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From: "Tom
Bazan" <tbazan@houston.rr.com>
To: <mayor@cityofhouston.net>, <judge_eckels@co.harris.tx.us>,
<editor@chronicallybiased.com>
Cc: "Wall, Lucas" <Lucas.Wall@chron.com>,
"Paula J. Alexander" <PA04@ridemetro.org>,
<paul_bettencourt@co.harris.tx.us>, <patrick@ksevradio.com>,
<newsdesk@eldiausa.com>, <michael.moore@cityofhouston.net>,
"Josh Harkinson" <josh.harkinson@houstonpress.com>,
<jcolley@bizjournals.com>, <houstonreview@hotmail.com>,
<edd@ksevradio.com>, <districti@cityofhouston.net>,
<districth@cityofhouston.net>, <districtg@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtf@cityofhouston.net>, <districte@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtd@cityofhouston.net>, <districtc@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtb@cityofhouston.net>, <districta@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge5@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge4@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge3@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge2@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge1@cityofhouston.net>, "Alan Clark" <alan.clark@h-gac.com>,
<aframnews@pdq.net>, <11listens@khou.com>
Subject: CONGRESSIONAL
CANDIDATE BAZAN'S TRANSIT SOLUTION
Date: Sun,
08 Aug 2004 11:02:34 -0600
I offer this
simplified plan as the best solution to the Houston Region's
looming transit crisis. Let's start a dialog on the issue
of sun setting METRO now.
Inasmuch as each Harris County Precinct Commissioner offers free
bus service to senior citizens; thus, the County is already in
the bus business.
Many firmly believe that buses run rings around rail.
The two million or so new Houstonians predicted to arrive in
the next two decades will benefit little from an under-utilized fixed-guideway
tram system that does not go where most people need to go, and
will require significant capacity improvements in streets and
bridges in order to accommodate the load for a vast majority
of our ever-expanding transportation trips.
Hold a vote to sunset METRO now. If voters concur, transfer
all METRO bus operations to say the Harris County Toll Road Authority,
and commission a study to determine if it is better to scrap
the boondoggle tram. The city leaders were faced with what to
do about trams decades before, and since METRO failed to
learn from history, we are confronted with the decision again.
It might be the consensus to impanel a Grand Jury to investigate
why, without allowing Houstonians a specific vote, METRO was
allowed to squander so much of the taxpayers' precious resources
on an accident prone, under-utilized system, tethered to a sparking
wire which could not so much as ford more than 3-inches
of water in the Bayou City.
Harris County could use the METRO 1-cent sales tax, and
get the State Legislature to allow Harris County to for the eight
county Regional Transit Authority, which could pool other counties
transportation sales tax revenue, and focus on efficient
rubber-tired transit solutions.
This type approach would make far better use of precious transit
dollars than METRO flushing bushel baskets of our cash down the
commode to feed the Main Street rail "Alligator."
Respectfully Submitted,
Tom Bazan
P.O. Box 2786
Houston, TX 77252
832.673.0018
BAZAN, a long-time
real estate broker, appraiser and environmental consultant, is
the Independent Candidate for the 18th Congressional District
of Texas, running to replace Sheila Jackson-Lee
www.BazanForCongress.com
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