We received an envelop from the Census Bureau a couple days ago. I haven't opened it yet but I assume it's the much publicized census form for our family. I haven't opened it because I sort of dread answering a bunch of questions that I may not feel are anyone else's business. I don't know yet because I haven't looked at it.
 
I fully realize the importance and Constitutional obligation of being counted. For the benefit of our city and state, we need an accurate count. I definitely plan to do it and, for the most part, without complaint.
 
Then my attention was drawn to a quick blog post today.
 

From Mark Krikorian, the corner, National Review online:

 
Fully one-quarter of the space on this year's form is taken up with questions of race and ethnicity, which are clearly illegitimate and none of the government's business (despite the New York Times' assurances to the contrary on today's editorial page). So until we succeed in building the needed wall of separation between race and state, I have a proposal. Question 9 on the census form asks "What is Person 1's race?" (and so on, for other members of the household). My initial impulse was simply to misidentify my race so as to throw a monkey wrench into the statistics; I had fun doing this on the personal-information form my college required every semester, where I was a Puerto Rican Muslim one semester, and a Samoan Buddhist the next. But lying in this constitutionally mandated process is wrong. Really — don't do it.
 
Instead, we should answer Question 9 by checking the last option — "Some other race" — and writing in "American." It's a truthful answer but at the same time is a way for ordinary citizens to express their rejection of unconstitutional racial classification schemes. In fact, "American" was the plurality ancestry selection for respondents to the 2000 census in four states and several hundred counties.
 
So remember: Question 9 — "Some other race" — "American". Pass it on.
 

 
Interesting. I sure understand the sentiment. I don't personally advocate anyone do it though. I'm writing in "Texan." Pass it on.
 

The annual Keep Garland Beautiful clean-up day is more than a month away but now is the time to start getting a group together to make a real difference in the look and health of our community.
 

City of Garland Press Release:

Annual “Trash-Off” Set for April 10

Garland citizens are invited to join Keep Garland Beautiful for the annual Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 8:30 am - noon.
 
This state-wide event encourages the citizens to join forces and clean up Texas roadsides, neighborhoods, parks and more. Each year during the Trash Off, volunteers help improve local water quality, restore natural beauty, and reduce potential threats to human health and wildlife.
 
Bring your family, friends, co-workers or organization members and join us for this fun and important event. This is a great opportunity for students to earn community service hours.
 
You can choose a location to clean or we’ll help you find a spot. Take a look around your neighborhood, school or local park area. The goal is to keep all of Garland beautiful!
 
Trash-Off headquarters (*Registration, Supplies and Awards Picnic) will be at Granger Recreation Center (Annex bldg) at 1310 W. Avenue F, Garland, Texas 75040. Trash bags, gloves and a limited number of trash “tongs,” will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
 
From 11 a.m. to noon we will celebrate our success with a complimentary picnic lunch, music and a fun awards program.
 
You can register in a number of ways. *Registration must be received by April 1 to receive an event T-Shirt.

• On-line at www.garlandenvironmentalwaste.com
• Email to lreeves@ci.garland.tx.us
• Call Lorrie Reeves at 972-205-3542

Join good people doing great things at this year’s Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off!
 

Fortunately, this "rule" doesn't apply in the areas of the city served by Garland Power & Light.
 
"Oncor Electric Delivery, which was granted a rate increase late last year, will likely seek an additional rate hike late this year or early next year if the economy remains in the doldrums, spokesman Chris Schein said Thursday.
 
"Schein said Oncor, as a result of reduced electricity consumption, isn't earning the rate of return that it is allowed by the Texas Public Utility Commission. 'During slower-growth economic times, utilities need to go in more often for rate reviews,' he said."
 
This information is from an article Friday in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Follow the link to read the whole article.
 
There are no similar plans by Garland Power & Light to seek a price increase even though electric consumption is down slightly here too.
 

From the January Dashboard Report

All of north Garland has easy access to the turnpike and most regular users have one of those 1.8 million tolltags. For those that prefer to use the ZipCash option, the NTTA offers one more way to make paying tolls easier:
 

North Texas Tollway Authority Press Release:

NTTA to Partner with ACE Cash Express

Partnership to offer more payment options for ZipCash customers
 
The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is partnering with ACE Cash Express, a leading Texas-based retailer of financial services, to provide additional locations for NTTA customers to pay their ZipCash invoices and to open and load cash-backed TollTag accounts.
 
"The NTTA wants to offer convenient opportunities for our ZipCash customers and to offer a TollTag option for our cash customers," said Clayton Howe, NTTA assistant executive director of operations. "Adding more payment centers by partnering with ACE will assist the NTTA and its customers during and following the conversion of our system to all-electronic toll collection, especially as our system and operations continue to grow."
 
For a small fee, customers will be able to:

• Sign up for cash-backed TollTag accounts. Dallas/Fort Worth ACE customers will have the opportunity to open new cash-backed TollTag accounts and re-load existing accounts.
• Pay ZipCash statements. Customers who receive ZipCash invoices or ZipCash late invoices can visit any ACE location to pay their bill efficiently and quickly.
• TollTag customers also will be able to add cash to their accounts at any ACE Cash Express location.

Customers will be able to visit 152 ACE Cash Express locations in the Dallas//Fort Worth Metroplex, providing convenient neighborhood payment locations for NTTA cash customers.
 
"ACE Cash Express is pleased to be working directly with the NTTA to establish such a meaningful program," said Victor Faszczuk, vice president of business development for ACE. "ACE has always been viewed as a community-based business, offering customers quality financial services with attention to high customer care. Our objective has always been to add partnerships that make it easier for customers to take care of their financial needs, and this important partnership with NTTA is an example of that direction."
 
ZipCash customers enjoy the same hassle-free roadway experience that TollTag customers do, but pay a 50 percent higher toll rate due to the cost of collection. By getting a TollTag, they can save money on their tolls and enjoy the convenience of not worrying about invoices. They can also get up to three TollTags per account. TollTag customers also can use their TollTag to travel on any toll road in Texas. Customers whose accounts are backed with a credit or debit card can use their TollTags for parking and pass-through privileges at D/FW International Airport and all parking at Dallas Love Field.
 
TollTags are always available online and at Regional TollTag Partner locations.
 
The ACE partnership is expected to fully launch in the second quarter of 2010. For more information about the NTTA, visit www.ntta.org. For more information about ACE Cash Express, visit www.acecashexpress.com.
 

Garland Police Department Press Release:

Click It or Ticket Results

The recent Click It or Ticket campaign that was aimed toward 16- to 20-year-old drivers showed that most Garland teens are buckling-up.
 
Garland Police completed the week-long, stepped-up enforcement Sunday. Police not only stopped drivers not wearing seat belts but some who were buckled-up. Those not buckled-up got a ticket; those who were received a thank you for obeying the law and were given a key chain furnished by the State of Texas.
 

Citation results for Garland 358 – No Seat Belt 14 – No Child Restraints 32 – Ages 16-20 No Seat Belt 12 – Speeding 8 – Ran Red Light 218 – Other Violations 22 – Arrests

 
The Click It or Ticket campaign is a statewide law enforcement effort seeking compliance with the law that everyone riding in a vehicle wear seat belts. Statistics continue to show injuries are less severe, and deaths less likely, when properly belted in during a car crash. The City of Garland continues to have one of the highest compliance rates for wearing seat belts in Texas.

Thank you for BUCKLING-UP

 
Note that the teen drivers had far fewer seat belt violations that the larger population! Who's example should we follow? Way to go Garland Teens!
 

On the good side, reported crimes this month were the lowest since November, 2008. On the bad side, the number of home burglaries was the highest since the current stats started in May, 2007 (after redistricting).
 
I reported last month that there have been a couple burglaries where the resident was home or came home. The number of residential burglaries in January reported here includes the home invasion. There were residential burglaries across the district but most were centered around Northlake Elementary. (I use Northlake only as a geographical point and don't suggest or believe there is any other connection.) There were several burglaries in the Valley Creek area. Everyone needs to be diligent and report suspicious activities to the police but residents in those two neighborhoods should be especially alert. A map of the residential burglaries this month is here.
 
Most of the reported thefts, down once again this month, were for shoplifting. Most thefts were in retail or commercial areas but several were in neighborhoods.
 
If you want to review the areas that have reported incidents over the last month, download the complete report here for address-by-address information that includes your neighborhood. If you are a Garland resident reading this but do not live in District 1, you can get reports for your area here on the Police Department's website.
 

Before I knew about toll tags, I'd see people zooming through the toll gates without stopping. I thought they were running the gates. Glad I learned of the toll tags before any ideas to follow them ever surfaced!
 

North Texas Tollway Authority News Release:

NTTA Milestone: 1.8 million TollTags and Growing

The NTTA has reached yet another milestone by issuing its 1.8 millionth active TollTag.
 
"This milestone means that hundreds of thousands of additional North Texans are saving money as well as improving efficiency, mobility and safety on the roads," said NTTA Assistant Executive Director of Operations Clayton Howe.
 
There are many reasons why motorists should get a TollTag. Customers who use ZipCash—the NTTA's cashless toll collection method—pay 50 percent more than customers who have TollTags. Having a TollTag also eliminates stop-and-go travel and allows for better fuel efficiency. TollTags also can be used on any tollroad in Texas. Customers whose accounts are backed with a credit or debit card can also use their TollTags for parking and pass-through privileges at D/FW International Airport and for all parking at Dallas Love Field. Customers can have up to three TollTags, a “family pack,” on one account at no additional charge. TollTag accounts also can be managed online 24/7 at www.ntta.org where customers can print out receipts for expense reports, update account information and much more.
 
The NTTA currently collects more than 80 percent of its toll revenue electronically and is preparing to convert the remainder of the NTTA System to all-electronic toll collection (all-ETC) by 2011. Once converted, NTTA facilities will no longer accept cash in the toll lanes. After the conversion, tolls must be paid with a TollTag account or through the NTTA’s ZipCash program.
 
Motorists can visit www.ntta.org or call 972-818-6882 (NTTA) to open a new account or add a TollTag to an existing account. They also can sign up at their nearest Regional TollTag Partner or with the NTTA TagWagon at community events.
 

 
Also, don't forget the Teens in the Driver Seat expo with NTTA Saturday at Firewheel Town Center! NTTA has more information here.
 

Garland Teens have demonstrated they are paying better attention while driving. The Garland Youth Council has worked to help that awareness for several years and continues its effort Saturday at Firewheel Town Center. If you have a teen driver, or a pre-teen driver, you could be doing them the greatest favor of his or her life Saturday by stopping at the Safety Expo.
 

City of Garland Press Release

Youth Council Hosts Safety Expo for Teen Drivers

The Garland Youth Council (GYC) will host its annual "Teens in the Driver Seat" Day at Firewheel Town Center on Saturday, March 6, 2010. The event focuses on safe-driving for teens and will take place in the park at Firewheel Town Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 
The Garland Youth Council and student teams from all seven Garland ISD high school campuses launched the "Teens in the Driver Seat" (TDS) program in 2007. The program’s goal is to make teen drivers and their passengers more aware of the behaviors that put them at greater risk of being involved in a car crash. The program utilizes the power of peer-to-peer communication to spread its message.
 
Each student team will facilitate a game or activity to help their peers understand these important safety messages. Some of those activities include a chance to wear a special set of goggles that simulate the effects of alcohol, participation in a seatbelt pledge drive, and much more.
 
One of the interactive exhibits will feature the Amber Menefee Mobile Memorial Trailer. The exhibit includes the actual wreckage from a car crash involving a drunk driver. 21-year old Amber Menefee was killed in that crash. This moving and educational exhibit will help teens understand the importance of NOT mixing alcohol or drugs with driving.
 
The North Texas Tollway Authority is teaming up with the GYC for the first time to help educate young drivers about how to safely navigate highways and freeways. Staff members from the NTTA will provide the latest safety information compiled by a team of in-house experts.
 
"The NTTA is very pleased to participate in this worthwhile program which has already proven to enhance the safety of teens in cars," said Marty Legé, Director of the System and Incident Management Department at the North Texas Tollway Authority. "Teens and young adults, as in all aspects of their lives, have many lessons to learn about driving. We feel it is tremendously valuable to help them learn these lessons through educational programs and demonstrations where they can do it safely, rather than a hard lesson learned through tragedy on a roadway. I encourage parents and community members to support these events as we focus on helping these young drivers who share our roads now and in the future," Ms. Legé said.
 
Special information for parents will be provided by Dee Dee Bates State Farm Insurance about how to train your teen to be a safe driver. The theme will be "Arrive Alive… Don’t Text and Drive." The State Farm booth will offer information about keeping auto insurance rates lower with a teen driver in the family.
 
Firewheel Town Center is providing discount coupons for a variety of Town Center stores for youth who visit the GYC booth during the event, as well as special gifts for each participating high school student team.
 
For more information about Teens in the Driver Seat Day and the Garland Youth Council, visit www.GarlandYouthCouncil.org or call 972-205-2879.