George,

Well put. I think it's code for ..."It's high time that the environmental deluders and platitude-quoting-illogical-road-haters get a grip."

If the Parkway is not built, the congestion that we witness every day at 5:00 will get so bad that Downtown will die a slow and painful death. In the wake of developments like Albemarle Place, to not built the parkway would be not facing economic reality.

I am sorry to inform my highly educated theorists to the left that ... this just in... Americans drive cars. They want to get to and through Downtown Charlottesville with ease. When they accomplish this, they suddenly realize what a nice place Downtown is. Then they spend their money there. This makes our Charlottesville economy thrive. This creates jobs. And yes .. even road haters get these jobs. This vitality also fills the City coffers ... but I digress. I know this is all Voodoo Economics and Trickle Down does not work ... but hey ... where did you spend your tax refund ... in Richmond?

Good roads are good. Bad roads are bad. We have researched this good roadtill we are all blue in the face. Let's not couple the Parkway with the Bypass. Let's get out the shovels and get moving.

Newt Sewell (electronic mail, December 4, 2003)