European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 5, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                1 doily Magazine f by James Sterba new York times rom the Airport 16 Miles to the Down town Houston looks like the Emerald City in the land of its skyscrapers appear to thrust heavenward out of a forested swamp and sparkle in toe afternoon but there is no yellow Brick Road from there to there Are two often so clogged with can Hal the trip can take an its boosters Call Houston the Golden buckle of the Sun hit the nations fifth largest it has the Healthiest Tommy and the fastest growth its powerful Dum Berot Commerce chums out endless statistics attesting to an economic vigor that has made it the envy of the m Tjonn older Bat while natives and newcomers Praise the Clyti May of its million Are coming to believe that Houston is strangling in its own sue Ibex critics say that it is rapidly becoming a tar polluted and estate Ticay depressing of the cities they moved there to while  City Han Falls farther and farther bound to its efforts to cure ills that Range from fire and dead to untreated some Urban experts believe hit Houston is perilously close to the beginning of a Atod Leefrom Boom to at us Victory party mayor James Mcgonn Moused a forceful assault on such but when he by office he faced a Wall of resistance to govern met action that the outgoing Fred bows in contrast to the complaints of too much att moment in older critics has too Tuk and Many voters prefer it that i Lack of planning and its Low taxes and its commitment to unbridled growth which jul boosters list As the Virtues at the foundation of its Pone Rily Are considered by us critics to he leading awes of obvious without some released municipal services and increased taxes to pay or they the City of the future is headed for the same economic decline and decay that plague other Urban the failure of Houston to Cone has a tremendously says but it is not without Bene one of which is it Doest do any Good to have a Day that Well thought out and planned if nobody lives in it ind nobody has Jobst the Boom is still its phenom absorb new people a year without any discernible line set on the jobless everybody is so and Happy Dotas Isdr Dunc that they cant see whats happen lag to it says Jack a Teal Ardd Lect toe chamber of Commerce says Howton is so successful because of no puooiac1 Bay i think its Noces std because were is Ike nerve ranter of the Energy and be Emse of people arc Floore la Ken at sack i Hole to sound like a doomsday said David Dean of architecture Al Rice cer Utah Houston could get a lot worse off before its in the i have to say that Many of the traditional Adan Tsuge Iobst have been touted for Houston Low living Kew labor Lack of social and a environment Are the whole set Fane sees a hidden bomb in the deterioration of tattoos laser despite a Boom in office menu downtown retail base is he is almost no Taner Day housing invest rent the ideas of planning and More government at Themi to most says who a a Fajto run Tor a third there Are far More people will support a politician who promises not to fwd Money Ibl Nortu support a politician who promises labels the cites political leadership just Lousy Wys there a a lot  in business com As in the after of believing their own chamber of Commerce pro tie several key business Leaden have convinced that the Day needs forceful the reasons Lor Day residents ots Tasto we Rameau Are related to both Dass White neighbourhoods hire private Security be Ardea much on these services As Resi emn in but the Money does not go through the Day the glittering Skyline of Houston Houston is the City of the future heading for a bust As a says the Lowmax philosophy hurts poor people a lot More than it hurts the Middle class and Houston remains the most segregated big City in the according to the department of housing and Urban about z8 percent of its population is Black and about 13 percent h count ing illegal since a disproportionate percentage of those groups is poor and unable to buy services on the free their neighbourhoods in the inner Day tend to the consequences Are parity contrary to popular Houston is filling up much faster with poor Anglo americans from surrounding villages and Rural areas than it is with Middle and upper income Whites from out of while the inner Day Houston keeps its tax base stable by annexing suburban growth unlike other big it u hemmed in by incorporated nabs the Power to a aex almost at but you cant expand geographically says with More than 530 Square Houston is already larger in area than the sprawling City of los even More than los Angeles it was Buitt the Auto but traffic planners say the cites mobility curve peaked eight years ago and the number of registered vehicles in the metropolitan area has nearly Dou bled since then to ii Many freeways Are choked in an average with twice the number of cars they were designed to and some of the inner City slums behind the february the stars 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