Dexter the Texter!

In response to John's post against texting and driving and the bill against it: 

John's post addresses the issue about the danger of texting and driving. This is a serious issue and is a leading cause for many accidents. I liked how John pointed out that "Dexter the Texter" was sending a meaningless text, because I believe that many texts are meaningless and are not worth risking the lives of others. To build his credibility, John quotes Representative Craddick's viewpoint on texting and driving and why HB 63 was filed, a bill against texting and driving. I agree with Craddick when he says that banning texting and driving will help save lives. I must admit that I have been involved in a fender bender because of me texting, but after that I quickly learned my lesson. I thought, what if it was not just a little accident and I had actually injured someone? How could I live on knowing that I had taken away someone's life because I "had" to send that meaningless text? John also tells of two very realistic scenarios in which someone could be seriously injured due to texting and driving to drive home his point.  I believe people will not do the right thing and stop texting and driving if there is no punishment involved, because facts have not deterred people from texting and driving. Sadly, I believe force may be the only successful way to make people stop this behavior. 

Here is a link to AT&T's "The Last Text" documentary, which is a powerful account of how people's lives have changed for the worst because of texting and driving.  I immediately thought of this video after I read John's post and believe that it shows just how dangerous this act can be.

BlogStage7

Just recently, Proposition one passed.  This proposition will allow Austin to have a medical school and a teaching hospital, and also is focused on improving heath care in Travis County. Powers, the University of Texas at Austin president, points out in his article that almost every major city in Texas has a medical school and that it has diversified and energized the city’s economy.  I am from Houston, a city with a large medical center, and I believe that it greatly benefits Houston’s economy.  Not only does the hospital benefit financially, but surrounding businesses such as restaurants and hotels will also benefit from the influx of costumers. Also, the hospital and school will need many personnel to staff the hospital, thus attracting more employees to Austin.  In addition, I think that individuals have a right to adequate healthcare and Proposition one is a means of ensuring that insured and uninsured individuals receive the healthcare they need and deserve.

Although Travis County residents must also pay more taxes to support the new school, Powers says that UT Austin has committed to give over 290 million dollars to fund the school. Thus debunking the myth that taxpayers are the only ones funding the new development.  In addition, Seton family of hospitals has committed to give over 250 million dollars to fund the teaching hospital that will go along with the medical school. I think that the community should be better informed about the fact that UT and Seton are both giving money and are not just relying on the public to pay. I also believe that the community should be informed about the various benefits, besides medical ones, they will enjoy because Proposition one passed.  For example, as I stated earlier, the creation of a medical center will positively impact the economy, a big issue in all of America today.  So, the positive effect this development will have on Austin’s economy can lessen the financial burden that the tax increase imposes on Travis county taxpayers.

The article also points out another myth, that UT Austin is “rich” and should be able to use its own money to build the school because of the large endowment it receives. I agree with Power’s when he points out that the “endowment in question goes to 13 schools within the University of Texas System as well as the UT System administration.”  Thus, the wealth is spread out quite thinly in order to fund all of these schools, leaving little extra left over.  

Lastly, Powers points out that Proposition one will not only benefit UT-Austin, but also the whole central Texas region.  I also agree that it will positively impact the entire region by increasing access to healthcare for all people, insured or uninsured.  He also notes that it will “expand the health care workforce.” I think this is very important not only because new jobs will be created, but also because I am on the educational path to becoming a nurse. It’s important for there to be an increase in demand for nurses because, contrary to popular belief, it’s actually difficult for nurses to find jobs.  Also, a well qualified staff for the medical school will attract well qualified medical students who will most likely stay in Texas after they graduate, thus making Texas have better doctors.

I really enjoyed Power’s closing statement to his article, “A medical school will expand the health care infrastructure for Central Texas, resulting in healthier students in our classrooms and a healthier, more productive work force for our community.” I believe this to be true and am very excited that Proposition one passed because of the economic and humanitarian benefits it will bring to Austin.

BlogStage6

I wrote this comment in response to John Olson's blog post:
I believe that we do need a light rail system in Austin, one that also spans into Austin's suburbs. This type of transportation is very efficient and avoids the pesky traffic of Austin. I read somewhere the other day that Austin has some of the worst traffic in the United States. By creating a light rail system, the passengers would get to their destination faster without having to deal with the stress of traffic. In addition, the passengers on the train would be off the street, and thus Austin's roads wouldn't be as congested. Though, I do believe that Austin's bus system is fantastic, as I use it twice a week to go to the Rio Grande ACC campus. Yet, the bus system is using gasoline and oil, which is not energy efficient like a light rail. Austin's population is growing quickly and people need a more efficient way to get to places. So, we should get a jump on creating a light rail system soon because the new good spots to install it will be taken.