Future Wise: Wise Guys of Responsible living

Lobbyists are at times seen as " the bad guys" but there are many special interest groups who have the best intentions in mind. After visiting Future Wise, a non-profit environmental group, I learned so much about the other side. I listend intently as April Putney talked about her sucesses and tracking bills that could adversly affect the organizations mission that she felt so passionate about. The interesting aspect of Future Wise is that it is backing its beliefs and walking the walk. The walk being legal ramification should the issue need it but that does not mean the organization is leading with the legal eagle threats first. They try to waork with legislators to understand the reasoning behind any amended environmental legislation. I was most interested in the organizations Transportation win in the State of Washington. According to their site:

Improving Transportation Choices
Futurewise convinced the Legislature to approve $750 million in new funding for transportation choices in 2005, including $58 million for a new safe routes to schools program, $50 million for special needs transit and a new Office of Mobility at the Department of Transportation.

• Futurewise spearheaded the successful effort to defeat I-745 (an initiative that would have diverted Washington's public transit funding into road construction) - Tim Eyman's first electoral defeat.
• Futurewise defended funding for light rail and other transit investments by defeating legislation aimed at forcing Sound Transit to spend nearly $60 million subsidizing utility companies.
• Futurewise successfully refocused state level efforts to spend billions of dollars on wasteful freeway expansions into critical safety and maintenance projects.

Could we get this in Texas, I wondered? Maybe we need a tough minded team like Future Wise to help us out with our Legislature as it relates to public transportation. I would love to see my I-35 communte eliminated and a railway or some sort of public transportation incorporated.