getting to Pleasant Valley and Highland Mall. Maybe you should take some classes at ACC after they complete the renovation at the mall so you'll feel like you are getting your money's worth.

I do know how you feel though. When I lived in Austin from 1987 to 2000, it was impossible for me to even dream about owning a home there. Most of the time about 30% of my net income went for rent and about the lowest it ever fell was around 25%, but the maintenance at that apartment complex was so horrible that I only stayed there six months.

In order to live comfortably in Austin it requires an advanced degree in a professional field (engineer, doctor, lawyer), having roommates or having a second job (usually dealing drugs). Trying to survive there on a state salary pretty much equates to poverty.

but what truly irks me about all of this is; last year they passed this bond to fund a med school at UT. On the surface that sounds fine and dandy. But those of us who pay attention, were really pissed off because, again we the homeowner have to pay for it with our property taxes going up. That aside, what really made the squeeze on us completely and utterly insulting was less than 2 months later, UT comes and out and says, the found almost half a billion in budget savings!!!!

They knew they could pay for the med school, they knew they had the money, but they chose to squeeze us instead.

And knowing what I know, the whole entire ordeal was politically motived by cement head perry. Oh, how I truly despise that crooked bastard.

Now this light rail BS. Why I know this is complete BS, is this; by brother-in-laws daughter works for a city planning outfit in San Diego. The company she works for was invited to bid on the redline when it was first proposed. She told me that, generally, when you go in to meet the officials in the bidding process, there are usually engineers present to scrutinize the plan. There were zero in attendance and only marketing/promotions people there. She said it was such a joke that no one from her company thought the reps from Austin were serious.

Which lead her (as well as myself) to believe (and I still believe this to this day), that the city council doesn't give a damn about the people or being "green" they just want the promotional end of it to use to gain "green creds" for city promotion.

They are disgusting.

On top of that, I had attended several of the various city meeting when they were "taking questions from the public" aka dog and pony show. I had suggested a much more quicker and less expensive alternative to the light rail. I pointed out the overhead electrified buses in San Francisco as a prime example. I had a friend there send me some numbers (he worked in the transportation dept in San Fran) and presented them to the city. They thanked me for my time and, I'm sure, promptly tossed out my information.

Someone is making huge bank on all of this and us citizens aren't receiving a damn thing in return.

the fare for a bus has gone from 10 bucks a month, 5 years ago, to over 40 bucks a month now. They no longer give discounted or free fairs to the elderly or disabled and they have completely priced out the poor (whose soul form of transportation was the bus).

And the city wonders why they are losing ridership.

As you can tell, this is a topic very near and dear to my heart.

laughingwell (sic) is well known to have huge connections to the real estate corps here in Texas. This is why they get sweetheart deals on taxes when the build anything and as a result, we homeowners feel the squeeze. I honestly can't wait till that crook is out of office.