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 [email protected]. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    I always enjoy Michael Corcoran's articles about his favorite musical interests, such as last week's "To C-Boy, With Love," [Music, Jan. 31]. And there was nothing Italian about C-Boy's po'boy sandwiches at Rome Inn, but they were mouthfuls of flavor! Back in my UT days, I worked at the restaurant and fancied that C-Boy's nickname derived somehow from those delicious po'boys. Speaking of restaurants, Corcoran made an untrue claim about Harry Akins being the first to integrate his Night Hawk dining rooms; the proper word is "desegregate." There were any number of restaurants in Austin prior to 1963 that were integrated. The most notable one still in operation today is Green Pastures Restaurant, which was simply never segregated.

Dear Editor,
    Decriminalizing marijuana is inadequate [“Perry Chills on Pot Decriminalization,” News, Jan. 31]. It's time to completely re-legalize the plant.
    Another reason to stop caging responsible, adult cannabis users that doesn't get mentioned is because it's biblically correct, since God created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they're all good on literally the very first page of the Bible. A sane or moral argument to continue cannabis prohibition doesn't exist.

Dear Editor,
    Capital Metro's new 801 bus is a more high-tech and 50% more expensive version of the 101 bus that it replaces [“Here Comes MetroRapid,” News, Jan. 24]. At 28 minutes from the Capitol to William Cannon, it is not significantly faster. MetroRapid takes two lanes of Downtown traffic out of service, and I fail to see how it will do anything to address Austin's traffic issues. To make the 801viable, Cap Metro had to halve local bus service on South Congress. I do not think it is right that the new buses can manipulate the traffic lights. That feature will only make traffic worse for everyone who does not ride the bus. The only reason Cap Metro is pursuing this project is because they received federal money to cover 80% of the cost, and it provided an excuse to dramatically raise fares. I am doing my part to make MetroRapid a financial failure by avoiding it and riding the 1 or 10 bus instead. Even though I live closer to Congress and ride the bus daily, I prefer to walk to South First instead of supporting the bendy bus. It is a bad deal both for transit riders and for drivers.

Dear Editor,
    When I purchased my house nine years ago, one of the benefits was that I had two bus stops within a half-mile from the house, the 1 and 10 route. After a few bad experiences with late 10 buses, I skipped the 10 altogether for the 1 line. An example: I waited an hour for a 10 bus which then would not let me on. I walked to the 1 line and got on a bus in less than 15 minutes. I don’t use the buses as much as I like as they tend to be unreliable. It’s easy to get Downtown for events, but can be difficult to get back home. I ride the bus for SXSW concerts and fireworks, knowing that I will either have to walk home or take a taxi because there are not enough buses to handle the amount of people. It’s generally quicker to walk the three miles to my home than to wait for a bus that I can get on.
    Yes, the 1 route is stinky and crowded, but it’s nice to know that a bus will show up shortly. Now Capital Metro has reduced the frequency of buses coming to my local bus stop [“Here Comes MetroRapid,” News, Jan. 24]. I could catch a 1 every 15 minutes, or at the very least every 30 minutes. Consolidating the 1M and the 1L has doubled my wait times. Yes, Cap Metro has given us the 801 option, but I have to walk twice as far to a bus stop and pay one and a half times what I would have paid. The bus system is less convenient and more expensive.
    By increasing the amount of time I have to wait or walk, Cap Metro has made it much less convenient to take a bus. By reducing the amount of lanes on Lavaca and Guadalupe, Cap Metro has created a bottleneck on the South First bridge. While I commend Cap Metro for trying to help get people in and out of the city more efficiently, they need to remember those of us who already live in the city. We pay more to have convenience. We need to be able to get around in the city, if not by car, then by transit. If we can’t get anywhere, our residences are no longer convenient and there is no point to remain in the city and pay the city taxes that keep the public transportation afloat. Cap Metro needs to consider transportation within the city when making route changes and not just transportation to the city.

Dear Editor,
    The legendary Eastside bar, Cheer Up Charlie's, was forced to vacate recently by their landlord [“Cheer Up Charlie's Out, La Corsha In,” Gay Place, Dec. 13, 2013]. I ventured over to the vacant property recently after visiting the food truck neighborhood at Sixth and Waller (also soon to be forced to move). It's pretty weird to see the property without its usual spark of vibrance. As The Austin Chronicle said, Cheer Up Charlie's "set the tone and injected a playfulness and 'Austin-ness' into the East Sixth renaissance." It certainly did. They will be sorely missed in the neighborhood. I'm sure the new location will be even better, as the folks who run it have not lost their way. But it won't be in my neighborhood anymore, and its positive energy will no longer be felt on East Sixth walkabouts. Cheer Ups wasn't given the opportunity to renew their lease because a new, more profitable development wanted in. This is happening all over the neighborhood. With increasing rents and bigger brands trying to buy authenticity, how will our most unique parts of town evolve? Cheer Ups may have been sacrificed so that many of us would be shaken into paying attention. I'm a proponent of growth and generally can see the bright side of things. So, what's the bright side of this story? Austin is at a pivotal time in its history. Our city is one of the hottest cities in the world to be paying attention to. Let's be aware of the changes happening and not grow complacent and arrogant. And certainly, let's not grow cynical. Let's protect what deserves to be protected, and let's be innovative as we experience unprecedented growth, maintaining heart and authenticity as we plant more and more excitement into our little oasis of Texas.