Our Muni Gov: Open Source Gov 2.0

I just found out about a website called Our Muni Gov that offers open source software for cities and towns to communicate with each other and to communicate with their citizens.  City budgets being what they are, free software is always a plus.  I'll be adding a link to the site under helpful sites.

HOV Lanes, Save Time on Your Commute

The Texas Transportation Institute has just completed its annual Urban Mobility study.  This is a nationwide study that looks at population, freeway and arterial street miles traveled, public transportation, fuel and personal costs to determine how long we spend in "Rush Hour" traffic.  As you all have probably guessed San Antonio has moved up the ladder of congested cities over the years, from a ranking of 34 in 1984 to 32 in 2009. 

But what's really interesting is back in 1988 we actually had more traffic congestion than we have now with a ranking of the 28th most congested city.  So what happened? The number of freeway lane and arterial street miles went up between 1988 and 2009 (48% more freeway lanes and 29% more arterial street miles), but the number of vehicles miles traveled went up by 102% on freeways and 61% on arterial streets.  So we are way behind on building enough streets.  But in 1988 we didn't have the TxDOT "Smart Highway System".  This system of cameras and highway instant warning signs helps TxDOT to manage traffic by letting commuters know about congestion ahead and getting service vehicles and police out to the scenes of accidents more quickly. 

So if the cameras and warning signs can make such a difference, what if we added HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes to the mix.  In Houston (where they need all the time savings they can get) the 2.2 million HOV lane miles save Houstonians 2.8 million hours in traffic, and in Dallas/Ft. Worth/Arlington, where HOV lanes are relatively new, the 390,000 HOV lane miles save 433,000 hours in traffic.  New lanes wouldn't even have to be added to the highways, they would just need to be striped and signs would need to be posted, much cheaper and faster than building new lanes.  Wouldn't you like to save more time on your commute?

For more information on HOV lanes, check out this post.

Texas, Cutting Our Nose Off to Spite Our Face?

Right now the Texas Legislature is contemplating numerous bills to cut the budget.  The Legislature is considering drastic cuts to Higher Education, K through 12 Education, Medicaid and the Criminal Justice/Prison System, and not even considering raising taxes.  Well who wants to pay more taxes, we pay so much now, right?

Well, According to the Tax Foundation, Texas ranked 43rd with an 8.4% tax rate in State-Local tax burdens in 2008. The tax rate has gone up a whopping 0.3% since 1977. 

Now I'm not saying that I'm dying to pay more taxes, but I think we have to look at our budget problems in a balanced way.  There certainly are some cuts that need to be made to make education more efficient, but cutting Higher and K through 12 Education to the bone is not good for the Texas Economy, our STRONG POINT.  According to Joel Kotkin of New Geography

Migration patterns are also changing among college-educated workers. Between 2005 and 2007, Texas, Virginia and North Carolina already enjoy higher rates per capita of net migration of educated workers between the ages of 22 and 39 than California, New York or Massachusetts.

This advantage could expand as the upcoming states increase their educational offerings along with employment opportunities. Students may end up tempted to attend schools closer to where there is job growth. Unlike Austin and Raleigh-Durham, which have rapidly expanded tech employment, Silicon Valley has produced virtually no new net tech jobs for the past decade.

The second impact may  be more subtle, as declining revenues from businesses and individuals reduces the opportunity to boost education spending. As the country stumbles into this recovery, the greatest advantage will fall not only to states with the most natural resources, but those with the best-educated human resources. For a half century this is a game that states like California have played to perfection, but it is one in which other places are likely to catch up, and perhaps even pass. The long-term implications for the nation’s economic geography could prove profound.

Do we want to lose the advantages Texas has over other states by striping our Education system?  

Banning the Bag: Becoming a Trend?

South Padre has just jumped on the bag banning band wagon, after the success in Brownsville.  This makes sense in coastal communities, where plastic bags can wreak havoc on sea birds and marine life.  Local surfer activists pushed this measure through the city council with a unanimous outcome.  These two communities (Brownsville pop about 176,000, South Padre pop about 2800) are relatively small compared to San Antonio, but they are interesting case studies to see how the populace reacts to the ban. 

How Do I Get Food Stamps?

Everyone needs a helping hand now and then, and with the recession, there are more and more families and individuals signing up for food assistance.  Just from January to December 2010 food stamp recipients went up by 12.6% in Texas and 15.6% in Bexar County. 

Foods Stamps, now known as the SNAP program have benefit programs that last anywhere from one month to three years, but usually last about 6 months.  Just before the expiration of benefits recipients can reapply for assistance.  Families, the disabled, pregnant women and the elderly, generally get longer benefits than individual adults (between 18 and 50).  Individual adults are usually limited to 3 months of benefits within a 3 year period, unless they work at least 20 hours a week or are in a job training program.

To qualify for Texas Food Stamps, you must:

1. Be a resident of the State of Texas
2. Fall into one of two groups:
   • Those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $2,001
   • Those with a current bank balance (savings and checking combined) under $3,001 who share their household with a person or persons aged 60 years and over, or with a person with a disability (a child, your spouse, a parent, or yourself)
3. Have an annual household income of less than:
   • $16,848, if one person lives in the household
   • $22,596, if two people live in the household
   • $28,332, if three people live in the household
   • $34,080, if four people live in the household
   • $39,816, if five people live in the household
   • $45,564, if six people live in the household
   • $51,300, if seven people live in the household

The first step to receiving food stamps is to get qualified by using the SNAP benefits calculator.  The calculator uses information such as weekly income, education assistance (student loans, financial aid, scholarships, grants), workers compensation, TANF benefits (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), Retirement Survivors and Disability Insurance, Veterans benefits, supplemental Social Security Income, and other income you may have earned on your own (all considered income--money that you have to spend.)  You will also need to provide information on how much money you have in the bank, checking and savings, and if you have any stocks or bonds.  It also asks about any vehicles you might own, their approximate value, how much you owe to pay off the car, and how you use the vehicle.  Then the calculator asks for your monthly expenses such as child support payments, childcare expenses, medical expenses(for the disabled and elderly) and housing and utility costs.  By subtracting your expenses from your income the calculator will tell you what programs you are eligible for.

Once you have figured out that you are eligible you need to fill out a formal application (English or Spanish).
There are also certain documents you will need to show proof of your eligibility: 

• an ID card or a Texas drivers license 
• Social Security card 
• a qualified alien card if you are not a US citizen 
• any type of legal documents that relate to your status, such as court orders or guardianship papers 
• pay stubs and a statement from your employer or proof of self-employment 
• pay stubs or award letters from any type of supplemental income (Social Security, Worker's comp, Veteran's benefits, etc)  
• proof of child support payments
• Loan agreements, or statements from persons who have given you gifts of money
• Bank Statements
• Stock certificates, annuity contracts, trust agreements
• Current tax statements
• Medical bills
• Copies of check stubs for rent or mortgage payments
• Utility bills
• Check stubs for dependent care services
• Medical records confirming pregnancy

  (If you don't have a bank account or stocks, that's okay, they just want to see these things if you have them.) 

After you have filled out the application you can mail or fax it to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, or you can call 211 to apply over the phone.  You can also apply online at yourtexasbenefits.com.  At some point you will probably have to go to Texas Health and Human Services to receive your benefits.  Click here for directions to the local office.

However, they can talk with you over the phone or can come to your home if:

• You live more than 30 miles away from the closest HHSC benefits office.
• You can’t come to the HHSC benefits office because of bad weather.
• You are sick.
• You can’t get a ride to the HHSC benefits office.
• Your work or training hours do not allow you to come to the HHSC benefits office.
• You can’t travel because you are 60 years old or older, or you have a disability.
• You are a victim of family violence.
• You are taking care of someone who lives in your home.

The HHSC also offers an interpreter service.

There are also online resources to help you with your application such as the Food Stamps Network,
and 211 Texas.

Applying for food stamps takes time and perseverance, so don't give up and ask for help when you need it.

Recycling Building Materials

I just found this out today and thought it was worth sharing.  Habitat for Humanity has recently opened 3 Home Centers here in SA, where they sell building materials, flooring, area carpets, kitchen and bathroom cabinets and furniture donated by builders and building supply companies at reduced prices.  (If you don't live in SA checkout the national website and put in your zip code for locations near you.)

They can also resell building materials from your house.  Habitat offers free deconstruction and tearout services for your remodeling project.  The wrecking crew then salvages the materials and they are sold at the store.  Plus, you can use it as a tax deduction!

Why all the Uproar in Compton? Single Member Districts

Compton, notorious for gang violence, is now in the news for an issue that its city leaders probably never expected to face.  They are being sued for civil rights violations.  At issue is the all African American city council and other elected officials in a city with a majority Latino population, over 67% by some estimates.  The Latino advocates are calling for a change from at large elections to single member districts.  So what's the difference?

At large elections elect candidates for the entire city, no areas are separated.  In Compton the African American population votes as a block and has a much larger proportion of elegible voters, despite its smaller population, in contrast to the Latino population.  According to estimates, 24,000 residents in the Compton school district are illegal immigrants.  The civil rights complaint claims that there are about 63,000 Latinos in Compton (total population approximately 94,000.)  So even accouting for the illegal population there are still about 39,000 Latino American citizens in Compton that should be allowed representation on the city council. 

The way to remedy this situation is by setting up single member districts, or proportional voting.  Single member districts were originally developed to help minority populations participate in city government in majority white cities.  Single member districts were first used in New York City to break the Democratic Machine, but then were returned to at large voting later by the Republican majority.  San Antonio moved to single member districts in 1977 after many years of struggle by COPS (Citizens for Public Service) and the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project.  The city is now divided into 10 districts that are supposed to reflect the different ethnic populations of the city.

Compton is a special case since the majority population is Latino, but more than a third of that segment are illegal aliens.  If single member districts are set up in the city they will have to be drawn carefully to reflect the legal population, which could pose other legal problems, like how do you determine where exactly to draw the lines.

Latinos are no longer confined to the Southwest, they are now living in areas that probably never thought they would hear Spanish on a daily basis, such as Lincoln, Nebraska and Minidoka, Idaho.  I expect to see more cases like this as the Latino population swells in the US.