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.
RECEIVED Wed., July 25, 2007
Dear Editor,
An ideal opportunity to run the hike-and-bike trail along the river just east of I-35 is being squandered by the Parks and Recreation Department and city agreements with developers.
The city is allowing the developers to run the hike-and-bike trail along the curb of Riverside Drive in front of their buildings rather than along the river.
It is ironic after the recent passing of Lady Bird Johnson and the spotlight on the significant value of opening up our Town Lake to Austin's citizens, that an end around like this can come to pass. How can it possibly serve all Austinites, and in particular the residents of Southeast Austin, to run the trail next to one of Austin's most inhospitable stretches of Riverside Drive for the accommodation of developers?
In particular, the developers of Star Properties specifically stated in neighborhood presentations that they intended to insure neighborhood residents full access to the waterfront from Riverside with the design of their project and those statements made me an early supporter. Is this another case of bait and switch?
There may be good reasons for all this, but it goes beyond any common good sense that the hike-and-bike trail be routed along one of the busiest and noisiest thoroughfares in the city while developers get quiet access to the lake.
Thank you,
Chris Cavello
RECEIVED Wed., July 25, 2007
Dear Editor,
President Bush now has a favorable rating of just 31%, with many conservatives and Christians abandoning him. Less than half of them give the president a favorable rating.
There is much more to these poll numbers than Iraq; they have to do also with the deals cut with Sen. Teddy Kennedy over the years to pass legislation – including amnesty for illegals.
The president needs our prayers. He has many conservatives around him giving him advice that is contrary to the hopes and desires of the people. We need to pray that their influence over him will wane in the last year and a half of this presidency.
Gerard Kern
RECEIVED Tue., July 24, 2007
Dear Editor,
The debate over universal health care, resurfacing since the release of Sicko, has largely been marginalized by HMOs and their influence over the media. The buzz came and went, and the “major” Democratic candidates all have health-care plans that keep the daddy seat at the table for HMOs. Only U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich supports universal health care.
Here in Texas, nearly one out of four people are without health insurance. I’m one of them. If Texans have a prayer of changing these statistics, the impetus will have to start in Austin.
Fortunately, there is a bill in Congress that would provide not-for-profit universal health care for all Americans – the same kind politicians and the military enjoy. House Resolution 676 has 76 supporters to date. Austin U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has yet to sign on. I encourage all in Austin who believe that health is a right and not a benefit to call or write Doggett and ask that he cosign HR 676.
Justin Finney
RECEIVED Mon., July 23, 2007
Dear Editor,
Regarding streetcar champions needed [“
Streetcar Desires,” News, July 20]: All the benefits of streetcars are listed around the article … frequent service … shares stops with buses … low to no fare … that sounds just like the Dillo Cap Metro already has in place Downtown, minus the rails and power cables. Why hasn't the city and other agencies interested in tax revenue talked to Cap Metro about changing/modifying the existing Dillo program to make it more like this streetcar dream? If it gets popular, is marketed well, has attractive stops, obvious signage, maybe Cap Metro ambassadors checking in at stations to answer questions, and remains free, I would imagine people would use it. Do we really have to reinvent the wheel to have transit solutions? I think it is more financially responsible to work with what we already have before laying track and buying streetcars, both of which are more expensive than adding to the Dillo program. It was said that people like riding these "charming" streetcars. I don't see how it's that different from a bus, which we already have in town. What's not to like about Cap Metro? Clean, air-conditioned buses, low fares. Yet few people take the bus. It seems like the bottom line is too many people don't want to use public transit. If they did, they would be on the bus already. I wonder how much changing the facade of transit will encourage ridership.
Leslie McGuinness
RECEIVED Mon., July 23, 2007
Editor,
I agree that Austin politics are unnecessarily rough ("
Page Two," July 20). The question is why? Editor Louis Black seems to blame the people. I think it is a failing of our government.
Suppose the city of Austin, a government, passes an ordinance to tax every church except the Lutherans. That would certainly rile some people to uncivil behavior. Would you blame the people or the politicians?
Currently Austin is favoring the church of Smart Growth. Mr. Black, an adherent of SG, is bothered that so many people are excessively agitated at having a municipal church.
The holy land of SG is the "hole" in the "doughnut" (Downtown), which requires huge tithes for the building of new temples. For instance, one new luxury condo high-rise requires $20 million of taxpayer subsidies for utility work. That's a $50,000 subsidy for each of the 400 units.
And that's not all. A new office building will be needed for these people to work in, complete with its public subsidy. And the new Downtown residents will need $500 million of subsidies for streetcars. And $120 million for “fixing” Waller Creek. And $75 million for rerouting their sewage to south of the river and …
Every new SG tenant of Downtown will require at least $100,000 of subsidies that will have to be paid for with taxes levied on people who don't pray at the SG church. Be thankful that people are being ornery. Usually they revolt and go to war in these situations.
If you want Austin to have a civil society, respect the ideals of America and practice separation of church and state. Stop all of the subsidies and corporate welfare.
Vincent J. May
RECEIVED Mon., July 23, 2007
Dear Editor,
I was truly amazed when I opened my
Chronicle the other day to find that the editor chose to publish such an insulting letter in response to Virginia Wood's heartfelt story about trying to take control of her health by having weight-loss surgery [“
Postmarks,” July 20]. It is truly sad how uninformed the writer is, but even sadder to me that the
Chronicle would choose to publish such a letter rather than something more supportive. So, let me be the first to say, “Kudos Virginia!” Unlike the uninformed writer of that previous letter, I read your entire article, so I do know that you aren't lazy, you do exercise as you are able, and you have lost weight through willpower and physical activity in the past. I do also know that, as many studies show, 95-98% of those who lose weight through "diet" gain it back in short order. While some people may have "friends" who lost weight and kept it off with diet and exercise alone, those people are by far the exception and not the rule. You have taken a very brave step, and I look forward to hearing more about your journey to better health in the future!
Devrah Otten
[Editor's response: Our policy is not to censor letters, as they reflect readers' opinions and not ours, and we try to publish every negative letter we receive. (They are privileged over positive or complimentary letters.)]
RECEIVED Sun., July 22, 2007
Dear Editor,
The streetcar boosterism detailed in the July 20
Chronicle [“
Streetcar Desires,” News] reminds me of nothing more than the collective crack talk which lead to the 2003 invasion of Iraq (with the
Chronicle dutifully playing the role of Fox News – just as fair and balanced). The question I continue to have is what can a streetcar do that a bus can't do better, for an order of magnitude less money? "Why, it's obvious," reply the self-declared experts. "Streetcars stimulate high-density development, and we all know that 'real' people won't ride a bus.” Hogwash. Zoning and market demand drive development, and people will most certainly ride a bus that offers them a sensible transportation option. I just returned from two weeks in a city (Berlin) that has arguably the best public transportation system in the world. In addition to a central and "outer loop" elevated rail system (which provides service similar to monorail), they have an extensive subway system, a number of streetcars, and comprehensive 24-hour bus service. The buses are packed with suits and tourists, and everyone uses the grade-separated rail to get from one area of town to the other; Berliners are encouraged to purchase monthly transit passes as a matter of rote. The lowest common denominator of the system? The streetcars. That's right: Buses are more popular than streetcars, perhaps because the streetcar lines were laid out 75 or a 100 years ago and the buses have mutable routing, which allows them to take folks to and from the places they want to go today. Austin should think long and hard before investing even more money in toy transit systems while ignoring basic public-transit needs. Does anyone remember the 2004 promise of rapid bus service, for example, you know, the service we were supposed to get before commuter rail?
Patrick Goetz
[News Editor Michael King responds: Since Patrick Goetz begins with such a persuasive analogy – Streetcar = Iraq War – one wonders if many readers will proceed past his first sentence. But then he goes on to demand, "Why can't Austin be more like Berlin?" I'm waiting for him to suggest a few thousand Allied air raids to reduce the city to a fit beginning for a new transit system. Of course streetcars are no substitute for a full mass-transit system, and Katherine Gregor's article "Streetcar Desires" made no such claim. We certainly welcome Goetz's call for a better citywide bus system. But which is the bigger problem: that streetcars are only a part of the solution or that his employer, UT Austin, will not even discuss a unified transit system for the city in which it is a major population center and political player? All the transit enthusiasm in Germany does absolutely nothing to alter the political circumstances on the ground in Austin, where we happen to live.]
RECEIVED Sat., July 21, 2007
Dear Editor,
On July 13, Louis Black writes [“
Page Two”]: "The general story of 19 fundamentalist Muslim terrorists hijacking four planes and flying three into buildings while the fourth crashes fits what I saw and know."
Wow, dude, I am so happy for you. While I cannot come anywhere close to that frame of mind, I would like to point something out. The false flag terror of 9/11, Gulf of Tonkin, Northwoods Documents, the attack on the
U.S.S. Liberty by Israel, the CIA bombing a building in order to depose a democratically elected leader (Mohammed Mosaddeq of Iran – operation TPAJAX), etc., are just a few painful symptoms of a deep-rooted sickness.
I propose that the way to begin healing this sickness from the top down is to put a doctor in the White House, specifically Dr. Ron Paul. To begin healing this malady from the bottom up, listen to
The Rule of Law with judicial activists Randy Kelton and Deborah Stevens on We the People Radio Network streaming on
www.wtprn.com 9-11pm Central Time Thursday and Friday nights and also on 90.1FM in Central Austin.
Thank you,
Jerry Stevens
RECEIVED Fri., July 20, 2007
Dear sirs,
While we appreciate being included in your weekly recommended page, your recommender insinuates that we (San Saba County) are a pot band [
Music Listings, July 20].
One band member occasionally smokes the left-handeds; the rest of the band does not, nor is it suggested lyrically. I am outraged and demand an apology!
As for the "alt.country … packed in Parsons" comment, I don't think we sound that much like the Alan Parsons Project.
I thank you for your time.
Hold steady,
Rob Gaines
p.s. Really, Chris Gray – Houston?!
RECEIVED Fri., July 20, 2007
Dear Editor,
Re: Save Town Lake (benefit concert and organization): There can be responsible growth on Town Lake, perhaps even within the sacrosanct 150-foot distance of the Waterfront Overlay Ordinance. That is because this 150-foot setback distance was established by a hydrologist, who determined 150 feet was the distance rainwater, after falling from the sky, needed to traverse over pervious ground (thereby "purifying" and percolating into the ground, to a degree) before entering Town Lake. Water-quality features (such as sand-filtration ponds) and water detention/retention technology, utilized on the sites of new development, allow for development to occur closer than 150 feet away from Town Lake and still avoid pollution and contamination of Town Lake. Responsible growth also means recognizing Town Lake exists within a larger region and that more compact development is needed to avoid sprawl. More people will need to live in Downtown Austin, and the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, in the future. Rather than advocating for no tall development (or no development at all, as the case may be) around Town Lake, I believe recognizing the need to develop around Town Lake in a responsible fashion, treating it as a great urban amenity, will actually help save Town Lake (and benefit the great urban park alongside it) in the long run.
Andrew W. Clements
RECEIVED Fri., July 20, 2007
Dear Editor,
The reason that no legitimate "champion" has emerged to pimp Capital Metro's light-rail [“
Streetcar Desires,” News, July 20] is that Austin has a brain, and people know that development will happen without wasting a quarter billion tax dollars on inefficient trains. A fraction of this money could be used for preferable bus rapid transit and bikeways instead. And we have a soul and refuse to build another train for affluent whites so they won't have to risk rubbing up against nonaffluent nonwhites on the bus.
Glenn Gaven
RECEIVED Fri., July 20, 2007
Dear Editor,
Conspiracies don't exist in Louis-world, so I guess we can just abolish those laws against them [“
Page Two,” July 13]. There's never been a bunch of robber barons who've gotten together to set prices and divide up territories. No, that would involve too many people. In fact, there's never been a robbery involving more than one perp, since that would imply a conspiracy. Bush and company never conspired to lie to us all about WMD and Iraqi support for terrorism, despite the Downing Street memo. Valerie Plame Wilson wasn't outed through the joint efforts of Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Lewis “Scooter” Libby, et al.
Maybe Louis Black just means that there aren't any massive conspiracies. Like, there couldn't be lots of lawmakers conspiring with lots of lobbyists to trade cash and goods for government contracts and favorable regulatory actions. Obviously, that would never work because too many people would have to be involved. And despite recently released CIA documents to the contrary, we know that they just couldn't have conspired with the Mafia to attempt Fidel Castro's assassination.
Ben Hogue
[Louis Black responds: It always surprises me just a bit when people ignore or deny the history of the Chronicle and "Page Two" in regard to politics when it helps to make their point.]
RECEIVED Thu., July 19, 2007
Dear Editor,
I cannot agree more with Louis Black’s contention that it is “time for common decency and a return to grace” as well as “civil dialogue … and respect” [“
Page Two,” July 20]. But as an objective observer of history, I understand that these noble traits are not a given and must be perpetually reinforced.
This is where moral courage and intellectual honesty combine to render wisdom. And it is truly refreshing to see a self-proclaimed moral relativist like Mr. Black realize that these immutable ethical precepts are crucial to a healthy sophisticated culture. Indeed, society cannot exist without them. As a matter of fact, when these basic values are absent the result is anarchy and a reversion to barbaric tribalism.
If we practice the ancient nobility of the likes of Socrates, Plato, and Cicero, we will continue to expand human freedom and dignity. Likewise, if we have the courage to acknowledge the values of Judeo-Christian ethics and allow them to guide our interactions, civilization will flourish and expand. This has been proven again and again by the successes of Western civilization to the great benefit of humanity. But we cannot forget that this process is not automatic.
However, we all fall short. Undeniably, Mr. Black and I act coarsely with each other frequently. I regularly call him out harshly for his propensity to speak untruly and bitterly about our nation. Indeed, just last week he made terribly false and pernicious statements about America.
Notwithstanding our disagreements, we must stand as one to acknowledge that this incredible nation is the only barrier against worldwide tyranny – today that means Islamist totalitarianism. And “common decency” is the core moral basis necessary for its perpetuation. We cannot deny these realities. Otherwise, humanity is certain to descend into despotic existence and unspeakable primitive darkness.
Vance McDonald
RECEIVED Thu., July 19, 2007
Louis,
I was looking at my father's genealogy online a week or so ago. I discovered that my great-great-grandfather died in a federal prisoner of war camp in Chicago. His name was Erastus Strong Burress. Erastus was a member of the 17th Texas Calvary from Marshall, which surrendered near Vicksburg. He passed one month and 13 days after his capture from pneumonia. He was 29 years old. The very next site that I visited was one that streams news, music, and old radio programs. The site was streaming an interview with an interrogator from Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. This interrogator was discussing American torture techniques. I feel that if any member of our government or representative participates or has knowledge of the use of torture, we should imprison them for life. If anyone helps to create or maintain a secret prison, we should put them in a public one. If we continue to allow these obvious violations of human rights to exist, there are no guarantees that someone from your family or mine once again will not be the next victim.
Sincerely,
Charles Lokey
RECEIVED Thu., July 19, 2007
Dear Editor,
"Commuters will only switch to transit if they are delivered to their final destination – within a couple of blocks" [“
Streetcar Desires,” News, July 20].
The part which was left out, in what's becoming a disturbing trend of analysis-free journalism at the
Chronicle, is that choice commuters will also
not accept transfers as part of their daily commute, unless we're talking about the Manhattan end of the scale where the transit alternative has the benefit of competing against $50 parking.
Transfers from commuter rail to streetcar will not be any more attractive to daily commuters than transfers from commuter rail to shuttle bus – and choice commuters, as shown in South Florida with Tri-Rail, simply will not do the latter. Once you ride every day, the fact that the streetcar isn't any faster or more reliable than the bus was becomes very obvious.
It's time to remind people yet again: We did
not decide to build what worked in Dallas; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Salt Lake City; Houston; and Minneapolis (light-rail or what we would have built in 2000 and should have tried again in 2004). What we're building instead was what failed in South Florida – a transit alternative that is utterly noncompetitive with the car and will continue to serve only the transit-dependent at an incredibly high cost while derailing transit momentum for decades.
Mike Dahmus
Urban Transportation Commission, 2000-2005
[News Editor Michael King responds: By "analysis," Mike Dahmus (or "M1EK," his online handle at his Bake-Sale of Bile blog and in our online forums) consistently means arguments that agree with his own positions on mass transit, however intransigent and inflexible those positions may be. As it happens, we agree with him that light-rail is a better permanent solution for Austin, and that's why we have repeatedly endorsed light-rail proposals. However, in the absence of light-rail, we don't find it particularly useful to hold our breaths on transit questions until we turn blue (or bile green) nor particularly helpful to respond to every interim proposal with cheerless variations on "it's pointless, and it won't work."]