarticulate than youth: "As if,” "whatever" (can you hear them: "Oh my God! That's so __ties") or those shrouded, unchanging private lives who peek out just long enough like dirty old men who shout out something obscene or like ... Chrissie, "go fuck yourself.” Hey, it's a lifestyle. A "little secret world" of her own.

Dear Editor,
    I have been watching with amusement the story on the Saddam trial. It seems he is being accused of ordering the assassinations of 152 people who disagreed with his policies. Excuse me, but isn't that about the same number of people Janet Reno had executed in Waco? I know it's only maybe two more than George Bush ordered executed while he was governor of Texas. Is that really the best we could do?
    Seems like a waste of $400 billion or $500 billion. When are all you lemmings going to wake up?

Dear Editor,
    Twenty great uses for the gun in your house: 1) Settle domestic disputes, 2) settle disputes with neighbors, 3) something constructive to do while drunk/stoned, 4) hours of fun for the kids, 5) hours of fun for the neighbors' kids, 6) a big comfort during temper tantrums, 7) chance to be judge, jury, executioner, a big man, 8) almost like having a big penis, 9) big bonanza for gun thieves, 10) harmless way to blow more dough, 11) terrify the meter man, 12) help deal with feelings of guilt, inadequacy, rage, and other honky stuff, 13) fun to fondle ... and so big, 14) "I was totally sure it wasn't loaded, your honor," 15) get yourself killed in a raid, rather than merely arrested, 16) you can't always be reading great literature, right?, 17) rare chance to become a murderer, get reborn as a lab animal, etc., 18) "If it's good enough for the American Nazi Party, it's good enough for me,” 19) angry white men never screw up, 20) such a comfort when depressed.

Dear Editor,
    While Democrats cower in fear that Karl Rove will wedge another war to steal the 2006 election, Air America alone broacasts truth to power on a national scale ["Skies Partly Cloudy," News, March 17]. Its anger is mitigated by smartness: I previously read six to eight political journals ranging from Weekly Standard to the Nation – now they are old news with Air America having crunched the information six ways before Sunday.
    None of the coverage of Air America dares to speak the most essential truth in the way the only Air America can: The U.S. has been taken over by a right-wing political coup orchestrated by AM radio agitprop lies. Air America is not a left version of same – it is the cure, provides the truth and stands alone as the last chance hope to save this country.

Dear Editor,
    Reading the letter from Jackson Williams [“Postmarks,” March 10] about Mark McKinnon and Kris Kristofferson brought back the memory of losing my own “best” friend because of politics. Williams inquired why the Chronicle, during an interview with Kristofferson, didn't ask about McKinnon; the implicit suggestion being that such a question would expose some sort of rift given that their political views diverged over the years.
    Texas Monthly Editor Evan Smith, however, did ask Kristofferson directly about McKinnon during a recent interview on his show, Texas Monthly Talks. Kristofferson fondly recalled trying to help McKinnon out in the early Seventies by recording him and his band, but said being on the road all the time didn't allow him time to follow through, and “the people back in Nashville weren't working it.” Kristofferson went on to say that he was sorry that he couldn't have helped McKinnon more because he thought he had a lot of talent. Evan suggested that when they ran into each other during SXSW they probably wouldn't talk politics. Kristofferson's response was, “I hope we don't.”
    Kristofferson and McKinnon were seen at the Austin Film Festival Awards hamming it up on the red carpet, including a moment when Kristofferson grabbed McKinnon, put his arm around him, and turned to the cameras laughing, “Red state and blue state!”
    So, that warms my heart and reaffirms that indeed friends can stay friends through their lives even though they have different political beliefs. Kristofferson and McKinnon proved that they are among the few these days who are above partisan bickering and will continue “onward through the fog” as pals.

Dear Editor,
    I want to think you for running the article on Carol Sayles and her chickens [“Food-o-File,” Food, March 17]. I am in Arkansas and have fewer than 20 goats, a few chickens, a couple of horses, and am handicapped. My SSI income does not cover the bills, nor am I allowed food stamps, so taking my meat, milk, and eggs away would be devastating. It would take my independence, my right to live my life, my health, and my good, clean garden mulch. We little guys are fighting this with all our might, and for everyone like you that helps get the word out, it makes it a little easier.

Dear Editor,
    Alcohol causes the loss of sexual inhibitions and impairs judgment. People drink too much and do stupid things. A drunk who beats his child is usually overlooked. A drunk who inappropriately touches a child is marked forever. The cause is the same, but the result is much different. Both problems could be solved if we focus on the cause.
    Sex-offender treatment programs are designed to teach offenders to take responsibility for their actions. The rest of the world needs the same lessons and should raise their children accordingly. Everything is not the fault of someone else.
    The killers of Jessica, Dru, and Megan were all mentally ill or mentally retarded. The authorities knew and had the opportunity to intervene. The sex offenders in Alaska had nothing to do with these horrific murders, but they, and every other sex offender, gets the punishment. Law enforcement failed to do their job, but there is no sign of personal responsibility. Where are those officials who could have saved these lives?
    Thanks to news coverage our children have learned about oral sex, the best chat rooms for sex connections, how to use a Web cam for sexual purposes, and other tidbits of information they have no need to know. The media takes the innocence of children and destroys many young lives. Where is the personal responsibility?
    Our churches are filled on Sundays, but those people vanish the rest of the week. Our claim to be a Christian nation is false. God forgives sex offenders, but people deny them work, housing, and the opportunity to make a better life. Ignorant people similarly persecuted Jesus. Is there anyone willing to take personal responsibility for changing our world into a kinder, gentler place?

Editor,
    Since reading your recent article giving us a look at KUT's financial doings [“KUT by the Numbers,” News, Jan. 20], I've been wondering how the powers that be over there were feeling about the Chronicle. But after hearing today's Texas Music Matters installment South by ... the Numbers, I think I got my answer. I especially enjoyed the bit wondering just how much the big three at SXSW (Messrs. Black, Barbaro, and Swenson) might be possibly making. Complete with dollar figures pulled from ... well, somewhere. Sounds like you've guys have gotten mighty rich though.
    But then, it's fixing to be fundraising time over there. Maybe they're just putting in a plug early, hoping for a bigger pledge this year from all that loot.

   [News Editor Michael King responds: The letter refers to a Jan. 20 Chronicle story by Kevin Brass ["KUT by the Numbers," News] to which the KUT Texas Music Matters story by David Brown – headlined "SXSW by the Numbers" – implicitly but not directly responded. For the record, David Brown's report on SXSW was based on financial speculations about SXSW he himself described as "not real numbers," while the Chronicle feature on KUT was a detailed account of the station's very real finances – those of a public institution licensed to a taxpayer-supported university using the public airwaves to ask the public to send in money.]

Dear Editor,
    Gov. Rick Perry has a dream.
    Far from being like the humanitarian dream of Martin Luther King, Perry's dream is the creation of the Trans-Texas (Toll) Corridor, which he hopes will span from Canada down through the United States, Mexico, and Central and South Americas. Perry has his “lieutenants” – Speaker Tom Craddick, Rep. Mike Krusee, and others including TxDOT – pressuring Texas counties and cities to jump on the toll road bandwagon.
    Does Perry care how it will affect Texas families? Of course not. When has the governor ever cared about hard-working Texans and their families? The double taxation of Texas roadways may be a dream to the governor, but for most Texans it is an infinite tax nightmare for our future generations.
    During the past five years since Perry assumed the position of almighty governor, Texas families have had nothing but cobwebs in their pocketbooks and wallets.
    The quality of life for most Texas families has plummeted considerably. The truth is that under Rick “special interest” Perry's five-year reign as governor more Texans have lost jobs, Texas has the highest rate of home foreclosures ever, state government has shirked its constitutional responsibility to finance public education, deregulating tuition costs of higher education caused two recent increases, home insurance premiums doubled overnight, property taxes skyrocketed as high as 400% – all in all, Perry's reign has been a dismal and oppressive reality for most Texans and their families.
    Perry wasted more millions of tax dollars on regular and special legislative sessions than any previous governor.
    If voters want to bend down and kiss their sweet tax dollars goodbye, then re-elect "Tricky Ricky.”
    Texas families deserve a better governor than Rick Perry.

Dear Editor,
    Kate Messer's tribute and appeal to support Ana Sisnett's fight against ovarian cancer reminded me once again of why I love Austin so much [“Ana Sisnett,” Screens, March 10]! We don't let our friends and our volunteers and our loved ones be forgotten so easily in Austin. I may be away in Kenya since 2004, but reading this little call to action invoked such solidarity and love that I had to say thank you. Thank you also to Ana Sisnett for years of tireless community building work in our midst. Be sure Austin will continue to celebrate you.

Dear Editor,
    Kinky Friedman's quote below is extremely offensive and racist. He should immediately apologize. I bet he would be quick to complain about a Semitic slur!
    Alcohol may be his source of spirituality but certainly not ours!
    “Guinness is the drink that kept the Irish from taking over the world. It would be unthinkable not to have a Guinness during a St. Patrick's Day parade. In fact, it would be spiritually wrong," Friedman said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Laura Stromberg [“Quote of the Week,” News, March 17].

Dear Editor,
    The Dougherty Arts Center recently lost a kiln. To make matters worse, the response to this unfortunate event so far has been to cut several of the ceramics classes offered, including the one I took this winter. The DAC should look at the long-term scope of things and regroup so they can accommodate the students that so enjoy these classes. I hope the DAC reconsiders its current plan and comes to realize the value these classes have to the community.

Dear Editor,
    I read an article recently that was published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which called a 100,000 over-vote on their Tarrant County eSlate voting system a "program snafu.” Imagine that. An electronic voting system, which our Secretary of State Roger Williams keeps touting as "easier, faster, and more secure,” made an error. An error which caused 100,000 votes which were never cast, to be counted. And how did the election officials catch the error? Well, they looked at the total number of votes cast according to the machines and realized that the county voting totals far exceeded the votes cast in their 2002 primary. A record turnout according to the machine totals. Democracy may be on the march, but it's not speeding away from us. Or is it?
    The software on the eSlate was compounding election totals every time it updated totals throughout the night. Hart Intercivic vice-president, John Covell, admitted that his company told the system to do that incorrectly. Oh my, but Roger Williams says these e-voting systems are more secure. How can computers make mistakes? Well you just saw a real example right here in Texas, in Tarrant County on March 7.
    Luckily the election officials recognized that the machines made a mistake. The machine totals were so grossly wrong that humans were able to catch the errors. What if the machines only made small rounding errors that humans couldn't quickly catch? Don't think this is the first machine mistake in an election where these electronic voting systems are used. Educate yourself and demand that your county, our state, and our nation move to verified voter paper audit trails and ballots. Voters Unite at www.votersunite.org is a good Web site to start your education. Voters in Travis County vote on eSlate too.