Author: cityinvincible

Here are two articles for today.

1. Automakers are pissed about air quality regulations being passed by states. They even go so far as to say, “Fuel efficient cars could be dangerous, because they will be cheaper to drive and lead people to drive more and potentially have more accidents.” See “Challenge to Emissions Rule Is Set to Start” in the New York Times.

2. An article in the Seattle Times called “Paving The Way For Smarter Roads” discusses, “The ‘hot’ new idea [of] ‘monetizing’ toll roads and bridges–leasing them to a private operator in return for a big upfront payment or guaranteed year-by-year payback.” While it seems like leasing toll roads to a private company is a good idea, we’ll have to look into the drawbacks. Such as increased safety problems with unaccountable–and far away–corporations, and governments taking a lump sum of cash that’s less than what they could take in over the length of the lease.

Today I found three important articles.

1. Sadly, attacks on the homeless are on the rise. According to a USA Today article, “A 2006 report by the National Coalition for the Homeless found 142 attacks last year against homeless people, 20 of which resulted in death — a 65% increase from 2005, when 86 were violently assaulted, including 13 homicides.”

2. Robert Goodspeed wrote a great piece on the Planetizen blog called “How Can Planners Use the Web?”. Goodspeed sees three potential applications: seeking input for projects and plans; providing information regarding specific projects; and engaging and informing the public.

3. CommonDreams.org highlights an article called “Health Care Crisis: Number of US Uninsured Soars, Along with Big Pharma Profits.” According to the article, “The nation is entering a health care crisis, many leaders and experts say. An estimated 46 million people do not have health insurance because they cannot afford it, and the U.S. has one of the poorest health profiles of the developed world.” It’s past due time for universal health care.