Comments for Concerned Citizens http://www.concernedinsa.com A political and civic view of San Antonio and beyond Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:45:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on A lot of talk about energy these days by ThorntonCORINNE http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1457&cpage=1#comment-4384 ThorntonCORINNE Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:45:30 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1457#comment-4384 When you're in a not good position and have got no cash to move out from that, you will require to take the <a href="http://bestfinance-blog.com/topics/credit-loans" rel="nofollow">credit loans</a>. Because that should aid you for sure. I take car loan every single year and feel great because of this. When you’re in a not good position and have got no cash to move out from that, you will require to take the credit loans. Because that should aid you for sure. I take car loan every single year and feel great because of this.

]]> Comment on Wearing green or plastic or … by Debbie Curtis http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992&cpage=1#comment-4382 Debbie Curtis Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:21:37 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992#comment-4382 I visited P'Lovers across from the Quarry for some gifts and they have some great sustainable clothing and household items. We're the only location outside of Canada. www.plovers.us. I visited P’Lovers across from the Quarry for some gifts and they have some great sustainable clothing and household items. We’re the only location outside of Canada.

http://www.plovers.us.

]]> Comment on Wearing green or plastic or … by RobertD http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992&cpage=1#comment-4379 RobertD Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:36:40 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992#comment-4379 For a material as ubiquitous as it is, plastic is starting to earn a reputation as an extremely environmentally unfriendly material. Plastic leaches endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, hormone mimickers like bisphenol A, or toxic stuff like antimony. Plastic also doesn’t disappear or biodegrade – every molecule of plastic ever created except for the plastic that has been burned still exists. Plastic bags floating in the ocean choke turtles who mistake them for jellyfish. Plastic beads are found in fish who mistake them for fish eggs or plankton. NOAA uses satellites to detect unattended mile-wide plastic drift nets killing tons of fish. Since plastic cannot be sterilized by heating it, it has to be shredded and combined with other materials to be reused. This often means that more fresh plastic is used to join recycled plastic material that would be used to make a new object. Assuming that a recycled plastic shirt is safe to wear, sweat in or wear out may not be a great decision. With plastic there is no “other place”. Something to think about when you buy a plastic item wrapped in plastic packaging and carry it to the car in a plastic bag. For a material as ubiquitous as it is, plastic is starting to earn a reputation as an extremely environmentally unfriendly material. Plastic leaches endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, hormone mimickers like bisphenol A, or toxic stuff like antimony. Plastic also doesn’t disappear or biodegrade – every molecule of plastic ever created except for the plastic that has been burned still exists. Plastic bags floating in the ocean choke turtles who mistake them for jellyfish. Plastic beads are found in fish who mistake them for fish eggs or plankton. NOAA uses satellites to detect unattended mile-wide plastic drift nets killing tons of fish.

Since plastic cannot be sterilized by heating it, it has to be shredded and combined with other materials to be reused. This often means that more fresh plastic is used to join recycled plastic material that would be used to make a new object.

Assuming that a recycled plastic shirt is safe to wear, sweat in or wear out may not be a great decision. With plastic there is no “other place”. Something to think about when you buy a plastic item wrapped in plastic packaging and carry it to the car in a plastic bag.

]]> Comment on Wearing green or plastic or … by mark http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992&cpage=1#comment-4377 mark Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:53:05 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1992#comment-4377 look at stock symbol AERT, they just opened a plant on oklahoma to recapture used plastic, they add wood fibor and make out door decking lumber, it also lowers the number of trees needing to be cut for lumber. look at stock symbol AERT, they just opened a plant on oklahoma to recapture used plastic, they add wood fibor and make out door decking lumber, it also lowers the number of trees needing to be cut for lumber.

]]> Comment on Someone who gets multitouch – great application by Designing Web Interfaces: Principles and Patterns for Rich Interactions | HUBPAGES REVIEWS http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1985&cpage=1#comment-4375 Designing Web Interfaces: Principles and Patterns for Rich Interactions | HUBPAGES REVIEWS Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:46:42 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1985#comment-4375 [...] Concerned Citizens » Someone who gets multitouch – great application [...] [...] Concerned Citizens » Someone who gets multitouch – great application [...]

]]> Comment on Can River North really be redeveloped? by RBearSAT http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1975&cpage=1#comment-4370 RBearSAT Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:27:48 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1975#comment-4370 Thanks for the comment Pacheco. Good luck up in Austin. It's an interesting and dynamic city with a completely different set of issues and players. I've always enjoyed watching Austin from afar and the things they deal with. Regarding San Antonio and River North, I hope some people really take a look at what is developing in that area. If AT&T and Cavender release their properties for development and some others decide to repurpose their properties there's a good chance River North could be developed like many want to see. I think a lot of people just drove through the area and saw undeveloped properties not realizing what the purpose of those properties was. What San Antonio really needs is a comprehensive master plan that takes all the issues into account. Right now we have a very disjointed experience which doesn't buy us anything but a bunch of fits and starts. Mayor Castro has proposed such an effort and I'm really wanting to see the results of it. It's really the only way true cohesive development could occur. Thanks for the comment Pacheco. Good luck up in Austin. It’s an interesting and dynamic city with a completely different set of issues and players. I’ve always enjoyed watching Austin from afar and the things they deal with.

Regarding San Antonio and River North, I hope some people really take a look at what is developing in that area. If AT&T and Cavender release their properties for development and some others decide to repurpose their properties there’s a good chance River North could be developed like many want to see. I think a lot of people just drove through the area and saw undeveloped properties not realizing what the purpose of those properties was.

What San Antonio really needs is a comprehensive master plan that takes all the issues into account. Right now we have a very disjointed experience which doesn’t buy us anything but a bunch of fits and starts. Mayor Castro has proposed such an effort and I’m really wanting to see the results of it. It’s really the only way true cohesive development could occur.

]]> Comment on Can River North really be redeveloped? by Pacheco http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1975&cpage=1#comment-4369 Pacheco Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:47:59 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1975#comment-4369 Hey RBear, I sadly agree with your post about River North. The area certainly has potential but I am just as certain that it fits your description as a "hodge podge of buildings". River North will be right there alongside Main Plaza as a great idea but was poorly executed under Mayor Hardberger. It is something that I've touched on before but I believe he will be one of the most overrated mayors in local political history. I agree that River North could succeed at some level but it would a take gamechanger to make it happen. Right around the same time as River North came along, Medtronics also located in the far NW corner of SA. I saw that as a possible sign that River North would struggle to attract business investment. I would have had hope for downtown if Medtronics made an investment with a sleek downtown skyscraper as its base of operations here instead of another boring suburban development past 1604. Mayor Castro needs to focus on what it would take to draw more educated talent not just to downtown but the city as a whole. There is just simply not enough of the "urban professional" demographic in San Antonio overall to ever realize the thriving work/live communities that you and I envision in our downtown. Maybe we just should be happy that our "touristy downtown" keeps the urban core from being completely overlooked by everyone outside of the city. I will observe the developments from afar. Ironically, I'm contributing to the very brain drain that I always talk about affecting this city, I'm relocating to Austin to start my own finance firm. San Antonio will be always be home but the opportunities and connections in Austin are just too good to ignore. Keep posting and good luck to you and others that continue the fight to make San Antonio fulfill its potential. Hey RBear,

I sadly agree with your post about River North. The area certainly has potential but I am just as certain that it fits your description as a “hodge podge of buildings”. River North will be right there alongside Main Plaza as a great idea but was poorly executed under Mayor Hardberger. It is something that I’ve touched on before but I believe he will be one of the most overrated mayors in local political history. I agree that River North could succeed at some level but it would a take gamechanger to make it happen. Right around the same time as River North came along, Medtronics also located in the far NW corner of SA. I saw that as a possible sign that River North would struggle to attract business investment. I would have had hope for downtown if Medtronics made an investment with a sleek downtown skyscraper as its base of operations here instead of another boring suburban development past 1604.

Mayor Castro needs to focus on what it would take to draw more educated talent not just to downtown but the city as a whole. There is just simply not enough of the “urban professional” demographic in San Antonio overall to ever realize the thriving work/live communities that you and I envision in our downtown. Maybe we just should be happy that our “touristy downtown” keeps the urban core from being completely overlooked by everyone outside of the city.

I will observe the developments from afar. Ironically, I’m contributing to the very brain drain that I always talk about affecting this city, I’m relocating to Austin to start my own finance firm. San Antonio will be always be home but the opportunities and connections in Austin are just too good to ignore. Keep posting and good luck to you and others that continue the fight to make San Antonio fulfill its potential.

]]> Comment on VIA BRT – a much better plan by Streetcars4SA http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1787&cpage=1#comment-4364 Streetcars4SA Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:46:53 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1787#comment-4364 I was there too (did you see me?) and I am disappointed in the fact that it was not going to be single lane use on Fred Rd. It will make it more difficult to retrofit to LRT once the corridor (and SA) is ready for it. I'm glad the streetcar plan is not open to the public; we might get a decent project out of it. Once we build it, they will come. If you don't believe it, do a little research on WMATA in Arlington, VA and see what it did/has done there in the last 25 years. To this day you can see development popping up because the proper infrastructure is in place. I was there too (did you see me?) and I am disappointed in the fact that it was not going to be single lane use on Fred Rd. It will make it more difficult to retrofit to LRT once the corridor (and SA) is ready for it. I’m glad the streetcar plan is not open to the public; we might get a decent project out of it. Once we build it, they will come. If you don’t believe it, do a little research on WMATA in Arlington, VA and see what it did/has done there in the last 25 years. To this day you can see development popping up because the proper infrastructure is in place.

]]> Comment on Tea party relevance – part 2 by Pam http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1922&cpage=1#comment-4352 Pam Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:52:13 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1922#comment-4352 I think both of your posts were well reasoned, I appreciate the fact that you didn't choose to denigrate the movement like so many other political blogs. I think both of your posts were well reasoned, I appreciate the fact that you didn’t choose to denigrate the movement like so many other political blogs.

]]> Comment on Tea party relevance – part 2 by FPR http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1922&cpage=1#comment-4351 FPR Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:46:50 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1922#comment-4351 Politics are politics. Always have been, always will. It is the responsibility of the party that is not in power to attack the party that is in power using any means necessary. The hypocrisy of it all is sickening. The NAACP attacks the Tea Party on racism on the heels of Shirley Sherrod's comments. Give me a break! The sad truth for most of America is that collectively we're too stupid or apathetic to care enough about our government to stop the nonsense. The power rests with the people if we ever cared enough to get involved. The problem really comes when you start to believe that swapping a Republican for a Democrat or vice versa every 4 or 8 years is "change". Both these parties are so out of touch with the American people, its not funny anymore. Throw the bums out!!! Politics are politics. Always have been, always will. It is the responsibility of the party that is not in power to attack the party that is in power using any means necessary. The hypocrisy of it all is sickening. The NAACP attacks the Tea Party on racism on the heels of Shirley Sherrod’s comments. Give me a break! The sad truth for most of America is that collectively we’re too stupid or apathetic to care enough about our government to stop the nonsense. The power rests with the people if we ever cared enough to get involved. The problem really comes when you start to believe that swapping a Republican for a Democrat or vice versa every 4 or 8 years is “change”. Both these parties are so out of touch with the American people, its not funny anymore. Throw the bums out!!!

]]> Comment on How relevant is the tea party movement? by John T. Harrington http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912&cpage=1#comment-4349 John T. Harrington Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:42:59 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912#comment-4349 The Tea Party has tremendous influence. Unfortunately they are not as organized as they could or should be. Think about it though, tea party candidates have ousted republican incumbents in several republican primaries. While the tea party will probably never be a major force in American politics, they may very will have four members in the US senate next year The Tea Party has tremendous influence. Unfortunately they are not as organized as they could or should be. Think about it though, tea party candidates have ousted republican incumbents in several republican primaries. While the tea party will probably never be a major force in American politics, they may very will have four members in the US senate next year

]]> Comment on How relevant is the tea party movement? by RBearSAT http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912&cpage=1#comment-4348 RBearSAT Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:23:47 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912#comment-4348 Stephen thanks for your comment. It got the response I was hoping and a response from me is really going to require another blog posting. My comments started getting too long on this one. Expect one later today. I do encourage others to share their ideas. It's something that's been on my mind for a while and I want to see a conversation on this matter. Stephen thanks for your comment. It got the response I was hoping and a response from me is really going to require another blog posting. My comments started getting too long on this one. Expect one later today.

I do encourage others to share their ideas. It’s something that’s been on my mind for a while and I want to see a conversation on this matter.

]]> Comment on How relevant is the tea party movement? by Stephen Einhorn http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912&cpage=1#comment-4347 Stephen Einhorn Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:26:53 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1912#comment-4347 The comment does not show an understanding of the Tea Party. The Tea party may have many different ideas--but these three are constant issues that they support: tackle the national debt; reduce government spending; reduce regulation. Therefore the Tea Party is unified in that they are against Obamacare; against the Stimulus and against the current financial regulation bill. The great majority want to tackle social security, medicare and medicaid deficits by making them more fiscally responsible. They are all against Obama's efforts to increase the presence of Government. The comment does not show an understanding of the Tea Party. The Tea party may have many different ideas–but these three are constant issues that they support: tackle the national debt; reduce government spending; reduce regulation. Therefore the Tea Party is unified in that they are against Obamacare; against the Stimulus and against the current financial regulation bill. The great majority want to tackle social security, medicare and medicaid deficits by making them more fiscally responsible. They are all against Obama’s efforts to increase the presence of Government.

]]> Comment on Houston – baseball, big smelly plants and bones by RBearSAT http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1903&cpage=1#comment-4345 RBearSAT Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:06:08 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1903#comment-4345 The Houston rail system has been in for a while. It was rushed in as a part of Houston's Olympic bid which is why it runs to Reliant Stadium and through the Medical Center area from the major concentration of the hotel district downtown. Based on what I've seen I don't think it's displaced a lot of residents. It runs down the middle of many streets. Regarding displacement of neighboring areas most of those seemed to have been on vacant lots. I don't think it's experiencing the boom seen in Dallas yet but that could happen and then the question become a big deal. The Houston rail system has been in for a while. It was rushed in as a part of Houston’s Olympic bid which is why it runs to Reliant Stadium and through the Medical Center area from the major concentration of the hotel district downtown.

Based on what I’ve seen I don’t think it’s displaced a lot of residents. It runs down the middle of many streets. Regarding displacement of neighboring areas most of those seemed to have been on vacant lots. I don’t think it’s experiencing the boom seen in Dallas yet but that could happen and then the question become a big deal.

]]> Comment on Houston – baseball, big smelly plants and bones by Pam http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1903&cpage=1#comment-4343 Pam Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:37:10 +0000 http://www.concernedinsa.com/?p=1903#comment-4343 How new is the rail line in Houston? I've heard Keith Parker of VIA talk about building rail in SA and how development follows the rail, but I wonder how many current residents would be displaced. How new is the rail line in Houston?

I’ve heard Keith Parker of VIA talk about building rail in SA and how development follows the rail, but I wonder how many current residents would be displaced.

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