Washington, here we come!

It's been nearly a month since Barack Obama became our nations first African-American president-elect. A historical campaign and an unforgettable election have propelled him to what some are calling "rock star status". It's evident with his cool, charismatic demeanor that Mr. Obama is able to attract a multitude of people, and it seems his fame and charm have swept Austin off it's feet.

It has been reported that merely minutes after Obama was announced the projected winner, that hotel reservations in D.C. for January 20th started pouring in. The excitement, energy, and expectations surrounding this year's inauguration have made Washington the place to be. Huge crowds are expected, and you can be sure that Austin will be in the mix. As reported by the "Statesman" earlier this month, Our nations congress is expected to be issued some 240,000 tickets to the festivities. They will be distributed amongst the 435 members of the House, and the 100 members of the Senate. They will in-turn then distribute them out to their constituents, family, and friends. Many Austin residents have been writing their representatives and Senators requesting tickets. Lloyd Doggett, a local democratic Representative, said he expects to receive 10 times as many requests as he has tickets. Even Austin Mayor, Will Wynn, is reportedly gunning for a "good seat".

History will definitely be in the making on the capitol steps on January 20th. People from all walks of life and from across the country will witness the swearing in of Barack Obama. There’s no way Austin would miss that show!

Party Over

My classmate Adrianna Cardenas recently commented on the new program enacted by the Austin Police Department. Originally designed to prevent drunk driving on Halloween, the program consisted of blood testing drivers who refused to take breathalyzer tests. The success of the program was evident Halloween night when more than a handful of partying motorists were apprehended and are now being charged with DWI’s .Although no final decisions have been made,   Austin is now considering making the program permanent.  Adrianna, who wrote the blog a few nights before Halloween, agreed with police and supported such a program. She reminds us of the dangers of drunk driving and how important it is to prevent them. Her logic and argument is sound, and you can’t argue with results.  I agree with Miss Cardenas. I do think the extensions of such a program would be beneficial to our community.