One of the classmate posted something very interesting in his blog stage seven. He talked about the child poverty increasing exponentially in Texas. He said that there is 47% increase in the rate of Texas children living in poverty from 2000 to 2011 while the grow rate in population is only 18%. He mentions that child poverty rate has been growing so high due to the unemployment rate. He also mentions that raising the minimum wage will not ultimately fix the poverty.

I lived in Indiana for about 2 years before I moved to Austin, Texas.
While I was in Indiana for about 2 years, I worked at Target as a cashier, earning minimum wage. I had no parents support at all at the time. I have never had experience as such and I can say that it is honestly the hardest thing I have ever done in my life so far.
First, I was not able to get the 40 hours a week as I wanted. Less hours, less money for me. I was paying the rent, cell phone bill, car insurance, etc all alone and money was a pretty desperate thing for me. Every month, I would have about maybe $100 left after I pay all the bills I need to pay. I remember thinking, if I only had a higher minimum wage.
So I guess I disagree with the classmate that raising minimum wage wouldn't work. I think it would work just fine. Also, I understand that the issue is about the child poverty, not adults. My opinion on this matter is that if parents are not financially well to grow a kid, why have one? I think everyone has a general idea on how expensive it is to have a child.

I moved to Austin just about a year ago. At the time, all I could think about was my future; what I'd do in Austin to further improve my life. I never realized that this one tiny problem could smudge all over my dream though. The traffic.

I have been to many places in my life such as South Korea, Indiana, Maryland, New York, and small towns in Texas. I never knew traffic was such a thing in the Austin, Texas.
For a little bit of extra credit points, I was researching the rank of traffic congestion in different cities in United States of America and Austin, Texas was among the top ten cities to have the worst traffic congestion. Let's just say traffic is dreadful nightmare. City planners obviously did not think ahead to put the railroad in the right place. I did not even know that there was a railroad until just about a month ago. Well, I've seen the railroad tracks but I didn't know it was being used as a transportation for people.

Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton said "You'd move the free lanes out to 130 and the toll lanes to I-35." I believe that this is a terrible idea. So so so so so many people depend on I-35 to get to places in the first place already. I mean this whole debate is going on BECAUSE so many people are using I-35 already and they are going to make the drivers pay them now? Since the day I arrived in Austin, Texas I have been using the I-35 to everywhere and I cannot be paying toll each time I go somewhere through I-35. First of all, this I-35 wasn't built for tolling so it would be wrong for the Texas Department of Transportation to suddenly change the rule and make us pay. If anything. Honestly, I don't even know where 130 is.

I believe one way to fix the problems in Austin is to fix the transportation system. Robert Spillar, Transportation director for the city of Austin has said "The key is giving people more options other than a car to reach downtown," He knows what we have to do already. Why do we have to charge innocent people who are paying enough taxes already out of their checks? I believe the public transportation system such as buses could improve the traffic congestion. When I was in South Korea, I could get to anywhere, and I mean anywhere, with just a public buses. The bus system is amazing there that my family barely drove anywhere. I didn't need a license at all. To get to other part of the city, it costs just about 1 dollar. The price probably went up while I was gone but still, it is cheap and it works. If they try to move the free lanes on 130 and toll lanes to I-35, whichever company owns the toll will probably go debt and just die out. There are many other options to solving the traffic of Austin, Texas. I think we just have to do what is best for our environment, and mostly our people in Austin, Texas. We are the ones residing here, and we should make the decision to ease the traffic congestion, not just the authority.