The Rep Issue

[TheNiche]

You get five minutes beyond the 'burbs, and both of those states eerily begin to resemble Cut and Shoot and all the residents start looking like the banjo kid from Deliverance.

Yes, but for some reason these 'scary' rural subcultures are only symptomatic of forested parts of the country. It's as though wood causes people to behave hedonistically, shortsightedly, and single-mindedly. Clearly the option of systematic deforestation should be considered a health issue and a front-runner for the next round of stimulus. Before we know it, Kathleen Sebelius will be on the cable news networks announcing her plans to relieve America of its wood. There will be a tremendous applause.

[AtticaFlinch]

Yes, but for some reason these 'scary' rural subcultures are only symptomatic of forested parts of the country. It's as though wood causes people to behave hedonistically, shortsightedly, and single-mindedly. Clearly the option of systematic deforestation should be considered a health issue and a front-runner for the next round of stimulus. Before we know it, Kathleen Sebelius will be on the cable news networks announcing her plans to relieve America of its wood. There will be a tremendous applause.

That can be Brazil's new reasoning for leveling the Amazon Rain Forest. It has nothing to do with agriculture or anything productive like that, it's all an attempt to root out the country's meth problems before they even begin.

[zaphod]

These days the only thing cooler than being a hipster is hating hipsters.So its also ironic, because hip is all about irony. Actually, then its doubly ironic. Ack, I'm confused by all the irony now. Trapped in an infinite irony loop!

No, Austin and Portland really do have neat stuff, but so does Houston. The only problem is the cynical and apathetic mindsets some people have. Not only is it negative but it leads to the though that many of the city's great features are no more than happy accidents.

[RocketSci]

These days the only thing cooler than being a hipster is hating hipsters.So its also ironic, because hip is all about irony. Actually, then its doubly ironic. Ack, I'm confused by all the irony now. Trapped in an infinite irony loop!

No, Austin and Portland really do have neat stuff, but so does Houston. The only problem is the cynical and apathetic mindsets some people have. Not only is it negative but it leads to the though that many of the city's great features are no more than happy accidents.

Cynical on the part of newcomers, apathetic on the part of its residents.

Most people judge a book by its cover. While Austin and Portland seem to "try too hard" as a previous poster said, I wish Houston would at least try harder to improve its appearance and its public areas, at least for our sake. For example, our "most walkable neighborhood" Montrose (per American Planning Society) is barely walkable and therefore barely walked, and is a joke compared to places like Portland. Marquee neighborhoods are full of abandoned and empty storefronts (Westheimer and Montrose), our "walkable streets" have impassable sidewalks (Richmond, Dunlavy, much of Westheimer), and our massive freeways - the gateways to our community - are lined with mostly ugly run-down or empty retail. As great as the MFA and Children's Museum are, I am sure many visitors are just as turned off by the overgrown empty properties across the street, or abandoned fenced-off gas stations at Binz and Almeda, or the part developed/part trashy/part empty neighborhood, or the lack of adjacent amenities beyond a taco shop and Cafe Express - and want to get the heck out as soon as possible.

As cool as Houston can be, its appearance tells visitors and residents alike that Houston and Houstonians seem to have no pride in its public areas. The poor maintenance of the infrastructure of this town (drainage ditches, no sidewalks, irregular streets, poor maintenance of roads/curbs/sidewalks, trash strewn lots, overgrown medians, etc etc) give much of this city a third world appearance, and it is widespread and cannot be ignored. And, as many of our posters have demonstrated, shows a "to hell with you" or "love it or leave it" attitude that in my opinion will ultimately be self-destructive to this city. Why would someone want to move to a town that shows so poorly?

It is heartening that there has been a huge improvement in the last decade in the downtown and Med Center areas, and I am hopeful that the excellent work that had been done to improve these public areas extends to other parts of Houston.

[barracuda]

Cynical on the part of newcomers, apathetic on the part of its residents.

Most people judge a book by its cover. While Austin and Portland seem to "try too hard" as a previous poster said, I wish Houston would at least try harder to improve its appearance and its public areas, at least for our sake. For example, our "most walkable neighborhood" Montrose (per American Planning Society) is barely walkable and therefore barely walked, and is a joke compared to places like Portland. Marquee neighborhoods are full of abandoned and empty storefronts (Westheimer and Montrose), our "walkable streets" have impassable sidewalks (Richmond, Dunlavy, much of Westheimer), and our massive freeways - the gateways to our community - are lined with mostly ugly run-down or empty retail. As great as the MFA and Children's Museum are, I am sure many visitors are just as turned off by the overgrown empty properties across the street, or abandoned fenced-off gas stations at Binz and Almeda, or the part developed/part trashy/part empty neighborhood, or the lack of adjacent amenities beyond a taco shop and Cafe Express - and want to get the heck out as soon as possible.

As cool as Houston can be, its appearance tells visitors and residents alike that Houston and Houstonians seem to have no pride in its public areas. The poor maintenance of the infrastructure of this town (drainage ditches, no sidewalks, irregular streets, poor maintenance of roads/curbs/sidewalks, trash strewn lots, overgrown medians, etc etc) give much of this city a third world appearance, and it is widespread and cannot be ignored. And, as many of our posters have demonstrated, shows a "to hell with you" or "love it or leave it" attitude that in my opinion will ultimately be self-destructive to this city. Why would someone want to move to a town that shows so poorly?

It is heartening that there has been a huge improvement in the last decade in the downtown and Med Center areas, and I am hopeful that the excellent work that had been done to improve these public areas extends to other parts of Houston.

Houston has lots of great public areas to be proud of. But being that the city is geographically huge, it takes some exploring (and oftentimes driving) to discover those spaces. They don't necessarily happen upon those who don't know the city.

Many of the problems you mention (abandoned, overgrown lots, empty retail) relate to private property. You will encounter these in any city.

Regarding infrastructure, I think there is always room for improvement. But there is a balance, because improvement costs money, and part of the benefit to living in Houston is a lower cost of living. Incredible and modern infrastructure is certainly desirable, but repairing all the sidewalks and mowing every median throughout the city weekly is costly. (Side note - while most folks find "overgrown" medians and lots undesirable, they provide ecologically rich spaces and great sanctuary for insects that help pollinate our flora as well as for birds and other creatures. IMO, that's more valuable than a frequently mowed plot of St. Augustine. Mowing less frequently saves money, fuel, and cuts air pollution.)

Overall, I don't think the general consensus here is "love it or leave it", but rather one of taking the time to discover the city. Not everyone is going to like Houston due to the topography and climate or the sprawl. But I suppose the question is, how much money and effort do we want to invest in making the city more physically attractive, and is it worth the cost? (BTW, one thing you can do on your own is donate to Trees for Houston or volunteer to clean up those littered medians).

[barracuda]

delete

[BryanS]

Cynical on the part of newcomers, apathetic on the part of its residents.

Most people judge a book by its cover. While Austin and Portland seem to "try too hard" as a previous poster said, I wish Houston would at least try harder to improve its appearance and its public areas, at least for our sake. For example, our "most walkable neighborhood" Montrose (per American Planning Society) is barely walkable and therefore barely walked, and is a joke compared to places like Portland. Marquee neighborhoods are full of abandoned and empty storefronts (Westheimer and Montrose), our "walkable streets" have impassable sidewalks (Richmond, Dunlavy, much of Westheimer), and our massive freeways - the gateways to our community - are lined with mostly ugly run-down or empty retail. As great as the MFA and Children's Museum are, I am sure many visitors are just as turned off by the overgrown empty properties across the street, or abandoned fenced-off gas stations at Binz and Almeda, or the part developed/part trashy/part empty neighborhood, or the lack of adjacent amenities beyond a taco shop and Cafe Express - and want to get the heck out as soon as possible.

As cool as Houston can be, its appearance tells visitors and residents alike that Houston and Houstonians seem to have no pride in its public areas. The poor maintenance of the infrastructure of this town (drainage ditches, no sidewalks, irregular streets, poor maintenance of roads/curbs/sidewalks, trash strewn lots, overgrown medians, etc etc) give much of this city a third world appearance, and it is widespread and cannot be ignored. And, as many of our posters have demonstrated, shows a "to hell with you" or "love it or leave it" attitude that in my opinion will ultimately be self-destructive to this city. Why would someone want to move to a town that shows so poorly?

It is heartening that there has been a huge improvement in the last decade in the downtown and Med Center areas, and I am hopeful that the excellent work that had been done to improve these public areas extends to other parts of Houston.

Right on the money. Aside from the points you bring up, the fact that Houston is constantly defended from attack - speaks volumes. "You have to look on the bright side..." "Houston has X, Y, Z..." Ok. I know. And you're reminding me because? It's like Houston has to constantly defend its good points/positives whereas other cities simply ignore their negatives, and come out ahead...

[RedScare]

Right on the money. Aside from the points you bring up, the fact that Houston is constantly defended from attack - speaks volumes.

Absolutely! It DOES speak volumes!

What does it speak? It speaks that THIS statement...

Cynical on the part of newcomers, apathetic on the part of its residents.

...is untrue. Cynical and apathetic residents do not defend their hometowns. I know you are cynical, Bryan, but I also know that you couldn't do your work in any other city, so I chuckle at your derision towards the city that employs you.

[RocketSci]

Houston has lots of great public areas to be proud of. But being that the city is geographically huge, it takes some exploring (and oftentimes driving) to discover those spaces. They don't necessarily happen upon those who don't know the city.

Many of the problems you mention (abandoned, overgrown lots, empty retail) relate to private property. You will encounter these in any city.

Regarding infrastructure, I think there is always room for improvement. But there is a balance, because improvement costs money, and part of the benefit to living in Houston is a lower cost of living. Incredible and modern infrastructure is certainly desirable, but repairing all the sidewalks and mowing every median throughout the city weekly is costly. (Side note - while most folks find "overgrown" medians and lots undesirable, they provide ecologically rich spaces and great sanctuary for insects that help pollinate our flora as well as for birds and other creatures. IMO, that's more valuable than a frequently mowed plot of St. Augustine. Mowing less frequently saves money, fuel, and cuts air pollution.)

Overall, I don't think the general consensus here is "love it or leave it", but rather one of taking the time to discover the city. Not everyone is going to like Houston due to the topography and climate or the sprawl. But I suppose the question is, how much money and effort do we want to invest in making the city more physically attractive, and is it worth the cost? (BTW, one thing you can do on your own is donate to Trees for Houston or volunteer to clean up those littered medians).

We can't control the climate or the topography, and the sprawl won't go away. But what is the value of new construction - public or private - if it cannot be maintained properly? Why should we be subsidizing Grand Parkway if Richmond is a torn-up battleground of a road? Why shouldn't sidewalks actually be usable means of transportation rather than an afterthought? Why are city codes against trash and overgrown properties not enforced? Why does it take a call to 311 to get even basic maintenance performed? What is the point of donating $200 for a tree if a city maintenance worker runs it over with his mower in less than a year, or some developer feels he needs to add a wider driveway to his parking lot? Yes, unmowed right-of-ways provide an excellent habitat for the rats that run along my fence line, and I'm sure the fire ants are doing quite well there, along with their brothers and sisters in the mounds along the medians. And the unretrieved dead animals along the freeways do provide meals for the turkey vultures, so three cheers for TXDOT also. Why should I have to volunteer to clean up public areas that are considered part of normal maintenance in nearly every civilized place in the world? Why doesn't the city/county/state just do their damn job?

I maintain my property, I have donated to Trees for Houston, I help clean area streets and parks - it is the areas of responsibility of the city/state/county that I see lacking in this town - and it shows to anyone who is looking. Billions for I-10, but not even 10 million for sidewalks. Millions on NASA 1 bypass, but trash strewn along the shoulders. Fences along rights-of-way knocked over by maintenance vehicles. Broken and missing road signs, street lights, cross walks.

Yes, there are some gems in Houston, or I wouldn't be here. But a city doesn't get a bad rep by accident. I'm sure there are wonderful sections of Lagos too, but I might never choose to see them if my impression is limited to reputation and what I witness on the road from the airport to the hotel. And finally, if one has to "explore" to "discover" great public areas in the fourth largest city in the US, then what does that say about Houston in general?

Sorry, but I've just gotten back from visiting several cities in the US and Europe, and it is depressing to see such wasted potential that Houston has, and what an extremely low standard of expectation we have in the public realm.

[RedScare]

We can't control the climate or the topography, and the sprawl won't go away. But what is the value of new construction - public or private - if it cannot be maintained properly? Why should we be subsidizing Grand Parkway if Richmond is a torn-up battleground of a road? Why shouldn't sidewalks actually be usable means of transportation rather than an afterthought? Why are city codes against trash and overgrown properties not enforced? Why does it take a call to 311 to get even basic maintenance performed? What is the point of donating $200 for a tree if a city maintenance worker runs it over with his mower in less than a year, or some developer feels he needs to add a wider driveway to his parking lot? Yes, unmowed right-of-ways provide an excellent habitat for the rats that run along my fence line, and I'm sure the fire ants are doing quite well there, along with their brothers and sisters in the mounds along the medians. And the unretrieved dead animals along the freeways do provide meals for the turkey vultures, so three cheers for TXDOT also. Why should I have to volunteer to clean up public areas that are considered part of normal maintenance in nearly every civilized place in the world? Why doesn't the city/county/state just do their damn job?

I maintain my property, I have donated to Trees for Houston, I help clean area streets and parks - it is the areas of responsibility of the city/state/county that I see lacking in this town - and it shows to anyone who is looking. Billions for I-10, but not even 10 million for sidewalks. Millions on NASA 1 bypass, but trash strewn along the shoulders. Fences along rights-of-way knocked over by maintenance vehicles. Broken and missing road signs, street lights, cross walks.

Yes, there are some gems in Houston, or I wouldn't be here. But a city doesn't get a bad rep by accident. I'm sure there are wonderful sections of Lagos too, but I might never choose to see them if my impression is limited to reputation and what I witness on the road from the airport to the hotel. And finally, if one has to "explore" to "discover" great public areas in the fourth largest city in the US, then what does that say about Houston in general?

Sorry, but I've just gotten back from visiting several cities in the US and Europe, and it is depressing to see such wasted potential that Houston has, and what an extremely low standard of expectation we have in the public realm.

No, what is depressing is to figure out that Houston's bad reputation (if it has one) comes from lazy, entitlement mentality residents as yourself. Whether from your uneducated belief that a toll road authority should be rebuilding city streets, to your incorrect assessment that less than $10 million is spent on sidewalks, to your wildly off-base assumption that the city spent Billions on I-10 (state, federal and toll authority money), you demand that everyone work harder and spend more money for your enjoyment without you lifting a finger.

You are correct, Houston did not get a bad rep by accident. Houston gets a bad rep because residents such as yourself believe that they should not help maintain the City. You cannot even be bothered to call 311 to alert the city to maintanance needs...exactly what the service is there for. Apparently, you are so self-important or self-absorbed that you believe that the city should hire extra staff just to drive around looking for items to repair, because your delicate fingers cannot dial 3 measly numbers to help out. I am quite sure that you are among those who claim that our taxes are too high, yet you won't even chip in to make our meager tax dollars stretch farther.

Reading this thread is so predictable. The same people who complain about the city, but never do anything to make it better all made an appearance here. The people who work to make the city a better place to live...the defenders, as Bryan would call them...quietly do their good deeds, while chronic whiners such as yourself complain that there should be men in white coveralls stationed every mile who instantly know that that poor unfortunate dog ran onto the highway. You likely even expect them to clean up the carcass without slowing down traffic. Well, pick up your damned phone and call it in!

Public service used to be an honorable endeavor. Working for the government used to be considered good work. We used to understand that the government workers worked for us AND with us. Now, after certain groups have denigrated public service to the point that it is just above welfare, these same people complain that government doesn't do enough. Well, congratulations. You are now getting what you pay for...and what you deserve.

[barracuda]

We can't control the climate or the topography, and the sprawl won't go away. But what is the value of new construction - public or private - if it cannot be maintained properly? Why should we be subsidizing Grand Parkway if Richmond is a torn-up battleground of a road? Why shouldn't sidewalks actually be usable means of transportation rather than an afterthought? Why are city codes against trash and overgrown properties not enforced? Why does it take a call to 311 to get even basic maintenance performed? What is the point of donating $200 for a tree if a city maintenance worker runs it over with his mower in less than a year, or some developer feels he needs to add a wider driveway to his parking lot? Yes, unmowed right-of-ways provide an excellent habitat for the rats that run along my fence line, and I'm sure the fire ants are doing quite well there, along with their brothers and sisters in the mounds along the medians. And the unretrieved dead animals along the freeways do provide meals for the turkey vultures, so three cheers for TXDOT also. Why should I have to volunteer to clean up public areas that are considered part of normal maintenance in nearly every civilized place in the world? Why doesn't the city/county/state just do their damn job?

I maintain my property, I have donated to Trees for Houston, I help clean area streets and parks - it is the areas of responsibility of the city/state/county that I see lacking in this town - and it shows to anyone who is looking. Billions for I-10, but not even 10 million for sidewalks. Millions on NASA 1 bypass, but trash strewn along the shoulders. Fences along rights-of-way knocked over by maintenance vehicles. Broken and missing road signs, street lights, cross walks.

You have a lot of different issues. I agree with some of them, especially the overbuilding of freeways and the NASA 1 bypass, money that could have been spent more wisely. But I've never experienced any major or longstanding issues with city services, other than some slow responses following Ike. And mowing over small trees is a mistake that any hired lawn service can make. I've seen it happen on private property too. Marking the area or staking the tree to the ground would solve the problem. The presence of fire ants and rats next to your property is a bit different from a highway median or a faraway abandoned property. It sounds like you need to contact the property owner for that one. And sure, the city should clean up public areas, and they do this fairly well as far as I can tell (granted, I don't venture into Clear Lake too often). But when I do see trash along a road, I blame the idiots who litter in the first place, not city services for not rushing to the scene to retrieve the litter. I guess I'm just not seeing the issue based on where in the city I travel. Maybe you could post some photos of the areas in question?

Yes, there are some gems in Houston, or I wouldn't be here. But a city doesn't get a bad rep by accident. I'm sure there are wonderful sections of Lagos too, but I might never choose to see them if my impression is limited to reputation and what I witness on the road from the airport to the hotel. And finally, if one has to "explore" to "discover" great public areas in the fourth largest city in the US, then what does that say about Houston in general?

Sorry, but I've just gotten back from visiting several cities in the US and Europe, and it is depressing to see such wasted potential that Houston has, and what an extremely low standard of expectation we have in the public realm.

I don't think much can be done about making the city easier to explore, aside from physically taking all the city's "gems" and piling them together in one place. It's a big city that developed around the automobile, not a European city developed around horses. Maybe a tour bus would help.

[barracuda]

No, what is depressing is to figure out that Houston's bad reputation (if it has one) comes from lazy, entitlement mentality residents as yourself. Whether from your uneducated belief that a toll road authority should be rebuilding city streets, to your incorrect assessment that less than $10 million is spent on sidewalks, to your wildly off-base assumption that the city spent Billions on I-10 (state, federal and toll authority money), you demand that everyone work harder and spend more money for your enjoyment without you lifting a finger.

You are correct, Houston did not get a bad rep by accident. Houston gets a bad rep because residents such as yourself believe that they should not help maintain the City. You cannot even be bothered to call 311 to alert the city to maintanance needs...exactly what the service is there for. Apparently, you are so self-important or self-absorbed that you believe that the city should hire extra staff just to drive around looking for items to repair, because your delicate fingers cannot dial 3 measly numbers to help out. I am quite sure that you are among those who claim that our taxes are too high, yet you won't even chip in to make our meager tax dollars stretch farther.

Reading this thread is so predictable. The same people who complain about the city, but never do anything to make it better all made an appearance here. The people who work to make the city a better place to live...the defenders, as Bryan would call them...quietly do their good deeds, while chronic whiners such as yourself complain that there should be men in white coveralls stationed every mile who instantly know that that poor unfortunate dog ran onto the highway. You likely even expect them to clean up the carcass without slowing down traffic. Well, pick up your damned phone and call it in!

Public service used to be an honorable endeavor. Working for the government used to be considered good work. We used to understand that the government workers worked for us AND with us. Now, after certain groups have denigrated public service to the point that it is just above welfare, these same people complain that government doesn't do enough. Well, congratulations. You are now getting what you pay for...and what you deserve.

Yep. We live in the disconnected age of lazy entitlement. Volunteering is now seen by some as a bad thing...amazing.

[BryanS]

Absolutely! It DOES speak volumes!

What does it speak? It speaks that THIS statement...

Cynical on the part of newcomers, apathetic on the part of its residents.

...is untrue. Cynical and apathetic residents do not defend their hometowns. I know you are cynical, Bryan, but I also know that you couldn't do your work in any other city, so I chuckle at your derision towards the city that employs you.

Actually, I could... some locations are much worse, others are better and much more expensive. So I guess I am cynical and apathetic. Toward Houston? Yes. It'll do for now, but not long term.

[RocketSci]

No, what is depressing is to figure out that Houston's bad reputation (if it has one) comes from lazy, entitlement mentality residents as yourself. Whether from your uneducated belief that a toll road authority should be rebuilding city streets, to your incorrect assessment that less than $10 million is spent on sidewalks, to your wildly off-base assumption that the city spent Billions on I-10 (state, federal and toll authority money), you demand that everyone work harder and spend more money for your enjoyment without you lifting a finger.

You are correct, Houston did not get a bad rep by accident. Houston gets a bad rep because residents such as yourself believe that they should not help maintain the City. You cannot even be bothered to call 311 to alert the city to maintanance needs...exactly what the service is there for. Apparently, you are so self-important or self-absorbed that you believe that the city should hire extra staff just to drive around looking for items to repair, because your delicate fingers cannot dial 3 measly numbers to help out. I am quite sure that you are among those who claim that our taxes are too high, yet you won't even chip in to make our meager tax dollars stretch farther.

Reading this thread is so predictable. The same people who complain about the city, but never do anything to make it better all made an appearance here. The people who work to make the city a better place to live...the defenders, as Bryan would call them...quietly do their good deeds, while chronic whiners such as yourself complain that there should be men in white coveralls stationed every mile who instantly know that that poor unfortunate dog ran onto the highway. You likely even expect them to clean up the carcass without slowing down traffic. Well, pick up your damned phone and call it in!

Public service used to be an honorable endeavor. Working for the government used to be considered good work. We used to understand that the government workers worked for us AND with us. Now, after certain groups have denigrated public service to the point that it is just above welfare, these same people complain that government doesn't do enough. Well, congratulations. You are now getting what you pay for...and what you deserve.

Oh, please...

In my younger days I was a municipal employee (not Houston) and I know that most employees do a good job and take pride in their work. They generally do not, however, volunteer to perform any work beyond the minimum required to complete the assigned tasks. Houston appears to have a problem in settling for substandard work (design, construction, maintenance) as a result of low expectations by supervisors, politicians, and citizens. We deserve better.

Regarding "people like me" as you say...

• If the tens of thousands I have handed over to the local/state/federal government, the thousands I have donated, or the hundreds of hours I have spent volunteering give me a sense of "self-importance" and "entitlement" then excuse me.
• If expecting the work performed by municipal employees to, at the very least, meet expectations and quality levels found in nearly every other city in Texas and the US, and is considered "self-absorption" then excuse me.
• If expecting regular maintenance of government managed properties without requiring a citizen complaint is "whining", then excuse me.

And why should inspectors be considered "extra" staff? If the city cannot perform such basic maintenance as keeping roadways clean and maintaining municipal properties then what faith can we have that more critical maintenance tasks - bridges, pipelines, sewers - are performed with a higher level of inspection or care? You don't even need "men in white coveralls" as you say - there are thousands of State, county and municipal employees who live in or drive through this city every day - why are they not reporting violations to their supervisors?

And dead animals on freeways? I have seen dead animals on paved shoulders of freeways for days and weeks at a time. I have reported some, and I have purposely not reported some to see how long it takes for them to be cleaned up. In one case it was about a week, in another it was never (flattened eventually) (I am speaking of 288, 610S, and 45S). Are there never any TxDOT, DPS, DPW or any other vehicles or employees that use these freeways? Are roadways never cleaned in this town?

I could start a list on a daily basis, and I could call 311 all day long about endless issues - Why should it take such an effort to get things done in this city that are performed as part of normal daily work in others? I have used 311 many times, but at some point it is useless and futile to report every single issue as there are so many (they actually told me that they cannot repair damaged and inaccessible decorative sidewalks on a major street in the "walkable" neighborhood because "they will be rebuilt in 2015" and per the law it is OK to use the street for wheelchairs and handicapped if the sidewalks are not accessible until then!).

Regarding costs referenced, per TxDOT, the cost of construction on I10 was $1.7 billion, and total cost $2.56 billion as reported in 2005 - (http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/011121.html) - I do not know the final cost but it was "billions" - it is not the cash source that I have issue with but the priority on a single road expansion over multiple improvements to other infrastructure.

Finally, per Governing Magazine (http://lhtac.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Sidewalk_Cachet_Vol_12_No_6.pdf) in 2005 Houston Capital Improvement Plan, which includes sidewalks, was funded at only $4.5 million.

[maceo9903]

I blame Houston's, and Texas' image, or lack thereof on Hollywood. I can name a (major) movie or TV series in which just about every other major American city has been given exposure. It's skyline is shown nicely and you get good shots of the city throughout the show. However when Texas is in a movie it's ALWAYS the same old ignorant stereotypes that are played out... a small dusty town where all the kids are dreaming of "getting out" and starting a better life (usually California) and the entire town shuts down for the local high school football game. It bothers me to know end that of all the medical shows on TV, not ONE is set in the largest medical center on Earth! Houston does have an image problem and it's the lack of one other than the one Hollywood puts out. The sad thing is most people base 85% of their opinions based on what they see or hear on TV. That's how you get so many people who detest Houston and have never set foot here. I am comfortable in my own skin, love this city for all it is (good and bad) as I am born and bread here, but working on projecting a better image can only help the city. It dosent mean we have to sell out or try to become a tourist trap. It just means educating the rest of the country on what makes Houston so great.

[AtticaFlinch]

I blame Houston's, and Texas' image, or lack thereof on Hollywood. I can name a (major) movie or TV series in which just about every other major American city has been given exposure. It's skyline is shown nicely and you get good shots of the city throughout the show. However when Texas is in a movie it's ALWAYS the same old ignorant stereotypes that are played out... a small dusty town where all the kids are dreaming of "getting out" and starting a better life (usually California) and the entire town shuts down for the local high school football game.

Forgot about Reality Bites, eh?

And Sidekicks?

It bothers me to know end that of all the medical shows on TV, not ONE is set in the largest medical center on Earth! Houston does have an image problem and it's the lack of one other than the one Hollywood puts out. The sad thing is most people base 85% of their opinions based on what they see or hear on TV. That's how you get so many people who detest Houston and have never set foot here. I am comfortable in my own skin, love this city for all it is (good and bad) as I am born and bread here, but working on projecting a better image can only help the city. It dosent mean we have to sell out or try to become a tourist trap. It just means educating the rest of the country on what makes Houston so great.

So rather than wait for someone else to do it, why don't you go out and get the ball rolling? This is what RedScare was talking about. People moan insufferably about how Houston does nothing to project some idealized image of some homogenized urbanity, and those same people sit on their hands doing absolutely nothing to effect any change on their own.

[MiDTOWNeR]

I would have written another response earlier, but I've been at Summerfest.

Some of you have taken what I've said personally. It really confuses me. All I've tried to say is that many Houstonians don't appreciate the city the way the rest of us do. Don't think its true? If it wasn't, then "Houston It's Worth it" wouldn't be necessary. Think about that. How many other major American cities need to convince their citizens that "It's Worth it"?

And I don't need anyone's acceptance. But also, I don't think wanting people to respect our city for its cultural and entertainment offerings is selling out or superficial.

And all this Austin bashing is ridiculous and smacks of insecurity. Austin does certain things right, and Houston does things right. Ranting and raving against another city is thousand dollarsing stupid.

They have turned your comments around on you to steer the discussion, so that Houston's real problems and mediocrity don't see the light of day. They maintain the defensive tone to merely keep the discussion away from why Houston simply cannot compare in quality to many other US cities. Even if you were not dissing Houston, the mere mention of anything in Houston being a problem or something that can be improved suggests that Houston has problems or is subpar, not good enough etc...and therefore should not be discussed-even in a civil well-intentioned manner. As soon as i read your first post, I wondered how long it would take for someone to respond with the, "I don't care what people think" response, and sure enough....the 2nd post! It is this refusal to accept and value legitimate criticism that keeps this place form really being a great city.