Last chance to see Warren Zevon tonight

Last chance to see: Warren Zevon, dying of inoperable lung cancer [press release], is appearing on tonight's Late Show with David Letterman. It's all very sad, and I expect it will be tough to watch.

I only ever bought one Zevon album (Sentimental Hygiene) but I do like it. He was one of those artists I always meant to look into more, and I even saw him live once (or maybe twice) at Wash U. I highly respect his talent and skill; he will be missed. And I promise I'll check out more of his stuff.

"If you're lucky, people like something you do early and something you do just before you drop dead. That's as many pats on the back as you should expect."
-- Warren Zevon, 1993 interview with Entertainment Weekly

"I'm okay with it, but it'll be a drag if I don't make it till the next James Bond movie comes out."
-- Warren Zevon, September 2002, same link.

    2 comment(s)  

I have only just found out today that Mr Zevon is gravely ill and I just wanted to add that I deeply respect this brilliant singer/songwriter and I will not speak in hushed tones at this time. Yay for Warren Zevon!!!!!!!
      ...posted by Jonathan on December 13, 2002 6:22 PM

I have only just found out today that Mr Zevon is gravely ill and I just wanted to add that I deeply respect this brilliant singer/songwriter and I will not speak in hushed tones at this time. Yay for Warren Zevon!!!!!!!
      ...posted by Jonathan on December 13, 2002 6:23 PM

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 VA tax increase

I'm just now starting to pay much attention to the local issues I'll be voting on in six days. I know there's a half-cent sales tax increase that's supposed to help with fixing the gridlock problem 'round here, so my initial instinct was sure, vote Yes. Apparently it's not that simple:

'No' on Road Tax Would Go Furthest To Ease Gridlock by Marc Fisher [Washington Post]

...which vote will actually make things better, Yes or No? Both sides in the debate make it sound easy, but with five transportation and land-use experts I've consulted, I've found two Yeses, two Nos and a Maybe.

For me, the most telling difference between the two sides is this fact: More than half of the money that is pouring into the Yes campaign comes from real estate and construction businesses -- developers, home builders and all the various other interests that profit from sprawl...

Sprawl costs everyone buckets of money and too much precious time. For every new house built in Prince William County, the government pays an average of nearly $2,000 more in services than it receives in taxes. Conversely, every family that decides to live within a mile of a Metro station contributes to easing congestion on the roads.

He doesn't make that compelling a case, but now I'm Undecided instead of a solid Yes. I'm curious to hear discussion. Anyone (especially locals) want to weigh in?

Update: More links: N. VA Tax referendum Primer [W.Post]

Va. Transportation Measure Faulted in Nationwide Study [Washington Post]

The [Surface Transportation Policy Project] analyzed five ballot measures in depth, including the Northern Virginia referendum. The results were not complimentary: It found the Northern Virginia plan to be more poorly designed than others... [It] said the ballot question is too vague regarding the way the money would be spent.

"Our bottom line is, it raises more questions than it answers," said James Corless of the policy project. "There's a slug of money that's unaccounted for. There's a project list, but then almost half the funding is not earmarked, and there's an attitude of, 'We'll figure it out when we get to it in the future.'"

Also missing are any performance criteria that tell voters what the measures will do to reduce congestion and improve transit...

The study also takes issue with generating revenue from an increase in the sales tax as opposed to an increase in the state gasoline tax or tolls... A more just approach would be to increase the gas tax and raise or create more tolls so that motorists who use the road network are paying for new roads, the study said. ... That would also force commercial trucks, which travel Virginia roadways during long hauls up and down the Eastern Seaboard, to share the burden.

Not included in the article: the Surface Transportation Policy Project's website.