From: "Tom Bazan" <tbazan@houston.rr.com>
To: <viewpoints@chron.com>, <opinion@semananews.com>
Cc: "Wall, Lucas" <Lucas.Wall@chron.com>,
"Paula J. Alexander" <PA04@ridemetro.org>, <paul_bettencourt@co.harris.tx.us>,<patrick@ksevradio.com>,
"Palmer, John - CNL" <John.Palmer@cityofhouston.net>,
<newsdesk@eldiausa.com>, <michael.moore@cityofhouston.net>,
<mayor@cityofhouston.net>, <judge_eckels@co.harris.tx.us>,
<josh.harkinson@houstonpress.com>, <jcolley@bizjournals.com>,
"Jan.Crow" <Jan.Crow@mail.house.gov>, <jack.victory@mail.house.gov>,
<houstonreview@hotmail.com>, <edd@ksevradio.com>,
<chrisbaker@clearchannel.com>, <bballeza@kprc.com>,
"Alan Clark" <alan.clark@h-gac.com>, <aframnews@pdq.net>,
<11listens@khou.com>
Subject: HOUSTON CHRONICLE EDITORIAL STRANGLES THE TRUTH ON URBAN RAIL
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 07:36:22 -0500

This is not true. METRO had the option to allow a vote!

METRO could have done it right, but arrogantly decided to abuse the taxpayers by starting construction BEFORE the system was designed and engineered!

Both the House Majority Leader and Congressman Culberson public stated that if METRO allowed a vote, they would not oppose the will of the voters. They naively presumed forcing a vote on boondoggle urban rail would result in a fair referendum.on this issue. 

METRO went so far as to establish "defeased" leases on seven METRO facilities, where taxpayers had already paid for them, and essentially are paying to lease back OUR taxpayer property, in order for METRO to get the extra cash necessary to initiate construction so as to AVOID a vote!

METRO used our tax money against us to hire ethics-challenged attorney John O'Quinn to fight all the way to the Texas Supreme Court to prevent Houstonians from voting on the demented "Demolition Derby" tram on Main Street.

Also, when LET THE PEOPLE VOTE placed a City Charter change referendum for a vote on the ballot, METRO allies spent over $900,000 to Kill City Prop #3.

Further, METRO spent over $3 million of taxpayer's funds to "promote" the pro-rail "Solutions" propaganda blitz so as to trick the voters before they could observe just what was predicted by BusCAR would happen with the Main Street boondoggle tram. See the Houston Chronicle "Secret MEMO" http://www.houstonreview.com/1102/secretmemo.htm   and   http://www.houstonreview.com/1102/chroniclememo.htm

The Houston Chronicle Editors should be rebuked.  It is wrong to know the truth, yet continue to foster the "Big Lie."

Thomas A. Bazan
P.O. Box 2786
Houston, TX 77252

832.673.0018

www.BazanForCongress.com