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From: "Tom
Bazan" <tbazan@houston.rr.com>
To: <opinion@semananews.com>, <viewpoints@chron.com>
Cc: "Harris County District Attorney" <da@dao.co.harris.tx.us>,
<11listens@khou.com>, <aframnews@pdq.net>,
"Alan Clark" <alan.clark@h-gac.com>, <atlarge1@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge2@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge3@cityofhouston.net>,
<atlarge4@cityofhouston.net>, <atlarge5@cityofhouston.net>,
<bballeza@kprc.com>, <carlw@ktsa.com>,
<charles.saunders@house.state.tx.us>, <chrisbaker@clearchannel.com>,
"Dan Monaghan" <mobdaldm@ont.com>, <david.langworthy@chron.com>,
<districta@cityofhouston.net>, <districtb@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtc@cityofhouston.net>, <districtd@cityofhouston.net>,
<districte@cityofhouston.net>, <districtf@cityofhouston.net>,
<districtg@cityofhouston.net>, <districth@cityofhouston.net>,
<districti@cityofhouston.net>,
"Don Gallagher" <dongallagher@sbcglobal.net>,
<edd@ksevradio.com>,
<houstonreview@hotmail.com>, <jcolley@bizjournals.com>,
"Jones, William (TRO-06)" <William.Jones@fta.dot.gov>,
<josh.harkinson@houstonpress.com>, <judge_eckels@co.harris.tx.us>,
<mayor@cityofhouston.net>, <michael.moore@cityofhouston.net>,
<newsdesk@eldiausa.com>, <omc@chronicallybiased.com>,
<patrick@ksevradio.com>, <paul_bettencourt@co.harris.tx.us>,
"Paula J. Alexander" <PA04@ridemetro.org>,
"Wall, Lucas" <Lucas.Wall@chron.com>
Subject: Houston
Chronicle Editors Scurry Quickly To Defend The METRORail Boondoggle
Date: Wed,
16 Jun 2004 06:38:23 -0500
Below is a
recent editorial in support of our 1/2-billion dollar "transit
Backbone" which can not operate in more than THREE inches
of standing water! METRO bureaucrats claim that buses can not
go into six-inches of water. That is twice as deep, AND buses
are agile and mobile enough to where a bus can turn onto a street
that is not flooded, so as to get to, say a $6-million dollar
tram, stopped by nominal street flooding, to rescue the few stranded
riders.
This same editorial board boasted immediate success merely due
to initial crowds lured to the Toy Train by the "Free Fares"
offered by METRO.
As an aside, a complaint that the "Free Fares" violated
state law was filed with the DA over 5-1/2 months ago, yet the
DA immediately undertook two investigations last year against
those who opposed the METRO rail plan.
This system now forces bus transit dependent riders to transfer
to the boondoggle more to raise the head count than to provide
citizens with this farcical "transit option." One
fact is clear, the Toy Train is not generating any significant
additional fare box revenue yet the taxpayer subsidies (sales
taxes) to METRO have skyrocketed. Operating the METRORail
Tram, while reducing bus service to the transit dependent, poor
and minority riders is as if the METRO were dumping bushel
baskets of taxpayer cash into the toilet, and flushing.
I would agree with the last sentence of the editorial if they
merely strike the word "Elevated."
I pledge to resist METRO's pro-rail lunacy, which has reduced
the bus service to the poor and minority, bus transit dependent
riders.
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
=================
Link:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/2629142
June 16, 2004, 1:07AM
Rain delay: 'Told
you so' premature on light-rail line elevation
Copyright 2004 Houston
Chronicle
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