Meet & Confer

I certainly understand why the Police union yesterday suspended contract negotiations with the City, and I would even agree that, in the current climate, a brief cooling off period is probably a good idea. However, the Police union needs to recognize that they contributed to the current climate by undermining the police monitor by requiring that the union’s contract with the City provide that much of the information collected and produced by the police monitor be kept from public view. This provision clearly worked against the interests of the union and the rank and file officers last year when the City was prohibited from releasing an independent report exonerating an officer in a 2002 shooting. Once everyone has had a chance to take a breath, I hope that we can look forward to the union and the City agreeing to a new contract that strengthens the role of the police monitor.

Transportation and Land Use

Yesterday, I attended the Downtown Austin Alliance’s lunch where Norm Marshall, with Smart Mobility, spoke on The Effects of Transportation on Land Use. Mr. Marshall has worked on Envision Central Texas and similar projects in Chicago and Los Angeles. Much of what he had to say I had heard many times before: transportation and land use are interrelated, one cannot be thought of without the other, transportation problems can be addressed through land use, etc. What was new and encouraging in his presentation was the information developed in Chicago and Los Angeles that showed, as we have seen through the Envision Central Texas process here, that the status quo, business-as-usual approach to transportation and land use not only will not meet our needs and address our problems, it is also prohibitively expensive for local governments to continue to extend roads, water and wastewater, and other services out to far-flung suburbs.

The Lie Clock

Forwarded by a friend:

A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front
of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall
of clocks behind him.

He asked, "What are all those clocks?"

St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie-Clocks. Everyone on
Earth has a Lie-Clock. Every time you lie the hands on
your clock will move."

"Oh," said the man, "whose clock is that?"

"That's Mother Teresa's. The hands have never moved,
indicating that she never told a lie."

"Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that
one?" St. Peter responded, "That's Abraham Lincoln's
clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Abe
told only two lies in his entire life."

"Where's Bush's clock?" asked the man.

"Bush's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a
ceiling fan.

Firefly

I have amended my Firefly post from last week.  ¶ 4:32 PM