Daily Archives: March 12, 2014

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Buc-ee’s Owners Support Dan Patrick

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I know I know… Say it Ain’t So!!

Here’s the info direct from Lone Star Q…

Democratic Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro says he’ll boycott Buc-ee’s after the popular roadside megastore chain endorsed right-wing Republican Dan Patrick for lieutenant governor.

“Won’t gas up there anymore since they support a fear mongering immigrant basher,” Castro, D-San Antonio, wrote on Twitter on Monday.

“Wonder how Bucees patrons in Freeport, Lake Jackson stores feel abt their endrsmnt of DP who spoke abt immigrants bringing diseases to TX,” Castro added.

Patrick was the top vote-getter in last Tuesday’s primary, and he is favored to defeat incumbent David Dewhurst in a runoff for the GOP nomination. The winner will face Democrat Leticia Van de Putte, who is Latina, in November.

“To my great delight after our win Tuesday I got a call from the owners of Buc-cees who said they wanted to meet and support me,” Patrick wrote on Facebook on Sunday, above photos of himself with the chain’s beaver mascot and its two owners.

Patrick once said immigrants are bringing “Third World diseases” to the U.S., and he recently called immigration from Mexico an “illegal invasion.” Patrick has challenged Congressman Castro’s brother, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, to a debate on the issue. Mayor Castro retweeted his brother’s tweet about Buc-ee’s on Monday.

Buc-ee’s is quickly becoming one of Texas’ most beloved roadside institutions. It’s a must-stop for me any time I pass by one of the flagship stores. Even when I don’t buy a lot of stuff, I love to go in, rest my eyes from the road and just look at all of the quirky items they have on display. And of course, SUCH CLEAN BATHROOMS… I mean it boggles the mind!!

As much as one may love Buc-ee’s, Dan Patrick is reason enough to join Congressman Castro in the boycott. All the Beaver Nuggets in the world can’t make up for the terrible things Patrick says on an almost daily basis. It’s time to send a message to Arch “Beaver” Aplin III and Don Wasek (pictured below with Patrick in the middle) that everyone doesn’t agree with the State Senator’s views. And lest you think that the owners of Buc-ee’s are perhaps naïve of the political sphere, think again. Aplin ran for political office back in 1996 and is a proud Republican, so he knows what he’s getting into. Of course there’s nothing wrong with being a proud Republican, but Patrick’s anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT views are far too extreme.

If you choose to join the boycott, you can also use Buc-ee’s online contact form to let them know why. Let’s find out how much they care about customer feedback.

(photo credit: Dan Patrick Facebook page)

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Transit Ridership: Is Houston Discovering the Bus?

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When most Houstonians leave the house to traverse the city, the overwhelming mode of transportation is by car. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that most people in the Houston metropolitan area have never even taken public transit. If they have, it was probably in a limited capacity. Houston is the definition of a “car city”.

But even if progress is slow, it’s still happening just the same. The latest report from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) reveals that some Houstonians are at least beginning to discover that our public transit system is usable for more than the rodeo. From 2012 to 2013, Houston’s overall public transit ridership increased by 2.76%. Though not a huge number, it is the largest transit ridership growth of any major city in Texas. Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso and even ultra progressive Austin all saw declines in transit ridership.

The numbers are even more surprising when examined by mode of transit. It’s clear that Houston’s bus system is leading the way in this growth. Bus ridership alone grew by a healthy 3.44% between 2012 and 2013, putting Houston 2nd in the nation for highest increase in bus system usage. Only Washington DC’s bus ridership increased faster than the Bayou City at 3.45%.

Many bus riders are starting to see a change in Houston METRO services, including more new busses on the road, more predictable travel planning thanks to new innovations like METRO’s T.R.I.P. app, and increased numbers in the seats. As was discussed recently on Houston Matters, there are some surprising intrinsic benefits to public transit use.

For all of the focus that Houston has put on rail transit, including the recent opening of the North Line, ridership on Metro Rail was actually down by 0.72%. Granted, the North Line occurred only 10 days before the close of 2013, so we’ll have to wait for next year’s report to see any true effect on those numbers. But the heart and soul of Houston mass transit system is certainly busses, and it’s good to see growth in that area.

Off the Kuff has a broader take on this interesting report.