"Metro's real mission is transporting people to and from work, not real estate development."
LETTERS
Rail spelled backwards is liar
Aug. 12, 2006
Houston Chronicle
Copyright 2006
Howard Horne's Aug. 7 Outlook article asked why the Metropolitan Transit Authority shouldn't "take more property than it would need and pay the property owners for what it takes, then share the increased value with all of us."
State law gives Metro the right to use eminent domain on the surrounding 162 acres of land around any rail stop. But Metro's real mission is transporting people to and from work, not real estate development.
Metro should honor the referendum language in the 2003 election. Would any judge say to the voters that Westpark is Richmond Avenue? Eminent domain should not be used in this manner.
Why do we not have commuter rail to our airports or to Houston's major growth areas?
The problem in a nutshell is that Houston has always had an unelected transit board with many political masters running the show. Our mayors have considered their control of the Metro board as a perk.
The direction of our mass transit changes with each new mayor — there is no continuity. This is not the fault of any those mayors, but of voters who allowed it to happen. We need to stop wasting taxpayers' money. We voted for Westpark, not Richmond Avenue.
PAUL MAGAZINER Houston
© 2006 Houston Chronicle: www.chron.com
Rail spelled backwards is liar
Aug. 12, 2006
Houston Chronicle
Copyright 2006
Howard Horne's Aug. 7 Outlook article asked why the Metropolitan Transit Authority shouldn't "take more property than it would need and pay the property owners for what it takes, then share the increased value with all of us."
State law gives Metro the right to use eminent domain on the surrounding 162 acres of land around any rail stop. But Metro's real mission is transporting people to and from work, not real estate development.
Metro should honor the referendum language in the 2003 election. Would any judge say to the voters that Westpark is Richmond Avenue? Eminent domain should not be used in this manner.
Why do we not have commuter rail to our airports or to Houston's major growth areas?
The problem in a nutshell is that Houston has always had an unelected transit board with many political masters running the show. Our mayors have considered their control of the Metro board as a perk.
The direction of our mass transit changes with each new mayor — there is no continuity. This is not the fault of any those mayors, but of voters who allowed it to happen. We need to stop wasting taxpayers' money. We voted for Westpark, not Richmond Avenue.
PAUL MAGAZINER Houston
© 2006 Houston Chronicle:
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Saturday, August 12, 2006
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