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., Nov. 10, 2010
Dear Editor,
In response to David Burks' comment [“
Postmarks,” Nov. 5] about bicycle road rage by bicyclists being passed by cars and trucks: It is likely that that is due to motorists not giving them at least 3 feet of clearance when passing them. The 3-foot law is a new law that requires all motorists to give bicyclists at least a 3-foot clearance for safety reasons. There are times when a bicyclist must take up a whole traffic lane to be seen and be safe. Of course I don't condone bicyclists being rude to motorists though. My experience has been that motorists are more likely to be rude to bicyclists than bicyclists being rude to motorists.
Jack Pirson
RECEIVED Mon., Nov. 8, 2010
Dear Editor,
P.T. Barnum famously said no businessman ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public. Mayor Lee Leffingwell apparently has adopted the same approach toward Austinites. He declares [“
Mobility Bond: Ready, Set, Go,” News, Nov. 5] that 60% of Proposition 1 funding will be spent on roads but that the remaining funds will allow other modes of transport to “catch up.”
Philip Russell
RECEIVED Mon., Nov. 8, 2010
Dear Editor,
Re: "Bicycle Road Rage?" [“
Postmarks,” Nov. 5]: “Bicycle Rage” has moved from the streets to the sidewalks of Austin as speeding bicycle bullies blast and block pedestrians without warning horns or night lights. The auto "carbarians" were dangerous enough, but now it's war with the "handle-barbarians.”
Gene Burd
RECEIVED Sun., Nov. 7, 2010
Dear Editor,
Just a couple of quick notes on "
Taco Wars" [Food, Nov. 5]: You listed 17 locations for the three taco "chains." Of these 17, 13 (or 76%) are north of the river. What gives with that?
I really enjoy eating the Big Pink at Torchy's. But, alas, I am limited to this one selection, as
all the other tacos I have tried at Torchy's are
way too salty. C'mon folks – let us season them ourselves!
Stan Peyton
[Rachel Feit responds: I am not sure why most of the big three in Austin's taco wars are north of the river, though I'd speculate that maybe this is due to the fact that there is more demand north of the river. South Austin has been a hub for Tex-Mex for a long time now, and there are already many well-established restaurants that serve tacos south of the river. By contrast, the area north of the river and west of I-35 was a wasteland for good Mexican food (except Fonda San Miguel, which is in a different class) until recently. Notice that there are no Torchy's, Taco Shack, or Tacodeli outlets in East Austin either, which historically has been home to many well-established Mexican restaurants. When I interviewed Orlando Arriaga, the owner of Taco Shack, he mentioned to me that he has always wanted to open a place south of the river, but he has never found the right opportunity. This could have something to do with market saturation.]
RECEIVED Fri., Nov. 5, 2010
Dear Editor,
At the least Louis Black’s Nov. 5 “
Page Two” reflects wandering nihilistic cynicism and at worst combines that with desperately attempting to conceal his true ideology – again. But try as he might, he can’t. No he once more covertly dons leftism with a twist of anarchism. Among his many abstract but obviously slanted comments, his cheap untrue distorted shot at Republicans is the final pointed indicator.
It’s no surprise why Black won’t openly define his ideology. Taking a real stand is hard. By definition one will make enemies. But unless a person is willing to openly declare what he or she is made of, loser standing’s assured, notwithstanding other achievement or status. In that case, there’s no way a positive, meaningful contribution can be made to the macro cultural advancement of humanity. Moreover, that person’s mind can and will never be enlightened, a very sad state.
In our younger days, many of us were steeped in the populist poison of left-wing multicultural moral and intellectual relativism, but over time were fortunate to imbibe in Winston Churchill’s wisdom that if you’re 20 and not liberal, you don’t have a heart, and if you’re 40 and not conservative, you don’t have a brain. And I know Black is over 40. Everyone of sound mind must hope that Black and all lost leftist souls will awaken to the hurt they’re unwittingly inflicting on their own minds and humanity.
As for the Nov. 2 elections, it was a great moment where huge numbers of Americans pushed back against the scourge of liberty killing and tyranny enabling leftism. Furthermore, the elections made it clear that all rational Democrats must demand their party be purged of leftist apologists. In total, Americans came to the rescue of liberty, America, and civilization.
Vance McDonald
RECEIVED Fri., Nov. 5, 2010
Dear Editor,
As an avid monster-movie fan, I have to ask you, "What happened?!" You post a full-page article about the making of the film
Monsters ["
Space Invaders on a Shoestring Budget," Screens, Oct. 29], then go into a
four-star review [
Film Listings, Oct. 29], and I almost never see four-star ratings in your review section.
However, in the Nov. 5 issue, you fail to mention
Monsters – at all! Not found in Film Listings; not under "openings & ratings"; no minireview under "first runs"; not even its title found under "also playing.”
Again, what happened?! If you take the time (and space) to promote a film of this quality, why omit it from the very next issue? Is it no longer playing? Were you embarrassed you may have given the film one star too many? Hell, even the local daily paper mentions it on Nov. 6 ("Also Playing: noteworthy films now in theaters").
It is not often a monster movie comes out in theatres, as you had pointed out in the above article. And, while the movie did not make it into the Top 10, don't you think you should stick by your "good review" and, at least, mention it?
Ron Schettino
Monster movie fan
[Film Editor Marjorie Baumgarten replies: Monsters is not included anywhere in the Chronicle's Nov. 5 Film Listings because the film completed its local run on Nov. 4. It is not unusual for films to play only one-week runs. If attendance numbers had warranted, we're certain the movie's one local exhibitor would have held Monsters for a second week.]