I still can’t believe that Rep. Ted Poe (R-2) supports building another boondoggle rail line in Harris County. And his reasoning for that support doesn’t pass the smell test, so you have to ask yourself, what is this really about?
I can’t answer that one but I can debunk his argument that “his constituents” want it. Not a chance. His congressional district is comprised of 698,488 residents, of which 518,345 are of voting age. There are very few residences along the portion of that line that is included in his district. Very few residences means very few voters. Why is he favoring a few constituents over the vast majority?
The length of the proposed boondoggle rail line on Richmond Ave. that is included in Poe’s CD-2 is 1.7 miles:
To put that in perspective for his entire district:
The 1.7 mile length in his district would include four stops: S. Shepherd, Menil, Montrose, and Wheeler. If you live four blocks off Richmond and eight blocks between stops, are you going to walk twelve blocks in the Houston summer heat to catch a ride that goes a mile or so? Seriously?
Let’s think about those “constituents” in Atascocita and Kingwood? Are they “for” this boondoggle? Hardly. And there’s lots more of them. Or what about those in Spring? Are they “for” this boondoggle? Again, more of them.
Let’s say that you live up in Huffman near Gardenia Gardens and want to eat at Pepino’s Italian Restaurant on Richmond, right in the middle of Poe’s section of the boondoggle rail line. What is that $60 million per mile boondoggle going to do to help you? Nothing at all. You’ll drive the 41 miles and hope that the toy train hasn’t run over another bicyclist and shut down traffic on Richmond.
It’s like saying that Rep. Steve Stockman should support building a rocket launch pad in Shoreacres because his “constituents” in Shoreacres want one.
So let’s drop the whole “my constituents” want it. Because they don’t and Poe hasn’t done any research whatsoever to conclude that they do. His entire support is due to “dozens” of phone calls, “hundreds” of emails, some blockwalking by his staff (seriously, in this heat?), and over a thousand Facebook comments, all in the space of two days. Here is his comment posted on Facebook at 11:21 am on Wednesday, July 31st:
STATEMENT FROM CONGRESSMAN POE: “On Monday, I asked for your opinion on whether or not federal funds should be prohibited from helping to build the Richmond Rail in Houston. Over the past few days, my office has received dozens of phone calls, hundreds of emails and over one thousand Facebook comments on this issue. Many of you even took the time to speak to my staff in-person when they went door to door in the district to talk to those of you in the affected area. I thank you for all of your input on this issue. It’s simple: blocking federal funds from coming to Houston will not save any money. Instead, your money will be spent on building infrastructure in other cities. I look forward to working with Congressman Culberson, the Houston Congressional Delegation and METRO to find a solution that serves both the interests of our constituents and the City of Houston.”
Wow, two whole days of “research” before he decides to support it! Isn’t he the workaholic. And we know that many of those participating in his Facebook poll were constituents of the CongressWOMAAN! How bizarre.
On the other hand, you have Rep. John Culberson, who has been providing real transportation solutions in Harris County. Think I-10 West and the nightmare it used to be versus what it is today. Culberson is aware of the fact that it costs on average five times the amount per mile to build a rail line as it does to build a freeway lane and the freeway lane carries five times as many people. Do the math.
Culberson’s district includes a much larger segment of the toy train, about 6.3 miles. He is completely against it because his constituents don’t want it. And he actually polled the property owners, property lessees, and business owners along the line that would have to deal with the boondoggle train and increased traffic jams on a daily basis. Here is what he found:
Summary of Poll west of Shepherd (83{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} reached) – Property Owners
81{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} OPPOSE
17{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} SUPPORT
2{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} UNDECIDED
Summary of Poll from the Loop to Main Street (81{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} reached) – Property Owners
76{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} OPPOSE
22{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} SUPPORT
2{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} UNDECIDED
But hey, it isn’t a Facebook poll, so it doesn’t count.
Here is Ted Poe on the floor of the House trying to explain his support for the boondoggle toy train. Notice that his main argument is that someone else is going to get the money – not that it is a good idea, or that it is necessary, or that it makes sense. Nope, just spend the money before someone else does.
Has Ted Poe been in office too long?
Oh, by the way, I looked up “gerrymander” in the dictionary and there was a picture of Poe’s district. That’s just ridculous on the face of it.
Maybe the people in Atascocita and Kingwood didn’t weigh in. I know the people in Montrose did, because we care deeply about this project. I think it’s refreshing that an elected representative actually cares about the constituents in his district – people that live there and vote there, not just people who own property. People who own property in Ted Poe’s district but don’t live there don’t get to tell Ted Poe what to do. They are not constituents. They may have slightly more cause to butt than people from Shoreacres, but not much more.
Property owners are not constituents? Really?
If they own property, they pay taxes. Now if you want to stop collecting all the costs of owning property in an area you don’t live in.. fine with me. In fact, the way Kris writes, he and his friends will be glad to cover the loss. The train is that important to them. Unfortunately the number of people against outweigh the number of people for. And the one’s for push polled.. kind of like the Democrats do. Interesting. This toy is not a bang for anyone’s buck, and we have a history of toy train failure facts to back that up… not feel good info.
You vote where you live. Ted Poe is accountable to voters, not to property owners.
So in your opinion people in the Montrose or Spring should get just as much say about a new federally funded freeway exit on 59 near Humble. As the people who live in the impacted area, sure that makes a ton of sense.
Oh, and the majority of Culbersons “poll” were not owners, they were tenants that leased space and who do not live in the area. Culberson was dead set against the line, then he tailored a poll to look like he cared about the impact. I would love to see a poll -exclusively- of property owners on Richmond (weighted by property value). I bet it would be very different.
The head transit official in Washington is a critic of rail extensions.
This is a message I sent to Poe’s local office before he announced his decision.
I was informed it was forwarded to his Legislative Director:
— Barry Klein
—————————————————————
Ms. Carlson,
This is a follow up to our conversation. Please share this material with Congressman Poe.
Below is a speech given in May 2010 by the head of the Federal Transit Administration, Peter Rogoff. As the FTA Administrator, Mr. Rogoff is warning American transit agencies to drop their plans to install “shiny” new rail lines and consider extending bus service instead.
First a word about Houston Metro…The projected cost of Houston’s rail expansion is five times what voters were told in 2003, now approaching $6 billion to replace a mere one percent of the bus system. Metro is hiding this fact. Metro is cutting bus service and raising fares to get this done.
City funds have been used to cover some of the overrun and more are pledged by Mayor Parker.
Meanwhile, Metro has fewer riders today than it had in the year it started rail construction when ridership was rising as a bus-only program.
At the time of the speech three years ago transit agencies around the country had a maintenance backlog of $78 billion, of which 75{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} was rail related.
The backlog is surely worse today. The FTA is trying to guide agencies away from new and expanded rail programs. Here is Mr. Rogoff’s speech….
Barry Klein
Pres./ Houston property Rights Association
713-224-4144
———————————————————————————————————————
Program for the conference: http://www.massinc.org/Events/2010/05/Next-Stop-A-National-Summit-on-the-Future-of-Transit.aspx
Video of Rogoff’s speech and his speech notes: http://www.fta.dot.gov/news/speeches/news_events_11682.html
David G
Overwhelmingly, conservative residents packed St. Luke’s Church and told Bill White to stick it. The alignment was changed back to Westpark before the toy train got to Afton Oaks. Now it will go down Cummings and cross the 59. No application has ever been made to TxDot to do this.
Boy, Poe sure took in a lot of money from train folks the other night at his fundraiser. The good thing is it did not go to Parker and Dems.
Culberson has much more seniority and sits on appropriations. I have always been amazed at dems who want the train that say ugly things about John Culberson. He is the one person who holds the fate of the University line.
Go ahead and say something else
Oh right, Don Hooper, I’m sure if everyone was nicer to poor John Culberson, he would forget about his developer interests and do what is right for his constituent. Ex-constituents, that is, since us Montrose folks have been much better represented by Ted Poe.
Don, why would Metro clear a project on the Westpark corridor with Txdot when Metro owns the corridor?
Also the Afton Oaks people got their way, the rail line will not go into their neighborhood. So why do they still care? The residents who near Richmond between Greenway plaza and Main want the line. Every single neighborhood association between between Greenway plaza and Main have been asking for it.
The only reason why I “trashed” Culberson is because he kept ignoring that fact. And instead focused on a small section of leaseholders who were not his constituents. Don, do you think it’s an “coincidence” that the very inner-loop area that is pro-transit was redistricted away from Culberson?” My family consistently votes Republican and I am active in several groups. However, Culberson lost our vote from 2006 on-wards because of his actions.
I could accept the fact that he was protecting Afton Oaks, I could accept that he does not like light rail. What I could not accept was his ignoring our voice and the broad support from the local neighborhoods. When you do not support your constituents your constituents will not support you.
Culberson will proudly tell you that he helps Metro snag federal grants to build rail segments outside his district.
This of course frees Metro to shift other money to the Richmond link. So Culberson is helping build rail on Richmond.
The rail opponents in the Richmond corridor give the guy too much slack.
Metro has the power of eminent domain and I do not support exercising it, forcing people (those voters you were talking about???) out of their homes and their businesses, no matter who wants it. Why do you want to force people from their businesses and homes, Kris?
David,
Crossing the 59 freeway requires permission from TxDot. Also, the closed tunnel bridge Metro is planning to do this has never been done before. The design has it crossing over the top of the shopping center on the other side and landing on the Westpark rail line. We will wait to see what the Russian Judges do on that move, it won’t be 10’s.
Culberson will win the day and whether the language goes in or not to the transportation bill does not matter. Metro itself is does not have the funds for the line. The next line will be the the 90A corridor, not the University line. Metro does not have the funds for his either.
There is no money for this Federally, either. Please keep giving money to Ted Poe because in the end the University line will not be built with out a new bond vote. The existing maintenance costs will have bankrupted Metro by then on the four existing lines. This assumes that the the three lines under construction are not horribly over budget as they are rumored to be.
I do think it is important to have wishes and dreams though.
Take a look at the North line from the M&M building (UHDT) to the old Northline Mall. Drive the line from Crosstimbers to #1 Main Street. Tell me the economic advantages that this creates, look at the boom in new businesses created on Main Street South of #1 Main Street. Now you will get a clearer picture of what this is all about. If you don’t get it, then turn out the lights and stick a fork in it….you’re done!
I often drive the corridors where the rail has been installed along Main and North Main Streets.
I see a lot of struggling businesses and “For Lease” signs where businesses once were located.
The same appears to be true for Scott Street and Harrisburg where rail is also being built, though I know those streets less well.
One of my favorite published quotes from Bob Lanier, former METRO chairman concerning all the urban rail claims touted by the N.U.T.S. (New Urban Transit Supporters).
******************
Bob Lanier, a developer elected Mayor of Houston for his anti-urban rail stance. He said, “First, rail’s supporters say ‘It’s cheaper.’ When you show it costs more, they say, ‘It’s faster.’ When you show it’s slower, they say, ‘It serves more riders.’ When you show there are fewer riders, they say, ‘It brings economic development. When you show no economic development, they say, ‘It helps the image.’ When you say you don’t want to spend that much money on image, they say, ‘It will solve the pollution problem. When you show it won’t help pollution, they say, finally, ‘It will take time. You’ll see.'”[ii]
[ii] Former Mayor Bob Lanier on rail transit proponents in Houston Metropolitan magazine, November 1990.
The sad thing about Bob Lanier is that, in spite of his grasp of how rail advocates deceive the public, he endorsed, circa 1999, the 7.5 mile Red Line now in operation, and the 2003 Metro proposal to expand the rail program. He was willing to speak out as a rail critic when he was looking for an issue to take him into the mayor’s office, which he won in 1991, and later when it benefitted him as Houston’s mayor, because he could tap Metro’s reserves for city projects. But once out out of office he jumped back in line with the establishment. He is a tragic figure.