I-35 Underground In The Future?

   On Wednesday, August 7, CKernan wrote an interesting Articleon the “Cut and Cap” plan in Austin.  A plan by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that plans on to sink I-35 underground  to help ease traffic congestion on the Interstate in downtown Austin.  I agree with Ckernan that this plan to extend I-35 in order to decongest traffic in Austin is a great one but I feel like this is a plan that needs to be reconsider before being acted upon.

   I believe that if the plan is passed it will make Austin more congested, especially during the construction stage. I- 35 is one of the main highways drivers use to travel in and out of Austin. I mean yes, there is Mopac express way and 183 but they do not direct go through I-35 like I- 35 does. I feel like once I- 35 is closed down for construction for the “Cut and Cap”, traffic on these other highways and city streets that are already crowded will be overcrowded. Also the cost of the project is an issue I see with this idea. It will cost about $550 million to build. My question is where is this money coming from? Will it come all from the government?  Will come from the taxpayers or will it be a mixture of both? I do know, if some of the money comes from the taxpayers that the working and lower socioeconomic classes will feel the most effect from it as lower classes tend to be taxed heavier than the upper class. This could be stressful for the citizens of Austin, particularly the citizens on the east side of Austin. 

   Overall, I am glad that the city of Austin knows they have a problem this traffic in their city and are trying to fix it but I do not think this should be the master plan and should edit it. Maybe they should have a highway that loops around the city like cities such as, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.  But does property and geography stop this? What if TxDOT intended the upper deck on I-35? Will it cost more than going underground or will not be possible to do? There are so many questions about this issue but there is so little time to find a solution with a constant Austin population that continues to grow. 

Link to Article: http://txgovt2013.blogspot.com/2013/08/proposal-to-sink-i-35.html

Governor Davis 2014

   On Friday July 26, I wrote an Article on "Exactly Who is Wendy Davis?” a Democrat Senator from Fort Worth Texas. If you still do not know who she is by name, I highly recommend you check out my article or her website. Once you do, you will realize she has the qualifications to be the next governor of Texas in 2014. Since current Texas Governor Rick Perry is not running for re-election in 2014 and her recent filibuster over a bill that would place new restrictions and ban the practice after 20 weeks of pregnancy in abortion clinics in Texas, Davis has the credentials to show that she is not just an ordinarily senator and can be a governor of the people for the state of Texas. 

    Even though her eventfully filibuster in her a Texas special session in the summer of 2013, it will be used against her in a state where most voters oppose abortion if she runs for governor. But, her interests on sponsored bills such as, cancer, payday lending, protecting victims of sexual assault, and government transparency will gain her voters. She has also given the Republicans a run for their money on other bills. In 2011, she filibuster against a budget that underfunded the state's public schools by $5 billion and got most of the money replaced in 2013. The filibuster made the Republican- led house strip her of her position on the education committee.  She has also filed “Texas Jobs First” legislation to give preference to Texans in the award of state contracts, protected the Veterans’ Assistance Fund from being used to fill budget gaps, and fought against the severe cuts to women’s health care.  Her bills and interests tends reflect the concerns of minorities of Texas (African Americans and Latinos) who’s population continues to grow. A fact they could help her win the office of governor if she runs. 

   But that is the question; will she run for Governor in 2014? As of now she has only said she’ll run for re-election for senator but depending on what happens to the old and new election maps, running for governor might help her find more support from Texans than re-running for senator. I believe that the democrats have a chance to run statewide for the governor seat in 2014. Wendy Davis is their best candidate to push them through.

Links in this article:   http://www.wendydavisforsenate.com/page.cfm?pageid=82 http://texasgirl91.blogspot.com/2013/07/exatcly-who-is-wendy-davis.html