Is anyone else having a difficult time with the trip calendar? I keep getting sent reminder emails to log my trips each week but whenever I go to the website to do it, the trip calendar feature is not available. It is getting a bit frustrating.

Hmmm, I haven't had any problems with it - sorry.

Oh, okay. I take back everything I said. Go get'em Billy.

....hmmm .... $30,000.00 of our tax dollars (oh that's right - it was "free money" since it was a grant) to get 345 members (who's actual contribution to saving the planet is arguable) to sign a piece of paper supporting the cause.

Great investment (especially for the printer).

Yasure - if that was actually the program I'd be pretty upset too. There's much more to In Motion, you just have to ask someone or look it up for yourself. This quote came to mind when I read your response:

"...what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." -Billy Madison

Try doing some homework before commenting next time.

Billy, is there really that much more to Magnolia In Motion? I've read the website (and am actually one of the 345), and it doesn't seem like there's much more to the program.

By the way, the use of the Billy Madison quote kind of makes you sound like a turd. I'm sure you're not, of course - just defensive of your program - but I thought I'd mention it.

Have you looked into it Drew? Really? Because I have too and while the grant the group received does seem a little high, it was not set by the group - it was set by the city. I'm sure the application process to receive the grant was competitive and any other group in the city could have (and in some cases did) apply for it.

I can't stand to hear people whine and moan about a local group of our neighbors because they had the insight to take advantage of a program our city promotes. If you have a beef with the city, take it up with the city. Or if you feel like the money could be spent more wisely, get up and say something. Apply for it too. Propose a better idea. But no, it's much easier to complain and actually do nothing.

While this program is relatively small, it helps spotlight important environmental issues - pollution, energy conservation and climate change. The cost of doing nothing is far greater than $30k.

I am another one of the 345 people who have been logging my trips and following this program on this site. After actually looking into it and asking around, you'll find out this group has done quite a bit:

-They held a Focus Group made up of neighborhood people catered by a local vendor
-They have a booth at the Magnolia Farmers Market every week which I don't think is free
-They do have printing and materials (posters, yard signs, informational fliers, incentives - bus passes, tote bags, envelopes and all associated postage, magnets, etc)
-I think they even have provided a paid position for a Magnolian who tracks the progress in a database and mails out the incentives

Those are just the things that immediately come to mind. I'm sure there's more. The hard truth is nothing's free.

Bottom line is I'd rather feel like I was actually contributing to something even if it was incremental rather than being altogether complacent.

O'Doyle Rules!

Lol, why yes Billy, yes I have looked into it. And I found out just what you've typed, which is that there's really not more to the program than what yasure and the post refers to.

I understand that all those mailers and the website, etc. costs money. And I really do applaud neighborhood initiatives and programs like this - I think they're important, and I'm happy for my tax $ to go for them. But I also think it's okay to question whether those programs are "worth" the taxpayer cost in the end, which is what yasure was doing. If you notice, I didn't criticize the program - I criticized you for your childish response to yasure's comment.

What are the metrics by which this program will be declared a success? Most of their efforts (focus group, mailings, farmer's market, etc.) are directed towards getting people to sign up on the website and log their trips. Is 345 people out of a neighborhood this large enough to call it successful? What about the footprint caused by all the mailings and magnets and tote bags? I think it's a fair question.