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“Austerity, Democrat Style” and other links…

digby: “A new era unfolds in California… This month [1/2011] the state’s part-time legislature goes back into session, and the state is starting at potentially a $25 billion deficit on a two-year budget of around $95 billion. That’s enormous. And there’s not much fat to cut. The whole budget is basically education and healthcare spending. Cutting everything else wouldn't do the trick. And though raising this kind of money would be easy on an economy of $1.2 trillion, the new GOP mega-majority in Congress is firmly against raising any revenue. [via Markos Moulitsas]”

“Nigerian art: Ingenuity meets fervent belief”

Suzanne Muchnic: “Just follow an undulating path through ‘Central Nigeria Unmasked: Arts of the Benue River Valley,’ an international traveling exhibition opening Feb. 13 at the Fowler Museum at UCLA.” This exhibit closes on 7/24.

“UCLA bike lockers not exactly up to spec’”

Alex Thompson: “Since I first got involved cycling issues, planners have trotted out lockers as the holy grail of bike parking.  Kyle’s account aptly summarizes why I think bike lockers are way way overrated.  Bike lockers require lots of supervision.  In addition to being expensive, any bike locker system requires regular maintenance, as well as administrative oversight.  Some bike locker systems, like the one at UCLA, use a reservation system which requires additional supervision.  Bike lockers are expensive to buy, tough to maintain, and ask a great deal from the user, relative to bike racks.”

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