Phoenix is Growing Up

Light rail is making our city a major city. One of these days, Phoenix will be growing up like a kid into adulthood. The costs are great but we have many adult cities to learn from, i.e. Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco to name a few.

Thursday night, the new train was tested on Washington Street "Things went great. The train performed the way it was designed to perform and that's all good," said Joe Murie with Valley Metro.

The Train will be tested many more times before its maiden trip in late 2008.

Light Rail Needed

The Valley of the Sun is a sprawling megalopolis. It needs light rail and other modes of transportation to keep up with modern big cities. Light rail is a start but it also needs to grow along with the Valley. And it should include a line from the Valley to Tucson.

Read about the recent tests...

Today is Tax Day

Today is Tax Day. Americans must do their yearly duty and pay taxes on the income they are blessed with.

Income taxes were first collected during the civil war, but an Amendment to the Constitution gave Congress the authority to tax our income. The first Tax Day was March 1 when it was much easier to do. It became more complicated and was changed to the March 15, the Ides of March. In 1955, Tax Day was move to April 15. If it falls on a weekend or holiday, it is moved to the following business day.

Some taxpayers contend that April 15 is still too soon even though we have computers to do most of the work. Some say taxes are too complicated. Others blame their procrastination. Thank goodness for extensions.
This year, Tax Day is Tuesday, April 17, 2007. This is due to April 15th falling on a Sunday and Emancipation Day, a legal holiday in the District of Columbia, falling on April 16th.

Rutgers Team Forgives Imus

Let's applaud Vivian Stringer, the coach of the Rutger's basketball team. She's a leader. She knows how to forgive and move on. Purported leaders, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, need to learn from her.

Stringer said the team's goal was never to get Imus fired. The Rutger's team accepted Imus's apology. I ask 'Rev.' Sharpton and 'Rev.' Jackson, "Isn't that what Christians are suppose to do?" Imus made a mistake. We all make mistakes. But our Lord forgives us or our transgressions.

I truly respect Vivian Stringer. During the winter of 2007, her basketball team was supposed to play Arizona State University's basketball team in a championship game of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But Aubree Johnson's (an ASU player) brother died in his bed while attending the tournament. ASU made the decision not to play the game. All the Rutger's team had to do was show up to win the game by forfeit. Stringer and the team decided not to go to the arena.

I don't know if Vivan Stringer is a Christian, but she acts like a Christian. I know this for a certainty--she doesn't have 'Rev.' tacked onto her name. In my book, she is a saint.

Stringer Accepts Apology

Imus Is Forgiven

I don't agree with what Imus said, but I believe in forgiving. I believe that we, as Christians, should follow the lead of Jesus when he forgave the woman at the well and told her to "go and sin no more".

We all say things we wish we could take back. What Imus said was wrong, but do we need to continue to punish him. The Bible says, "Let him without sin cast the first stone."

I have said similar things. I have repented to God. He has forgiven me. That is all I care about. I would not care about Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

Imus Apology

S. 294 The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act

The 110th Congress, which convened on January 4, 2007, had a full plate. Included in the agenda are the priorities for passenger rail advocates, which are:

Amtrak reauthorization: The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (now S. 294) has been introduced, again this time by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS). The bill provides for common-sense Amtrak reform and operational improvements, authorizes Amtrak for the five years Fiscal 2008-2012, provides for capital assistance for states, and development of state rail plans. Right now, the bill needs co-sponsors; see if your Senators are co-sponsors and if not, ask them to sign on! Email addresses can be found at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

(Click here for a detailed synopsis of PRIIA is available on the National Association of Railroad Passengers website.)