So where is the nearest drag strip

So a cop buddy of mine and I were talking the other day about an issue that Austin has had for a while now. Illegal street racing is becoming more and more popular, to the point where it has got very out of hand and dangerous. Street racing has basically been around since people started finding a way to make cars faster than they were stock. This is how sports like drag racing. NASCAR, and motorcycle racing came about. A few smart people saw how popular these sports were and knew that if they made places to do it legally people would flock to it, and they were so right. Not only was it safer at the strips but it also brought money into the local governments. But because of people not wanting the loud race ways near there homes places to race legally and safely are now few and far between. So in turn more and more people have reverted to meeting together in one place then taking to the streets. Some of you that are reading this might be saying “ I’ve never seen this happen in Austin I cant be that big of an issue.” Well I can tell you there is illegal racing going on every night of the week unless its raining. Now you might be saying “what makes you such an expert” and the answer to that is, I‘ve been there and done it. I used to go to these things every night and on the big nights I’ve seen it easily reach over 400 cars. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that can get a little dangerous. So how dose this all tie into government? I think instead of sending more cops too break these things up, which means there is less cops protecting us, I think Austin should open up at least one if not two drag strips. I can tell you from experience that if these guys had a strip to go too they would go pay to race. The reason being these guys all have big egos, and like getting a time sheet saying exactly how fast there car is. Also being able to say without a doubt “haha I beat you fool.” There are strips in other central Texas cities and they bring in a great deal of money in, we need to cash in on this opportunity as well. All the people that really want to do this are driving to places like Dallas, and Houston. That’s money that could be coming into Austin, and we all know how we always need more money. Not to mention if we had a track it could be added to the NHRA (National hot rod association) circuit, and those guy bring in a mess tone of money where ever they go. Yes we would have to spend money to build these places but I know it would bring a great deal of money back in.

Only a matter of time

I think we can all agree that these days you need to save as much money as possible. If you agree with that it’s also safe to say that you agree its stupid to spend money fighting against something you could use to make money. That is our current situation in the legalization of marijuana debate. Our government is passing up on making profit. Like my classmate Emily Wenzlaff has stated in here blog “Puff Puff Pass Already Congress” it would not only bring income but reduce spending in our criminal justice system. According to her blog Texas has had over 500,000 arrests this year 237,000 of which being cannabis related. So if we are to stretch that statistic a bit further that would mean about half the people in our prison system are in there on cannabis charges. If marijuana was made legal those prisoners would be set free. This is turn would greatly help our problem of overpopulated jails. In addition to saving the money that would have been used to house, feed, and tend to those prisoners. Those are two very major benefits right off the bat. Not to mention the profit that would come off of the selling of legalized cannabis. It would be taxed in much the same way as tobacco and alcohol. She also brings up the money that will be saved by not having to hunt down Mexican drug cartels. With legalization there market will almost entirely go away. Why would you go to a shady drug dealer to get it when you could just walk to the corner store and pick it up with your soda and chips. Please do not get my wrong I’m not saying it will solve drug cartel problem just greatly reduce it. With all things weighed and measured I have to agree with Emily that we need to puff puff pass legalized cannabis.

Bad Bad Bikers

Ok before I even start this if you are a hard core bicycle activist you might just want to skip this post now. I myself enjoy riding bikes on occasion. It’s a very popular activity in our town since its to the ever famous Lance Armstrong. But because of the overwhelming amount of people biking it has caused some problems.

To many bikers forget that they are not equal to cars on the road. They are far slower and hard to see at times. Most bikers want to have the same rights to the road as cars, yet many of them don’t want to follow the rules of the road. I cant count the number of times I’ve seen them run a red light, run a stop sign, or ride in the middle of two lanes holding up traffic. I also cringe every time I see them on Capitol of Texas Highway, which is dangerous even for cars. I understand it’s a beautiful challenging ride but its not smart to ride on it. I’m not saying that bikes should not be allowed to ride on the road. I’m simply saying people need to be smart about how and where they ride.

For example Highway 620 is not a smart biking route. A few months back a woman was critically injured by a 18 wheeler when she veered into the 18 wheelers lane. Many people wanted to blame the driver of the 18 wheeler for this accident after reading it the news. But what most people didn’t know is that it was entirely her fault. She only had one and on the handle bars and was drinking a cup of coffee. There were several people to back the story when the driver of the 18 wheeler was asked by the investigators what had happened. This is why I think we need to pass laws requiring bikers to stay off more of our dangerous roads. I also think that people that want to use bicycles for commuting should have to take safety classes, and register there bikes just like cars. But on the other side of the argument I think we need to make more roads biker friendly, like what there trying to do on Nueces St. Bikes are great for cutting harmful emissions, saving fuel, and a cheep way of making roads less congested. So lets start making some compromises on the roads, for everyone’s safety and well being.

Passing up more money?

While taking a peek around Grits for Breakfast, the blog by Scott Henson, an article caught my eye. The article was “Comments due soon on Driver Responsibility rules.” It brought up something that had never even crossed my mind, since it had not ever affected me. Henson brought up four key suggestions for the PSC (Public safety Commission) but focused on an Amnesty program.

The DPS (Department of Public Safety) had proposed an Amnesty program but it was dropped from the current proposal. His reasons for saying the program was most important were, resolving backlog of noncompliant drivers, and it would generate revenue. In fact $100 million if 1/3 of the 1.2 million of noncompliance drivers paid an average of $250 each.

The proposed rule as of now is too use peoples tax returns to determine indigency. In his opinion this is a bad idea, using his own example of since he lost his job last year his tax return is not evaluation of his current income.
He also brings up how DPS chose to waive surcharges for indigents, even though in 2011 it will be required by state law. In both his and my eyes it seems very counter productive and unnecessary to change a law that will be changed right back the next year. On a side note he brings up how the law going through in 2011 does not go far enough. It only affects those 125% under poverty level. There are people that make more that still need help.

When all things are weighed I agree with him that people that have the power to change things need to step up. He used no faulty evidence or far fetched claims to prove his point. Also by reading just a few of his blogs you can see that he has quite a good amount of credibility. This is a man who feels very strongly about people using there rights and educating them selves. So next time you get some time or are tired of facebooking or youtubeing take a look at his site. Who knows you might stumble upon something you had never thought of.

Lookin Skyward

The editorial staff of the Austin American Statesman has done a very good job of bringing up a sore subject which needs to be discussed. It is about the attack Andrew Joseph Stack lll committed way to close to all of our homes. More specifically the IRS building off of 183 and Capital of Texas. They did I great job of making people realize that its not just religious extremists’ that can do us harm. It can be anyone anywhere at any time. Before that day he was just an average guy, but that Thursday he showed that anyone could commit an act of terror. That why the title “Sense of terror that rattled Austin” is so spot on its not even funny. This article was meant for anyone who lives in the U.S. but especially for everyone in Austin. I cant really make an accurate opinion on the authors credibility because there is no clear author. But I can say that since there was more than one author there is most likely credibility behind this article. I agree with there line of thinking that this man was just terribly upset and did not know what to do. Then out of desperation lashed out at the entity he thought to be responsible. The author used excerpts from Stack’s rambling letters to help prove this. They also did a great a job of ending with a ray of hope by talking about how well our emergency personnel handled the situation. In my humble opinion the article is a job well done.

Texas vs. The EPA

A article in the Statesman by Asher Price brings forth an interesting topic. Texas is now at it again with the EPA. What’s the issue? It’s the regulation of the green house gases. Our state has filed suit against the EPA, on the grounds of faulty science. Gov. Rick Perry also states that Texas should be an example of “all of the above approach.” Texas being the leader of the country when it comes to wind power. The EPA’s say’s that a cap on emissions create more jobs because of investments in renewable energy. The EPA has also threatened to take over emissions of industrial facilities.