MetroRapid

Recently, I read a fascinating blog post from Texas State and Local Government about the new additions the city of Austin if planning to add to its public transportation system. I believe the new MetroRapid system will be an excellent service to the population of the city. The increase in travel time on a bus as opposed to driving is one of the biggest reasons more people do not take public transportation. The new technology will cut down the transit time and therefore, eliminating that complaint. The new GPS will also allow users of public transportation to gauge traffic situations and alter travel plans accordingly. This makes Austin's public transportation system that much more appealing. The advantages of taking public transportation to individuals are obvious as people are able to save on fuel and do not have to deal with the chore of driving. On top of all that, this new plan makes Austin a greener city: one that cuts down on traffic pollutants and benefits the entire area.

Why Bother Voting?

"I'm not going to vote. Texas is going to be a Republican state anyways; my vote won't make a difference" Variations of this phrase resounds through the state of Texas during voting season in present times. In general, Texas has always had very low political participation by its citizens, but now, it's the lowest in the United States. Why?

Texas citizens typically see no change in their everyday lives through active participation int he political realm. For example, the working poor never see any changes in the conditions of their lives even if they did vote, so they save themselves the trouble of making the trip to go vote. Political candidates spend time traveling to these poorer areas in order to win their votes, but political promises made to the poor are often unfulfilled. As Saul Elbein states, "No shows: why so few Texans bother to vote," the way to get people to participate in voting is to get them to start participating in smaller political services such as the school board, where their votes will have an impact. However, this is not a viable solution in and of itself because of the situations of the lower class. Many of the less well-off citizens in Texas must work long hours in order to make earn enough money to feed their families. Therefore, participating in local government such as school and community boards just isn't an option for these men and women. The change must come in how information is spread. When Wendy Davis performed her famous filibuster to stop the abortion bill in Texas, many Texans rallied up to go to the capitol and support her. Knowing and being passionate about government policies is a crucial in achieving higher voter participation. To do this,  politicians cannot simply visit poor areas just before elections; there must be a constant effort by the government to inform the public of what happens within the government and create constant interaction with the public to spark interest. Whether this is achieved through weekly papers or widespread politician interaction, something has to be done.

The Republican Party's Stance on Hispanics

As the Lone Star Gazer touches on, the Republican Party has a slight dilemma. After such a long period of dominance among the political scene of Texas, it might come to an end in the near future. The threat? The rising population of Hispanics. The majority of Hispanics align themselves with the Democratic Party due to their support of better education systems and health services. Phyllis Schlafly believes the Republican Party should reach out to Caucasians rather than Hispanics. While I feel like Schlafly is not ignoring Hispanics altogether but rather spending less campaign capital and time on the Hispanics than on Caucasians, I do agree with the Lone Star Gazer in that the Republican Party should invest in Hispanic support.

For starters, the Republican Party already caters to mostly Caucasians. Investing their time and money on people that already support the Republican Party seems like a waste to me. With the Hispanic population growing so large, communicating effectively and gaining the support of Hispanics can easily swing the balance of power in Texas politics. Even by gaining the support of all Caucasians would not be enough to win elections if Hispanics grew to be more than 50% of the Texan population.

One thing I do disagree with the Lone Star Gazer on is how the Republican Party can gain support within the Hispanic community. The Lone Star Gazer thinks the Republican Party should cater to Hispanic desires like education and health care. However, I feel like that goes against what the conservative nature that the Republican Party stand for. Instead, a more effective way could be to find some Hispanic politicians to run for office that side with the Republicans. This way, a portion of Hispanic population could vote for the Republican candidates as a means of ethnic support.