Houston's been on a lot of lists lately, most of them pretty good. Whether it's the coolest city in America or tops for jobs or income growth or paycheck size, our fair city matches up well with other places with lesser economies and equally poor local elected officials. So well, in fact, that it seems the local media is struggling to find something bad to write about.
Sure, there's always going to be our refusal to accept a bad public transportation plan, or to not relegate ourselves to walking and biking in 100 degree weather, those things are always there. But they ring a little hollow when the people advocating them are either wild-eyed with teh crazy or wearing a fedora and vacationing in the South of France. The Apple Dumpling Gang? Pshaw. More people use them for bird-cage lining and fireplace kindle than actually take advice on local politics. Yawn.
It is with a nod to April Fools' Day then that the Chron has hidden behind their paywall a take down of Houston for no other reason than we're just too damn big. ($$$) Based on population size I'm not surprised that Houston is leading the pack in the raw number of smoking cars. Given our propensity for driving like a hyper-self absorbed Lindsey Lohan that shouldn't be much of a shock either. The fact is, there are a LOT of us here (barely) sharing the roads, and a few of us are trying to stretch that automobile out as far as it will go, sometimes out of necessity and sometimes out of stubbornness. Cars in Houston are a necessity, like it or not, and they will be for years to come.
So, as you start your week today with news of Bacon Scope and reports that the Astros won on opening night. (Surprisingly, not an April Fools' story) remember this: There are some things that are really worth worrying about, and then there are things dredged up by the local equivalent of the London Sun. It's best to just chalk the latter up to bad media and go about enjoying your day.
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