"Lock, Take, Hide" Reconsidered

One of our east Richardson neighbors parked his car overnight in his rear-facing driveway recently and found it in the morning jacked up with one wheel stolen. The Richardson police officers who responded to the call indicated that three other vehicles in the area were similarly vandalized with all four wheels stolen from each. They assume that the thieves involved may have been interrupted since they took only one of the wheels from our neighbor.

The Richardson Police Department publishes a "Crime Prevention Handbook" with tips to reduce auto theft and auto burglary.

1. Never leave your vehicle running while unattended.
   
2. Always lock your car and completely close your car windows when parking.
   
3. Do not leave your keys inside your car.
   
4. Always park in a well-lighted area.
   
5. Keep all valuables out of sight.
   
6. Use auto theft deterrents.
   
7. Park in your garage.
   
8. Don't leave the registration or title in your car.
   
9. Etch VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on windows and major parts.
   
10. Drop business cards or other ID inside vehicle doors.

This is all good advice, I'm sure, but curious that I am, I'd like to see more supporting statistics for some of the items.

After the jump, my own thinking on the subject.

Open Letter to Greg Sowell

Dear Mr. Sowell,

Congratulations on your hire as the City of Richardson's first director of communications. Richardson is a fine place to live, work, and play. Improved community outreach by the city government can help ensure it remains that way.

After the jump, some unsolicited advice. (You'll get a lot of that.)

Highway "enhancements." Who needs 'em?

Texas Travel Information Center at Denison

Texans are fit to be tied over highway construction in Texas -- or rather, lack of construction. As usual, no one wants to pay for it. Texans don't want taxes to go up. Texans don't want to pay tolls. Texans are looking for the proverbial free lunch. And the Fort Worth Star-Telegram holds out hope that they just might have found it.

After the jump, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Or not.

Talking Taxes in the Texas GOP

Geoff Bailey / Stefani Carter

The Dallas Morning News has made a recommendation in the GOP primary for Texas House District 102. The primary winner will face incumbent Carol Kent in November. Primary early voting begins February 16. Primary election day is March 2.

After the jump, what the DMN is looking for in a state legislator.

Light at End of Tunnel for Newspapers

The New York Times made an announcement that, years from now, will be seen as the turning point in newspapers' near death experience. The NYT plans to begin charging readers for full access to the newspaper's Web site, beginning in 2011. Back to the future, you say? Didn't the NYT try this before, more than once? Yes, but earlier implementations were fatally flawed by locking out casual readers. The new implementation promises to allow free access to the first few articles for each reader. Heavy users will find access cut off at a certain point unless they become paid subscribers. The doors remain open, so to speak, for window shoppers and samplers, but if you come through the door often enough, you'll be expected to buy something.

After the jump, why this will work.