Your destination is on your right...Recalculating...

As a new resident to the city of Austin, I would like to point out something that has been plaguing me for quite some time. For some strange reason several of our major streets seem to have a multitude of names for the same street. Take for example, here in Round Rock, University Blvd is also known as Chandler Rd., also known as RR 1431 and as Whitestone. FM 1825 is also known as Pecan Street in Pflugerville. Co Rd 119 is also known as 79, also known as Palm Valley, also known as FM 1660 which turns into Co Rd 175 and then becomes Sam Bass Rd.  How is this helping our tourist economy with this kind of mess? What’s even more inconvenient is the fact that this city has decided to use toll roads in lieu of building a proper loop. I’ve never lived in a city this large that doesn’t have a proper loop that completely covers the circumference of its borders.

I believe with a loop circling the city of Austin should be constructed with a portion of the funds generated from the Texas Title and Registration or the Texas Lotto. Even with the Texas Lotto, 63% goes to the winner as the cash prize, 25% goes to the Foundation School Fund, 5% goes to the Retailer Commision, 5% goes to the lotto administration, and 2% goes to State Programs.  A larger percentage could be taken from the retailer commission to go toward the roads that allows said consumer to arrive at his store to enable that shopper to purchase goods from his business.

First, this would create jobs required to build the actual highway. Second, it would alleviate some of the traffic from I-35 and perhaps even decrease some of the accidents that happen so frequently. Third, it would create ease in getting to and around this city so that more dollars are circulating here at home. Many people have resorting to online shopping from everything from clothing to groceries, simply to avoid the hassle of driving to a brick and mortar store to purchase goods, find parking, pay for said parking all the while spending upward of $3.75 a gallon to do so. It would be worth it for broach this topic and develop plans to unify our streets and neighborhoods and keep our dollars spent here at home here in Texas.  

Liberty....or Death??

In the article Happy Texas Independence Day! by Jonathon McClellan, a proud honorary Texan and a conservative activist residing in Austin who has worked on political campaigns as well as local state officials. He admits he is biased toward those he has worked for and it shows as evidence in this article; a blatant advertisement for the campaign for Ted Cruz for Senator. The intended audience is clearly for his fellow Texas Republicans.

As referenced in our textbook, the two most important ideologies to the Texan Creed are individualism and liberty. And Ted Cruz is basing his campaign on the latter of the two, liberty. The slogan for his campaign is “Stand for Liberty with a Strong Conservative Fighter”.  The article begins with a short recap of the events of March 1836 when 52 men with modest possessions and little organization gathered at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas to officially create their own nation.

He goes on to paint a picture describing the men with Lt. Col. William Barrett Travis and the men in the Alamo who were battling against the Mexican Army and General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, who reportedly campaigned on a platform of change and liberty but didn’t delivery on those promises. He draws close similarities between his own ideals on liberty and that of Lt. Col. Travis by including quotes from the Victory or Death letter, “I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character to come to our aid, with all dispatch…”

The blog certainly draws at the strings of pride in every Texan. Pride in what our ancestors endured for us. Yet his article shows no supporting evidence as to why he should be our new symbol of liberty. What makes him so important that he should compare himself to William Barrett Travis who died defending Texas? I completely support the idea for Texas pride. However, there is absolutely no facts or even claims as to why we should support him in his race for Senator. In order for this article to be more effective there should be some substantial evidence reflecting why he would be a good candidate for Senator.